The Peterite 2016-2017 by StPetersYork

The Peterite 2016-2017

CONTENTS

The Peterite 2016-2017 Issue No. 434 Contents Commemoration

Salvete

Valete

House Reports

Visits & Exchanges

News, Events & Activities

Creative & Cultural

Sport

119

Leavers’ Destinations

159

The Peterite 2016-2017

Editorial

From the Head Master The Peterite once again brings together an uplifting and informative collection of images and reports of a year of high activity. During the course of the year we were anticipating the arrival of an inspection team from the Independent Schools Inspectorate, and they duly arrived in the first week of the summer term. The inspectors found that “all groups of pupils make rapid progress and achieve academic excellence” and “display excellent self-confidence and a commitment to achieve”. Their uniformly positive view of our School was formed by being amongst us for three days. The richness and diversity of opportunity, and the strength and values of our community shone through, as is the case in this magazine, which captures the spirit and events of 2016-2017. Readers and dippers-in will, I hope, sense that “camaraderie is present everywhere”. My warm appreciation and thanks go to all those on the editorial ream and to our meticulous and beady-eyed Editor, Mr Keith Wright, for delivering another wonderful almanac of life at St Peter’s School.

The Peterite 2016-2017

EDITORIAL

Heads of School

Heads of School 2016-17: Samuel Lightwing, Eleanor Caley, Thomas Dowdy and Emma Nelson

Editorial This edition of The Peterite magazine marks the end of an era: it is the final issue in a long run for which the bulk of the photography has been done by Mr David Morris. The farewell article by Mr Edwards reveals some of the staggering statistics relating to Mr Morris’s work behind the camera, but the quality and range of the images themselves are much more impressive than the raw figures, and we owe him an enormous debt of gratitude for the way in which he has captured the spirit of school life over so many years. This edition has been produced with a good deal of assistance from Josh Booth and Hannah Hamilton (Director of External Relations), and I would like to thank them for their significant contributions behind the scenes. I would also like to thank Lauren Watson and David Peach, of Hutton Peach Design Solutions, for once again finding a striking style for the presentation of words and images. Finally, I must thank all the contributors, both pupils and staff, for their faithful recording of the myriad activities which take place beyond the walls of the classroom. Mr Keith Wright Editor, The Peterite

The Peterite 2016-2017

Commemoration 2017

Commemoration 2017: the Head Master’s address A council in Wales recently put up a bilingual road sign. The English instruction told drivers that they were entering a residential area that was unsuitable for heavy goods vehicles. Native speakers could see that the script underneath, in Welsh, read: ‘I am not in the office at the moment. Please attach any work to be translated’. We live in an age where things are done very fast; and communicated even faster. The age of Google Translate and Wikipedia: an ‘always-on’, data-rich world. Opinions are swiftly formed - and swiftly communicated. They are ‘liked’ and ‘go viral’. Emotions become fact. Facts are half-checked, finessed or ditched in favour of more convenient post-truths. We live in a world where Presidents Tweet. In such a world, it may feel as if authentic leadership is an endangered species: truth a rare bird. Can we still trust the version of events communicated to us? Or is the popular narrative composed of hollow words

The Peterite 2016-2017

– the work of silver-tongued smooth-talkers? Has reasoned argument really been supplanted by hectoring bluster and boo-hooray rhetoric? And, if this is the spirit of the times, should we go with the flow; resist it; or step aside? At times, the truth seems to have been lost in translation. Yet, as parents and as educators, we are wired to communicate a vision of hope. We want to see our children walk into their future with confidence. Our vocation is to ensure that our children are educated to think for themselves; to engage positively with the wider world; to be seekers and communicators of truth. One of our school’s seven school values asks us to ‘speak with conviction and honesty’, and ‘to listen carefully and openly’. True communication only happens when you have something meaningful to say; and when you are truly heard. True communication is the art of being understood. When I talk with Peterites, when I see what they do and how they talk, I am filled with hope. I believe in them. Educating

COMMEMORATION

children to be leaders with values is the best way to ensure that the world doesn’t end up being run by maniacs. The academic year began with a government Green Paper that called on the independent sector to do more to create good school places and help with social mobility. St Peter’s School is a key partner in the City of York Independent State School Partnership which the Green Paper cited as a national beacon of excellence. Having hosted Saturday masterclasses, and provided Latin GCSE for pupils from York’s state schools, we are adding Astronomy GCSE to our growing portfolio of activities which, it should be said, we do because of our values, rather than any external political imperative. We end the year with a minority government and an Education Secretary keen to pursue a more collaborative dialogue with independent schools. Considering the political landscape now, and the wounded, wild and occasionally wonderful beasts that seem to populate it, my mind harks back to the political giants that stalked the earth when I was an 18-year-old, and leaving school. John Major, when he was Prime Minister, often used to criticise Neil Kinnock, the Leader of the Opposition, for making long-winded and tedious speeches. They went on so long because, according to Major, the Labour leader had nothing to say – so he was never quite sure when he’d finished saying it. I shall try to avoid this pitfall. Today is about communicating the values and achievements of the pupils of St Peter’s School. There is plenty to say. Indeed, when

I asked my colleagues to help me with this speech by suggesting their highlights of the year they responded with characteristic enthusiasm. Gathered together, their submission amounted to 5,627 words, which would take around 50 minutes to read. You’ll want me to be selective. This has been a year of tremendous achievement in the field of learning. The class of 2016 delivered some stunning examination results in August, with over four-fifths of all A-Levels exams passed at A*-B; and over 75% of all GCSE passes at either A or A*. We all know that a truly rounded education goes well beyond excellent examination results. The F1 in Schools team reached the national finals at the first attempt, breaking the UK speed record on the way. Meanwhile the Physics and DT departments entered teams in the Bloodhound rocket car challenge, winning the regional round. Our Mathematicians continue to dazzle in the United Kingdom Mathematics Trust Challenge and we became regional champions for the second time in the National Schools’ Challenge. We scooped prizes in Spanish debating and Latin reading competitions. Our physicists won both the Liverpool University and King’s School Chester Physics Olympics. A team of canny investors reached the finals of the National Student Investor Challenge. The Public Lecture Series has once again delivered some outstanding intellectual challenge as we hosted big-name speakers including Bernard Cornwell, Ann Widdicombe, and Jonathan Dimbleby – all

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COMMEMORATION EDITORIAL

great communicators. The Christmas Science Lectures sparkled with energy and over 200 students attended our Philosophy conference. The thriving debating programme was extended to include competitive public speaking, and Global Perspectives now entails presentation and communication training. The learning has extended outside term-time. We have seen a Politics exchange to Washington; Art Historians and Classicists in Italy; skiers in Switzerland; linguists in Spain; a tennis camp in Portugal; rowers in Belgium and space enthusiasts in Florida. This summer will see a boys’ rugby tour to Argentina; trekking in Iceland; a girls’ hockey and netball tour to South Africa; and a rejuvenated CCF deploy a record number of cadets on annual camp in Sussex. The RAF section is flying again – literally and metaphorically – and over 140 pupils are pursuing Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards. The cultural life has been enriched by some remarkable and diverse productions from Shakespeare to J B Priestley, as well as plenty of original work. The whole school musical Grease was a rousing and carefree romp. The pupil-directed A-Level piece, called ⧣TwentyMinutesOfAction, was so effective in tackling the issue of consent that we arranged for it to be seen by the top three yeargroups as part of our PSHE programme. We need to destigmatize the conversation on mental health by encouraging open communication amongst pupils, parents and staff. This year we initiated a pupil wellbeing committee, monitors led our work on internet safety and we introduced a new system to track and support pupils even more closely. Volunteering and Community Action remain a vital way to reach out and connect. It has also been shown to improve wellbeing. Volunteering is good for our health. Meanwhile, our music-making continues to communicate and bring

The Peterite 2016-2017

together. A record number of grade eights were awarded this year, with three pupils also securing diplomas, and one pupil making the National Youth Choir. The musical diet has been wide-ranging, from Cabaret and informal concerts to Evensong at Durham Cathedral and Westminster Abbey, and of course in this wonderful space. As ever, we are deeply grateful to the Chapter of York Minster for allowing us to gather here for our Easter Concert, and today as we mark the 1,390th year in the school’s long history. In sport, the first eleven boys’ hockey team was unbeaten and once again crowned county champions. The first eleven football also won all their games: played eleven, won eleven. Our girls’ hockey teams reached the north-east semi-finals at all three age groups; and the netballers made the north finals at under-14 and under-19 level. In racket sports, the girls’ squash team won their division of the York Ladies’ League and the boys’ tennis first team made the finals of the LTA National Senior Students Competition coming fifth out of 300 entries. More recently, our cricketers made the north of England finals of the HMC T20 competition. The Boat Club turned in some fine team and individual performances at the National Schools’ Regatta. Whilst the results are great, it’s the extraordinary culture of participation that is most influential. With wonderful participation levels in girls’ and boys’ sport, few schools in the region can match us for depth. Our second and third teams often play up a level and enjoy unbeaten runs. And, in a world where all of our competitors are offering sports scholarships, we continue to generate excellent performances through dedicated training, spirited teamwork and outstanding coaching. These were some of the ingredients of the first fifteen rugby team’s outstanding unbeaten season – our second in the last four years. St Peter’s School ended the campaign ranked fourth in the country,

COMMEMORATION

with only Wellington College, Sedbergh and Harrow above us, and plenty of well-known names below. The under-15 team had a cracking run in the National Cup, meeting the eventual winners at the quarter-final stage. We went on to have our best ever run at the Rosslyn Park national rugby sevens, reaching the semi-finals. The success and health of the school is in huge part down to the dedication of the staff across all areas. They so often go the extra mile to provide the best for the pupils. Anyone visiting the school these days will appreciate the quality of the work they, and indeed colleagues right across the support staff do, to provide exceptional environment in which to learn and play. No real surprise then that our grounds team recently came second in the Grounds Team of the Year awards. Colleagues new to the school have certainly had an impact. Warm congratulations to our fabulous Head of Art who has masterminded no fewer than five inspirational exhibitions of both pupil and staff work in her first year. Our new Head of Careers, and her full-time assistant, continue to expand and diversify the guidance programme. The appointment of an expert learning support specialist has extended our provision. Sadly, each year brings departures and this year we say farewell to Mr David Morris, our Head of Science after 28 years’ service. Not only a wonderful teacher, and physics evangelist, David has created a string of science engagement events which will form part of his rich legacy to the school. Rarely seen without at least two digital SLR cameras draped around him, Mr Morris has captured school life and supplied copy for numerous editions of The Peterite magazine. The Bursar kindly allowed me to give David one of the beloved school cameras as part of his leaving gift. Bursars sometimes get a bit of a bad press. I remember a rather jaded and ancient teacher remarking that if the headmaster is the shepherd of the flock, the Bursar is the crook he leans on. This is not so at St Peter’s, for we are blessed with a wonderful Bursar whose work ensures that our resources are carefully deployed. We will be at full capacity in September with 570 pupils in the senior school. We are about to begin an exciting phase of campus development with building on the Maths and Modern Languages block starting in a matter of days. With applications up 20% this year, the school is thriving, in a climate that is seeing many schools in the north really struggle. We have to keep working hard to maintain this strong picture You’ll expect me to indulge in a little collective celebration at our exceptional inspection report, which was published a few days ago. We were particularly grateful to parents for the very high response rate to the questionnaires. It was doubly gratifying that parents were ‘strongly appreciative’ of the ‘school’s leadership and management’; that pupils were found to be ‘very enthusiastic about

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COMMEMORATION EDITORIAL

the teaching they receive’ and that our pastoral care was rated excellent. The Independent Schools Inspectorate gave the school the highest possible ratings. But, the biggest cause for celebration was the comments made about the pupils. The lead inspector spoke with genuine warmth about the excellent behaviour and attitudes of the children from the nursery all the way through to sixth form. The evidence of the outstanding achievements of the pupils, inside and outside the classroom, was overwhelming. The report concludes that: ‘the pupils play a major part in making the school an enjoyable place to be, where a strong regard for one another prevails’. They ‘know, and take to heart, the school’s “seven values”and the modelling of moral responsibility by leaders and staff’. They ‘demonstrate an excellent moral undestanding ‘ and ‘appreciate selflessness and kindness’. These words speak powerfully of the attitudes and behaviours of the children in our care. They are words that give us great hope. Because, as we know well, the pupils are the leaders of the future. It is said that the great spiritual leader and communicator, Mahatma Ghandi, was once asked what he thought of western civilisation. After a brief pause, Ghandi replied: ‘I think it would be a good idea’. There have been many moments in the past twelve months when our faith in the fabric of civilisation has been battered. The echo of Ghandi’s legendary response reminds us how far we still have to go. Leaders of successful and thriving organisations need to be held to account. Our governors perform this role fastidiously and I thank them for their diligent scrutiny. My job is to foster excellence: to keep us moving ‘over the ancient ways’.

