The Peterite 2012-2013 by StPetersYork

2012-2013

THE PETERITE 2012-2013

THE PETERITE

Contents

The Peterite 2012 - 2013 Issue No.430 Contents Commemoration

Valete

Salvete

House Reports

Visits & Exchanges

News, events & Activities

Creative & Cultural

113

Postcard Portraits

142

Sport

145

Leavers’ Destinations

209

The Peterite Team Lucy Schofield, Nina Duncan, Jonathan Fry, Alex Plane and Sara Pycock.

Heads of School Laura Field and Nicholas McLeish

The Peterite 2012-2013

Editorial

Peterite - from the Head Master The Peterite is our flagship publication and this edition more than lives up to the standards set by its predecessors. Its pages seek to convey the range of activity at the school in a year that began with the re-dedication of the Chapel in a service led by the Archbishop of York and ended, as is our tradition, with Commemoration and Prize-giving in The Minster. As ever, I am very grateful to Mr John Darmody for his expert and dedicated work as Editor, and to all those pupils and staff who prepared the articles that follow. The values of the school – of friendship, learning and all-round education - come through loud and clear in the wide range of activities detailed in The Peterite, 2012-2013. It has been a wonderful year in so many ways and I do hope that every reader can sense the spirit of the school in the house pages. Happy reading!

Leo Winkley

Editorial The 2012-13 Peterite Magazine is my tenth and last issue as editor. During that time the magazine has gone from being mainly black and white to full colour and has grown in size from 76 to 184 pages. This issue (I write this before the final draft is complete) may well be even bigger. However, no matter how many pages any edition of the magazine may have they will always be insufficient to cover all that takes place in this flourishing and ever-developing school during the course of an academic year. Over the past ten years it has been my privilege to manage this magazine and despite the time consuming nature of the job it has been a pleasure to be able to showcase almost every aspect of life at St Peter’s School. I am indebted to many people who have helped with the production of the magazine. Each year has seen a new team of pupils who have given freely of their time to write articles and conduct interviews. Without them the magazine would not be what it is. Special thanks to this year’s team who have been first class. I have been fortunate to have had brilliant proof readers and for the past few years Penny Bollands, Pat Chandler and Richard Trevett have excelled in picking up all of the spelling and grammatical mistakes that I have missed. David Peach and his team at Hutton Peach have provided us with a second to none design service and the appearance of the magazine owes a great deal to them.

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David Morris and Professor Brian Cox at the IOP Awards

Linden Richardson has overseen the printing of the magazine and has always been on hand to give invaluable advice on materials and processes. David Morris, not only Physics Teacher of the Year Award holder, but also a one man paparazzi has taken countless thousands of photographs during my tenure as editor and I am hugely grateful for that. Finally I am grateful to all those staff and pupils who have contributed to each and every magazine. I have enjoyed it hugely. John Darmody

Commemoration 2013

Commemoration Address Friday 5th July 2013 One lunch-time, during our family holiday in Italy last summer, we had a very interesting conversation. The topic was theological: a little serious for 30 degrees in the shade perhaps. But, there we were, the five of us, gathered round bowls of pasta and salad, discussing God. What does God look like? Does God sleep? Does God have friends? What is God’s name? “God’s name is God”, says Ivo, with the characteristic certainty of a six year old boy. There is a moment of silence as we all consider the reflexive neatness of this comment. “No, it isn’t,” declares Tabitha, his older sister: “He’s got a real name”. All eyes turn to Tabitha’s end of the table. Even little Dora is interested. “Ok.” I say. “What is God’s real name?” Another pause; and then a coy smile creeps across her face. Ascertaining that she is in possession of ‘special knowledge’, Tabitha savours the moment. “It’s Peter”, she says, with simple confidence. A mystified silence follows. “Oh... How do you know that God’s name is Peter?”. Another pause; another enigmatic smile; then the mystery is revealed: “When we’re in church, at the end of the prayers, we all say ‘Thanks, Peter God’.” First name Peter; second name God. I shared that story with colleagues at the start of this academic year, reflecting that mistakes and misunderstandings, whether joyful or painful, are always fuel for learning. And schools, above all places, should allow youngsters time to make intellectual mistakes and space for growth. The spirit of enquiry feeds on failure. It’s a matter of mindset. Over the past few years the teaching profession has been afflicted by a steady flow of high-minded but fundamentally

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Commemoration

meddlesome diktats and pronouncements from the Department of Education. The Secretary of State, Michael Gove, who may yet go on to become the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, is already a household name. Education is a hot topic. Whilst school improvement is de facto a good thing, and many of Gove’s messages are spot-on, it is depressing to witness a growing tendency to make the demands of league tables and key performance indicators the major focus of any school. The result is an obsession with exam results and other outputs. Our colleagues in the state sector are bedevilled by these measures. Other institutions are similarly plagued by tabulations and systems that, however well-crafted and nobly intentioned, tend to oversimplify at best, and at worst mislead and demoralise. That is not to say that mileposts should not be set, or that results don’t matter. Of course they do. Good exam results are permits to travel: the agreed currency of progression. We should rightly be proud that last year’s Upper Sixth pupils passed a quarter of their A level exams at A*; and it’s great that almost a third of our pupils achieved straight A*/A passes at GCSE last summer. With more than a 75% offer rate from Russell Group Universities this year, and nine pupils securing Oxbridge offers, we can hope for more excellent exam results for our current Upper Sixth. And it was a pleasure to present the St Peter’s Award, the school’s highest accolade, to Dan Spencer yesterday for his extraordinary achievements at national and international level in Maths and Physics. But, it’s not all about A* grades and it’s certainly not all about statistics. We want all our pupils to exceed expectations, whatever their starting point. And, some of the most important outcomes of education are beyond measurement. How do you quantify happiness, well-being, confidence, tenacity, humility? What algorithm should we use to take the measure of a person’s character? When do you know your education has been a success? It has been observed that education is what remains after one

4 4

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has forgotten what one learned in school. On the same Italian holiday last summer I got chatting with a gentleman who gradually worked out that I was a teacher. As the net of our conversation tightened, it turned out, remarkably, that he was a former St Peter’s parent. “Great school is that, Saint Peter’s” said the man. “Had a lad there once”. “Oh.” I said. “Did you? How old is he now?” “Michael?” he said. “He’d be 32.” Time for some informal market research: “So… How do you rate a St Peter’s education?” I asked. The man gave me a long Yorkshire look. “It’s a bit early to tell”. Back in the 1980s Harvard University became concerned. They had mastered the craft of producing excellent, well qualified professionals. But they were embarrassed by the number of their graduates who were found guilty of serious white collar crimes. The leadership at Harvard asked themselves a question: why is that so many well educated people do bad things? They concluded that they were giving them virtually no preparation for how to apply their educations in a morally responsible manner. Harvard therefore decided that all their students would be required successfully to complete one of a selection of courses in moral philosophy before they could graduate. This was not a panacea, but it showed the right kind of thinking. My father retired a few days ago after 20 years as a Head Master. Apparently, it’s unique that a father and son have served concurrently as headmasters of HMC schools. Headteachers, like policemen, are getting younger... In his final speech day a few weeks back, my father asked: “What is it that we [as Headmasters] treasure about the schools we run? Yes it’s nice if we win a few matches and pass a few exams, preferably at a higher level than last year, but I remain convinced that in a school the successes we enjoy are small and personal; they are about the individual development of individual children. So often, flicking through those dreary descriptions of schools, one comes across stuff about developing the unique qualities of individual children, and then one realises that the school believes these unique qualities are best expressed through a string of A stars at GCSE and a string of top grades at A level. In a good school we rejoice about the individual leaps made by individual children. We

Community Action Commemoration

rejoice that Adam has finally learnt the difference between a ruck and maul; that Annabel now knows the difference between a demi semi quaver and a stick insect. It’s the little personal triumphs which make us rejoice.” Julian Stern, Professor of Education and Theology at York St John University, published a 2010 book called: ‘The Spirit of the School’. His work highlights the value and importance of spiritual education. This is more than lessons in religious studies (great subject though it is). More broadly, it is about the cultivation of individual character and virtue through shared values of community, friendship, learning and dialogue. Stern’s compelling suggestion is that the dominant contemporary educational culture has got things the wrong way round. Rather than focusing on outcomes, we should be focusing on school culture: the spirit of the school. Because, if we have a clear understanding of ‘spirit’, we get happier individuals and happier communities, where people are more caring of one another, more reflective about themselves – and better educated. As it happens, they also get better results. But, much more importantly, they become decent individuals.

The inspirational and moving production of Les Misérables springs readily to mind. The accomplished vocal and acting performances were born not just of a few weeks of strenuous rehearsal but years of good teaching and hard work on all parts. Not many school musical productions could boast an orchestra of such calibre, including quite so many members of the academic

At St Peter’s, we situate our values squarely on the groundwork of the Christian faith. Accrued wisdom guides how we seek to develop character in our youngsters and our Christian values intersect to form the grid map that guides our footsteps over the ancient ways. These values bind us strongly to York Minster and to the community of faith. As the General Synod gathers in York, I’m delighted that the Dean of York is with us today; we are grateful, as ever, to be celebrating this service of Commemoration here in The Minster. So, is St Peter’s a school of spirit? I truly believe it is. If the achievements of our pupils and staff are an indicator, we have seen numerous signs of the spirit of the school this year.

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Commemoration

staff. This was a gem of a production that rightly elicited standing ovations from its audiences, and will live long in the memory. There were many other signs of the spirit of our school. Consider the vibrancy and community feeling of the pupil-led Community Action Talent Show (just one of the many events in our vital volunteering programme); the on-going flourishing of debating and creative writing; the stunning pupil Art; the stimulating menu of activities in the Lower Sixth Exploration Week; the colour and fun of Red Nose Day; the rare delight of a warm, sunny sports day; the marvellous concert in Leeds Town Hall; the Choir’s memorable evensong at St Paul’s Cathedral; the rededication of the Chapel by the Archbishop of York at the start of the year and the blessing last week of our remarkable icon of St Peter. These were all heartening signs of the spirit of the school. Spirit is often most palpable in team activities. Our improved sports reporting via Twitter and the school website has chronicled an exceptional sporting year which the Peterite magazine will detail fully. The team performance of the year was surely that of the 1st XV, who completed the rugby season unbeaten in friendlies for the first time since the late 1970s. But it was not so much the victories as the manner in which they were achieved. This was perhaps epitomised in the match that saw St Peter’s race to a 24-0 lead only to see the opposition slowly whittle away that commanding position until the score was 24-24. It came to the last play of the game. A call was made to run it from lineout ball in our 22. After several phases, the ball reached the opponents’ 22 and, with some determined recycling of the ball and excellent running, the winning try was scored under the posts. This finale typified the spirit of the squad. We are a school passionately committed to co-education, on equal terms. I asked the Head of Girls’ Sport for her highlight of the year, which was a characteristically busy Saturday afternoon this term. There were girls on the river rowing in the York spring regatta, twelve sets of girls’ tennis matches, and four rounders matches, as well as squash and swimming. We are rightly ambitious for girls’ sport, in terms of participation, the range of options available and the pursuit of excellence. Two of our girls rowed at Henley last week and we have a female cox down to the final two for the GB team role. The end of year Girls’ Sports Dinner resonated with shared enjoyment, achievement and ambition. I’m delighted too that our first ever co-educational sports tour, with girls’ hockey and boys’ rugby squads, leaves for South Africa in a matter of days, as well as our thoroughly co-ed music tour to New York. Community engagement is both an expression of, and fuel for, the spirit of the school. Sir Michael Wilshaw, the Chief Inspector of Schools, last month challenged independent schools to end what he called their “splendid isolation” and work more with state schools. St Peter’s co-funds the York Independent State School Partnership, and we offer a free 2 year course in GCSE Latin to pupils from six state schools in York, as well as coaching rowing and opening up our CCF to state school pupils. Two weeks ago I was called to give evidence before the House of Commons Education Select Committee on school partnership and cooperation. It was a fascinating experience. That very same Wednesday, we hosted

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35 schools for our Physics Olympics, launched the second cycle of free GCSE Latin to a gathering of 60 state school families, and welcomed the Principal and senior colleagues of Archbishop Sentamu Academy in Hull, with whom we are building partnership links. Whilst it is good that St Peter’s, and York as a whole, are seen as beacons of excellence in partnership working, there is much more to do in this spirit. Our pupils and staff benefit as much as the pupils and staff of our partner schools. Turning to our staff, we are lucky to have such a gifted, committed and, as the Chairman mentioned, often long-serving teaching and support staff. I want to mention the achievement of Mr David Morris who won a national award from the Institute of Physics as well as an Ogden Trust Fellowship. He takes over as Head of Science from Mr Northfield, with a new brief to extend our public engagement work. Peter Northfield, who joined the school in 1987, has led the Chemistry and Science Departments with great skill. Legendary for his excellent teaching, concern for others and skilled diplomacy, Mr Northfield leaves St Peter’s with our warmest good wishes. Alex Knill and Anna Cowling move on to new Biology posts, and Jeremy Connor leaves us after three years to take up a post in the Classics Department at his native Brighton College; after five years, Claire Wright travels south to an exciting role as Head of French at Wellington College. John Owen-Barnett has done just about everything at the school in his 37 years at St Peter’s. A fine and charismatic teacher, tutor and housemaster, he has most recently been the school’s child protection officer, a role he has performed with great wisdom and care. Few teachers have such legendary presence, such luminosity of spirit - and of clothing! As he signs off from his 111th and final term at St Peter’s, we wish Mr O-B well for the future.

Commemoration

Looking to our future, we have ambitious plans. We need to keep improving. We will have a new Memorial Hall by mid-Autumn and new entrance to follow. We continue to review our curriculum, to offer ever more challenge and choice in the GCSE years. We’re working on a more holistic approach to personal and health education, to cultivate well-being and reflection, and help pupils manage the stresses of the ‘always on’ culture. We’re introducing a new course in Third Form on reading for pleasure & research and information skills. History of Art A level is available for the first time, and we are providing interview skills training for sixth form, including the opportunity for video playback analysis – terrifying but useful! In our shared pursuit of excellence, I would like to express my on-going gratitude to the Board of Governors, in particular the Chairman and the Vice Chairmen, for their support and expertise, freely given to help guide and improve the school. I thank all members of my senior team for their excellent work this year – we have ‘serious fun’ running the school together. I add my thanks to our colleagues in the bursary, estates, domestic, catering, facilities assistants, matrons and nurses, grounds and maintenance staff and technicians. They are very much the spirit of the school. And so, finally: to those for whom this is the day of transition

from current pupil to Old Peterite, our Upper Sixth leavers. I hope sincerely that each individual character has been shaped positively by their time at the school. Our Head Girl, Laura, and Head Boy, Nick, along with their deputies and an excellent team of Monitors, have together led the school with a spirit of calm assurance and commitment. Many of our leavers today have been in the school from St Olave’s and plenty have travelled all the way from the Nursery at Clifton School. Seven of them spoke wonderfully at the Clifton School end of year review yesterday afternoon. It is the deepest privilege of teaching to watch children grow up into confident young adults. The class of 2013 is a very special bunch: bright, able, caring, fun, great participators who carry their talents lightly; a year group full of spirit. The Archbishop of York, who is very much in our thoughts as he continues his recovery from cancer treatment, inspires us with his call to “seize the best of life; glory in the goodness of it; and then live it before God and humanity alike”. Accordingly, I say this to those of you who leave St Peter’s School today: be true to your character and to your education. Keep learning. Stay in touch with the community of St Peter’s. And, as you travel the ancient ways, carry with you the spirit of the school. Mr L Winkley

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Commemoration

Friends of St Peter’s Boarders’ Teas and the New Parents’ evening traditionally mark the start of the FOSP calendar for the new academic year; it provides an excellent way to welcome new friends and spot any likely committee members. This year we were lucky enough to entice Julie Cranston to represent The Rise and she has been a great addition to our team, whose first task was to write our new constitution that we hope will pave the way to the future. Our AGM at St Catherine’s was very kindly hosted by Mr and Mrs Winkley and saw Diana Widdicombe, our outstanding outgoing Chair, hand over the reins to me, leaving the committee in amazing shape with a fixed schedule of events, organisation an army would be proud of and a full bank account ready for distribution in our annual bids. Following the sad loss of the Best Friend of St Peter’s, Mrs Wendy Shepherd, Mrs Justine Williams nobly stepped into her shoes as staff rep. Mrs Williams launched our new bids system in the Autumn Term with a number of bids including a contribution for a wooden bench at Linton House, an infra-red camera for the Physics department, a headphone head set for the Music Department, money towards the production cost of The Keystone publication and kitchen equipment in support of Community Action and the Island charity. Christmas Term was extremely busy with the Les Misérables production and Christmas concert. My huge and grateful thanks to all of the committee, and the Catering Department, who worked

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tirelessly over both these events to make them so successful. At this stage may I point out a wonderful advantage of being on the committee is that we get to watch such superb productions. The start of the Easter Term heralds a regular Stargazing evening and this year’s event, organised by Kate Fordy, was magnificent. Despite the poor visibility, the evening was a roaring success with the Cosmodome, public lecture and a wonderful array of sciencerelated activities for all ages. Mr Morris provided a magnificent telescope as our main raffle prize, with Anne Barron on raffle duty. Anne, together with Jo Punnett, who has been an excellent Treasurer, also took over the organisation of the Leavers’ Ball and

Commemoration

Mrs Anne Bulcock 17th October 1936 - 8th June 2013 We are sad to report the death of Anne Bulcock . With her husband John she took over the running of The Manor at a moment of crisis in 1984, leaving a happy and prosperous boarding house ten years later. The following is an extract from the Tribute to Anne which was written by her husband John and delivered by The Revd. Dr John Roden.

managed to decorate the room and arrange the props before returning to the Ball as guests looking glamorous for such a very special evening. Our planning for the annual Cabaret nights began in earnest after February half term and are a wonderful finale to the summer. This year’s evenings proved to be no exception, with half the committee in tears following the solo performances. Andy Elliott, who describes himself as “the token male on the committee” came to the rescue with his superb organisation of the Bar. Caron Guffogg stepped in at short notice to take over the raffle for the evening and did a marvellous job together with her husband Simon who acted as Official Photographer for the night. All committees have an unsung hero who just rolls up their sleeves and gets on with things - ours is Maggie Langford. She single-handedly bought the food and delivered all the Crispy Crème doughnuts for the cabaret evening, making several extra trips for even more doughnuts. As previously mentioned, Diana has been a wonderful Chair taking the committee to a new level, leaving us organised, efficient, with a new constitution, new marketing information and banners. As a leader she has brought us all together from individual members to a group of friends. Diana is leaving the committee after her 4 year term but we will continue to use her razor sharp organisational skills on the Leavers’ Ball committee. Sian Frazer

Anne and John were appointed to be in charge of The Manor with responsibility for 50 teenage boys. No empty nest syndrome for Anne! The Boarding House could never ever have achieved its warmth, respect and altruism without the presence of this wonderful housemaster’s wife. She was uniquely qualified for her new role: her own children had by the exigencies of the overseas postings been boarders themselves, and Anne knew exactly by her personal experience what were the essentials of the quality of the Care which the parents who had entrusted their sons to the boarding-house should rightly expect. Over the years The Manor became House of choice of many new entrants. Anne was totally involved, always able to listen to problems and to do her best, never frightened of tackling boy-ish naughtiness with aplomb her sense of humour, at those times when John’s was sorely tested, would carry the day. Two illustrations come to mind. Late one evening a noise two floors above, emanating from the Juniors’ sleeping area, caused her to climb the stairs and open a door well after lights-out time – to be shot in the face with a water pistol! She held out her hand for the weapon, tried to stop her laughter – and, importantly, never told John until he had had a night or two’s good rest. Recollecting the incident much later as an eighteen-year-old leaver, the young man concerned gave her a hug and said he thought his last day in the House had come those five years ago! The thirteen-yearold had discovered the humour, balance, real common sense and abiding qualities of the wife of his housemaster. Another incident kept from John for a cooling-down period was an investigation she made into the cellar of the House : the strange smell turned out to be a small vat of home-brewing beer, cunningly concealed in the least likely place to be searched – the Head of House’s trunk! No tedious investigation: just the pouring away of the beer which was replaced with a pint or two of cold tea! Boys will always be boys, and she handled them brilliantly – and they respected her hugely. Her ten years in The Manor contained some of her warmest memories.

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Salvete

Mr Michael Schofield

We welcome Mr Schofield to St. Peter’s and wish him luck with his time here.

Last January Michael Schofield joined St. Peter’s as the new Bursar. Although new to York itself, Mr Schofield is no stranger to Yorkshire. He was born in Mombasa, Kenya, but grew up and attended school in Leeds. He then went on to attain Economics and Accountancy BA Hons at Newcastle University.

Lucy Schofield LVI

Mrs Joanna Wright Mrs Wright joined us this year as our new Deputy Head. We welcome her as a new face (and desperately needed female voice) in the school’s Leadership Team. Her experience at her previous schools equip her well to take on the challenge of the day-to-day running of the school. Mrs Wright has held distinguished pastoral roles at Queenswood School in Hertfordshire, St. Edward’s in Oxford and Oundle School.

Mr Schofield qualified as a Chartered Accountant in Newcastle before joining TT Group Plc. Here he was Finance Director of a company within the TT Group. Before coming to Peter’s Mr Schofield was Bursar of Rishworth School in Calderdale, a job he enjoyed but decided the time had come for a new challenge and the opportunity offered by St Peter’s was really exciting. In his spare time, Mr Schofield enjoys cycling, and has taken part in many races, often placing very highly. Cycling, he tells me, is his favourite hobby, and, as he says, ‘I’ll still be cycling as an old man, no matter how much harder it gets to climb those mountains.’ Other hobbies he lists include reading and walking, and he is a ‘huge film lover’, with a penchant for westerns and musicals. When asked for his favourite quote he gives ‘It is nothing to die. It is frightful not to live,’ from Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables, the musical adaptation being one of his favourite films. After his first six months in the job, when this interview took place, Mr Schofield states ‘the time has flashed by and despite all the challenges that come with any new job, I’m really enjoying the role.’ He has also appreciated living in York for the past year, the ‘beautiful city’ being another factor in drawing him to St Peter’s. When asked to describe himself in three words, Mr Schofield gives ‘reliable, optimistic and determined’ although admits that others may say, ‘ how about “reads very slowly?”’.

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In the autumn term Mrs Wright presented an absorbing assembly in which she aimed, as she put it, ‘to bridge something between myself and the pupils.’ She was following the advice of the Head Boy who had said that this would be a good way to introduce herself to over five hundred people all at once. We can definitely agree. Surprisingly, perhaps, Mrs Wright’s teaching background lies in Drama. When asked about this, she said that she loves teaching and it was always fun, with a purpose. She read French and Theatre Studies at University but in teaching was drawn to her love for Drama and the power of language, the magic of imagination and working on texts to understand subtext. Her proudest teaching moment? Watching the first night of a production she directed and seeing pupils own their work and ‘take off’. “There is a tremendous sense of pride in what they have achieved”. A favourite play or production? “Impossible to choose … though maybe Our Country’s Good by Timberlake Wertenbaker which is about the transforming power of theatre.”

Salvete

When asked about her interests and hobbies Mrs Wright laughed and admitted that she is quite institutionalised in term time. Interests? She has a heartfelt concern for those affected by leprosy, and takes a campaigning interest in girls’ education in the developing world. Maintaining a good work life balance takes no little effort but since arriving here she has been inspired by the many colleagues who excel in so many areas. Most of all she loves being with her family, reading more than ever (inspired by Dr Thomson’s talk in chapel and Mrs Chandler’s help), rambling in the Lake District (gently between teashops), ignoring recipes and pacing herself steadily in her passive sportsmanship. She loves learning new things and has just started to play the piano with Mr Wright (not her husband) and is embarking on a new course of study in theology. She also likes to make time to be ‘The World’s Most Embarrassing Parent!’ But how is she enjoying St Peter’s? Living the furthest north she’s ever ventured, Mrs Wright said of the school that she was ‘bowled over by it’. She has appreciated everyone’s help and friendliness, ‘it really is a welcoming community’. She already feels genuine attachment. ‘The school is vibrant without being mad or frenetic’- she notes particularly ‘the endless opportunities, the tireless enthusiasm and hard work of pupils and staff’. After only a short time, she can think of so many highlights: concerts, plays, matches, the inter house singing, the Christmas Science Lecture, as in her words ‘I had no idea they were going to try to electrocute each other!’ When asked to describe herself in three words she said, ‘not very giant’ and then, ‘calm, creative and considered’ - qualities we know she will put to good use in her time at St Peter’s. We wish Mrs Wright and her family a warm welcome to our school and hope that she stays here for a very long time. Nina Duncan, Lucy Schofield, Alex Plane LVI

Mr Gillies was attracted to York because he ‘realised as soon as he got out of the train that this is one of the few cities in England which hasn’t been obviously destroyed by crass modernity and it feels like a European city’; he says it is ‘a beautiful place to live and work in’. Mr Gillies went on to say that he likes St Peter’s because the people here are straightforward, interacting honestly and courteously with no superficiality. Coming towards the end of his first year Mr Gillies stated that his time here so far has been very enjoyable and ‘everyone has been very genuine and helpful’. Next year he will move into the Rise with his wife and nine-yearold daughter. We wish him and his family a very warm welcome to our school and hope that his time at St Peter’s is long and fruitful. Alex Plane, Nina Duncan, Lucy Schofield LVI

Mr Duncan Gillies Mr Gillies, the new Academic Deputy and teacher of Classics, grew up in Australia and lived there until he was about 27; he took a degree in Mathematics, Ancient Greek and Latin at the University of Sydney, and then a second degree in Linguistics at Oxford. When he came to England he worked at a polo club, training and looking after the horses until he started teaching at Bradfield College in Berkshire where he was a housemaster and then Hutchesons’ Grammar School in Glasgow. He has also had other jobs such as working in a bank and running an industrial maintenance business. Keen on riding and in particular polo he has some horses still in Australia, although every now and then he gets an email from his nephew or niece saying ‘your horse so-and so has just died’. He also enjoys sailing but doesn’t do it very much anymore due to the unfavourable British weather. His other hobbies include walking in the mountains, music, reading interesting things and people watching.

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Salvete

Mr Simon Anthony Born in Dartford Hospital and brought up in ‘The Garden of England’, Mr Anthony attended our Prep school’s namesake St Olave’s Grammar School in Orpington for seven years after sitting his eleven plus. Whilst he was not a fan of school, his opinions changed as he joined the sixth form – enjoying both the freedom that it brought and the pursuit of A levels in Maths, Economics and Computer Science. He studied for his degree in Computer Science on our home turf at York University and went on to start a DPhil in Artificial Intelligence before working in industry in a range of roles including Programming, Business Analysis and Solution Design. After all of this Mr Anthony wanted a new direction where his time could be spent more directly for the benefit of others – this brought him to teaching. This is Mr Anthony’s first full time teaching post although he has had previous involvement with private maths tutoring. His vast array of interests see running, chess and computers at their heart and, when he is not teaching maths or programming computers he spends his time with his wife and two dogs. He was drawn to St Peter’s by its reputation and the offer of combining both Maths and Computing in his job. Mr Anthony describes his time here so far as ‘refreshing – providing education without unnecessary bureaucracy’. When asked to comment on something that was extraordinary about him, Mr Anthony insisted on talking about the fascinating lives of his brothers but I’m sure he was just being modest. Jonathan Fry LVI

Mr Lucas Bateman Mr Bateman was a new addition to the Physics department in September 2012. Mr Bateman once held the ambition of going into career Physics, however, he decided to take a detour along his career path. After

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Physics at Oxford, qualifying as a barrister specialising in intellectual property law, a world away from the numerical way of Physics, Mr Bateman became a lawyer for fifteen years, then pursued the role of teaching post-graduate student barristers in Leeds for six years, before eventually ending up here at St Peter’s. Originally from the West Midlands, Mr Bateman attended Queen Mary’s Grammar School which he described as very similar to St Peter’s. Whilst shadowing our Head of Physics, Mr Morris, during an informal visit, Mr Bateman was very much struck by the community spirit of the school, loved it, and knew that this was the perfect choice for both a third career and for his two children. However, there is a life away from Physics for Mr Bateman. A man who describes himself as an adrenaline-junkie and keen adventurer. He has run twenty-one Marathons, including a number of ultra-marathons, the Marathon des Sables and the Marathon of Britain twice (175 miles in six days!), travelled to the Geo Magnetic North Pole in a four week race in 2009, and to top it all off has climbed on the Muztagh ata, a mountain in China (41st highest in the world). Although he says he has put on quite a bit of weight since then! I think even the term “adrenaline-junkie” struggles to define Mr Bateman. We are sure Mr Bateman will be an incredible addition to the St Peters family, and we wish him a warm welcome to our school. Sara Pycock LVI

Mr Christien Bembridge Mr Bembridge joined St Peter’s at the start of the academic year as Head of Religious Studies. His first name seems most appropriate for the position! His early childhood was spent in Gloucester and he remembers taking walks in the Cotswolds accompanied by Bella his ‘trusty Labrador’. At secondary level Mr Bembridge was a Cathedral chorister at The King’s School in Gloucester whose alumni include musicians Dr Richard Shephard is perhaps best known for his choral works which are sung extensively around the world today and John Stafford Smith, composer, church organist, and early musicologist. He is best known for writing the music for “The Anacreontic Song”, which became the tune for the American patriotic song The Star-Spangled Banner following the War of 1812, and in 1931 was adopted as the national anthem of the United States of America.

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Following school Mr Bembridge read Theology at Westminster College in Oxford and graduated with a Bth Hons degree.

We wish Mrs Bennett and her family a warm welcome to St Peter’s.

Prior to his appointment here Mr Bembridge was Head of Department at Aldenham School in Hertfordshire.

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When asked about why he came to St Peter’s and of his first impressions Mr Bembridge said “St Peter’s has a superb reputation for quality education. It also has an inspirational vision for the future. I wanted to be part of a forward looking school that was proud of its heritage. The school is very much based on good relationships and trust. I think that if we’re to live in a successful and rewarding society it needs to be based on decent values. St Peter’s is a good example of where good values and relationships are shown to reap varied and many rewards”. Finally Mr Bembridge’s interests include stand-up Comedy, (see postcard portraits) Gloucester RUFC and radio broadcasting although at the time of interviewing Mr Bembridge I doubt that he had much time to participate in hobbies as he was only nine days away from marrying his fiancé Jenny who is a music teacher. On behalf of the school I would like to offer a warm welcome to Mr and Mrs Bembridge and I hope that their time here will be long and rewarding. Alex Plane LVI

Mrs Claire Bennett Mrs Bennett joined the History department in September 2012. Originally from Northumberland, Mrs Bennett attended King Edward VI High School, Morpeth before going on to study for her degree at Newnham College, Cambridge. This was followed with a PGCE at Durham. St Peter’s is the fourth school in which Mrs Bennett has taught, the others being Cramlington Community High School, Central Newcastle High School and more locally at Queen Margaret’s where she was Head of Sixth Form. When asked why she was attracted to St Peters Mrs Bennett replied enthusiastically that she was struck by the charm of such a traditional and prestigious school in such a striking city, and also by the comfortable and gracious aura of the school. In addition to her role at St Peter’s Mrs Bennett has another full time job, along with her husband Craig, in looking after her two year old son Tom. This she admits leaves little time for anything other than work, besides reading plenty of books.

Mrs Jennifer Calvert Mrs Jennifer Calvert joined us this year as the latest addition to our Chemistry Department. Having studied at Nottingham Trent University, Mrs Calvert has recently left her long-standing position at Carmel Secondary School in Darlington, where she was Chemistry teacher for nine years. Despite living on Teeside for almost her whole life, Mrs Calvert insists that despite being in York for only one year she feels that it is now her home. With the help of husband, Simon, five year old, Anna and four year old, James, she feels “really settled”. This goes for her opinion of St Peter’s too - Mrs Calvert describes our school as “extremely friendly and welcoming”. Her favourite part? “Am I allowed to say the food?” she asks tentatively. Forced to describe herself in three words Mrs Calvert struggles. “Friendly (I hope)...And very, very organised.” As Mrs Calvert stated this with such conviction it was difficult to doubt her – also she assured me “you can ask anyone”. Styling herself as a “home bird”, Mrs Calvert affirms that she is happy with what she’s got - “it’s the simple pleasures” - this however must be called into doubt, she does, after all, teach Chemistry which, I think we’ll all agree, is anything but a “simple” subject. Talking further on her work, Mrs Calvert takes a particular interest in Organic Chemistry, that is to say the study of the element Carbon. However she attributes her passion for Chemistry to the influence of her secondary school science teacher, “he inspired my love of Chemistry and made all its areas click into place”, an achievement which some of us will, unfortunately, never have. We wish Mrs Calvert and her family all the best for their time in York. Nina Duncan LVI

Mrs Laura Chapman Mrs Chapman joined St Peter’s in September as a member of the Mathematics Department. Mrs Chapman grew up and attended school in Berkhamsted,

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near London, before going on to Oxford University where she was awarded her degree in Engineering. This achievement was followed by teacher training in Southampton. Mrs Chapman has an impressive CV covering a range of teaching experiences. Her previous position was at Durham School and before that at the VI Form College in Hartlepool. She also worked in a school near London, and, notably, taught for six months in Bondai, Australia (unfortunately not, she tells me, on the beach). Mrs Chapman appears to be a great lover of the quiet life which she shares with her husband (and their rabbit!). While describing her hobbies to me she uses the phrase ‘quite domesticated’ as she lists interests in baking, cooking and sewing. In contrast, she also enjoys travelling, and has been to Cuba, Mexico and of course Australia. Her most recent trip was to Dubrovnik. Although Mrs Chapman concedes that the single term she has spent so far at our school has been taken up by learning the ropes, she has settled into her job here and says that she has had a ‘very enjoyable experience so far’, and that St Peter’s is a ‘positive environment in which to teach and learn’. She was attracted to St Peter’s when she moved to the area by its excellent reputation, and so far it is living up to expectations. We hope that Mrs Chapman continues to enjoy her life here, and wish her every happiness. Lucy Schofield LVI

Mrs Jennifer Kinread Jenny originates from Cheadle Hulme where she attended the local High School before going on to take a degree in Mathematics at nearby Manchester University. St Peter’s is the third school in which she has taught, the other two being Bramhall High School in Stockport and Blue Coats in Oldham. Thinking back to her school days Jenny remembers the visit of ‘Take That’. (I would

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have preferred to forget it –editor’s note). Going one better Jenny actually taught a maths lesson to ‘Girls Aloud’ whilst at Blue Coats. Having moved to the other side of the hill, as they say in Yorkshire, Jenny and her family are now settled in Sutton on Derwent and together with her husband Jim she has two lovely daughters, Olivia aged five and Naomi who is three and a half. When not being completely occupied by the children Jenny enjoys cooking and in particular baking. Amongst her interests she enjoys “feeding people” and Italian dishes are her favourite food. Photography is another of Jenny’s interests and she has recently upgraded her photographic equipment to include a Nikon DSLR camera. Jenny also adds music and running to her list of hobbies and interests. She has agreed to take part in The Blenheim Triathlon next year but admits that she needs to step up her training regime before too long. When I asked Jenny to give her first impressions of St Peter’s she said that ”compared to her previous schools St Peter’s seemed to be a very relaxed school – in a busy way, staff were less frantic”. (I’ve always thought that the maths department was a laid back zone – just like Jamaica). On behalf of the school I wish Jenny a long and fruitful career at St Peter’s and welcome the Kinread family to York. Mr J Darmody

Mr Alex Knill Alex joined the Biology Department as maternity cover and despite the fact that his time at St Peter’s has been short (he is starting a new job at Queen Margaret’s in September) he has made a very favourable impression on both staff and pupils. Alex grew up in Otley, an ideal location in which to develop his love of outdoor life. His interests include hill walking and in his words he is “big into wild camping and having little adventures”. Cycling is also a major part of Alex’s life. He cycles to school every day and in all weather, covering a total of 36miles. I am in awe of his stamina but remembering one particular day in February I thought he was mad as I watched him setting out for home in a howling gale and torrential rain. Before arriving at St Peter’s Alex attended Leeds University and has two degrees as well as a PGCE certificate to his name. He then taught for ten years in state secondary schools and for one year in a preparatory school. Part of the reason why he applied to St Peter’s was that he missed teaching ‘A’ level.

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Alex is married with two daughters aged ten and eight. It has been a pleasure getting to know Alex over the past few months. During the interview leading to this article Alex stated that he has loved teaching at St Peter’s and is sorry to be leaving after such a short time. We are sorry to see Alex leave and hope that he will make return visits from time to time. We wish Alex and his family the very best of good fortune for the future. Mr J Darmody

Miss H Lindley Miss Lindley has a BA in Acting from Bretton Hall - situated in the Yorkshire Sculpture Park and, until 2001, part of Leeds University campus. Before teaching Drama & Theatre Studies, Miss Lindley worked with the Paper Birds Theatre Company. Within the group she was an actor, deviser and Education Officer, touring – ‘A Smile Fell in the Grass’ and ‘In a Month of Fallen Sundays’ in 2003 and 2004 respectively. She is currently the Artistic Director of with Wings Theatre Company, taking the production If Room Enough to Edinburgh this summer. After leaving The Paper Birds Miss Lindley spent six months teaching English in Japan, and then took a PGCE course and made the step into the world of teaching – spending six years at Giggleswick School as a Drama Teacher and Artistic Director of the Richard Whiteley Theatre there. Miss Lindley’s hobbies include a noticeable passion for the theatre, samba drumming, walking her brown cocker spaniel, Lola and travelling. Miss Lindley states that she was drawn to St Peter’s, from Giggleswick to live in a City instead of the hills and also that she had heard very positive things about our school. Having been here for a few months now Miss Lindley says that the school has so far lived up to these ‘things’. She is particularly impressed by the level of independence that students at St Peter’s show and also by ‘a genuine drive in people’. As Director of Drama – a role that involves ‘creating and inspiring extraordinary theatre’ - Miss Lindley had a large part to play as the Director in the production of ‘Les Miserablés which was a resounding success. Finally Miss Lindley stated that it has been a pleasure to work with all those that have been involved with the many performances she has played a part in so far and to be a part of Rise House. We welcome Miss Lindley to York and hope that her time at St Peter’s is long and fruitful. Jonathan Fry LVI

Mr E Noy-Scott Mr Noy-Scott, our new Head of Classics, began life in Devon before attending boarding school. He studied for a BA in Classics at Bristol and went on to do a PGCE at Cambridge. Following this he taught at Uppingham – a boarding school and at The Royal Grammar School in Newcastle a day school, so in his view St Peter’s fits ‘somewhere in between the two’. Mr Noy-Scott is married to Lara and has two young sons, Sam and Thomas, who are ‘quite a handful but lots of fun’. Upon being asked whether he would be teaching them Latin he said he’d ‘like to think they might have an interest, but he won’t be forcing them to do it’ (one wonders whether some of his more unwilling pupils might wish that the same view applied to them!). MR Noy-Scott’s main interest, outside of teaching, is singing, he was a cathedral lay clerk at university and is now part of the St Peter’s Chapel Choir. It is known amongst his students that he played the part of Grumio (complete with toga and fake beard) in the television dramatisation of the Cambridge Latin Course books. Mr Noy-Scott stated that it was his ‘defining moment in film’ he also added that he ‘suspects it will be his only one.’ When asked about his first impressions of the school Mr NoyScott stated that “they have been very favourable” and he says he has “always liked York and St Peter’s is a lovely place to be and work.” We wish him and his family a warm welcome to our school. Alex Plane LVI

Mrs E Brough A Yorkshire lass born and bred, Mrs Brough grew up in Richmond, North Yorkshire, and attended school there, studying A levels in German, PE and Politics. She remained in God’s own county for her undergraduate study, reading Sport Science at Leeds University. Before joining us as at St Peter’s, Mrs Brough was a hockey coach at Barnard Castle School and became a PE teacher at Lady Lumley’s School after completing a PGCE at Leeds Metropolitan University. In the time when she is not teaching Mrs Brough has a passion for almost everything active and outdoors; from an afternoon of hockey to cycling in the Alps, with Alpe d’Huez being her latest accent. Mrs Brough says that the school has lived up to, and

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exceeded, all of her expectations; saying that it has been easy to settle in, with special reference made to the great sense of community, facilities and the willingness from everyone to give helpful advice and support. We wish Mrs Brough a long and successful career at St Peter’s. Jonathan Fry LVI

Mr Arthur Gill Mr Gill joined St Peter’s in September 2012 as IT Manager. Although he tells me of his wide experience in various IT-related positions, several years of which were in further education, this is his first time working at a school which was one of the attractions for him. Born in raised in Aberdeen, rather than gain traditional university qualifications Mr Gill chose to acquire practical experience through working in the, still developing, IT sector. He had various office jobs before joining the Robert Gordon University in 1991. At this point, Mr Gill was also undertaking part time study for an HNC and HND in computing subjects. After 5 years at Robert Gordon’s he was offered a challenging new role in Harrogate. Following his logic of ‘why spend time gaining the qualification in order to get a job when the job is waiting for you’, he moved to England after 26 years in the Granite City. After living in Harrogate and then Leeds for a short while, Mr Gill moved to York in 1999. Here he worked at a software development company for just over 13 years. Mr Gill was attracted to St Peter’s by the location and the prospect of its unique environment. When I interviewed him in November, he told me that his impression so far was that it’s a challenging job and the deadlines are difficult, but it’s all worthwhile. Extremely adamant that he is in no way interested by sport, Mr Gill prefers more sedentary activities such as cooking and learning to play guitar. He has a particular interest in retro video gaming, as well as an extensive collection of music and film, explained by his

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distaste for cinemas. When asked for his favourite quote, he replies with ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you’. We would like to welcome Mr Gill to St Peter’s and hope that his time here is long and fruitful. Lucy Schofield LVI

Mrs Sarah French Mrs Sarah French joined St Peter’s this year as a welcome new face in the school office. She is well acquainted with school life, having previously spent 8 years working at Archbishop Holgate’s School (also in York) as Administration and Office Manager. Her previous positions include that of personnel and training manager at Best Western Hotels in York and Personnel Manager for Cable and Wireless in Leeds. She has also worked in various departments at the University of York. By no means is Mrs French a stranger to York. Originally from the rowing capital Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire, she has been living in our fabulous city for 25 years. When asked if York’s persistent floods are affecting her, Mrs French replied, “I live in Fishergate – I have the river at the bottom of my road!”, however she reassures us that the Ouse has never come too close for comfort. But how does she like St Peter’s? Mrs French assures us that her time so far has been really enjoyable. She has particularly enjoyed working with the school’s senior leadership team of Mrs Wright, Mr Gillies and Mr Hall, who live just down the corridor. Whilst she is missing the company of her 18 year old daughter, Emma – who is now studying English at Oriel College in Oxford – this is giving her more time to pursue her hobbies of walking in the Yorkshire countryside, swimming, watching live music, theatre and cinema. Mrs French is glad to have become a part of our school community. We wish her a long and happy time here at St Peter’s. Nina Duncan LVI

Mrs Jessica Adler Jessica joined our Marketing Team in November, 2012. Having grown up in Reading, Jessica moved to the Welsh capital in order to read for a degree in History and Spanish. Not content with an already considerable achievement she then went on to gain post graduate degrees from the universities of Leicester and Leeds.

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Continuing her pattern of moving around the country Jessica subsequently lived in London, where she worked in the collections department of the National Maritime Museum and then the exhibitions department at the Imperial War Museum. Unsurprisingly, Jessica moved to York seven years ago and she now has two children; Robin, who is five, and Isla who is nearly two.

Within the Foundation team Natalie assists with the development of the rolling event programme. In her role as Alumni Relations Officer Natalie is often the first point of contact for all Old Peterites. Swimming is something that Natalie enjoys –taking the plunge twice a week in the school pool even though she says “as the mornings get colder and darker it gets much harder to drag myself down there at 7am”. She has recently decided to learn a new skill and started started having piano lessons once a week. However she found taking her grade 1 exam a bit intimidating as all the other candidates there were 7 years old. On behalf of the school I wish Natalie a warm welcome to St Peter’s and hope that her time here is long and rewarding. Mr J Darmody

Having found her new colleagues to be warm and friendly Jessica’s first impressions of St Peter’s are very favourable. Like many others at the school Jessica avoids the rush hour traffic, preferring two wheels to four. She states, ”Starting at St Peter’s has also seen the beginning of my cycling career, as it’s the only way I can manage to fit in the school run and get to work on time”. On behalf of the school I would like to welcome Jessica and her family and hope that her time here will be long and enjoyable. Mr J Darmody

Natalie Chadwick Natalie has joined us as Foundation and Alumni Relations Officer. She was born in Mexico to a Mexican father and English mother and at six months old she returned to the UK with her Mum and older sister where she grew up in the small ex-mining village of South Elmsall in West Yorkshire. Natalie moved to York as an undergraduate student in 2006 but says that she still has trouble remembering all the different street names in York. However, Natalie admits to the fact that she can remember precisely where each and every shop is in the city centre! Natalie’s degree is in Film & Television Production and she has worked as a cashier at Barclays Bank and as finance assistant at Fulford School.

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Mr John Owen-Barnett The following text is extracted from Paddy Stephen’s speech at the Leavers’ Drinks Party. It took some effort to get John here tonight, so I hope that we are still on speaking terms when I have finished! John, I promise that it will be brief and apposite. How can justice be done to John’s 37 years’ dedicated service in the Community of St Peter’s? Primarily John is a real educator, more concerned with inspiring and enthusing his charges than merely preparing them for exams, although at this more prosaic task he also has a fine record. He has his own completely individual style of teaching which suits him and his sets perfectly. He once described those to whom he taught English as, “The Chinese, assorted other foreigners, dyslexics and the Stephen boys”! He then looked at me with those piercing eyes and said, “I missed out on teaching Nick only because he inherited his mother’s brains and not yours”! The Biology and English departments will be much more politically correct without him - and much less fun. How can we replace a man capable of such wonderful statements as these : “Remove the cheat notes from your knee, Jibson; I am not as green as I am cabbage-looking.” On teaching the javelin to third-formers: “This is a weapon of war : if you kill each other I won’t mind, but mummy will.” At the start of his first biology department meeting with his new Head of Department (who had just shuffled John’s

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new Filofax!)....”Remember, Marty boy, I was School Bully, and my speciality was dead-legs and you are heading for a real pearler!” John joined the school in 1976 to teach Physical Education. He was an outstanding rugby player who as a student was in the great London Welsh side of the early seventies which included Mervyn Davis, JPR, John Dawes and Gerald Davis. A knee cartilage operation ended his playing career much too early. Despite all the commitments he had with both family and the school, he studied successfully for an Open University degree in English. Because he had so much experience of different teaching environments (swimming pool to Biology, English class-room to the Sports Centre) his ability to read a teaching situation was unrivalled.

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John was also a most successful rugby coach for the 1st and 2nd XVs, and he organised a number of splendid tours, none more so than those to Yugoslavia and Barcelona. Thank goodness there were no Facebook, Twitter or ultra-compact cameras in 1987 and 1989 - as the adage went, “What goes on tour stays on tour!” In 1986, John and Ann became boarding house parents of Dronfield, only weeks after John’s great friend Barry Daniel had died. After the agreed one year he exchanged roles with Peter Taylor, to become housemaster of the boys’ School House, whilst Peter and Sue Taylor took over in the newly formed Girls’ boarding house in Dronfield. In 1994, a new boarding house, Linton, was formed and John moved his charges down the road. During the last 40 years, St Peter’s has been blessed with a succession of outstanding boarding house-parents, and Ann and John were most certainly a part of that succession. John’s presence in the weekly meeting of those in charge of Houses (when problems are aired and policies formulated), brought a note of wisdom, understanding and, above all, practicality. In the realm of boarding, John’s voice gave us the confidence to make essential changes and, ultimately, helped the School’s boarders to flourish. The School as a whole benefited from the tenure of this fine couple during the 15 years of their appointment. John will acknowledge that Ann was vital in all his successes, but - as Ann rightly points out - none of his failures! - and also that without her help he could never have given the total commitment he did during those years. James and Rachel too played their part, and only those who have lived in the boarding situation can really understand just how invaluable is the support of your family in the difficult times. He was also adept at handling moments of real tragedy and distress : Fuluso was a young teenage student whose life was cut short by an inoperable cancer during his school days. John took on his own shoulders the weight of this emotional situation, and spoke unforgettably at a packed service in the School Chapel the day after Fuluso died. At all times - good/bad, night/day, Saturdays/Sundays, term time and holiday - Ann was there. I leave you with a few memorable anecdotes about John : …in watching Chris Hall about to eat the last Jaffa cake in the Biology Department “If you eat that cake, Hall, I will make you regurgitate it. I need it. Ann has got me on a diet!” …in response to being told by the Spanish authorities at Barcelona Airport (1989 rugby tour) that there was an unspecified delay in the flight and that we could not get any food or drink as

we were now in the departure lounge and all outlets were shut..... ....there were about 150 passengers, many with children. It was very hot and we had just played our last game, everybody was very hungry and thirsty, and tempers were getting frayed. John walked up to the machine-gun-toting guard on the gate, gently held the barrel between finger and thumb, lifted the gun to the vertical and told the assembled passengers that they could get any food and drink in the adjacent area, where the shops were still open! The guard, now completely off-guard, could do nothing but watch as everybody went for food and drink! .......during the first visit of the York City Council boarding team : John had asked two of his senior boys, both members of the 1st XV, to show the inspector round. As the boys minced round the house holding hands, they told their visitor a number of increasingly worrying stories about John, culminating with their telling him that the locked room was where John placed them in solitary confinement. Taking increasingly copious notes (in preparation, no doubt, for an impending prosecution!), the inspector spluttered out the question, “Do you really lock the boys up in solitary?” With a completely straight face, John replied, “Yes, but only if beating them first did not work!” At this point, the visitor realised that he had been taken for a ride and sheepishly tore up his notes! ....on rugby tour in Yugoslavia when the game at Cisack got a bit nasty (!).... “Right, boys, remember you are British - they started it so you finish it!” A sage old Headmaster once said that “a ton of theory is not worth an ounce of experience.” John has a ton of experience, which we will struggle to replace; he has been mentor to many of us and he remains one of the old style of schoolmasters who saw his work and particularly his pastoral care as a way of life and never merely as a job. Never a clock-watcher, always willing to fill in and help. John is a great friend, a teacher with the ability to inspire even the most reluctant student, a housemaster ranked alongside the best - and for ever the most defiantly well-meaning colleague amidst suffocating Political Correctness. Always amongst the best of colleagues, John, we shall miss you enormously. Mr P Stephen

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Mr Peter Northfield It is hard to sum up briefly Peter’s contribution to St Peter’s because they have been so significant and varied. Peter took over the department following the sad death of Mr Barry Daniel and started by pulling the teaching together by producing electronic pupil notes. This was a major step forward which removed the boring pupil task of note taking and also guaranteeing that each student left the lesson with a perfect set of notes which was the same throughout the whole department. His philosophy of the teaching of Chemistry was for the pupils to be actively involved in performing the experiments. “Chemistry is about making things” he was often heard to say. He often innovated within the subject, instigating the very important safety aspect of fixed and portable fume cupboards that allowed both staff and pupils to work in safe manner which also allowed them to work beyond the curriculum. Peter was at the forefront of digital technology, utilising video cameras to record experiments and thus enabling pupils to see the practical techniques in close up. Through to the animation library which accessed university sites worldwide and brought chemistry interactive animations to life via the digital projectors installed in each laboratory.

His talents also stretched to being a Housemaster for five years in School House where he managed to develop a great level of respect within the pastoral role between the pupils. One of Peter’s greatest contributions for both the teaching and non-teaching staff at St Peter’s was being the ATL representative. Within this role he used his tact and diplomacy to the full in numerous delicate negotiations between the HR department and fellow staff members. He managed to resolve many disputes with his knowledge of working practices within a school based environment both equitably and fairly for both parties.

Peter was also in the vanguard for visiting lecturers from local universities and industry. His Friday teatime lectures enabled sixth form chemists to receive a detailed insight into current innovative work going on in these various institutions. Peter was also at centre stage with the Christmas Lecture. This masterpiece of scientific showmanship was always highly entertaining for the whole school each year and unique to St Peter’s School.

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His love of sport was obvious with his home town club Leicester Tigers being close to his heart. Cricket was also a passion whether playing for his local club at Copmanthorpe or maintaining the square. He also was the secretary of the local league resolving many a dispute at this level. With school sport he umpired Basketball and Badminton and was an ever present at Sports day with starting pistol in hand.

cabled networks couldn’t reach. Although initially intended for the school laptop scheme the wireless setup improved the provision of laptop connectivity throughout the school and is now proving of great benefit for iPhones and other mobile devices. Paul’s insistence on annual upgrades to operating systems kept IT provision at St Peter’s up to date, with corresponding improvements to the skill sets of all members of the IT Support staff.

Peter I feel is the complete professional, with his quiet hard working approach within the department to his general help around the School in so many ways that I have written about above. I have never witnessed him lose his temper in all his days here at St Peter’s. His only utterance is occasionally with certain pupils is a “Jeepers” if they are about to do something stupid in a practical session. I am sure that all those who know Peter would like to wish him the very best in the future. He will be keeping himself busy with his involvement with AQA, cricket, his allotment and his family.

Paul’s military background made him a natural candidate for membership of the CCF team, a role he took on almost as soon as he stepped onto St Peter’s grounds. Through the CCF Paul became involved with the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, initially helping with the Bronze Expeditions. Extending this interest he became an accredited Expedition Assessor, assessing not only for St Peter’s but also other schools in York.

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Mr Paul Hynard It probably came as rather a surprise to most people on arriving back at school after the summer holidays to learn that Paul Hynard had less than a month to go at St Peter’s. Over the summer Paul had decided to take up a new post in Harrogate, providing IT support at Henshaws College. As he pointed out, it was only 5 minutes from home so he could spend more time with his family, he could cycle (or even walk) to work, and he didn’t have to work Saturdays! Paul came to St Peter’s in January 2005 to take up the newlycreated role of IT Manager, joining John and Shaun in the ICT Support Department, and relieving the then Head of ICT, Mike Jones, of the burden of ICT Support administration. Under Paul’s guidance we saw a great leap forward in the provision of IT within the school, particularly the network infrastructure linking together all areas of the campus. This solid foundation paved the way for a number of initiatives and improvements. The introduction of PC clusters – the Humanities Cluster in the Peter Taylor Room, the Economics/Politics Cluster near room K and the cluster upstairs in the Alcuin Library to name three – was one of the more visible improvements, reducing the burden on the ICT Computer Suite and spreading computing provision more evenly around St Peter’s. Wireless networking was introduced into the school and over successive summer holidays reached most of the parts that the

Outside of school Paul’s main interests were his family, his running and motorbikes – not necessarily in that order! His running was spurred on by a great rivalry between Paul and his wife Angie, each not wanting to be outdone by the other and neither acknowledging the other to be the better athlete! Almost everyone in all three schools knew the man in the black leathers with the big red motorbike, and it was motorbikes that put a special gleam in Paul’s eye. Holidays and work schedules had to be worked around MotoGP and the Isle of Man TT Races! Paul was a popular figure among all departments at St Peter’s, and though colleagues were pleased for him and what it would mean for his family life we were all sorry to see him go.

