House Reports

CLIFTON

Patrick Knutson V Charlie Darmody UVI Emma Walker V

Clement Elliott V

House Reports

Emily Watts V Olivia Clark V

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

A YO30 6AB B October Island C Christmas Island D Easter Island

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 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

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.

Elizabeth Wells UVI

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.

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

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.

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 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.

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.

Yasmine Kumordzi LVI

Mr J Whitehouse

GROVE

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 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. 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 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

Katherine Harrison V

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 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.

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

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 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.

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.

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 Lauren Darley V 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

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 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,

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 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

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;

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

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

Isabel Hall V 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

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 of work the boys had to do in order to gain these results – an ethos that Linton House is, quite rightly, proud of.

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

Matthew Tse V

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

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 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.

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.

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.

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 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

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.

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.

Luka Pajovic LVI

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

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

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 boys in the annual house John Briggs LVI 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

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

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

Luka Pajovic UVI

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

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.

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

Polly Smith UVI

Charlotte Rose V

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.

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

Lucy Wooton V Laura Barron UVI

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

Christopher Bullock UVI

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.

Mrs C R Hempsall

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.

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 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 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…!)

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

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.

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

Emily Williams V 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.

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

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 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

Keira Barnard V

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 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.

Tristan Prince V

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

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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

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.

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

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 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

Chloe Burdass V

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 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