The Peterite 2016-2017

Schools are mini-civilisations. In schools, we protect and communicate the values that hold us together. We govern and lead them carefully, with one eye on the present and one on the future. We are far from complacent; we want to continue developing the pupil experience at St Peter’s School. This year, as Chairman of the Boarding Schools’ Association, which represents over 500 state and independent boarding schools, I hosted the annual conference for heads, here, in York. In a packed three-day programme of speakers, my highlight came when I asked one of our pupils, Deputy Head Girl, Emma, to introduce a panel session. Just a few words at the start, I promised. On the panel were a GB Olympic hockey gold medallist and a Strictly Come Dancing winner, and broadcaster Libby Purves, OBE. With minutes to go, Libby Purves said to Emma: ‘Instead of just introducing us, why don’t you join the panel?’ Gulp. An hour passed, and Emma had taken questions from the floor and was by far the most articulate panellist. Unflappable, direct, absolutely herself: a typical Peterite. So, to our 124 upper-sixth leavers. I am very grateful to our excellent Heads of School, Ellie and Tom; to their deputies, Emma and Sam, the monitors, and to all those who have shown dedicated leadership in house, sport, societies and a whole range of activities. It is the most joyful of year groups, rich in talent and endeavour. As the class of 2017 prepares to leave this wonderful space, and enter the next phase of their lives as Old Peterites, we hope that they take with them memories and experiences that will fuel them for life; wisdom that will guide them and friendships that will sustain them. Most of all, we hope that each of them has found their own individual voice. To echo our guest of honour today, we hope that our leavers feel proud, trusted and skilled. We hope that, wherever they go in life, they live and communicate the values of their school. Mr Leo Winkley Head Master

Salvete

EDITORIAL SALVETE

Mr Andrew Christian Mr Christian arrived this year to take up the post of Head of Learning Support. He grew up in The Wirral (the peninsula between the rivers Dee and Mersey, not far from Liverpool) and was educated at Ridgeway High School. He read History and Politics (BA (Hons)) at Manchester Metropolitan University before taking a PGCE at the University of Reading and returning to Manchester for a postgraduate qualification in Special Educational Needs Coordination. He is currently studying in Chester for an Assessor’s qualification. Home for Mr Christian is on the north-western tip of Wales, in Anglesey: he lives there with his partner and a yellow Labrador called Max. The attraction of the post at St Peter’s was that it would enable him to devote himself full-time to Learning Support, rather than splitting his time between that and teaching. Mr Christian knows a former Chaplain, the Reverend Steven Harvey, who gave it a big build up, including the line ‘you won’t regret moving to the right side of the Pennines!’ So far Mr Christian has found the school to be ‘an incredibly supportive and friendly place to work – SLT, teaching staff and of course, the students’. Although school life can be all-encompassing, in his spare time he confesses to being a fan of Star Trek, and to having attended a convention in Los Angeles where he was ‘beamed up’ as Scotty on set! The Editor

Mrs Charlotte Chisholm Mrs Chisholm arrived in September 2016 to succeed Mr Darmody as Head of Art. She grew up on a dairy farm in Somerset before moving to Louth in Lincolnshire, where she attended the local comprehensive school, followed by the grammar school. She then read Fine Art at the University of the West of England (the former Bristol Polytechnic). Amongst the more unusual

‘jobs’ she did before coming to York saw Mrs Chisholm busking around Europe twice, funding her journey once by fire-juggling, and then by making sculptures out of found materials. She has two children: a grown-up daughter who lives and works in London, and a much younger son. She remarried last summer to Will, and now has a ‘two-destination’ marriage, moving between York and Cumbria. Mrs Chisholm was initially attracted to St Peter’s by the magnificent site, the reputation of the amazing Art department, and especially the Whitestone Gallery. The friendliness of the staff and pupils also stood out. The location was a big ‘plus’ for her: as she says, ‘it is easy to get almost anywhere, which is important with a husband in Cumbria, a mother in Lincolnshire and a daughter in London’. Her impression so far is that the school is ‘very down to earth, very caring, with inspirational teachers and great pupils’, and the school is already benefitting from her experience and enjoying her leadership of a vibrant and lively Art department. The Editor

Mrs Joy Loftus Mrs Loftus, who has joined the school as Head of Careers, is quite local: she grew up in Knaresborough and was educated in Harrogate attending St John Fisher Catholic High School. She went on to study at the University of York, graduating with a firstclass degree

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SALVETE EDITORIAL

in Psychology. Before coming to St Peter’s Mrs Loftus worked at the University of York, running a project for over 2,000 young people to support them in making informed choices about their future. Before that she did a number of interesting things – the more unusual of those having been selling wedding dresses to wedding dress shops, and managing a snow sports store (during her three gap years before university). Now that she works in careers, she says that she can see the important things that her varied experiences taught her, and how they led her to what she is doing now. Mrs Loftus says that she very much wanted to work in a school setting where she could give support and help pupils on a one-to-one basis, and that the school’s fantastic reputation was an important part of choosing St Peter’s. So far, she says, ‘I’ve really enjoyed my first year: it’s a welcoming, positive and energetic place that wants the best for everyone who studies and works here.’ Away from school, Mrs Loftus ‘absolutely loves’ yoga and would like to encourage as many people as possible to give it a try! She also surfs with her husband (whom she says is much, much better than her!): you’ll find them in Devon every summer with a collection of surfboards and wetsuits. She is from a really musical family, so in the school holidays you might find her in the recording studio with her brother, working on some very cool music! The Editor

Valete

SALVETE

Mr David Morris David was a member of staff at St Peter’s for 28 years, having been appointed Head of Physics in 1989. He started his career in 1979 at Bristol Grammar School, where he remained

for four years before moving to King’s School Rochester as second in department. At a recent meal honouring David’s retirement, some comments regarding David’s appointment to St Peter’s were shared with us. At interview, David had impressed the then Head Master with his smart appearance and motivation to concentrate on Physics. David’s smart appearance, in no small part, was a result of the large trench coat that he was wearing. David had not been to Yorkshire before and his only information about the county was gained by watching The Last of the Summer Wine – and in all honesty, according to him, this was what he thought all of Yorkshire was like. David is still very pleased that this coat only cost £1. To complete the look David had bought himself the flat cap that many of us remembering seeing him wear at rugby matches. He was quite surprised to find that the lower sixth, in the first lesson he taught, didn’t speak like Compo, Foggy or Clegg. David certainly had a challenge as a new head of department. His predecessor had a reputation as a formidable teacher and had stepped down to become Deputy Head of the school but still taught some Physics. However, David’s comments about wanting to concentrate on Physics were earnestly meant: when I joined him in the department it was immediately obvious just how hard David worked and how much he strove for

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EDITORIAL VALETE

excellence. I also remember, on many occasions, staying up all night with him moderating coursework. David pushed the pupils to take part in national competitions and successes were soon reported in The Peterite. The Oxford and Cambridge examination board used to produce certificates for the top three marks in A-level Physics each year. Invariably the department gained one of these certificates and one year we achieved all three. On his watch we have had a pupil come top in the country in Theoretical Physics in the Olympiad competition and then go on to represent the nation in the worldwide competition in South Korea. We have also had a pupil come second in the world in a research competition with the finals taking place in Indonesia.

On top of that for many years David ran the second XV rugby team, was heavily involved in senior cricket, and coached the under-16 Colts hockey team. I helped David with the hockey and remember the practice sessions in almost total darkness when all the other games sessions had long finished. David’s enthusiasm was infectious, making boys who had never played hockey before into a really good side, and many of these pupils are still in touch with him to this day. After one year in The Manor, David served as a tutor in The Grove, under nine housemasters and housemistresses. He took five sets of pupils all the way from the third form to the upper sixth. This is probably unique at St Peter’s and it is typical of David and our pupils that he says that there was never anyone in his tutor

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VALETE EDITORIAL

groups that he didn’t get on with in all those years.

many of our pupils.

In recent times, perhaps the main contact that pupils had with David outside the classroom was a result of his ubiquitous presence both on and off campus with his cameras. Being a physicist, I feel obliged to put some of the numbers associated with David’s photography into context. During his last three years in the school David took 135,357 photos, and since 1996 the total comes to over a million. I was very proud of the first computer I had when I came here; however, I would need 10,000 of these computers to store just those last three years of David’s photos. Often with three cameras around his neck, David was seen climbing the heights in the Minster, before running around with his kitchen stool to get to the next vantage point, or dashing outside to take photos of people leaving after a school service. He spent many a Sunday or evening at school events, and was a welcome sight at the end of the Beverley run where runners knew that the end was in sight and they could compare before-and-after photos. The way David could appear anywhere with his cameras and the trust that pupils had in him to enable him to do that was nothing short of inspiring. We will not truly appreciate the contribution that David made in this area until it is no longer there. The vibrant ethos of the school is amplified through his dedication and he deserves an awful lot of our thanks.

The impact that David had on St Peter’s, the local area and further afield is tremendous and his legacy will be felt for many years ahead, for which many people have enormous gratitude. He had an extraordinary career and I am sure that there are many adventures still to be had in the future. We wish him and Liz a very happy retirement.