Mr Jeremy Connor Jeremy joined St Peter’s in September 2010, having spent a few years after graduating from his degree on Classics from Manchester working in Greece in the summers and running a chalet in France in the winters. It was no small task for Matthew Adams to take the two of us on (one an NQT and the other with no teaching experience) and he fought against the concerns of those then in the leadership team who thought hiring Jeremy might be a bit of a gamble. As it is, his youth and inexperience has not been a barrier to success and during his 3 years at St Peter’s, Jeremy has become a confident and accomplished teacher. In the department, he has made the dream of having Greek on the timetable a reality by leading the Gratin initiative, which started this year in the 4th form. This has followed 2 years of

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running a Greek club after school for 6th form, which has resulted in them taking a GCSE this year, and he has also offered Oxbridge poetry sessions to interested parties. Both of these are examples of the extra mile Jeremy will go for his pupils and the care and concern he feels for their success. The L6 Latinists say that he has a knack of creating an open and friendly atmosphere in his classes and his honesty means they feel secure asking any kind of question. Jeremy has also enthused pupils through his own interest in Classical Civilisation. He has brought to life for his students those who lived long ago through his imaginative teaching, be it building a replica Hadrian’s Wall out of desks or creating a Twitter feed for Achilles, and he has gained particular fans amongst those who have read The Odyssey with him at GCSE and AS Level. The epic games of board slap and Latin cricket are well worth mentioning too. Jeremy has also organised two trips to Hadrian’s Wall and visited Greece with school, and the skills which he has amounted will no doubt come in useful in his next job. He takes with him too the experience of being non-resident tutor in The Manor, time which Jeremy has enjoyed so much that he has said he would love to run a house one day. Jeremy’s enthusiasm and energy is infectious, and the fact that he can switch from talking about Jay-Z to Ovid, or from linking the rugby scores to Sparta has done brilliant things for the accessibility of the subject. He will get involved in almost anything, and was pushed to the limit when the rest of the department signed up for the Athens Marathon in 2011. Grudgingly he followed suit, moaning throughout the training, but must have enjoyed it as he signed up for other events since! Another area of his involvement in school life has been through food. Jeremy has run a successful and popular cooking club, which starting in Exploration Week 2012. Cooking With Connor has produced such dishes as chilli Connor carne and chicken Jezfrezi, and 2 years of students will be making sweet potato and pear soup to impress at university. His appetite for the exotic went some way to being satisfied by the school trip to India in summer 2012, an experience he enjoyed a terrific amount. He has also been involved in rugby, hockey and cricket, coaching boys ranging from the U14c team to the U15a team. In his own sporting life, he has been instrumental in the organisational and practical side in the school’s local league football team. Struggle Street FC have won both the 5-a-side and 7-a-side teams in the last 2 years and he will be missed on and off the pitch at Friday night football. He leaves us to teach Latin and Greek at Brighton College, his own alma mater. I am sure he will throw himself into the new challenges life there brings, as well as being able to spend more time with his family. Miss KS Barker

Miss Claire Wright Although Claire only joined the school in 2008, her impact and enthusiasm have been such that it seems as if she has been with us for a much longer period of time. She came to us as an NQT directly from completing an MA in Education at the University of Leeds. However some might say that her previous jobs; person in charge of livestock and administrator in a high security prison, prepared her perfectly for teaching.

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Claire’s family name, Wright, is believed to descend originally from the Boernicians, an ancient northern race who were made up of Scottish Picts and Angles so it is not surprising that Claire’s time at St Peter’s reads a bit like the history of Scotland, full of ambition, intrigue, and even murder. Mary Queen of Scots was a young queen, ambitious and a lover of all things French. Likewise, Claire went from being an NQT in 2008 to becoming Head of French at the beginning of 2012 so her rise has been rapid. She has been an inspiring teacher of both French and Spanish but I would say that she has a definite preference for things French. Claire organised a trip to France in 2010 to allow the pupils a brief taste of French Culture, frogs’ legs included, and challenged our sixth form boys by introducing them to the ideas of Françoise Sagan, a feminist writer. Robert the Bruce was a tenacious figure in Scotland’s history and Claire is also tireless and tenacious, indeed this tenacity is one of her most positive qualities because just like Robert the Bruce’s spider, once Claire gets started on a project she doesn’t like to give up. She has been involved in many school projects ranging from assisting and organising trips: Barbados, Murcia, Salamanca, India and Brittany to helping out with choreography for school productions. She has also been tireless on the sports’ field teaching a variety of sports and activities and she will be sadly missed by the Games’ Department. Claire has also been intensely involved on the pastoral side not only as an assistant in one day house, Queens, but also in a boarding house, Dronfield. This tenacity also paid off outside of school when trying to pass her driving test. In one of her tests Claire ran over an unfortunate duck that was in the wrong place at the wrong time. However, she didn’t allow this to put her off, even when the instructor got out of the car and threw the lifeless body in the boot, she simply carried on. Although Claire did not pass that particular test, she persevered and finally attained her license. We also hope that the examiner in question enjoyed his crispy duck later that evening. Another famous Scot, Andrew Melville, was a gifted linguist who was instrumental in the educational reform in Scotland and was famed for his imagination and straight talking. Claire also has a fertile imagination and can tell a good story, in fact, each time that she tells it, it gets better. Having strong northern roots also means that she can get her point across very clearly. This straight talking has certainly helped her to get the message across to the pupils as her results have been impressive at both the top and bottom end of the range with her 2010 set 5 French all achieving higher than a C pass to give the French department a 100% pass

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rate for only the second time in its history. She has used her creative talents in the teaching of Zumba and in the choreography for the whole school production of “Dream a Little Dream” as well as putting her choreographic expertise to good use by helping out in smaller productions. Claire leaves us to take up the post of Head of French at Wellington College in Berkshire. We wish her good fortune in her new venture down south but equally we hope that she will forever keep her roots firmly fixed in the north where they belong. Mr M Duffy

Mrs Anna Cowling Anna joined the biology department in September 2007 and she has given a huge amount during the six years at the school. Her ever cheerful and optimistic disposition saw her cope admirably with the demands of the busy six day weeks and she was highly successful in her various roles in the school. During her time at St Peter’s Anna has been a boarding assistant and tutor in Dronfield, an assistant in Grove house and has, as such, added much to the pastoral care of students. She also contributed heavily to the extra-curricular activities within the school including netball and science society lectures and events. She has always been a willing contributor to school events and has taken part in many trips and events such as silver and gold Duke of Edinburgh and expeditions to Morocco. After the birth of the very cute Sebastian Cowling, Anna returned from maternity leave as Acting Head of Department in my absence from Jan – March 2012 and in doing so demonstrated her impressive organisation and proactive nature and I am very grateful to her for taking on the role. Anna has always been a loved and valued member of our department and we will miss her. She leaves us to head back to her home city of Leicester where she will be working part time in Leicester Grammar School and full time as a wonderful mum to Sebastian and Arabella. We wish her happiness and success in her new adventure, and hope she pops in from time to time for a cup of coffee and numerous biscuits! Mrs S Morgan

Dr Kate Whittaker Kate Whittaker joined the Drama Department in 2011 bringing with her incredible academic background and a wicked sense of humour. Her students always commented that they loved the way she pushed them to do better but also knew when to praise

them when they did well. Although only working part time, Kate invested time and energy into the subject and even led a student ensemble made out of sixth form a couple of evenings a week getting them to understand the meaning of teamwork in the theatre. Her rigorous planning and careful organisation made sure that any production that she was part of was pulled off with military precision. As well as being a brick in the drama department she was also a tutor in The Rise helping out an evening a week which she found rewarding. Kate leaves us to take up the post as Lecturer of Drama at City of Birmingham University. Helen Heaton

Mrs Lorraine Underwood Lorraine Underwood (née McCartan) completed her teaching degree at Bangor University and joined St Peter’s School in 2008. She immediately became fully involved in school life as Head of ICT, as a tutor and in the extra-curricular programme. As a tutor, she gave her all, with the students being top of her priority list. Lorraine began tutoring in Queen’s House, in which she kept her tutees in line with lots of teambuilding treasure hunts and then, she moved as an assistant into Clifton House where her care for and genuine interest in her students was evident on a daily basis helping many 3rd form groups settle into St Peter’s. In the extra-curricular programme, she was RAF Flight Lieutenant as part of the CCF team and when she left, she had been promoted to OC RAF Section, as well as working dependably with the Community Action team. With all of the roles Lorraine filled, she never took her responsibilities lightly. But her main love in school was, of course, ICT. She taught her third form classes with her inimitable Irish charm, patriotism and lots of chocolate. She could regularly be seen carrying boxfuls of sweet treats to different classes and also to members of staff if they had provided ‘ICT tip of the week’ (needless to say, I was never toptipper!).

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Her excellent knowledge of IT and computers was indeed valued throughout the three schools and this, combined with her patience and care for others extended to her helping and supporting all teaching and support staff in the use of SID and any other system. Lorraine was the consummate professional from day one at St Peter’s who worked with everyone to build their skills. This work spanned 3 generations of ICT users; in her third and fourth form CLAIT classes, staff in lunchtime and departmental help sessions (what a wide range of ability in that group!) and the Silver Surfers as part of the Community Action team. It is safe to say that everyone gained much from her guidance. Her longest lasting legacy perhaps will be the introduction of iFAWKES, our fantastic virtual learning environment. Even during the holidays, Lorraine was in school and I know that Neil Matkin and David Watkinson are eternally grateful for her help on examination results days. Whilst undertaking a busy life at St Peter’s, Lorraine managed an even busier personal life. She got engaged, bought her first house, married the love of her life in Dr Phil Underwood and had her son, David, all in her five years here. She tallied all of this with some time to herself, enjoying her love of caving and cross-stitch: some of her work can be seen in Clifton House.

meticulous education of the children at its core. Lee’s command of French is remarkable and his academic record is long and distinguished. He very quickly became a respected member of our department in his short time with us and he is an example of teaching at its best. He may not be the all singing, all dancing, modern teacher who sucks the life out of pupils by using Wordle, Voki or Prezzi but he delivers pedagogic excellence, on a daily basis, at all levels. I very much enjoyed having him here and, just like all those years ago, I learned much from listening to his wise words. Mr M Duffy

We thank her for all of the work that Lorraine has done for the school as a whole, and as individuals for the help that she has given us. She has been a thoughtful, kind friend to many and we wish her well for her new position at the University of York. Ádh mór ort, Braithfimid uainn thú, or better for me, bonne chance Lorraine et tu vas nous manquer! Mrs J Lunardi

Mr Lee Manning I was very fortunate to have been employed alongside Lee Manning many years ago in a Jersey boys’ school when I was new to the job of teaching and he was a seasoned campaigner in the profession. My then Head of Department, who himself was an experienced and very wise schoolmaster, advised that I should spend any spare time that I had watching this outstanding and inspiring teacher. I subsequently attended his lessons and watched in admiration as he sculpted and shaped the rough diamonds in his charge into sparkling linguists capable of tackling very difficult concepts with a huge deal of success. Lee has never lost that ability to inspire and enthuse all different levels and abilities of children and was an exceptional addition to our department for the short time that he stayed here. Lee came to us in January of this year in order to cover a maternity leave having previously had much experience in various teaching posts. In his role as a classroom teacher of French he taught both to IGCSE and Advanced Level where his enthusiasm and his love of the subject were infectious. He is an outstanding teacher in all respects. He has a calm, almost unnerving, classroom presence which is complemented by an extremely strong work ethic (he is the last to leave at the end of the working day) and a rigorous intellectual engagement with a pinpoint delivery and the

Mrs Sheila Groves When I first joined the administration staff at St Peter’s it was Sheila who showed me the ropes. It was Sheila who could always be relied upon to keep the rest of us on the right track and who knew when and what to prepare for the next important task coming up in the school calendar. Her knowledge of parents, pupils and staff ,both past and present, and knowing who was related to who, proved to be a valuable resource to any ‘green’ member of the school office team. Equally, having spent most of her life living in York, her knowledge of the area could be relied upon when, as was the case on many occasion, we received a frantic phone call from visitors who had become lost enroute and needed guidance through the challenges of the York traffic in order to make it to their appointment at school. As a teenager Sheila had learned her secretarial skills in the traditional way and her competency as a typist, use of shorthand, accuracy and attention to detail were second to none. However, her unassuming manner hid a mischievous sense of fun, often resulting in the school office staff struggling to quash helpless fits of giggles. We wish her a very happy and well-deserved retirement. Mrs G Daniells

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House Reports

CLIFTON

Patrick Knutson V

Charlie Darmody UVI

Emma Walker V

Clement Elliott V

Emily Watts V

Olivia Clark V

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The Remarkable Voyage of the Good Ship ‘Clifton’ 2012-2013

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House Reports

YO30 6AB

October Island

Christmas Island

Easter Island

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House Reports

DRONFIELD

The house chapel, written by our heads of house Jo and Tilly, will be remembered for the guest appearance by Mr OwenBarnett. His closing words of advice, written as a letter to his 16 year old self, were words delivered with honesty and truth, and had the school captivated. As a previous Dronfield Housemaster part of the letter he read encouraged us to make the most of opportunities. Even though not every day will be a good day there will always be something good in every day. A year in the life of Wendi Men UVI a boarding house is full of good things, each and every day. Whether in the classroom or as part of the extra-curricular programme, each day provides the

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focus for so many great opportunities. We welcomed India, Alexandra, Julia, Alex, Hannah and Jessica into the L6, and Liv, Abi, Emma and Edith into the 3rd form in September. At the start of the summer term Dasha joined us in the 4th form. All eleven girls have added a new and very positive dimension to the house. Dronfield also welcomed two new house tutors to the fold. However, it wasn’t just those in the house who recognised the star qualities of Miss Pledge and Mrs Chapman. One might be forgiven for thinking that there was some sort of conspiracy against Dronfield, with both being poached by Clifton house after just one year. We congratulate Miss Pledge on her appointment as assistant in Clifton, and wish both well as they head across the road. In September we were fortunate to have Magda Cross join our domestic team. Six months on we feel very lucky to have her as our full time matron. The support that she provides for the house and for the girls as individuals is invaluable. She is ably supported

House Reports

by Bev, Sue, Lynne and Mandy. Alla played in the Autumn Concert early in October. Dewi gave a memorable performance in Les Miserablés, as Madame Thenardier, whilst Pippa and Issy appeared in the middle school play ‘The Tempest’. Supporting roles in the Orchestra and production and technical crews for school events require similar hours of time and commitment. Laura, Alla, and Chloe played their part musically, whilst Alex, Tansy, Maria and Jenny put in many hours with Les Mis. Early in the year Dewi, Bussy and India contested their way convincingly in the early rounds of the senior debating competition, while towards the end of the year our third and fourth form batted and caught their way to a creditable 3rd in the House Rounders competition. A 4th place in the house swimming competition during the summer term was also a great achievement. Jo, our captain of rowing, was supported on the river this year by Becks, Yolanda, Bussy, Holly, Pippa and Min. Those completing their D of E expeditions this year included Issy at Bronze level, and Holly and Georgia at Silver. Hannah, Emma, Sian, Bussy and Tansy completed their Gold practice expedition, returning full of enthusiasm after their four day venture.

Elizabeth Wells UVI

For all the individual and house achievements the determination of the Dronfield girls in the inter-house sports competitions must have a special mention this year. Dronfield won the senior house hockey, netball and tennis cups, ably lead by the school captains of tennis (Chloe) and netball (Rachel). One has to go back over twenty years for the last time that Dronfield won the house hockey, and it is great for the girls to have added the netball and tennis to their haul. The accuracy of Chloe’s shooting at goal and the quality of the teamwork and movement of the ball were the determining factors in winning the netball, and the strength of character in all the Dronfield teams this year has been awesome. It must also not go without mention that our badminton team won the inter-house competition this year. Alex, Hannah, Angie and Yaz played for the school earlier in the year, and will be looking to retain the house title next academic year. Throughout the year the girls in Dronfield have been coming and going, and doing their own thing. Jenny and Imi went to

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House Reports

Sweden in March to represent the St Peter’s Young Enterprise team at an international trade event, and Issy joined the trip to Morocco during the Easter holidays. Angie and Sian took a break in Arran, and Maria juggled her busy schedule with examinations back in Russia.

thank Tilly and Jo in particular for their good humour and good judgement in their role as heads of house, and wish Bussy the very best as she steps into their shoes.

Closer to home a number of the girls in the sixth form have been spending long hours in the art department, and are to be commended on their outstanding work in evidence at the Art Show. Special mention must go to Wendi, Alexandra, Georgie, Bussy, Imi, Hannah and Yaz. As the year came to a close we were pleased to hear of Sian and Jenny’s appointment as school monitors for 2013/14. We wish them well in their new roles. Alla, Dewi and Jo received prizes at the Commemoration service, and we wish them and all the U6 happiness and good fortune as they leave Dronfield and St Peter’s. Our best wishes to Beebs, Jo, Tilly, Becks, Yolanda, Chloe, Wendi, Rachel, Momo, Alla, Dewi, Georgia, Sabrina, Sharon and Emily. We

Yasmine Kumordzi LVI

Miss Wright has been an assistant tutor in Dronfield for the last two years, and she leaves us to take up her appointment as Head of French at Wellington College. We thank her for the time she has given to the girls, and for the kindness and affection she has shown in her role. Thankyou to Miss Barker, Mrs Bollands and Mrs Whitehead, and to Mrs Whitehouse for their support, and to all the Dronfield girls who actually do make every day a good day. Mr J Whitehouse

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House Reports

GROVE and general willingness, Grovites have been keen to take part in all manner of activity and to assume responsibility for the sake of the common good. Between them, Hannah and Jack have offered good humour, integrity and, more often than their courtesy has allowed them to let on, the courage to point out to their housemaster how things ought to be done. For these and many other qualities, I thank them and shall miss them. At this point it is also important to nod in the direction of Freddie Jagger and Laura Field, both of whom wore gowns as Monitors in their final year, Laura having the honour and responsibility of Head Girl. Both carried their seniority without interference and, I think, Emily Brown V enjoyed the Grove as something of a bolthole; their light touch allowed others in the peer group the space to shine. It feels extraordinary that, after what feels like only a few weeks, I should be sitting down to write a summary of my first year in the hot seat of The Grove. If there is any truth in the adage that time flies when you are having fun, then this must surely have been a most enjoyable school year. There can be something utilitarian about houses in schools; they become places for book dumping, registration and other essential administration. Our house system though is very precious at St Peter’s and provides us all with a social and pastoral wallpaper for our lives at school; houses here are places of belonging as well as belongings, places where pupils are cared for and where, hopefully, they learn to care for others. Above all, our houses are communities of mutually dependent people, not simply buildings or collections of common rooms or lockers. The Grove has been wonderfully led this year by Hannah Tolley and Jack Harrison and, because of a combination of their vitality

Sunny September saw the arrival of sixteen new faces to the school and the house, mostly to the 3rd form. If the quality of a community can be gauged by the warmth of its welcome, I can testify to The Grove’s rude health. The Christmas term is always exceptionally busy and we were all quickly into our new routines and very soon feeling like we knew most of the ropes. And soon enough, house Katherine Harrison V events were upon us. The girls competed valiantly in the hockey but suffered from having been drawn in the ‘group of death’ (it contained the eventual winners

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House Reports

on the day were numerous and the boys’ team came third overall, the girls’ second. A doff of the cap should go in the direction of the senior girls’ relay team who claimed to be world beaters and did the business, to Freddie Jagger for winning the 1500m, Jack Harrison who won the Clive Lewis Sprinting Trophy and smiled more broadly than ever and particularly to Ben Lightwing who leapt antelope-like to win both long and high jumps and in the latter cleared 1.79m to claim the school record.

and runners up). This, like many other house events that followed, showed the very best of the Grove: team sheets were always easy to fill with players eager to engage with the fun of representing the house without too much of an eye on the eventual prizes. Our level of participation in the Cross-Country was excellent and, for an event with an unfairly bad press, there seemed to be lots of happy faces running around in the cold and the mud. Particular congratulation should go to Annabelle Blackburn and Freddie Jagger who both managed 2nd place in their categories (Junior Girls and Senior Boys respectively) but the commendation for endeavour in the right spirit is theirs to share with the many other Grove runners who completed their races. Over the course of the year, junior cricketers made the semifinal and junior rounders players went one better and in the Senior House Tennis, Andy Burdett and James Greenall overcame tough opposition from the neighbours to come home with the trophy. Sports Day in any school is a useful weathervane to gauge the health of the place in terms, Sophie Reed V not only of athletic prowess, but also collegiality. Treated this year to summer sunshine, the school generously celebrated primarily the efforts but also the achievements of the competitors, the warmest applause rightly being reserved for the day’s gamest strugglers. The Grove’s winners

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The cultural, artistic and creative life of the house is in equally good health. Representing The Grove in events such as the Languages Quiz and Great Egg Race seemed to attract similar interest and our teams competed gamely; the aircraft constructed by the Egg Race Team almost flew in a straight line too! As we took our seats to see the spectacular Les Misèrables, we saw the talents of many of our number come to the fore. Leading parts for Elle Illingworth, Eddie Brown and Sam Lightwing were supported on

House Reports

stage by Emily Brown, Hannah Tolley, Millie Grant and in the wings by Bella Adams. In the same term, Elle and Eddie were joined by Josh Stanford and Alex Shaw at the finals of the Senior Music Festival which delivered another evening of quite sensational performance. The long term health of music in The Grove would appear to be in the secure hands of our 3rd Form boys: between Tom Dowdy (Double Bass), Sam Lightwing (Saxophone and Voice) and Sam Stanford (Clarinet) we had four finalists and two winners in the equivalent junior festival. At the Talent Contest, Ben Lightwing, along with his abettor, displayed his diabolic skills but Shannon Ellerton and James Field stole the show. Debating has been a particular strength of the house this year with the junior Lauren Darley V team of James, Shannon Ellerton and Millie Grant reaching the semi-final while the senior team of Joe Himsworth, Laura Field and Harriet Andrews won their event. This was particularly fitting for Joe whose passion for debate (and argument more generally) was always evident and who was awarded the Cass Cup for Merit in our final house assembly for all the effort and energy he has offered.

As with all teams, success comes with everyone providing their own shaped contribution and fitting together to achieve things unachievable in solitude and on behalf of the house I offer thanks public thanks to Miss Browne, Mrs Mckie, Mr Duffy, Mr Morris, Mrs Pickles, The Reverend Gant and especially to Mr Knill who, after too short a stay, leaves us. House Chapel may seem an odd highlight to pick but it proved most instructive for me; without any prompting, I was presented with a plan for the service, complete with readings, hymns and prayers cleverly using Didier Drogba’s birthday to highlight the importance of charitable giving. What a treat it is to be surrounded with able and willing young minds! A similar sense of pupil direction and leadership made the House Sing memorable and the fun we all had preparing our ‘Teenage Dirtbag’ will remain in the mind for a while. Those rehearsals seemed to be the making of this group of UVIth pupils whose passion for, and overt enjoyment of, the challenge was infectious and insured that all quickly overcame their inhibitions to sing loud with, and for, their fellow Grovites. In so doing, they embodied what a house should be all about. Frankly, I can’t remember where we came in the event itself, but that seems not to matter! Mr M Lawrence

For all this endeavour and achievement, as I look back over the year however, it is on three particular occasions which I reflect with most enjoyment. At our Casino-styled house dinner, I shall remember the fun enjoyed by all but particularly by the tutors.

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House Reports

HOPE

As the summer drew to a close and the Autumn term approached, I found myself feeling as anxious about the start of term as when I first joined the school; regardless of having been a tutor in Hope for the last three years, running the house was a totally different kettle of fish and Mrs Watkinson’s were such big shoes to fill! However, I needn’t have worried: once term started, it seemed very much ‘business as usual’ in Hope. The supreme efficiency of Head of House, JJ, aided and supported by an equally talented Upper Sixth ensured that every event was organised well ahead of time and other members of the house were enlisted with the minimal amount of arm-twisting and the maximum amount of encouragement. Friendly, loyal, good-humoured, reliable and hardworking, the Upper Sixth have set a shining example and led from the front from day one and will, without doubt, be a very hard act to follow. The House Singing Competition always seems to emerge as the highlight of the October half term. It was the epitome of a team effort: Nick arranged the Abba medley and played the piano accompaniment, with Jamie on guitar and Ollie on drums (at least

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initially), and Izzy and Emma were responsible for choreography and conducting. Sadly, the judges did not see fit to ‘thank (us) for the music’ and crown us the ‘Dancing Queens’ this year. Although our collective singing performance was not award winning, individual members of the house have continued to excel on the stage. Tom, Oscar and Rosalind started with convincing performances in Macbeth as part of the Shakespeare Schools’ Festival in October, soon to be followed by the emergence of further hidden talents in the school production, Les Miserables. It was an ambitious show to stage, but an absolute triumph: Nick was a charismatic Enjolras, Will a wonderfully conniving Thenardier,

House Reports

audiences throughout the year, and it was a both a pleasure and a privilege to listen to his award winning performances in the brass and string classes in the Senior Music Festival this year. In the sporting arena, Hope has seen increasing success. The tone for the year was set early in September by the combined forces of the girls’ hockey team who, ably led by Rachel and Emily, demonstrated great team spirit, grit and determination, eventually being placed 3rd in their group. The bright and sunny day dawned for the inter-house cross country and again the competitive spirit and willingness to participate was evident (particularly amongst the Sixth Form boys), but it was the junior girls who stole the show, claiming their first victory of the year. The girls didn’t stop there, with further victories in the Junior Netball and the House Swimming making 2012-13 a historic year in Hope sporting history! Very well done all, but particularly to Ilana, Lucy, Rosalind and Laura, Phoebe, Livi, Katherine and Beth who have set the bar high for next year Christian a heartless Foreman, and Rosalind a beautifully innocent young Cosette, whilst Eve took on the role as the spoiled young Eponine, and Rowan added her support to the girls’ ensemble. The talented Tait sisters completed the year with leading roles in the Junior School play, The Tempest, where we also saw Alex in a new light! It is not only in front of the curtain where Hopefuls prove their worth: the 5th form girls are a vital part of the back stage crew and Jamie has lent his invaluable support to the drama department this year. I know that he will be sorely missed. Music in the house also continues to thrive. Eve sang beautifully in the

Hannah Whitehouse V

Award holders’ concert at the start of the year and Rosalind and Katherine performed with poise in the Junior Music Festival final this summer. Nick has continued to delight concert and chapel

both in terms of house and school sports. The boys’ didn’t fare quite so well, but they approach each event with determination and an enormous sense of fun. Eddy’s fabulous design for new house shirts will certainly ensure his legacy, and they have been worn with much pride by the boys this year. They arrived just in time for House 7s which caused great excitement, and it looked like the seniors might have a sporting chance, but alas the inclement weather played its part once again. House Football was new this year and Frankie, Ben and James M rallied the troops once more for an afternoon of entertainment, if not one of sporting prowess! That is not to say that there is a lack of sporting talent among the boys. The school teams have regularly benefitted from Hope this year: Scholey and Ted not only represented the school week on week, but went on to play rugby and cricket for Yorkshire this year;

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House Reports

Jake and James B have contributed much to the hockey, Crofty and Chrisian threw the discus and put the shot respectively at the English Schools’ Athletics meet, and a determined Marco aimed to beat Mrs Tooby-Smith’s time in the St Peter’s Half Marathon, ably supported by Luke and Ben who came out on their bikes early on a sunny Sunday morning to support the runners. Much academic excellence has been celebrated this year: several pupils have received consistently impressive orders and many have been totting up merits, now applauded each week in Saturday’s House meetings. Each pupil should be proud of their successes and the valuable contributions they make to the house and school community. Congratulations must be extended to our prize winners – Jamie (twice!), Emma, JJ, Lucy, Nick, Tom, Izzy H, James S, Jack and Phoebe. Congratulations also to Katharine who will take up the position of Head of School next year; we wish her well in this prestigious roll – I know she’ll do a great job. There have been a number of more light-hearted and entertaining events in the calendar once again this year: Lewis proved both his construction and mentoring skills in the Great Egg race, and there appeared to be little that Ollie, Jamie, Katharine

Isabel Hall V

and Chris hadn’t read between them in the Christmas Literary Quiz. Lucy led a talented team of linguists in the MFL Quiz and there were some well researched arguments during the interhouse debating. There was also much imagination on display on Comic Relief day, notably Helen’s part of the Tetris and Mr Edwards’ appearance as Darth Vadar! My sincerest thanks to all the staff who give so generously of their time; to Mr Wright who has helped to settle and steer the

Callum Hatzell V

Third Form, to Mr Noy-Scott who has endeavoured to keep the Fourth Form on the straight and narrow, to Mrs Heaton, who we wish well as she leaves us temporarily to go on maternity leave, for guiding the Fifth Form with such good humour, to Mr Shread for cajoling the LVI into using their new found freedom constructively, and to Mr Edwards for all his help and guidance not only with the UVI, but also as Assistant Housemaster. He has a wealth of knowledge and experience, which he shares willingly and I cannot thank him enough for his support this year. Finally, my sincere thanks to our excellent Head of House, JJ; he has truly led from the front, taken time to get to know each member of the house and has organised the house with characteristic quiet, thoughtful and unflappable efficiency. He will be a hard act to follow, but I am sure that Rachel will rise to the challenge next year! As I reflect on what has been a busy but immensely enjoyable first year, I think what has struck me most, and what I am most proud of in the house, is the willingness with which Hopefuls get involved in every aspect of house and school life, whether or not it plays to their strengths, and the way that members of the house show unfailing support to each other. Every member of the house has something to offer and has had some success to relish this year, but Hopefuls don’t just enjoy their own victories, they genuinely delight in each other’s. Congratulations to you all (and my apologies to those not mentioned by name). We have had an excellent year. Can we keep up the momentum in 2013-14? We live in Hope! Miss L Ullstein

Jessica Hart V 36

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House Reports

LINTON The start of the year saw an intake of five new third form boys join the house, we welcomed, George Ingall, Jonathan Jaworski, Toby Johnston, Titan Li and William Newitt – with each one joining from a different school. The settling in process was relatively smooth and before long the boys incessant chatting and raucous laughter clearly indicated that they had settled in very well! In August 2012 the fifth, lower and upper sixth received their results from their formal examinations. It was heartening to see that the majority of the boys’ hard work was justly rewarded. The fifth form achieved a staggering amount of A* a total of 26 from a year group of just 6 boys! Toby Simpson must be congratulated on achieving 9 A*s and 1 A at GCSE level. The A level results were also outstanding with 7 A*s from the U6 – Mike Chan gaining an impressive 4 A*s. The boys in the third and fourth form witnessed, first hand, the sheer amount Matthew Tse V of work the boys had to do in order to gain these results – an ethos that Linton House is, quite rightly, proud of.

after much deliberation the song chosen was ‘Chelsea Dagger’ by the Fratellis. As predicted, by myself, it was definitely the best performance in the show and our choreography was particularly impressive! The number of musicians in the house seems to be growing year by year, with the guitar being the chosen instruments not only for the boys but also the staff. Mr Smith most certainly enjoys his Thursday lunch practice sessions and it is great that so many boys are playing a range of instruments. Particular mention must go to Giles Gray who, after a great deal of hard work, achieved grade 8 on the saxophone. William Emery gained grade 6 on the trumpet and the following boys made it through to the final of the junior music festivals: George Pindar, Tom Collinson and Joshua Ramalingam. All three boys performed beautifully; Josh and George

As customary the Great Egg Race heralded the start of the inter house competitions. After much debate, it was decided that Ed Bower, Oliver Millman, George Ingall, Jake Stephenson, Hugo Aiken and James Emery would pool together their wealth of experience and skills to form the team! The team successfully completed the task, to build and then fly, a model aeroplane. However on its maiden flight the aircraft failed slightly and the team was awarded a credible fifth place! Next year we are expecting greater success and will make sure that Jonathan Jaworski will be a key member of the team – his fantastic design skills led him to be chosen to represent the school at a design technology competition which took place at the railway museum. The House sing was the next major house competition and

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House Reports

Daniel James who, along with Henry and Giles Gray, delivered a message on the value of upholding sportsmanship behaviour. Harry Ha started the proceedings off by expertly playing Chariots of Fire on the piano, followed by a cyclist cycling through the chapel and the sound of a vuvuzela entertained the congregation! The first inter-house sports event of the year was the house x-country competition. The junior team had a particularly excellent competition – achieving a very impressive 1st place and it was pleasing to see them carry on the fine x-country tradition. George Pindar was the first Lintonite home (4/117), closely followed by George Ingall (11 / 117), William Newitt (12/117) and Alex Greenwood (14/117). The seniors were placed 2nd place loosing narrowly to Queens House. Again it was great to see so many boys participate, with 4 boys in the top 17 it was truly a team event. Hugo Aiken was the first home (4/147), followed by Jake Stephenson (7/147), Daniel James (15/147) and Ed Bower (17/147). Unfortunately the house rugby competition was cancelled due to snow but the senior boys did progress to the final of the interhouse football competition beating Manor in the semi-final. Henry and Giles Gray represented the house in the inter house tennis competition.

must be commended for gaining 1st place respectively in the guitar and singing sections – a great achievement. Many members of the house have also been fully involved in a number of drama productions this year. Patrick Litten and Jake Stephenson were lucky enough to perform their thirty minute version of Macbeth at the West Yorkshire Play House. Patrick and Harry Richardson have also performed a number of outstanding plays as part of their GCSCE drama course. Toby Johnston was in the Middle School – The Tempest – and is already rehearsing for next year’s play! As is tradition - the lower six, under the watchful eye of Paddy, took control of the House chapel service – Toby Simpson wrote and delivered a memorable and rousing service aided by a competent

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I would like to take the opportunity here to thank all the boys who tirelessly and freely give of their time in order to represent the House and to thank the boys who support and encourage all those who take part in the numerous House events. We were lucky enough to have two teams in the modern foreign languages quiz and a team in the English literature quiz which was expertly organised by the librarian.

House Reports

Having read the final academic reports of the year it never ceases to amaze me just how busy some members of Linton are. They represent the school, wholeheartedly, in everything they do and, as such, get huge amounts back, giving their time and energies tirelessly. Next academic year we have two U6 boys as sports’ captains, Daniel James will lead the boat club and Toby Simpson is 1st XV rugby captain. On this note I would also like to congratulate Daniel James on being chosen to attend the RAF Air Cadet Leadership Course at RAF Cramwell, the weeklong residential is aimed at preparing young adults for leadership in the CCF and beyond.

Gray our departing Head of House; I have thoroughly appreciated his help and guidance throughout the year. I am sure Jake Taylor will step into the role with ease and his characteristic calm and composed nature will be appreciated by all members of Linton. Special mention must also go to Toby Simpson who will be Head of School from September 2013 – well done and a great achievement. Finally, I would like to thank all the tutors, matron and army of support staff for their help and valuable support during the year, we wish Dr Thomson our best wishes as he marries Nadine in July and, as such, he will no longer be the resident tutor (he will remain as a tutor though!). We are very grateful that Mr Smith will take up the role of resident from September. Mr SJ Williams

I would also like to take this opportunity to Harry Richardson V wish our leavers – Sam, Justin, Giles, Henry, Tom, Ivan, Alex and Henry – all the very best for the future. I sincerely hope that they achieve the required A2 grades to enable them to embark on the next stage of their academic career, and that they take their skills learnt in Linton with them in whatever they decide to do. Special thanks to Giles

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House Reports

MANOR The Manor is now in its 70th year as a boarding house in the school. I did, however, note with some interest on the house boards that while GE Jackson was appointed the first Housemaster in 1943, the first student head of house was appointed in 1942! Perhaps there is something in this fact, perhaps not. What is undoubtedly true is that boarding, as well as life in the Manor, has evolved a great deal over the last 70 years. This evolution will no doubt continue and it is a great honour to be a part of the process. Sixth form boarding is proving very popular at present and the house was led this year by large group of 17 U6th students. Leading such a big group, as well as the rest of the house, was never going to be an easy task and I thank Tom Riley a great deal for his contribution. Will Hartrey has also been superb. Perhaps one of the more significant recent developments in boarding has been the focus on induction and mentoring – really making new students feel a part of the place. Will has done this with enormous skill and sensitivity as our 3rd year mentor. The new 3rd form settled so well in large part down to him.

By the time this report is read the results of public examinations will be known. What I can say is that the preparation has been thorough. This is a collective effort from all those involved in caring for the boys and I hope that a combination of high expectations, combined with sensitive support, has proved fruitful.

The people

Luka Pajovic LVI

There are many things that you try to encourage as a Housemaster, though I always have in mind that academic work must be a priority. In this respect the year has been very pleasing. More merits have been obtained than for a very long time and I feel that the way the boys are approaching their work is very good.

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Six new 3rd formers joined us in September, along with two in the 4th, one in the 5th and three in the Lower 6th. Charles Cornock also returned to us in the U6th. New faces soon settled and quickly became Manorites. The new third year (Rory, Charles, Ian, Thomas, Ethan and Oliver) quickly got stuck into life in the Manor and all year demonstrated their enthusiasm for all aspects of school life. Matthew Coe joined the 4th form alongside Pepe Santiso who was here just for one term. Phil Hodgson slotted easily in to the 5th year, strengthening our contribution in a number of ways. Luka Pajovic, Michael Chan and Daniel Rejzek were our new L6th students. All of the above have contributed a great deal alongside the boys already here. Our support team has remained strong. Colette continues in her 25th year employed by the school as our Matron. She is able supported by our cleaning team of Katy, Karen, Kath and “Miggy”. Dave Ray’s support as the live-in assistant remains of great value and it was delight to be present at his wedding in December 2012

House Reports

to Tracey. Jeremy Connor has now moved on to Brighton College and I thank him for all he did as my live-out assistant as well as tutor. I add to this my thanks to Mr Bembridge (by now the new live-out assistant), Mr Miles-Kingston and Mr Darmody.

The Autumn term Participation and enjoyment (added to a little success) has always been a key feature of the boys’ attitude. This was year was no different. Our Egg race team did not win, but they threw themselves in with some gusto to this year’s competition. The same can be said of all the John Briggs LVI boys in the annual house singing competition. Our song was well performed and put together and I thank Tom Riley for all the effort and preparation in doing this. Musically we are strong in the Manor, even if not quite all of us are in tune! Our House Chapel, on the theme of confidence, was also put together this term and it was both well planned and well carried out. House

Cross Country showed we have some very good runners in the house at present. In the Junior section, Rory Combe finished 5th. In the Seniors, Sam Dickinson won the competition with Tom Colthup and Tom Dickinson both finishing in the top ten. Sadly, due to excessive frost, the house rugby did not take place in the last week of term. Thankfully the House Mince Pie making competition was unaffected. We triumphed this year almost single-handedly down to Will Hartrey (though slightly aided by the housemaster’s 10 year old armagnac which for some reason seemed to appeal to the staff judges). The House dinner rounded of the term once again. It is magnificent occasion where the whole house celebrates together showing the great spirit that drives us all on.

The Easter term Though cold, more sport was played this year than last year which undoubtedly helped to lift spirits. The Senior Music Festival was a highlight with Will Hartrey (drums) and Ivan Cheng (violin) in particular demonstrating their talent. These boys and others are often to be found composing and playing around the house. The house swimming finals took place as well with some creditable performances from many. House debating was popular, if ultimately unsuccessful, but the team (Will Hartrey, Tom Dickinson, Will Easterby) prepared well and showed real interest in the topics under discussion. Senior and Junior house Hockey were well supported and we have some talented players in house – the brilliance of one or two individuals elsewhere ultimately cost us victory. House football took place for the first time this year

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House Reports

and was a very welcome addition to the calendar. The boys really enjoyed the event and came back that afternoon with a buzz.

The Summer term Thankfully this was a much drier term than last year which was beneficial for school sports as well as the famous Manor Yardie and Handball (the rules and constitution of which are pinned up in house). Seeing so many boys playing outside (rather than on computers/gaming machines) is a real delight. On Sports Day Sam Dickinson won the Inter 3000m, Tom Dickinson the Senior 3000m, Frank Wilson the Inter Long Jump and Oliver Williams the Junior Shot. Frank went on to jump well in the North Yorkshire schools. Sam also continued his dedicated training for the triathlon and has had some very notable successes out of school in various competitions. He was also the school’s first student home in the annual Beverley 10K. Anson Shum progressed greatly in tennis. The junior House cricket team reached the final of the plate competition and played with great spirit. The term, indeed the school year, was rounded off

with a superb House BBQ which followed on from the Boarders’ trip to Flamingoland. The on-going commitment of a number of students to Community Action is remarkable. Will Hartrey excelled in this respect giving up a great deal of his own time to help with the Wilberforce Trust as well as at Clifton pre-prep. Many boys were involved in various D of E expeditions in the last week of term. I really encourage these extra activities – they form a great part of the all round education on offer.

Thanks All of the above require a huge amount of effort and I thank all those who help to facilitate these activities. It really has been a team effort all round. For those who have left us (at the time of reading this) I hope things are going well for you. It really was a pleasure to live with you over the last 3 years. For those who continue with us long may the Manor spirit continue! As ever my final thanks go to my family – to Cris and Olivia who continue to enjoy the company of the boys and of course to Dori whose support and guidance is greatly appreciated by the boys as well as me. I can only hope that future years go as well as this one has. Mr SJ Gwilliam

Luka Pajovic UVI

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House Reports

QUEEN’S As another year passes we wave goodbye to our Sixth Form and welcome in our new Third and Lower Sixth Form members to the House. This year the House was ably led by Calum Craig and Nick Stephen, who galvanised the pupils throughout the year and lead by example in both the academic and extra-curricular arenas.

Polly Smith UVI

competition being cancelled, as was the Junior Boys hockey. In the inaugural Literary Quiz held by the Library in December the team of Aaron Anthony-Pillai, Angus Freeman, Ellie Caley and Lizzie Whiter showed off their in-depth knowledge of a wide variety of literary genres to clinch the title.

The Christmas and Easter terms were once again notable for the bleak weather that prevailed, curtailing many sports fixtures and inter-house competitions. However, we put a good showing in at the Languages Quiz to mark the European Day of Languages, with two teams competing for the House. In the Egg Race, Queen’s engineering prowess came once again to the fore, securing the trophy, with Angus Smith as Captain smoothly supported by his many Vice-Captains. Similar success was seen on the sports pitch when the girls came 4th in Inter-House Hockey, but the boys were unable to prove themselves on the rugby field, with the 7s

Lucy Wooton V

Charlotte Rose V

Laura Barron UVI

February saw the House deliver an excellent Chapel service, inspired by Alex Tam, on the theme of toleration and respect. It was great to see members of the House from the Third Form to the Upper Sixth getting involved. In the House Singing competition, with the music know-how of Hannah Gee guiding the House, a rousing performance of some conviction was delivered. In House

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House Reports

Netball the girls pulled together as a team after the first match, but were unable to proceed beyond the group stage. Summer term is always difficult with exams starting quickly, and then large portions of the House being emptied by study leave. Before this though, there was time to squeeze in Sports Day, which was unusually marked by beautiful weather and an excellent spirit of competition. In the boys competition strong performances in the relays and by Ben Williams in the Intermediate 100m and 200m saw Queen’s take first place. In

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the girls competition a win by Helen Megone in the 1500m and solid placings in many events saw Queen’s take 3rd position overall. We hope the rumours of an ice-cream van at next year’s event prove to be true! In the Junior Inter-House Debating, the team ably lead by Luis Fox and Henry Wong made it through to the final before being narrowly defeated to take second place. Hopefully this bodes well for Senior Debating next year. House Dinner was as always an excellent opportunity to celebrate the House and enjoy a good meal with great company. The evening was notable for flowing conversation and good humour, as well as being a chance to say thank you to the tutor team for their hard work over the year.

2013-2014 marks the 60th Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation, and therefore also the anniversary of Queen’s House. We hope to mark this occasion in September with Queenites both old and new in attendance. Christopher Bullock UVI

Mrs C R Hempsall

House Reports

RISE It has been another eventful year in The Rise as the House, and we, have welcomed our new arrivals and we have all bid a fond farewell to a group of remarkable, memorable young women.

Christmas Term The year began with the entrance of three new 3rd year pupils: Cassie, Anna and Eve. All of whom have jumped headfirst into life in The Rise and who offer so much with their enthusiasm, quirkiness and joie de vivre; all year they have entered into as many House events as possible and have become the ‘little sisters of the House (even though Anna is taller than most of us!) We also welcomed four new LVI students: Steph, Brogan, Sabrina and Valerie (Val arriving fashionably late!) Again, these are four girls who have thrown themselves into life here and within a week they felt a part of the House and as though they had been here for years.

with it and the subsequent ‘remodelling’ that ensued , is now proudly displayed in the Rise office Again, we entered the next event with vigour, the EDL quiz. As is usual I can be proud to say that we never have to force the girls into entering for the House and as usual volunteers were aplenty (despite the quiz being held during the sacred Wednesday afternoon town leave) and participants had to be whittled down by their leader (and multi-linguist) Bea Murray-Nag. We had a lot to live up to on a cold October afternoon as we took on the challenge of Cross Country yet again - as we had been victorious last year. Yet again the girls with their vim, guts and commitment impressed and most of the senior House came across the finish line in the top 20 giving us victory for the seniors. The Juniors came in an impressive 8th (perhaps trying to keep in mind the House motto: it’s not the winning, it’s the taking part…!)

One of the first challenges we faced this year was our House chapel which came around all too quickly - it being in the second week of term. The success and smooth delivery of this was an impressive feat as all girls rallied together under the guidance of their new Head of House, Summer Taylor and produced our best House Chapel to date as it was apposite, engaging and interesting. And so, we were off to a good start…

Next, House Hockey saw us achieve a 3rd place in the finals in November with impressive performances from Ellie, Lavinia and Ruby.

Next was the Great Egg Race where in typical Rise style the girls entered with little faith in their own ability but with endless enthusiasm – only to discover that their brilliant aeroplane sent them soaring into 2nd place. The winning aeronautic masterpiece which, after undergoing a slight revamping having let Oscar play

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House Reports

House singing was a highlight of the term for me as it saw the House, under Molly’s leadership, display its talent and unity at its best. The girls worked independently in practice and produced a slick, tuneful (unusual for House singing) and impressive piece that won us 2nd place! It was such a memorable day that Oscar still sings their song and knows all the choreography! The term ended with our House dinner which was, once again, a huge success as all girls and guests enjoyed an evening of fun, friendship and frivolity. The UVI were impressive in their organisation of the night and their memorable speeches and video.

Spring Term The Spring Term opened with House Netball where I have to admit that we were all rather shocked with our second place achievement! Superb performances from Jess, Scarlett and Lavinia assisted us in this awesome day (despite finally losing to our archrivals, Dronfield.) House swimming saw the House again do what it does best as Ellie rallied the troops into participation (if not victory!) And in juxtaposition, Molly led the House to a victory in House Squash (proving her position Squash Captain is not for nought), and we will hopefully continue the good form for next year too as Zoe has been bestowed the squash captaincy reins. This term also saw the controversy that was House Debating for both senior and juniors. The girls all put in stellar performances but did not quite make the final rounds despite their eloquence and thorough preparation – well done to all! Later in the term it was great to see so many from the House go to support Ruby in her final A2 production of ‘Picasso’s Women’ where she devised (alongside Dewi) a stunning, moving and intensely visual piece of very accomplished theatre.

Emily Williams V

This term came to an end with the annual Boarders’ dinner which was another memorable evening, organised in part by The

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Alicia Cranston V

Rise’s own Molly Bythell. This is a sixth form organised event and those who did so must be commended for their hard work. At the end of this term we wished a fond farewell to Dr Whittaker who had been an Assistant in the Rise and someone who offered a level-headed, sardonic approach to life here and someone we will miss. We also said goodbye Scarlett Shaw who left us to become a day student, join Grove and to commute from Scarborough. We miss her very much but are pleased that she has not forgotten us and hope she continues to visit. She was a valuable member of the House – not least because of her sporting prowess and the victories she always helped us achieve.

Summer Term We were not left long mourning the loss of Scarlett as we quickly found a new arrival in our midst, welcoming Millie Clapham into the IVth year. As ever the girls subsumed her into their fold and she was rapidly rolling along like an old hand. The term began with the inevitable thought of exams at the forefront of most minds and it was not long before they were upon us, the first of these being the AS drama performances where again many from the House turned up to support Brogan who performed superbly in two entertaining, slick (and at times shocking) pieces. This was certainly the finest piece of theatre I have seen from students at their age and I am sure all will receive the superb grades they deserve. Alongside this performance this term also saw the junior play, The Tempest. This was another skilful, imaginative and enjoyable night with another ‘Rising’ star in Eve as Ariel.

House Reports

This term the sun shone brightly for sports day (much to Jenna’s disappointment as she would then have to run the 1500m!) Again we had great performances from all involved, particular praise should be given to Ruby who won the 100m senior prize and Vitrix Lodorum prize for best female athlete. The momentum of the term continued despite us leaving the Rise at half term (I’m not too sure the girls noticed though!) They all worked well in preparing for their exams and I am sure they will have all done brilliantly. So, it has certainly been another eventful year and looking back (from the distance of maternity leave) I feel I should first comment on the important people in our lives… Firstly, the UVI who have truly been an outstanding year group of memorable individuals we will miss very much. They are all going on to study across the country with two heading to Bristol, two to Reading, two to London, one to Newcastle and one to Oxford. We are sure that they will excel as much as they have done here and be a credit to their institutions. We also say goodbye to ‘The Leddens’. There are three wonderful young women who have given much to the House in their time here and will be a credit to School House next year. I will certainly miss their sense of fun, the manic speed they all talk at and the various different aspects all have given to the House from Tara’s mothering, Jenna’s fun and (lengthy) stories to Cera’s dry humour. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank a few people for all of their hard work, without which the House would not run. Therefore a big thank you to our Head of House, Summer and to our Rise tutors and assistants: Mrs Barnard, Mrs Robinson, Dr Whittaker, Magda, Mrs Fricker and Miss Lindley. We are also indebted to Lesley, Jenny and Laura for keeping the Rise in an immaculate condition and to our wonderful matron, Jane who is the real backbone of the House and someone I have always relied upon and who does so much for us all. I would also personally like to thank Mrs Whitehead for stepping in swiftly to help cover for me whilst I was off earlier

in the year and to Miss Lindley who took on the challenge of The Rise when I began my maternity leave – we are very grateful for all she has done and I know she will continue to do so next year as our live-in Assistant. And so another year has ended and the new one will begin with The Rise under new management; we are pleased to have left the girls in safe hands and are sure they will continue to flourish next year with the help of all The Rise team. I am very proud of all The Rise has achieved this year and I am sure they will continue to do so under the guidance of Mr and Mrs Gillies. And I look forward to returning next year as believe it or not I have already begun to miss the high pitched screeches and the arguments over stolen socks and missing Grazia magazines! And so I bid goodbye to the year and au revoir for now to The Rise. Mrs E Mallard

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House Reports

SCHOOL It seems fitting that I sit down to write this report in the summer term on the day where Mrs Tooby-Smith popped back into school; not a day goes by where the pupils fail to ask how she’s doing and we are all looking forward to a full recovery and her return to School House. The ‘let’s do it for Toobs’ attitude that was so evident on sports day served as an outstanding reminder of the spirit, togetherness and community of School House. This report can only hope to capture a snippet of what has gone on in the last twelve months; if I were to report fully on our outstanding winning performances on sports day, how could I possibly hope to tell you all about the triumphant junior debating team? If I used up all my characters and word limit on the wonderful performance by Bill Goss and Guy Cowman-Sharpe in ‘Les Mis’, would I have enough space to report on Peter Richardson’s one-man crusade towards the Merit Cup? If I give a blow by blow account of our football team being one penalty kick away from winning the House Football Competition, could I also report fully on the wonderful efforts that went towards a successful House song? I will certainly try; what follows demonstrates School House pupils’ ability to get involved, push themselves outside their comfort zone, win (sometimes), have a go and most importantly have a lot of Keira Barnard V fun along the way. As term started in September the new 3rd and L6th formers were welcomed into the house and immediately told the importance of the inter-house singing competition. Led by Heads of House, Henry Scroggs and Izzy Taylor, pupils sang ‘Mr Bluesky’ by ELO and dazzled the adjudicator with their stylish performance, only to be pipped to the winning post by another house or two! However, the event had a great impact in forging house spirit and bringing the new pupils into the fold. There were other musical achievements too, in particular Guy achieving Grade 7 piano and winning the singing section of the house music festival and Chris Williams achieving Grade 8 on the cello with distinction; in addition, several School

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House members showed outstanding talents and commitments to the School choir, swing-band, orchestra and Barber/Barbie shop groups. The major school production, ‘Les Misérables’ was an outstanding and thoroughly professional performance led ably by a number of School House pupils in key roles; Bill as Valjean, Guy as Javert, Emily Mahon, Pippa Martin and Alice Jackson in the girls’ ensemble and Alistair Duffey on percussion; it was an absolute privilege watching such talent in action, amongst other outstanding performances throughout the year. However public speaking was not just confined to the stage as the debaters looked to continue the fine tradition of School House success. In the senior competition, Jonny Fry, Will Fynn, Bill and Guy successfully navigated their way through the opening rounds but came up against a strong Grove team in the final and finished as runners up. After winning this competition for the past two years, we’d like the trophy back next year! Alistair Duffey, Emily Mahon and Alice Greswold stepped up to represent the House in the junior competition and again successfully qualified Tristan Prince V through the opening rounds to meet Queen’s in the final; in a packed lecture theatre the team were triumphant with Alistair in particular leading the way with some strong questioning and answering.

House Reports

St Peter’s also hosted its first ever Show Debate and School House were represented strongly, including Bill and Guy in the pupil team, whilst a team of teachers -Mr Trevett, Mr Edwards and our very own Mrs Tooby-Smith - opposed. I shall say no more, other than that Mrs Tooby-Smith came away with a bigger smile than Bill and Guy, but the event was a great success and enjoyed by all! Our linguists also displayed their talents in the languages quiz where Henry, Will B, Ross, Emily, Ollie, Will F, Alex Payne and Sophie Blackburn all represented strongly. Congratulations must also go to the School House Egg Race team as although their ‘contraption’ didn’t quite pass the legal requirements for the challenge, great fun was had by the team of Henry, Ross, Will, Louis, Sophie Blackburn and Ashraf. Henry, Ollie and Will all competed successfully in the library literature quiz and I must pay credit to the excellent work of various team leaders who helped represent the house in different sections of the school; Bill and

Hannah Lawrence put forward house contributions to the School Council, Will and Lipfon did likewise on the Chapel Committee and Will and Alex Payne gave our views as Library representatives. The girls and boys have, as ever, been particularly busy on the sports fields this year, starting with inter-house cross-country where we finished second with notable performances from S Hudson (2nd JB);P Richardson (18th JB); T Robinson (19th JB); T Prince (20th SB); A Duffey (21st SB); H.Lawrence (7th G). Poor weather put pay to the house 7’s competition but rugby colours

Gemma Willink V

were re-awarded to Will Booth and awarded to Henry Scroggs. The inaugural house football competition saw an unfancied School House team compete superbly where they reached the final and a last minute goal took the match to penalties; alas Clifton held their nerve and we finished 2nd; for his commitment to School Football, Nik Ubhi was also awarded the ‘most improved player’ trophy. In the summer term Ross and Henry came up against tough competition in the inter-house tennis but Ross performed superbly in the singles to reach the semi-finals of the individual Alcuin Cup. It wasn’t just the senior boys competing well either; Sam Hudson expertly captained the Junior House Hockey teams and alongside fellow 4th and 3rd form sportsmen Tom, David, Alex, George and James, were unlucky to lose in the final of the inter-house cricket tournament.

The girls were never going to be outshone in sporting events and there has been much success and involvement in interhouse competitions throughout the year. Sophie Willink, Sophie Sweetland, Keira, Gemma and Lily battled well on the Badminton front and virtually every girl in the house has been involved in either hockey or netball competitions. Every one of the 3rd and 4th form girls were involved in a triumphant house rounders competition, successfully beating Grove in the final. Katie, Hannah, Alice and Izzy Cotter finished as runners up in the squash competition whilst

The Peterite 2012-2013

House Reports

Izzy Taylor (who was also re-awarded her school hockey colours) led the House superbly in house hockey and swimming galas. It was here that Sophie Blackburn won the 50m backstroke setting a new St. Peter’s record in the process, Minna was also victorious in the 50m breaststroke whilst we finished 1st in the Senior relays. The final event that brings the house together before the exam season begins is sports day and on a lovely summer afternoon; our finest athletes (or willing volunteers) set out to represent School House once again. There were notable winning performances from Alistair Duffey (High Jump), Sam Hudson (400m), Sophie France (Javelin), Hannah Lawrence (Javelin), Minna Gabbertas (200m) and Alice Greswold (1500m). Although the boys finished in a commendable 6th place, it was the girls that took the plaudits on the day and finished a comfortable 37 points ahead of the 2nd placed house, an outstanding achievement! Despite having mentioned many names in this report already, I would like to sum up each of our Upper Sixth leavers: Will Booth sportsman extraordinaire – is there any sport that he can’t play well? Ross’ almost horizontal attitude towards his studies but his commitment to the house has never been questioned and he has been awarded his house colours. Bill and Guy leave huge gaps for the current L6th to fill and I look forward to hearing about their future musical successes from afar. I will miss the enclave of girls in their common room – do they ever leave those chairs? Katie, Sophie S and Sophie W have put the world to right many times over and I’m sure their friendship will last long after those chairs have been vacated for the final time; for her commitment to School House in her time here, Katie is awarded house colours. Last but not least, the Heads of School House, Henry and Izzy, who have tirelessly organised teams and events in addition to motivating others to get involved. They have been awarded School House colours, in recognition for their time, energy and commitment and I thank them for carrying out their roles with such professionalism and effectiveness. Another leaver this year include Peter Richardson who is moving to All Saints School and I wish him much happiness and success there – his 21 merits over the course of the year (at the time of writing) shows what an asset he has been on the academic front; he will go far.

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Finally, a big thank you goes to the tutors, and in particular their support to me as I took on Mrs Tooby-Smith’s role in the Easter term. Mr Mortimer, so well-loved by his 5th form tutor group has guided them through the tricky final year of GCSE; Mr Hall has provided the L6th form with wit and humour and Mrs Lawrence has supported the fourth form on the first leg of their journey through GCSE courses. I must pay particular tribute to our leaving member of staff; as you walk down the School House corridor and pass the house photos of years gone by, there is one constant; Peter Northfield has had so many pupils pass through his care in the house; and most recently has become the ‘UCAS expert’ and prepared our pupils so successfully for university life and beyond. We all wish him the very best for his well-earned retirement. We also all wish Mrs Tooby-Smith a summer of rest and recovery and look forward to another successful year when Will Fynn and Minna Gabbertas will be our new Heads of House and a major driving force behind our community. Mr B White

House Reports

TEMPLE The end of the school year 2012/13 marks a significant point in my time as Housemistress of Temple. I have now completed five years in the house and have seen my first group go from timid Third Formers to confident Upper Sixth Formers about to go out into the big wide world. As I wrote their UCAS references earlier in the year, it struck me what a tremendous amount our pupils achieve in such a short space of time. Once again we have not been short of achievements this year in Temple. In September we welcomed a terrific new bunch of Third Formers, with the boys in particular having been very crafty to ensure that they were all in the same house together. I was very happy that this house happened to be Temple when I realised what a wealth of sporting talent there was amongst them. Temple can boast several sporting successes this year, the most obvious one being our victory in the Junior Inter-House Cricket, our first win for a number of years in boys’ sport. Sports day also brought some great individual performances . In the Senior Girls’ competition Felicity Punnett won the high jump, Sarah Carlton won the 400m and Anna Thrussell won the discus. In the Intermediate Boys’ competition, Oskar Fraser-Krauss, another new and very welcome addition to the house in the Fourth Form, won the 1500m. In the Junior Boys’event we won the 4 x 100m relay, Will Fordy won the Long Jump and the 100m and Robbie Brown won the 800m and the 1500m, where he took 13 seconds off the school record which had stood since 1981, an excellent achievement. Oskar, Will and Robbie went on to represent York in the North Yorkshire Schools’ Athletics Championships and Robbie is representing the county in the English Schools’ Athletics Championships at the end of this term. Five boys from the Third Form were part of the Hockey team which made it through to the National U14 hockey championships and I would like to congratulate Cameron Burdass who was selected for the North Yorkshire U14 cricket team and Alex Martin who has been part of the Yorkshire JRPC hockey as was his sister Ellie in the Lower Sixth and Felicity Punnett in the Upper Sixth. The girls sport this year was played as usual in excellent spirit with the emphasis clearly on having fun whilst remaining competitive at all times. Sarah Carlton emerged as a natural leader with her entertaining and encouraging running commentary whilst playing during the Senior House netball. Little did she know at the time but this was when she started to emerge as one of the front runners for the position of Head of House, a job I am sure she will do very well

alongside Alex Reeds who I think is another excellent choice to take on this role. They both have different qualities and I am sure will complement each other very well. Temple has been renowned for its wealth of musical talent over the last few years and, without sounding too arrogant, it surely could only have been a matter of time before we could at least be placed in House Singing. However, we went one better and won with our rendition of Mambo no.5 with Alex Martin starring on the drums, Charlie Widdicombe on the trumpet, Peter Gray on the Bassoon and Jamie Hatzel on the guitar. Mr Andrew Wright, the adjudicator, this year praised our enthusiastic beginning and I am sure the credit for that goes to our conductors Rebecca Widdicombe and Emily Scanu. Once again Temple was well represented at both the Senior and Junior Music Festivals with Luke Dunsmore winning the Junior Piano section, Libby Brown the Senior Woodwind section and Rebecca Widdicombe the Senior Girls’ Singing and Piano sections. More success was to come for Rebecca later in the year when she applied to audition for choirmaster Gareth Malone’s latest project. She not only managed to get an audition but was chosen to be one of eight girls nationwide to be in this choir. She has already recorded with him in the studio and is looking forward to a tour starting in the Autumn. She was well prepared for the big occasion, given the many opportunities which pupils receive at St Peter’s. Lots of pupils in Temple enjoyed Chloe Burdass V the terrific opportunity to sing at St Paul’s Cathedral this year and Leeds Town Hall provided yet another fantastic setting with Rebecca singing the Soprano Solo part of Mozart’s Coronation Mass and Sarah Carlton the MezzoSoprano. Calum Brown’s leading of the Clarinet Quintet was also a musical highlight of the year. Music and drama combined at the end of November in the production of my favourite musical “Les Misérables” which I was so looking forward to. It certainly did not

The Peterite 2012-2013

House Reports

disappoint as we were treated to the beautiful singing of Felicity Punnett as Fantine and Rebecca Widdicombe as Cosette. However there were many other pupils from Temple involved either on stage or in the band to help make three memorable evenings for the audiences and for all taking part. The drama continued throughout the year and culminated in the Middle School Play “The Tempest” in which there were starring roles Anna Thrussell V for Bethan Bradley, Esme Wright and Peter Gray. Their performances were thoroughly convincing and it amazed me how they managed to learn so many lines of Shakespeare amidst all of their school commitments. I would also like to congratulate Bethan on successfully auditioning for the York Theatre Royal production of Blood and Chocolate to be performed around York in the Autumn. Finally on the subject of the Arts it was great to see Max Gill receiving a Design Commendation at this summer’s DT exhibition for his wine cooler and storage and many people enjoyed listening in chapel to Concetta Scrimshaw’s reading of her prize winning creative writing entry for the Ardingly Creative Writing competition. So much happens on the co-curricular programme at St Peter’s that it is easy to forget that the pupils are here ultimately for what goes on in the classroom where it has been another fruitful year for pupils in Temple. Three pupils from the Upper Sixth, Georgia Latham, Joe Williams and Jamie Hatzel were successful in gaining offers from Oxford whilst Dan Spencer has got an offer from Emanuel College to read Computer Science. Dan also achieved the tremendous feat of receiving a St Peter’s Award for his outstanding contributions and achievements in Maths and Physics during his time here. The highlight for Dan this year was being invited to take part in the International Conference for Young Scientists in Bali in Indonesia. It was the first time the UK had sent someone to this event and Dan was awarded a Silver medal in the Theoretical Physics category

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along with a Special Award for the benefits to society of his cancer research work. We will certainly be listening out for his name in the future. However, across the board pupils worked hard at their studies throughout the year and I was pleased to hear that we had finished a creditable fourth in the House Merit Cup. At Christmas Temple said goodbye to Mr Manning with his dry wit and calm approach to tutoring to welcome Mrs Newport back from maternity leave. Mrs Newport will be leaving Temple at the end of this year as her part-time timetable next year does not make tutoring feasible and I would like to thank her for her hard work over the last three years with the current Fifth Form. We are also saying goodbye to Charles Smith and Anna Thrussell in the Fifth Form. We wish Charles all the very best at Fulford School whilst feeling very jealous of all those Saturday morning lie ins and we entrust Anna to the Rise where we hope she will treat us kindly in any future inter-house debating competitions. A final farewell now goes to the Upper Sixth who have been a fantastic source of support for me this year. Special thanks go to our Heads of House Emily Scanu and Calum Brown who have left Sarah and Alex very big shoes to fill. I do hope that they will all keep in touch and come back and tell us about their exciting experiences and achievements. Sincere thanks as usual go to my team of tutors. They support me and the pupils splendidly, going above and beyond what is expected of them and Elisabeth Brown V Temple wouldn’t be the same place without them. We take our jobs very seriously but also have time for the odd joke or moment of hilarity which helps us to retain a positive atmosphere whilst still running a tight ship. However, final thanks as ever must go to the pupils who bring such character, variety, talent and fun to daily life in Temple. Mrs J Houghton

Visits and Exchanges

The Morocco Trek The High Atlas, the greatest mountain range of North Africa, is a most beautiful part of Morocco. It has retained a remoteness that many of us rarely experience, and contains villages where the way of life has changed little for centuries. With the potential to be permanently connected to technology it is rare to find such a large group of young people so disconnected from the virtual world. However, that is exactly what I observed during our ten days in Morocco. We had a group of forty young people from St Peter’s more present in the real world, and enjoying the beauty and culture of Morocco. If there is one reason for you to join the fourth form trip to Morocco it is to allow yourself the opportunity to enjoy the magnificence of the landscapes, and the hospitality of the berber people, without the distraction of your mobile phone. Our four day trek in the High Atlas brings us into close contact with the berbers. The local children come running from their houses, to greet us as we move through their villages, as their parents and grandparents observe from the darkness behind the ornate metal window covers. We trekked for three days on foot, over rough and mountainous terrain. We once again had the good fortune to be accompanied on our trek by Jamal and Aziz, who guided us through the mountains, as well as teaching us about the berber

The Peterite 2012-2013

Visits and Exchanges

customs and traditions. We also had the support of a trekking crew, including our great cooks, and our muleteers, and the mules who carried the group equipment and our personal belongings. Our trekking days involved 5 to 8 hours walking including a lunch stop. You are free to walk at your own pace and there is time to rest, relax and meet the local people, learning something of their lifestyle and cultures. Whilst in the High Atlas we experienced Four Seasons In One Day, with the weather going from one extreme to the next. The conditions and terrain were similarly challenging, but a great sense of achievement was evident amongst the group at the end of the trek. The time spent in the village of Imelghas was for many the highlight of the trip. The St Peter’s football team were victorious, having been beaten in the previous two years. The day spent with the families involved, for some, a full day’s work with a pick and shovel and a variety of other household chores.

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Visits and Exchanges

While in the village we had the opportunity to see the results of our fundraising at St Peter’s over the last two years. The money raised by the 2012 group paid for the foundations and the walls of the new women’s craft centre, and the 2013 funds will pay for the majority of the windows and the roof. The building will give the women a base from which they can generate a sustainable income for the village. It was also a pleasure to meet Ilias and Fatima, who will receive part of the money raised by the 2013 group, to help with their education.

April 2013 Itinerary

The few days at the end of the trip provided time to relax, with the surfing in Essaouira, and some sightseeing and shopping in Marrakech being the highlights. The trip gave us all a chance to learn about other cultures and people, by simply spending time with them. I believe that this is a good way to build understanding, trust and a sense of community. The trip was also great fun. The 2013 group were a pleasure to be with.

1st:

Arrival in Marrakech Transfer to Hotel El Andalous.

2nd:

Depart for Agouti 5 hrs of coach travel including a stop for lunch at Azilal, visit Cascades D’ouzoud en route. Start the trek at Abachkou- night in camp.

3rd:

Abachkou to Roughelt (5 hrs trek)

4th:

Roughelt- Tafnefant (4 - 5 hrs trek)

5th:

Tafnefant to Imelghas (5 hrs trek- Gite)

6th:

Berber family visit in Imelghas, Lunch with families & night in gite

7th:

Transfer to Essaouira - Hotel Miramar 5 hrs to Marrakech, and then 2.5 hrs onto Essaouira.

8th:

Essaouira Surfing, beach time and shopping in the souks

9th:

Depart for Marrakech in morning Afternoon at Oasiria water park

10th:

Guided tour of Medina and the Jemaa el Fna Shopping and pool time Depart in evening

Mr J Whitehouse

The Peterite 2012-2013

Visits and Exchanges

Arran

On a cold and windy June morning the L6th geographers assembled at the pavilion. With the boys sporting their ‘Arran Lads’ beaters for their 7 hour coach and ferry journey ahead of them. Emotions were mixed of the week ahead, people worried about the ever present threat of midges in Arran, whilst others were more focused on meeting the GSAL girls (Scholey), by the end of the trip most of them knew how heavy a polar bear was.

After a coach journey of watching Gladiator and the Incredibles we entered Scotland and were welcomed by torrential rain, the beaters didn’t seem like the best idea at the moment. But this didn’t stop Jake and Will posing for a titanic shot at the front of the ferry, to the amusement of the girls and the passengers boarding. A few group photos later and after a rough crossing; (where Mr Allan was soaked by a stray wave) we arrived in Arran. After another coach journey filled with sing alongs to Wonderwall and Jerusalem we arrived at the Loch Ranza centre to see our accommodation for the next few weeks. Where the boys were surprised to find a more ‘open plan’ style of rooms.

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After settling into our accommodation we were shown round the centre and introduced to legend that was Chea (or Jeff), with his handshakes for geography knowledge and Kate who talked us through the hours of geography that we were all looking forward to over the next few days and let’s not forget the classroom sessions till eight o’clock in the evening! Over the next few days we worked on developing our geographical skills to start the investigation along the stretch of beach from Catacol Bay to Loch Ranza. Where we looked at the effects of long shore drift on pebble size and roundness but also measured the slope changes that occurred down the beaching through levelling. Many granite pebbles and classroom sessions later the bulk of investigation was completed. The next day consisted of a trip King’s Cave where we look at the historical carving in the cave that had being there for hundreds of years and to look at the surrounding landforms and the coastal management that had being implemented along Blackwaterfoot. Where we all managed to get

Visits and Exchanges

Kate, Mr Allen, Mrs Ullstein and The Driver to ‘GIVE US A WAVE!’ on the journey there. The last two days consisted of a soil and river investigation where we looked at the trends of river velocity, depth, size and shape in the lower and middle course of the river flowing into Loch Ranza. A mention has to go to Dan Stone for falling in within seconds of entering the river. The afternoon soil sampling investigated the changes of soil consistency up and along the valley in Loch Ranza and the factors that influenced this from the saltmarsh to the valley slopes. The whole group had to place on their midge nets and walked into the surrounding swarm. It’s fair to say a number of people were bitten on the trip, which wasn’t helped by Jake deciding to open the window on the first day! The final day was taken up by a trip around the island for a human geography survey to assess the sustainability and ruralness of the settlements and a trip to one of Brodick’s many fish and chip shops to try the renowned deep fried mars bar. Which put many off the feast in the pub later that night. Except for Oli Spearman who claimed that the room was spinning after his one pint.

A few highlights of the trip have to be:Jake dominating GSAL in the arm wrestling it seems that two people at once aren’t enough to beat him! Rob Hulmes managing to overcome his night terrors! Harley Shaw’s turrets of constantly saying ‘CAKEY SPRINKLES!’ Shahad being able to fit into a suitcase! James Downie’s sudden outburst at Will Catchpole for cheating in ping pong, and mine, Ollie Smith and Jake’s spot of eight deer and seal on one of our pre-geoggers runs. Marco Gaias LVI

The Peterite 2012-2013

Visits and Exchanges

Salamanca, a fond farewell. The final Spanish study trip to Salamanca did not begin all that well as we left York at 10.00am on Sunday 24th March in arctic conditions driving a minibus that looked like the site of T in the park, after the revellers have left, and probably had less than a 50/50 chance of getting through an MOT. Fortunately the drive down to Luton passed without incident and the flight was just as uneventful. We arrived in Madrid on time and were immediately greeted by Patricia and Pedro, our bus driver, and set off for Salamanca. The weather was cold but dry as we drove for three hours to meet our host families who were waiting, wrapped up in scarves and hats, to escort us to our homes for the week. The next morning was dry but slightly chillier than expected and classes started at 9.00am where the students were left in the capable hand of their teachers for the week: Hester and Maria, who they would be seeing for 4 hours every day for the next 5 days. After the first day’s classes we managed to explore the local area and discovered a city rather like York which had the special feel of a modern university town superimposed on a tapestry of Gothic and Romanesque architecture. There was of course the impressive style of the old University courtyards and classrooms but there was also the incessant succession of strollers and the many groups of language learners from all parts of the world who can be seen in Salamanca throughout the entire year. Unfortunately, in the midst of all of this, the sun decided to take a week’s holiday and sent in the rain in to act as its substitute which remained with us for the entire week. Fortunately the weather had little influence on the activities and as well as spending time in La Plaza Mayor between rain breaks there were many trips including: visits to the Cathedrals to look for “la Rana de Salamanca”, the Universities where we saw the walls marked with the legacies of students, who, upon graduation, have written their initials in an ink made from bull’s blood and olive oil.

We also had memorable day learning about the history, philosophy and techniques used in bullfighting. The teacher was an ex torero who gave a fascinating insight into the reasons why he believes bullfighting to be a noble sport which is often alienated by being perceived as a cruel and senseless bloodbath. He also brought along the tools of his trade and we were able to get up close and personal with some serious hardware that we tested out on our improvised, Yorkshire bulls (image above). We had lunch and dinner on most of the days with our families, the majority of the group seemed to enjoy the meals provided as they were given a variety of Spanish cuisine. For the majority of the students this was a positive experience although there were one or two incidents: a strange accusation of a novel way to “press” a T shirt under a mattress and some enlightening instruction on the proper way to open (or not) doors. On the whole it was a positive experience for most of the pupils and in Mrs Houghton’s case she learned three words that she will never forget; luz, agua and puerta. We did try to sample the local ‘vida nocturna’ when we ventured out for a special meal on our final evening but the Spanish work on a different body clock so while they were getting ready to go out we were already tucked up with teddy (apart from the few who sneaked out that is). One could say that there were many highlights on this holiday: the usefulness of the classes, the exposure to the language or the first-hand experience of Spanish history and culture with the Semana Santa celebrations but I would be inclined to say that the constant that we find in Spanish society is the welcoming nature of a genuinely charming race of people. Thanks go to Mrs Houghton and the students for their participation and good humour, despite the rain, throughout the week. Mr MJ Duffy

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Visits and Exchanges

Hadrian’s Wall Report 4pm, Wednesday 12th June. Destination: The Border. With both mini buses packed and some threatening clouds looming overhead, we left St Peter’s, destined for the iconic remains which run the width of the country: Hadrian’s Wall. After two and a half hours of driving through picturesque countryside, we arrived at our trusty base camp of Ninebanks Youth Hostel. Fed and watered, we then retired to bed ahead of an eventful day. The troops awoke fresh-faced and raring to go. Breakfast was devoured in minutes, beds were stripped, bags packed, and by 9am we were on the windy roads to our first site. We arrived promptly at Vindolanda, the Roman fort and settlement where live excavations have been taking place for the past century, and artefacts are still being found on a daily basis. As ever, we were lucky enough

to meet one of the archaeologists, Justin, whose passionate and enlightening talk brought to life some of the site’s most fascinating finds. Pieces of pottery, shoes, coins and bones were just a few of the recent finds, but most memorable of all were the letters, including an invitation to a birthday party, a shopping list and an urgent request for more beer on the frontier! After some further exploration of the site and its fantastic museum, we squeezed back onto the buses and headed to our next destination, the Roman Army Museum, where we explored a plethora of Roman armour and weapons, and were then treated to a lesson from a holographic Roman teacher. After a hasty lunch overlooking some stunning views of the Wall, we then set off for our return journey from the very edges of the Ancient Roman Empire. Mr J Connor

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Visits and Exchanges

Music tour to New York 5.30 am on Monday morning revealed an excited group of Peterites, ready to take on New York! After a long coach journey and flight we were greeted by our over enthusiastic Israeli-American tour guide Avi, bombarded with congratulatory comments about our new royal baby and surrounded by TV screens displaying the baby’s predicted height, eye colour and name. After meeting our coach driver, Louie, we headed to Puglia’s Restaurant in Little Italy. The evening revealed a little more noise (music?) than anticipated, featuring a dynamic duo destroying some classics and their own infamous ‘napkin song’ which Mr Wright was a particular fan of! Sarah Carlton’s dancing (winning her a NY T-shirt) is also worth a mention. After this 29 hour day we were pleased to see our beds at our hotel in New Jersey.

A great way to start the trip was to view the entirety of New York from the 84th floor of the Empire State building. A sight that none of us will be forgetting any time soon! After a rehearsal at Grace Church we visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art. What we saw of the museum was impressive but it may have been nice

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to stay a little longer… suffice to say this could apply to the whole trip! In the evening at the Hard Rock Café we reenacted ‘Man vs. Food’ with a selection of highly calorific meals, revealed by the grotesque figures indicated by each choice! We attempted to walk off the meal with a stroll through Central Park before returning to the hotel. Wednesday began with a moving visit to the 9/11 Memorial, followed by a concert at Trinity Church, which was warmly received with encouraging feedback. Lunch proved interesting with rather dubiously coloured green, black, orange and purple coloured wraps. During this break Izzy Hall got pulled into an adrenaline filled street act with the performers executing backflips over and around their selected victims. Due to the tight schedule Izzy was then rescued by her saviour… Her Dad. We then moved on to the Statue of Liberty by boat. On arriving Charlie, Seb and Laura were greeted by an overexcited bird. It was a turning point on the tour when the girls discovered the true meaning of American portion sizes when they were given an English XXL ice cream when asking for a ‘small’. The day was rounded up with a meal at Planet Hollywood followed by free time in Times Square. Thursday morning saw the girls (and some guys…) get their wish with free time at the Manhattan mall and a visit to Macy’s. After this session it was clear that American fashion had infiltrated into our English culture with a craze of snap-back caps. We then moved onto the Intrepid (the famous aircraft carrier) for our second concert with a more chilled atmosphere, in both the music and the weather conditions. Unfortunately the last item had to be cut due to a lost battle against a sound check for a rock concert for that evening on a nearby pier. We continued onto Dallas Barbecue

Visits and Exchanges

where Sarah’s birthday was celebrated with a song, a piece of ‘cake’ that had featured previously in our main course and of course gigantic portions! One of our favourite moments was seeing the night-time New York skyline. We don’t want to sound too cliché, but it was an unbelievable sight. York doesn’t quite compete! Friday= Leisure day, to the delight of everyone, especially the staff! This included swimming, tanning and gym sessions at a nearby hotel. In the afternoon we visited and performed at the Liberty Science Centre and museum. This was challenging as we had a moving audience. After looking round the museum we returned to the hotel for pizza with a welcomed goodie bag from Avi. The evening was rounded off with a surprise bowling night organized by Mr MK. Chaos broke out over confused shoe sizes in addition to Mr Grant’s destructive attempt to gain a strike. Unfortunately we failed to acknowledge the small print of Mr MK’s bowling offer, resulting in an early morning practice in which the majority of the choir were mentally in bed. Following this surprisingly productive rehearsal we visited Radio City, in which rehearsals for ‘America’s Got Talent’ were taking place for that evening. After another colourful packed lunch we performed at Grace Church with an enjoyable concert. Our last dinner in New

York was at the lively setting of Ellen’s Stardust (famous for the singing waiting staff). The creative twitter posts, displayed to all the diners on large TV screens by Bill and Guy were well received by the group, especially the staff! A further highlight was a waiter who took a particular liking to Hannah and Tilly, serenading them whilst they ate. We finished on a high with our Sunday morning Eucharist at St Thomas’ with a large congregation combined with a great acoustic and fantastic singing. After the service we said some goodbyes to a few who were staying in America, and were given a little free time along Fifth Avenue before departing for JFK. The most surprising aspect of the tour was Mr MK’s new found addiction to Dunkin’ Donuts, and safe to say all of us will be craving vegetables for many weeks! Finally, we just need to add a huge thanks to the staff team of Miss Ullstein, Miss Barker, Mr and Mrs MK, Mr Grant, Mr Hall and Mr Wright for making the tour so special. We couldn’t think of a better way to finish our time at St Peters, and we wish the entire music department the best of luck for the future. Nick McLeish, Emily Scanu and Rebecca Widdicombe UVI

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Visits and Exchanges

2012 History Trip to Krakow: 27 October – 31 October 2012 The chief importance of Mr Trevett’s neatly balanced and enjoyable history trip to Krakow lay in the featured all-inclusive tour of Auschwitz on 28 October 2012, where both pupil and teacher shared a vivid educational experience in uncovering details of the greatest recorded atrocity in human history. For any historian at any stage of learning Auschwitz will always be a great focal point. As well as being a site of interest in the context of the Final Solution in the 1940s, Auschwitz also epitomises the appeal of studying history: that events of the past have their yolk felt in the modern world, and that by understanding these events we can better understand ourselves in this time. Particular examples of this in relation to Auschwitz range from the ethnic map of Europe, to Zionism and troubles in the West Bank.

This tour was widely regarded as a phenomenal and priceless experience, adding vivid focus to what we had already learnt about Auschwitz and the mechanisms of Holocaust slaughter. Its importance was emphasised through being the first of the many sights we were to see, occurring the day after our flight from Liverpool John Lennon Airport. However, the well-orchestrated balance of the tour swiftly enabled us to be immediately liberated from the more traumatic experiences of Auschwitz, as we progressed over the subsequent days on various tours of the city of Krakow, and its outskirts and surrounding countryside.

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On 29 October, our first tours of Krakow gave context to the Auschwitz atrocities by providing us with detailed glimpses of Jewish culture; specifically food, music and worship. We visited a local synagogue and graveyard. This was accompanied by a tour of the Schindler Factory. Here we experienced first-hand the working conditions of Jewish labourers and grew in our understanding of Oscar Schindler’s humanitarian work during the War in rescuing thousands of Jews from the gas chambers. Originally this started out as a means of procuring cheap labour, but as Schindler’s relationship with the Jews of Krakow developed, so too did his sense of duty toward them. He consistently acted in abuse of the law of the land as laid down by the Nazis – Schindler himself was a party member – committing crimes of bribery and treason that not only cost him millions of marks to sustain, but that also would have incurred the death sentence. Schindler could well have joined his Jewish workers and friends in the ghettos and extermination camps.

Visits and Exchanges

The subsequent tours from 30 October were centred on Krakow itself, specifically the medieval market place. This was laid out almost amphitheatrically, with bars, restaurants, cathedrals and chapels forming the perimeter. At the centre was the main market building with nothing but empty space and cobbled paving between it and the wall of houses boxing us in. This formed our base for the inner city tours. The nucleus of the city, it featured lanes and side streets leading out from it that were easily navigable and led inevitably to a MacDonald’s or Burger King. We were given the opportunity to freely explore the market place during leisure hours, and seek food for ourselves down the alleyways leading from the market place, and in the square itself. Whilst this gave us licence to explore Polish culture of the modern day, subsequent tours of the infamous and aforementioned cathedrals of the inner city displayed Polish high culture in the medieval and baroque periods, and during the renaissance. One example of this was the Royal Chambers of Wawel Castle and accompanying cathedral, with stunning although vulgarly imposing and overly grandiose architecture. This was home to the great Polish monarchs and was commissioned by Casimir the Great. Our next tour on the same day took us yet further back in time. We dived deep into the earth for our tour of the Wieliczka Salt Mine, and returned above ground utterly stunned at the courage and industry that originally inspired this great tourist attraction: all in the name of table salt in the 13th century. Features of the mine include underground bungee jumping and museum exhibitions. The mine also has its very own parish priest who performs masses and wedding ceremonies in the mine’s chapel, 300 metres underground. Sticking with the theme of underground exploration of the past, the next day on 31 October we returned to the beauty of the main market square for a visit of the underground museum there. This took us back in time further still, and through the history of the city’s conception, including the original foundation stones of the building that housed the museum foyer. This meant – because of loose Polish Health and Safety regulations - we were free to roam the streets of Krakow at the level they would have been centuries ago.

More leisure time at the end of the day, and for many a return to the Polish editions of international fast-food chains, crowned what had been a thoroughly enjoyable trip. We returned to York dreary eyed from a long return journey, but better educated and more rounded individuals: teachers and pupils alike. Thanks from all who went must first go to Mr Trevett for organising and leading the trip. It was perfectly balanced between serious historical exploration and learning, and relaxation in hotel rooms or on the streets of Krakow. This was necessary considering the cultural sensitivity of many of the sites on the itinerary and gave much-needed respite from some of the earlier starts and longer days.

We must also thank Miss Barker, Mrs Hempsall, Miss Zasada, and the late Dr Whittaker for accompanying Mr Trevett on the trip. Their service was invaluable in logistical and educational roles, and in maintaining Mr T’s sanity throughout. And last but by no means least; I wish to convey a heartfelt message of gratitude to our adventurous tour guide. This courageous, passionate man never failed in his perceived duty to drag us around every museum, synagogue and memorial in Krakow despite how the often relentless snow, wet pavements and consistently sub-zero temperatures must have been affecting his constitution. Ben Turrill V

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Visits and Exchanges

Politics Trip to Washington 2012 A group of fourteen Sixth Form A-level Politics students enjoyed a fabulous week in Washington DC during October half-term. During the stay we toured the White House and Congress and followed the penultimate stage of the Presidential Election. The group was hosted by students at St Peter’s exchange school - Walt Whitman High in Bethesda - with Peterites spending a week living in American homes and a couple of days joining in lessons at the school. Once again we were very grateful to be welcomed so warmly by parents, students and teachers at the school who looked after us extremely well. I was particularly grateful to have the help and support of Mr and Mrs Dawson on the trip. The highlights included a day on bikes touring the main Washington Monuments – with summer weather and an excellent guide from Walt Whitman – and visits to American football and baseball games at the school. The election race for the White House was in its closing stage, with Mitt Romney challenging Barack Obama. Students watched the final head to head TV debate with their hosts and soaked up the electioneering atmosphere. Sadly, with Super Storm Sandy brewing we had to re-arrange our flights to leave early. Many homes where we had been staying

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later lost power, schools were closed for two days and the main Washington sights shut down. After a bumpy ride on our internal flight from Washington to Alabama we were relieved to get back to the UK just before the storm struck. This is a uniquely valuable trip and cultural exchange. As well as gaining insights into US Politics at the height of the election campaign, the time spent with American students and families helps students understand what’s motivating them politically. Mr B Fuller

Visits and Exchanges

Reporting live from the 2012 Presidential Election: Felicity Halstead: Arriving in Washington to start our exchange a pressing question was the political allegiance of our hosts at the upcoming presidential election. A recent YouGov poll of seven European nations (including the UK) found that in each country more than 90 per cent of those questioned would back Barack Obama over Mitt Romney. Amongst my A-level Politics group, the figure would be closer to 100 per cent. We were, therefore, relieved to discover that at our sister school, Walt Whitman High in the Washington suburb of Bethesda, support for Obama was much higher than that for Romney. Indeed, as my host explained as we drove past a Romney-Ryan poster on someone’s front lawn near their house, ‘no one really speaks to them’.

Jamie Hatzel This election race has been a vicious one. Both candidates have hit out hard against the other’s policies, and at times against their personal affairs - and yet the curious thing is that their policies are extremely similar: both want a strong military, both want to improve education, both want to push for energy independence, and both want to promote the growth of small businesses and key employers in the USA. The real debate comes down to economic policy. Obama promised change for all Americans when he got elected in 2008, and yet he has failed to deliver on that count as economic growth remains almost stagnant, and unemployment, particularly among the young, remains high.

In short, Americans have a choice between significant budget shortfalls in federal services like the disaster service FEMA, to which budget cuts would have been devastating during Hurricane Sandy, or a burgeoning federal debt that could threaten America’s economic status in the future. They must also question whether they can trust either candidate: Romney has flip-flopped from the far-right to the centre during his campaign to appeal to whoever’s vote matters most, and seems only to care about winning power. Obama has entirely failed to deliver the kind of change and hope that he promised in 2008, although he was hamstrung by a Republican-dominated Congress, and voters will be wondering whether it is time for a change of a different kind.

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Visits and Exchanges

The return visit: the Americans land Early summer is a great time to be in Yorkshire – sun shining on the city’s stone and our beautiful countryside – and to be at St Peter’s, as the end of term approaches and exams are over. We know this and so do Walt Whitman High School – every second summer they come to visit for ten days on the return leg of our exchange trip. A sleepy group of St Peter’s Sixth Formers gathered in the dining room one Monday morning at the end of June to meet their even more tired American guests, just landed from an overnight flight. But in the excitement of meeting old friends from our visit to Washington the previous Autumn – and some new ones too – exhaustion was soon forgotten as we set out to explore York. We set a cracking pace, which was maintained for the next nine days as we planned to show our American guests as much of the UK and Yorkshire as possible. Jonny Bell and his family generously organised a boat trip off the coast from Whitby and a superb BBQ at their home in Ruswarp – a relaxed end to a lovely day on the Moors. Back in York the next day the American students spent a morning in school and were involved in the Community Action project. Returning to the countryside on another bright, sunny day Mr and Mrs Dawson led a walk for us from Helmsley to Rievaulx Abbey – with a talk from Mr Dawson on the health, management and fishing of the River Rye. The pace then picked up with two busy days at opposite ends of the country. Friday saw a big group of over forty Peterites and Americans on the train to London for a long day of political and historic sightseeing and shopping. Then on Saturday we headed north to explore Durham and Newcastle – ending the day at the Theatre Royal for the D’Oyle Carte performance of Pirates of Penzance.

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After two quieter days with host families, Felicity Halstead and her family kindly hosted all the British and American students to a farewell party in Bishopsthorpe. On Tuesday morning it took a long time to get the American students on to the bus – accompanied by one last pack up as so many hugs and farewells had to be exchanged. I’m very grateful to all those Peterites who acted as hosts – warm, helpful and hospitable – and to their parents who did so much to make the Americans welcome, organising events for them in the evenings and during family days and generally making sure everyone was in the right place at the right time! I know many Peterites are already looking forward to Washington 2014! Mr B Fuller

Visits and Exchanges

St Peter’s storm Downing Street

A group of over forty St Peter’s Politics students and American students here on the exchange enjoyed a packed day in London in late June. Travelling by train (and tweeting as we went) the group headed to Parliament first. Being a Friday neither House was sitting and so we had an ‘access all areas’ tour. We were able to walk on to the floor of the House of Commons where ‘Prime Minister’ Harrison Medley (The Manor) and ‘Leader of the Opposition’ James MacMahon (Hope) took up their places at the dispatch boxes for a quick political exchange. We then passed The Treasury and Foreign Office to Downing Street where we were allowed past the security gates to explore the street and be part of the comings and goings. We we even allowed out again, more easily than Andrew Mitchell! From David Cameron’s house we travelled back in time to Winston Churchill’s office and the Cabinet War Rooms, deep underground – Churchill’s HQ during the Battle of Britain. After shopping in Covent Garden we enjoyed supper together at PJ’s restaurant and caught a late train back to York. Many thanks to all the staff who helped out on the day – particularly Mrs Bollands and Mr Gwilliam. Mr B Fuller

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Visits and Exchanges

4th form Design Museum Trip On the 6th June 50 Design & Technology students in the fourth form spent the day in London, at the Design Museum, Butler’s Wharf. This annual trip to London gives our students a chance to see what is being created by some of the most innovative designers from around the world. We had the chance to view two exciting exhibitions. The Designs of the Year awards, ‘The Oscars of the design world’ showcase the most innovative and imaginative designs from around the world, over the past year, spanning seven categories: Architecture, Digital, Fashion, Furniture, Graphics, Transport and Product. An exhibition entitled ‘Extraordinary Stories about ordinary things’ focused on key designs that have shaped the modern world. Six design stories offered a diverse look at design tracing the history and processes of contemporary design. The show included furniture, product, fashion, transport and architecture alongside a selection of prototypes, models and specially commissioned films.

A workshop run by the museum staff gave our students an opportunity to reflect on examples of sustainable design, with time spent sketching and analysing products, one of which was made from recycled chewing gum. Mr J Whitehouse

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Visits and Exchanges

LVI Art School visit to Edinburgh The Art School’s January 2013 overnight trip to Edinburgh was eerie, exciting and thought-provoking. Head of Art, John Darmody began the Edinburgh experience by capturing our imaginations with a moonlit tour around historic Greyfriars Graveyard. Assembling around dark, frosty gravestones he recounted gory tales of Burke & Hare’s bodysnatching crimes which had the Sixth formers clinging onto each other inbetween excited giggles and screams. The following morning we visited Scottish artist John Bellany’s retrospective exhibition “A Passion for Life” which featured portraits, religious works, printmaking and his later Italian paintings. Pupils were encouraged to use their sketchbooks for research purposes and to discuss with the staff their thoughts on the works. The afternoon took us to the BP Portrait award which was on tour from London, followed by a visit to The Scottish National Gallery where the pupils were given a special enlightening, educational talk from Ralph Hughes, who lectures at Fettes College. We received insights into Titian’s painterly techniques and iconography and pupils were able to wander freely enjoying the Scottish paintings and one of Rembrandt’s wonderful self-portraits.

Pupils’ thoughts on the trip “Mr Darmody quietly told us a few scary stories and then suddenly screamed loud. It was so scary! And fun at the same time.” “I really enjoyed the trip as it all was about art. We visited an exhibition with work of many different contemporary artists, where I personally found a lot of interesting pieces. I was particularly impressed by John Bellany’s art - the scale and the emotions of his paintings.” “It was interesting to have a look not only at the actual painting but also at John Bellany’s sketches. We had a drawing session there trying out his technique.” “It was my first time in Edinburgh and I really liked it. At the moment I’m working with gothic architecture for my art project so I tried to take a close look at every building. There are a lot of amazing churches and sculptures.” Overall, this was a trip to remember – not just covering art galleries, but the culture, history and atmosphere around Edinburgh.

Greyfriars Church yard – Ghostly tales of the Covenanters and Burke & Hare – all material for artistic ideas

Mrs LM Birch

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Visits and Exchanges

Girls’ Senior Hockey Tour to South Africa So we were headed to South Africa and fundraising had begun. Once the money had been raised, the kit had to be designed. The main credit has to go to Ellie Fletcher for this, who after a group decision on which company to go with, put together several different designs from which we chose our final kit (which was extremely smart and professional). Pre-tour training was not as easy to organise. With study leave and open days it was impossible to find a time to suit all of us. We were lucky enough to have the help of England U21 player, Abbie Brant during this time and her training and knowledge were insightful and really helped boost the team’s understanding and confidence.

with our hosts laid back and friendly nature making things even more enjoyable. Our stay in Port Elizabeth consisted of a couple of windswept walks down the beach, and our first match. St Peter’s put up a very good fight against a strong Collegiate Girls’ High School first team right in the middle of their season. We were nervous coming out; all the girls were tall and very athletic looking. The pitch was surrounded by advertising of well-known brands and also huge floodlights, it looked serious! Although we worked hard and towards the end of the match were starting to gel, we were beaten 8-0.

The flight out to South Africa took off, and excitement was running high (however it shot through the roof when we saw our own personal TV screens and freebies!) After landing in Johannesburg we had a short wait for our connecting flight to Port Elizabeth, where we were to meet our hosts for the next two nights. We were split into pairs to stay at our new host’s houses, and were all a bit nervous and apprehensive at the prospect of staying with a stranger. However we all settled in really quickly,

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The next stop on the tour was Kareiga Game Reserve. We briefly stopped off on the way at a beautiful beach in Kenton-On Sea, where we made the most of the warm weather and dived into the waves much to the shock of the South Africans who exclaimed that this was winter and it was cold! At this point we were blissfully unaware that we were to visit the same beach again the following day for a rigorous training session up the sand dunes. Whilst this was a welcome change to normal training it would be difficult to describe it as enjoyable!

Visits and Exchanges

On to the game reserve. This I have to say was the highlight of the tour for many of us. As we drove in we spotted Zebras and many types of Deer and a Vervet monkey sitting on the roof of the shop. The chalets we were staying in were luxurious, with the most stunning views. We were just meters away from Lions, Giraffes, Zebras and a two day old Elephant calf! Things I know I have only ever dreamed of seeing, without David Attenborough’s voice in the back ground. We were all sad to leave the game reserve, and also our guides Temba and Johan.

the final 10 minutes, where our lack of fitness and struggle against the heat started to show. The final score was 4-1.

We pushed on to the next part of the tour where we stayed in Kynysa Log Inn. Mrs Brough found out about a scenic path through the forest, from our fountain of knowledge and humorous bus driver Robbie. We then got up and had an early morning run up this pretty path, before breakfast (much to our disgust).

It was then a drive to Stellenbosch and a stay in the Stellenbosch Hotel. This was the first time we really got to see the impressive Dutch architecture evident in much of South Africa. We then drove to Stellenbosch University where we received a training session from Craig West, a South African coach. Craig kept stressing the importance of noise on the pitch and calling for the ball. This training was really useful and we were keen to put it into practice in our next match. In the match against Parel Vallei High school we changed our formation around. This proved very effective, but unfortunately our inexperienced squad was unable to match the organised squad of the South African team. The next day it was time to leave Stellenbosch and we continued on our journey to play another match against Wyneberg Girls’ School. This was our toughest opposition yet; however we held our own, holding the score to only 2-0 at half time having had a number of opportunities to score. Once again the score ran away towards the end of the match, ending in a 6-0 loss. Irrespective of the score, this was our best performance yet. After the match we headed to Cape Town where we were to stay for the next four nights in the Protea Breakwater Lodge.

Our second match was against Oakhill girls. This was a much closer fought game with the score being 2-1 to Oakhill right until

We spent the next few days sightseeing and perusing the many markets around the city! We also undertook a trip to Robben Island to see Nelson Mandela’s cell, where we were shown round by a truly inspirational man, Jama, who was a political prisoner there for

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Visits and Exchanges

five years. We also visited Seal Island, so named for the hundreds of Seals that cover this rocky mound. We had hoped to go up Table Mountain but unfortunately maintenance on the lifts stopped us, however the grandeur of it looming over the city still made its presence known. The trip to Langa was something I don’t think we will ever forget. It was a real eye opener, as we drove in past the plush beach villas to the corrugated iron shacks in a matter of minutes. We split into two for our walking tour, being led by members of the Langa community. They gave us a real insight into the community life. We were amazed by the happiness and vibrancy of the community given their poor circumstances; it made us really think about how much we moan in Britain! For lunch we went to Sheila’s cafe in the township, where we were greeted by a local band playing on a variety of instruments. We

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were served traditional African dishes, of which there were a great many to choose from, and so we took the initiative to just try a bit of everything! Unfortunately the rain did pick up, and this combined with a poorly drained AstroTurf meant that we had to abandon the match against the Langa team, after seeing their strong hits only travel a few meters across the waterlogged pitch. We were disappointed as we had looked forward to playing their mixed team of boys and girls from aged 10 to 17. The final stop was Rustenburg Girls’ High School where we were to have our last stay of the tour with host families. We played our last match and produced our best score yet against the Rustenberg team losing closely, 2-1. This final match truly showed how far we had come as a team over the last 2 weeks. We had developed our understanding of the game of Hockey (and apparently how rough it can be!) and also become extremely close as a squad too. This fantastic performance signalled the end of our fabulous tour. Thank you so much to Mrs Barnard and Mrs Brough (Pledge) for putting up with us all, and thank you also to our generous parents! Josie Procter (Girls’ 1st X1 Captain 2013/14)

Visits and Exchanges

St Peters School RUFC Tour to South Africa. 16th July-1st August 2013

Johannesburg We immediately transferred to the Lesedi`s cultural village to find out more about the cultural heritage of this part of Africa; A great tour encompassing the five main cultural groups including the Zulus and Xhosa s followed and then we sampled our first taste of South African cuisine ; we were not to be disappointed ; from this meal onwards the food was superb as was the hospitality we received throughout our tour.

Trinity College After our cultural tour we arrived at our first school; Trinity College. The boys were superbly hosted here for two nights. After a goods nights rest! We embarked on our second cultural visit prior to the first games vs Trinity ;

The Voortrekker Monument; A unique marble Frieze circles the inside walls of the Voortrekker Monument. In bas-relief, 27 panels depict the story of the Great Trek from 1835 to 1852. The Frieze not only shows the history of the Great Trek, but also shows how the Voortrekkers went about their everyday lives. It also provides an insight on their religious beliefs and work methods of the Voortrekkers and historic wars, such as the Battle of Bloodriver.

Cenotaph Hall is located on the lower floor, and is home to the Cenotaph (empty tomb). On 16 December every year the sun shines down through a small hole in the centre of the Voortrekker Monument roof, onto the Cenotaph, lighting up the enscribed words: “Ons vir jou Suid Africa” (“We for thee, South Africa”). After a visit to the parliament buildings in Pretoria we returned to Trinity for our first two fixtures. Two excellent games followed, both refereed with real skill. We came face to face with the new scrum laws which took a bit of getting used to and the southern hemisphere ways of clearing the ruck! For many in the party it was their first game since December and we were a little rusty! A TEAM LOST 22-26 B TEAM LOST 0-19 Despite the results, the signs were good and we felt that real progress had been made and that the pre tour training had been worthwhile. Leaving our excellent hosts at Trinity behind we set of to fly to Durban. No sooner had we arrived than we were off inland to our next stop in KOKSTAD . The views from the bus were superb as we headed right into the agricultural centre of the region. On arrival at the farm where we were to stay for two great nights all the lads

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Visits and Exchanges

The two games were played at frenetic pace producing some outstanding tries allowing us to run out victors in both games. Once again the physio and first aid support was first rate and this was to be another thing that marked out all the games on this tour as special. A TEAM WON 27-0 B TEAM WON 7-5 The afternoon and evening that followed provided great tour memories from Sam Blott and Felix Adams at the dam! to the evening braai and singing song at the camp fire. Kokstad was a very special experience for all of us. A 3.00 am departure saw us off to Durban to fly onto Port Elizabeth; sadly SAA 50 seater planes can`t actually take 50 passengers !! so three of our party had a little longer to enjoy the departure lounge at Durban airport!! On arrival at P.E. We set off to KARIEGA game reserve for a couple of days of game drives and superb food. The gym at Kariega also enabled us to do some decent rehab on a couple of the injured players and this gave us the confidence to play them in the coming matches. Remember the ice bath!! Oli, James and Will. Whilst the serious work of rehab was going on!! The swimming pool provided for some excellent entertainment for many of party-thanks go to Mr Smith!!

disappeared to varying accommodation from plush single chalets to a treehouse!! That night we were hosted by Kokstad college. At the farm and all the players and coaches ate together with their headmaster and director of Rugby. It was a truly memorable evening and showed us all the real pleasure of touring, meeting new people and sampling new cultures. We woke to frost on the ground and a blue sky overhead and headed back over “that bridge” to play our next fixture Vs Kokstad College. A beautiful ground, with tremendous support for the home team and an outstanding referee; what more could you ask for ?

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On leaving the game reserve we said goodbye to a tremendous experience and embarked on the next leg of our journey to the Cape. Our arrival in KNYSNA saw us on the waterfront in a great hotel. Food in the local restaurants was excellent and set us up for the next day where we had secured training facilities at the local high school. A good session for both sides followed and this proved vital for our next fixtures later in the week. The afternoon was spent on the beach playing touch sevens of a sort! and swimming in the Indian Ocean!! It is winter down in SA and the locals thought we were mad!! However it was much warmer than a summer day in Scarborough!!

Visits and Exchanges

Taking in the garden route we travelled to our next fixture at POINT HIGH SCHOOL. Yet again the views from the pitch were special. The games were very physical and it was very good to see how we fronted up to older players in their 1st and 2nd teams. A number of the lads also played for Point in a hastily arranged third team game!! The lads were hosted by their opponents that night and had a “tremendous time”. We now set off for the Cape, down the garden route; This was a truly beautiful drive that most of the lads slept through!! B TEAM LOST 10--17 A TEAM LOST 18-35 Our arrival in Cape Town saw the first clouds of the tour!! Most of them covered Table Mountain for the next couple of days! Having got our bearings we ate out early and on our way back to the hotel met rain for the first time since leaving England!! We were now geared up for our fourth opponents; Paulus Joubert. The hospitality we received here at this community college was humbling. Two very good games played with great spirit followed and in the end we ran out winners in both. I think the lads got more out of the experience here than they ever believed they would. Watching the second team lads “teaching” lineout lifting and playing touch after the match was tremendous to see. A TEAM WON 17-7 B TEAM WON 14-12 Better weather welcomed us next morning but sadly the table cloth remained stubbornly over the mountain! We set off to Seal Island , the boat trip out to the seals certainly tested the stomachs of a few!! Now off to the beach for lunch and a bit of American football and some wonderful views. Sunday evening saw us have our final tour dinner at which a number of presentations were given out? What goes on tour stays on tour!! Monday saw us set off to our final hosts at Bishops. Before then we toured District 6 and the museum that went with it; this was a truly humbling experience. It was important that we all got to grips with the reality of Apartheid . The tour of the museum allowed us to grasp the importance of District Six in the fight against apartheid. In contrast to District Six came our next stop at the oldest Vineyard in South Africa; GROOT CONSTANTIA. Its heritage makes Groot Constantia unique. Groot Constantia is South Africa’s oldest wine producing farm, boasting a proud heritage of 327 years. Since its inception in 1685 the Estate has had a history of uninterrupted wine production, an achievement that cannot be claimed by any other wine farm in South Africa. We had a fascinating tour of the winemaking and then went to the wine-tasting and finally of to an

adjoining restaurant for as good a burger and chips as you will get anywhere!! Now well fed and watered we set of for Bishops to train for the last time; The views from the school rugby pitches were stunning. We realised the magnitude of the game the next day. Training was good and we felt that we would do ourselves justice in our final games. The boys were excellently hosted by their opponents for the next two nights. We picked the lads up early the following morning to visit Langa Township and to eat at Sheila’s café before returning for the matches in the afternoon. Langa is Capetown’s oldest township, established in 1923. Similar to he nearby communities of Gugelethu and Khayelitsha, Langa is one of many areas that were established prior to the apartheid era designated for Black Africans. A very good tour of the township alongside a number of stories that really made your eyes water! set us up for lunch and some great music at Sheila’s café. Now off to the final matches via a wonderful view point that gave us a first proper view of Table Mountain minus its cloud! The second team game started well but they weathered the storm and really came at us with great pace and skill in the first half scoring a number of tries. We settled over half time and got back into the game in the second half losing this only 10-7, scoring a great try, (well done the two Olis!!) The first team were outstanding in the first half at one stage leading 13-5. However our four games in the recent weeks and their superior fitness allowed them to play some wonderful rugby. In the second half running from everywhere with great pace, at space, offloading at will. A TEAM LOST 18-41 B TEAM LOST 31-17 Tour playing record A TEAM played 5 lost 3 won 2 points for 102 points against 119

B TEAM played 5 lost 3 won 2 points for 48 points against 84

A great start to the new season. P Stephen / S Williams

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News Events and Activities

The School Archives

Visitors to the archive this year have undertaken research on Frank Pick for a forthcoming biography and St Peter’s relationship with Elmfield College.

Please remember the archives if you are planning to part with any school related photographs or artefacts. There are many gaps to fill and everything helps!

Other visitors, as part of their academic studies, have been researching the St Peter’s connection with the early Australian rugby rules, in addition to many family queries about Old Peterites.

Mrs P Chandler

Work has begun on a website alongside the Marketing Department to mark the part that Old Peterites played in the First World War. John Armstrong has kindly shared his research and we are working to add to the information about individuals and link to further sources of information. Digitisation continues with the oldest whole school photographs and some issues of The Peterite which we hope will be available in due course on the archives website. Donations have been gratefully received from: Mrs Gill Vivian - 2 whole school photographs (1951 and 1965). Mr Richard Hill – a metal plate with links to St Peter’s. Rev. Jeremy Howat – Programme for a York Minster concert involving St Peter’s Schooland Queen Margaret’s School. Once again I would like to thank Angela Sanderson for the time she has spent over the year helping in the archives and for her great enthusiasm.

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News, Events & Activities

The Alcuin Library

Reading for Pleasure has been in focus this year following the findings of the influential Boys Reading Commission Report (2012) compiled by The Literacy Trust. This emphasises the importance of young people’s attitudes to reading in the process of becoming lifelong readers and learners. As a result more time to read for pleasure has been created in the school day and more visits from authors have taken place to encourage everyone to share the books that they have enjoyed. In addition to new bookstock we have trialled new e-resources in the form of Literary Reference Center, Digital Theatre Plus and Green File, which have been well used by pupils.

National Poetry Day 2012 This year’s competition theme was Stars and pupils were invited to find poems on a star theme hidden around school. The swiftest poem hunters and winners of the competition were Ashraf Harun and Tom Pycock.