After his children had moved beyond school, David’s formidable drive was focused on outreach work, for which he received an Institute of Physics teacher of the year award. 2007 saw our first Physics Olympics for year-eight pupils – a competition that has grown and become renowned over a very wide region, with other events for other age-groups being introduced by teachers who were inspired by what we do here. 1,270 pupils have attended these at St Peter’s, and some of these pupils have then come to this school as a direct result of attending the competition. On top of this, David’s organisational output produced an annual timetable of a stargazing evening, the National Technicians’ conference with delegates coming from as far away as the Isle of Man and Warwick, the York Schools’ Science Quiz and eleven public lectures. A colleague from another school was recently scratching her head as to how David managed to get so many things off the ground. Sheer persistence is the answer. The potential for this was certainly evident in his early career where David set up a staff cricket team in Rochester – a venture that lasted for at least 25 years after David left. In order to get this going, David went round all of Rochester including the banks and the police stations offering them cricket matches and getting them to play, a behaviour mirrored when David went round all the local houses in York in 2010 posting leaflets advertising his first public lecture. Over 300 people came to that first lecture and some have come ever since. David has received many comments about how his work has changed their lives. In his outreach work, David forged links with the Institute of Physics, York Rotary Club, Nestlé and Taylor’s of Harrogate; he is a Teaching Fellow of the Ogden Trust, and a member of the external advisory board for York University, from which he has helped develop the Nuffield Research Placement Scheme which in turn has benefited

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Mr Mark Edwards

Mrs Joanna Appleby Jo joined the Music School in 2009 and since that time she has become a highly valued member of the music team. Starting as a part-time role, Jo’s post has for the past few years been given the full-time status that it deserves and this is a direct result of the breadth of Jo’s skills and her ability to manage a complex and varied number of tasks from financial administration for over 40 staff to designing posters and programmes for our events that have been widely admired, to name but two of the many elements of her role. Jo has had two children through the department and both of them have made a significant contribution to our music with Alice singing in the School and Chapel Choirs and Sam in an excellent Guitar Group. Jo decided to accept my invitation to join us on our music tour to Paris with Alice in the Summer of 2015 and she looked after a group of lower-sixth girls with her strong sense of pastoral care shining through. Jo has been a particular help in looking after the visiting teacher team and many of my staff will be indebted to her in terms of dealing with practical issues such as timetabling or timesheets but perhaps more important has been her willingness to be available whenever we have wanted to talk to her. Her door has always been open and she has become more than just our administrator and is considered a friend by many of the music team. With Sam leaving the school this summer, Jo felt that it was a natural time to move on. We will miss Jo, and we wish her every happiness and success in the future. Mr Paul Miles-Kingston

EDITORIAL VALETE

Mr Harry Vann A valedictory address given by the Chaplain Harry, I was hugely touched that you asked me to put together some thoughts to summarise your time here with us. I realise what an enormous challenge you have laid down: to write something that does you justice in just a few words. What I shall say here will inevitably fail in the task of fully saying who you are and what you have been to this place, but I shall at least try to put together something which is, entirely legitimately, part eulogy and part character assassination. Harry, my first memory of you is on your interview day when a little group of fresh-faced classics teachers turned up to look around the school. Then I realised that you weren’t one. I don’t know what you were feeling that day, or indeed what you thought you were doing, you were every inch a barrister and we knew as well as you did that your only experience of being in school was of having been at St Paul’s, an institution down south belonging to the wrong one of Jesus’ apostles. Leaving the bar must indeed have been a scaly decision but it very quickly became obvious that St Peter’s made the right one in appointing you. Having sat through the Buckingham teacher training course, you quickly realised that teaching isn’t about lesson plans and marking and target setting and report writing (of course, it is, just in case anyone else is still listening in) and, rather pleasingly, teacher training annoyed you, just like it would annoy any truly great schoolmaster: for that is what you have become, never forget that. In the Classics department you have played a central role in the popularity of the subject. The pupils enjoy your lessons, and I suspect this has probably rekindled your love of your subject too. You have also been impressive as a tutor and assistant in School house. The pupils will really, really miss you and I know that the staff will too … because the people who run classics and School house have told me so. They have valued your support and, as right as it may be to go back to the legal profession, never be afraid to admit that the choice to do so is a great loss to the teaching profession. I will miss the sound of your voice echoing down the main corridor … and through the chapel … and around the common room … across the sports fields … over the hills and far away. We love you for it. And so do the children. No longer will they hear ‘COME ON, SCHOOL’ being bellowed on the touchline, or get generally told to ‘BUCK UP’.

you have said has been honest and I suspect sometimes costly. By being like that, though, you have garnered the respect of our pupils and their parents by taking a genuine interest in them and what’s important to them. The children here know what you stand for, Harry, not because you say things but because you do them. And that even goes for the littlest of our community. You don’t pick and choose or only do the things that you have to, you are willing to look after those who are smallest, really engage with issues of mental health and look after the underdog – nothing is too much trouble. And because you have done that, don’t be surprised when, in twenty years’ time, the boys and girls that you have taught come up you and say ‘sir, you’re the reason why I am where I am today.’ Over the last few weeks, it has gradually felt like you are transitioning back from the tweed-jacket of a schoolmaster and into the three piece pinstripe of a barrister again. Thank you for the way in which you have shared of yourself over the last four years. Your time here as a schoolmaster may have only been four years, Harry, but in that time you have accomplished things many teachers never achieve in the whole of their careers. Please never think of your time here as a career break because you are now every inch a schoolmaster: you have the Latin, the Tweed, the cricket … Having you around has been a breath of fresh air, so you know that there will always be friends waiting you welcome you back to visit. I hope that you will take away many happy memories of this place. Please don’t lose touch: it has been a pleasure and a privilege teaching alongside you. The Rev Daniel Jones

You have been involved in so many areas in school life – many of them unseen – that a large number of our pupils will know and remember your care and attention. You have been an assiduous supporter of our sports teams and drama productions and music concerts – on occasion even singing in one or two yourself. You have joined in with rowing and debating with the staff against the pupils, coached rugby in those wonderful pink socks, and taught Latin as part of the ISSP. And I want to say a particular thankyou from me for the way that you have shared in chapel: what

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EDITORIAL

House Reports

EDITORIAL

Clifton It’s been a typically good year for Clifton house, with success in every facet of school life. We bolstered our tutor group as Mr Smith (head of chemistry) joined from Linton in a swap deal for Mr Battersby. Heads of house Sam Elliot and Amelia Bell impressed both within and outside the house, the former being an integral part of the first team rugby, hockey and cricket whilst Amelia starred for the girls’ first XI hockey as well as on stage. Freddie Heijbroek captained the first team hockey in a joint role with Alex Martin and was awarded the St Peter’s award for his outstanding hockey prowess, which has earned him international honours. The upper sixth boys, George Davis, Paddy Hayes, Angus Barrick and James Hanley – as well as lower-sixth Charlie Tannahill – helped the rugby first team to a hugely successful season that catapulted St Peter’s to fifth in the rugby schools rankings with an unbeaten domestic season. Steven Jones and Freddie Heijbroek’s tennis first team doubles partnership was formidable as it contained both last year’s captain (Steven) as well as this year’s captain. Harry Contreras, Jack Amsden (both lower sixth), Ben Lodge (fifth form) and Chris Wood (fourth form) all represented the school in the first XI cricket team. Clifton girls have had a very successful year with the senior girls winning both house hockey and netball. This was largely possible because of the number of fifth- and sixth-formers within the house who were part of the first X1 hockey and first team netball. The girls nearly completed a hat-trick; however they narrowly lost in the house rounders final, reluctantly taking second. The junior girls also had a good year, with them supporting the seniors in the house hockey, but they just missed out on the netball final and comfortably took third. However Clifton didn’t quite have the same success in racquet

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sports, although they put up a good fight as always. Finally Clifton girls showed their true talent and competitive nature when diving head-first into the swimming pool, pulling another third out of the bag. As a strong academic house, the senior house challenge team that lost last year in the semis to the eventual winners were disappointed that a rare logistical error led to an early exit. Not so for the juniors however: spearheaded by India Harrison and Hebe Turvill, they performed strongly, beating Linton and Dronfield. The senior boys were robbed of a great opportunity to retain a trophy when the senior boys’ hockey was cancelled. The senior boys’ rugby team was knocked out by Linton (the eventual winners) thanks to a masterclass from Charlie Rae, who spent his first year at St Peter’s in Clifton. The junior boys experienced unrivalled sporting success, dominating both cricket and hockey for two-thirds of what

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seemed a likely triple. However, having blitzed their group in house sevens they fell in the final against School in an encounter that could have gone either way. House singing brought great fun and house spirit as it always does, and many felt we were robbed of a place. House dinner was a wonderful occasion as all year-groups enjoyed the food and company on offer. These two events show off the spirit of the house, further develop bonds between the year groups and live long in the memory. They are our personal highlights. We look forward to another successful 2017-18 year. Edward Turvill and Emilia Proctor, LVI

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Dronfield The best things that happen in Dronfield are when we do things together. It’s very often the simple things, such as waiting for each other in the mornings before heading off out of the door to start the day. I love the spirit shown in house events and competitions; I admire the commitment and involvement in concerts and plays and other teams, and I feel privileged to watch the girls enjoy and challenge themselves. It shows courage when individuals opt to be a part of a house team – debating and cross-country to name just two – particularly when you don’t consider yourself good enough. It is the taking part that means the most. There are many other examples of the good things that the pupils do together, and the individual contributions they make to the school and to the house. The Lister Trophy is presented annually to a girl in the house who has contributed to house sport during her time in Dronfield. Emma Nelson and Olivia Calvert have been passionate in their support of the house, and particularly through their sport. It was only right that the Lister Trophy be shared between these two outstanding Dronfield girls. At the end of the year we said farewell to Mrs McKie as she takes up the reins in Queen’s house, and thank her for the kindness and support she has given to all of us in Dronfield. We also said goodbye to Margo, ManYi and Bethany who have chosen new paths for their sixth form. Our upper-sixth leavers in Dronfield this year have come together over a period of ten years at St Peter’s, and from different parts of the world and different parts of Yorkshire. Old friendships have remained strong over the ten years, and new friendships have

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blossomed in these last two years. We wish all twelve of our uppersixth leavers the strength to meet the challenges of life after St Peter’s, and all the happiness in the world. We thank them for all the very great memories they leave with us. We thank our tutors and domestic staff for keeping the house on its feet, and we wish Mrs Brough well as she starts her maternity leave, and we say a special thankyou to Anna Muirhead, who has done an exceptional job as head of house. It has been a good year in Dronfield. I leave the rest of the house notes to two of our new boarders. Mr Jon Whitehouse

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In September I joined Dronfield as a new third-former, moving from St Hugh’s where I had also been a boarder. I live in Italy so had already been a boarder for a year before to moving to St Peter’s. One of my favourite parts of this year was the house dinner. I liked it because I got to sit and talk to some other people in the house who I don’t usually sit with. Also I liked the getting-ready part beforehand. Another part of my first year which I enjoyed is that compared to my old school, which was a tiny community, Dronfield feels like a big family and you have lots of new sisters. And just like sisters you have your moments, but they also comfort you and guide you when you are stuck. There have been many weekend activities, like going to the cinema and the trampoline park. I particularly liked the indoor skiing at Xscape, as you got to race each other. Hannah Costin In my upper sixth year, I both entered and left Dronfield which I believe gives me a pretty unique and yet bittersweet perspective on what it really means to be part of this house. Aware that my time was limited I sought to remember every moment, create as many memories as possible and, immersing myself totally in this community, take away as much as I possibly could. Becoming a boarder is an odd thing: day pupils enjoy fooling themselves about the reality of boarding life, pitying the curfews and the perceived lack of family and freedom and while for some this may be true, boarding life is so much better than I could ever have imagined as a day pupil. Your family becomes the people around you and home comforts become crowded, gossipy sofas and sleepy smiles. Leaving Dronfield will not be easy for me. Growing up I dreamed of leaving the bubble of school, I felt like I was too big for this small pond. It turns out I was just in the wrong pond! As this year draws to a close, hugs become longer, words carry more meaning and we are all filled with that uneasy excitement that leaving school brings. It is so easy to talk about the clichés of a girls’ boarding house, but truly Dronfield is filled with warmth and laughter, the young women who live here are witty, beautiful, intelligent and strong people. It has been a pleasure to live among them and a privilege to become one of them. Alice Jackson