Author visits – G P Taylor Although fasting, G P Taylor (The Reverend Graham) spent an energetic morning with Fourth and Third Year pupils. In his own colourful style Graham spoke about how his background led him into writing and the adaptation of two of his books, Shadowmancer and The Mariah Mundi stories into forthcoming films.

Man Booker Shadowing - October 2012 Once again Mrs Lawrence chaired the balloon debate in the Library following a few frantic weeks of devouring the shortlisted books. In what was probably the best Man Booker debate to date our select band of GCSE and A level English students (Ben, Jamie, Oliver, Bea, Dewi and Ed) were on top form and presented the assembled crowd with a difficult choice. Mrs Lawrence gave us an extra task—which book would we most want to read after the debate? Bea persuaded us that this was going to be Swimming Home. The inevitable decision had to be made and there was only one book in the competition—Bring up the Bodies. Ben gave us every reason to read this book and we all knew it was a winner (not so closely followed by Umbrella).

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News, Events & Activities

Phil Earle

Christmas Lit Quiz

Phil gave us two engaging book presentations: one to our Third Years and one to all of the J5s at St Olave’s. It was refreshing to hear his message as to what counts as reading and how you can use your reading to help you to write imaginatively. In between, Phil fitted in lunch with the entrants of the English Department’s creative writing competition, a book signing and ran a creative writing workshop with a group of Third and Fourth Years.

A new feature for this year, the House Lit Quiz, took place in the Library in early December. Despite the large numbers of participants we all managed to fit in nicely. Queen’s held off the Staff Team to become the first ever winners of this award. Mention must be made of our excellent Quiz Master, Jack Harrison, who kept us on the right track with good humour.

Library Committee 2012/13 I would like to thank to this year’s Library Committee members for their hard work and suggestions on behalf of their Houses and determination to promote the library over the past year(s). Clifton Dronfield Grove Hope Linton Manor Queen’s Rise School Temple

… and Sophie McKenzie Sophie popped in at the end of her book tour to promote the appearance of Sister Missing in paperback. Alongside pupils from The Mount and Millthorpe School Sophie spoke to Third Years about her writing life and how she puts together her stories.

Matthew Chan Alla Petrichei Jack Harrison/ Bea Rhodes-Blangsted Frankie Whitaker Gabriel Chan Daniel Harding Angus Freeman Alicia Cranston Will Fynn /Alex Payne Georgina Ward

Duke of Edinburgh Award Congratulations to the fifteen pupils have completed the Bronze Award, four who have completed the Silver and 5 pupils who have worked towards Gold over the year undertaking a range of library skills.

Donations Donations have been gratefully received from the following leavers and their parents, grandparents or guardians at the time of writing:

World Book Day, March 2013 The Library Committee decision this year was to run an activity linked to groups of book characters. Departments chose their books and sported character labels. Pupils were challenged to collect as many book titles as possible during the day. Sebastian Dobson managed to collect most titles and was declared winner.

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Lavinia Taylor, Joseph Williams, George Brook, Joshua Frost, Jonathan Bell, Freddie Jagger, Hannah Gee, Joseph Himsworth, Oliver Hicks, Jamie Hatzel, Jamie Fenton, Niels Pampus, Chloe Lister, Helen Williams and Charles Cornock. Your generosity is much appreciated. Mrs P Chandler

News, Events & Activities

St Peter’s School Half Marathon Monday 4 March 2013 Nothing can stand in front of the runners from St Peter’s: floods, gas-leaks, road works, wolves (ok, so they were tame ones on a lead), all of which featured in this year’s half school marathon. The route began as usual from Scarborough Bridge, out along the river and then along the Selby cycle track towards Naburn, before returning to the School. This annual event pulls together, pupils, staff, Old Peterites and parents. The twenty nine starters were given an inspiring speech and health and safety briefing; by Andy Smith who also started the race on a cool Sunday morning at the beginning of March. The race had been rearranged from February due to the flood waters which lay across large sections of the course on the original date for the race. Once under way, after just ¼ mile, the still fairly bunched group of runners were waved along a diversion by Margaret, who was marshalling and had been alerted to a potential gas leak. The ensuing road works and barriers had the effect of funnelling everybody and resulted in some surprising front runners who had made better progress past the barriers, pushchairs and bicycles. Once everybody was safely through this first challenge, the race could properly get under way. A special mention should go to the Mobile supporters’ team of Ben Ibbotson and Luke Mander. Accompanying the runners on their bikes, they offered support and encourage everyone with their cheerful good humour and selection of classic 80s rock music, played from a stereo in Ben’s ruck-sack. For most it was fairly plain sailing out past the race course to the first drinks stop at Bishopthorpe where Jane and Mike Dawson were manning the drinks and Jane was at the ready to take some embarrassing pictures. Mark Robinson, Master Physics technician and human roundabout, was the turnaround point after 6.5 miles who said he didn’t enjoy the hug from Brendan Qualter as he went by. The final serious obstacle(s) were the huge group of RSPCA volunteers with scores of dogs out for a Sunday walk by the river. Well done to everyone for avoiding them.

Now to the results. A special mention goes to Chris Burn and Frankie Whittaker who took 3 hours to complete the course although they had gotten to bed late the night before! The winner, with a time of 1:21:52, was Joseph Smith. Second place went to Simon Mortimer, who completed the race in 1:23:32, third to Marco Gaias, who finished in 1:28:33 and was followed closely by Aaron Anthony-Pillai just seven seconds later. Henry Gray finished just outside the top ten in 1:41:11. Fastest of the female staff was of course Mrs Tooby-Smith in 1:32:26. Fastest of the girls was Bea Murray-Nag in 2:09:30. To quote Mrs Tooby-Smith just after the race “The annual half marathon is a wonderful event, bringing together staff, pupils, Old Peterites and parents. We saw some super times today, and it’s clear some of our runners have been training very hard. Well done to all who took part.” A huge thanks to Mrs Tooby-Smith for organising the event and congratulations again to everyone who took part, helped on the day and sponsored the runners. £1200 was raised in sponsorship to help re-furbish a school in Kenya. Well done all! Mr AM Parr

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News, Events & Activities

The Beverley Run 2013 The St Peter’s runners arrived to a terrific atmosphere in Beverley on Sunday 12th May. In all, a record 1240 runners completed the twentieth 10k, of which St peter’s contributed 35 fine, athletic specimens. In addition 20 pupils, mainly Olavites took part in the 2k race. This is the fifteenth time that the school has entered the Beverley 10k which is now in its twentieth year. Although rain threatened throughout the morning, it held off and participants and spectators enjoyed bright, if windy, conditions. The centre of Beverley was packed as hundreds lined the finishing straight. Many others cheered on the runners as they returned to town over the Westwood. Rousing music from Beverley Brass band helped spur on weary legs for the last couple of hundred meters. For many this was their first 10k race and among those was Alice Greswold. She showed herself to be a very talented runner and won the female under 18 category with a time of 44:32. Jess Fairbank also did well for the girls finishing the race in 51:22. Impressive too were Bea Murray-Nag and Millie Grant, both finishing the race in under one hour. For the boys, Sam Dickinson came home first for St Peter’s, winning the male under 18 category and finishing 16th in the race in a time of 36:15 – a terrific time. Other quick lads included Tom Colthup (38:39) who went on to run the Edinburgh marathon two week s later (well done for that!), Aaron Anthony-Pillai (39:37) and Jamie Fenton (42:57). The race was not only about speed,

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but also endurance and tenacity. These qualities were surely shown by Luke Mander (1:04:59) and the group who led him in just under an hour including Eddy James and Will Shaw. Simon Mortimer again was the fastest of the staff finishing in 36:19. Somebody suggested that we tie weights to him or insist that he wears fancy dress, I think he would still come first. For those who did not know, you can watch the video of runners completing the race by going to www.sportstimingsolutions.co.uk and finding the Beverley 2013 link. Earlier in the day, Robbie Brown had set a high standard by winning the 2k race in 7:41. In doing so, Robbie is following in the footsteps of some great runners who have gone on to much success at longer distances (Sam Dickinson to mention one). I am sure that Robbie still has a few sweets left over from the huge sack full that was awarded to him as a prize. Well done to all of the 2k runners, who did what was expected of them and had a ‘fun run’. There were many close battles fought and personal achievements gained throughout the day and thank you to all those who supported the event as well as took part. A special thank you goes to Paddy Stephen for help in organising everything and David Morris for taking lots of excellent/embarrassing photos of us all. Sadly Mrs Tooby-Smith was ill and could not be with us this year, but the St Peter’s runners truly did her proud! Mr AM Parr

News, Events & Activities

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News, Events & Activities

Chapel Report September 2012 saw the 150th anniversary consecration of the school Chapel - what better excuse might you need for celebrations? These began with a visit to the school by the Archbishop of York who toured the site, had lunch with pupils and staff and presided over a service at which he rededicated the school Chapel. Those who were present for this will, I’m sure, never forget being called on by the Archbishop to be part of an impromptu orchestra of music clapping and praise. This gave a very poignant start to the year’s usual round of worship, pupils of St Olave’s and St Peter’s continuing to gather in Chapel on alternate mornings of the week. It has been a delight to welcome the children from Clifton into Chapel over the course of the year too, both for tours of the building during their RS lessons and also for some of them to see the baptisms of Edward Bateman and Monty Dodsworth. Towards the end of the autumn term, our preparations for Christmas began with the Advent Carol Service when the Old Peterite community processed by candlelight into the Chapel alongside pupils and parents of both St Olave’s and St Peter’s. This

was a moving service and much credit for that is due to the four different choirs that sang. That is equally true of the Clifton choir who performed so ably at their school’s Christingle service. This is now firmly established in the routine Chapel services that take place at Christmas time. The Minster Carol service is always a grand and fitting way to finish the term where the music serves to tell the story of the birth of Jesus in just as compelling a way as the nine lessons themselves. That occasion seemed a long way from the St Peter’s “carols with the chaplain” though which had taken place just a couple of days before. I won’t quickly forget hearing the school’s rendition of The ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ with the Manor shouting their way through …’five gold rings.’ While Christmas always feels like part of the pattern of the school year, many of the other festivals in the Christian calendar are often hard to celebrate in the school community. Keeping

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News, Events & Activities

Holy Week has, in recent years, become part of the Chapel’s year. This year though we have also kept Epiphany and Easter during our school Chapel services, with chalking the Chapel door and the floral cross Standing as markers for each of these festivals. Holy week and Easter was celebrated with great poignancy is this year with dramatised readings of the passion and resurrection stories by the pupils. When remembering Good Friday these readings lead into a period of silence kept by the whole school; there really is something very powerful about 600 people simply sitting quietly together. Slightly less reflective, by contrast, was the red nose day service. This was a moment of great joy in the year and culminated

Pajovic. This is a simply stunning piece of work, completed over about six months, and is a great gift to both the Chapel and the School community. Receiving such a beautiful piece of artwork into the building is, if nothing else, a reminder that Chapel is a place where we bring what’s best of ourselves and are thankful for all of the creative talents and gifts that we are each given, praying that we may use them wisely in the service of others and to the glory of God. Revd Mr D Jones

with the school, clad in fancy dress, dancing around in Chapel - a reminder, if one was needed, of the importance of simply enjoying one another’s company and doing so in the presence of God. Celebrations of the Chapel’s 150th anniversary culminated at Petertide with the blessing of an icon of St Peter painted by Luka

Cross-Keys Weekend Away This year, for the first time, Cross-Keys held a night and day away in the beautiful Pennines. It was a great chance to get away and spend time together, having fun and discussing and considering more about the Christian faith. The time involved some Frisbee (with some being more competitive than others!), walks and card games alongside some great discussion about who Jesus is and what that means for us. The pupils who came seemed to enjoy themselves and were brave to come on a new venture! May this be the first of many. Mr WJ Allan

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News, Events & Activities

Christmas Science lecture 2012

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News, Events & Activities

Debating Like a phoenix from the ashes, St Peter’s Debating Society has risen to the forefront of school life throughout the past year. In recent years, facing competition from sports, music and other activities its status seemed of little significance within the realm of extra-curricular activities. This year intellectual combat has come thundering back to life. To a great extent the society has continued in the same vein as previous years, with lunchtime sessions being the primary outlet for debate. This year though, such debates have been more successful than ever. A string of controversial topics such as gay marriage, the legalislation of cannabis and whether the UK needs a nuclear deterrent have attracted large crowds from all years, interested to see what actually happens behind closed doors in the Bayley Room on a Thursday lunchtime. The room has on many occasions been fit to bursting, with forty people often appearing, having to cram into every corner. This expansion of the society and its embrace of new and enthusiastic members was a delight to see. In particular however, I would like to thank the participants in the many exciting debates we have had over the past year: the usual barrage of work from teachers at both A-Level and GCSE means that organising teams and preparing speeches is often rather difficult, and yet all those who have participated have been brilliant at presenting interesting, informative and provocative debates. This year the society has had students to chair and judge debates, rather than Mr Fuller or another teacher - representing the further independence and autonomy of the society. This has allowed students from all years to take up a role of authority and decision-making, doing so exceedingly well and emphasising a high level of trust. Despite some initial nervousness on my part of potential bias, all of our judges have been wholly fair, and I certainly haven’t seen any fivers slipped into jacket pockets. House Debating has also been a strong feature this year. First came the Senior House Debating, where members of the society rallied their loyal comrades from across all Houses to partake in one of St Peter’s most exciting competitions. After many weeks of speeches, points of information and rebuttals the final saw The Grove narrowly defeat the reigning champions, School, in a provocative debate over free speech. Yet School certainly didn’t miss out, as their junior team beat Queens in the Junior House Debating final, arguing over the idea of intervention in Syria. These events are not only hugely entertaining, but also provide an opportunity

to preview up-and-coming talents from lower years which, can I hope be harnessed in future years, as well as encouraging those who wouldn’t usually take an interest in debating to partake and represent their House. Entirely new events emerged this year as well, most exciting of which was the school’s first ever Show Debate. This was a debate in the library between three teachers (Mr Trevett, Mr Edwards and Mrs Tooby-Smith) and three students (Guy Cowman-Sharpe, Bill Goss and Oliver Headlam-Morley). Given the current economic climate and the prominence of the Occupy Movement, the motion for the debate was “This House believes that capitalism has failed and is no longer a viable policy”. The debate saw a large crowd fill the library to watch fantastic speeches from both students and teachers. All those who took part must be thanked: in particular I would like to congratulate both teams for making the first Show Debate so very special, as well as Jonny Bell for designing some fantastic posters and tickets, Ms Chandler for the use of the library and the porters for organising the seating. I am also very grateful to Mr Fuller for all his support, encouragement and organization over the year. With such a vibrant event having taken place, I hope that Show Debates can continue every year and become a permanent fixture of St Peter’s calendar! (Please note that a full & more detailed report on the Show Debate can be found on the school website). Debating Colours were awarded for the first time in a number of years, in recognition of contributions to Debating and or Model United Nations. I was particularly pleased to see their return, emphasising the fact that colours at St Peter’s are not the sole perogative of rugby players and are for dedication in other areas of school life as well as emphasising the school’s embrace of all extracurricular activities. The expansion of the Debating Society and its role within school life epitomises the academic essence of St Peter’s. This school is not a sausage factory, taking students in to regurgitate them out five years later with only grades as a reminder of their time. Instead, St Peter’s is a caring and compassionate school, whose care for the individual student over any notion of the collective makes it stand out as particularly special. This is enhanced by the school’s Debating Society, which has emphasised the need for the individual to think for himself or herself. As the writer, polemicist and debater Christopher Hitchens remarked: “Take the risk of thinking for yourself, much more happiness, truth, beauty and wisdom will come to you that way”. This is the legacy of St Peter’s Debating Society, and long may it continue. Joe Himsworth UVI, President of St Peter’s Debating Society

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Peterites address war and peace through Model United Nations Model United Nations (MUN) has continued to offer an excellent opportunity for those interested in debate and world affairs to develop their understanding, as well as their skills of networking, negotiating and debate. The highlight of the year was an exciting and busy two days at the MUN Conference at Cheadle Hulme School, Cheshire. MUN involves delegations from schools all over the country representing member states. Our team represented the UK, led by Ambassador Bill Goss (School) who also sat on Security Council, where the UK – as one of the permanent members - had a significant role to play. Delegates debated issues around cyber terrorism and piracy, human rights, the nuclear ambitions of North Korea and the situation in Zimbabwe amongst others. One of our experienced delegates, Felicity Halstead (Clifton) joined a small team chairing a Human Rights Committee – and proved cool and authoritative in the face of lively debate. We were delighted that two students were singled out for their contribution to debate in the final Awards Ceremony: Jamie Hatzel (Temple) and Oliver Headlam-Morley (Temple), the latter receiving a Highly Commended Award.

The students enjoyed meeting over 500 students from other schools both in the formal debates, negotiations and the social events of the trip. MUN will continue as an extra-curricular option on Tuesday afternoons in 2013-14, looking forward to attending conferences at Cheadle Hulme in October and Haileybury in March. New members are always welcome. Mr B Fuller

ISSP Latin Mr Adams wrote in last year’s Peterite that the Classics department at St Peter’s had begun a programme of teaching Latin to pupils whose schools do not offer Latin on their timetable. The aim for them was to learn 5 years’ worth of Latin in 2 years, emerging with a GCSE at the end of it. The 17 pupils were drawn from six state schools in York and placed with unfamiliar faces in an unfamiliar environment to learn an unfamiliar language. Over the past couple of months, they have sat two GCSE Latin language papers, a prose literature paper and sources paper. I await the release of their results in August with interest, but even before that date arrives I can say that this endeavour has been a huge source of pride, satisfaction and enjoyment. The real triumph of the course is the fact that the pupils have continued to enjoy learning something new when out of their comfort zones and have done so for reasons other than exam success, as the following comments show: “I’m doing something that not many people get the opportunity to do, and it is important and useful.” “I like how Latin makes other subjects like English and languages easier, and some of the skills are applicable to science too.” “I wanted to learn a new language and now I have.”

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“I get to meet people I wouldn’t otherwise meet from my own school and from other schools.” The course has also shown that Latin is alive and thriving in York. The 2 year programme will start afresh with a new cohort of pupils in September and competition for places is fierce, even though some of the schools involved now offer some form of Latin at their own establishments. It is a pleasure to be part of something which aims to foster a lifelong love of learning, a quality at the heart of the St Peter’s School values. Miss SE Barker

News, Events & Activities

Politics Society Trip to Question Time

The BBC Question Time team came to the University in March and we managed to obtain a small allocation of tickets.

but saying that he needed to listen to teachers’ professional subject bodies and exam boards.

All of the Peterites had to go through a telephone interview with the programme to ensure they were the sort of articulate and politically literate citizens who could participate intelligently as audience members – and passed, of course!

The students thoroughly enjoyed being part of the programme and hearing from such a high calibre panel. Alex Eyre (School House) commented: ‘I really liked Anthony Horowitz and Mark Littlewood because they talked good sense and didn’t just popularise.’

We spent three hours at the studio, where James MacMahon (Hope House) was selected as one of the warm up panellists. James, along with four others, was invited on to the famous set and faced questions from the audience & the Director. Unlike the real panellists James had not spent all day swotting for this role, but thought quickly on his feet answering questions on why we had no politicians of substance and the burial place of Richard III. The panel consisted of Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Education, Emily Thornberry, Shadow Attorney General, Natalie Bennett, Leader of The Greens, Anthony Horowitz, author and Mark Littlewood of the IEA think tank. Once debate got underway the Peterites tried to catch David Dimbleby’s eye to be called to speak. Mr Fuller succeeded during debate about education reform, praising Mr Gove for taking a stand for standards and a body of knowledge

‘Should the Tory Party be abolished?’ Politics Society trip to University debate Columnist and polemicist Peter Hitchens was the star speaker at a debate held at the University in June: This House believes that the Conservative Party should be abolished. Peter put the proposition, arguing that the modern Tory party has ceased to be an effective conservative party and that – along with the other main parties – it needed to die to allow a long overdue realignment of party politics to take place. A party of seven Upper Sixth Politics students travelled up to hear the debate with some of us joining in from the floor. Joe Himsworth (The Grove) joined a long queue to meet Peter Hitchens afterwards and was delighted to have his copy of Peter’s book signed by the author.

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United Kingdom Mathematics Trust Challenges 2012-2013

Senior Team Challenge Daniel Spencer, Harry Ha, Sabrina Leung and Calum Brown competed in the Regional Final of the United Kingdom Mathematics Trust Senior Team Challenge, at Fulford School in November. The competition tests mathematical, communication and teamwork skills, and students compete against teams from other schools and colleges from their region. 21 schools from the county were represented and the St Peter’s Team was placed 2nd.

Senior Mathematics Challenge This challenge encourages mathematical reasoning, precision of thought, and fluency in using mathematical techniques. In November forty six St Peter’s 6th form students took part. 13 received Bronze Awards, 18 gained Silver and Gold Certificates were awarded to Daniel Spencer, Xue Tian, Sam Burley, Calum Brown, Yifei Wang, Alex Wan, Harry Ha, Sabrina Leung and Maria Mikhaylenko.

Senior British Mathematical Olympiad and Kangaroo Due to their high marks in the UKMT Senior Maths Challenge six students were invited to take part in higher rounds of the competition in December. Harry Ha, Sabrina Leung, Sam Burley, Xue Tian and Calum Brown sat the one hour Senior Kangaroo Challenge with Harry and Sabrina awarded Certificates of Merit. Dan Spencer

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was invited to take the British Mathematical Olympiad Paper. The BMO lasts three and a half hours and contains six complex and involved mathematical problems for which full written solutions are required. He performed very well, missing a distinction by only one mark.

Year 10 Team Mathematics Competition Four 4th form students made the short journey to Bootham School in March to compete in the regional round of the Further Maths Support Programme Team Challenge. The competition comprised six rounds, all requiring a range of mathematical skills, including flexible approaches to problem solving, metric/imperial conversions, a pre-studied round on the absolute value function and an exciting ‘against the clock’ relay round. The St Peter’s Team of Christian Brennan, Oskar Fraser-Krauss, Min Lee and Max McLeish worked well together throughout a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon to finish in a very close 4th place out of the 13 teams competing.

Junior Team Challenge In April, Ian Ho and Luke Dunsmore, together with Zaki Ward and Marcus Brown from St Olave’s, competed in the Regional Final of the UKMT Team Challenge, at the Mount School. 31 teams competed. There was a group competition, a crossnumber, a headto-head and a relay race. They worked very hard during the day on these activities and finished 3rd overall.

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Intermediate Mathematics Challenge This challenge is targeted at the top third of pupils in English Schools. The question papers are designed to make students think by using mathematical techniques to solve non-standard problems. In February, 86 St Peter’s middle school students took part, with 13 pupils achieving a gold certificate, 18 a silver and 25 a bronze. .

Intermediate British Mathematical Olympiad and Kangaroo Max McLeish was invited to sit the United Kingdom Mathematics Trust Intermediate Maths Olympiad following his outstanding performance on the Intermediate Maths Challenge in February. This is a national competition and only the best mathematicians are able to cope with the very challenging questions. Around 1600 students participated. Max performed very well indeed and was awarded a merit. Due to their excellent performance in the Maths Challenge, Alistair Duffey, George Gao, Luis Fox, Marianne Spencer, James Sowerby and Oskar Fraser-Krauss were invited to sit the European Kangaroo paper. The questions involved thought-provoking situations requiring the use of logic as well as mathematical

understanding and pupils from over forty countries in Europe and beyond took part. Alistair, George and Oskar were all awarded a Certificate of Merit for their excellent performances. Mr DJ Spencer

Maths Inspiration Lectures, West Yorkshire Playhouse Maths Inspiration is one of the largest maths enrichment programmes for teenagers in the UK. It’s a chance for pupils to experience the UK’s most inspiring maths speakers live, in big venues, presenting mathematics in the context of exciting, realworld situations. In March a group of L6th Further Maths students attended the Maths Inspiration Lectures at the West Yorkshire Playhouse. There were three talks:

1. From Google to Gaming - Richard Lissaman Internet search engines and video games are both multi-billion pound global industries and maths is at the heart of both of them. Google depends on simultaneous equations, while video games require thousands of calculations involving triangles, angles and vectors. In this talk the students found out that they know enough maths right now to have had the idea themselves!

3. Weird and Wonderful Maths - Steve Mould Some things in life are obvious. And some things are complicated. And some things look obvious until you speak to a mathematician. In this talk, Steve looked at the maths that confounds our expectations and laughs in the face of our intuition. If you thought you knew the shape of a wheel or how to measure a coastline, think again. We considered how many numbers in the universe start with a 1, how to cheat on homework and other mathematical surprises. Mr DJ Spencer

2. The Hidden Maths of Rollercoasters – John Roberts Rollercoasters are designed for fun, but the maths behind them is deadly serious. In this talk, internationally renowned rollercoaster engineer John Roberts looked at the history of rollercoasters and the engineering calculations that have gone into designing some of the world’s leading rides. In short, it’s all about maximising the thrill while minimising the nosebleeds.

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Community Action

A very busy year for Community Action came to a triumphant close with Volunteering Week at the end of June, when about 30 fifth formers gave their time to take part in an impressive 4 day refurbishment project in the garden of The Glen-a local respite care centre for children with complex health needs. The pupils set about every task with energy, from weeding and clearing to painting fences, creating colourful murals and carefully restoring the sensory garden. Mr Noy-Scott’s brilliant organisation and meticulous planning of the schedule of work meant that there was no excuse or time for any slacking. The end result was really lovely, and the staff at The Glen were delighted with our labourers. Thanks must go to Mr Hall, under whose watchful eye the art work was realised, and also to Mr Fennell and the maintenance team, without whose help we could not possibly have done what we did. On the final day of Volunteering Week we hosted nearly 80 visitors from Mencap who came along with their carers to sample various sports, drama workshops and cycling. Our guests were assisted by the very enthusiastic 3rd form pupils, and the 5th form group contributed a huge amount to help everything go smoothly on the day, showing themselves to be excellent ambassadors for the school. We are very grateful to Alison Pike and her team from Mencap, who motivated our pupils throughout.

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News, Events & Activities

Mencap Day was just one example of using the school itself to host a range of Community Action events throughout the year. We got the first term off to a good start with a coffee morning in September, in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. Rebecca Jordan and friends hosted regular Sunday tea parties for guests from Contact the Elderly, and every Saturday in term time saw the arrival of the Silver Surfers, who enjoyed lunch with our pupils and were then guided through various computer skills. The Island charity continued to bring their mentees to enjoy evening cookery sessions, ably assisted by St Peters volunteers, and we also put on some evening craft sessions in the winter months. Lollipop made the most of the facilities offered by the new pool, and they were able to offer swimming sessions to their members during the winter term. A group of pupils met on Monday afternoons in the first 2 terms, putting lots of ideas and enthusiasm into planning and running the Macmillan coffee morning, the Rudolph Christmas parcels, the Valentine Appeal and the increasingly popular Christmas parties for the Island and the local community. One of the highlights of the C.A. year was the re-introduction of the St Peter’s talent show. Felicity Halstead was tireless in her efforts to make sure that T2013 was a memorable event. She and her brilliant team definitely succeeded, a substantial cheque was

sent to York Against Cancer, and a good time was had by all-cast members and audience alike. From the hilarious antics of ‘Frankie and Benny’ to the spell binding singing and playing by competition winners Shannon Ellerton and James Field, St Peter’s showed it really had talent.

Large numbers of pupils have taken advantage of the chance to get some volunteering experience by assisting in Clifton Prep and St Olave’s, helping the younger ones in lessons, after school clubs and during lunch breaks; many have gone off site to offer support in the local community too. A group of sixth formers took part in training

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Talent Show

with the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, and then spent a day at the York Visionary Conference at the university, assisting visually impaired delegates and working alongside their beautiful dogs. Pupils have helped in charity shops, joined in at SNAPPY, visited with the Wilberforce Trust and more recently a new link has been made to support the Hope Café in Clifton. It was a real pleasure to discover that Maria Mikhaylenko and Lipfon Tang had been given a Lord Mayor of York Young Volunteer Award, and many congratulations must go to Jenny Frazer, who was invited to the Mansion House to receive a Special Award for her outstanding commitment to volunteering, in particular with elderly patients at York Hospital. It goes without saying that as well as benefitting others, our pupils gain valuable experience, and develop many skills through their volunteering. We are extremely grateful to the staff and service users at the numerous organisations which offer training, support and encouragement to our pupils, and we hope we can continue to build links and keep up good traditions next year. It is a real privilege to be invited back to oversee the Community Action programme again. I am indebted to Mrs Dawson for her time, help and unfailing patience throughout the year, and to Ms Ullstein for all her support. It has been great to welcome new staff members Mrs Chapman , Mr Bembridge and Mr Noy-Scott to the team too, and I thank them for their enthusiastic participation. Thanks also go to Mrs Mckie, who had to leave us, as the arrival of her gorgeous baby twins gave her a few other things to keep her occupied, strangely enough, and to Mrs Underwood who has moved on, to a job at York University-she will be very much missed by the Silver Surfers. Finally, a huge thank you to all of the pupils who have given their time, energy, and commitment to volunteering over the year. J Bainbridge

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News, Events & Activities

Enterprise without Borders St Peter’s Young Enterprise Team in Sweden At the invitation of our EWB (Enterprise Without Borders) partners in Sweden Kaleidoscope were invited to attend an International Trade Fair in Borås, Sweden, on the 13th and 14th March 2013. Initiated by Junior Achievement Young Enterprise Europe, EWB provides an extra, no cost dimension to the Young Enterprise Company Programme. The programme facilitates partnership between Junior Achievement companies in Europe and Company Programme students in the UK. As well as giving students the opportunity to profile their products abroad, those participating learn the basics of International trade.

countries, and more fundamentally to share experiences and promote each other’s business and products in Sweden and the UK.

The three pupils who represented St Peter’s in Sweden were Imogen Jefferies, Jenny Frazer and Rachel Hall; all members of the Lower Sixth, and part of the Young Enterprise team Kaleidoscope. Our partners in Sweden, attend Sven Eriksonsgymnasiet Borås Stad. Their Young Enterprise company was called KahbagsUF, and their team was made up of Hanna Svantesson, Amanda Lina Fredrikson and Karin Funegård. This was the first year that St Peter’s have participated in the EWB programme, and the partnership between the two schools enabled Kaleidoscope and KahbagsUF to trade between the two

Our flight landed in Gothenburg early on the Wednesday morning, and we travelled to the Sweden’s Åhaga Convention Centre to join 150 of Sweden’s best Junior Achievement companies, and set up the trade stand ready for the opening of the event in the afternoon. Mr.Whitehouse addressed teachers and other delegates attending an EWB conference, on Young Enterprise in the UK. Kaleidoscope sold their eco snack wraps steadily throughout the two-day event, and traded alongside KahbagsUF. The event was a great opportunity to see the high standard of ideas and innovation being developed in Swedish schools and colleges, and it certainly provided plenty of inspiration for the future of Young Enterprise at St Peter’s. On the Thursday morning we visited Gina Tricot, one of Sweden’s fastest growing fashion companies, before the final afternoon of trading at the Åhaga Centre. Imi, Jenny and Rachel were great ambassadors for St Peter’s School and Young Enterprise in North Yorkshire and the UK. The trip to Sweden was accompanied by Mr Jon Whitehouse (Young Enterprise co-ordinator at St Peter’s School) and Miss Isabelle Rupp. Our thanks to Maria Friedefors from Sven Eriksonsgymnasiet Borås Stad, who hosted us so well in Sweden, and who pulled a few strings to get Kaleidoscope centre page in the Swedish newspapers. Mr J Whitehouse

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Young Enterprise Scheme

As part of the YE Company Programme a team of students from St Peter’s School have once again set up and run a real business for a year, under the guidance of our business volunteer, Owen Turner. The team, known as Kaleidoscope, have experienced the joys and pitfalls of running their own company. The team have done everything from raising the initial share capital through to selling directly to customers at specially organised trade fairs and winding up the firm and paying their taxes! The YE programme has been run at St Peter’s since 2009, and in that time nearly one hundred Peterites have taken part. Independent research shows that the Young Enterprise scheme helps develop key skills that enhance young people’s employability and enterprise capabilities.

research was carried out, only to reveal that similar products were already on the market. Having struck a deal with a UK distributor Kaleidoscope became a retailer for the Eco Snack Wrap, a product originating from Australia. Kaleidoscope attended a number of events throughout their year in business, including Venturefest, an event at York racecourse that showcases and supports entrepreneurs. Highlights of the year included attendance at the Young Enterprise National Trade Fair competition in Stratford-on-Avon, and Älvsborg’s Trade Fair in Borås, Sweden.

On a national level many alumni of the Company Programme have gone on to outstanding careers as entrepreneurs, corporate executives and public figures, and it has without doubt given many of our students at St Peter’s a great foundation for the future. Employers certainly look favourably on students who have taken part in the programme. Kaleidoscope comprised of 15 sixth form girls, and one very brave young man. It was Maria Mikhaylenko’s job, as Managing Director, to encourage and guide the team through the variety of tasks that would enable the business to operate successfully. Supporting Maria as the team of Directors were Holly Drinkwater (Marketing), Elle Illingworth, Georgie Ward and Sasha Hinde (Sales), Scarlett Shaw (Finance), Hannah Ramalingam (I.T), Rachel Hall (H.R.), Jenny Frazer (Production), Emma Stephenson (Admin.) and Julia Gebbie (EWB), with Steph, Tom, Imi, Angie and Yaz in nonexecutive roles. The team created an idea for a sandwich and snack wrap to replace the volume of cling film used each year to keep packed lunches fresh. The prototype was created, and some initial market

Of the fifty teams attending the National Trade Fair Kaleidoscope were highly commended (joint 3rd) , being judged on their sales skills and the marketing and quality of their product. Kaleidoscope came up against tough opposition at the North Yorkshire Company Programme Competition, held at the Harrogate Pavilions. An award for teamwork was well deserved. However, progression to represent North Yorkshire in the second round of the competition was not to be. It may be the case that fewer than a third of the UK’s most influential jobs are held by women. However, Kaleidoscope have proved through their success this year that this is likely to change in the near future. Mr J Whitehouse

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Red Nose Day 2013

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Successful Second Year for Public Lecture Programme A wide variety of speakers have brought their ideas and experiences to the Sixth Form Lecture series and the school’s evening Public Lectures.

We picked up on the 2012 Summer of Sport in September with a visit from Debbie Flood, two times Olympic Silver Medallist and World Champion rower who told the Sixth Form about the commitment and hard work – as well as the exhilaration – involved in world class sport. In November the rock star, producer and music historian Mike Hurst dropped in to St Peter’s to give a lecture which covered 350 years of popular music. Entertaining and informative this was perhaps the most popular Sixth Form Lecture of the Year. The occasional invitation Rhodes Room lunches with a guest speaker continued this year. The first speaker was Greg House, a recently retired RAF Tornado pilot who talked about the Falkland’s Conflict 30 years on, using his extensive knowledge of the Islands from his time serving there to bring the history of the conflict & the decades since alive.

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Our first Public Lecture was in November when, appropriately, Jim Sharpe (Professor of History at the University of York) spoke on ‘Remembering, Remembering: the Fifth of November and Politics in the Seventeenth Century.’ He explored how the politicization of the Plot story has been used in the centuries since. We were very lucky to have Ben Cohen MBE, rugby star, Strictly Come Dancing contestant and campaigner at school for a day in January. He spoke to the Sixth Form, trained with some younger pupils and gave a public event in the evening in conversation with the Head Master. Ben spoke about his career in the Premiership and the England team, as well as his recent charity work combating bullying and homophobia.

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Old friend of St Peter’s Art School, Ralph Hughes (Head of History of Art at Fettes College) whose lectures are always much looked forward to, visited in February. In his lecture he explained why things aren’t always what they seem in art. He adroitly took us below the surface of several works, revealing the stories behind the paintings, to enrich our understanding of the visual arts.

The next event was great fun and something a little different: An evening News Quiz compered by Harry Gration. His team of professionals: Elly Fiorentini, Adam Tomlinson and Phil Bodmer narrowly beat the school’s team of Aaron Anthony-Pillai, Guy Cowman Sharpe and Bill Goss.

A political theme reemerged in March. Nigel Adams MP was guest of honour at a Rhodes Room lunch during which there was a spirited question and answer session. Students expressed their support for equal marriage, recently debated in the Commons and raised concerns about the effect of HS2 on those living near the route – Joe Himsworth seizing the opportunity to explore that issue with his local MP.

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Our fourth Public Lecture brought Professor Krista Cowman (Professor of History at the University of Lincoln) to school on International Women’s Day in March. She spoke on ‘Votes from Women: Women’s votes and party politics 1918 – 1928’ exploring the effects women’s votes had on politics once suffrage had been granted.

This year was our first as a partner of the York Literature Festival, our final Public Lecture in March being a Festival event. Novelist Tracy Chevalier, best-selling author of ‘Girl With a Pearl Earring’ came to talk about her latest book ‘The Last Runaway’, which tells the story of a Quaker woman, Honor Bright, who emigrates from the UK to Ohio in the mid-nineteenth century and becomes involved in the ‘Underground Railroad’ helping southern slaves escape to freedom in the north. The poet and writer, Robert

Our final Sixth Form Lecture was from Richard Stuttle, founder and director of Caroline’s Rainbow Foundation, who enthused the Sixth Form with accounts of his experiences travelling the world, whilst giving tips to make such trips safe as well as fun.

Powell, introduced Tracy and led the conversation during which they explored the process of researching a historical novel and the balance between fact and fiction which resulted. The year closed with a Rhodes Room Lunch with Godfrey Bloom, one of the area’s MEPs and a leading member of UKIP. His direct, honest and rumbustious approach to political questions provoked lively discussion which threatened to stretch well in to afternoon lessons and was much enjoyed by both sympathisers and sceptics. Mr B Fuller

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Physics Department Trips and Outreach 2013 The year began with the formation of an Ogden Trust Schools Science (Physics) Partnership in York, with St Peter’s being the hub school. We were delighted to welcome Fulford School, Archbishop Holgate’s School, The Joseph Rowntree School, Selby High School into the partnership with Manor CE School joining later on in the year. The schools work alongside York University Physics Department who have just appointed a new Outreach Officer/ Ogden Officer. The aim of the partnership is to enhance the delivery and uptake of physics by promoting the subject within the partnership schools, encouraging collaboration between them and giving their teachers access to the best support and professional development available. They aim to inspire young people to take physics further. This is an exciting initiative and we look forward to strengthening relationships over the coming years.

Stargazing Stargazing

The School held the third Guy Fawkes Public Physics Lecture on Wednesday 14th November. The lecture was entitled ‘Cosmic history: everything from nothing’ and was delivered by Professor Carlos Frenk FRS from the Institute for Computational Cosmology at Durham University. The lecture set out to discuss some of the most fundamental questions in the whole of science. How and when did our universe begin? What is it made of? Why does it look the way it does? Professor Frenk spoke about the huge amount of progress there has been in recent years towards answering these questions; for example the recent observations which established

that our universe contains a mix of components that include not only ordinary atoms, but also exotic ‘dark matter’ and a new form of energy called ‘dark energy’. The Professor revealed that vast surveys of galaxies have been undertaken to show how the universe is structured. Large supercomputer simulations recreate the cosmic evolution of the universe, and provide a link between what we see around us today, and what there would have been a micro-second after the Big Bang. The lecture was again extremely well attended by a diverse group of people and we were delighted that a physicist of such world renown came to St Peter’s to give the audience a fantastic insight into his work at the forefront of cosmology.

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Stargazing

In January the BBC once again aired its series of Stargazing Live programmes with Brian Cox and Dara O Briain; the themes of the three programmes being Earth and missions into space, Mars and living in space and Supernovae and explosions: the Big Bang and the end of the universe. St. Peter’s joined them, with the intention of inspiring thousands of people to study and photograph the night sky and raise the profile of British Astronomy, by holding its own Stargazing Live evening. The event was run in conjunction with York University Physics Department and York Astronomical Society who once again turned out in force with an amazing array of telescopes. Having been lucky with the weather on the two previous occasions, this year it was very largely cloudy, but everyone still enjoyed looking at the telescopes and we were very grateful to the Friends of St. Peter’s who again ran a raffle and manned a food tent. Alongside the Astronomy/Physics exhibition (including mobile planetarium), exhibitors, telescope retailers, hands on things to do and some Astro Magic we welcomed Dr Chris Lintott, Reader in the Department of Physics at the University of Oxford and co-presenter of the BBC’s Sky at Night, who delivered his lecture entitled ‘What 700,000 people can tell us about the Universe’. Dr Lintott talked about ’mass participation’ scientific experiments in astronomy, such as investigating galaxy formations and discovering planets. He gave a hugely exciting and up to date presentation and also kindly signed copies of his latest books.

At the Stargazing live exhibition the German Physics Manufacturing Company, Phywe, brought up their demonstration Cloud Chamber. The Cloud Chamber makes the tracks of Cosmic and natural radiation visible and is an inspirational piece of apparatus. With the backing of the Ogden Trust, York University Physics Department, the Rotary Club of York Vikings, the Friends of St Peter’s and the Institute of Physics we managed to purchase a new cloud chamber, which we plan to use in our Outreach work and which should go on display in the new entrance of St Peter’s. In February St Peter’s was delighted to play host to the 2013 Faraday Challenge run by the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s (IET) Faraday education programme which includes 55 practical challenge days across the UK. Teams of six Year 8 pupils from the Ogden York Partnership schools together with Terrington Hall became real-life engineers as they researched, designed and built solutions to a real engineering problem. The event aims to encourage more young people to study science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and consider exciting and rewarding careers in STEM that utilise creativity, innovation and problemsolving skills. Fulford School were victorious on the day, though it was a closely fought battle. Keira Sewell, who led the day said: “Overall the teams were a credit to themselves, their teachers and their schools. Their enthusiasm was boundless and they approached

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Farada

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the challenge with skill and enthusiasm. They all worked extremely well in their teams and took on the responsibility for the roles with great maturity and consummate skill. The teams were very evenly matched, but Fulford School proved to be worthy winners.” In March, as part of National Science and Engineering Week, we hosted the next in our series of public lectures. We were absolutely delighted that Dr Tim O’Brien, Associate Director at Jodrell Bank Observatory accepted our invitation to speak to us about ‘Exploring the Universe with Large Telescopes’. His talk described how astronomers are using giant telescopes around the world Tim O Brier and in space to see further into the Universe than ever before. With these telescopes we are able to see the Universe as it was not long after the Big Bang and to study exotic phenomena such as black holes and dark matter. Soon, we may even be able to see evidence of life on other planets. The talk included the science and technology of telescopes such as the Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank and the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile, as well as looking forward to the James Webb Space Telescope and the Square

previous satellites, and which will allow the details of the Universe’s age and composition to be calculated more precisely than ever before.

Radiation Conference

In May, the Society for Radiological Protection were celebrating their 50th anniversary and held a special event on Radiation Protection at Harrogate Conference Centre. We offered this as a trip to the Fourth Year and took a small group of ten pupils Tim Brien

Kilometre Array. Tim ended his lecture with the news that there was going to be an announcement the following morning of the latest findings from Europe’s Planck Surveyor satellite, which has been mapping the structure of the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation (CMB) with finer resolution and greater sensitivity than

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Radiation Conference

along. Professor David Speigelhalter OBE from The University of Cambridge gave an interactive lecture entitled ‘What’s the Risk? Putting numbers on the chances in your life’. Also in May, for the fourth year running, St. Peter’s hosted the North East North West Standing Committee for Science Technicians’ conference. This was attended by over 80 technicians largely from the leading independent schools across the North of England, and it continues to grow and provides a focal point for the technician community. Thanks to the St. Peter’s technicians, especially Mark Robinson who led one of the workshops, for helping to make the day such a big success. The last of the year’s Public Physics Lectures took place in June. Dr Sean Paling, research associate at the University of Sheffield and the manager and science coordinator for the Boulby Underground Science facility came back to St Peter’s, having been the first guest speaker in our Public Physics Lecture programme back in March 2010, to update us on ‘Deep Underground Science at Boulby Mine: The search for DARK MATTER and beyond...’. For more than a

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decade UK astrophysicists have been operating experiments in this dedicated ‘low background’ facility, to try to be the first to prove (or disprove) the favoured theory that Dark Matter is particles, all around us, known as ‘WIMPs’. Dr Paling told us that the range of science areas looking for the special properties of a facility like Boulby is growing, with projects ranging from the study of clouds and climate, to Carbon Capture and Storage and life in extreme environments and we hope to hear more about this in the future. The lecture formed part of this year’s York Festival of Ideas, which was founded in 2011 by the University of York. York is a city of culture, a city of learning and a city of science; above all, it is a city of ideas. The York Festival of Ideas aims to celebrate the success of the City of York as a home to an exciting and vibrant, intellectually curious community and we look forward to continuing to support this venture in the future. Also in June Andy Parr and Mark Robinson put together a Spectroscopy Workshop for the World of Physics event at the University of York. The interactive workshop was delivered eight

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times over the course of two days to about 120 Year 10 students from across the region. The event, run by the Institute of Physics Yorkshire Branch and organised by the Excellence Hub for Yorkshire and Humber, encourages top performing students to consider studying Physics through exciting hands-on activities and lectures. The event is particularly targeted at high achieving students who may not typically apply to a top university; for example, those with no family history of higher education. The students enjoyed learning about the various line emission spectra of the different elements, got to play ‘detective’ and also constructed their own Spectroscopes which they were able to take home with them. This was the first time that St Peter’s had been involved in this annual event and we hope to be able to continue to offer our services in the future.

The Big Bang is the largest celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths for young people in the UK. The Fair is aimed at showing young people just how many exciting and rewarding opportunities there are out there for them with the right experience and qualifications. The Big Bang Yorkshire & Humber 2013 with “Inspirations” was held at The Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington in July. Thanks go to Mark Robinson who represented St.Peter’s at this event by helping to promote the work of the Rotary Club of York Vikings and in particular manned a couple of games from the St. Peter’s school Physics Olympics, which the Rotary Club sponsors. St. Peter’s is committed to continuing with its public engagement with science programme and many of the feedback comments we have received indicate that there is a demand and that our efforts are being appreciated. Mr D Morris

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Nuffield Research Placements Nuffield Research Placements provide over 1,000 students from across the country each year with the opportunity to work alongside professional scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians. This year Jenny Frazer carried out a project at York University Biology Department under the guidance of Professor Maitland and Sam Philpott and Maria Mikhaylenko did their research at York University Physics Department under the guidance of Dr Vlado Lazarov. These placements give experience to the students that is not usually possible until beyond the second year of an undergraduate degree and we are very grateful to the University for providing the opportunities to our sixth formers as they move from the lower sixth into their final year of study at school. Mr D Morris Last summer I was fortunate enough to gain a Nuffield Research Placement in the York Cancer Research Laboratory at York University. This meant that I had 4 weeks to work in a professional laboratory doing my own experiment that would, in its own small way, contribute to their work against prostate cancer. My experiment was to study the lymphocytes of many cancer patients and test whether or not they were heterozygous for a particular gene. At first this gene was Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF 1), however I soon switched my study to focus on a different gene named Integrin Alpha 2 (ITGA2); this was because all patients appeared to be homozygous for IGF 1. I also tested several cDNA samples from patients to see if they were heterozygous and to see if the heterozygosity of a patient changed between their cDNA sample and their lymphocyte sample. It didn’t appear to in the patients I studied. Aside from conducting your own experiment, the Nuffield Research Placements are very helpful as they mean that you can see how a professional laboratory runs, shadow professional scientists as they go about doing their own research and learn how to use scientifically advanced equipment on your own. By the end of my placement I was confident in using gel electrophoresis, a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) hood and PCR machine, micropipettes and a pyrosequencer. I am very grateful to all the staff at the YCRU, especially Professor Maitland for helping me through the four weeks, being patient with me and teaching me so much; and also to Mr Morris

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and Mr David Ward who helped to organise my placement. Jenny Frazer During the summer of 2013 I completed a four week Nuffield Research Placement at the physics department of the University of York. I was investigating the interactions between magnetic nanoparticles, an interesting area of physics with the potential to be used as a cancer treatment. I would be working as a member of a research group investigating various properties of magnetic nanoparticles. The work of the group was entirely theoretical, using computer simulations as opposed to experiments. Although it seemed daunting at first, I was made to feel very welcome and soon got to grips with what I would be doing. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and there is the potential to do some further work on my project with the goal of presenting my results at the International Youth Science Conference in Ukraine Easter 2014. I would strongly recommend the Nuffield Placement scheme to anyone interested in studying a science at university as it gives you a valuable insight into the workings or a research group. Sam Philpott This summer I was lucky enough to stay at the University of York for three weeks and participate in a research project alongside undergraduate and postgraduate students. I spent my time at York JEOL Nanocentre where I was involved in various experiments including interactions of low temperature plasmasurfaces. During my time at the Nanocentre I learnt the techniques of sample preparation for transmission electron microscopy and how to operate the microscope itself including data analysis. I was very lucky to have access to some of the facilities at the Nanocentre such as PIPS (Precision Ion Polishing System) and Plasma Etcher. This opportunity has given me an insight into the world of physics at university as well as many aspects of research at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. I am looking forward to continue researching at the University throughout this academic year. This university placement has given me an amazing experience and I would like to thank Mr Morris, Dr Vlado Lazarov and the University of York for this opportunity and I would strongly recommend it for anyone who is interested in studying physics at a higher level. Maria Mikhaylenko LVI

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St Peter’s Physics Olympics Competition 2013 This was the seventh year of the competition and for the first time we reached our capacity with an entry of 35 schools and indeed had several more on the reserve list. We were pleased to welcome a good number of new local schools alongside our regular participants from across the North of England. Each team consisted of four year 8 pupils and this year the teachers also competed alongside the pupils. The day consists of 6 individual, mini egg-race type, events in which the pupils combine their physics and mathematical knowledge with teamwork and communication skills to work together to complete a task against the clock. The day is designed to be fun, but also challenging and stimulating and in the Olympic spirit it is a competition with winners of the 6 individual events and also Gold, Silver and Bronze medallists. The pupils should come away having both enjoyed their experience and importantly also having learnt some new physics. Once again we received generous backing from the Institute of Physics, the Rotary Club of York Vikings, the Ogden Trust, Taylors of Harrogate and Nestle. Sponsorship money has paid for the T-shirts, medals, trophy, water bottles, 8GB memory sticks and Uncle Albert books that the pupils take away at the end of the day in their goodie bags. Events this year involved constructing a boat that was propelled using a super capacitor that had been charged using a photocell, manipulating a catapult to fire balls at a target, placing materials in order of increasing density and constructing a marble run. In the final game the teams had to construct the highest tower that could support a box of cream eggs using only 400 lego bricks; a huge, huge thank you to Mr Goodwin (Tim’s dad) for providing us with the lego bricks. In the Fermi Quiz, quantities have to be estimated to the nearest power of 10. One question in this year’s quiz was: ‘How many dice would it take to cover the entire road surface of the Monaco F1 Grand Prix?’ (Answer: 100,000,000).

Winners: Brick by Brick: Team Fermi, Hymer’s College, Hull Mind over Matter: Team Ohm, The Grammar School at Leeds Solar So Good: Team Volta, Polam Hall, Darlington Target Practice: Team Gamow, Archbishop Holgate’s School, York This Way and That: Team Schrödinger, Scarborough College Fermi Quiz: Team Planck, King’s School Chester Bronze Medallists: Team Millikan, Beverley Grammar School Silver Medallists: Team Dirac, Minster School, York Gold Medallists: Team Planck, King’s School Chester Congratulations also to St Olave’s School who finished in a very creditable fourth place. I would like to thank all of my colleagues, the support staff and the dedicated sixth former helpers who helped on the day to make this year’s event the biggest and best so far. In particular, Mark Robinson showed his willingness and expertise in the designing and making of much of the equipment for the games and Mark Edwards once more displayed his ‘wizardry’ on the computer in collating and presenting all of the competition data. Clearly the competition could not happen without any of them. Mr D Morris

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Liverpool University Physics Olympics The day began with the four of us (Daniel Spencer, Calum Geddes, Sam Burley and Joseph Williams) heading off on the train with the High Lord of Physics, Mr Morris, and having an intense Fermi quiz bootcamp. For those unfamiliar with the Fermi quiz, it’s basically where you’re given a wild guess to make (how many nickels in America is a favourite) and estimating how many zeroes the number has. So much for scientific accuracy. After arrival, and a quick jaunt around the local cathedral, we pitched up at the Physics Department of Liverpool University, raring to go, before being made to wait for an hour until the first lecture. Free coffee helped. The lecture was a simple welcome-and-schedule affair, and we also received our Fermi quiz for the day. There were some easy ones and some more thought-provoking; anyone know the power of the Curiosity rover’s motor off the top of their head? Thought not. The first challenge of the day was to find a radioactive source within a metal block, armed only with a Geiger counter. While we were quick at this, several teams beat us to the punch, so it was on to the next challenge, Sink or Swim. Our boat, while ungainly, did manage to hold a fair amount of weight, so we garnered some points in this round. Next, we did our bit for citizen science in the Hunt the Higgs challenge, where we had to peruse particle trails to find the Higgs Boson’s decay trail as quickly as possible, before we made bottle rockets. Out of all our group, ours was the most flightworthy by a long way - and fly it did! A good result for Team Peters in this event (although it did get slightly demolished by later teams). After lunch, and a full-blown argument over the size of raindrops (Fermi quiz again), we had the Blind Alley challenge. Oh dear. This wasn’t pretty. The premise was that a blindfolded team member had to be

guided around a maze by the others. Sam, assuring us that he knew the maze inside and out, strode confidently out into the trees, and promptly became lost. Nil points for St Peter’s on that one. The final challenge of the day wasn’t much better- a paper plane challenge. Before you ask, yes this was a serious academic event. Our plane failed to land on the target, rebounding several times off the rim, so it was with heavy hearts that we went to the final talk to receive the results of the Fermi quiz. The prizes for the individual challenges were awarded - time and again we missed out on victory. And then, the tide turned. The Fermi quiz is considered the main event of these affairs, and the one that all physics teachers yearn for. We didn’t disappoint. Victory was ours by a wide margin, so, triumphantly clutching our plastic prize mugs, we headed for the train home. Conclusion for the day? Physics is fun, and sometimes there are free mugs. Joe Williams UVI

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Cambridge Senior Physics Challenge The Cambridge Senior Physics Challenge is a 5 day course run by the University of Cambridge that serves as an introduction to university level physics for those considering pursuing physics as an undergraduate. Top physics students are nominated by schools, with about 70 nationally being selected. This year Harry Ha was fortunate to be offered a place on the course, staying in Corpus Christi College and also experiencing College life at St John’s, Trinity and Churchill Colleges. D Morris The Senior Physics Challenge comprised of lectures and laboratory sessions. In the first lecture, we were given some classical mechanics questions. The lecturer put his emphasis on problem solving skills rather than the answer to individual questions. For instance, we were taught how to split a problem into smaller parts and told the importance of drawing a labeled diagram. After that, we were introduced to quantum mechanics, which explains the phenomena forbidden by classical mechanics. I did not realise until then the importance of solving differential equations in learning physics. The content of the laboratory sessions was similar to what I have done at school, but the apparatus we used was of much higher accuracy; for example, we used a projection microscope to measure the diameter of a hair. This programme was challenging and it showed what kind of skills universities are seeking from physics students. Harry Ha LVI

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British Physics Olympiad Competition, AS Competition and Physics Challenge for GCSE Students In the British Physics Olympiad for Year 13 students Daniel Spencer received a Gold (Top 50) in the Round 1 paper and a Merit in Round 2. Alex Wan and Justin Cho received Bronze 1 awards with Calum Geddes Bronze Class II. Ivan Wang, Calum Brown, Alex Tam, Joseph Williams and Oliver Headlam-Morley received Commendations. In the AS National Physics Competition Harry Ha and Nick Ubhi received Gold awards. James Greenall, Emily Carman, Sam Philpott, Matthew Garbutt, Alexandra Budarina, Sabrina Leung, William Waterhouse, Toby Simpson and James Bell received Silver awards. Sebastian Dobson, Alice Rhodes, Gabriel Chan, Edward Coates, Maria Mikhaylenko, Zoe Pindar, Joseph Brennan, Ivan Cheng, Patrick Copley and Timothy Chiu received Bronze awards. In the National Physics Challenge for GCSE students we received 12 Bronze awards with Alistair Duffey receiving a Silver Medal (one mark short of a Gold) being the highest scoring student.

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International Conference of Young Scientists

At the beginning of the summer term I had the opportunity to attend a young scientist conference (the International Conference of Young Scientists) in Bali to present some research I had been doing over the previous 4 months. I first got involved with this at the end of a Nuffield Bursary project the previous summer holiday with Dr. Vlado Lazarov which went well so he agreed to oversee me doing further research over the next year. He had had previous involvement with this conference so he suggested the entry into it. We arrived in Bali already feeling worn out after a 20 hour long flight with 2 stops in between (Munich and Singapore), with the 30°C and high humidity contributing to make us even more lethargic. Thankfully the first day was restful with only dinner being organised with Vlado and myself sitting with the Singapore team. The next day there was a poster competition with many of the research projects putting up posters detailing the work they had done, which was also combined with local outreach as school children were invited to attend and have the projects explained to them. This was followed by 2 days of presentations. The presentations were divided into 6 topic areas, theoretical physics (my topic area), applied physics, mathematics, computer science, life science and

environmental science. There was a large variety of chosen topics and the complexity of the research done, with some examples being research into tracking phones without GPS using accelerometer and gyroscope input, tracking the air quality within a town, making biodegradable balloons using banana byproducts and my own research into the magnetic response of lattices of magnetite nanoparticles. All the presentations were done in English as that was decided at the founding of the conference to be the most likely shared language. Even using my first language the presentation was slightly nerve-wracking, but I was even more nervous for the questioning at the end by the panel of jury members. Thankfully it all went about as planned and I was able to field most of the questions well. There were also plenty of opportunities outside of the academic side of the conference, with many of the countries giving a cultural presentation, with some presenting traditional songs or dances and some presenting a mix of tradition with modern elements, such as the Korean group performing Gangnam Style. There was an afternoon of sports with beach volleyball, football and sack racing being available, each structured as a tournament with mixed nationality teams and logic puzzles in the same teams later on.

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On one of the evenings there was the opportunity to go firewalking, which most people took up, but the application of fuel to the coals was a bit too liberal so a fair number of people got burned, myself included, though they thankfully healed for the next day’s activity of rafting. The rafting was fun, but it paled in comparison to the dense forested scenery that I saw and the traditional carvings visible in the rock of the riverbank. On the last day there was the opportunity to release turtles from a sanctuary and to see the other local animals that were present, such as snakes a variety of turtle species and some komodo dragons. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the trip and I believe it was fairly successful as I got a silver medal within my category and an award from a sponsor. I hope that future years will find more people participating and enjoying this conference. Daniel Spencer The ICYS, which began 20 years ago, took place in Bali, Indonesia over a period of a week in April earlier this year. 220 students from 23 countries across the world competed in six categories. This was the first time that the UK had ever entered the competition and Daniel did wonderfully well to win a Silver medal in his category of theoretical physics. Daniel’s project was on the magnetic behaviour of nano-particles in 2D systems. The project aimed to understand how magnetic particles that are just several 10’s of atoms across behave in high frequency magnetic fields, which can lead to novel cancer therapies. (Magnetic nano-particles are injected in cancerous tissue and high frequency magnetic fields are applied such as in MRI scans, releasing heat that kills the cancer cells). Daniel also received a special award from the industrial sponsors of the ICYS for the benefits of his research and its impact on wider society. Enabling talented students from early ages to take part in real scientific research projects is crucial for developing UK based nano-technologies that can influence every part of our life from healthcare to smart materials. The University of York in collaboration with science departments at York Secondary schools is planning to build on this very positive experience and next year hopes to give the opportunity for six students to undertake research at the university throughout their Upper Sixth Years with a view to entering the ICYS competition in 2014 in the Ukraine. In his time at St Peter’s School Daniel has been an outstanding student. In 2011 during his fifth form year he was entered for the National GCSE Physics Challenge Paper and in acknowledgement of his achievement of being one of the top six outstanding students in the UK he was invited down to the Royal Society to receive a book prize and Gold Medal Award. In 2012 Dan was entered for the National AS Physics Challenge Paper and this time came third equal in the country and once again was invited to the Royal Society for the presentation ceremony. In his Upper Sixth year Dan took part in the British Physics Olympiad Competition, achieving a Gold Award in the first round for coming in the top 50 in the country. In the

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round two paper Dan achieved a Merit, narrowly missing out on a top 15 place, which would have put him through for selection for the British team that was to compete in the International Physics Olympiad Competition in Denmark. Dan has studied for three A levels in mathematics (A level mathematics, A level further mathematics and A level advanced further mathematics), sitting 18 units over two years, and has studied for some of these units independently. One of the units he sat (Further Pure Technology) was a brand new module which combined his mathematical and programming skills. Over the last two years he met with great success in the United Kingdom Mathematics Trust Challenges, achieving Gold Certificates in each of the individual competitions, and as a result of his high scores was invited to sit the Olympiad papers, achieving a distinction on one occasion, and missing a distinction by only one mark on another. He has also been one of the four members of the very successful St. Peter’s UKMT Team Challenge Group, who came second in the Regional Final this year and won the event last year, then represented the school in the National Final. He has also competed in the British Informatics Olympiad, achieving a distinction last year. Dan’s passion is computing and he is selftaught in several computer languages. Congratulations to him on gaining his place to read Computer Science at Emmanuel College, Cambridge. For his academic achievements Daniel received the St Peter’s Award (for excellence in any aspect of school life). Mr D Morris

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Drama Les Misérables This production was a real joy to work on. We were fortunate to have a very strong cast, who were up for the challenge of taking on this opera which is completely sung, containing only two words of dialogue. The taxing and complicated nature of the vocal writing required a particular emphasis on the singing, as well as an ability to deal with the many dramatic elements of the piece. As the performances approached the sheer scale of the work began to loom over us all. A first act of an hour and twenty minutes is in itself as long as most school musicals, and to have this combined with a second act of a further hour was a daunting prospect both in terms of the time we had for preparation and the commitment that was needed from the cast as they continued with their normal school life. It was a worry at times but perhaps more for the staff than the pupils!

The set was superbly constructed by our technician Helen Heaton and her parents the weekend before the show and this just transformed the Memorial Hall and brought a sense of excitement and anticipation to the whole event. It was a delight to see the hall being developed to allow for drama, with the new lighting rig in use, and to have performing arts right at the heart of the school for this week. An orchestra of 25 was massed,

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as we decided to use radio microphones and work towards a fully amplified performance with all the richness and possibility of sound that this offered. The performances just grew in stature as they progressed and particular thanks are due to all the principals, led by Guy CowmanSharpe as Javert and Bill Goss as Jean Valjean, who were quite outstanding throughout. It was a great pleasure for me to be working with our new Director of Drama, Helen Lindley and my colleague David Spencer, who offered his customary highly professional support as Assistant Director of Music on the show. Mr P Miles-Kingston

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Macbeth The Shakespeare Schools’ Festival is the largest youth drama festival in the UK. In 2012 700 schools performed across 90 professional theatres. In October a group of twenty-three St Peter’s students took a 30 minute performance of Macbeth to the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds. Three other schools also performed their abridged Shakespeare plays on the same evening. The cast and crew worked incredibly hard in a very short space of time to create a fantastic ensemble production which really stood out and looked at home on the professional Courtyard Theatre stage. The witches - Bethan Bradley, Anna Thrussell and Lily Spencer - were described in the review as ‘casually evil’ as they remained onstage throughout the whole performance, manipulating characters and constructing scenes. Ben Turvill - as Macbeth – was the only actor over the four Shakespeare performances of the evening to be singled out for a well-deserved personal round of applause by the festival coordinator. In his final moments we saw him turn to Macduff and unbutton his shirt to prepare himself for the death that he suddenly realised was inevitable. Power hungry Lady Macbeth - Emily Mahon – was stunningly assured in a red evening dress, but became incredibly vulnerable when Duncan’s murder had taken place. Ben and Emily created a mature and complex relationship though which the audience could be horrified by their actions and moved by their downfall. This production had the essence of a horror movie, as the dead collective returned to stage smeared in blood to haunt the Macbeths. Rosalind Tait’s screams as Lady Macduff whilst she watched her children brutally murdered in front of her were poignant and upsetting. The text was interspersed with physical sequences, inspired by German Dance Choreographer Pina Bausch, in which the audience could witness the witches trading and trafficking with the Macbeths. Behind stage was an extremely creative team of six, including Assistant Director Dewi Sarginson. The crew was responsible for the incredible costumes, haunting makeup, and efficiently minimalistic set. Lizzie Whiter designed, programmed and ran the state of the art lighting desk at the West Yorkshire Playhouse single handedly. Huge congratulations to all involved. Miss H Lindley

Three Women written by Ben Turvill V Review and interview by Ben Turvill There are two versions of ‘Three Women’ by Sylvia Plath. The first, the original, is one more known to academics and teachers than to the pupils of St Peter’s school. The other version – the version more famous to Peterites – is that which resulted from a vast re-working and stunning theatrical representation by Upper Sixth Formers Dewi Sarginson and Jamie Fenton. These Sixth Formers, alongside actors Ruby Wilson, Lucy Schofield and Emily Mahon, and technician Alex Plane, managed to showcase the Shakespearean quality of Plath’s indestructible lyric: poetry effortlessly adaptable to all situations. Indeed, visually stunning theatre that both emotionally and intellectually grips the audience may seem a far cry away from three poetic monologues originally intended for the radio, but our crusading dramatists have not only introduced our school to Plath, but quite possibly re-defined the world of performance poetry and poetic theatre.

The Interview Dewi: ‘Three Women’ was created in ten days. Ben: Do you think it was a good debut play for you? Dewi: Yes, it was certainly different. I don’t think anyone would have attempted it, especially as their first play. It was interesting to produce, and people enjoyed it, which was surprising: I didn’t think people would enjoy it as much as they did. Jamie: They were really overwhelmed more than anything else. Dewi: And I had said to Jamie at our first production meeting that this could not be a glorified poetry recital. We are treating this as a play. There had to be action; I was not going to let it be static. So the conversion of poetry to play was hard to overcome before you even start thinking about the language. Ben: And so was it the language that first drew you to the poems? Jamie: The idea came when I was reading through Sylvia Plath’s ‘Collected Poems’ on my own, on a weekend, as you do, and I came across the poems. Usually I leave long poems to come back to them later, but with this one I read the first two stanzas and though, ‘Hmm, I’m going to continue with this.’ Dewi: And then Jamie told me to read it and I thought it was beautiful work. Jamie: So more than anything it was the language, yes. Also it’s not plot driven. I think it’s more language and character driven. Dewi: I enjoyed the characters. I liked the fact that we could create these characters from the text, because in the poem they are essentially faceless.

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Mark My Words The riots of 2011 are still fresh in the minds of many, and yet, nearly two years after the riots took place, it seems the true cause of the unrest is still shrouded in denial, debate and obfuscation. This is what Fourth Fall GCSE Drama pupils tackled in their play, entitled Mark My Words. The play was a piece of verbatim theatre; a type of documentary theatre wherein all the dialogue was stitched together from genuine accounts from police, rioters, politicians and Mark Duggan’s family. It also involved audience members participating in the play, circling the performers and taking on the role of an angry mob outside the ‘police station.’ The starting stimulus for the pupils was being shown a photo of Mark Duggan, the man whose shooting at the hands of police was, some believe, the catalyst for the riots. As the play evolved and their research continued, the pupils found their initial sympathies and prejudices challenged and changed. This resulted in a more balanced narrative with no clear villains or heroes. During the play’s evolution, the group were visited by PC Horsley from the York Police Force, who also brought along nine riot shields to show the pupils. In a question and answer session with PC Horsley, he discussed with honesty his own personal experience when he was deployed to work in the London riots. His account brought another angle to the play’s story. Mark my Words was a fantastic opportunity for students to delve into complex political and moral issues concerning recent historical events. They used inventive structure and powerful physical theatre to engage the audience, as well as emotively telling the real stories of people directly involved in the 2011 riots. The result was an illuminating piece of didactic theatre and I think all members of the audience will have learnt something as well as being entertained. It shows that verbatim theatre can be a powerful political tool, allowing people sometimes not given a public forum to express their voice.

The Wonderful World of Dissocia The L6 Theatre Studies Group - Elliot Elstob, Brogan Grant and Elle Illingworth - performed a fantastic adaptation of Anthony Neilson’s The Wonderful World of Dissocia in April. The play is an exploration of mental illness in which Lisa, the protagonist (Brogan) is a psychiatric patient in a hospital and Dissocia is the vivid and colourful imaginary country in her mind. The drama studio was transformed into a sterile white room with bed, hospital trolley and visitors’ chair. In the hospital the naturalistic scenes where Lisa’s boyfriend (Elliot) and Lisa’s sister (Elle)pleaded with a despondent Lisa to take her medication were very moving. Lisa appeared to the audience as withdrawn and depressed in reality, but as a lift transported her (and the audience) into her own head – Dissocia - she had lively and animated conversations with a variety of eccentric and witty characters including the insecurity guards, a scapegoat (expertly puppeteered and voiced by Elliot) and Biffer and Britney who had lost their lost property office. There were eleven characters in this adaptation and Elliot and Elle played five each. This multirole playing is a huge undertaking for any actor and it is a testament to the talent of the group that each character was so rich and varied in creation. Miss H Lindley

Miss H Lindley

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The Tempest: Middle School Shakespeare The Tempest is Shakespeare’s last known play, believed to have been written in 1611. It is the subject of a bewildering array of contemporary readings: is it a colonial play, investigating the oppression and enslavement of Caliban, one the original inhabitants of the island? Is it a proto-Darwinian consideration of nature-nurture? No matter. ‘The Tempest’ is about how to find it in your heart to forgive, despite feeling you have been deeply wronged. It is also about the illusory nature of power. It takes us a couple of hours on the island to remind us that ‘the rarer action is in virtue than in vengeance’. Taking part in the middle school Shakespeare is to understand that this is the sort of thing you might end up discussing in the twilight hours of a February evening. Esme Wright and Beth Bradley particularly engaged in this type of dialogue from the start; the Ariels (Eve Bracken, Ellie Caley and

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Rosalind Tait) had the sort of creativity and inventiveness that seemed inexhaustible; Peter Gray as Gonzalo learned the clever diplomacy of the human buffer zone when faced with the cowardly malice of Antonio and Sebastian (Alex Gould and Frank Wilson); and Alex and Frank learned the heartache of memorising Shakespeare: respect to them both for never giving up! Our comedians Trinculo (Sam Lightwing) and Stephano (Alice Jackson), along with Caliban (David Adelugba) gave sparkling performances which happened after they’d learned in rehearsals that collaboration is the ultimate productive state; again, ‘the rarer action is in virtue than in vengeance’. Their deftness and versatility was a delight to behold.

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George Snell presented us with an entirely unexpected Ferdinand: gentle and lovelorn but recognisable in his eagerness to ‘score’ and in his rightly wary attitude towards his motherin-law. Gaby Richardson, (Alonso) resigned to playing a man from the outset, did this with dignity and utter conviction, playing not just a man – but a man who has just lost his only son. Not easy. The utterly reliable and extremely funny supporting cast (Henry Graham, Toby Johnston, Rowan Tait, Julia Crowther, Louise Gould, Izzy Hedley and Pippa Simpson) are the best I’ve had in terms of their commitment and patience. Again, their observations and assessments of what would and wouldn’t work were invaluable and suggest that without a thoughtful cast, directing is a thankless job. These thanks extend to the wonderful Mrs Heaton and scarily composed and unflappable costume ladies, Eleanor Graham and Polly Moss. This cast worked on the production from December to the following May. A little excessive, perhaps, for a school play? Not a bit of it. The whole experience of acting is founded upon discussion, experimentation and collaboration and when a cast is young and new, this takes time. What we learned about the characters in The Tempest (warmth, wit, fickleness, anger, over-reaction, love, romance, forgiveness…) we also found in ourselves during rehearsals throughout those months. Clever old Shakespeare! Mrs JD Lawrence

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Design & Technology Awards 2013

We were privileged to welcome David Turner and Owen Turner to St Peter’s, to judge the annual Design & Technology Awards. David is a Product Designer, and his company Scruffy Dog Design generates visionary design solutions. Owen’s company, United by Design, is an independent creative agency, based in York, and specialising in brand & communications design. Both David and Owen were very generous in their praise for the work that is being produced by our Design & Technology students at St Peter’s School, comparing the standard to work often seen from the best degree students. It was also a pleasure to welcome back Mike Dawson, who was Head of Design & Technology at St Peter’s for many years, to present the Dawson Award. We really value Mike’s continued support at our annual awards.

The following awards were made to GCSE and A level students. Max Gill (A2)

Design Commendation Max designed and manufactured a display unit for wine bottles. The judges saw commercial potential in the idea, and were impressed by the Computer Aided Design used in the planning of the product.

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Minster Engineering Award for quality of Design & Manufacture The complexity of Olivia’s bag, designed in the style of a Chanel classic, was quite outstanding. The quality of its manufacture, and also the high standard of finish impressed both judges. Will Shaw (GCSE)

Design Commendation Will created a flat pack dog-bed for his Labrador. The simplicity of the design, and the commercial potential of the product immediately drew the judges. Will also considered the packaging of the product.

Brogan Grant (AS)

Design Innovation Award Brogan created a design for novelty lamp, made from acrylic and polypropylene. The scope for adding further designs, and have a series based on the initial shape of a dog was a key selling point, and a concept that appealed to the judges.

Harriet Langford (A2)

Dawson Award for Outstanding Achievement in Design & Technology Harriet created two very innovative products (shoe storage and a coat rack) based on the same modular design. The initial inspiration for the products came from a molecular structure. Peter Hiles (A2)

Mr J Whitehouse

Sixth form Design & Technology prize for 2013 Peter’s piece of Oak furniture was beautifully hand crafted, and had the added advantage of being made as a flat-pack product. Olivia Clarke (GCSE)

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Big Bang (incorporating Inspirations 2013) More projects than ever before were entered into this year’s The Big Bang Yorkshire and Humber – making this one of the largest Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) celebrations of young talent in the country. The event took place at Yorkshire Air Museum on 27th June 2013 and was officially opened by TV presenter Jan Leeming, winner of I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here. The Big Bang Yorkshire & Humber, organised by NYBEP Ltd, the regional business education partnership, with support from Science City York and the Yorkshire Air Museum, is one of a series of events held annually across the UK designed to enthuse young people and celebrate their achievements in STEM subject areas, ultimately inspiring them to follow careers in these rewarding fields. Businesses from across Yorkshire and the Humber have committed to support the event by providing sponsorship of over awards that celebrate achievements in STEM and enterprise. Brogan Grant, Max Gill, Harriet Langford, Hannah Whitehouse, Oliver Spearman, Olivia Clarke and Peter Hiles took part from St Peter’s School, showcasing their projects created as part of the GCSE and A levels. The judges particularly liked Harriet’s work, commenting on its excellent form and function, and praised Hannah’s exceptional planning and high quality end product. Mr J Whitehouse

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Music Autumn Concert This was an encouraging start to our concert series. The Brass Ensemble and Chapel Choir were in good form and the Swing Band also contributed two strong performances to establish the new group for the year. Head Choristers Rebecca Widdicombe and Bill Goss sang some beautiful duets by Purcell and Alla Petrichei produced stunning solo playing, treating the audience to two pieces from her diploma programme that had achieved a distinction over the Summer. Mr P Miles-Kingston

Durham Cathedral Evensong Service – Monday 19 November 2012 The Chapel Choir was privileged to sing an Evensong service in this wonderfully atmospheric building. The choir produced warm sounds throughout, with some exciting moments. The Dean of Durham, The Very Reverend Michael Sadgrove, praised the choir afterwards: ‘You really do sing well and you brought out the musical qualities of the canticles and anthem in particular. We look forward to welcoming you back soon.’

Christmas Concerts The Wind Band, under Mr Blood’s direction, provided a splendid start to this year’s concert with an enjoyable performance of Christmas Express by John Blood, brother of the director. This was followed by some stylish playing from the String Orchestra with Elgar’s Serenade for Strings and the unusual Song of the Birds featuring cello soloist Edward Brown. The Flute Group, Clarinet Choir, Saxophone Group and String Quartet also contributed items, with the School Choir closing the half with a seasonal carol by John Rutter.

The second half went into cabaret mode as usual, with the Swing Band leading the way and fun items from the Boys’ and Girls’ Barbershop, Jazz Combo, Percussion Group and Chamber Choir. The concert finished with the Swing Band accompanying the School Choir in a rousing medley of Christmas jazz classics. Mr P Miles-Kingston

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The winners of the various categories were as follows: Percussion – Will Hartrey Woodwind – Libby Brown Girls’ Singing and Piano – Rebecca Widdicombe Brass and Strings – Nick McLeish Jazz – James Contreras Boys’ Singing – Guy Cowman-Sharpe The winner of the Senior Music Festival prize was Nick McLeish for a memorable performance of Romance by Wieniawski. Mr P Miles-Kingston

Carol Service It is always a joy to be in the Minster for this atmospheric service. The Chapel Choir sang well, with a beautiful solo from Rebecca Widdicombe in Away in a Manger and some joyful bounce in The Cherry Tree Carol featuring soloists Guy Cowman-Sharpe and Nicholas McLeish. The School Choir gave a lyrical performance of The Sans Day Carol by Rutter and this contrasted well with the more declamatory style of Mathias’ Sir Christemas later in the service. The Chamber Choir added a sophisticated performance of the small scale composition The Lamb by John Tavener. The Brass Ensemble also provided their customary support to our hymn singing with some rousing moments from the congregation.

Senior Music Festival This was an enjoyable evening of music-making, with characterful and skilled adjudication from Joan Foster, a senior ABRSM examiner.

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St Paul’s Evensong The Chapel Choir took on the considerable challenge of an Evensong service at St Paul’s Cathedral, London on Monday 11

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March 2013. It was a wonderful occasion and the pupils responded so well to the demands of the acoustic, singing with precision as well as great expression and freedom. With a congregation of around 300 present, the choir sang Orlando Gibbons’ beautiful Short Service, and Salvator Mundi, a masterpiece by John Blow framed by the Responses and Psalm setting. There have been some lovely comments from St Paul’s and the choir have been invited back to sing again. It will be a delight to return to this magnificent building in 2015. Mr P Miles-Kingston

Concert at Leeds Town Hall The School Choir, Choral Society, Concert Band and String Orchestra performed for the first time in Leeds Town Hall on Thursday 21 March. The Concert Band began the evening with Kenilworth by Sir Arthur Bliss, which had been arranged especially for the occasion

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by their director, Mr Chris Blood. It was a wonderful opening with some delicate solo moments from senior musicians supported by resolute and polished full sounds from the band. This was followed by a lovely, subtle performance of Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet, with soloist Calum Brown producing some beautiful lyrical playing, ably supported by our Senior String Quartet led by Alla Petrichei.

Junior Music Festival Finals This was an enjoyable evening of music-making, adjudicated by Penny Stirling with her customary mix of positive comment and constructive criticism. The winners of the various categories were as follows: Strings – Tom Dowdy Girls’ Singing – Rosalind Tait

The half closed with Haydn’s famous Trumpet Concerto, with soloist Nicholas McLeish accompanied by the Orchestra directed by Mr Keith Wright. It was a delight to hear Nicholas enjoying the acoustic with some bright, elegant playing. In the second half the choirs combined to give a warm and joyful performance of Mozart’s Coronation Mass. The soloists were all sixth-form students: Rebecca Widdicombe (Soprano), Sarah Carlton (Mezzo Soprano), Bill Goss (Tenor) and Guy CowmanSharpe (Bass), who sang with great assurance and poise throughout. It was a great experience for our pupils and an evening to remember.

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Guitar – Josh Ramalingham Woodwind – Sam Lightwing with Peter Gray highly commended Piano – Luke Dunsmore with Max McLeish highly commended Boys’ Singing – George Pindar Brass – Max McLeish The winner of the Junior Music Festival Prize for the outstanding performance of the evening went to Max McLeish on the trombone. Congratulations to all who took part both in the rounds and in the finals this year.

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Cabaret These popular evenings are always fun, and there was a fantastic atmosphere in the Memorial Hall this year, with the soloists and groups generously supported by a packed audience of staff, parents and relatives, pupils and friends on both nights. The Upper Sixth soloists were too numerous to mention individually here, but they all performed with confidence and great character with full-tilt swing numbers, as arranged for Sinatra, Garland and Bublé, contrasting with slower ballads accompanied by just the rhythm section. They have been a wonderful team of musicians and have given us so many memorable moments over the past few year. The groups played and sang a wide range of music from the Clarinet Choir’s Tico Tico to the Chamber Choir’s stylish Bohemian Rhapsody. I was indebted to several colleagues for helping with direction of their groups and to Pete Ogram in particular for leading his Saxophone Group and running the joint item with the Percussion Group on the Friday. He will be much missed as he begins his new post at St Olave’s in September. Finally, the Swing Band do deserve a special mention as they acted as the foundation for the whole show and played with great skill and stamina through some very challenging repertoire.

I Was Glad by Parry. It was good to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Richard Wagner by performing the Overture from Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg at the close of the service with Mr Wright supporting the Brass Ensemble.

Commemoration

Instrumental Examination Results 2013-2014

The Chamber Choir started the service this year with Duruflé’s complex setting of Tu es Petrus directed by Mr Wright. The Brass Ensemble was on fine form supporting the hymn singing throughout. The School Choir gave a joyful performance of The Spacious Firmament by Richard Shephard, with the composer present in the congregation. The Chapel Choir though perhaps provided the musical highlight of the service with a memorable performance of

In another positive year, the following students are congratulated on achieving the top grade: Grade 8 Hannah Gee Emily Gray Giles Gray Edward Brown Sally Hicks Simon King Harriet Langford Felicity Punnett Max McLeish Alexander Shaw Rebecca Widdicombe Christopher Williams

Clarinet Cello Saxophone Cello Clarinet Electric Guitar Singing Singing Cello Saxophone Oboe Cello

Pass Pass Pass Merit Merit Merit Merit Merit Distinction Distinction Distinction Distinction

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Diploma Nicholas McLeish (UVI Hope House and Head Boy) was examined through a professional recital programme, and has been awarded a DipABRSM in violin performance. This is a tremendous achievement for a secondary school pupil.

Alla Petrichei Alla arrived on a Bursary from Romania in September 2011 and it was immediately apparent that she was an exceptional violinist. In her first year in the Music School, she played several memorable solos in Chapel and in our concerts, as well as leading the Senior String Quartet. At the end of the year, she achieved an ATCL violin performance diploma with distinction. This academic year, Alla has been active as a soloist both inside and outside school, and has been an invaluable member of all our string ensembles. One of the great highlights of the musical year was the performance of Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet in our major concert at Leeds Town Hall in March 2013, with Alla leading the String Quartet supporting soloist Calum Brown.

Military Wives Choir The Swing Band supported the well-known ‘Military Wives’ choir from Catterick Garrison in a joint concert on Thursday 11 July in the Shepherd Hall at St Olave’s School. The concert raised £4000 for the charity Help for Heroes and was hosted by the Rotary Club of York.

She was highly successful in her recent conservatoire auditions, and chose to take up the offer of a scholarship to study in Manchester at the Royal Northern College of Music. We wish her continued success and will watch her career with great interest. Mr P Miles-Kingston

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Creative Writing Writing because you can… The following pieces represent a state of independence in writing at St Peter’s. For our summer creative writing competition, entries in any form were encouraged from any year group member. Writing was self-generated and therefore delightful in its diversity. Jamie Fenton and Concetta Scrimshaw won for their prose entries, published in their entirety below. Jamie went on to win the creative writing section of the Ardingley Festival, a national competition for schools judged by Times’ journalist Tom Gatti. Ben Turvill scooped a poetry award for his magnificent Letter to Oscar Pistorius, delivered with breath-taking clarity in chapel. Not all the pieces below are whole – but they give a flavour of the calibre of imaginations at work within our community.

Red It is her silken dress, billowing out on the pale marble floor as she spins around like a brightly coloured spinning top; yet her movements are slow, rhythmic and dainty. It is the wine in the glass jug on the table, untouched by most people, bar the inebriated, cackling old woman swinging clumsily from side to side by the many drained wine glasses. It is his bow tie, contrasting starkly against the svelte and sharp monochrome of his dinner suit. It is her lips, luscious and glossy in the most expensive designer lipstick. It is the infatuated love that he experiences, one that makes his heart rate accelerate manically and his palms become clammy. It is the single rose that he gives her, so delicate and fragile, yet possessing great beauty, its bright petals studded with scintillating dewdrops. It is the satin bed sheets, tangled between their limbs, in a haze of euphoria and ardour. It is the intense passion, which makes his head spin and her breath quicken. It is the colour of the suede sofa of the brand new and spotless house they are hoping to share for many years to come. It is the sparkling gleam of a ruby ring, surrounded by glittering diamonds and set in a radiant gold band. It is the flower in the best man’s jacket, matching the taffeta and gauze of the bridesmaids’ extravagant yet not too ostentatious gowns. It is the effulgent and magnificent sunset overlooking the calm sea, the massive golden-orange orb that is the sun casting a warm, blazing coral glow through the empyrean sky. It is the sofa that she lays on, scarlet suede; it’s now faded and dull. ‘I’m tired,’ she yawns, but he knows something is wrong; she has been enervated more than usual in the recent weeks. It is her eyes; once bright and effervescent, now misty and bloodshot, drooping slightly. It is the ‘end call’ button; he wants to press it so, so badly, yet he knows he can’t; he needs to hear this news. It is the blood that taints his sweaty fingers, glittering with microscopic shards of china, pieces on the carpet. It is the many cards and envelopes that litter her bedside table, amongst roses and other flora. It is the resentful and loathsome rage that consumes him like a savage beast; he should have realised something was up sooner, otherwise she wouldn’t be in this state now. It is the colour of her nails; despite her hands

being pale and shrunken, her trademark scarlet nail polish still decorates the ends of her fingers. It is the doctor’s clipboard, on which he is manically scribbling down notes faster than a freight train. It is her heart that is now exhausted and weak, coming to a gradual stop. It is the line on the ECG monitor, once jagged like the majestic mountains of the Himalayas, now nothing more than a smooth line. It is the carnations that are laid on her coffin, on deep mahogany wood. It is the autumn leaves that slowly flutter down to the ground in shades of burgundy, maroon and scarlet, coming to rest on the damp grass of the graveyard. It is the single rose that he gives her, so delicate and fragile, yet possessing great beauty, its bright petals studded with dewdrops; he throws it on her coffin, and walks away, his feet crunching in the autumn leaves, the pale morning sunlight slipping through the trees. Concetta Scrimshaw IV Year

Crabbing on the Rappahannock The sun was on the river and in the river and it moved slowly with the water towards the sea. The boy sat on the rickety jetty and watched the river flow past him. He wanted to go with it but it was too big. In his hand was a string and the string went into the water which was brown where he sat and blue in the middle of the river, where the sun glinted on the small waves. After a while he lifted the string slowly out of the water. There was a crab clinging on to the piece of meat he had tied to the end. It was three inches across and parts of its shell were bright blue. He lowered it into a tin bucket at his side, which he had filled with water. The water in the bucket wasn’t brown or blue but clear, and he watched the crab scuttle round the edges before it found a corner and retreated into it. The boy thought how strange it was that crabs could find corners in circular buckets. He dropped the weighted string back into the brown water and it sank quickly out of sight.

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The boy sat on the dock for a long while. He pulled out crabs frequently, and then less frequently, until it seemed that no more were coming. He sat on the jetty, a string in his hand, staring at the river as the tide moved out, imperceptibly revealing the yellow sand on the shore and the stones and the dead crabs. In the bucket, the ten or so catches were quiet - the very small ones slotted in between the larger ones. Occasionally a crab would swim rapidly around the edge then settle back down into its corner. The water rose and fell against the wood of the dock and the boy was lulled by the sound of it, and by the warmth of the sun. He fell asleep. He was awoken soon after by the sound of a paddle in the water. He turned round to see a canoe coming towards him from upriver. In it was a boy of his age; the paddle was too big for him and he was struggling to keep the canoe from weaving. He managed to steer it towards the jetty and he threw a rope to the other boy, who pulled in the canoe and tied it up. - Afternoon, Joel. When you gonna learn to paddle that thing? he said, looking down into the boat.

Jamie Fenton UVI

- Shut your mouth, Nathaniel Tucker, you know it’s a two-man canoe!

A Letter to Oscar Pistorius

Joel climbed onto the jetty. He walked over to the bucket and looked in. - You gonna eat ‘em? - No. - Then why’d you catch ‘em?

My dear friend whom I have never met, Nor, indeed, intend to meet, Do not fear yourself, your deed. There have been gloried men before, who,

- I just did.

Like yourself: rose tall upon the

- There ain’t no point in catchin’ crabs if you ain’t gonna eat ‘em.

Battleground and fell so far from there.

Nathaniel looked into the bucket with Joel.

For there have been men who have killed in glory;

- Well, said Joel, why’d you catch ‘em?

Men who have died in glory;

- Like I said, I just did.

Men who have done both through

- You’re cracked: that’s a waste of good bacon. Them crabs would cook up real nice.

Battleground mud. So it seems

- I don’t doubt it.

To a greater fate;

- Can I have ‘em?

A personal idolatry;

- No, you can’t.

An understanding of self, and place,

- Why, ain’t you just gonna throw ‘em back? - I might. Or I might not. - If you ain’t gonna cook ‘em and you ain’t gonna throw ‘em back, why, I have no idea what you’re gonna do with ‘em! - How ‘bout that, said Nathaniel. - You infuriate me, Nat Tucker. I’m leavin’. He walked back to the end of the jetty where his boat was tied.

There are now men who rose through glory,

Greater than any that comes looking down The barrel of a gun. There are now men who have fallen back through glory, And whatever the truth of whichever crime, A certain light can be hoped for: understood: That whilst the athlete is a warrior

- Ain’t you gonna ask me where I’m goin’? he said, turning back.

Of sorts, and fights for nation

- I don’t much care.

A battle of his own,

Nathaniel had gone back to sitting with his string. He caught a crab and put it in the bucket. Joel tilted his head and looked at him for a while.

That glory cannot be won -

- You’re queer, Nat Tucker.

Of a gun.

Nathaniel did not look up from the river. Joel untied the rope and climbed back into his canoe. He pushed away from the jetty with his paddle and floated downstream without looking back.

P.S.

Nathaniel sat a while but caught no more crabs. He looked

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down the river; Joel’s canoe was out of sight. He stood and picked up the bucket. A scraping came from within as the crabs moved around. Nathaniel walked to the end of the jetty, knelt down, and slowly tipped the bucket. The water came out in a small trickle, then a gush, bringing with it the crabs. They were washed out onto the wood planks and sat there for a second before first one, then the others, scuttled rapidly towards the edge. As they went over they seemed to hang in the air for a moment; then they fell, legs waving, into the river. They darted down and out of sight as soon as they hit the water. After all the other crabs had gone, Nathaniel noticed that one was still sitting on the jetty. He touched its back gently with his finger, sending it running towards the edge, where it too hung in the air and then fell. Nathaniel picked up the bucket and walked back down the jetty, onto the shore and into the woods. He was soon out of sight. The late afternoon sun shone on the planks, drying the dark splash of water from the bucket. There were small waves on the sand and it was very quiet.

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Nor is it preserved Through shots through the barrel,

We all in hindsight should have thought That given a lifetime of amputation and hope, A life yet throned in glory,

Creative & Cultural

Of a state, Of peoples before divided; at war,

a thousand banquets. She was away; away from the glamour and the lights, the hate and the love.

Of a beautiful girl of your own -

Breath.

A life still caged in top-end confinement.

Silence.

Imagine: yours - a man’s - a man who,

Breath.

From birth, had forever experienced Hatred, separation; violence and death, Imprinted by law in the state you love. We all should have thought in wealth, (Private security; barking dogs).

Peaceful and lovely. It reminded her of her poor days, dancing on the pier to the tune of Paulo’s violin in a crowd of people. But it was a different crowd, a crowd of familiarity and colours. Not the army of nameless guests in her unknown house, whose empty smiles glared at her nightly. Those thoughts brought back that tune, a tune of happier times, a tune of innocence.

You’d get frenzied: Kill that girl. Ben Turvill V

The Barrage Balloon I have been up in this balloon all night. It is freezing, but the view is amazing, a lit up London, with all the bustle of an empire rattling around underneath. They’ll come and get me later, bring me back down into the earthly embrace of the cobbles, but until noon tomorrow, I am stuck in my balloon, watching over the city. In the old days, they just had massive forts outside cities, and men would storm through holes and scream in the smoke and the flame as bullets ripped through them, but now War has changed. There are no more Waterloos with banners streaming and cannons roaring, but just sitting in the mud, waiting for stuff to happen. The biggest difference now is that now no one is safe, not just the men on the fields, but their friends and family back home are at risk from the shells and bombs from above. It’s my job to sit up in my balloon and shout and shoot if I see anything in the sky that shouldn’t be there, anything that creeps over the horizon to attack the innocents below. That’s how they sold it to me, anyway. I don’t have anything to do, really, I brought some paper, but I’ve already written to everyone I know, and I don’t want to waste anything. Just like the posters say. Don’t waste, don’t do this, don’t do that. Last weekend, my cousin got told off by some policemen for flying a kite near the cliff, said to a nine year-old that he might be signalling some German spies. We don’t get the kite out any more, even when he asks. Just in case.

She hummed it to herself. She was smiling as she jumped. Guy Hall LVI

Enormity It was August, the driest month of a dry year, and the sun was coaxing the last moisture from the once-green field of grass. A vague breeze stirred, making people look up in excitement and desperation, searching for a reprieve from the heat, but it whispered away. The warmth was oppressive and dividing. Some families hid in their houses, adamant that the shade would keep them cool. Others wandered the streets, having read the article about sweat, ignoring their dry tongues. Anna and Tommy sat in the park under the slide. Their sweaty arms were touching uncomfortably, that strange, slick cold-and-hot feeling of warm skin and cool moisture. The grass they were sitting on was protected from the sun by the slide, and still retained some of its springy feel that the other, straw-like grass craved. Above them the slide had heated in the sun, the metal burning hot. It was a strange in-between haven that they had found – between hot and cool, harsh and soft. Anna had dared Tommy to touch the burning slide and he sat sucking his burnt finger, trying not to cry and wondering if it was alright to punch her. They were eight and nine, and they were still small enough to fit under the slide, still young enough not to feel any embarrassment at the closeness that they would later find awkward. Anna sighed. Tommy didn’t react, so she sighed again to get his attention. “Can we do something, Tommy?”

Patrick Litten V

“Like what?” His voice was slightly sticky from the flat coke he’d drunk earlier.

Jewelled Sorrow

“Let’s find the ice cream van!” The van had been in a different part of their town every few days. You never knew where it would turn up, or when. Anna loved the van. She had made it her mission to find it as often as possible.

She was alone with her thoughts. Alone. Alone for the first time since the day of his arrival. Breath. Silence. Breath. The cold warmed her, the silence deafened her, the emptiness crowded her. The cold stones on her feet made feel more alive than

Tommy groaned. “It’s too hot to move,” he told her, but Anna was already standing up, ducking to avoid hitting her head. “Come on, Tommy.” He inspected his burnt finger for a moment to show her that he had bigger things to worry about than ice cream, before shrugging and taking her clammy proffered

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hand, pulling himself to his feet. ..

that she couldn’t quite name, like her stomach had turned to stone.

The grass was brown and brittle. Tommy snapped a long piece off like a twig and became a wizard, brandishing his grass-wand like a sword. The field was empty but for the two of them. Farmers had given up on the summer crops, and any cattle had been moved. The silence was only broken by the steady padding of their footsteps.

The smell was so pungent now that Anna almost turned and ran. She was afraid, but she knew that if she found something interesting Tommy would be jealous, and he would regret not coming with her. The thought sustained her for the next few steps. She came to the stream, pushing away the long brown grass on the dried-out bank.

When they were halfway through the field a gentle wind sighed softly. The children grinned at each other in excitement and turned towards it, breathing deeply, hoping it would cool their burning skin. Anna closed her sore eyes and froze. She crinkled her nose. “What is that?” A dank smell had been carried on the breeze, indescribable to her. Tommy sniffed and shivered despite the heat. The smell crawled up his spine like a beetle. “It’s gross,” was all he said. “Come on, Anna.” He tugged at her t-shirt sleeve encouragingly. He didn’t know what the smell was, but it was frightening him. Anna stayed where she was, facing the direction the wind had come with its ugly gift. She was entranced, drawn in by the excitement of discovery in the same way that Tommy was repulsed by the unknown. Pulling away from Tommy’s grip she took a few steps forward before turning to look back at him. She saw his trepidation. “It’s an adventure,” she told him, grinning. Tommy looked at her and then looked in the direction of the field’s exit. “We can still find the ice cream van,” he said hopefully. His instincts were telling him to get away. He’d never been the naturally inquisitive one in their friendship – all their adventures were down to Anna’s curiosity. On any other day he would have followed her anywhere. But today it was hot, he was tired, and he was scared. Anna looked at him expectantly. Tommy hesitated, stuck between two destinations. He was twisted towards Anna but his feet pointed to ice cream, to the known, to safety. He took a step with too much weight. “You go. I’m going home.” Anna blinked as the words thudded out, her face falling. Tommy avoided her eyes, looking again at the field’s exit. His bony shoulders were turned away from her. Later, she would remember a coolness that descended between them, a reprieve from the sun that was not so welcome. “Okay,” she said, trying to sound more certain than she was. “Okay.” They began walking in separate directions. After a few paces, Tommy glanced back over his shoulder. He could see Anna’s back, dark hair shining and small hands bunched. Anna seethed silently, disappointed and frustrated with Tommy and his betrayal of her. She walked with confident steps to show him that he was missing out, and resisted the urge to look back for him. She followed her nose, heading hopefully in the direction the wind had come from. Soon the smell grew stronger. Anna pinched her nose. The smell was worse than anything she’d experienced before in her short life, but she was proud of her strong stomach and she kept towards it. Somewhere inside, she felt a sinking feeling

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Something caught her attention from the corner of her eye. There was a thing lying a few feet to her left where the stream usually ran. Anna stared at it for a moment in morbid fascination. Flies buzzed around the thing, obscuring its true form from her. She blinked and as her eyes adjusted she realised what she was looking at. The thing had a hand, flopping to its side, swollen and blotched black and blue. Big eyes stared at Anna, unable to blink away the flies that crawled across them. From the other end of the field, Tommy heard a high-pitched scream. Lucy Schofield LVI

The Pawn, The King and The Castle ~1~ ~ Endgame ~ Tet, 1964. Shadows leap across Saigon as fireworks disturb the night sky. American soldiers, unconscious of their empty lives, and Vietnamese beggars, all too conscious of theirs, crowd the suffocated streets. Prostitutes and petty thieves lurk in dirty corners while bullet wounds in Buddhist temples go unhealed. Napalm coats the horizon and gunshots reverberate through the swinging slums while documents sit in the dark and syringes stab at the evening. Durant sits in the Peking Pig, clothed in smoke and the rank scent of bodily fluids, smoking lightning strikes and making a great show of being relaxed. Humanity sinks out of holes in bathroom walls as blood stains the streets outside. Durant is impartial to the slovenly chaos. Neutrality is a game he feels it necessary to play. He himself is a contradiction: French – Vietnamese, not a nationalist, but not exactly an imperialist either. It’s dangerous to get mixed up in ideology. Tonight he wears a Gold’s gym tee shirt, leather jacket, dark cotton trousers and patterned brogues, all worn down by the urban poverty that surrounds him, an unpreventable wear-and-tear. The jacket is typical biker fare: emblazoned with wings and the word ‘LOST’ in a garish serif font. Durant doesn’t spare much thought for looks in a world where nothing is as it appears anyway. His smitty, wiry moustache goes untouched. His sort-of clean teeth suffer the stains of alcohol and smoke as he reclines. His matt-black hair is unkempt and he wears a shroud of cheap cologne. Dan Stone LVI

Creative & Cultural

Writing in class... Below are some examples of creative writing produced through various stimuli in the classroom. The L6 study narrative and started by constructing stories from visual images: fertile territory for ideas, if you’re ever stuck on how to start!

Rain, Steam and Speed Every day when sunset came, the train came with it. The whistle was the first sign to the fisherman; a shrill shriek of alarm before the train itself came thundering along the viaduct, its din cutting through the rain like a knife. It was not an elegant thing, like the high-stepping herons that the fisherman knew. No, it was a mess of turning, jerking churning gears and wheels. It had an unmistakable sense of urgency, of having to be somewhere. The fisherman sat, and he watched. A pale face appeared at one of the windows and peered towards him through the deluge. He looked back. Time slowed and there was a fleeting, transient moment of human contact before the train rolled relentlessly on and the fisherman was left with nothing but the slight taste of smoke and the whisper of a thousand raindrops. Alex Plane LVI

The Plague of Frogs There was only one person to blame for such mayhem and chaos. She was to blame. Only her. The frightened and fearful cries from the previous party of people below whistled through her ears. The chairs and lashings of paint which fell from the skies passed over her guiltless eyes, as easy as water runs through a funnel. She

didn’t care. In her eyes, this is what they all deserved. They had failed her, not the other way round. As she mindlessly watched the commotion below her, she effortlessly stepped back from her creation. Both physically and mentally. This was her walking away from not only what she created, but from all the people who had forced her to create such a tragedy. A final satisfied glare to the fiasco below was enough for her. She was done here. With a swish of her hair, turn in her hips and crack of her neck, she left behind her those who no longer had life, and went on to begin her own. Sara Pycock LVI The third form poetry below continued with use of iconic art for National Poetry Day in October. This year’s theme was ‘Stars’ and the poems are modelled on Moniza Alvi’s I Would Like to Be a Dot in a Painting by Miro.

I would Like to Be a Star in a

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I would not stutter to say I enhance the void cascading around me. One day I hope to be a great, loved star, way above in the night sky. A star in a painting by Van Gogh. Charles Dunn III Year The U6 experimented with a slightly less delicate form; they study Gothic literature as a genre and modelled their own Gothic fragments around the various motifs common to this type of writing.

The Phantom Pregnancy Painting by Van Gogh Right in the middle, too special for anything to go near it, Queen of the heavens. Its unusual four points digging forever into the darkness – each little diamond inviting you in. Thinking: would I benefit from moving myself

The prayer book hit the pew, fracturing the silence with a stinging slap. Startled, Fra Favel spun round, his vestments nearly catching on a nearby candle flame. He had thought he was alone. She was easy to overlook, but as her fluid green eyes gazed upwards, cheeks bruised by the half-light, parted lips moist and tremulous, he felt a familiar stirring. Were it not for her wild, pale hair, she might have been mistaken for a boy: her shoulders broad with naked arms gristly below her choir robes, the fine hairs illuminated to give her a masculine maturity that mingled excitedly with her innocence. He moved towards her. Lucy Mahon UVI

further into the abyss, where I’m not alone? Maybe surrounded by a million beaming lights? Close enough to touch one But not so close that they can touch me. Silky skin and unnatural glow in reach. But I’m perfectly happy where I am. Dominating the sky. Tilly Mae James III Year I would like to be a star in a painting by Van Gogh. The shimmering light which emerges from my core Warms me. I’m placed next to a weird one. It seems to have no edges and shines brighter than all of us put together.

Gothic Monster

As the comforting carpet of the clouds

To Robert

covers us at night the wind sings a gentle lullaby. We are waiting here: a whole new solar system

Gemma Willink V

My dear friend, I am writing partially in order to set your mind at rest, yet also to ease my own mind by divulging a series of most terrible events that took place the night before last.

Waiting for you to find us. So I would like to be a star in a painting by Van Gogh. Will Fryer III Year

I am a star set adrift in an array of light and beauty. I am unique and perfectly balanced as the artist intended. Who am I to say I am better than any other star? Who am I to say I take away the melancholy of the darkness, imminent around me?

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As you well know, and have expressed your concerns over numerous times, I have recently bought a comfortable albeit rather small apartment in London, near to some of the great universities of England, where I shall be tutoring the youth of our country in the great scientific mysteries of our time. Before I proceed with this most awful tale, let me assure you that I am well, despite what you may read in these scrawlings. That night I did not sleep well and finding solace in my research I worked late; however, I could not progress with the resources I had available, so I took my cane and set out to access the university

Creative & Cultural

library in hope of finding a book which might allow me to further my research. The street was particularly dark as the great celestial body of the moon lingered behind a curtain of thick, smoky clouds and the only light that graced me was the pale golden fire of a nearby street lamp. Ahead, I saw a woman of fair skin and small stature, wearing the clothes typical of a servant at the university; in her arms, she cradled a babe whom could only have been but a few months of age. As she bustled past me I took note of a well-dressed, unusually tall gentleman, who had just stepped into the road to cross over towards myself and the woman. I caught no glimpse of his face underneath the hat he wore at an unusual angle, which struck me as odd. It was not until I heard a shriek that I realised something terrible was about. Chris Bullock UVI

Untitled New to the neighbourhood, she blended perfectly into the suburban housewife mould. Her assortment of flared skirts and perfectly-ironed blouses screamed ‘respectable’ so it was widely accepted that she was the right sort. They say she was a retired nurse, some say divorced, others widowed. All anyone knew for certain was that we had never seen her husband. She reminded me of my mother, and it was a kindly face that would smile and wave from her front garden. Similar, yet foreign. Like her perfectly manicured garden and unlike my own mother, her appearance was faultless. No rebellious strand of hair ever dared escape the arrangement of her bob; her mascara never clumped; her finger-nails were perfect crescent moons – except, as I noticed with curiosity, the fingernail on her right forefinger, which was worn down to the quick.

Prologue He felt no sense of remorse. As he rounded the corner of the bannister that was what surprised him most. He had expected reluctance: regret at what he was about to do. But no. It seemed they had succeeded in drinking the soul from the building just as well as they had driven him out of it. His people out of it. But of course no amount of re-plastering and air freshener could smother the stench of the blood coating the walls of the hallway, pooling in the cracks of the splintered floorboards in his mind. Will Kimpson IV Year

Prologue I wiped the thin layer of sweat that coated my clammy hand onto the rough cotton of my trousers before reaching out towards the doorknob. I hesitated. Falling into a trance-like state, my hand levitated. I vaguely registered the shock of the cold steel. Then the door was open and I stood facing the bed. Our bed. My shoulders relaxed and my muscles slowly unknotted. I was back home. Glancing around, I saw that nothing had changed: the disorganised array of books in the corner; the faded blue carpet I now curled my toes into. After six years, everything was exactly the same, like I had never left. Realisation dawned on me: all this time she had pretended she didn’t want to see me – she wore a false mask – as now I knew she had kept our room so that when I returned we could go back to normal, back to us. And I would not feel like any time had passed. Issy Hedley, IV Year

Not even the most vicious of gossips could find any fault with her house either. It looked charming, with its white picket fence and net curtains fluttering in the wind. No-one could complain that her lawn was unkempt or her paint peeling. Everything was as it should be. Or so it seemed. Georgia Latham UVI

Writing workshops: author visit – Phil Earle Some of the most exciting creative writing of the year is generated by various author visits arranged by Mrs Chandler. Below are two of the prologues written in response to a masterclass run by young adult author Phil Earle. Concentrating on the structure of novels, the mixed third and fourth form group were encouraged to use a prologue to set tone, mood and atmosphere whilst playing with time in one of his existing novels Being Billy.

Holly Drinkwater LVI

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LLVI Creative & Cultural

Alexandra Budarina

Examples of work by LVI Pupils Alexandra Budarina

Holly Drinkwater

Elisabeth Wells

Tara Ledden 136

Hannah Ramalingam The Peterite 2012-2013

Holly Drinkwater

Creative & Cultural

Tara Ledden

Sasha Hinde Sabrina Leung

Luka Pavojic Georgina Cornock

Sophie France Hannah Ramalingam

Michael ChanChan The Peterite 2012-2013

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Hannah Ramalingam

Yasmine Kumordzi

Katherine Raines

Michael Chan

Imogen Jefferies 138

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John Briggs

Creative & Cultural

Wendi Men

Wendi Men Phoebe Liu

Polly Smith

Examples of work by UVI form Pupils

Peter Hiles

Polly Smith The Peterite 2012-2013

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Phoebe Liu

Laura Barron Joseph Himsworth

Sophie Willink

Sophie Willink Christopher Bullock Peter Hiles

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Charlie Darmody

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Creative & Cultural

Harriet Langford

Katie Reid

Charlie Darmody

Charlie Darmody Wendi Men

Wendi Men

Harriet Langford Alex Tam Molly Bythell

Molly Bythell

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Post Card Portraits

Mr Winkley Which three people dead or alive would you invite to a dinner party and why? Aristotle (polymath, influential on almost everything we think and believe); Stephen Fry (polymath, raconteur, clever but never conceited, good with people); WG Sebald (polymath, deep thinker, truly original) – wit and searching conversation guaranteed.

and sports coaches fascinating. I don’t detest anyone but I do struggle to like anything/ anyone on ITV between 7 and 10 on a Saturday night.

What are your best and worst fashion moments? Best – I thought I looked decent enough on my wedding day. Worst – photographic evidence from my twenties suggests I laboured under the delusion that facial hair suited me. More recently, that Morris Dancing get-up on Red Nose Day.

What one thing relating to St. Peter’s would you put into room 101 and why?

If you weren’t yourself who would you most like to be?

Nothing springs to mind: the best is great and the rest can be improved, rather than exiled to Room 101. If I were a pupil, maybe the lunch queue.

Jonathan Agnew.

What is your favourite thing about St. Peter’s and why? Our extraordinary community spirit: because everything else flows from that.

What do you consider to be your greatest achievement to date and do you have any unfulfilled ambitions?