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Hope Hope house has enjoyed another successful year: tucked away on the edge of the campus, it’s rarely in the thick of it, and this year was no exception. But, that said, there was still much activity and a regular stream of loyal visitors to swell the numbers, make full use of the kitchen facilities and join in with the odd game of common room football, which, despite the ever-increasing collection of confiscated balls of various shapes and sizes in Hope’s office, still remains a firm favourite at breaks and lunchtimes. Having been asked just days before the start of the Christmas Term if I would take on Hope in Miss Ullstein’s absence, I was rather cautious about how best to proceed. Whilst running a house isn’t new to me, looking after Hope most certainly would be. I opted to speak with the old hands, Livi Whitehouse and Ed Bottomley. As newly appointed heads of house they offered sound advice and set me off in the right direction, for which I’m most grateful. With the new term, the upper sixth took control of the big common room, which they dutifully shared for house meetings on Saturday mornings. Meanwhile, the lower sixth took the room down the hall and up the stairs, newly furnished with corner sofas (sounds better than it actually is) and, thanks to Charlie Higginbottom, a makeshift table tennis table, on which they played until people were either bored or irritated by it. The fourths and fifths moved up, leaving the common room closest to the office for the new third formers. They settled in quickly – very quickly, helped I’m sure by a trip with Livi and Ed to Mega Bowl, where Toby Search proved to be particularly able with a bowling ball and Paul Townend enjoyed his chips. Hope has once again thrown itself into house activities. This year we have been fortunate to have so many (almost all) sports captains in our midst: Ted Patmore (cricket), Jack Coulthard (rowing), Rowan Tait (Tennis), Phoebe Phillips (netball), Joe Simpson (rugby) and

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Ed Bottomley (football). Along with Livi and Katherine Spencer rallying the troops, our performance at inter-house events has been enthusiastic and in many cases successful. Hope came third in football, and the senior sevens team fared better than the juniors after beating School, drawing with Linton only to lose to Queen’s in the semi-final. The girls’ squash team came third, the junior netballers came second and the girls’ badminton team were overall winners, as were the girls’ swimming team. Inter-house cross country, a perennial favourite with the staff and loved and loathed in equal measure by the pupils, took place on a beautiful autumnal October afternoon. Runners dodged cyclists, dog-walkers and cows to make their way round the Ings course with some notable individual performances from Hope pupils. Hope performed well in interhouse debating and made the semi-final in the junior challenge, thanks to some sterling performances from – amongst others – Henry Butters, who even without his socks proved to have the answers to some of the more obscure questions. The end of the first half term saw Hope come a very respectable second in the inter-house singing: thanks to Ella Day and Rowan Tait’s choreography we gave a fair rendition of Trouble Maker that Olly Murs himself would have been proud of, supported by Harriet Edwards on the trumpet, Katherine Spencer on the piano and Ed Morrison on the drums. Hope was the top day house; we were rightly proud! In the library, Hope’s library committee members, Felicity Edwards and Jack Hargrave, helped put together a wickedly challenging literary quiz. Hope came second – by just one point! – thanks to knowing rather too much about Harry Potter… Sports day was once again postponed because of poor weather, but a junior event took place towards the end of the summer term. Whilst the boys didn’t feature in the top three, the girls came a very

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respectable second. Particular congratulations go to Maddie Wylie for her 300m run and long jump and Elicia Race who won both the high jump and 1500m. In rounders the senior girls were victorious over Clifton and the junior cricketers beat The Grove but lost out to The Manor in the semi-final. The girls performed well in tennis to come second overall. Hope was well represented in the senior and junior music festivals: Harriet Edwards played the trumpet, Katherine Spencer and Jack Hargrave both played the trombone, Katherine and Felicity played the piano and Felicity also played the harp. In the juniors, Jennie Durham and Toby Search sang, whilst Sophie Clarke played the euphonium and Jodie Leon played the piano. Toby was winner of the brass section. The end of the school year saw the announcement of next year’s roles and responsibilities. Congratulations go to Charlie Higginbottom, Jack Hargrave, Phoebe Hall and Annie Ellis who will be school monitors. Annie will also take on deputy head of school responsibilities and I wish her well. In music, Jack Hargrave is head chorister, Phoebe Hall is head of band and Felicity Edwards is leader of the swing band. This time of year can prove to be a difficult course to navigate for all hard-working and aspiring individuals and I am reminded of Lt Col Caroline Lewin’s words at Commemoration – ‘it’s nice to be important, but far more important to be nice’. I wish all Hope pupils with responsibilities this coming year all the very best in their duties and leadership. As housemaster of Hope house for just one year, I am aware just how important to St Peter’s the house system is. May I thank Ed and Livi for keeping things ticking over and particularly Livi, who sustained her commitment to the very end. May I also thank Hope’s

loyal team of tutors. Mrs Lisa Middleton steered and cajoled the third form, ensuring that their bags were packed, top buttons were fastened and shoes – not trainers – were worn for lessons. Mrs Ella Mallard fed chocolate to the fourths to keep them keen and merit-rich – with impressive results! Mr Howard Bowden’s daily appearance in house was significant in seeing the fifths through the most challenging of years. The double-act that is Mr Keith Wright and Mr Bob Shread helped the lower sixth make the smooth transition to the sixth form. Assistant housemaster Mr Mark Edwards showed persistence with the upper sixth which will I’m sure have paid off as they move on to pastures new. Finally, many thanks to Hope’s wonderful cleaners, Carol and Susan, who have ensured that socks stay in lockers, rubbish goes in bins and microwavable popcorn becomes a thing of the past! I have enjoyed my year in Hope and wish Mr Noy Scott all the very best as he takes up the mantle, ably supported by next year’s heads of house, Phoebe Hall and Charlie Higginbottom. There is however, one other person who deserves a mention. Miss Libby Ullstein, whose wisdom and calm demeanour have helped steer a generation of Hope pupils through St Peter’s. Despite her absence, she has very much been a part of Hope this year, keeping a watchful eye on the pupils – and me! After talking to current pupils and old Peterites, it’s clearly apparent that she’s recognised as a caring and intuitive pastoral leader. Whilst Miss Ullstein leaves Hope, she most certainly is not leaving St Peter’s. I thank her sincerely for her support this year and wish her well as she returns to running Geography, supporting Community Action and mucking in with the D of E. Thank you, Libby! Mr Chris Hall

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Linton

Linton house has had a very successful year: under the leadership of the upper-sixth boys many successes were achieved, for example: •

Inter-house senior rugby sevens winners

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Senior boys third in inter-house cross-country

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Winners of the modern foreign languages quiz

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Winners of senior house debating

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Semi-finalists of the St Peter’s Challenge event

At the end July 2016 we said goodbye to our upper-sixth boys. The last day of term is the hardest for everyone, and as we say goodbye to the leavers it is hard to imagine that they would not be returning to the house in September. Luckily for them their names remain for at least the first half of the Christmas term as we refer to their old rooms by their names – and, as you can imagine, the new members of the house find this very confusing! The 2016 leavers moved on to a host of different universities in the UK and abroad. It is always lovely to welcome them back to the house and humbling to hear them speak so fondly of their time in Linton. At the house annual dinner I spoke of the qualities we expect from the boys in Linton and said that, whilst achieving a full string of excellent grades is fantastic, it is only really half the picture. Importantly the boys who were kind, honest, respectful and good humoured are remembered long after the A-level grades they achieved. On a daily basis I am lucky enough to witness boys being kind to each other, as well as looking out for each and displaying both integrity and honesty. In September we welcomed ten new members to the house: James

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Brent, Isaac Burley, Ed Jackson, Kingsley Lou and Matthew Ng joined the third form, Francis Zhang joined the fourth form and Schepay Dong, Ethan Stone and James Ellis the lower sixth. Hanno Brach joined the fourth form for a year from Germany and Gideon Wakelin joined us from Clifton house. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly they adapt to the routines of the boarding house. The first term saw a host of successful events for Linton. In the annual cross-country competition the senior boys came third and for the second year in succession Ben Hobbs came first in the junior event running an impressive race. Congratulations to the boys who were part of the modern foreign languages quiz: Rory, Hanno, Matt, Ethan, Niall, Anthony, Gideon. To beat off the nearest opposition by 40 points is a great achievement! The final of the senior house sevens competition was against Grove house. The Linton boys showed their true grit and determination, plus undisputable teamwork and house camaraderie, resulting in them beating The Grove 12-10. In the annual inter-house singing competition the boys performed a fantastic rendition of Five Years’ Time by Noah and the Whale. Sadly, and surprisingly, they were not placed. Also at the end of the Christmas term Matthew Ramalingam and Joseph Raper performed in Grease. They were both brilliant, with Matt’s singing and guitar-playing deserving special mention. Matthew Ng continues with the musical tradition and progressed to the final of the junior music festival. Also in the first term the St Peter’s Challenge competition takes place. Following from the success of last year’s competition the pressure was most certainly on the Linton boys, but pleasingly they progressed to the semi-finals where their run in the

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competition was sadly halted and I would like to thank all the boys who took part. In the inter-house debating competition the senior boys progressed swiftly and skilfully to the final: Niall Collinson proposed the motion This house believes that governments should provide a guaranteed universal basic income and was ably supported by Gideon Wakelin and Joseph Raper. Mr Vann commented on the professionalism of the boys and was impressed by their conviction and their thorough planning: well done and thank you on achieving the first place. I would like to personally thank Gideon for organising the boys and ensuring that the team was well prepared: his help was invaluable. Academic extension out of the classroom has also been popular this year. Jerry Tam and Matthew Ng must be congratulated on being chosen to represent the school at the UKMT mathematics competition. Jerry also gave a short presentation to the York Astronomical Society on the limits of space travel which was enthusiastically received by the audience. We were delighted that Jerry was awarded the mathematics prize at Commemoration. Sean Shao also took part in the ‘F1 in school’ competition, winning the regional round, and was placed fourth in the national final which took place at Silverstone race track. He was also part of the winning team at the Physics Olympics organised by the University of Liverpool. At the end of term I was lucky enough to see the artwork produced by a lot of the boys and am looking forward to having Jonny’s work adorning the walls of Linton. In the sporting arena a number of the boys represented school teams – Ethan Leigh-Howarth was a member of the under-15 rugby

team who progressed to the quarter-finals of the NatWest Cup; James Black and Charlie Rae represented the school at first-team level for cricket and rugby; Jonny Jaworski captained the water polo team (I am delighted that Tom Charge will be taking over this role from Jonny!) and Charlie Rae and George Ingall were part of the team who reached the semi-finals of the Rosslyn Park rugby sevens competition. James Ellis and Charlie Rae were also in the first XI football team. On the river Elliot Millman had a successful season: he trialled for the GB rowing squad and took part in the British rowing championships held in Nottingham. At the national schools’ regatta the J16 quad, which Elliot was in, reached the semi-finals and Hanno Brach reached the semi-finals in the J18 double. Ben Hobbs continued with his training for the triathlon, was a member of the Yorkshire Triathlon Academy and competed in the Super Series events. I would like to say goodbye to the upper-sixth leavers. They will be missed: George, Jonny, Titan and Will have been together for the past five years and in that time I never witnessed them have a cross word with each other. I wish them well as they embark upon the next chapter of their lives and look forward to them visiting Linton whenever they are in York. Finally a big thank you to all the support staff who keep the house (and the boys) functioning, day in, day out. Matron, Tracey, Georgina and Dawn keep the house spotless and their efforts are appreciated by all. Thank you to all the tutors: Paddy, Lee, Mr Battersby, Mrs Chisholm and Mrs Tooby-Smith. Mrs Justine Williams