What is your favourite film? Once Upon A Time In The West

What is your favourite album? It’s a tie between Bob Dylan “Blood on the Tracks” and The Divine Comedy “Bang Goes The Knighthood”.

Becoming Head Master of St Peter’s, and before that completing an Open University Masters in Education whilst working full-time. At school: walking 50 miles in a day. My unfulfilled ambition is to write a book.

Which three items would you take with you to a desert island and why? Running shoes (assuming it’s a decent sized island); water colour paints (to learn a new skill) and the complete works of WG Sebald (to keep my mind alive)

Which celebrities or public figures do you like/detest most and why? Public figures – I’m interested in anyone whose job entails leading others. I find football managers

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How do you imagine Heaven and Hell? Heaven is the end of desire; oneness with the divine; being wide asleep. Hell is the life of Scrat, the squirrel from Ice Age: always grasping for the object of his desire, never getting it, never overcoming his desire.

Postcard Portraits

Mr Bembridge Which three people would you invite to a dinner party and why? I definitely want Jesus as he could provide decent philosophical discussions, Eddie Izzard because I like some of his takes on things, and I’d like to talk to him about why he’s become an atheist recently. I would also invite a close friend because otherwise no one would believe that I’d had Jesus and Eddie Izzard over for supper.

What do you consider to be your greatest achievement to date? Convincing my fiancée to marry me is pretty high on my list; I believe that each successive achievement becomes your greatest one because you bring everything you’ve learnt from previous experiences to be better at what you’re becoming.

Do you have any unfulfilled ambitions? To host a late night phone-in on a radio station, to solve crimes, and to fly a helicopter; I’m fairly sure that having watched ‘Airwolf’ when I was younger I could fly one.

If you weren’t a teacher what job would you like to have? I think DJing with a phone-in radio station would be interesting; I was in business for a while and enjoyed the creative side of that so I might like some form of marketing. I would definitely enjoy journalism or standup comedy although I don’t think I’m funny enough!

Which three items would you take with you to a desert island and why? Herbs and spices so my food isn’t really dull, an iPad and a solar charger.

Which celebrities or public figures do you detest most and why? I don’t like comedians who think just being crude is funny. Also I’m not very keen on slapstick comedy.

What is it about teaching that made you want to do the job? I enjoy working with young people because different people see things in different ways and sharing that together leads on to new thoughts, so my job is constantly changing.

What are your best and worst fashion moments? I’ve never really been cool; my worst moment is the day I picked up the wrong jacket when I came to school so I was wearing a pinstriped jacket and normal suit trousers, thankfully hidden by my gown during Chapel. My best fashion moment was a great red waistcoat given to me by my father, a cloth merchant.

If you weren’t yourself who would you most like to be? A comedy writer or maybe a novelist.

Who are your favourite comedians? Mitchell and Webb, Armstrong and Miller, Tim Vine and Milton Jones who has also released a book, Ten Second Sermons, which I have enjoyed.

How do you imagine Heaven and Hell? I like the idea of being in hell because you’re too ashamed or embarrassed about your life to look God in the face. This means you’re not denied Heaven because He doesn’t love you but because you’re focusing too much on the mistakes you made so you feel you are unable to enjoy it even though perhaps you could.

Who is your favourite philosopher? Epicurus because of his ideas on happiness; he thought that people shouldn’t eat a meal alone so we should share meals with friends and make the most of that time together.

What is your favourite film? I think that all of life’s riddles are answered in films; a lot of films, science fiction in particular, deal well with philosophy. A film that I enjoy and often revisit is The Shawshank Redemption. My least favourite are slapstick comedies because they are boring; I don’t like films that don’t challenge my imagination. Alex Plane LVI

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Mr G Smith Which three people, dead or alive, would you invite to a dinner party and why? (After a very long silence whilst Mr Smith thought of three eligible people) Barnes Wallis, the inventor of the bouncing bomb, because it was such a fascinating story. Lee Mack, because he’s my favourite comedian. And Johnny Cash; I love his music and I’m actually learning the guitar right now.

Who’s movies are really bad..? Russell Brand. He thinks he’s an actor and he’s not. He’s just arrogant.

Which aspects of teaching do you most dislike? Being interviewed.

Worst and best fashion moments? I’m not big into fashion. But my best has to easily be ‘brown shoes grey suit’. My worst has actually been wearing a stripy shirt and a stripy tie together- I was told this by the male members of the PE department.

Which three things related to St Peters would you put in Room 101 and why? A burette, there has to be something from the Chemistry department. My gown, because it’s about 60 years old and stinks. I even tried to put it in the wash once but that ruined it even more. And Paddy.. obviously only so he never has to retire.

If you weren’t you, who would you most like to be and why? Well who plays sport and gets a lot of money for it..? Rory McIlroy; he gets a lot of money for not doing a lot. And he gets to travel the world.

If you were stranded on a desert island, which three things would you take with you? My guitar, so I could keep on playing my Johnny Cash music. A rugby ball, so I could practice kicking and stuff. And Chemistry past papers to keep me occupied.

What do you see heaven and hell to be?

Which celebrities or public figures do you hate most and why? John Prescott, because he’s just a loud and obnoxious politician.

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You’ll be asking me what the meaning of life is next! Heaven would be one big playroom, full of pinball machines, PlayStations and an unlimited supply of food. Hell would be one permanent interview. Sara Pycock & Lucy Schofield LVI

Sport RUGBY 1st XV Pre-season training had gone well and we were looking forward to the first match of the season against the Retiring Captains XV. Unfortunately some of the Retiring Captains XV had not taken their preparations for the match seriously which resulted in a one sided affair with the school running out comfortable winners 24-0. The second game of the season was away at Leeds and we were expecting a tough encounter. It soon became apparent that we had the stronger pack of forwards and the first score came through a driving maul from a lineout. Dominating territory and possession we were unable to convert into points. The front row of Angus Smith, Sam McCullough and Jake Taylor were dominating the scrimmage and performing to a high level. The score did not reflect the game and a win of 14-7 was recorded. Our first home game of the actual season followed against Woodhouse Grove. Playing against a team with an excellent reputation and on the back of a tour to South Africa we felt it would be a serious challenge. The first half turned out to be one of

the best halves of rugby by St Peter’s on the 1st XV pitch for many years. The set piece was dominant and the backs relished the opportunity to attack with some excellent front foot ball. Will Booth steered the play and with Will Pepper hitting some excellent lines from full back the score was 35-0 at half time. Woodhouse rallied but we finished the stronger with the end result being 50-15. This is the first time that we have put 50 points past Woodhouse and one that was not to repeated against them for the rest of the season. Relatively straightforward wins against Hymers and Ampleforth followed before playing QEGS away. The game started well with and excellent take at the lineout from Toby Simpson followed by a superb drive and resulting try. Heroic defence enabled us to hold on for a 13-7 win. Our first foray into the Daily Mail Cup was against a wellrespected Crossley Heath side, a hard fought match saw us pull through, our centre partnership of Charlie Greswold and Callum

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Craig were as always strong and direct. A narrow win against Pocklington followed, then the next round of the Daily Mail Cup. Having had a three week break we were definitely a little undercooked and we narrowly lost out, unfortunately not to be our year in the Cup. We could then focus on that elusive feat of remaining unbeaten in our regular season. The Barnard Castle game typified everything that this team was about. A comeback from Barnard Castle saw the score at 24-24 with time almost up. A lineout on our 10m line saw us move the ball to Will Pepper who broke to the half way line, ball was then moved wide to Henry Scroggs on the left wing and then subsequently moved into midfield , two strong carries by Jake Taylor and Charlie Greswold saw an offload to Callum Craig who scored under the posts. This was one of the best team tries to have been scored on this pitch and one which kept the unbeaten season alive. The team was fairly settled at this point with Henry Gray ably providing go forward at second row and a nice balance to the back row with Frankie Whittaker and Ben Lightwing complementing each other well. The team had an outstanding captain in Nick Stephen, a leader who lead by example and was able to communicate effectively to team-mates, coaches and referees (obviously takes after his father). Henry Scroggs and Harry Dixon provided attacking threats and

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defensive solidity with impact bench players such as Charlie Elliott and Will Scholey. This was an excellent season which all involved can be incredibly proud of.

Squad Angus Smith*, Sam McCullough*, Jake Taylor*, Toby Simpson*, Henry Gray*, Frankie Whitaker*, Ben Lightwing*, Nick Stephen** (Cpt), Dylan George*, Will Booth**, Charlie Greswold**, Callum Craig*, Henry Scroggs*, Harry Dixon**, Will Pepper, Charlie Elliott, Will Scholey, Max Gill (1/2 colours)

Honours Angus Smith, Charlie Greswold – Independent Schools National team. Jake Taylor – Newcastle Falcons Academy. *- Full colours ** - caps Mr S Williams

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2nd and 3rd XV Rugby Vince Lombardi “Some of us will do our jobs well and some will not, but we will all be judged on one thing: the result. Winning is not everything – but making the effort to win is. Success demands singleness of purpose - If it doesn’t matter who wins or loses, then why do they keep score?” This was a season full of promise. Two very motivated and good year groups coming together to form the 1st, 2nd and 3rd XV’s. The lads knew that selection would be difficult as the quality of both years was strong. The fact that so many of the 2nd XV might well have played 1st XV rugby in a different year; indicates the strength of the side. It also goes a long way to explain the success of the 1st XV. We

bettered in any school match. The back line made huge progress over the season and much of this was down to Pete Woolley who brought a really fresh approach to coaching the back. In the end this line was almost exclusively L6th which bodes well for both the forthcoming tour and next season. All the lads took training seriously and as a consequence both 2nd and 3rd XV (and 4th XV when we could get opposition) thrived. Skills learnt both as individuals and as team units during the week could be performed under pressure at the weekend in matches. We lost but two games during the season against Ampleforth (a)???? and in a titanic physical encounter with Driffield U19 colts by a single point.

were blessed with two young men to captain the side; Chris Burn and Giles Gray, both of whom were not only outstanding leaders on the field but were good trainers and integral players in the side. In the end the pack comprised all but two U6th players with Archie Hinde forcing his way into the side at 7 and Jack Graham regularly in the second row. The policy of rotation meant that no player who benched one week would bench again the next. This allowed us flexibility with the 1st XV and 3rd XV players. Our set piece was outstanding, with scrum and lineout not

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The patterns of attack were most clearly shown against Pocklington, WHG and Hymers and the patterns of defence most obviously shown in a great win at QEGS Wakefield. Sadly some of the other games were terribly one sided and it was such a pity that the Durham School game was lost to frost as this would have provided another real test at the end of the term.

Sport

My abiding thoughts about this season centre around team work and the support the boys gave each other and the 1st XV. Watching Charlie Darmody smile as he yet again thwarted QEGS in the titanic final minutes of the best game of the season. The last Scrum of that game with Dan Harding, Chris and Giles hammering into their front row, no quarter asked or given. The superb skills shown by Max Gill and Tom Dickinson at Pockington where their decision making was superb. The development of the centre paring of Ed Coates and Tom Calvert who coupled their attacking flair with increasing confidence and physicality in defence. The pace of our back three with Paddy Brown’s great try at QEGS and the development of Cormac Hopknison’s, Alex (Goeff) Payne’s, Guy Hall’s and Nick Ubi’s attacking return of the kick and ability to join the line with both pace and purpose.

We were lucky to have two players who regularly captained the 3rd XV so that we could rotate players. My thanks go to Freddie Jagger and Jonny Jackson for this team commitment. Alex Eyre and Tom Dickinson were also selfless in fitting in at 9 and in Tom’s case also at 10 depending on 1st team squad rotation. Alex has developed a good pass and game awareness, Tom has natural poise in both positions and shows great promise for next season.

gives the real sense of what it means to play for St Peters. For me it was the final 10 min vs QEGS. The 1st XV had won but rather than celebrate they and their parents came over and watched their mates play out a heroic final few minutes to win the game. That sportsmanship meant a great deal to all of us. The stalwarts were all there that day, Calum Brown, ,George Brook, Alex Hart, “that front row”, Charlie Darmody, Archie Hind, Freddie Jagger and Jack Graham. These were the lads who gave us front foot ball all season but in moments of threat really pulled the defence together. The season could not have been as successful without the huge help given by Colin Clark, Pete Wooley and John Darmody.

However every season has one moment that sums it up, that

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3rd XV Thanks also go to Ben White and Matt Grant who worked so hard to help with the 3rd XV. It would probably be more accurate to describe the 3rd XV as another 2nd XV only a bit younger. The quality of this side was tremendous as was their attitude to training which they took every bit as seriously as the 2nd XV. I would like to note that at the time of writing three of these lads have already played in the new 1st XV and eight in the seconds. As Nelson Mandella said “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall” Mr P Stephen

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U16 A PLAYED 10 WON 9 LOST 1 POINTS FOR 228 POINTS AGAINST 65

SQUAD: B.WILLIAMS(CAPT), F.CRAIG S.BLOTT, A.DUFFEY, W.SHAW, T.McGILL, D.CLOUGH, J.WILSON, S.TOLLEY, A.LONGBOTTOM, D.MARSH, H.RICHARDSON,H.STOTHARD, H.ADAMS, J.BOTTOMLY, G.GAO, O.LEEDHAM. J.FIELD, E.COTTER.

Finlay was a tiger in the loose and eventually managed to curb his enthusiasm and listen to the ref. Sam Blott forced his way into the hooking position with increased fitness and excellent technique especially throwing the ball in. Ali Duffey in any normal season would have been a regular. His team ethic is to be commended. Behind them in the second row Toby Mcgill brought physicality and stability with his partner Dan Clough playing like an extra back row. Dan’s athleticism at the lineout secured all our ball and plenty

Normally these reports reflect the season, and to a degree they do. Starting slowly and lacking in confidence to move the ball whilst moving forwards, our early games were littered with errors allowing less ambitious teams to live off our scraps. As the training began to pay off and especially at the end of the season we played some very good rugby combining forwards and backs excellently and using the full width of the pitch. Our forwards were a match for every team. In the front row props Shaw and Craig more than held their own in the set and were excellent around the field. Will arrived back fitter than previously seen and this was reflected in his tally of tries.

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off the opposition. Jake Wilson improved physically throughout the season. His habit of doing the simple things well allowed those around him to prosper. Back row strength started with Lexi Longbottom who was fearless at openside, scavenging everything, and always on hand in support. Stuart Tolley at blindside has real pace and reads the game

Richardson made the scrum half position his own. He looks a natural and is threatening at all times. Harry Stothard moved to fly half and showed great temperament. He has the ability to take the ball to the line and this released his outside backs. His kicking game is strong and he can spot the space. Ben Williams and Hugo Adams formed a very strong centre partnership. Hugo’s willingness to carry in traffic was the foil to Ben’s elusive speed. The willingness to hold depth was a huge element in their success. Behind everyone the back three flourished. James Bottomly on the left wing is especially elusive and his defence rock solid. His ability to step in at fly half to create an extra man often caused opposition problems. George Gao on the left ran hard all season. Full Back Oli Leedham came into the line with good timing. His last man tackling was superb and game changing.

well. Dom Marsh had an outstanding season at eight, brilliant in the loose he refuses to be intimidated. Dom was used to great effect as a strike runner from shortened lineouts and scored vital tries. Backs score the points but forwards win the game and our backs scored some excellent tries. It was a season of experimentation to begin with trying different combinations in many positions. Harry

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Basic skill sets are paramount to winning games and this group have worked tirelessly. They lacked knowledge of game structure but picked it up very quickly. Organisation allows players the freedom to express themselves and by the end of the season all players knew their roles and could concentrate on executing them correctly. They have been a pleasure to coach. My thanks to Cozzie for all his help and enthusiasm and Dan Woods for his excellent work with the B team. Mr M Johnston

Sport

U15A Squad: Whiter (Capt), Metcalfe, Contreras, Mander, Buskin, Taylor, Esler, Lodge, Kimpson, Ramlingham, Jones, Lennox, McLeish, Greswold, Quinn, Hudson, Robinson, Bellingall, Bird, Hulmes, Gill.

PLAYED 10

WON 6

LOST 4

It has been a real pleasure for Mr Smith and I to coach the boys this season and at times they have played some outstanding rugby. We worked really hard on our contact skills and defence in the first few weeks of the season and quickly made progress. The front five especially started to make some good yards for us and defended much more collectively and courageously around the ruck. They also developed their awareness of where to be on the field and this is something they must continue to think about next year. There is no need to go chasing the ball around the field, just think about your team shape in attack and defence and decide where you need to be for the next phase. In particular George Metcalfe and Jake Esler became the go to forwards throughout the season, consistently making hard ground and ferocious in the tackle. Christian Lennox also came to the fore at certain times in games, but consistency and technical ability need to be his aims next season, as the season progressed it was good to see Alex Taylor and Luke Mander offering themselves as forward runners out wide. One outstanding try, which typified the style or rugby we were trying to play stands out for me over the season. Against an exceptional Bradford Grammar School side we managed to keep the ball for six or seven phases moving their team around the field and tiring them out. It culminated with Joe playing half back at the ruck and Luke being first receiver drawing the remaining defenders before passing the ball on to exploit the created overlaps. This style of rugby is only possible with a very fit and skilled loose forward team. We were very fortunate to have many great loose players, who chase tirelessly around the field, tackle hard and are also developing greater awareness at the breakdown. Unfortunately, physical size is still not on their side. I am sure that in the next couple of years as they catch up physically their skill sets will start to pay dividends. Eddie Contreras and Max McLeish are two boys that this applies to; both are small in stature but immense in heart and proved to be two of the best tacklers throughout the

year. Will Kimpson and Josh Ramlingham developed into their roles over the season as link players and both put in man of the match performances regularly. They were ably supported by Sam Lodge who played in the back row and at hooker this season, much to his disappointment! Again Sam’s game understanding and skill sets are very high and I expect great things of him in the future. The back line went through a few changes throughout the season. Freddie Greswold was a constant at 9, making endless ankle tackles and being the first to show in defence at opposition free kicks. He worked hard on his kicking game and dictated play much better. Attacking fringes more is an area for consideration next year. Douglas Whiter captained the side very well from 10 and he set excellent examples for the boys to follow on the field. His game management was well thought out and his commitment to the tackle and contact area was an example to any back row player that earned him, man of the match awards in the first two games. Tom Robinson and Sam Hudson were both very dependable in the centres defensively and both made good ground in attack. They still need to read how to play off each other a bit more fluently and consider when offloads are essential, at times they offer scoring passes and at others slow down our go forward momentum. Sam also played at full back in Daily Mail Cup games, where he offered an altogether different attacking weapon to the team, where 3rd former Will Fordy justified his selection in the centres. Will Quinn is a great ball player and has excellent game understanding. He learnt how to appear in the backline as a second receiver from right wing or full back and distributed the ball very well. When Douggie missed a few games through injury Will slotted into fly half like a natural. The wing positions changed regularly throughout the season with different players offering different qualities, nobody really had the size and pace to finish regularly, so all need to consider how they can affect the game more. Andrew Hulmes and Tom Gill play like natural wingers, but I would like to see them come off their wings and get involved in the game. David Bird still has excellent agility, but does not finish as regularly as he used to. Continuity in the tackle and picking his attacking lines need to be practiced. David did work on these well throughout the year and played a few games at full back at the end of the year and seemed more comfortable there. Charlie Bellingall pushed hard for a place after many sterling games in the B’s. He played well on the wing, more as an extra midfield player. Picking great short lines and keeping the continuity of attacks alive well.

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I was very pleased with the progress and performance of the boys over the year. I don’t think that long breaks for half term and exeats helped us. After eventually constructing a convincing Daily Mail Cup win against Tadcaster Grammar School we came unstuck against South Hunsley High School. Rustiness and lack of cohesion meant we wasted dominant possession in the game, and eventually lost to an interception try in the last minute. All in all I believe great progress was made by individuals and the team’s ethic and ability can certainly prosper in the future. When they played at their best, with everybody doing their jobs they were a match for any team on a very strong circuit. Mr N Savage hitting good lines with slick handling, making good pass and kick selections, running good moves that created chaos in many a defence; however it is safe to say size was the key issue this season in attack and defence. As a side, bar 2 or 3, these U14’s were a small group of boys who most of the season had to combat size and weight in each game, they could no longer rely on the abundance of skill with ball in hand. They could all tackle well enough, but as a unit the defence kept letting us down. There are no such thing

U14 A Fresh from the summer break and with an eagerness to impress in their new surrounds; the 2012 season started with a strong 57-7 rout of local rivals GSAL. There were some new faces that combined with some seasoned combatants to make up the first starting XV of the term and the first game showed promise to build on. Yet more new faces and a chance for others to show their mettle at Woodhouse grove saw us come slightly unstuck by some sloppy and naive defence against a side with far more pace than we could handle. It was a similar story against old rivals Ampleforth a week later, out gassed and out muscled; a win against Hymers was pleasing but there was certainly work to be done. The squad worked had as a unit at the core skills in attack,

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as poor tacklers, just poor defensive systems. The boys worked stoically for the best part of 3 weeks on defensive structure, all while in each Saturday game we played, the opposition got bigger, stronger and nastier! Some really hard fought games against big sides QEGS, Wakefield, Barnard Castle and Durham School saw us learn huge lessons. Against these sides he boys had to work hard in every minute of the game and put in some excellent displays of courage and determination; never backing down and working hard until each final whistle. The rewards finally came with well-earned and hard fought for victories against Newcastle RGS and Bradford G.S. The forward unit developed well together all season. The front row combinations of Adelugba, Freshwater, Hayes and Martin were the solid foundations upon which the scrum was built. New additions towards the end of the season of Maher, Thubron and Henson added the much needed power we often lacked. Corner, Simpson and Davies complimented each other well, good ball carriers and excellent scavengers, stealing ball from the opposition with unbelievable ease, always making a nuisance of themselves. The find of the term was certainly Tom Dowdy who moved to number 8 from the second row, he never gave less than 100% at anything. Quick and aggressive he developed much more thought and skill to his game as the season progressed and always in

support of the ball carrier; he has a bright future ahead of him. The half back pairing of Patmore at 9 and Burdass at 10 showed skill, composure and excellent tactical awareness, allowing them to use the various centre pairings of Hanly, Huffer, Fordy and Roberts to try and exploit opposition backlines. The back three combinations worked well together: Van der Boorgh, Elliot, Coombe ran with pace and agility, all developing their game as the season progressed. At full-back, Stephenson became increasingly composed and more and more confident at hitting the back line with an injection of pace and good vision. These boys showed throughout the term that they wanted to get better, they gradually learned to work for each other, and the squad learned the importance of teamwork, discipline and sticking together through thick and thin. They have the talent, as a side they are well balanced and have many key attributes for success as the move through the school. In total 24 boys represented the U14 A squad throughout the course of the term, each of them working hard on their own personal and teams goals. My thanks to Dr Thompson for all of his help and input throughout the season; and to Joe Simpson who steadily grew into the leadership role of captain. Mr G Sharp

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Tom Hawksworth also played all ten, notching up numerous breath-taking tackles and six tries; pound for pound, Tom must have been one of the most effective players in the school! As we approached the final game the team was confident in themselves and faced a Bradford side which, in retrospect, we probably underestimated. Deservedly our hosts lead by 10-0 at half time and were providing real challenges for the boys. It is to this team’s great credit that they kept their heads and two tries from Sam Lightwing (a nine-game stalwart of the back row) and conversion from Robbie Brown edged us ahead. As the second half neared its end Bradford seized the initiative with a converted try before Ravin crossed the line with minutes to go to level the scores. Under tremendous pressure,

Under 14 B XV

Sam Elliott then scored the conversation to take what had been

Under 14 rugby must be the most exciting in the school. New

to end a very enjoyable season.

faces arrive, get quickly shuffled into teams for the first weekend

The team was selected from:

and thereafter change in all manner of ways. Some are clearly mis-selected, others grow like bamboo while others learn skills and gain confidence more quickly that one would have thought possible. The consequence is an ever changing team list and rapid increases in individual skills and team cohesion. All told, 28 different boys represented the U14B XV this year of whom 20 made the score sheet. Only four boys played all of our ten fixtures. The season was a successful by any measure. In terms of results seven of the ten matches resulted in wins and the

an excellent game. It was Boys’ Own stuff and a wonderful way

D.A. Adelugba, W.D.C. Andrews, J.S. Bates, R.S.Brown, N.J.R. Chapman, G.A. Davis, R. Dhesi, C.R. Dunn, S.R. Elliott, W.G. Fryer, J.A.J. Guyer, T.W. Hawksworth, F. Heijbroek, A.C.G. Henson, W.M.S. Huffer, G.F. Ingall, J.A. Jaworski, S.R. Jones, S.P. Lightwing, A.T. Martin, G.F. O’Neill, M.L. Roberts, S.J. Stanford, J. Stanyon-Carr, A.H. Stephenson, J.P. Taylor, E.O. Thubron and F. Van der Borgh. Results: GSAL

(h)

24-17

Woodhouse Grove

(a)

24-7

The season began slowly with some tough fixtures; a rather

Hymers

(h)

50-5

disjointed display against GSAL was followed by Woodhouse

Ampleforth

(h)

31-5

QEGS

(a)

17-5

Pocklington

(h)

19-10

ball more securely and create better platforms from which

Barnard Castle

(a)

78-0

to attack. Ruck ball particularly improved and at scrum half,

RGS Newcastle

(h)

49-7

George Ingall (one of the side’s ever-presents) found himself

Durham

(h)

54-12

Bradford GS

(a)

19-17

total points tally was 332 for and 118 against.

Grove who proved amongst the best organised sides we faced. Played two, lost two was not an ideal start but, as the boys became used to playing together, they began to recycle

with a little more time to choose options and release a back line growing in confidence with every game. In Will Andrews and George O’Neil, the team had the luxury of choice at fly half and between them they played 17 games and scored 80 points. The game against Pocklington came at a good time and proved something of a classic if you can get such a thing at this level. Two evenly matched sides trying to play open rugby on a warm, sunny day resulted in a game which swung on a few moments. Unfortunately it swung the way of the visitors and, I for one, will be keen to see how this fixture turns out when the sides meet as U15s. If the adage that the forwards decide the result while the backs decide the score is true, the team was lucky to have Joe Bates and Ravin Dhesi playing every game. Between them and their fellow forwards we managed to impose structure on the game and secure at least our share of first phase ball. On the wing,

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U14 and U15 C Due to numbers, the U14 and U15 C players were combined to create a potent team. Many of them progressed well over the term and raised their game as they played Ampleforth 3 times. There was a clear grit and determination in the team as they faced teams of varying ability with the first match being a very satisfying victory. The team’s strength was in attack with powerful running from Oskar Fraser-Kraus and Anson Shum. Rohan Choudry and Jack McCartney were tenacious and excellent in defence making numerous tackles in a game. Well done to all those involved – there was much progress in both courage and skill. Mr WJ Allan

Sport

Senior Sevens Report Our first tournament of the season was away at Durham. In near freezing conditions a mixed set of results saw us win the Plate competition beating Ashville in the final. Unfortunately weather was then to play a part with the Mount St Mary’s Sevens Tournament cancelled. We then played the Hymers Sevens and continued to improve, progressing through the group and reaching the semi-finals. Our final tournament was at Rosslyn Park where we had unfortunately drawn the favourites Wellington in our group. We won all the other matches relatively easily but could not get past Wellington, putting up a good fight, going down 17-7. Well done to all boys who played in the senior sevens squad.

Squad B.Lightwing, N.Stephen, D.George, W.Booth, C.Greswold, C.Craig, H.Scroggs, H.Dixon, W.Pepper, C.Elliott, H.Gray, S.McCullagh. Mr S Williams

U 16 Rugby 7’s The U16 sevens squad was really put to the test this season what with the weather, other extracurricular commitments and their academic studies!! Their commitment to training in their own time was exceptional and emphasised how much this mattered to them.

lessons for later in the season at Pocklington. Having won one game and led in two more we were eventually overpowered. We went to Pocklington with high hopes of doing well and going off to Rosslyn Park with a win under our belts. Half the side were away on DoE but the squad players who had learnt so much at Durham complimented the main group of boys to play some superb sevens and come away winners of the cup. This set us up for Rosslyn Park where the boys would have had a decent chance of progressing into the second day. Sadly the weather was to intervene again and all these efforts were in vain as the tournament had to be cancelled. This was unbelievably frustrating for the boys who had trained so hard in their own time to give themselves a real chance of national success. This is the sort of disappointment sportsmen have to cope with; no rearrangements just cancellation and move on. The boys handled this very well and must now hope for better luck over the next two years. The entire squad were a pleasure to coach and showed great courage and commitment throughout , always the smallest side in stature never the smallest side in term of heart and brains.

Squad: J. Bottomley, B.Williams, H.Stothard, D.Marsh, A.Longbottom, J.Field, G. Gao, H.Richardson, O.Leedham, S.Tolley, H.Adams, E.Stephen, F.Craig, W.Shaw, M.Jones, E.Cotter, J.Taylor, J.Wilson, A.Duffy, T.McGill. Mr S Williams

At Newcastle we did very well playing some very good sevens but fell short at the semi-final stage. I think the boys learnt a great deal from their experiences at this tournament especially the need to use the full squad during the early parts of tournaments so that all players are as fresh as possible for the latter stages. This is only possible if the boys start strong and get points on the board early. At our own tournament played in great weather at York Rugby club we had a superb day only to run out of steam in the final against Leeds. This was not surprising as many of the team had also played, and won through, in the weather delayed Yorkshire round of the U16 national hockey championships on the Monday of that same week (5 games of hockey over a six hour period!). By the Saturday of that week we were playing in our third major tournament of the week. Consequently we used squad players who had played in only one of the other two events so that their academic studies and physical well-being were not being harmed. The side gave of their all and a number learned important

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NETBALL 1st VII Much excitement surrounds the netball season. Firstly the term is so short and there’s a lot to get through and secondly, competition for team places is incredibly high. At any one time St Peter’s can field 5 senior teams showing great strength in depth. The addition of a super league player into the coaching team certainly added excitement too. Not only were the girls’ able to see Stephanie Wilson in action on Sky TV, they were also given the opportunity to attend two televised games to see the level of performance for themselves. This helped with focus and understanding, particularly when bringing new concepts into training.

Greater emphasis was placed on fitness and zone positional work. More demands were being placed on options off any one ball and pockets of teams throughout each section of the court looked to switch and interplay.vGreater positional discipline and cutting out cross court balls, meant a lot of change in a small period of time and in the short term, results seemed not to be forthcoming.

Beginning the season with a coaching session involving the Yorkshire Jets had a direct effect on the first game on the fixture list with an explosive start against Barnard Castle for the 1st’s. This was followed by an equally impressive midweek win against Yarm. Then the training kicked in.

GSAL was the first disappointment with the opposition team fielding national and regional players. Losing heavily 34-11 helped to focus intent and the desire to lift the level beyond that which they had achieved previously. This took time, relentless hours and moments of pure exhaustion. However, game by game elements started to pull together. The game against RGS Newcastle was a frustrating example. Flashes of dominance and fast court interchanges were punctuated by loose cross court balls, often floated into the circle. The tall and athletic defenders from Newcastle scooped enough to force a succession of changeovers that proved crucial as a 1 point lead became a 3 point lead and the game closed at 26-29 against us. However, the understanding within the team was growing as was the determination. We knew the fixture list was tougher and the demands greater.

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The following represented the 1st team Rachel Moore (Capt), Chloe Lister, Felicity Punnett, Lavinia Taylor, Scarlet Shaw, Harriet Andrews, Pippa Martin, Tansy Tomlinson, Sian Bigger.

1st VII Netball Results

Ashville, always strong, proved frustrating also - only because we were aware of the capability of our team, but the team was yet to play together. Losing 26-36 left a bitter taste, only because it was a matter of time before practice made perfect – 1 step forward …2 steps back. Then suddenly it clicked. Ampleforth were left reeling from the pace, agility and composure with turnover after turnover reaping goals. An 11 goal lead in the first 10 minutes and only 1 goal conceded in the remainder of the match was a tremendous break-through moment. Winning 25-5 in a 30 minute match was outstanding and from here on in, confidence soared. Pocklington were unable to clinch a victory and in the final fixture of the season, a 44-20 victory over Queen Margaret’s cemented the reputation of this resilient side. An invitational tournament with all major independent schools in the north competing closed the season. Victories were posted over Woodhouse Grove, Queen Margaret’s, Silcoates and Stoneyhurst with the team only losing to a strengthened Sedbergh side who fielded three national players. As a team the development over a short season was significant.

Date

Team

Opposition

Result

12/01/13

1st VII

Barnard Castle

Won 26-9

19/01/13

1st VII

Worksop

Cancelled

23/01/13

1st VII

GSAL

Lost 11-34

30/01/13

1st VII

Yarm

Won 13-11

02/02/13

1st VII

GS Newcastle

Lost 26-29

09/02/13

1st VII

Ashville

Lost 26-36

13/02/13

1st VII

Worksop

Cancelled

02/03/13 1st V11

Pocklington

Won 23-17

09/03/13

1st VII

Ampleforth

Won 25-5

13/03/13

1st VII

Yarm

Won 37-21

16/03/13

1st VII

Queen Margaret’s

Won 44-20

20/30/13 1st VII Invitational Beat Woodhouse Grove Tournament Beat Silcoates Beat Queen Margaret’s Beat Stoneyhurst FINAL Runners Up to Sedbergh

2nd VII The 2nd VII are an equally impressive team and their unit play offered a strong challenge to the 1st VII. An emphatic start to the season against Barnard Castle, winning 42-6, was a clear indicator to the determination of this talented squad. Their training ran alongside the 1st team and a high level of focus and great speed bringing the ball through the court, delivered a string of impressive victories. Against RGS Newcastle, a 22-19 win was a direct result of a well organised squad, resilient against pressure. Their most impressive win was against Ashville, again played to the wire and the whistle. End to end and goal to goal, both teams converted from their centre passes. However, one crucial turnover in the final quarter and a further goal from their centre pass clinched a memorable 24-22 victory and cemented the reputation for the talent in depth

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2nd/3rd/4th/5th VII Netball Results Date

Team

Opposition

Result

12/01/13

2nd VII

Barnard Castle

Won 42-6

Worksop

Cancelled

2nd VII

GSAL

Lost 14-19

23/01/13

3rd VII

Sedbergh

Lost 22-10

30/01/13

2nd VII

Yarm

lost 7-10

02/02/13

2nd VII

GS Newcastle

won 22-19

02/02/13

3rd VII

GS Newcastle

won 15-12

02/02/13

4th VII

GS Newcastle

lost 7-14

09/02/13

2nd VII

Ashville

won 24-22

09/02/13

3rd VII

Ashville

lost 16-27

09/02/13

4th VII

Ashville

won 32-15

Worksop

Cancelled

19/01/13 2nd/3rd/4th VII 23/01/13

which exists amongst the girls. Queen Margaret’s, Pocklington and Ampleforth were unable to challenge this squad of players, who closed the season having lost only two fixtures. Brilliant work and great potential for next season.

13/02/13 2nd/3rd/4th VII The following represented the 2nd VII

02/03/13

2nd VII

Pocklington

Won 21-20

Emma Stephenson (Capt), Keira Barnard, Josie Proctor, Lucy Mahon, Sian Bigger, Georgia Townend, Zara Gower, Sally Hicks, Minna Gabbertas.

02/03/13

3rd VII

Pocklington

won 20-4

06/03/13

2nd/3rd V11

Bootham

won

09/03/13

2nd VII

Ampleforth

Won 21-7

09/03/13

3rd VII

Ampleforth

won 35-6

13/03/13

2nd VII

Yarm

won 29-13

13/03/13

3rd VII

Yarm

won 28-20

13/03/13

4th VII

Yarm

won 15-10

13/03/13

5th VII

Yarm

won 22-19

16/03/13

2nd VII

Queen Margaret’s Won 35-10

16/03/13

3rd VII

Queen Margaret’s lost 31-40

3/4th VII

Mrs H Barnard As always many schools struggle to field the strength in depth that St Peter’s has to offer, but where possible fixtures were contested. The majority of matches were won comfortably and the focus and talented which characterises the senior 1st and 2nds is evident in the 3rds and 4ths – even the 5ths! Well done to all. An incredible picture of competitive participation.

U15 The U15 A and B girls Netball teams made pleasing progress throughout the season, and in what was a relatively small group of individuals (due to this being a small year group) they should all be commended for their commitment and efforts throughout the season.

The following represented the 3rd & 4th VII teams M Spencer, S Hinde, L Field, E Illingworth, J Fairbank, E Rawson, H Taylor, K Phillips, K Raines, E Watts M Foster, G Calvert, G Cornock, I Hall, A Cranston, H Ramalingham, G Ward, C Burdass, S Blackburn, L Caley.

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In a tough first game the U15A’s lost 10-22 to Harrogate Ladies College and the B’s lost to Barnard Castle 11-17. However, despite this set-back the girls focussed well back on the training ground. Some hard work in consequent training sessions saw great

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improvement in tactical and technical play, and this was reflected in the close 10-9 loss against Sedbergh in the 3rd week of term. From this point in the season the girls’ performance improved noticeably. Despite both A and B teams losing to strong Ashville sides, movement around the court and attacking play in particular was pleasing. The girls came off the court with high levels of morale and motivation which were taken into training. Once again the U15’s had resounding success against Ampleforth, beating them convincingly 15-7, in a game that they took control of from the start. Unfortunately the York and District Netball Tournament was cancelled due to bad weather, and rearranged on a date that clashed with other school commitments. Despite this St. Peter’s were able to field a changed team in the tournament. Having not played Netball for a number of weeks prior to the tournament the girls’ play was somewhat dis-jointed, and on a windy evening they really struggled to get the ball in the net. They were knocked out of the competition in the group rounds having lost to Queen Margaret’s, and Joseph Rowntree School. Overall, a pleasing season, with lots of hard work and progress made. Well done to all team players for their continued commitment and effort!

Calvert and Phoede Phillips were missing very few opportunities to score and the defending skills of Tilly James and Jenny Elliot were equally exceptional. During the season the team were unbeaten and on many occasions were just too strong for the opposition, which resulted in numerous positional changes! Under the excellent captaincy of Jess Webster the team always played with immense discipline and the depth and speed of the three mid court players (Amelia Bell, Annabel Blackburn and Beth Harley) were continually outstanding – what we lacked in height we most certainly made up for in skill, agility and speed!

The following girls represented the A team: O Calvert, P Phillips, T James, J Elliott, J Webster (capt.), A Bell, A Blackburn, B Hartley The B team was also a very strong team, losing no matches and beating the A teams from other schools. All girls played with commitment, dedication and lots of enthusiasm. Pleasingly their levels of fitness also improved as the term progressed. Their singularly best performance was most certainly against Ashville College – a 36-2 win demonstrated what talented players they were.

The following girls represented the B team; E. Brierly, E. Nelson, R. Tait, I. Cotter, E. Caley, C. Hughes, G. Richardson, H. Ford, C. Bythel

Miss E Pledge

The following girls represented the U15A/B Netball squads this year: E. Adcock, S. Booth, O. Collins, X. Cook, L. Galloway, L. Garnett, M. Grant, I. Hedley, C. Hodgson, J. House, C. Leddon, S. Lloyd, M. Palmer, R. Tait, L. Taylor,

Results:

Team

12th Jan

U14A

12th Jan

U14B

Barnard Castle A

Won 11-10

19th Jan

U14A

Worksop

Won 27-12

Opposition

Result

Harrogate ladies College Won 24-22

19th Jan

U14B

Worksop

Won 14-11

23rd Jan

U14A

Sedbergh

Won 16-10

2nd Feb

U14A

R G S Newcastle

Won 28-11

2nd Feb

U14B

R G S Newcastle

Cancelled ice

9th Feb

U14A

Ashville

Won 32-26

9th Feb

U14B

Ashville

Won 36-2

13th Feb

U14A

Worksop

Snow

13th Feb

U14B

Worksop

Snow

Harrogate Ladies College Sedbergh RGS Newcastle Ashville College (A) Ashville College (B) Queen Mary’s Yarm Barnard Castle

Lost Lost Won Lost Won Won Won Lost

10-22 9-10 28-10 24-41 18-12 13-8 11-17

2nd March U14A

Pocklington

Won 36-27

Ampleforth

Won

15-7

2nd March U14B

Pocklington

Won 28-17

9th March U14A

Ampleforth

Won 22-9

9th March U14B

Ampleforth

Won 14-7

16th March U14A

Queen Margaret’s

Won

16th March U14B

Queen Margaret’s

Won

U14 The U14 netball season started early for the U14 girls as they embarked on the National schools competition – which is held in October. Consequently, as well as playing hockey, the team had to train during the lunch break in order to prepare for the competition. In the first round, which was held at Joseph Rowntree School, the girls managed to qualify and progressed to the North Yorkshire competition. At this stage the standard of competitors was high and unfortunately the team came third – halting their progression in the competition. As a result of the pre-season competitions the team was prepared fully for the start of the season - the two shooters, Olivia

House Netball results. Junior House Netball.

Senior House Netball

1st:

Hope

1st:

Dronfield

2nd: Clifton

2nd:

Rise

3rd:

Queens

3rd:

Hope

4th:

Dronfield

4th:

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GIRLS’ HOCKEY Girls’ 1st X1 Following a successful pre-season programme, which a large number of girls attended, it was disappointing for the girls 1st X1 team to lose out 1-0 to Queen Margaret’s in their first game of the season. It was a frustrating game which saw the girls struggle to play flowing Hockey. With a number of new additions to the team and many established players undertaking new positions and roles, it was obvious that there was a lot of work to be done. A number of wins followed as the girls found their stride, beating Giggleswick, Hymers, and Yarm away 3-0. In the first round of the National School’s competition St Peter’s went through as runners up having only lost to Queen Margaret’s (for the second time this season) in the final. They were then unfortunate not to qualify for the North East Round on a day when they were unable to capitalise on a number of opportunities.

Having refocused in training, the girls followed this defeat with a 1-1 draw at RGS, where it was clear the team was beginning to ‘gel’. They did just about everything in this game except score! St. Peter’s also then beat Barnard Castle 2-1 in a game that really didn’t reflect the score line. On a cold and blustery day up at Barnard Castle, the team approached the game in a much more attacking manner and played some increasingly mature Hockey. This was the point in the season where the team really started to turn things around.

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By far the best game of the season performance wise was against Ampleforth. On a busy day of fixtures, the girls produced a performance way above anyone’s expectations. However, despite some excellent long ball distribution from centre backs Sally Hicks and Izzy Taylor, and some fantastic movement along the base line from Elle Illingworth and Harriet Andrews and Ellie Martin, St. Peter’s were unable to put the ball in the back of the net! The game finally ended 1-1 and both teams agreed that St. Peter’s had been extremely unlucky to be unable to capitalise on such a fantastic performance. Indeed, moments when Mr Couttie is at a loss for

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words are few and far between, however in the match de-brief, I do believe that this was the case! Despite leading the game after 2 minutes following an exciting breakaway and finish by Ruby Wilson, the first team girls had a rude awakening in their match against Worksop College! With a

number of sports scholars in the Worksop side, and many of their girls regularly playing for clubs in the area too, the St. Peter’s girls soon realised that the pace of the game at this standard was much higher, and that as a result they would have very little time on the ball. With the score at 5-1, 20 minutes into the game it was captain Zara Gower who should be credited with leading the team from the front and ‘upping her game’ to meet Worksop’s (very high) standard! Following a clear team talk at half time the rest of the girls also lifted their game. They became much more competitive in the second half, and following some ‘gutsy’ defending from Josie Procter, Emma Stephenson and Georgia Townend and some great keeping by Ellie Fletcher the final score was 7-1.

In the final game of the season the girls lost 2-0 to Pocklington. Despite this being a disappointing note upon which to end the season, the standard of the Hockey played in this game reflected just how far this team had come since those very wet pre-season

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2nd XI The 2nd XI girls’ hockey team had a successful season with seven wins, one draw and only two defeats. Throughout the season the team showed a great attitude and commitment towards improving. This was evident with members of the team fluttering between 2nd and 1st during the season. The team consisted of a combination of seniors and fifth form girls, who formed quickly into an effective team. training sessions back in August! The transfer across the back line and distribution through to the forwards was much improved, and the movement of the forwards to allow the midfield to distribute the ball was also particularly pleasing. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the girls for their efforts this year. In my first year at the school it has been an absolute pleasure to work with such a highly motivated and focussed team of individuals. Miss E Pledge

The following girls represented the first team this year: H. Andrews, L. Barron, E. Fletcher, Z. Gower (captain), A. Greswold, R. Hall, S. Hicks, E. Illingworth, C. Lister, E. Martin, J. Procter, S. Shaw, E. Stephenson, H. Taylor, I. Taylor, G. Townend, R. Wilson,

Results:

During the course of the season, the team played an attacking style of hockey which was evident by their proficient manner in front of goal, scoring twenty-five goals in ten games. To balance the 2nd XI strong attacking play was a formidable commitment in defence, built on hard work and their healthy desire to win for each other. The girls must be congratulated on their individual and team achievements this term. A special thank you must be made to the senior girls who are leaving this year, for the time and positive contribution they have made to St Peter’s hockey. The girls have been a pleasure to coach and I wish them good luck in the future. Mr Couttie

The following girls represented the first team this year: L. Barron, R. Hall, L. Taylor, F. Punnett, H. Taylor, Z. Pinder, E. Carmen, M. Gabbertas, A. Cranston, H. Gee, M. Foster, K. Phillips, S. Bigger, C. Lister, S. Hinde.

Queen Margaret’s

Lost

0-1

RGS Newcastle

Drew

1-1

Barnard Castle

Won

2-1

Queen Margaret’s

Lost

0-1

Giggleswick

Won

5-2

RGS Newcastle

Won

6-0

Ampleforth

Drew

0-0

Barnard Castle

Won

6-1

Worksop College

Lost

1-7

Giggleswick

Won

4-2

Hymers

Won

5-0

Ampleforth

Won

1-0

Yarm

Won

3-0

Worksop College

Won

2-1

Sedbergh

Lost

2-0

Hymers

Won

4-1

Pocklington

Lost

2-0

Yarm

Won

4-0

Sedbergh

Drew

1-1

Pocklington

Lost

1-3

Results:

3rd XI The 3rd team started the season strongly, with a victory over Queen Margaret’s. They also enjoyed victories over Barnard Castle, Ampleforth, Worksop and Hymers to name a few. The squad worked hard throughout the season and the strength and depth was phenomenal. They should be proud of their achievements and in particular, rounding the season off in style with a 4-0 victory over Pocklington. Miss H Stanwix

The following girls represented the 3rd team this year:

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S. Bigger, C. Burdass, G. Calvert, S. Carlton, L. Cayley, A. Cranston, J. Daye, A. Fairbank, J. Fairbank, L. Field, S. France, H. Langford, P. Martin, H. Megone, K. Phillips, E. Rawson, G. Ward, E. Williams,

Results: Queen Margaret’s

Won

2-0

Barnard Castle

Won

3-0

Ampleforth

Won

5-0

Worksop College

Won

4-0

Hymers

Won

6-2

Sedbergh

Won

3-0

Pocklington

Won

4-0

4th XI The 4th team had another successful season both on and off the pitch. The girls worked hard in training and their strength and determination showed in their many victories. They defeated Giggleswick, Worksop and Hymers all with winning margins of 3 goals or more. The girls were a pleasure to coach and I wish them all a great summer. They were hard-working and committed, even in some testing weather conditions! Praise must go to the captains of both sides for their maturity and dedication throughout the season. Miss H Stanwix

The following girls represented the 4th team this year: K. Barnard, G. Calvert, J. Fraser, S. Blackburn, H. Harrison, K. Harrison, L. Hunter, I. Jeffries, K. Raines, J. Scott, E. Watts, I. Hall, H. Whitehouse, L. Whiter, E. Williams.

Results: Queen Mary’s

Lost

1-4

Giggleswick

Won

5-1

Ampleforth

Won

2-0

Worksop College

Won

6-0

Hymers

Won

4-1

U15 The U15 girls’ hockey team had a fantastic season. Despite being a very small year group every girl stepped up to the mark and played some exceptionally skilful and determined hockey – the inexperienced players grew in confidence and their level of skill improved – the girls, with more experience, must be congratulated on their continued support and encouragement that they demonstrated throughout the season. As customary the first match of the season, against Queen Margaret’s school was a battle and it was evident that fitness levels had to be increased…rapidly! The following three matches were also very hard fought and, as the matches progressed, it was pleasing to

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see the team starting to gel together and, most importantly, play with renewed confidence and trust in each other.

Date 8th September

Queen Margaret’s

Lost

1-2

The team’s best performance of the season was undoubtedly the match against Barnard Castle; every girl put in 100% effort and battled against a very skilful, equally determined, side. With renewed determination it was evident that the girls did not want to loose and pulled out all the stops to maintain the win – well done.

17 September

Queen Mary’s

Won

5-0

29th September

Barnard Castle

Won

2-1

6th October

Giggleswick

Drew

3-3

13th Oct

Ampleforth

Lost

1-2

10th Nov

Worksop

Won

3-0

Hannah Lawrence must be congratulated on being chosen to represent the regional performance squad – well done on her selection.

17th Nov

Hymers

Lost

0-2

1st December

Sedbergh

8th December

Pocklington

I wish the girls well as they enter the senior hockey teams – they are all capable of stepping up to the mark!

Opposition

Result Score

Cancelled SNOW Won

3-2

The following girls represented the U15 team: A. Connelly- Bosson, E Dobson, I Bartlett, R Tait, M Palmer, P. Simpson, J House, H Lawrence (captain), O Shread, A HedlamMorley, M Grant, L Taylor, T Antrum, A Greswold (also represented the 1st XI).

U14 The U14’s as a year group are very talented. New faces joining those from St Olave’s were quick to prove themselves within selection and added a competitive dynamic which kept the standards high.

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Well done to all U14’s who competed this year. All players have blended well and have shown a fantastic work ethic.

Results

The initial fixtures are a time for experimentation and establishing systems of play and an early defeat to Queen Margaret’s was soon replaced by cohesive unit play. The A team were strong in attack and in the midfield and were complemented by tenacious defending. A similar pattern of play was also adopted by the interchanging B squad. From the second week into the fixture programme, results were converted St Peter’s way, in both the A and B matches. Aside from the friendly school fixture programme, the A team also won the County Round of the National Schools’ competition, to progress to the North Semi-Finals in their first season playing together. They lost on penalty flicks in the semi-finals and have galvanised a reputation as a team to look out for as they progress through the seasons ahead.

08/09/12

U14 A V Queen Margaret’s

0-3

08/09/12

U14 B V Queen Margaret’s

1-1

15/09/12

U14 A V Queen Mary’s

6-0

15/09/12

U14 B V Queen Mary’s

1-0

19/09/12

U14 A V Hill House

7-0

19/09/12

U14B V Tadcaster Grammar

5-0

29/09/12

U14 A V Barnard Castle

W 4-0

29/09/12

U14 B V Barnard Castle

3-0

06/10/12

U14 A V Giggleswick

7-0

06/10/12

U14 B V Giggleswick

2-0

13/10/12

U14 A V Ampleforth

7-0

13/10/12

U14 B V Ampleforth

2-2

10/11/12

U14 A V Scarborough College

0-0

10/11/12

U14 B V Worksop

14-1

17/11/12

U14 A V Hymers

1-5

17/11/12

U14 B V Hymers

2-0

01/11/12

U14 A/B V Sedbergh

cancelled

08/12/12

U14 A V Pocklington

4-1

08/12/12

U14 B V Pocklington

6-0

York & District R/U County Winners North of England semi-finalists

The following girls consistently represented the teams: E CALEY, J ELLIOT, E NELSON, R TAIT, J WEBSTER , I COTTER,P PHILLIPS ,O CALVERT ,A BELL,B HARTLEY,A BLACKBURN,H ORD, E KELLY, J CROWTHER, M MORRIS, A. CONNELLY-BOSSON, C. HUGHES, G RICHARDSON, L.LEEDHAM, T JAMES, E. KELLY, O.WHITEHOUSE, I SHARPE ,M MORRIS, J CROWTHER, A JACKSON, T BELL , E WRIGHT, E.GRAHAM, T.MARSHALL, S GILL, C BYTHELL, F BOOTH, R GABBERTAS, P MOSS,

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BOYS’ HOCKEY 1st XI This year we enjoyed a very successful year winning all school boy fixtures but one against a very strong QEGS side consisting of 5 north of England players and 7 Yorkshire players. The first fixture was against Worksop, a very well regarded side. We had a superb start to the season putting in arguably the best team performance of the season winning 2-0. Despite being under a lot of pressure at the start our defence was superb with outstanding work rate from the forwards Harry Dixon, Jason Esposito and Calum Brown. This led to a goal being scored from a short corner from Captain Calum Craig and then another soon after half time to really put the pressure on. It would have been a perfect start for Captain Calum Craig but Olly Hicks stopped his hat trick goal by deflecting it off the line. Also notable debuts for Harry Stothard, Jason Esposito and Charlie Greswold playing with

competent ease. There was then a period of bad weather as the Giggleswick fixture was cancelled and the Styx was postponed. The next fixture was against Yarm and was dominated by a superb forwards display winning 8-1 despite the horrendous weather conditions. Harry Dixon and Tom Dickinson were superb both getting hat tricks and Jason Esposito and Calum Brown getting one each. However there were slight worries with the defence before a few big matches so we were required to work hard on team defence in training.

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The next rearranged fixture against Styx saw another great performance in a very exciting game finishing 7-4 to St Peter’s. The defence was up against some ex internationals and displayed great patience and determination led by left back Sam McCullagh marshalling the defence with Olly Hicks putting in a couple of outrageous diving tackles. Goal keeper Will Scholey came into his own in this match making a few incredible saves to ensure the victory. The forwards again led by Harry Dixon showed any team how to play good counter attacking hockey. Debuts from Charlie Elliot and Jack Crowther led to the best skill of the season from Charlie Elliot as he casually strolled past an ex international on the wing. 2 goals from Esposito and Tom Dickinson then one from Nick Stephen, Harry Dixon and Calum Brown. This was a great way to prepare ourselves for the national tournament in Wakefield. We were in a group with Thirsk, Hallcross, GSAL and Ampleforh . We played very well in all games winning 2-0, 6-0, 4-0 respectively then drawing 1-1 with a determined Ampleforth side. This put us into semi-final that would get us

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through to the next round. However the match was straight after our Ampleforth match and a very skilful Ermysted side outplayed us in the first half leading 1-0. However we regrouped well and the midfield worked hard and dominated the middle Will Booth playing exceptionally well at left mid field with his great work rate up and down the pitch. He was a constant in the side and has been for a couple of years his ability to read the game gave him an attacking threat that the team benefitted greatly from alongside Tom Dickinson. We managed to get a goal back through the ever goal scoring Harry Dixon to take it to extra time and then onto penalty flicks. Always a lottery but the senior players failed to lead from the front and unfortunately lost. It was a good tournament with the younger players really stepping up especially James Greenall which is very promising for next year. The next match was against Scarborough only a day after the tournament and so brought some very tired legs. However we played extremely well against a team with a few county players again winning 6-2 and witnessing our first own goal of the season. Calum Brown was the outstanding player in this match being a constant option in midfield and holding the ball up very well. Craig got two goals and Esposito and Dixon one each. The next fixture was against QEGS, always the hardest game of the year, and despite losing 3-1 all players did themselves proud working exceptionally hard and giving them a bit of a scare when we took it to 1-1 at half time after an outstanding finish from Harry Dixon, after an early aerial from Calum Craig catching the defence out and Harry Dixon using his pace to get behind the defence and make the finish of the season with a reverse flick over the keeper.

the team aspire to. Seeing how well he progressed and matured as a player through the season shows a great future for the school side in the future years. Calum Craig got the memorial cup dedicated to Roger Anderson for man of the match after another commanding performance in the centre of the park. The penultimate fixture was against Pandas, the Old Peterite side, who always look forward to the fixture. It was a closely contested match with Peter’s winning 3-1 Craig Dixon and Esposito whose finishing was calm and precise throughout the season with the goals. Not only the match itself but the event afterwards was a great way for both teams to meet and ensure that the fixture continues. Not only this though it inspired a lot of the departing leavers to join the club and keep the Pandas club continuing to grow and prosper.

Barnard Castle quickly followed winning 6-1 with two from Craig one from Brown, Esposito, Dixon and from the debutant young gun Freddie Heijbroek. It’s important to note Freddie is a third former who came into the side in the second half of the season and showed superb composure and a skill level the rest of

The final game was against Ampleforth the old rivals. As the last game for the majority of the team it was a great send off winning 5-1 two from Craig one from Booth, Dickinson and Esposito. It showed both our resilience and strength in defence alongside our great attacking hockey from the forwards ending a great season for the team.

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It would be remiss of me not to mention Calum’s contribution to school hockey. He has played five seasons in the first eleven, four as middle of midfield. His ability is unquestioned but perhaps more impressive has been his attitude towards all in the side. Calum has been considerate and encouraging to all. He has been an ambassador for St Peter’s hockey both on and off the field. Thank you. Caps are awarded to: Calum Craig, Harry Dixon and Sam McCullagh.

Although the majority of the side are leaving this year the younger players really stepped up throughout the season which is promising for the side in the future and marks the start of a new generation of Peter’s hockey. Cap was re-awarded to Calum Craig after five years in the first XI. Harry Dixon for his superb contribution throughout his three years of hockey for the school scoring goals at an incredible rate and giving the side that bit of class that made it so successful. Also Sam McCullagh who was excellent in defence for two years at left back making a hard position look positively easy and supplying strength and consistency to the defence which was invaluable. The always competitive top goal scorer award went to Harry Dixon this year. Very well deserved through his relentless attacking. He finished on 15 and Craig on 13. Thanks to Ollie and Jonners for their coaching and organisation. Calum Craig (Captain) This has been an excellent year for the First XI. Apart from the very good set of results they have been a pleasure to coach. They worked very hard for each other and were always supportive. I am confident that many of them will go forward to play many years of club hockey.

Colours are awarded to: Calum Craig, Harry Dixon, Sam McCullagh, Will Booth, Ollie Hicks, Calum Brown Nick Stephen Charlie Greswold Jason Esposito Will Scholey James Greenall Tom Dickinson . The stick is awarded for outstanding service to school hockey to Calum Craig The Burn trophy for most improved player to Calum Brown. The Pandas Cup for middle school player of the year to Harry Stothard Due to inclement weather the house matches were cancelled. This has been an outstanding season for boy’s hockey. The under 14 team are North of England champions and played in the national finals. This is the first time any hockey team from the school has reached that stage. They have won all their school matches scoring 53 goals and conceding only 2. The under 15 team are county champions. The under 16 team were joint county champions and qualified for the north finals. Many thanks to all who have played supported and coached the teams this season. Mr M Johnston

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2nd XI RESULTS

12/1/13

Worksop College

19/113 30/1/13

A A

Giggleswick School Thirsk School

2/2/2013

Pocklington School

9/2/2013

0-7

Cancelled L 2-4 L

2-3

H Scarborough

3-0

27/2/13

QEGS

0-1

2/3/13

Durham

0-5

6/3/13

Grammar School at Leeds

2-6

9/3/13

Pandas

0-2

16/3/13

Ampleforth College

3-2

24/3/13

Pocklington School

2-5

PLAYED 10 LOST 8

WON 2 GOALS 14 FOR

DREW 0 35 AGAINST

The following boys represented the team A Ayres, J Bellinghall, S Blott, C Burn, T Calvert, T Courtis, E Cotter, J Crowther, T Dickenson, S Dobson, J Eleanor. C Elliott, F Craig, H Eyres, N Fullick, D George, J Greenall, D Harding, T Kelly, A Longbottom, S Metcalfe, O Smith, J Stephenson The first match was away at Worksop College with the side captained by Chris Burn. Worksop scored two early goals and added a third just before half time from a penalty corner. Charlie Elliott may a great goal line save to keep the score at 3-0 at half time. Straight after half time Worksop scored their third penalty corner. St Peter ‘s School having no substitutes whilst Worksop had three, they tired and conceded three late goals and lost 7-0. On the Wednesday the side travelled to Thirsk School and were captained by Dan Harding in the absence of Chris Burn. They soon fell a goal behind but equalised with a penalty stroke well taken by Alex Ayres this left it 1-1 at half time. St

Peter’s played well in the early part of the second half passing the ball cleaning to each other. They were rewarded by Dylan George scoring a flicked goal. Thirsk equalised with 12 minutes left and the game seemed to heading for a draw however Thirsk scored two late goals to win 4-2. Next was a home game against Pocklington first which was a close contest Pocklington scored first through a short corner and Tom Calvert equalised just before half time. Pocklington scored early in second half and good individual goal by James Greenall levelled the scored. Pocklington snatched the winner late on to win 3-2.. The team had a home game on the Hubbard winning 3-0 against Scarborough College with goals from Sam Metcalfe, Alex Ayres and Charlie Elliott. After half term they had a tough game against QEGS and only lost 1-0 which was a very creditable result. This was followed by a heavy 5-0 defeat to Durham

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well this year. Sadly the truly dreadful weather at Ashville, playing against their 1st and 2nd teams proved too much and showed the A team that they had a long way to go before we could be confident of performance as well as endeavour. The key to this progress was the willingness of the lads to learn from these mistakes. We had great pace up front and a real willingness to run and run in midfield. In defence we could be really solid and compact. Performances improved and as we reached the Yorkshire finals tournament we felt confident that we would do ourselves justice. In the end we finished joint top with a very good Hall Cross side. This was very much a squad performance and the thirteen boys who played that day gave their all in a gruelling set of matches.

School first who had two very good players that either scored the goals or made them. An away game against GSAL first was another difficult fixture. GSAL took a two goal lead in the first half which they soon increased to 5-0 however St Peter’s then began to play and pull a goal back through Tom Dickinson late on GSAL scored their sixth only for Sam Metcalfe to score a minute later. Final score was 6-2. They then lost to Pandas 2-0 with Burn father and son playing in goal against each other. The team then played their best game away against Ampleforth College. Dylan George open the scoring for St Peters only for Ampleforth to equalise to make the half time score 1-1. Sam Metcalfe restored the lead only for them to equalise again. James Greenall then scored the winner with only 5 minutes left to give St Peters a 3-2 win. The last match was an away game at Pocklington which was a very disappointing end to the season losing 5-2. Goal were scored by Tom Dickinson and Tom Calvert. Mr Maltby

U 16 Yet again the weather played a major role in our season. Frozen pitches, training in very cold weather and playing in even worse made the start of the term very hard. Despite this the lads showed great promise at both A and B team level; with a number of players successfully making the transition from B to A team during the term. The very good win at A team level and great performance from the B team at Worksop suggested that we could really do

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Up front B.Williams , H.Richardson, J.Bottomley and N.Fullick posed real problems with their pace and movement off the ball. In midfield H.Stotthard, S.Dickinson, S.Tolley, E.Cotter, E.Stephen and Z.Ransomme played their hearts out. They learned a great deal in

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one classroom session taken by Millsy; as we had to abandon yet another freezing practice! He explained very clearly how to press effectively and when to press. This single session proved of great benefit and gave the boys more confidence in what they were doing as a team on the pitch. At the back we could be very good with O.Leedham proving to be a good organiser at sweeper and S.Blott , F.Craig and J.Wilson operating well together as full backs. As the season progressed they became much more confident in switching play and in getting the ball away from defensive positions in a constructive way. In goal D.Clough was a gifted player with great reactions and a fearless personality. He could dominate his D and will only get better next season. It was tremendous to see how the boys in both teams responded to “Millsy” who coached them with great patience and positivity. The great half court press against a very combative Scarborough side in the final game at the Yorkshire schools day proved a winning formula. In our next game in the competition we played Yarm School and were three nil down in the first half before we dragged ourselves back into the game scoring three tremendous goals. This was the best “result” of the season; the lads really fronted up and all gave every last bit of effort especially when we went down to ten men. To put the icing on the cake we won the “penalty shootout” to go through to the north finals day in Wakefield. It was at these finals, playing against full time hockey players who do no other sports, that we came up short, not in terms of effort, team tactics or commitment; but definitely in terms of individual skills and touch. We can work on these in the coming years and this must be a target for improvement in the off season this year. The lads were a pleasure to coach and my huge thanks go to them for the constructive and positive attitude they showed throughout the term. Thanks also go to the captain J.Bottomley and to Millsy and Cozzie for all their hard work.

U 16 A hockey squad ; D.Clough, O.Leedham, S.Blott, F.Craig, E.Cotter, S.Dickinson, H.Stotthard, B.williams, H.Richardson,J.Bottomley, N.Fullick, S.Tolloey, E.Stephen, Z.Ransomme, H.Adams, A.Longbottom, J.Wilson

U15 A ‘It’s hard to be humble when you are as great as I am’ Mohammed Ali This could easily have been the way that these boys could have viewed this hockey season. They won games as U14’s without breaking into a jog. However, ‘average performance’, just does not come into the mind set of these boys, who are hungry to get better and better. The side is a well-balanced hockey team, outstanding thoughtful games players, with a wealth of skill combined with fast pace and vast engines, all of whom have a huge capacity to take on board anything technical and tactical in sport. I could never fault their attitude to training and for taking the time to work on their basic skill sets which quickly became unparalleled on the circuit.

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Each game was a cup final for these boys and it was fast and furious every Saturday afternoon. As a team they began to gel as a unit. As the season went on, they began playing for each other more and seeing the team effort as the main focus. Sam Lodge in goal was a real find at the start of term, fearless, brave and with very skilful feet, however he often had little to do with such a good side in front of him. George Metcalfe was a rock at the back, developing and learning throughout the term. Sam Hudson and Tom Robinson, the spine of the midfield and the heartbeat of the team, fast, skilful and powerful, two boys who give everything. Will Kimpson and especially ‘Chilly’ Fryer were consistently outstanding performers, showing great skills and great vision well beyond their years. William Quinn, Joe Waterhouse, Freddie Greswold, Felix Fraser-Krauss all put in excellent performances throughout the term and used their pace and games awareness to get into excellent attacking positions. David Bird was an electric right winger and chased everything top to bottom every afternoon. Up front Tom Spearman, had a dry season by his standards in front of goal, but he was always in the right place at the right time, reading the game well with a great ability to finish the chances created with power and precision. The side conceded only 4 goals all season scoring well over 30 goals in both Saturday games and in tournaments. The boys won the Yorkshire Cup on a freezing cold afternoon in dramatic style 3-2 against Ampleforth, coming back from 2-0 down at half-time, it was a remarkable second half. The boys have a bright future ahead of them and I look forward to seeing them progress through St Peter’s. Well done boys, a fantastic season, one you should be proud of! My huge thanks, go to Roz Ramley for his professional and experienced input. Mr G Sharp

U14 A The U14A boys have had an extremely successful season this year and we hope to improve on it next year. We started the season with a friendly game against Worksop College, Mr Lancaster’s old school, Ted Patmore and Frederik Heijbroek showed exemplary skills to tear through Worksop’s defence and we defeated them quite comfortably 6-0. Many of our games seemed to follow the same pattern and we seemed to develop a strong chemistry. Defeating Pocklington’s U15A team 9-1: Ampleforth 12-1,Scarborough 9-0, Barney 10-0 and finally after having defeated Yarm 7-0 they decided to let us through to the North Finals because they did not want to play us again. We had scored 53 goals and conceded 2 as we sailed through to the Northern Finals. The standard was quite high but we comfortably won our group games. The Highlight of our season was definitely making our way to the National finals at Cannock; we were the first team from St Peter’s ever to make it that far. Most of the squad were nervous, as our training session on the pitch the night before had not been

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very productive. Our team had also seen the standard at which we were up against; Wycliffe School arrived and started their training next to us. We had a final inspirational team talk from Mr Lancaster and Mr Johnston; then left The Premier inn. Our first game was against Repton, they have a large number of boys and we knew it would not be easy after losing out narrowly to them last season. Many of our players were shocked and took some time to get used to the speed at which a high standard of hockey is played, which led to Repton scoring two cheap goals. We were 2-0 down at half time but came back into the game in the second half. St Peter’s are known for being physically fit and playing any sport at a high tempo throughout. This was our key to success. Towards the end of the second half we gained more chances to score goals but could not capitalise. We left the pitch disappointed but we were not finished yet. We still had two more games to play and we were looking forward to them. After a 45 minute snack and drinks break, we had a pre-match team talk from Mr Lancaster and Mr Johnston before we set out to defeat Dean Close School. They also played the game at an extreme pace and precision and demonstrated supreme elimination and passing skills. We made some good tackles putting pressure on their back four but our forwards had a chat with Mr Johnston at half time on how to improve. We came back in the second half after being 1-0 down through a lack of pace from me and Will Andrews at the back. Our defence sharpened in the second half and Sam Elliot scored our first and only goal of the day from the half way line; his shot took a deflection from a Dean Close player and slammed in to the backboard. Will Fordy was sent off due to a lack of knowledge as how to safely take down an ariel pass. This meant we lost our fastest defender and were vulnerable in defence. This lead to Dean Close scoring 3 times in the second half and St Peter’s losing 4-1. Many of the team were frustrated after this series of events and we wanted to give it our all in the final match against Wycliffe School. They had triumphed in all of their games and were the strongest side we have played. We pulled together as a squad and fought for a 3-0 loss. Our coaches Mr Johnston and Mr Lancaster were extremely proud of our efforts throughout the day; and so was our team scout Mr Maltby. It was a thrilling day and opened our eyes to the standard of hockey our team could reach. Hopefully we can have Mr Lancaster back to coach us next year; and at U16 level make it through to the National Finals and represent our school once again. Thanks from all of us to Mr Johnston, Mr Lancaster and Mr Maltby for a great season. We look forward to next year. Alex Martin III

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GIRLS’ TENNIS To be a good tennis player, you have to be able to play in the wind!! Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday we had to not only battle again the opposition and each other but also a cold North Easterly (at times gale force!) wind. The weather could have been kinder, but only a couple of matches were lost to rain. The Senior Squad consisted of twenty eight girls from the fifth and sixth years and one fourth year, Olivia Shread. Given that the younger girls were strong tennis players, competition for places was at an all-time high, with various play offs and challenge matches being regularly played to determine places. The fixture list generally had been extended and broadened in an attempt to get more quality opposition as well as more matches and on occasions it was great to see three and four Senior teams fielded at the same time. The first six got off to a tremendous start playing the prestigious Bradford Grammar School and went on to win the event; a very close call over a very talented Yarm School side. What a great start to the season! This was followed late in the week when all four teams beat Queen Margaret’s, again showing our strength in depth at senior level. One of our best matches, as always, was against the University of York played at the end of April on a warm sunny Friday evening. We played some of our best tennis of the season, playing ladies doubles, followed by mixed; winning some rubbers and losing some. This was followed by lovely refreshments. As the season progressed, strong pairings were established. Noticeably Sally Hicks and Keira Barnard. Helen Taylor and Olivia Shread played at number two and three pair. Some other strong players Lauren Caley, Emily Carman, Georie Cornock and Katharine

Phillips are all knocking on the door of First Team Tennis. At this stage, special mention must go to our Captain, Chloe Lister. Since her arrival in the third year, she has proved to be a reliable and technically sound hitter of the ball, who reads the game well. She has been the most talented all-round player at the school for many years and we will miss her presence on the court. What a great captain she has proved to be. She has had the experience of playing at Eton for five years in succession. It was therefore very fitting that Chloe became the first name on “The Shepherd Cup”. This Girls’ Singles event, in Wendy’s memory, was keenly contested over the term with Chloe beating Sally Hicks in the final. How proud Mrs Shepherd would have been to see the girls’ beautiful, consistent tennis, keeping unforced errors to a minimum. The U18 Girls won the majority of their matches but lost out in the league to Pocklington and Queen Margaret’s. Overall a tremendous season with maximum participation. I would like to thank Marius Barnard and Katharine Baker for their words of wisdom and coaching expertise. It was a great help and lovely for the girls. Thank you to all the senior girls for their hard work, willingness to play and enthusiasm. Well done. Mrs J M Whitehead

The following girls have represented the four Senior Tennis Teams: C Lister (Captain), R Widdicombe, S Hicks, K Barnard, H Taylor, O Shread, K Phillips, G Townend, G Cornock, E Carman, G Ward, L Caley, R Hall, S Reed, I Hall, H Ramalingham, S Pycock, L Field, S Hinde, E Rawson, M Gabbertas, Z Gower, H Langford, L Barron, H Whitehouse, E Williams, M Foster, A Cranston.

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Senior Tennis Results 17/04/2013 Bradford 1st Team Tournament 20/04/2013

1st VI v Queen Margaret’s

W 8-1

2nd VI v Queen Margaret’s

W 5-4

3rd VI v Queen Margaret’s

W 7-2

4th VI v Queen Margaret’s

W 7-2

24/04/2013

1st IV v GSAL

W 4-0

26/04/2013

1st VI v York University

D 3-3

27/04/2013

1st VI v BGS

W 5-4

2nd VI v BGS

W 6-3

3rd VI v BGS

W 5-4

29/04/2013

1st VI v The Mount

W 5-1

01/05/2013

1st VI v Hymers

W 7-1

2nd VI v Worksop

W 8-1

3rd VI v Worksop

W 1-8

04/05/2013

1st VI v Harrogate Ladies College

W 4-0

11/05/2013

1st VI v Hymers

W 7-2

2nd VI v Hymers

W 8-1

15/05/2013

1st VI v Yarm

W 7-2

20/05/2013

1st IV v Bootham School

W 6-0

12/06/2013

U17 Mixed at Ampleforth

15/06/2013

1st VI v Hymers

W 5-4

19/06/2013

1st IV v Queen Margaret’s

L 0-6

29/06/2013

1st VI v Queen Margaret’s

W 9-0

The Shepherd Cup Final C Lister beat S Hicks in straight sets.

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Eton (30th June to 2nd July 2013) This was by far the Girls’ most successful Eton tournament since 2009, when we won the U15 Plate competition. After a somewhat late and shaky start having to find a last minute replacement and with some suffering from the effects of The Ball the evening before

we arrived in Eton. It was glorious weather and the opposition, as always, was some of the best Junior talent in the country. Olivia and Alice did very well to win their first round match against New Hall on two tie breaks. Unfortunately, they then came up against number one seeds, Queenswood, and went down although they took three games off them. All good experience! Phoebe and Ros lost in their opening match but had a good run winning and losing some tight matches in the Plate competition. Our greatest achievement came at Senior level. Having had both pairs knocked out in the first round of the Loveband Trophy, both pairs had some great victories thereafter in the Plate. Match points were saved and eventually won. Set points came and went, especially in the Final. Chloe and last minute replacement Katharine did well to reach the semi-final and lost in a close match to

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Repton. Our number two pair Keira and Sally won their semi-final against Queen Margaret’s, saving a match point. In the final they also went down to Repton, but had a set point to level at one set all. Sadly, the opportunity went and they were runners up losing 6-7, 5-7. All of the girls were great ambassadors for St Peter’s and indeed the North of England, winning and losing graciously. Eton is a sort of mini Wimbledon with its lovely courts, the slick organisation and a very high standard of play. It is probably the highlight of the tennis calendar and something for all of our tennis players to aim for. Overall a great few days and extremely well done. Mrs J M Whitehead

U15s

Eton Results Loveband Trophy 2013 (Under 19 Girls) 1st Round C Lister/K Phillips lost to Malborough (1) K K Barnard/S Hicks lost to Benenden (1)

2-6 0-6 3-6 4-6

Loveband Plate 2013 2nd Round C Lister/K Phillips beat New Hall (2) Quarter Finals C Lister/K Phillips beat Cranleigh (1)

6-1 0-6 12-10

Semi-Finals C Lister/K Phillips lost to Repton (2) 2nd Round K Barnard/S Hicks beat Colston’s (2)

6-1 6-3

1-6 5-7

4-6 6-0 10-3

Quarter Finals K Barnard/S Hicks beat Cranleigh (2)

6-2 6-0

Semi-Finals K Barnard/S Hicks beat Queen Margaret’s (2) 3-6 6-2 11-9 FINAL K Barnard/S Hicks lost to Repton

6-7 5-7

Asbury-Bailey Cup 2013 (Under 15 Girls) 1st Round O Shread/A Greswold beat New Hall (1) P Phillips/R Tait lost to Withington (1)

7-6 7-6 5-7 1-6

2nd Round O Shread/A Greswold lost to Queenswood (1)

1-6 2-6

Asbury-Bailey Plate 2013 Pre-Lim Round P Phillips/R Tait beat New Hall (2)

6-4

1st Round P Phillips/R Tait lost to Queen Margaret’s (1)

3-6

The main competition for this age group is the involvement in the National Aegon League with four players in a team, playing one singles and one doubles each. Our team consisted of Olivia Shread, Alice Greswold, Ros Tait and 3rd year Phoebe Phillips. There were some very close matches in the York area round. We went down to the wire winning a Championship tie break a three rubbers all against a strong Fulford School. Similarly, we did well to beat Queen Margaret’s 4-2, and The Mount 4-2. Having therefore won the York area, we travelled to Ampleforth on a wet, cold Saturday morning in June. We beat Ampleforth College 5-1, although the match was far closer that the score suggested. We then beat a strong Pocklington team 4-1 on the same morning, to emerge as North Yorkshire winners. This competition continues in September 2013 on a knockout basis. Tough matches ahead, but we have strong depth in this team so I hope that we can win a few more rounds. We had lots of three pair friendly matches and mostly did well. In the U15 Bradford Tournament, we won the Plate Competition outright which was a great result given the quality of the opposition throughout the afternoon. All the girls progressed throughout the term and received some first class coaching from the staff regularly. Olivia Shread made her debut in the girls’ Senior Team in 2013, Millie Grant was the most improved player and hopefully all the girls enjoyed playing in more matches than ever before.

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It is match play and playing senior tennis outside of school which brings about the most significant improvement and understanding of the game. They are a pleasure to teach and they will do well at senior level when they are 5th formers next year. Mrs J M Whitehead

The Following girls represented the U15 Teams: O Shread, A Greswold, R Tait, M Grant, X Cook, L Taylor, I Hedley, H Lawrence, M Palmer, A Headlam-Morley.

U15 Results 20/04/2013 U15 VI v Queen Margaret’s

4-5

24/04/2013 U15 VI v BGS

8-1

27/04/2013 U15 IV v Queen Mary’s

3-1

29/04/2013 U15 IV v The Mount

4-2

01/05/2013 U15 VI v Worksop

W 7-2

11/05/2013 U15IV v GSAL

2-2

15/05/2013 Bradford Tournament (mixed) 3 rd place overall 23/05/2013 U15 VI v Yarm

05/06/2013 U15A v Bootham

W 4-2

3-3

12/06/2013 Bradford Tournament Plate Winners 15/06/2013 U15 VI v Hymers

4-5

15/06/2013 U15 A v Ampleforth College

W 5-1

15/06/2013 U15 A v Pocklington

4-1

22/06/2013 U15 A v Ampleforth (mixed)

8-1

22/06/2013 U15B v Ampleforth (mixed)

3-6

of girls playing team tennis. With girls of this talent in the pipeline, it’s looking extremely good for the next few years. Special thanks to Marius Barnard and Catherine Baker for their coaching over the term. Mrs J M Whitehead

The Following girls represented the U14 Teams:

U14s Twelve very enthusiastic third year girls competed for the team places and competition was fierce to make the top four and six ranking places. There were lots of matches for them all to play in at some stage. The demand for a high work ethic and increased intensity in the practice sessions was apparent on Monday and Wednesday afternoons!

U14 Results 20/04/13

U14A v Queen Margaret’s

1-8

U14B v Queen Margaret’s

3-6

23/04/2013 U14 VI v BGS

W 5-4

After several Challenge/Ladder matches, it turned out that we were exceptionally strong at the top end with Phoebe Phillips (1), Ellie Caley (2) and Rowan Tait (3). Other girls improved significantly over the term, but namely, Jess Webster, Olivia Whitehouse and Annabel Blackburn improved the most.

27/04/2013 Hepworth Cup Placed

15/05/2013 U14 VI v Yarm

W 8-1

All the girls represented the U14A or U14B in the Under 14 York Junior Team Tennis League, where the outcome was decided on the last Saturday of term. Having won all of our previous local matches, we lost to a very strong Queen Margaret’s team 1-5. It was a fair result.

20/05/2013 U14A v Bootham

W 6-0

03/06/2013 U14B v Pocklington

W 6-0

Special congratulations to our Number One player who was selected to go to Eton, playing at Under 15 level, a year early. She had also played in the U15 Aegon League Team who did so well during the summer. Overall, a lovely season despite the lack of sunshine with lots

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P Phillips, E Caley, R Tait, J Webster, O Whitehouse, A Blackburn, O Calvert, B Hartley, H Ford, L Leedham, J Crowther, A Bell, C Hughes, A Gilman.

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4th & 8th overall

29/04/2013 U14A v The Mount

W 6-0

01/05/2013 U14 VI v Worksop

W 7-2

04/05/2013 U14 IV v Harrogate Ladies College W 3-1

05/06/2013 U14A v U14B 12/06/2013 Bradford Tournament

W 4-2 Semi-finalists

15/06/2013 U14A v Hymers

W 7-2

U14B v Hymers

3-6

22/06/2013 U14A VI v Pocklington

W 8-1

29/06/2013 U14A v Queen Margaret’s

L 1-5

W 4-2

U14B v Queen Margaret’s

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BOYS’ TENNIS The long awaited tennis season got off to an encouraging start with a commendable 3rd place in the Bradford North of England Tournament- (played by Hicks, Burdett, Gray, Cornock, Greenall and Metcalfe). With a fairly new team it took awhile for partnerships

to gel but Greenall and Metcalfe soon got into the swing of things with a particularly impressive performance against a fairly strong Hymers College side. Gray and Cornock were another new partnership who displayed a solid game throughout the season with strong serving from Henry Gray and textbook volleying from Charles Cornock. The dream team of Hicks and Burdett tried to lead from the front with mixed results- when on form they were unbeatable. Unfortunately that wasn’t always the case! With the build up to the long anticipated Eton Tournament pairings had to be juggled with Henry Gray partnering Oliver Hicks and Sam Metcalfe and Charles Cornock taking the second pairing position. Training has gone well so it is fingers crossed for another successful tournament to close the 2013 tennis season. All that is left for me to add is that I leave the first team tennis in the capable hands of James Greenall and the future looks good with some handy 3rd, 4th and 5th formers coming through. Thank you to Mr Shread and Mr Allan and all the visiting coaches for all your support over the season. Oliver Hicks UVI

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has potential both technically and tactically and Michael Qui made excellent progress by climbing from squad member to representing the school by the end of the season. The turning point in our fortunes came in the North Yorkshire Championships at Bradford when our top two pairs produced an outstanding display of tennis to win the competition; in the final a low error count from our boys gave us the edge over Ampleforth and we went on to win with a combined score of 11-8. It is the first time that St Peter’s have won this event. Therefore, after quite a slow start we managed again to finish the term on a high.

2nd VI The 2nds had a very successful season once again, winning all but one of their matches. Most opposition could not stand the strength-in-depth that this team had, demonstrated through convincing victories over opposition such as Worksop and Pocklington. The loss to Ampleforth was made up for by a satisfying victory over Bradford Grammar. The team developed in confidence and ability with a number of younger players joining the ranks. The ladder played through the week meant that the team was tightly contested with changes throughout the term. A mention should go to those U6th who represented the team this year so well – Ross McDade, Oliver Headlam-Morley, Harry Dixon, Charlie Greswold and Rob Campbell. The number of strong 5th formers moving up into 6th form is encouraging for next season. Well done to all those involved! Mr WJ Allan

U15s The U15 tennis season got off to a rather slow start this year but had certainly picked up speed by the end of the year. Although the weather was fairly kind to us this year it still took a while to heat up the performances on the tennis court. Sandy Eyre and Freddie Greswold, two very promising players, managed to keep the flag flying for most of the season battling to win around 60% of their matches which allowed us to avoid the whitewash in our early matches. Most of the other members of the squad this year had hardly, or in some cases never, picked up a tennis racquet so this was their first taste of full time tennis at school. Impressive progress was made by some of the players in the squad: Anson Shum, already a decent player, improved as the season progressed capably aided by Steven Jones. Alex Greenwood showed that he

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The U15 squad Choudhury, Dixon, Eyre, Foster Greenwood, Greswold, MacMahon, Metcalfe, Qui, Shum, Whiter, Jones. I have enjoyed working with these players and watching the improvement in their games over the course of the summer term. I wish them all success in the future as they move through the upper ranks of tennis in the school. Mr MJ Duffy

U14s The U14 Boys were again entered into the York U14 League and fared as well as can be expected given how relatively little tennis they play and how committed they are to their sporting lives both in and out of school. Within this year’s team there was, as always, no lack of talent, willingness or effort. With fixtures against Wiggington TC, Poppleton TC, Bootham and Pocklington the boys were presented with opportunities to develop their games and play against both weaker and stronger opponents. Steven Jones led the team in lugubrious style. He is a formidable player with deceptive pace and a long reach. He did go on to play for the U15 team at Eton

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and has been stretched at that level. He has a game characterised by a strong serve and forehand. Freddie Heijbroek is a player who developed well throughout the year and none more so than in the summer term. Rather timid as a player early in the season by the end he was competing with the big guns and playing confident, winning shots. Luke Dunsmore played with grace and determination. With further experience he will grow in confidence and will be able to execute the winning shots which will end rallies in his favour. Charles Dunn’s game settled as the season progressed. He became more adept at reading the game and learned how to wrong-foot his opponent. Further experience will certainly develop his game. Tom Pycock played with calm assurance throughout the season. A little more strength would have ensured more winning shots but he has good balance and reads the game well. Matty Roberts played with sparkle and good grace. He never gave up on a point, chased everything and applauded his opponent’s good play always. His singles set at Wigginton was a classic: long rallies, deuce games, a huge variety of shots and two players who respected each other. We were also delighted to welcome Cameron Burdass into the fold for the final friendly match against Poppleton TC which the boys won in confident style. Congratulations to all boys on their efforts. A short lay-off will do them the world of good but if they continue to develop as they have this year they will provide the backbone of a strong senior side in the not too distant future. Mr MJ Grant

National Independent Schools Championships at Eton College Unfortunately we lost two of our top four players before we even arrived at Eton College and so a major reshuffling of the pairings had to take place. This left the Captain Oliver Hicks to partner Henry Gray at first pair and at second pair we had Charles Cornock and Sam Metcalfe. In the Youll Cup we lost (1st pair 1-6; 6-7 and 2nd pair 3-6; 0-6) to Charterhouse and in the plate

competition we went down (1st pair 5-7; 4-6 and 2nd pair 3-6; 4-6) also by two matches to love to Rugby School. The U15 team, playing as two separate pairs, came with great expectations having already won the North of England Independent Tennis Championships at Bradford this season! However, they didn’t perform with the same level of confidence that I had expected. The U15 B pair of Stephen Jones and Anson Shum lost in the Thomas Bowl to Repton 2 (1-6; 1-6) before suffering defeat to Sevenoaks (0-6; 0-6) in the plate. This left the School with the U15 A pair of Sandy Eyre and Freddie Greswold who in the first round of the Thomas Bowl lost to a strong Charterhouse side (1-6; 1-6). In the first round of the plate Sandy and Freddie managed to raise their game to defeat Shrewsbury School (6-4; 4-6; 10-5 in the Championship tiebreak!). In the next round of the plate they faced Rugby School and Sandy and Freddie started very slowly finding themselves 1-6 and 1-5 down….only to win 30 of the next 32 points to take the set 7-5! At this point the home support was getting very excited at the prospect of a St Peter’s victory but despite being 4-1 up in the Championship tiebreak they let the momentum slip away before finally losing 5-10. The U15s are the future of Tennis at St Peter’s and they now know the standard in the National Tennis Championships. I hope that they will take the opportunities to play in Tournaments and for their local Clubs over the summer holidays to try and develop their game and take it to the next level. Mr R G Shread, Head of Boys Tennis

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Fi r st Round )

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Bye J. Greenall (G)

M. Chan (C) 6 J. Harrison (G) 2 Bye H. Dixon (Q) F. Adams (C) 6 C. Hatzel (H) 3 R. Campbell (C) 4 N. Fullick (S) 6 L. Dunsmore (T) 6 F. Heijbroek (C) 1 Bye C. Cornock (M) S. Metcalfe (G) Bye J. Swales (C) Bye O. Kennedy (H) 0 S. Jones (C) 6 E. Cotter (C) Bye C. Widdicombe (T) 2 O. Leedham (C) 6 Bye D. George (G) M. Roberts (G) 4 M. Nozedar (G) 6 Bye C. Craig (Q) A. Burdett Bye B. Lightwing (G) F. Whitaker (H) J. Crowther (H) C. Brown (T) Bye J. Field (G) M. Jones (C) Bye J. Wilson (H) 6 J. Eleanor (G) 4 E. Stephen (Q) 3 N. Stephen (Q) 6 Bye W. Booth (S) O. Headlam-Morley (T) Bye T. Pycock (Q) 6 A. Shum (M) 7 F. Craig (Q) Did not play C. Dunn (M) Bye H. Gray (L) C. Greswold (Q) Bye G. Gray (L) 4 R. McDade (S) 6

( (C) / O. Hicks Bye

Se cond Round (26/4)

2 6

6 1 0

H. Dixon (Q)

F. Adams (C)

N. Fullick (S)

L. Dunsmore (T)

C. Cornock (M)

S. Metcalfe (G)

J. Swales (C)

S. Jones (C)

E. Cotter (C)

O. Leedham (C)

D. George (G)

M. Nozedar (G)

C. Craig (Q)

1 6 2 0 6

J. Field (G)

M. Jones (C)

J. Wilson (H)

N. Stephen (Q)

W. Booth (S)

0 6

C. Dunn (M)

H. Gray (L)

C. Greswold (Q)

R. McDade (S)

J. Greenall (G)

A.Shum (M)

O. Headlam-Morley (T) 6

J. Crowther (H)

Did not play

A. Burdett (G)

M. Chan (C)

O. Hicks (C)

J. Greenall (G)

R. McDade (S)

H. Gray (L)

O. Headlam-Morley (T)

W. Booth (S)

M. Jones (C)

J. Crowther (H)

A.Burdett (G)

C. Craig (Q)

O. Leedham (C)

S. Jones (C)

S. Metcalfe (G)

C. Cornock (M)

N. Fullick (S)

H. Dixon (Q)

O. Hicks (C)

Third Round (10/5)

R. McDade (S)

H. Gray (L)

W. Booth (S)

A.Burdett (G)

C. Craig (Q)

S. Jones (C)

C. Cornock (M)

O. Hicks (C)

Quart e r- F ina ls (24/5)

R. McDade (S)

A.Burdett (G)

C. Craig (Q)

O. Hicks (C)

Semi- Fina ls (3/6)

Winner

R. G. Shread

Tuesday, November 05, 2013

First and second round mat ches ar e ove r one tie-br ea k set ( at 6 games The Third & Qua r t e r-Finals St ag e is the first to 10 by two clea r games a tie br ea k at 10 games all). The Final and Semi-Final a r e best of thr ee tie-bre a k O. Hicks (C) 2013 Champion A.Burdett (G) 1 3 O. Hicks (C)

For ma t : M a t ches to be p layed in your fr e e tim e (NOT DU R ING SIT OUTS!) ON or BEFOR E the dat es shown in br a c k e ts above! Colle c t the t ennis balls from m e in the R a ms ay L ab . R e co rd the r esu lt on the shee t .

Fina l (22/6)

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ALCUIN CUP 2013 The Boys (Open) Singles Tennis Championships of St Peter’s School

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CRICKET 1st Cricket Averages – 2013 Season (not including the T20 fixtures runs or wickets) Batting

Innings Runs Not outs Best Average

S.McCullagh

482

76*

68.8

C.Elliot

576

107*

44.3

W.Booth

547

118

42.1

F.Adams

340

56*

24.2

Team Statistics 2013 (including all T20 fixtures)

H.Adams

116

58*

19.3

N.Stephen

289

19.2

PLAYED: 22 WON: 16 DRAWN: 0 LOST:6 RUNS FOR: 3,746 RUNS AGAINST: 3,469 WIN RATIO: 73.72%

C.Burn

106

26*

17.6

C.Craig

H.Stothard

102

12.7

J.Eleanor

8.7

W.Scholey

8.2

(Also batted) C .Brown – 1 , 3. B,Williams – 3 , 9. Bowling

Overs

Runs

H.Stothard

45.2

187

5-29

15.5

S.McCullagh

152

4-54

J.Eleanor

109

465

3-38

20.2

C.Elliot

379

4-31

22.2

H.Adams

167

5-25

23.8

F.Adams

120

497

5-6

24.8

C.Burn

377

3-38

26.9

29.1

127

1-3

31.75

C.Brown

331

2-13

33.1

B.Williams

106

2-36

35.3

W.Scholey

Wickets Best Average

(Also bowled) O.Leedham 8-2-26-4

The following boys have represented the XI this season: +* W.Booth (Captain) +* S.McCullagh, *C.Craig, *C.Brown, *N.Stephen, *C.Burn, *C.Elliot, *F.Adams, *W.Scholey, *H.Stothard, *H.Adams, *J.Eleanor, B.Williams, O.Leedham, T.Dickinson, S.Lodge. + = Capped player *= Colours

1st XI ‘When a gifted team dedicates itself to unselfish trust and combines instinct with confidence and effort, it is ready to climb.’ Patanjali It has been a huge pleasure to have taken charge of the 1st XI this year. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with and watching an outstanding group of boys develop, mature and enjoy their cricket so much. Each and every member of the squad has put in countless hours of dedicated practice and hard work; which all started back in October at winter training, either in the gym working on strength and conditioning or working on their technical skills in the sports hall in group or 1 to 1 sessions. As a unit the boys sat down early in the year and set out the goals that they were looking to achieve from the season; setting personal and team targets and standards that they wanted, creating a philosophy for future players to emulate. The 2013 season started back in April with two damp days of pre-season at Repton School. We played 2 matches against Repton that boasted a Canadian International player and a number of excellent schoolboy talents. We played some good cricket over

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the two days and managed to play 180 overs of cricket which was excellent match practice; it also allowed the squad to gel and showed us a standard of performance that we wanted to establish ourselves. The regular season fixtures were played with an aspiration to achieve and be the best in the area; we only lost 2 Saturday fixtures, beaten by Leeds Grammar and a shock defeat to Ashville. Defeats also to the Yorkshire Gents and a South African touring side stifled our goal for excellence but the defeats seemed to come at the right times and allowed us the chance to evaluate what we were doing and not get too carried away, allowing us to prepare for bigger challenges in a constructive manner.

The highlight for the boys this season was our HMC National T20 campaign; we reached the North of England Final making the last 8 in the country from over 250 schools that entered. It was an outstanding achievement, a proud moment for the boys and great way for the leavers to end their cricket careers. This side has set the benchmark for the future of St Peter’s cricket, they have put down a marker of excellence in everything they did and it was all done with fun and a smile. The campaign started with sensational victories against Birkdale and Silcoates, followed by the North East Finals day against Leeds in the first semi and Durham School in the final, some magnificent displays of cricket were on show and the place in the North of England final against Bolton School Boys Division was more than deserved. The hard work behind the scenes from the boys was there to see. The North Final was a game that could

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have been so nearly ours; you often talk about ‘inches’ in sport and this was another classic case of that, 5-10 runs more, 1 or 2 better overs could have won the game. Sadly we lost by 5 wickets. It was a bitter pill to swallow but the benchmark is now there for future sides to follow. The XI was tremendously captained by Will Booth who directed the side with calm and controlled confidence; his captaincy was instrumental in the performances and the attitude of the side and I would like to thank him for his leadership and support. He also recorded over 500 runs and played some vital innings for the side like a true captain. The opening pair of Nick Stephen and Felix Adams developed a good understanding of their role and set the team up with a number of solid opening stands to build on. Charlie Elliot matured as a man and cricketer scoring 2 hundreds and 3 fifties, he played some eye-catching innings’ and won the Bairstow Cup for excellence in batting; he will also lead the team next summer with expertise and skill. Sam McCullagh was excellent all season, he played some crucial innings throughout and was a vital player in the T20 campaign, it was such a shame the he never got the chance to score a century for the school. The middle order often chipped in with important runs and made some good partnerships. Hugo Adams impressed, a great attitude and he developed his game each week with the bat and ball winning the cup for most improved. I am confident he will go from strength to strength over the next two seasons. Harry Stothard did not quite come off with the bat after making a promising start to the season but he certainly impressed with his left arm spin later in the season and he too will be a prominent force in the side over the next two seasons. Will Scholey worked hard with bat and ball making useful contributions in most games. In the well balanced bowling department Chris Burn led the attack with pace, he bowled some first-rate spells and was yet again unlucky not to pick up more wickets. Calum Brown gave everything for the side with his left arm over and Ben Williams showed real

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promise as a future opening bowler. Johnny Eleanor bowled his leg spin with control and guile picking up the most wickets for the second season running and will mature into an even better spinner in the next couple of seasons.

This season has highlighted the problems with senior cricket in all schools. Fixtures have sadly been seriously affected by the pressure of examinations and this has caused both cancellation of fixtures and heavy mismatches.

I would like to thank all the boys for their enormous efforts and hard work throughout the season; they were excellent company on away trips and superb ambassadors for St Peter’s cricket. The groundsmen, Steff and Pete who worked tirelessly all year to prepare great schoolboy cricket pitches for us to practice and play on, week in week out. To Alex Tam who ends his four year season as 1st team scorer. He has been great value and admired by all. To Paddy for all his help and counsel, especially at the festival and finally; to Dan Woods, a great friend and tremendous cricket coach, who’s input into the coaching this year and in recent years has been exceptional. All of the boys have benefited from his knowledge and I wish him all the very best with his season in Melbourne, Australia. I look forward to his return next season to support me with the XI.

The first match of the season against QEGS typified the season. St Peter’s fielded a strong side with five players who would go on to play first eleven cricket during the season. It is to their credit that they always played with enthusiasm for the second eleven. It proved to be an easy win.

Our leaving senior players will be sadly missed next summer, it is hard for me to put my finger on what makes this group of boys so special; their friendship, desire, talent, work ethic? However they have left a small piece of their being in the squad players across the school that I know will grow from strength to strength through future sides to come. Mr G Sharp

2ND XI M. GILL CAPTAIN ,C.BROWN, J.WALMSLEY, T.DICKINSON, W,SHAW, A.HINDE, J,BOTTOMLY W,WATERHOUSE, B.WILLIAMS, H.RICHARDSON, J.ELEANOR, M.CONTRERAS , S.TOLLEY, E.COTTER, Z.RANSOME, J.TAYLOR. E.STEPHEN. C.ELLIOTT.

A T20 game against Silcoates 1st XI proved just too much of a challenge their three best players dominating proceedings. An enjoyable afternoon on a very small field. BGS proved to be a sterner test with a fast leg spinner taking seven wickets and bowling us out for 130. We bowled tightly and always kept the pressure on and in a fine performance bowled them out for under 100 runs. GSAL were the best XI we played. On a freezing day we managed to drop five catches and this cost us any chance of limiting their score. We bowled too many bad balls and set strange fields. Max Gill broke his finger and we were bowled out comfortably short of the target. After this positive start to the season the blight of examinations and weather appeared. Mount were unable to field an XI. Ampleforth was rained off but we would have been weakened anyway. Ashville were also unable to field an XI. The return Ampleforth fixture was rained off. Hymers honoured their fixture and their players played with great spirit but were sadly outclassed by St Peter’s. In the final game of the season we proved far too strong for a Pocklington XI. I would like to thank Max Gill who had a season blighted by injury but always supported the team. Also all those players with first eleven aspirations who played wholeheartedly for the team. The issue of availability and exam pressure is I fear going to be a constant thorn in the side of senior cricket. It is understandable with all the pressue that players are placed under in their eaxms that they feel torn. The issue is at the forefront of meetings in the planning of the season and I hope that it is resolved so that the players can enjoy their cricket. Thanks to all who played Mr M Johnston

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3rd XI Cricket Report 2013 The statistics of the season, one win and four losses, really do not tell the whole story of the summer. As one of very few schools to run a 3rd XI, finding fixtures is always a challenge and it is hugely to Mr Williams’s credit that he is continually able to do this. This means often playing other schools 2nd or sometimes 1st XIs, where just one or two very strong players can dominate the game, and so it proved this year. Fyling Hall’s 1st XI contained 12 year olds, boys and girls and an England U19 player who was to represent Yorkshire 1st XI later in the year. On a slow and difficult pitch, big hitting from their star man took Fyling Hall to an unlikely 159 in 30 overs. After a slow start, Jake Wilson provided the acceleration with an impressive 50, but after his loss no other batsman could maintain this momentum, St. Peter’s falling just 5 runs short in an exciting game. Mention must be made of Sam Blott’s marvellous feat of achieving a hattrick, all 3 clean bowled, with his ‘occasional’ off spin. Clem Elliott bowled well to help restrict Silcoates to 100 all out before Sam Burley’s quick fire 39 ensured a comfortable victory. Another low scoring game against Scarborough saw St. Peter’s restricted to 106 for 6 which the opposition passed comfortably. Will Emery’s 30 helped St. Peter’s reach 119 for 5 against Bootham which again unfortunately proved inadequate, Bootham making better use of the short boundary and reaching their target comfortably. James Contreras’s 3 wickets helped restrict Read school to 142, one player scoring well over half of those runs. Defeat looked inevitable after the loss of early wickets, before Toby McGill (40) and Clem Elliot ensured a tight finish with an impressive 9th wicket stand. Sadly, St. Peter’s fell 5 runs short. An undoubted success of the season was Henry Eyre. As an opening batsman he scored consistently well and worked ever so hard on his technique to look a very tidy player by the end of the year. As a captain he listened carefully, learnt lots and was always willing to try different options. Toby McGill showed the ability to bowl wicket taking deliveries but lacked consistency, whilst Zac Ransome showed great promise with his left arm spin; if he can accept that there will be times when he will be hit, adapt his field and not let his head drop then he could become a very useful bowler.

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I must thank Mr Snelling for his unfailing support and help with the team; indeed he accompanied the team to far more matches than me, including his dash to Read school under unusual circumstances. Mr Williams also showed great flexibility when I was unable to attend sessions, and for that too I am extremely grateful. Finally I must thank the boys. I have come to expect St. Peter’s boys to play the game the right way, in a positive spirit, and these boys maintained that tradition; they were a great credit to themselves and good fun to work with. Mr N Matkin

U15 Cricket report 2013 I felt a great deal of anticipation about this season as we were trying out a development team for the first time and had secured some very good midweek fixtures to go alongside the normal Saturday fixtures and the national T20 competition. I was delighted by the way all the boys in the squad responded to training, be it in the middle, in the nets, practising techniques or fielding. They wanted to get better and did so in all areas of the game. The pre-season work with the development squad had clearly paid off and we began well on the Friday before term started by going down to Repton and playing a very competitive game with their U15`s. in the end we just ran out of steam; not entirely surprising as three of the team had only returned from Morocco 12 hrs earlier! The commitment these boys showed then was to be mirrored throughout the term and I thank them all for this. I asked Joe Waterhouse to captain the team which he did all season only to miss the final game because of a conflicting school commitment! He was outstanding in this role, quietly getting on with the job and never panicking. He grew into the job and made a number of excellent tactical decisions during tight games, it was a pleasure to see the leadership he showed throughout. Our development games proved an excellent opportunity against very good opposition. In the first we lost a game that we could have won against Scarborough Taverners and then moved on to play N Yorkshire. This was a tremendous game that we did lose, but came through with real fight and determination against a top quality side. The second Scarborough game was lost to rain so it was back to N.Yorkshire again; and a very comprehensive win. This gave the lads great confidence and helped us with both our normal school fixtures and the T20. I am equally sure that these games also

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benefitted the U14`s who played in them as they were exposed to older and better cricketers right at the start of the season.

squad we managed to pull off a last ditch win over Pocklington; thanks especially to M.Dickson and J.Simpson!!

We had very good wins in our normal Saturday fixtures over GSAL, Ampleforth, Pocklington and Ashville but lost a tight game with Bradford GS and sadly lost the Hymers game to rain.

The boys were an absolute pleasure to coach, responding well to advice and to technical suggestions; I thank them for this and I would also like to thank Mr Williams, Mr Parr and Cozzie for all the hard work that went into the season and especially Mr Williams for

In the T20 competition the boys rose to the task well completing excellent wins over Pocklington, Ryedale School, Ampleforth and Ashville before losing in the N.Yorkshire final on a very wet pitch against Malton. We were blessed with a good batting side with J.Waterhouse, K.Bloor, T.Gill, S.Lodge all scoring good 50`s` during the season. In our middle order we had good strikers of the ball in T.Robinson, D.Bird and S.Hudson and a number of boys who could really play well, running between the wickets with purpose and batting properly, T.Spearman,W.Quinn and O.Fryer all made their mark at some point in the term. The boys took their fielding seriously and produced some excellent performances all year. W. Quinn at slip was outstanding, S. Lodge`s tremendous run out in the first over against Ampleforth, K. Bloors leg side stumping’s ; especially in the early game against Scarborough, T. Robinson and S. Hudson`s athletic work in the covers. D.Birds tireless running and chasing down twos and threes , T. Spearman`s excellent catching of the high ball and A. Taylors three catches in the Ashville T20 match stick in the mind. Our bowling was superb at this level with real balance and firepower. We had three spinners in T.Spearman (leg), T.Gill (off) and C.Bellinghall (off); both Toms bowled well in all games taking vital wickets and tying batsmen down, Charlie would have bowled many more overs but for the quality of these two. Our seam attack was very sound with S.Hudson, O.Fryer, J.Waterhouse and S.Lodge, W.Fox ; who were boosted at the end of the season by the addition of W.Huffer . All these lads bowled outstanding spells during the season both at the start of the innings and at the death in tight games.

his huge efforts in organising the extra fixtures this term.

U15 A Squad; J.Waterhouse ©, K.Bloor+, T.Gill, T.Spearman+, S.Lodge+, T.Robinson, S.Hudson*, W.Quinn*, O.Fryer*, D.Bird*, C.Bellinghall*,W.Fox * A.Taylor* .W.Huffer . *HMC 6 a side +N.Yorkshire

15B Cricket

PLAYED 7

WON 6

This has been an incredible season for the 15B cricketers. They have been one of the most dedicated groups of B-team cricketers in memory, in all areas of practice and playing the game. In most instances, this zeal for cricket, was converted into match winning performances. The boys did gel very well as a team and enjoyed their successes together. There were some stand-out performances, naturally, in the matches this season and I will try to give a brief summary of some of them in this report.

The quality of the squad was summed up perfectly on two occasions;

Beginning with the quartet of spinners – Andrews, Benaddi, Thompson and Belingall: Bryn bowled some excellent off cutters, where the pace and spin as well as hitting a good length proved very successful. James Benaddi always backs himself to do well with the ball and the bat and did not fail to impress in both areas. George worked hard at the sometimes unforgiving discipline of leg spin, his best figures were 2o-9r-2w against Scarborough on their slow turning wicket. James Belingall made a couple of appearances for us before being snapped up by the A-team. The spinners worked hard together as a unit in the nets, to improve their craft and all look promising fort the future.

Firstly when we selected the side to go to the HMC 6 a side competition and it was decided that all those who had been the major support players should go and that we would leave out those that had most opportunity during the season; these boys came second- (joint top- second on run rate). And secondly in the final game of the season when we were deprived of six of our normal

The seamers were Fox, Newman, Jones and Dickson. Will is a very accurate bowler and made only a couple of appearances with us before being snapped up by the A-team, well done Will. Oliver bowled with a good line and length during the season and with the bat hit an impressive 59 as St Peter’s marched to victory over Pocklington. Matthew showed the most aggressing and certainly

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pace and had to work hard to be consistent and accurate at high velocity.

U14B

The left arm duo was Raper and Mander added some spice to the Peter’s bowling attack. Sam’s natural in-swing to the right handed batsman proved devastating for the opposition at times. Equally the swing was hard to control for Sam and his delivery stride, once mastered, will lead to more wickets. Luke worked hard with his bowling, but stands out more for his positive approach batting, with some great cameo innings.

This season, the u14B team played seven matches: two were won, four were lost (albeit twice in the final over!), and one was abandoned for rain when we were on the verge of a dominant win. However, what these mediocre results do not take into account is the fact that twenty three boys represented the u14Bs. The policy of rotation had an impact on results; however, we had wide participation and, in most of our games, all the boys either bowled or batted.