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Queen’s

As another year passes we wave goodbye to our upper sixth and welcome in our new third- and lower sixth-form members to the house. This year the house was ably led by Eleanor Graham and Helen Ford, who helped to organise house teams and events and lead the Queen’s pupil body. Once again the house has participated eagerly in the St Peter’s Challenge competition at junior and senior levels. The juniors had a particularly successful run, narrowly missing out to School house in the final. It has been great to see so many pupils competing in this area, and hopefully this success will inspire future cohorts to take up the daunting challenge of flaunting their knowledge in public. There was a large turnout for the inter-house cross-country competition, with Queen’s winning the junior boys’ competition, and stunning performances by Charles Barry (first in the senior boys) and Will Coggrave (second in the junior boys). The interhouse singing competition was once again a triumph of enthusiasm,

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with a gutsy performance of Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves, although placing remains elusive. Many students also took part in school productions this year, and house tutors have done an excellent job of helping their tutees to balance their workloads. The summer began with the unfortunate cancellation of sports day because adverse weather conditions made the grass track unsafe. However, the event was run for junior pupils later in the term, resulting in an excellent afternoon of sport. Activities continued despite the obvious emphasis on, and absence caused by, exam season, with enthusiastic participation in inter-house tennis, rounders and cricket competitions. And so we come to the end of another year of activity, and look forward with anticipation to what next year will bring under the new heads of house, Clare Hornby and Jack Williams. Mrs Cath Hempsall

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School As another year passes, it is quite amazing to reflect on the depth and breadth of experiences, progress and successes during another year in School House. As ever, the house has provided plenty of opportunity for pupils to thrive beyond the classroom and the highlight reel is long and full of success. On the European Day of Languages Lily Martin, Lucy Lovisetto, Cosmo Forbes, James Mahon, Lucy Lawrence, Mathis Piquiot and Harry Jones finished runners-up in a much enjoyed quiz evening of European knowledge. In the St Peter’s Challenge competition, the quartet of George O’Neill, Rose Gabbertas, Cosmo Forbes and Jamie Dunsmore successfully saw off The Grove in what was an excellent final to ensure School reclaimed the senior trophy whilst the junior team of Harry Jones, Rachel Padgett, Ben Dunsmore and Tom Hatfield also ran out as overall winners in the summer term. The senior debating team bowed out at the semi-final stages against The Rise but it was fantastic to see the very high standard of public debating skills on display and particular credit to the squad of Chris Hall, James Guyer, Cosmo Forbes and George O’Neill for doing so well. The junior team included a number of new faces taking to the debating floor for the first time. Third-formers James Hatfield and Ed Fricker, alongside fifth-former Tom Uren, made their debuts alongside experienced ‘pros’ Jamie Dunsmore, Tom Hatfield and Sam Beighton. In the final against Hope house and in what was a terrifically high standard of debating, we successfully opposed the motion This House believes that after meeting their basic needs, individuals have a moral responsibility to donate their wealth towards poverty alleviation to become junior inter-house debating champions. In perhaps the best house event of all, we came together for the house singing competition to deliver Michael Buble’s Haven’t met you yet. Cassie Bythell and Charlie Corner led the singing superbly, but the judges didn’t place us in the top three; however, great fun was had by all. On the sports fields, the cross-country competition was the first house event in the calendar and the junior girls, led home by winner Phoebe Holmes, finished in second place overall whilst the junior boys, led by Joe Baker in 14th place, also finished as runners-up. At senior level, Jamie Dunsmore (fourth place) brought the boys home as they finished third overall, whilst a sparkling first (Maddy Bennison), second (Nicole Moir) and third (Lucy Lawrence) –

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with good support from the other girls – meant we finished first and took the trophy as winners of the senior girls’ cross-country. The girls continued their success in the inter-house hockey competition, where we qualified comfortably from the group stages with particularly impressive debuts from third-formers Lucy-May Robinson and Hannah Aubrey. After a good semi-final win we came up against a strong Clifton team who ran out deserved 3-0 winners

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and we had to settle for the runners-up position. In inter-house volleyball, our sixth-form team of Nicole Moir, Izzy Cotter, Rose Gabbertas, Cassie Bythell, Vicky Brook, Anabel Chan and Lydia Palmer reached the semi-final stages to finish fourth. Success came soon after on the squash courts, with the squad of Izzy Cotter, Ellie Spencer, Lucy Lawrence and Anabel Chan qualifying unbeaten through the group stages before defeating The Rise in an excellent final to become house squash champions. Although the senior girls couldn’t reach the final stages of the netball competition, the junior girls (fourth-formers Amelia Blackburn, Rachel Padgett, Megan Ford and Maisy O’Neill, with third-formers Lucy-May Robinson, Hannah Aubrey, Khushi Jain, Phoebe Holmes and Emily Barker) made it to the final and a stunning victory over Hope meant we became junior house netball champions. The girls continued their success in the pool as collectively they put in a phenomenal performance to qualify in every single event for the final rounds of house swimming, and although we led at the half-way stage, strong performances from Hope in the relays saw them snatch the trophy whilst we finished as runners-up. Nevertheless this was a fantastic achievement by all the girls involved with special praise going to captain Nicole Moir who organised the team superbly and Maddy Bennison who broke a school record in the 25m freestyle event: well done to all! Over on the rugby pitches, the senior boys of Charlie Corner, James Guyer, George O’Neill, Charlie Hudson, Nathan Goyea, James Mahon, Matt Ubhi, Zak Darbandi, Tom Hatfield and Sam Beighton gave their all but narrowly missed out on qualifying for the semi-finals but the juniors managed to go one better. Facing a much-fancied Clifton team in the final, the boys saved their best

until last. Led superbly by Tom Robins and other fourth-formers Callum Prince, Harry Jones, Corey Ledden and Will Guyer and third-formers Joe Baker (who scored the winning try in the final), Charlie Bramley, Joshy Bennison and Max Darbandi, they produced a real team effort, working incredibly hard for each other to become junior house sevens winners. When the cricket season arrived, a youthful squad of Charlie Bramley, Joshy Bennison. Max Darbandi, Harvey Gration, Joe Baker, Will Guyer and Corey Ledden reached the final of the inter-house plate competition before losing to Temple and finishing as runnersup. The girls meanwhile were making excellent progress over on the rounders pitches where the combination of fourth-formers Amelia Blackburn, Rachel Padgett, Abi Shaw and Megan Ford, and thirdformers Phoebe Holmes, Hannah Aubrey, Lucy-May Robinson, Khushi Jain and Emily Barker, reached the final where we managed to defeat The Grove and become junior house rounders champions. In the penultimate week of term there was enough time to fit in a junior sports day (the whole school event having been defeated by weather just before study leave). The boys finished in second place overall with some strong results across the events but particular praise should go to Callum Prince who won the discus event and Tom Robins who (again) leapt to victory by matching the school high jump record of 1.75m. The girls finished in fourth place on the day, again with strong performances in most events with special praise going to Amelia Blackburn for winning the javelin. At our final house assembly, I took the opportunity to thank our outstanding team of tutors and to pay compliment to Mr Vann’s outstanding work in School house before he returns to the world of law. To Mandy and Fay who keep the common rooms so clean and tidy the pupils owe a great deal of thanks as well, and we passed on our very best wishes to our upper-sixth leavers, whom we will miss dearly. George and Izzy have led the house superbly and we wish Anabel Chan and Matt Ubhi well in their new roles as heads of house next year. As we say goodbye to such a strong year group, it is reassuring to know the future of School house is in such good hands – roll on September! Mr Ben White

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Temple It has been a turbulent year full of surprises. First came the aftermath of Brexit, then the shock election of Donald Trump as President of the United States and the calling of an unexpected general election by Theresa May. However, the biggest shock of all came in March 2017 when Temple won the inter-house football competition, our first victory in boys’ sport for a number of years. It should not have come as a surprise though, as our team featured a number of boys – most notably Cameron Burdass and Tom Hawksworth – who had enjoyed a very successful season with the first XI. Cameron Burdass went on to enjoy a fruitful cricket season,

the highlight being his nomination for Cricket World’s Performance of the Week along with Ted Patmore for their unbeaten 243 partnership against Hymers. Other individual sporting successes over the year included Will Fordy who played rugby for Yorkshire Carnegie, Alex Martin who was joint captain of the first XI hockey team, Will Andrews who won the hockey stick for commitment to hockey during his time at the school, Matty Roberts and Joe Bates who made appearances for the first XI and North Yorkshire cricket teams and James Bramley who played for East Yorkshire. Matty, Joe and James helped the junior boys to win the house cricket plate event having been drawn again against their closest rivals, Clifton, in the first round of the main competition. Girls’ sport was played once again in the very best of spirits with all girls having to get involved at some point, because of the small number of girls in the house. The goodwill and enthusiasm with which they do this continues to impress me and we look forward to welcoming eight

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new girls into the third form in September, the largest number during my time in Temple. Special mention should be made of Julia Crowther who had a very successful season as captain of girls’ squash as well as taking charge of all the girls’ house sport for me. I would also like to congratulate Sophie-Rose Haslam on her appointment as captain of girls’ boats for next year. Over the last few years, Temple has possessed considerable musical talent and this trend continued this year with the house represented in high numbers in the various choirs and ensembles as

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well as the senior and junior music festivals. Jasmine Brimmell should be congratulated on her victory in the piano section of the junior competition and Fleur Booth (head chorister) and Amber Rose (deputy head chorister for next year) were highly commended in the girls’ singing section of the senior competition. Highlights of the year were the beautiful solos of Fleur, Julia and Helena Reeds at the Cabaret concerts, along with Ellie Richardson who starred on the flugelhorn with the Swing Band. Both Fleur and Ellie have been stalwarts of the Swing Band on the trumpet over the last few years and will be sorely missed. Fleur and Helena also sang solo parts in the concert in York Minster in March. However, the year will probably be best remembered for the production of Grease, which helped to turn thoughts to Summer Nights in the cold depths of

stage before losing to School. The junior team had a couple of wins and two narrow defeats before going out in the group stage but it was great to see a large number of both girls and boys keen to put their knowledge to the test.

winter. It was deservedly a sell-out and it was good to see so many pupils from Temple involved. House singing should be included in the music section of my report, even though it is not always one of the most musical of occasions. Temple was not placed this year with their rendition of Mysterious Girl but we were able to blame it not on our singing but on Will Andrew’s loud Hawaiian shirt.

group, who have conducted themselves in an exemplary manner over the last five years and I will be really sad to see them go. I would particularly like to thank Julia and Will for their support as heads of house and congratulate Will Farr and Felicity Head on being appointed to continue their good work from September. We also say goodbye and good luck to Livvy Thew who is moving on to pastures new for the sixth form. Finally, it remains for me to thank my fantastic, supportive set of tutors and my assistant Mr Parr who are staying with me in Temple next year and are a regular presence around the house. Next year will be a significant milestone for me: my tenth year in charge of the house, and I look forward to the surprises another year will no doubt bring.

Volunteering is another really positive way in which pupils can use their time effectively in school and I was really encouraged to hear from Mrs Robinson recently that Temple had the most volunteers, doing a variety of activities such as helping with Maths, Science, Art and Rowing at St Olave’s. We also had plenty of volunteers this year for the junior and senior St Peter’s Challenge teams with the senior team, ably led by Luke Dunsmore, reaching the semi-final

There is much in the media today about the pressures young people are under and it is good to have time to reflect on those things which bring balance to pupils’ lives and help them to develop as individuals outside the classroom. However, I welcome the increased awareness of these pressures and I encourage all pupils, but particularly those leaving Temple this year, to continue to maintain that balance in their lives, to keep up their friendships and to value the power of talking. The upper sixth have been a wonderful year-

Mrs Jenny Houghton

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HOUSE REPORTS

The Grove

The end of the summer term marks a period of transition. In houses, it is a time when one group of pupils leaves while another prepares to arrive. In between, everyone “shuffles up” as the third form becomes the fourth form, the fourth form becomes the fifth, and so on. Perhaps the most important shift is the group of pupils who move into their final year and begin shaping the route to their exit twelve months hence. As they do so, they assume all the positions of responsibility occupied by their forebears and so arise the agonising decisions over heads of house. In the process of considering potential candidates, I ask lower sixth form pupils a simple question: “What is the most important event for The Grove each year?” The answers are varied and indicate how richly the house system adds to the lives of pupils St Peter’s. The house barbecue is a frequent response. This year’s upper sixth group decided that, to get people together early in the year for a social event, they wanted a barbecue and so, on the second Friday of the year after games, we gathered for an evening of sunshine,

good food and a bouncy castle. We played ping-pong, ate ice creams and were astonished at the gymnastic abilities of some in the creation of a human spider! This informal event served to help integrate our new third form and, I am sure, will move from being inaugural to becoming a fixture in years to come. Perhaps the most popular answer was the house singing competition and this year’s entry (Breaking Free from High School Musical) presented the usual challenges of melding 71 voices into some kind of unison while attempting to coordinate a tangle of actions. The rehearsals for our performance were again the highlight and the two hours we had together in the chapel saw initial chaos give way to eventual unison, even harmony. The enthusiasm for the competition shows no signs of abating and my abiding memories are of shy brown jackets looking on as seniors sang with unabashed gusto. Sadly the judges saw fit to perpetuate their injustice and we were unplaced (again) when they announced their decisions. Along with other disappointed houses, I suspect, we assume we came fourth! House sport remains an element of school life that both binds and divides us. We seem to strike the right balance between healthy rivalry and light-hearted involvement and try to view such competitions as chances to pursue participation rather than excellence. That said, our victories in the senior rounders, junior girls’ sports day and the girls’ tennis certainly allowed us to enjoy the prowess of The Grove’s female athletes. The Cass Cup, awarded annually in our final assembly to recognise the contribution to house life by an individual, was this year shared by Belle Blackburn and Jenny Elliott whose positive impact on red-shirted teams has been incalculable in their five years. We have also enjoyed a high degree of enthusiastic participation in the more cerebral activities of debating and quiz teams and this report gives me the opportunity to record my thanks to all those Grovites who have represented us, regardless of their level of success; as I always say to those arranging our teams, it is more important that many are involved than that we win … and I do mean it!

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HOUSE REPORTS

Choice of some was the house dinner, an event enjoyed by us all, presenting as it does a chance for us to share our company and a good meal. It is my view that, aside from this, the event gives the opportunity for our heads of house to shape and organise the evening. In the hands of Laura Aspinall and Matthew Roberts, The Grove has enjoyed sensitive leadership this year and, in having to rearrange the meal in the last 48 hours, they showed impressive organisational acumen. In their own ways, they both have offered authentic role models for younger members of the house and they concluded our dinner with a good speech … even I understood one or two of their jokes! I think if I were asked the same question, I might bend the rules a little by suggesting our Saturday morning assembly. This brief but important weekly event allows us to gather and share the successes of members of the house and to recognise involvement in the wide array of activities Grovites engage with from drama to sport

to Community Action and to shine a light on those in receipt of merits for their work. It is fitting that the school year concludes with a house meeting when the house sits on our lawn and is usually blessed with some July sunshine. This meeting is a chance to bid farewell to all our leavers. This year’s upper sixth joined the house with me in September 2012 as third-form pupils and I shall look back on our time together with a particular fondness; I literally don’t know the house without them. This year the final assembly saw us say goodbye to Mr David Morris, who has served as a tutor in The Grove for a remarkable 27 years: what a feat of patience and endurance! As he begins his well-deserved retirement, we send him on his way with our very best wishes. We hope that he will be a frequent visitor to the house in the years to come and that he will take a few moments to sit on the bench outside the house dedicated to his generous service. Mr Martin Lawrence

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HOUSE REPORTS

The Manor Seven is a lucky number and one with plenty of meaning. The school has seven values, Enid Blyton had the Secret Seven, there are seven wonders of the ancient world and of course there are seven deadly sins …. Anyway this is now the end of my seventh year in The Manor. And on the way there have been adventures, wonders, talk of values and just occasionally a boy has veered off course! However they have been seven fun-packed years and I hope that the report below catches some of the recent highlights.

other at this difficult time was tremendous. In particular, Charles Dunn showed excellent leadership as head of house.

Christmas Term

The inter-house cross-country was the year’s first sporting event and it was great to see all taking part and giving it a go. The senior house challenge led to lots of preparation but sadly we couldn’t quite match the breadth of knowledge shown by one or two others elsewhere. Inter-house rugby is always a highlight and both the senior and junior teams gave it their all. Great fun was had and it was the backdrop to an excellent house dinner that evening.

Seven third-formers, one fourth-former (which brought that year group to seven) and two lower-sixth joined us in September and soon settled into life in The Manor. Each brought their own personality and character, and the great joy of boarding is getting to live alongside so many interesting people with such a range of experiences in their lives so far. The first couple of weeks are always very full. The boarders’ dinner on the Saturday night and the activities on the Sunday (paintballing or York boat trip) were great ways for all the boarders to get to know each other. Debating and public lectures occupied many over the first month, and it was good to see the boys challenging themselves academically. The school musical, Grease, saw a few of the boys playing starring roles too and it was heartening that there were so many watching and supporting. Our house chapel played on this theme of community and got its message across clearly. However the term had a very sad moment when we learned of the news of the death of Matthew Coe, who had left only back in July. This hit the boys and the staff very hard and their support of each

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A real highlight yet again was the house singing competition. For the third time The Manor proved triumphant and our well-rehearsed and well-performed rendition of Taylor Swift’s We Are Never Getting Back Together (in part chosen because of Matthew Coe) deserved to finish where it did. This was a great collective achievement and a strong reflection of the teamwork in house.

Easter Term Football continued to be a strong sport in house this term with a large number of boys representing the school first and second teams. We reached the final of the inter-house football later on in the term, only losing narrowly in the final. Our inter-house hockey teams were less successful but it showed just how willing the boys were to play for the house and be part of the team. The inter-house water polo competition is very popular and our team lost only to the eventual winners. We did well in the senior house debating this year, reaching the semi-final, with some strong debating performances shown. It really was a busy term!

HOUSE REPORTS

Summer term

The People

Our junior St Peter’s Challenge team competed really well this year as too did our junior cricketers who put in some excellent performances to reach the tournament final. The whole school sports day was sadly rained off, but the junior version of this for third and fourth forms was a terrific afternoon. It was good to see the team spirit on show and there were some impressive performances in different events too.

The upper sixth have proved really good fun in the time they have been with us over the last five years. To watch then grow from third formers into young adults ready to move on to university or work is a real privilege. The other years in house are great to live with too: it is they who make boarding the special thing that it is.

Inevitably exams were a focus at different points in the term and I remain impressed by the determined focus that the boys show at this time. There is a real desire to do well and I was very heartened by what I saw – even Saturday nights saw many with heads in books working hard. The desire to succeed is clear. Throughout the year music continued to flourish with many learning instruments and performing in various concerts and festivals. Huge dedication is shown in practice, and the time put into this work by a number of boys has really been impressive. House pizza nights and the odd tapas night are now regular features through the year which are really enjoyed.

Dori and I are ably supported by a strong team of tutors and in-house support staff. This was Dave Ray’s last of fourteen years in The Manor, serving under three housemasters. Words cannot express the contribution he has made over this time and I know the boys will miss him hugely. Laura Pearson has been helping with some Sundays, but she is now moving across the road to Dronfield to take on a greater commitment there. David Robinson continues to be excellent as the live-out assistant and it is great news that he will become the live-in assistant. Colette, our matron, and the team of cleaners continue to keep the rooms looking remarkably clean and tidy – something that parents always pick up on positively and remark upon. My final thanks always go to my family. Without their wholehearted support and commitment this job just wouldn’t be possible. Mr Steve Gwilliam

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HOUSE REPORTS

The Rise The year began with our fifth form - Alexandria Johnston, Lily Naylor Ksenia Trubacheva and Isabel Chen – relieved no longer to be the youngest girls, and they welcomed our new third form (Alannah, Olivia, Saebin and Elise) and fourth formers (Sophie, Amelie and Sofiya) with open arms. The fifths lost no time in tutoring them in their new responsibilities. The third and fourth form do the ‘food shop’ on alternate days and their tenacity and reliability is to be commended as is their good humour and chat when they return. We also welcomed our new lower-sixth pupils: Demi Xin, Cokkie Yang, Eliza Withall and Ellie-Mae Winstanley, who took to life at St Peter’s like a ducks to water. Very quickly it seemed as though they had been living in The Rise for some time! Next on the agenda was the house cross-country competition. The day of race was bright and sunny and there were impressive performances from many of The Rise girls, including Ksenia Trubacheva, Lily Naylor, Grace Moody and Alexandria Johnston. The Rise came in sixth place in the junior girls’ race and third in the senior girls’ race. Under Eve Bracken’s brilliant musical leadership, the girls committed themselves to countless practices of One Way or Another by Blondie for the house singing. Accompanied by Emily Mcdonald on the guitar we continued with our own tradition of singing perfectly in unison without a conductor! They enjoyed themselves immensely and beamed throughout the performance, coming a close second to The Manor

O’Shaughnessy in the Flute Group, performing Over the Rainbow and The Typewriter beautifully. Later in the concert, Emily McDonald joined them in the Wind Band for a performance of the theme tune from Pirates of the Caribbean. We rounded off a very happy and busy Christmas term with our house dinner. The girls and their guests enjoyed a sumptuous soirée rounded off with Eve and Tamsin’s memorable speech, which displayed a sense of affection for the house, a knowledge of pupils, and a witty reminder of the highs and lows of life in The Rise. I am always particularly proud of how elegantly the girls present themselves and most importantly what an enjoyable evening the guests have whom the girls have invited. The senior house debating competition was particularly exciting in the Easter term. Toni Salami, Tiffany Tuhirmann, Cressida Killick, Eliza Withall and Ellie-Mae Winstanley engaged with a range of controversial motions. In the final, The Rise proposed That governments should provide a guaranteed, universal, basic income. Though pipped at the post by Linton all can be congratulated on their thorough preparation and the delivery of their arguments as well as their commitment throughout the competition. Elsewhere, Ksenia and Yulia Trubacheva, Alexandria Johnston and Lily Naylor played brilliantly to come second in squash. We were also delighted to learn that Yulia will be captain of girls’ squash for 2017-18. Red Nose Day saw the appearance of The Three Little Pigs, the Cat in the Hat, some golfers, and an M & M. Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz joined the girls in their fund-raising efforts; there was no sign of Mrs Gillies …

The production of Grease was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the Christmas term. Eve Bracken, Kitty Clapham and Maddie Day gave memorable performances as Rizzo, Marty and Patty respectively. Charlotte Hollinrake and Grace Moody transformed themselves into the most gorgeous “pink ladies”. I was so proud to see Kitty and Eve receive their colours for Drama in the end-of-term assembly. In the Autumn concert we were treated to a wealth of musical talent. The Rise was admirably represented by Saebin Park and Elise

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Exams loomed in May and the house became eerily quiet as the girls went home, shut themselves in their rooms (or even in the laundry) away from all temptations. Despite these pressures the girls delivered a fine house chapel. Under the motivating leadership of Eve Bracken, the girls explored the importance of appreciating the present and not worrying too much about what the future holds – an important message in the examination season. Emily McDonald performed Feeling Good which chimed perfectly with the central theme.