It was pleasing to see the strength in Oliver Harvey’s game increase session after session – a supremely talented player and definitely someone to watch out for next year. Dan Hopwood-Robinson loved net practice this season and improved his technique as a result. He hit a quick fire 16 from tem balls against the 3rd Eleven. Scott Buskin was a vital member of the team who stepped in to do some part time keeping as well as having good success with the bat when it was needed. His best score was 53 against Pocklington. Matt Coe, brought his own distinctive style and great energy with a bat in his hands. Chris Brennan worked hard to strengthen his game in practice and his bowling accuracy is certainly better. Henry Tannahill is not the most natural player, but brings certain je ne sais quoi to the team which raised everybody’s energy and confidence in matches. Dan Jones could develop into a truly excellent bowling allrounder. If only he would play straight when batting! Dan’s bowling has been superb and he is credited with some great run-outs in the field too. Alfie Slack is another player with all round potential. The stand-out moment for him though was taking a catch at point against Fyling Hall. Diving at full stretch with the ball centimetres from the ground - an unforgettable, truly athletic piece of fielding. Our keeper James was a star man behind the stumps. He worked on his technique, kept well and also turned his hand to captaincy. He is a technical proficient batman and looked the part on the couple of occasions when he opened the batting. Alex Taylor captained the side superbly. He began the season leading by example, bowling four maiden overs in his spell and scoring 48 with the bat. Cool under pressure and a good striker of the ball, Alex was chosen for the T20 team this season. It has been a pleasure to coach the 15B side for the 2013 season. Competition for team places has been tough, with so many very able cricketers in the squad. The team’s success has been built on hard work in practice and special thanks goes to Mr Williams, Paddy and Mr Costello for coaching input which has really helped to get the best out of this talented bunch. Well done to all of the lads and good luck in senior cricket next year. Mr AM Parr

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The first game of the season was a nail biter against the Read School, Drax. After a strong batting performance (George O’Neill 35, Stephen Jones 22*, Ed Bottomley 14*) we eventually lost on the last ball of the game! The next match, against Cundall Manor, was similarly tight: again we lost in the final over. This is all the more remarkable given that at one stage we were 4 for 4. A lower order rally (George Davis 36, Stephen Jones 22, James Guyer 17, Ben Maher 16*) gave us the chance to defend a respectable total. Out first win of the season came against a good GSAL side. GSAL were restricted to 122-7 (Taylor 2-15). Captain Robbie Brown held the reply together with a wellconstructed 48; he was helped by some lusty hitting from Maher (20*) who saw us passed the winning total. We came down to earth in our next match against a powerful A-side from Ashville - losing by 56 runs. In response to our opponent’s 171-3, we mustered only 115 (Tom Pycock 25, Stephen Jones 18, James Taylor 17, Archie Stephenson 16). Our match against Hymers was abandoned due to rain when were on the verge of victory. Hymers were 62 all out (Chapman 3-8) - of which extras accounted for 25! When the rain came we were cruising at 41 -0 after just 4 overs. In stark contrast, the match against Scarborough College was by far our most disappointing performance of the season. In response to Scarborough’s 148 – 3 we were all out for just 56. Only James Taylor (16*) put up any resistance. Our final game against Pocklington was a resounding victory. After an opening partnership of 60 between Robbie Brown (41) and Ed Bottomley (32) we scored 112 – 7. In reply, Pocklington were all out for 60 (Archie Stephenson 3-7, Ben Maher 2-6, Titan Li 2-6). This was an enjoyable squad to coach. They maintained an excellent attitude despite the strict policy of rotation. As ever, the boys were fine ambassadors for the school – both on and off the field. Mr R Trevett & Mr J Connor

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B O AT C L U B The first two terms were very frustrating as the River Ouse and many other rivers round the country were flooded at least 50% of the time with many events cancelled. Eight of the events we normally race at were cancelled. In spite of this, as the season progressed we put in some good performances and had a good series of wins across the club.

Highlights of the year were: • St. Olave’s added a J4 rowing session in addition to the J5 afterschool club.

cancelled, we were able to race at Ancholme Head. Lacking practice did not seem to affect the results much although the rowing was not as technically precise as it could have been. However, the land training had built up a really good core of physical fitness from which all crews profited.

• St. Peter’s 3rd form “Round Robins” for girls continued so every girl gets a brief introduction to rowing. • St. Peter’s raced at Henley Women’s Regatta for the first time since 2009. • First St. Peter’s cox in the Great Britain Under-18 final trials.

Retiring Captains’ Race The Old Peterite race was the usual titanic struggle between experience and youth. Two mixed eights (4 girls and 4 boys) raced the gruelling 400-metre upstream course, ably umpired by Alec Gilchrist. It was once again very close from the start but this year the OP’s VIII was outclassed by the current 6th form. The verdict: a canvas.

Ancholme Head, 12th October After a miserable start to the term, with nearly 3 of the first 5 weeks off the water because of flooding, and our first event

The day was a lovely, sunny autumn day apart for an hour when it rained and hailed on the poor rowers going to the start for the second division. There were some very good performances from all ages and for the 8th year running St. Peter’s were the fastest overall women’s crew, this time by the large margin of 20 seconds. The Junior 15 boys in their quad sculls, raced really well putting their all into the event and it was pleasing to see a new L6th former racing, and winning, in the Novice coxed quad after only 2 weeks in a rowing boat.

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Harry Nozedar, Chris de Planta J18 B Single Scull: Ollie Braidwood J15 Quad Scull: Ollie Millman, Alex Woodruff, Robert Croft, Jack Robins, Emily Gray Novice Single Scull: Sam Philpott W J17 A Double Scull: Maddie Hayman, Harriet Falshaw Overall St. Peter’s had two 4th places, one 3rd place, six second and 9 winning crews. Interestingly all age groups had progressed since last year relative to their age-group rivals from other clubs.

4th places J15 A Single Scull: Ed Coidan J14 Single Scull: Ed Coidan

3rd place J17 B Single Scull: Dan James

2nd Places J17 B Single Scull: Chris Andrews J16 A Quad Scull: Chris de Planta, Tracy Yip, Henry Wong, Joe Copley, Emily Gray

W Nov Quad Scull: Fenella Hayes, Alice Appleby, Bussy Wells, Yolanda Lee W J17 B Double Scull: Bussy Wells, Yolanda Lee

Fours’ Head, London, 10 November All our 3 crews achieved results not seen for several years from St. Peter’s. The Fours’ Head is a 7km time trial, raced over the Boat Race course from Chiswick to Putney, on the very wide, tidal Thames. It is the top Fours’ event in Europe, 500 crews racing and many Olympic medallists taking part with their clubs. This year the entry from schools reached a record for both boys’ and girls’ quad sculls, over 100 altogether. The standard of both was high, the girls particularly so. St. Peter’s were placed the highest of all the northern junior crews.

W J18 A Double Scull: Phoebe Liu, Jo Clark J16 B Double Scull: Henry Wong, Joe Copley J15 Quad Scull: George Doyle, George Snell, Jordan Wilkinson, Henry Graham, Peter Gray W J16 Double Scull: Alice Appleby, Fenella Hayes

The Junior Girls’ quad raced really well and with great determination over the 20 minute course. They ended up beating 5 women’s crews, a good result for them as they are still young for the J18 age group. Alice Appleby is particularly to be congratulated on her steering on this huge tidal river. She did a very difficult job really well.

Winners J18 Quad Scull: Sam Philpott, Ollie Braidwood, Chris Andrews, Dan James Women’s J18 Quad Scull: Jo Clark, Hannah Burke, Harriet Falshaw, Phoebe Liu fastest overall women’s crew Novice Quad Scull: Ollie Spearman, Jonny Fry, Patrick Copley,

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The Senior Girls’ quad raced with great technical skill, excellent timing and really worked together to get the best out of each other. Overtaking several crews they ended up exactly in the middle of the J18 category, St Peter’s best since 2008. The Senior Boys’ quad started 46th in their category. Again, great focus and determination combined with excellent fitness and

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Our 5 winners were Women’s Junior 18 quad scull: Harriet Falshaw, Hannah Burke, Jo Clark and Phoebe Liu who were also the fastest women’s crew of the day by an impressive 40 seconds.

technique ensured that they overtook 5 crews down the course. They finished in 13th place out of 60 in their event and 82nd out of 500 overall, again St. Peter’s best result for many years.

Crews Junior Girls: bow steers, Alice Appleby, Yolanda Lee, Fenella Hayes, str. Bussy Wells Senior Girls: bow steers, Phoebe Liu, Harriet Falshaw, Jo Clark, str. Hannah Burke

Women’s Novice quad scull: Bussy Wells, Alice Appleby, Fenella Hayes, Yolanda Lee and Emily Gray raced with superb timing and togetherness to win by 1 minute over their nearest opposition. Women’s Junior 17 double scull: Harriet Falshaw and Hannah Burke put in a very strong and determined performance to finish 55 seconds ahead of their nearest rivals, narrowly beaten by only one senior women’s double. Junior 18 quad scull: Ollie Braidwood, Chris Andrews, Dan James and Sam Philpott came 2nd overall, beaten only by a big, strong York University crew who ended with an 8 second lead.

Boys: bow steers: Dan James, Chris Andrews, Ollie Braidwood, str. Sam Philpott

York Small Boats’ Head, 18 November St Peter’s had another very successful day at York Small Boats’ Head. 26 St. Peter’s crews raced this 3km time trial from Fulford to the centre of York in very beautiful conditions. Competing against 400 crews from northern universities, clubs and schools there were many excellent and praiseworthy performances. The Junior 15 boys’ quad and double sculls raced very well in only their second event, with big improvements from their last event in October. The Junior 16 boys and girls performed well against experienced opposition and again were closer than in their last event.

Second places went to: Women’s Novice Quad scull of Rebecca Jordan, Sabrina Leung, India Brattan, Tansy Tomlinson and Emily Gray. They deserve special praise as, although they only started rowing in September, they have worked hard and been very committed. To achieve second place is tremendous. J17 double scull: Daniel James and Sam Philpott J17 coxed four: Ben Turvill, Henry Wong, Patrick Litten, Joe Copley, and Chris de Planta

Junior 18 double scull: Ollie Braidwood and Chris Andrews had a tremendous tussle with their nearest rivals, eventually fighting them off and winning by 8 seconds

New Year 2013 Annual Boat Club Dinner Dance 28th January The Annual Dinner Dance was once again a great success this time in the more intimate surroundings of the Merchant Taylors’ Hall. The whole evening with delicious food and wine and great company was very well organised as usual by the Boat Club Supporters. The captains once again entertained us with their speeches. Funds to support the Senior and Junior rowing camps were raised by various means including auctioning a cap signed by Kiwi Olympic single sculling champion Mahe Drysdale and auctioning a boat name.

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South Yorkshire Head, 9 Feb In the first half term, because the river was constantly flooded, we managed to get only 4 practice outings. Although very rusty from lack of river practice St. Peter’s crews performed well against 200 northern Club and University crews. The weather was cold but not marred by the customary rain or snow.

Third places 4th form Girls’ quad scull: Holly Harrison, Tracy Yip, Pippa Simpson, Georgie Abbey, Olivia Shread 4th form boys’ VIII: Sami Hirtzel, Jack Robins, George Snell, George Doyle, Louis Taylor, Oli Millman, Alex Woodruff, Rob Croft, Tom Collinson Our 6 second places some of them very close to the winners, went to the Senior girls’ double scull: Jo Clark and Phoebe Liu Senior Girls Four: Yolanda Lee, Becca Jordan, Fenella Hayes, Alice Appleby cox Emily Gray Senior boys’ four and VIII

The Junior 17 double scull of Harriet Falshaw and Hannah Burke who then won again in the Junior 18 quad scull when joined by Jo Clark and Phoebe Liu.

Tyne Head, 23 Feb A small number of intrepid crews raced on the Tyne in this tough tidal water head race, Tyne Head, a 5km time trial. Against a background of snow falling all day the crews gained good experience of very tough water conditions and performed well. Results were pleasing considering how much flooding we had had in York this term.

4th form boys’ VIII : George Snell, Oli Millman, Alec Woodruff, Jack Robins, Louis Taylor, George Doyle, Tom Collinson, Rob Croft, Sam Hirzel 4th form girls’ quad scull of Olivia Shread, Georgie Abbey, Pippa Simpson, Tracey Yip and Holly Harrison put in a very spirited and determined sculling and coxing performance in the open women’s event, against much older opposition.

Our winners were The senior Boys’ VIII won the Junior 18 Eights event: Ben Turvill, Patrick Litten, Joe Copley, Jonny Fry, Patrick Copley, Rob Hulmes, Harry Nozedar, Alex Payne, Peter Gray

The Girls’ Novice Four: Yolanda Lee, Alice Appleby, Fenella Hayes Rebecca Jordan and Emily Gray came a very creditable 4th in their event The Girls’ J18 quad scull: Phoebe Liu, Olivia Shread, Harriet Falshaw and Hannah Burke, came a close 3rd . This crew included a 4th former, Olivia Shread, who kindly substituted on the day and is to be congratulated on her performance, stepping up to this top crew and big event at short notice. The boys’ Junior 18 four: Patrick Copley, Harry Nozedar, Jonny Fry, Rob Hulmes and Peter Gray raced together for the first time and came a creditable 2nd place. The Open Men’s coxless four: Chris Andrews, Dan James, Oli

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Braidwood and Sam Philpott raced in the Open Men’s event and came an excellent 3rd against University opposition. All crews are to be congratulated for rowing mostly in heavy snow storms which prevailed in Newcastle that day.

Yorkshire Head, 9 March

Schools’ Head of the River Race, 7 March Five crews raced in fours and eights in the Schools’ Head of the River Race. They raced over the 7km Boat Race course against over 300 other schools from across Great Britain and Italy. Considering how little time the crews have had on the river this term performances were good all round. Girls’ J18 four, 9th: Yolanda Lee, Rebecca Jordan, Fenella Hayes, Alice Appleby, and Emily Gray raced well rowing in an age and experience category well above themselves.

St. Peter’s had some excellent results from its 20 crews racing at the Yorkshire Head. Even the dismal, wet, windy and overcast day could not dampen some particularly good performances from some of our crews with relatively little experience:

Five 3rd places Women’s Open Novice VIII: the combined 4th and 5th form girls’ crew of Olivia Shread, Georgie Abbey, Pippa Simpson, Tracey Yip, Sabrina Leung, Rebecca Jordan, Fenella Hayes, Alice Appleby and Emily Gray raced with no previous practice, beautifully in time and came a very creditable 3rd place amongst all university competition.

Boys’ J18 coxed Four, 13th: Rob Hulmes, Toby Simpson, Alex Payne, Nick McLeish and Peter Gray had only a few outings together before this solid result. Boys’ J15 Eight, 21st: this crew were inexperienced but fast improving and took on the challenge of Tideway racing very well. They beat 11 boys eights in their age group.

Boys’ J18 VIII: Nick McLeish, Rob Hulmes, Jonny Fry, Toby Simpson, Alex Payne, Dan James, Chris Andrews, Sam Philpott and Peter Gray rowed a rather lacklustre race in this new combination finishing below expectation. Novice double scull: Ben Turvill and Joe Copley improved on their last time out to record a creditable 3rd place.

Girls’ J18 quad scull, 13th: Phoebe Liu, Harriet Falshaw, Jo Clark and Hannah Burke had a great race, steered well in some difficult places by Phoebe Liu. Boys’ Coxless four, 3rd: Chris Andrews, Dan James, Jonny Fry and Sam Philpott again steered very well on this huge river and ended up the closest to the winners of all our crews.

Women’s Open Novice Four: Yolanda Lee, Rebecca Jordan, Fenella Hayes, Alice Appleby and Emily Gray raced a much improved performance from the Schools’ Head of 2 days earlier. Boys’ J14 Quad scull: Peter Richardson, Sam Appleby, George Avery, Jack Coulthard, Patrick Hayes in their first race very were well in time and raced very well considering the conditions and their age.

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Three 2nd places: Girls’ Junior 15 quad: Olivia Shread, Georgie Abbey, Pippa Simpson, Tracey Yip and Holly Harrison raced hard to come an excellent 2nd in the Open Women’s Novice event. Boys’ Junior 15 four: Henry Graham, Alec Woodruff, George Snell, Rob Croft and Sam Hirtzel raced well to come in second place. Senior Boys’ coxed four: Dan James, Jonny Fry, Chris Andrews, Sam Philpot and Peter Gray raced well to come home only 4 seconds behind the winners.

Three Winners: Boys’ Junior 15 four: Stan Schofield, Jack Robins, George Doyle, Louis Taylor and Tom Collinson race well in time and steered well to take this event. Girls’ J18 Quad Scull: Phoebe Liu, Jo Clark, Harriet Falshaw and

Hannah Burke were back in form and top in Yorkshire again, to win by a resounding 56 seconds. They were beaten by only one senior women’s quad scull.

We had a lovely 5 days with no rain, little wind and very pleasant weather. We took the biggest squad ever and the team behaved excellently, as always, on and off the water. The Belgians were as hospitable as ever, the hotel was good with ample, tasty food. The rowers had 2 days of training followed by 2 days of hard racing at the Ghent International Junior Regatta and the Belgium National Championships. In spite of our lack of water time were many very good personal performances and the girls’ VIII won a silver medal. The results need to be put in the context of the event. All the rowers raced between 2 and 4, 2000m races per day. The standard of competition was again extremely high this year with 9 nations and 1,500 crews taking part. This is the Belgian National Championships, with crews racing for national selection, so crews are at full speed, several weeks ahead of us in their training. The results need to be read in the context of a small school rowing club where many of our rowers were rowing in age groups older than their own. All our crews which entered the same event on

Girls’ J18 double sculls: Harriet Falshaw and Hannah Burke were again on form, though lacking practice in this boat, with a 1 minute 30 second defeat of their nearest rivals and were the fastest women’s double scull in the whole event.

Ghent Senior Rowing Camp and International Regatta 10-15 April After last year’s record haul of medals this year was always going to be tough. We had had so little water time and once again the German teams were back in force. There were huge numbers of entries from 9 countries for many events, with a record 95 in the boys’ Junior 18 single sculls. This event alone took 1 hour to race.

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both days improved their performance relative to the opposition on the second day. Most importantly, the crews laid down their first performances for the regatta season to set themselves new standards and targets. They raced up to eight 2,000m races before our regatta season started.

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2000m racing in before the National Schools’ Regatta. 6 clubs were represented and St Peter’s took crews from J15 to J18. The first races were time trials, irrespective of boat type or gender, and then there were 2 further races according to the position in the time trials. Several St. Peter’s crews showed well and it was a very useful day for all. The weather at Holme Pierrepont was particularly lovely with sun and a light breeze.

Junior Interregional Regatta, 27 April Results Saturday Girls J16 double: 12th

17 St Peter’s rowers were selected to represent the county at the National Inter-regional championships on the international rowing course in Nottingham.

Girls’ J18 singles: 29th, 30th, 32nd Girls’ J18 double scull: 12th and 13th Junior Men’s 4-: 7th and 9th Girls J18 coxless 4: 6th Boys’ J16 double scull: 24th Boys J18 coxed 4: 12th and 17th Boys J18 VIII: 7th

In the Junior 16 coxed IV Ben Turvill, Patrick Litten and Joe Copley combined with a rower from Doncaster Schools. In the heat they finished 5th and then improved on that to end up finishing a very creditable 8th place overall. The 4th form boys racing in the Junior 15 IVs came 9th after a very close race and the 4th form boys VIII, racing in the older J16 age group, did very well to finish in 10th place.

Silver Medal Women’s VIII: 2nd Results Sunday J16 double scull: 24 J18 coxless 4: 8th, 12th Girls’ J18 coxless 4: 4th,5th Girls’ J18 double scull: 6th, 7th J18 coxed 4: 8th, 11th J18 coxless pair: 10th, 11th, 12th Huge “thank you’s” go to Iain Robertson for organising the whole trip again, a very large amount of work and planning, we hope not for the last time. It all ran superbly. Very many thanks also to fellow coaches Mr. Chris Hall and Anna-Liese Calder for their coaching, rowing and good company and lastly, and very importantly, to the Boat Club Supporters’ Association who helped fund the trip.

North-west Schools’ Regatta, 20 April This was a great new event started by Shrewsbury and King Chester with invitations to schools across the north, to get some

York Spring Regatta, 4 May 31 St Peter’s crews raced at York Spring Regatta. There some great performances particularly by the 3rd form in their first regatta. There was a lot of very close racing with some verdicts coming down to only a few feet at the finishing line. St Peter’s contested 16 finals and had 4 winners.

Our winners were: Junior 14 Octuple sculls: both of which were very well in time and raced hard. Novice double sculls: Rob and Andrew Hulmes, winners by 3 feet.

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Junior 15 quad sculls: won in style by Henry Graham, Oli Millman, Stan Schofield, Rob Croft and Max McLeish, defeating a polished local club.

J16 boys’ 4: Josh Ramalingam, Ben Turvill, Joe Copley, Patrick Litten, Peter Gray. Again they just missed qualifying which was pretty good considering GCSE pressures and lack of practice.

Mixed Junior 18 quad sculls: This all St Peter’s final was a very hard fought race all the way down the course with the lead changing several times. It was the last and most exciting race of the day Sam Philpot, Harriet Falshaw, Jo Clark and Ollie Braidwood won with a verdict of just one foot.

J18 boys’ 4: Ollie Braidwood, Dan James, Chris Andrews, Sam Philpott, Emily Gray: having trained very hard all year they ended 5th in their semi-final just missing a final place. Given that 3 of them are L6 there is more to build on here.

Tees Regatta Saturday 18th May

J16 girls’ pair: Fenella Hayes, Alice Appleby. They got straight to the semi-final where they came 5th but did their fastest time ever by nearly 30 seconds so cannot be disappointed.

Junior Crews went away to race at Tees to gain multi lane racing experience. With 4 lanes and 850 metres Tees regatta is a good starting place. Al the crews raced well and gained much from the experience.

J18 girls’ quad: Jo Clark, Phoebe Liu, Hannah Burke, Harriet Falshaw missed the semi-final by only 1 place but again sculled well against some really impressive crews.

Boys’ J14 single scull: Ed Coidan Boys’ double scull (J14 and J15): Sam Appleby, Jack Coulthard. Boys’ J14 quad scull: Peter Richardson, Patrick Hayes, George Avery, Jake Stanyon -Carr cox Alice Connelly. Girls’ J14 quad scull: Eleanor Graham, Natasha Bell, Louise Gould, Gabrielle Richardson cox Esme Wright. Girls’ J15 coxed four: Georgie Abbey, Pippa Simpson, Tracey Yip, Ilana Bartlett, Min Lee Girls’ J15 quad scull: Georgie Abbey, Pippa Simpson, Tracey Yip, Holly Harrison, Min Lee

National Schools’ Regatta, Friday 24th Sunday 26th May 3500 rowers aged 14 to 18 from across Great Britain competed in this 3-day event with about 10,000 spectators over the 3 days. All crews performed at or above expectation. J15 boys’ VIII and IV did not make the semi-finals (top 12) but were only a few seconds off. Given that some of them (Josh Ramalingam, Max McLeish, Will Kimpson) had only been rowing for a few weeks this was a great effort. Next year the crews will find they have made progress against the other schools.

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J18 girls’ double scull: Harriet Falshaw and Hannah Burke had a huge entry (32 crews) in their event which included 8 current GB trialists. They came 12th in their time trial and went to the semifinals but could not sustain it against the other doubles. However, they raced very well, had improved a lot since Ghent and have good potential for next year. As usual we are deeply grateful to the Supporters who manned the marquee and provided fantastic back up for our crews with food, drink and moral support. The marquee was invaluable for keeping rowers shaded, dry, warmish, fed and watered until they had to race.

Durham Regatta, 8 June At Durham Regatta the senior boys’ quad had a narrow defeat by York City Rowing Club after a close race in the first round. The J16 girls’ four ( Tracy Yip, Pippa Simpson, Georgie Abbey, Holly Harrison and Min Lee) performed really well, handsomely beating some much older students from Butler College, Durham University, before coming second, after a good race, to a strong crew from

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Chester–le–Street Rowing Club. In their quadruple scull they were narrowly defeated by Queen Elizabeth High School, Hexham.

Henley Women’s Regatta, 20-21 June St. Peter’s School last raced at this, the country’s most prestigious women’s regatta, in 2009. The beautiful setting in Henley belies the toughness of the competition with crews from many nations competing. Hannah Burke and Harriet Falshaw raced in the Junior 18 double sculls against 20 crews from the UK, Ireland and Norway. After 2 days of training in beautiful weather race day was different with a very strong head wind and huge squalls of rain every half hour coming down the course. In their first race they were placed 10th out of the 20 crews in the time trial which meant they then progressed to the knock out stages. They drew the top crew from Norway and raced very well, taking an early lead. Eventually the Norwegian crew pushed ahead and won by 3 lengths. This crew was the eventual winner of the event. It was a great experience for the girls who are both in lower 6th and have another year to race at this regatta.

York Summer Regatta, 21 June St Peter’s had a record entry of 47 crews, spread across age and gender. We had 19 finalists and 6 wins. In addition there were some very promising performances all round.

Winners were Junior 15 boys Pair: Will Kimpson and Max McLeish in a close all St Peter’s final. Junior 15 single scull: Louis Taylor beat Alec Woodruff in a hard fought final. Mixed double sculls Bussy Wells and Rory Wells. Women’s Junior 17 quad scull: Bussy Wells, Alice Appleby, Fenella Hayes and Sabrina Leung beat Warrington by 1 length. J18 Mixed Quad: Ollie Braidwood, Harriet Falshaw, Rebecca Jordan, Chris Andrews And congratulations on losing their novice status to the

Novice 4: Toby Simpson, Jonny Fry, Harry Nozedar, Patrick Copley, Emily Gray

Henley Royal Regatta Qualifying Races, 28 June The senior boys’ VIII was sadly unable to race so a quad scull was formed late in the term. After practice, interspersed with exams, they were required to qualify for the Fawley Cup which is always oversubscribed. 57 crews were fighting for 24 places and by the time the Henley Stewards had made some pre-selections it was a time trial of 46 crews with only 13 to go through to the main regatta. On a blustery Friday evening the crew raced extremely well on the historic course. They eventually missed qualifying by a mere 1.5 seconds over a race of well over 7 minutes. They had the best row they could have done in the circumstances but were clearly disappointed to miss qualifying by so little. It does show that to compete at top competitions crews must be well established and practised. Next year 3 of the boys are back in the Upper 6th and are looking forward to progressing further. Crew: Dan James, Chris Andrews, Ollie Braidwood, Sam Philpott.

Summer Sculling Course The 8th summer sculling course once again proved very popular, attracting record numbers of girls and boys. They learnt a lot about safety, technique on the rowing ergometer, practical lessons in safe boat lifting, and, of course, sculling and coxing. By the end of the 4 days all were competent at sculling in Octuple and quad sculls and some even ventured out in coxless quad sculls with a coach sitting in the crew. In addition we watched rowing and entertaining DVDs to let lunch settle and enjoyed a great barbeque. Only 1 quad scull

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managed to fall in and luckily the water was warm and all were very sensible and safe. This was the most cohesive group we have ever had, so good they were able to have a lovely knock-out regatta on the last afternoon, after their BBQ. All performed well and showed great sportsmanship. My congratulations to all the scullers who tried so hard. Many thanks to the coaches, OPs and present rowers, who helped coach, inspire and enthuse these young rowers. The Coaches: Alec Gilchrist, Chris Wright, Ellie MacLeod, Ali Stephenson, Chris Andrews, Emily Gray, Freddie Jagger, Hannah Burke, Harriet Falshaw, Nick McLeish, Ollie Braidwood, Phoebe Liu

Great Britain Rowing Trials Emily Gray was one of only two girls in the country to be invited to cox at the Great Britain Rowing Trials in July where crews for the World and European Championships are selected. This was the first time a St Peter’s cox had been invited. There is only one coxing place for girls and Emily came second. She was then offered a place to cox the England U18 VIII in the Home Countries International. Sadly for her some of the other girls decided that they did not wish to row for England so the crew never raced. Thanks As always the coaches have been terrific this year: they are a great, experienced and hard-working team, delighted to work in weathers fair or foul and the performance of our rowers owes a lot to them. Mrs Cath Hempsall coached in the autumn term. She brought the J15 boys on from virtual beginners and their year ended with many good performances. She taught them both discipline and technique each of which makes their rowing faster. Miss Katherine Barker coached in the Spring and Summer terms. She did a great job with J15 boys who performed increasingly well each week ending their season with great racing at York Summer Regatta. They have great promise for next year. Mr Alec Gilchrist took on the 3rd formers in September and taught then a lot about crew and single sculling. Alec remains very patient, instils discipline and team working and gets great satisfaction from seeing the youngsters develop from scratch rowers. Will Robinson joined us this year while in his last year at University. A great asset, he has really taken to the challenge of coaching younger rowers and with Miss Barker did great work with the J15 boys. James Clark, also in his last University year, coached really well with the 3rd form coaching team and rowers. Maddie Hayman, our third New Zealand Gap student, did a great year coaching with us. As well as coaching the 3rd form she coached the junior 16 boys’ squad, led them to several great performances. We were really sorry to see her go home in December and wish her all the best in her University and rowing career. She is

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always welcome back at St Peter’s. Anna-Liese Calder took over from Maddie. She arrived from Christchurch, New Zealand in March to a pretty cold UK. Already a junior national champion in New Zealand she rapidly picked up how we do things here and did great work with the girls’ J15 squad and even took part in racing at Ghent. A perceptive and very reliable coach, she stays with us until Christmas 2013. Chris Wright took on the senior boys and Juniors coaching and helped them progress very well. Always very flexible, his patient, no-nonsense style works well. In addition he coached the 3rd form on their Tuesday and Thursday sessions. Anne Homa, Noll Heffernan and Anne Heathcote all helped with the “Round Robins” for 3rd formers which was tremendous, if a shock to their systems. We are very grateful to them all. Dan Clark coached the 3rd form and St. Olave’s well and Joe Foss also joined us in the summer to help out with the 3rd form. Always reliable and patient it was great to have him back again this summer. The Captains, Jo Clark, Phoebe Liu and Ollie Braidwood deserve praise for leading from the front, performing their duties well and showing the younger ones what the Boat Club is about have. In addition, their own dedication ensured their squads’ and their own excellent rowing performances. A huge “Thank you” also to the Boat Club Supporters’ Association, who have done a huge amount to support the rowers, the Club and me. I am tremendously grateful for what they do, whether providing hot tea on freezing days at York events, organising the Quiz Night and the annual Dinner or putting up the marquee and feeding the rowers at the National Schools’ Regatta. It would be impossible without them. Phil Blakeborough, who drives all our boats so expertly to regattas, helps supervise, rig and load. A constant source of cheerful chat, always helpful with a spanner in his hand he keeps a very mature eye on our activities, on and off the water. And finally the Boat Club could not stay afloat without the huge time and effort put in by Jon Whitmore (OP) who works tirelessly repairing and renovating our fleet. He has ensured that boats are returned to use as soon as possible and even comes down on regatta days to make sure we are all river worthy. We all appreciate his work tremendously and could not survive without him.

Rowing Awards and Colours St Peter’s Cap: Emily Gray, Full Colours: Jo Clark, Phoebe Liu, Hannah Burke, Harriet Falshaw, Chris Andrews, Ollie Braidwood, Daniel James, Sam Philpott. Dr J MacLeod

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FOOTBALL The start of the Easter term signalled the much anticipated start to the football season with a record number of boys signing up for the option. After the first weeks training we held a trial match to make sure everyone got their chance to impress the coaches which allowed us to try various combinations that were useful throughout the season. Our first competitive fixture saw the local rivals Bootham arrive to the colts pitch for the local derby. In testing conditions, with strong winds and a sodden pitch St Peters found it hard to impose themselves however an excellent finish from Alex Reeds allowed us to move 1-0 up. Although a late equaliser from Bootham robbed the home side of the victory it was a good experience and there were glimpses of quality on display. The following week saw the much anticipated fixture of Ampleforth at home. On a nice sunny day and good pitch conditions the St Peter’s 1st XI showed their quality with Phil Hodgson grabbing a hat trick and Henry Gray scoring from close range, only a slight lapse in concentration allowed the visitors a consolation goal with the final score of 4-1 a fantastic result. On the same day the 2nd XI captained by Giles Gray, pulled off a top performance to win 3-2 with goals from Max Gill and Jonny Briggs (2) and despite Thomas Riley’s best efforts giving away a penalty in the 89th minute to bring Ampleforth level, the central midfield partnership of Gill and Gray quickly worked the play up field to Briggs who fired home to secure the victory for the home side in the 90th minute. With the first of 2 fixtures against Silcoates underway the following week the boys pulled out a top draw performance on a below par pitch to win 5-0, with goals coming from Alex Reeds, Phil Hodgson and Cormac Hopkinson rounded with a strong defensive display from Andrew Burdett. Unfortunately in the return fixture at St Peters saw a poor performance from the home side with mild complacency hindering the side, and the side lost 3-0 on a poor day at the office. With Barnard Castle being the big fixture on the calendar the boys travelled with enthusiasm and produced a solid first half performance but the final score of 2-2 proved to be a fair result for our efforts. The away Bootham fixture saw harsh conditions with a snowy pitch, however the 1st XI produced a great performance with goals from Burdett, Hinde, Hodgson and Hart seeing the away side take a 4-1 victory. This season also saw the first ever house football take place at the Roko gym 3G pitches. It was an exciting day which saw Clifton beating School House in the Final on penalties, and Linton beating Manor in the 3rd/4th play-off. The top goal scorer of the tournament was Giles Gray, although notable performances in the Clifton dressing room from Swales, Hart, Pepper and Catchpole proved too much for School House’s Ubhi, Scroggs and McDade. The event was a huge success as will be run again next year. The final event of the season was the Read 4 a side tournament where

St Peter’s entered four teams, and the team of Felix Adams, Cormac Hopkinson, Will Catchpole, Nik Ubhi and Alex Reeds returned as victorious winners – a tremendous achievement and the first time St Pete’s has won this event. At the end of the season, trophies were awarded to: ‘Top Goalscorer’: Phil Hodgson with 9 goals, ‘Most Improved Player’: Nik Ubhi, ‘Player’s Player of the Season’: Alex Reed’ and ‘Manager’s Award’ to Henry Gray.

1st XI Squad Summaries Henry Scroggs (GK) –Excellent all season with quick reflexes and safe hands proving useful all season Joe Swales (LB) - Great work rate in defence with attacking flare which gave the left side an edge. Tom Thrussell (CB) – One of the ‘Rocks’ at the back, solid tackling and good areal ability. Nick Ubhi (CB) - The other ‘Rock’, proved his worth with outstand commitment to the cause. Alex Hart (RB) – Loved the slide tackle and was a constant thorn for the opposition. Andrew Burdett (CM) – A genuine footballer whose skill and vision helped guide the side. Henry Gray (CM) – Box to box 1st team captain, solid in the air and on the ground Alex Reeds (LM) – Great skill with a lethal finish, and a constant threat down the left hand side Cormac Hopkinson (RM) – Pace, work rate and some good skill too, and some crucial goals Phil Hodgson (ST) – Goals all season long, a constant threat and very clinical. Harrison Medley (ST) – Never stopped running offering good lines to worry defences. Felix Adams (LB) – Good long throw and strength at the back. Will Catchpole (CM) – Never stopped running and signs of some real ability. Archie Hinde (ST) – Sustained effort in every game when asked to play in numerous positions Giles Gray (CM) – 2nd XI Captain who trained extremely well, to keep pushing people for places. Henry Gray UVI

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O. Collins, X. Cook, E. Dobson, A. Gilman, M. Grant, A. Greswold, L. Galloway, I. Hedley, C. Hodgson, J. House, E. Kelly, H. Lawrence, C. Ledden, S. Lloyd, M. Morris, M. Palmer, E. Sharpe, L. Taylor,

ROUNDERS Senior Rounders Opposition Ampleforth Ampleforth GSAL Yarm Yarm Barnard Castle Queen Margarets Giggleswick

Results: Team 1st 2nd 1st 2nd 3rd 2nd 1st 1st

Result Won Won Lost Won Lost Won Won Won

Despite the weather being a lot better this summer term it was disappointing that the few poor days played havoc with the senior rounders’ fixtures. Matches against Sedbergh, Scarborough and Ashville were abandoned due to wet weather. However, with a renewed, strengthened and extended fixture list the senior rounders teams had a great season. All girls played well and demonstrated, at times, some outstanding fielding skills. The composure of both the senior teams ensured excellent wins against Ampleforth College! The senior teams most definitely benefited from playing ‘all out’ – resulting in both tense and exciting matches, my most memorable one being against Giggleswick. Both teams played a very similar style with only one base being covered, this, in turn, ensured that the only way of scoring rounders was to hit far! Many thanks to all who played for the senior teams this season, especially those who played throughout study leave. Many thanks to the Captain, Hannah Gee, for all her help and guidance throughout the season. Inter house rounders results 2013: A thrilling competition with an amazing display of both fielding and batting skills. 1st School 2nd Grove 3rd Dronfield 4th Clifton

U15 Rounders Report The U15’s had a successful Rounders season this year. The U15A team started the season strongly with a 16-2 victory over Ampleforth and went on to enjoy a victory over GSAL. The U15B team defeated Scarborough and Pocklington and worked hard throughout the season to constantly improve their fielding and batting performances. The girls were hard-working and determined and their improvement from the start to the end of term was considerable. I wish the girls a great summer holiday and they were a pleasure to work with. Miss H Stanwix

The following girls have represented the girls U15 Rounders teams this year: E. Adcock, T. Antrim, S. Booth, C. Bythell, M. Clapham,

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Ampleforth Harrogate Ladies College GSAL Queen Mary’s Giggleswick Pocklington (A) Pocklington (B) Scarborough College

Won Lost Won Lost Lost Lost Won Won

16-2 10-25 13-19 3-16.5 17-33 11.5-9 21-5.5

U14 Girls Rounders Report The U14’s had a positive start to the season with a convincing win 22-12 against Ampleforth on 1 of the hottest days of the year. They maintained this momentum in training; however with fixtures against Barnard Castle cancelled due to the weather, it wasn’t until 2 weeks later that the girls were able to put their hard work into practise to beat Harrogate Ladies’ College and Mount St Mary’s convincingly. The second half of the season would prove to be a challenging one. With many players out on school trips and other fixtures, teams often had to be adapted. The A team lost against Ashville and both A and B teams also lost against GSAL. However, despite a run of negative results, the girls continued throughout the season to work well in training and both teams did go on the beat Bootham and lose narrowly to Pocklington. Overall, a pleasing season, with some great improvements made. Well done to all of those involved.

The following students represented the U14 girls Rounders’ teams this year: A. Blackburn, F. Booth, E. Bracken, E. Brierley, O. Calvert, I. Cotter, J. Crowther, J. Elliot (c), S. Gill, A. Gilman, K. Hughes, T. James, E. Kelly, L. Leadham, T. Marshall, M. Morris, P. Moss, E. Nelson, E. Norver, P. Phillips, I. Sharp, K. Spencer, A. Van Harwegen den Breems, J. Webster, O. Whitehouse, M. Wordsworth. Miss E Pledge

Results: Ampleforth Harrogate Ladies’ College Mount St. Mary’s Ashville (A) Ashville (B) GSAL (A) GSAL (B) Bootham (A) Bootham (B) Scarborough College Queen Mary’s Giggleswick Pocklington (A) Pocklington (B)

Won Won Won Lost Won Lost Lost Won Won Lost Lost Lost Lost Drew

22-12 21-14 26-19 14.5-34.5 14.5-34.5 8.5-24 11-6 11-9 15-31.5 2-9.5 5.5-15.5 15.5-19 15.5-15.5

Sport

holds 4 individual records. Hope house also finds themselves in the enviable position of holding all 4 school relay records. Well done to all those involved.

SWIMMING Girls’ Swimming

Results:

A shorter report this year as there were fewer matches, not due to any fault of our own. The opposition cancelled on four separate occasions, often at the last minute, which was very frustrating and disappointing for the team.

1st Hope 99pts

2nd Clifton 97pts

3rd School 96pts

4th Dronfield 71pts

Team swimming started off well in the Christmas Term with 2 out of 3 wins in the pool. The first match was a tri against Queen Margaret’s and Ashville. This was as close as ever but St Peter’s managed to come out with a win, helped by the girls winning all 6 of their relay races throughout the age groups. The team then had a win against Bootham but the following week the girls were beaten convincingly by a much stronger and larger team from Harrogate Ladies’ College. In November St Peter’s took an U15 and U18 team to the annual John Parry relays in Nottingham. Swimming against the top independent schools in the North and the Midlands we had our best results since I started coaching at St Peter’s. The U15 and U18 both came 4th in the Medley relay final and again both teams came 5th in the Freestyle relay final. Despite the lack of match competition this year, the girls’ swimming team continues to work hard and enjoys a good camaraderie between all the year groups, training and competing together. I would like to thank my captain Izzy, who has been a joy to work with and I shall certainly miss her amusing banter every week.

Match results: 02/10/12

v Queen Margaret’s

Won

114-124

v Ashville

Won

99-124

13/11/12

v Bootham

Won

95-57

21/11/12

v Harrogate Ladies’

Lost

102-145

05/12/12

v The Mount

Lost

125-104

The following girls represented the school: U14’s : Amelia Bell, Annabelle Blackburn, Jenny Elliott, Abi Harrison, Jess Webster. U15’s : Tilly Antrum, Ellie Dobson, Lucy Garnett, Millie Grant, Alice Greswold, Tracy Yip

Great North Swim 2013 Many of us signed up to The Great North Swim 2013 again on the basis that the conditions couldn’t possibly be any worse than those in 2012. Fortunately the water was a balmy 15 degrees in comparison and the sun even shone through the clouds onto Lake Windermere for part of the afternoon. We had a total of 30 participants, a mixture of parents, teachers and pupils with a large representation of 6th form boys who were literally chomping at their goggles raring to go at the front of our allocated ‘wave’. After a hectic start we all managed to find our own space and enjoy the calmer waters of the lake. Our wave was dominated once again by Joe Brennan leading the way in a fantastic time of 21min 58secs. This put Joe in 8th place overall in the 3 day event out of a total of over 14,000 swimmers. Very well done once again to everyone who swam - another great day. Mrs K Burdass

Seniors: Chloe Burdass, Sophie Blackburn, Georgia Calvert, Harriet Fordy, Holly Harrison, Helen Megone, Alice Rhodes *, Izzy Taylor (C)* * Full colours re-awarded

InterHouse Girls’ Swimming Competition The Inter House competition continues to go from strength to strength, this year being as closely fought as ever with only three points separating the top three houses. 7 new records were made in total and it is worth noting that Alice Rhodes (Clifton) now

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WAT E R P O L O St Peter’s 6 - 10 Bradford Grammar This was the first time St Peter’s boys had played together as a team and they immediately showed how far they had advanced in learning the rules, skills and tactics of the game. The first lesson to learn was just how physical the game is, although technically a non-contact sport the referee cannot always see what takes place under water. After 3 quarters the score was level at 5 - 5 with St Peter’s about to defend the deep end in the final quarter. The loss of James Contreras (blood break) and with Max Nozedar out for a short period, Bradford scored quick goals and ran out as 10 - 6 winners. St Peter’s goal scorers were; Max Nozedar 4, Olly Hicks 1 and Owen Herman 1. St Bede’s 12 - 0 Bradford Grammar St Bede’s 15 - 1 St Peter’s Bradford Grammar 6 - 9 St Peter’s An away match at Bradford Grammar along with St Bede’s provided an excellent afternoon of water polo. St Bede’s were very strong featuring a GB international in their squad and they comfortably beat Bradford Grammar 12 - 0 and then St Peter’s 15 - 1 with James Bell scoring our solitary goal. The final game of the afternoon was a lot closer. Playing two games back to back is extremely tiring and required constant rotation of the squad. Excellent team work and a strong defensive performance contributed to a 9 - 6 win for St Peter’s with goals coming from; Olly Hicks 3, Max Nozedar 2, James Contreras 2, James Bell 1 and Sam Raper 1. Mr A Sunderland

GIRLS’ SQUASH Girls’ Squash took a brave and unique new direction this year. We joined the York and District ladies squash league. A whole new world for the girls playing adults in matches as opposed to other schools. 12 matches were played during the season and the girls gained more and more experience in every game that they played. Although the team were defeated in many of their matches there were some outstanding individual performances from Molly Bythall who was amazingly determined in every match she played and she narrowly lost many of her matches 2-3 but she did manage to pull off some great victories especially against the no 1 seed at York University. Katie Read had a good win v York Ladies and Ruby Wilson Zoe Pindar and Emily Scanu all managed some well fought victories. Dewi Sarginson played as many matches as she could though her amazing performance in Les Misérables meant she missed some of the winter term fixtures though I could never fault her commitment and great improvement in her game during the season. What was so pleasing about the season was that in the return matches the girls were all able to improve on their performances from the first half matches. In the National Schools Competition we manages to get to the quarter final, then being defeated by Dame Allens’ School in Newcastle whose team was littered with nationally ranked players. The Inter house squash Competition was the most competitive I have ever seen with every house fielding 4 players all who had squash experience (an excellent example in just how many girls at St Peter’s are now playing squash ). The final was played out between Rise and School with Rise’s strength and depth of players coming through to give them a well deserved victory. I have to thank the dedication of the girls this year that have been involved in the squash team turning out on sunday evenings and week day evenings to play the Ladies’ matches. it is a great step forward for squash and we have brave enough to participate leading the way in Yorkshire in Girls schools’ squash. Louise Moss

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CROSS COUNTRY

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S P O R T S D AY

Sports Day Results - Girls EVENT

WINNER

HOUSE

On a beautiful sunny afternoon sports day took place. The weather certainly contributed to an exciting afternoon of athletics. Two records were broken - Robbie Brown in the Junior Boys’ 1500m in a time of 4.32m and Ben Lightwing in the Senior Boys’. High Jump clearing 1.79m. A great deal of determination and commitment was shown by all competitors.Special mention must go to Mr Northfield and Mr Owen-Barnett in their last sports day. Both have contributed significantly to athletics over a number of years and will be missed next year.

JUN LONG

E. Nelson

Dronfield

SEN DISCUS

A. Thrussell

Temple

SEN HIGH

F. Punnett

Temple

JUN SHOT

T. James

Grove

JUN 800

J. Webster

Clifton

SEN 800M

C. Lister

Dronfield

JUN DISCUS

M.Grant

Grove

SEN JAVELIN

S.France

School

SEN LONG

R.Wilson

Rise

JUN 100M

A.Bell

Clifton

JUN JAV

H.Lawrence

School

SEN 100M

R.Wilson

Rise

SEN SHOT

A.Cranston

Rise

JUN HIGH

A.Greswold

School

JUN 300M

S.Blackburn

Grove

JUN 200M

L. Taylor

Hope

SEN 400M

G.Carlton

Temple

SEN 200M

M.Gabbertas

School

JUN 1500M

A.Greswold

School

SEN 1500M

H.Megone

Queen’s

JUN RELAY

Hope

SEN RELAY

Grove

HOUSE RESULTS 1st

School

157

2nd

Grove

120

3rd

Queen’s

114

4th

Rise

111

5th

Clifton

110

6th

Temple

104

7th

Dronfield

102

8th

Hope

100

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Sports Day Results - Boys EVENT SEN 3000 INT 3000 SEN DISCUS INT JAVELIN SEN HIGH JUN SHOT JUN LONG JUN 800 INT 800 SEN 800M INT SHOT JUN DISCUS SEN JAVELIN INT HIGH SEN LONG JUN 100M INT 100M SEN 100M SEN SHOT JUN HIGH INT DISCUS INT LONG JUN JAVELIN JUN 400M INT 400M SEN 400M JUN 200M INT 200M SEN 200M JUN 1500M INT 1500M SEN 1500M JUN RELAY INT RELAY SEN RELAY

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WINNER T.Dickinson S.Dickinson T.Simpson F.Craig B.Lightwing O.Williams W.Fordy C.Brown O. Frazer-Krauss C.Hopkinson H.Stothard T.Dowdy W.Scholey A.Duffy B.Lightwing W.Fordy B.Williams J.Harrison H.Gray S.Jones R.Croft F.Wilson W.Huffer G.Davis S.Hudson H.Dixon O.Fryer B.Williams C.Elliott R.Brown T.Dickinson F.Jagger

HOUSE RESULTS HOUSE M M L Q G M T T T Q Q G H S G T Q G L C H M G C S Q G Q C T M C T Q Q

1st

Queens

219

2nd

Clifton

200

3rd

Grove

197

4th

Temple

190

5th

Manor

177

6th

School

161

7th

Linton

154

8th

Hope

151

Sport

Presentation of Athletics Shields and Cups THE CLIVE LEWIS TROPHY FOR 100 & 200M COMBINED Jack Harrison THE LOWTHER SPRINT CUP (GIRLS) 100m

Ruby Wilson

THE PROUDLY TROPHY FOR 400M

Harry Dixon

THE FRIENDS OF ST PETER’S MIDDLE DISTANCE CUP

Helen Megone

THE JUNIOR GIRLS MIDDLE DISTANCE CUP

Jess Webster

THE VICTRIX LUDORUM CUP (BEST GIRL ATHLETE)

Ruby Wilson

THE ROBINSON WALKER TROPHY FOR 800M

Cormak Hopkinson

THE ELMSLEY TROPHY FOR 1500M

Freddie Jagger

THE CHRIS HURST TROPHY FOR 3000M

Tom Dickinson

THE JUNIOR SPRINT CUP (GIRLS) CAMBELL CUP (SENIOR GIRLS 200m)

Amelia Bell Minna Gabbertas

Well done to all who competed and a special thank you to all the staff who helped out on the day.

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Sport

B OYS ’ AT H E T I C S Though short, the Athletics season this year went well and the boys took part in a number of events. After Sports day (where the weather helped to bring about some strong performances) a team of 14 was put together for the first round of the English Schools’ Cup. All round ability is rewarded in this competition and a number of boys scored well in both track and field events. The team scored 339 points which put us through to the regional final for the first time. This was a great way to start off. A few days later, the York and District trials took place. Robbie Brown (Junior 1500m), Will Fordy (Junior Long Jump and Discus) and Frank Wilson (Inter Long Jump) all won their events and, with some others, proceeded through to the county finals. Robbie won his event this time round as well in a superb time of 4m20s, fast enough to qualify him for the National Championships in early July.

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In the regional final of the English Schools’ Cup some excellent performances were put in. Frank Wilson jumped 5.63m in the Long Jump to score over 20 points. The standard at this level though is very high and we were unable to progress any further. I thank all the boys who took part in this as for some of them Athletics is not their major summer sport. On a final note some good athletes are now leaving us. In particular, I congratulate Ben Lightwing whose 1.79m on Sports Day broke the school record. Well done to all those who took part in the events this season. Mr SJ Gwilliam

Leavers’ Destinations 2013 Surname Anthony-Pillai Antrum Barron Bell Booth Braidwood Brook Brown Brown Brown Bullock Burdett Burley Burn Bythell Campbell Chan Cho Chow Clark Collins Colthup Cornock Cowman-Sharpe Craig Darmody Dixon Easterby Esposito Fairbank Fenton Field Frost Geddes Gee Gill Gill Goodlock Goss Gower Gray Gray Green Greswold Grimwood Hall Halstead Harding Hargreaves Harrison Hart Hartrey Hatzel Headlam-Morley Hicks Hiles Himsworth Jackson Jackson Jagger James Jordan King Langford Latham Lee Lightwing Lister Liu MacMahon Mahon McCullagh McDade McLeish Medley Men Moore Murray-Nag Noble Pampus Pang Petrichei Punnett Reid Riley Roach Sarginson Scanu Scroggs Smith Smith Spencer Stephen Swales Sweetland Tam Taylor Taylor Taylor Thornton Thrussell Tian Tolley Townend Tse Wan Wang Whitaker Widdicombe Williams Williams Willink Wilson Wong Wong Yuen Yuen

Forename Aaron Edward Laura Jonathan William Oliver George Calum Edward Hannah Christopher Andrew Samuel Christopher Molly Robert Matthew Justin Samson Joanna Joseph Tom Charles Guy Calum Charles Harry William Jason Jess James Laura Joshua Calum Hannah Abigail Max James Bill Zara Giles Henry Isabel Charlie Oliver Tilly Felicity Daniel Emma Jack Alexander William Jamie Oliver Oliver Peter Joseph Jonathan Madeleine Frederick Edward Rebecca Simon Harriet Georgia Yolanda Benjamin Chloe Phoebe James Lucy Sam Ross Nicholas Harrison Wendi Rachel Beatrice Benjamin Niels Momo Alla Felicity Katie Thomas Henry Dewi Emily Henry Angus Pollyanna Daniel Nicholas Joseph Sophie Alex Izzy Lavinia Summer Alison Tom Xue Hannah Georgia Jonathan Alex Yifei Frankie Rebecca Helen Joseph Sophie Ruby Sabrina Sharon Emily Henry

University King’s College London (University of London) University College London (University of London) Leeds Metropolitan University Employment- hopes to pursue Graphic Design Northumbria University The University of Warwick Gap Year Durham University Newcastle University The University of Birmingham Lancaster University Nottingham Trent University University of the West of Scotland Gap Year then apply for Sport Development courses Newcastle University The University of Edinburgh Gap Year Imperial College London The Chinese University of Hong Kong The University of Manchester Cardiff University University of Bath Newcastle University The University of Sheffield King’s College London (University of London) Employment – Apprenticeship Electrical Engineer Gap Year Newcastle University Gap Year The University of Manchester University of Cambridge Oxford University Gap Year The University of Manchester Gap Year King’s College London (University of London) Leeds Metropolitan University Gap Year Durham University University of Reading Swansea University University of Reading University of Bath Newcastle University Newcastle University The University of Manchester University College London (University of London) Keele University Newcastle University The University of Manchester The University of Manchester Gap Year Oxford University Durham University University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) Brunel University The University of Nottingham Gap Year University of Bristol Newcastle University Gap Year University of East Anglia (UEA) University of Bristol Gap Year Oxford University Apply to universities in Australia Swansea University University of Bath University of Reading The University of Sheffield Gap Year Leeds Metropolitan University Newcastle University Durham University Gap Year The University of Edinburgh The University of Liverpool University of Bristol Cardiff University The University of Liverpool University College London (University of London) Northern College of Music Harper Adams University The University of Sheffield Employment – working for HMRC Newcastle University University of Bristol The University of Sheffield Newcastle University The University of Edinburgh The University of Manchester University of Cambridge Gap Year Gap Year then apply for Physiotherapy Oxford Brookes University The University of Manchester Gap Year University of Bristol Oxford University Lancaster University Newcastle University University College London (University of London) University of Bristol University of Leicester The University of Liverpool Hong Kong University of Science and Technology The University of Warwick University of Leeds King’s College London (University of London) Durham University Oxford University The University of Manchester University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) Durham University University of Bath The University of Manchester Keele University

Course Medicine Classics Events Management Sport Management English Literature Mathematics Financial Mathematics Anthropology and History Fine Art International Business Physics Fine Art Economics Chemical with Nuclear Engineering Science Zoology with Industrial/Professional Experience Business Management Integrated Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Politics and Sociology French and Politics Medicine Agriculture Geography English French and Spanish Chemical Engineering History Business Studies Theology Real Estate Civil Engineering (N380) Investment and Finance in Property Politics with International Relations Agriculture Business Management Psychology European Social and Political Studies Accounting & Finance Modern Languages Modern History with Economics International Management Law with German Law General Engineering Sports Coaching Product Design History Geography with Study in Continental Europe Geography Nursing (Adult) French and Spanish (4 years) Philosophy, Politics and Economics Mathematics and Sport Science Psychology (Sandwich) Art History and Philosophy Sport Business Management Economics General Engineering Painting / Fine Art English Italian and Spanish (4 years) Pharmacy Physics Statistics, Economics and Finance Agri-Food Marketing with Business Studies French and Business Management Politics and Sociology Drama Medicine Modern Languages Business Studies Modern Language and Business & Management (Spanish) Computer Science Anthropology/Geography Architecture Ancient History History Pre-Medical Studies Geography Mathematics Biology Modern Languages with Management Civil Engineering International Science Research Enrichment Mathematics Mechanical Engineering Music General Engineering Medicine Psychology Acting Psychology Pharmacy Law Business Management & Marketing

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St Peter’s School • York • YO30 6AB Tel: 01904 527300 • Fax: 01904 527302 Email: enquiries@st-peters.york.sch.uk www.st-peters.york.sch.uk

The Peterite 2012-2013

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