HOUSE REPORTS

The sun shone brightly for the senior tennis and rounders competitions and it was a real treat to be a spectator at an event where everyone showed such pride and enthusiasm. Well supported by The Rise girls and Tess, the beagle, the girls gave the other houses a real run for their money finishing in third and second places respectively. As the term rushed on, it would soon be time to say goodbye to our upper sixth – Tam, Eve, Cecilia, Cressy, Toni, Liv and Tiffany – as they began the next exciting chapter in their lives. I would like to thank them for being such a fabulous year-group and for contributing so much to life in The Rise and in the wider school community. They have supported the girls and me through thick and thin and we have all enjoyed our chats, giggles and more serious discussions. We will miss them all and The Rise will not be quite the same without their own brand of engaging cheeriness.

We also said early farewells to Isabel Chen who leaves St Peter’s to attend Charterhouse so that she can be nearer to her family. Isabel’s lady-like ways and kindly nature will be missed but we look forward to her visiting us in the North again. Special thanks must go to our brilliant head of house, Eve Bracken, whose help, infectious enthusiasm and wicked sense of fun has been much appreciated by us all and particularly those new to The Rise We are indebted to our tutors and particularly Lisa, Miggy and Jenny who keep The Rise as ‘clean as a sweetie’. Most of all we must thank our matron Jane who does so much for everyone. Her efficiency, Yorkshire common sense, friendliness, sense of fun and sewing skills are so appreciated by us all. Mrs Dorothy Gillies

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Visits and Exchanges Geography Field Trip to Arran, June 2017 Day 1: Travel day On Saturday morning we gathered at school to begin our long coach trip to Ardrossan Harbour. We loaded our overflowing bags onto the coach and began the journey which included what Mrs Tooby-Smith called ‘a two minute toilet stop’ but constituted a ten-minute stop for the boys to ensure their food supplies were fully stocked! When we arrived at the harbour we had some time in which we all took a quick trip to Asda to, again, grab some snacks to get us through the final leg of the journey. As you might have already guessed, food was a recurrent theme during our trip! On our arrival at Brodick we took a final coach journey to our home for the next few days: Lochranza fieldwork centre. Unsurprisingly, our first priority that night was to suss out the best mobile signal spots (behind the equipment storeroom) and we received the good news that for the first couple of nights we were the only school in the centre, which meant optimum seats in the common room for our nightly Love Island viewing.

Day 2: Saltmarsh and Slope day On the first morning we arrived into breakfast feeling slightly sleepy from the boys’ late-night competition to who could bang the wall the loudest. Nevertheless, we fuelled up for the day and were raring to go for the first morning of fieldwork on the salt marsh followed by an afternoon collecting data on the hills. Here we learnt lots about the geology (and the midges) of Arran from our two tutors Gayle and Hannah. Despite our best negotiation we did not have the night off classroom work,

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but were reassured that we would be finished before Love Island came on, which eased our clamour.

Day 3: Coast day Tuesday saw a slight drop in numbers from Monday on the optional morning run with Mrs Tooby-Smith; however, her stamina had not put everyone off. After breakfast we headed to the coast where we collected some data before spending the rest of the day walking the many miles to Blackwaterfoot. Luckily the sun shone on us for the whole walk and we further added to our knowledge of geology and enjoyed a cairnbuilding competition in which Ollie and Eddie came out on top. That night when we returned some of us were sporting a slight glowing tan while others wore a more reddish flush and learnt that even in Arran you can burn!

Day 4: Human Geography day On Wednesday we found ourselves doing human geography. However, this really meant being chased around Brodick by Mr Bowden! At least we were reconnected with civilisation for the first time in a couple of days. We had to fill out several worksheets and talk to the locals (average age: 70 years) to complete our questionnaires. It made a change from measuring rocks and counting grass types in a one square metre quadrant. One of the highlights of the day was the opportunity to buy more food. Some of the ‘lads’ decided to stock up on the ‘Weetabix-on-the-go’ drink and protein shakes, as it was bulking

VISITS AND EXCHANGES

season for the gym-goers. That night another school arrived at the centre, and we quickly had to show them that we were top dogs.

Day 5: Independent day We were split up into small groups to collect data for our individual coursework investigations. Groups were on the salt marsh, spit, coast, slope and around various settlements for the human geography topics. The salt marsh boys levelled out 110 metres with a couple of metre rulers and a spirit level: it was not the most thrilling experience but we were repeatedly reassured it would be useful for our investigation! Those of us studying the salt marsh and slope infiltration topics found ourselves back at the centre by two o’clock, and so had the whole afternoon to get in some serious football with the other school. The coast and human groups arrived back at around half past five. By this time the graft was well under way with certain individuals, choosing to prioritise it even over Love Island.

Day 6: the pointless day? Initially we had not quite worked out the point of this day, but the teachers did stress that it was important for us to start writing up some of our coursework. In the classroom for the last session, the keen geographers filled out several tables and graphs while the

rest of us (a little more tired at this point) had mastered the art of making ourselves look productive whilst we were actually twiddling our thumbs. That night a special mention goes out to Jeffers who was dressed to kill in his slick bomber jacket on our trip to the notorious Lochranza pub, at Catacol Bay (a guaranteed mad night) where we had a pub meal rather than canteen food. We would like to say a big thank you to Mrs Tooby-Smith, Mr Bowden and Miss Ullstein for their help and making this excellent trip possible. Lucy Moss & Will Farr, LVI

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VISITS AND EXCHANGES

History of Art visit to Florence and Rome Having lost our voices from inter-house singing the day before, we also lost our precious holiday sleep-in as the next day began for us at 1.00 am … So it was off to Manchester airport for our flight to the ancient city of Rome. Having rushed from the airport to our first venue, we managed to cram in our first taste of Italian cuisine with a ‘pizza to go’ outside the Vatican. With the help of Miss Matts’ confident strides, we managed to enter the Vatican and make our way through to the Sistine Chapel whilst marvelling at some of Michelangelo and Raphael’s most famous works. Soon after, we realised that we would have had to join the world’s largest queue in order to enter St Peter’s Basilica. The day, so far, was going well. A quick outfit change and showers were in order, to prepare ourselves for our first proper Italian meal out. Tired as we were, Miss Matts managed to tempt us to an experience of the Trevi Fountain by night. We were up bright and early the next morning for a day filled with Roman culture including the Forum, the Palatine Hill and the Colosseum. Mr Noy Scott and his famous arm gesturing did not disappoint when learning about the Roman civilisation and the barbaric forms of entertainment that occurred inside the Colosseum. As Rome is an overwhelmingly large city, walking was not the only mode of transport we took: Miss Matts was able to figure out the underground system of Rome, whilst managing a

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group of nine girls. This had definitely been thought-through and had a prominent place on the risk assessment. Seeing as the previous day had entailed a lot of walking, it was

VISITS AND EXCHANGES

only fair to spend the next morning on a bus for a three-hour drive to the city of Florence. After dropping off our bags and having a quick sandwich, we were whisked off to the Bargello Museum for yet another experience of Italian art. During this trip, the art historians among us failed to remain calm when seeing Donatello’s David in the flesh, along with his St George. The second part of the day called us to the Santa Maria Novella, a church containing Masaccio’s Holy Trinity.

However, the most memorable moment in that specific church was in fact the little tale Miss Matts enlightened us with. The façade of this church happened to resemble that of a humbug sweet, as it was built with a dark green and white stone. Somehow, Miss Matts managed to trick us that the humbugs originated from this church, in that if you tasted the stone, it resembled the taste of a humbug. We fell for her ploy, and giddily ran back towards the church, climbed its columns and began to lick the stone. Fools we were. The looks we got from passing tourists were beyond disapproving. The looks on our faces, however, when we discovered it was all a trick, were priceless. After all this extravagance, it was time to return to the hotel and get ready for dinner. The final day consisted of a visit to the Medici family chapel which we had missed the day before – its opulent décor and mesmerising artworks were appreciated by all. The main excitement of the day however was a trip up Brunelleschi’s Duomo. Although the journey up it was incredibly cramped and claustrophobic, the view once we reached the top was breathtaking. However, the most exciting thing for a group of teenage girls climbing up the Duomo, was apparently bumping into the actress Rebel Wilson. It definitely made the aches in our legs worth it. Next on the agenda was the Museo

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VISITS AND EXCHANGES

dell’Opera del Duomo, for a viewing of Donatello’s Mary Magdalene. Continuing with the sculpture theme, we then went to the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze, where some of Michelangelo’s famous works are held, including

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his David and the unfinished Slaves. The final venue we visited was the Uffizi gallery, where we all absorbed works by Botticelli and Leonardo da Vinci before we headed back to England. The final morning began early, with a bus ride to the airport. We all left with heavy hearts, longing for our time in Florence to be extended. On behalf of all the girls, we most definitely enjoyed the trip and embraced the culture. Amber Rose & Madeleine Day, LVI

VISITS AND EXCHANGES

Salamanca: a sunlit trip through history The Spanish study trip to Salamanca began on a clear, cool morning in York as we set off at 9.00 am on Sunday 2 April towards Stansted airport. The drive passed without incident and the flight was just as uneventful, which made me worry that something amiss was about to happen and that we were about to land in the wrong airport. I need not have worried as when we arrived our Spanish driver, Javier, was waiting with a smile to whisk us off straight to Salamanca where our host families greeted us with kisses and best wishes and escorted us to our homes for the coming week. The next morning was clear and dry but slightly chillier than anticipated and classes started at 9.00 am: the students were left in the capable hands of their teachers, whom they would be seeing for over four hours a day for the next five days. After the first day’s classes we managed to explore the local area and discovered a city similar to York which has the feel of a modern university town but with a rich culture and history which you can explore at your leisure without the fear of being flattened by an HGV. There is culture at every corner from the historic façades of the old university to the – very impressive – towers of the cathedral, but there was also the incessant succession of student and strollers who packed the inviting terraces of historic cafés that once played host to writers like Miguel de Unamuno and Ortega y Gasset. In the middle of the first day the sun began to emerge so we were able to enjoy sitting in the sunshine in the Plaza Mayor watching the world go by while stuffing our faces with every flavour of ice-cream that we could get our hands on. Luckily the sun decided to hang around and we were blessed with summer temperatures for the remainder of the week, which were appreciated by all pupils – apart perhaps from Harry, who was slightly fatigued after helping his host family renovate their bathroom. As well as spending a lot of time in La Plaza Mayor there were many trips including visits to the cathedrals to search for la Rana de Salamanca, a visit to the Casa Lis to look at some very creepy dolls and a trip to El Huerto de Calixto, a lovers’ garden where couples have taken up

the Italian habit of locking a padlock to a wrought-iron well in the gardens, to signify their everlasting love. None of the pupils could be persuaded to leave a token of their undying admiration for each other and preferred instead to strike model poses and take ‘action’ shots and a few thousand selfies. We had lunch and dinner on most of the days with our families, and the majority of the group seemed to enjoy the meals as they were given a real gastronomic variety of Spanish cuisine. Our hosts collectively cooked every Spanish dish under the sun and gently tried to force-feed us every day, which we did our best to work off by walking miles around the city. My personal record was 32,000 steps (16 miles) so not only did we have culture and education but sport as well. It is a positive experience for the pupils to meet people this welcoming and our hosts were open and generous at all times in the homestay. All the other families and staff at the school were typically Spanish in their unreserved approach and showed a genuine welcome towards all members of the party. We did try to sample the local night life when we took a trip out for tapas, a movie (La Bella y la Bestia) and a visit to the zona de los bares but the Spanish work on a different body clock so while they were venturing out we were already tucked up with hot Cola Cao and galletas. There were many highlights on this trip: the usefulness of the classes, the constant exposure to the language and the first-hand experience of Spanish history and culture, but I would say that the most important benefit that emerges from these trips is that our pupils learn more about the hospitality of a genuinely charming race of people and that our Spanish hosts experience the warmth and charisma of our pupils, of whom we should all feel very proud. Thanks go to Mrs Robinson and the students for their full participation and good humour throughout the week. Mr Mike Duffy

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VISITS AND EXCHANGES

Girls’ Sports Tour to South Africa In July 2017, forty St Peter’s girls embarked on the hockey and netball tour to South Africa. With anticipation buzzing through the air, the long flight landed us in Port Elizabeth. We had a quick stop at a beach before continuing on to Westering High School where we were staying with the girls from the school and their families for two nights. We learned so much from the families regarding South African politics, their society and their rich culture. Before playing our matches against the High School, we were lucky enough to have a training session with ex-national players and coaches, preparing us for the closely-fought matches ahead. After a successful round of games, our next journey was to South Africa’s Western District to go on Safari. We stopped at Kentonon-Sea for a swim (or a paddle for some) in the freezing ocean

and then continued our journey, arriving at Kariega Game Reserve. Undoubtedly this was one of the most incredible and thrilling experiences of the trip. We were within touching distance of elephants, had the opportunity to lie underneath giraffes and watch the intensity of a live lion chase, amongst so much else. Hugely saddened to leave, but eager to play our next set of fixtures, we left the game reserve and headed to Knysna via Bloukrans Bridge where we watched the highest bungee jump in the world. After abundant hair braiding and shopping in the centre of Knysna, our focus was set on our next rivals, Outeniqua High School. They were a tough opposition yet the first XI hockey remained unbeaten along with wins from the netball teams. Following Knysna, we headed for beautiful Hermanus, where we were able to see some whales from afar, and then onto Stellenbosch. Another training session

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with terrific university coaches stood us in good stead for our following fixtures against Rhenish and Pinelands High School where we further secured great wins. Following some intense matches, the excitement brewed for the proceeding venture into the breathtaking

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mountains of Cape Town for the Canopy Tour Zip Wire. Flying down 300-metre cables from platform to platform, the experience was another that was unforgettable. Our next excursion proved a lot more heartfelt. After an authentic African meal, with traditional cuisine and a live African band, we had the opportunity to be toured round Langa, one of the poorest townships in Cape Town. An area which was undeniably rife with poverty yet filled with so many delighted, excitable and loving children that spent their day with us, braiding our hair, joining in on our warm-up and cheering us on from the sidelines when we played their hockey teams. After a wonderful day, we finished with another meal whilst we listened

to some music and even got to partake with our own bongo drums. As the tour was coming to an end, our last day consisted of a trip to Robben Island to see where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years of his life. Finally, the airport was our next stop for the long return journey. The tour was incredibly successful, not only on the sports pitch but through the fantastic experiences we were able to have. None of this could have been done without our fabulous bus driver, Hanlou, and of course our world-class sports teachers. The South Africa tour was an exceptional trip which none of us girls will ever forget. Charlotte Hollinrake

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VISITS AND EXCHANGES

Iceland

Our trip to Iceland was an opportunity to explore the great outdoors, with a three-day trek and tours of some of the natural wonders of the country very much the focus for our week. 21 pupils from the fifth form and lower sixth joined Miss Ullstein and Mr Whitehouse on this trip to our Nordic neighbours. The southwest of Iceland has some of the most iconic, and frequently explosive landscapes. The Hengill and Hveragerdi hills were the backdrop to our three days with Ulli, Snowy and the team from Iceland Activities. Between June and August, the sun barely sets – and even when it does go down the sky remains eerily bright. It took some getting used to, but it meant that our days out on trek were not cut short by the night sky. On our first night in camp Ulli cooked six legs of lamb in a muddy geothermal hotspot whilst we bathed in the hot rivers. We used water straight from the hot pools for hot chocolate, and cooked eggs in the boiling waters. The climate in the southwest is usually relatively mild, despite it being the wettest, windiest part of the country, prone to fog along the coast and potentially heavy snowfalls through the year on higher ground. The summer had been quite unsettled, and our week in Iceland was particularly grey and wet. The weather didn’t stop us from enjoying being outdoors. With bin-bag skirts and ponchos on top of our waterproofs we remained pretty dry, and Ulli took us off the beaten track and into some of his favourite places, showing us some of the remarkable places that make Iceland so amazing. Hveragerði and Hengill is famous for hot springs and lava formations. We witnessed nature’s extremes, ranging from small gurgling hot springs to super-heated pools of water and steam, and the sounds of nature in a magnificent

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mountain environment. We spent one night under canvas, but the weather at the end of day two led us to abandon the camp and seek the comforts of our hostel in Hveragerði. We had a day trip to the valley of þórsmörk – literally, ‘Thor’s Forest’, one of Iceland’s most spectacular but inaccessible wilderness areas. We travelled along the single dirt road into the park in

a high-carriage mountain bus, and were rewarded with spectacular glacier views, fields of wildflowers, pure glacial streams and forests of birch. At the end of the valley we had the chance to walk on the edge of the retreating glacier. We visited the Seljalandsfoss waterfall, fed by melting water from the famed glacier-capped Eyjafjallajokull volcano. This powerful waterfall cascades into a pretty meadow, but is best known as the only waterfall in the world that it is possible to walk behind. Our tour of the Golden Circle took us to Iceland’s best-known natural wonder: the waterfall Gullfoss (‘Golden Falls’). A path leads

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down to the deafening double falls, where the River Hvítá tumbles 32 metres into a ravine. A visit to Geysir was an opportunity to experience the Strokkur geyser, spitting up its column of water every five minutes or so to a height of around 20 metres (66ft). The whole Geysir area is geothermically active, with walking trails marked out among steaming vents. We had a day in Reykjavik, visiting Hofdi House, best known as the location for the 1986 summit meeting of presidents Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, a historical event that effectively marked the end of the Cold War. A tour out to Puffin island, Akurey, and some time exploring the shops and cafes rounded off our day in the city. We had a great week in Iceland, and this was due

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in no small part to the spirit and enthusiasm evident across the group of pupils who joined the trip. Mr Jon Whitehouse

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Ski trip to Davos, Switzerland So we went back and it really could not have been better. This year we were fortunate to be the only group in the youth hostel, the slopes and lifts were quiet and we had the most fantastic instructors we could have asked for. Combined with some decent weather and good snow conditions this was undoubtedly the most satisfying trip I have led. Each day was a full one with wake-up at 7 am and a filling breakfast before heading off down to the ski shop around 8.30 am. As I said last year, the quality of equipment was very high and it enabled our better skiers really to enjoy their week. As we had our own

instructors, the days were as long (or short) as we wished, with breaks taken as and when we needed. Not that many looked for this – the fitness and energy of our students amazed me as well as the instructors! For some it was over 50 km each day with more than six hours of skiing. Davos/Klosters is spread across five mountains with some long runs and a real sense of travel. The less experienced made quick progress and it was great to see their confidence and competence grow through the week. With four days of blue skies, we were able to enjoy the excellent scenery as well as experience what being in

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the mountains can really be like on the two snowy days! Some good fun was had on the last day skiing together as a group, even if the 40-man snow chain was likely never to be repeated.

This year the journey home was less eventful than last (a good thing) and we got back having had a week of great fun, no injuries and 33 students who were a delight to spend the week with.

After tea there were activities each night of the week. The Eau-LaLa swimming pool once again was enjoyed by all (and the ice-diving was no less popular). Bowling, ice hockey and the ski demonstration filled other nights and each of these was a good way to spend an evening.

Having been to Davos for two years it now seemed time for a change. So next year it is Bormio, Italy.

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Mr Steve Gwilliam

VISITS AND EXCHANGES

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A shining city on a hill? The Washington Exchange In October 2016 twenty-one St Peter’s students flew out to Washington DC arriving during the climax of the most polarising and controversial presidential election campaign in living memory. As Trump and Hillary battled it out we had a ringside seat in the nation’s capital. Most of the families who kindly hosted us were supporters of Hillary and the Democrats so we were remote from the growing support for Trump in the Rust Belt. Nonetheless we enjoyed debating the election issues with our hosts and at Walt Whitman High School, with which St Peter’s has had a wonderful exchange relationship for nearly ten years. Over the week we gained a deeper understanding of American life and culture as we got to know our host families and students well and spent time in the school. We were lucky enough to visit the Capitol to see both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The central, National Mall in Washington, which was planned from scratch as the nation’s capital city, is nearly two miles long and contains memorials of the United States’ great statesmen and war dead. We had a guided bicycle tour of the area with Mr Bob Mathis, the Walt Whitman teacher who has done so much to develop and support the exchange, and went on to Arlington National Cemetery to see the grave of John F Kennedy. We were also able to take in many of the Smithsonian museums in the centre of the city – with the National Museum of Air and Space probably being the most popular. At the end of the week we joined some of the Whitman students at a community action project, Wider Circle, helping organise and repair recycled home

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and furniture items for those in need. For most, though, the best parts of the trip were those spent with our new American friends who were wonderfully hospitable and welcoming. We’re very grateful to them, Mr Mathis and all at Walt Whitman High School who helped make our visit so successful and memorable. After nine days we returned to York to watch the closing hours of the presidential race and await the result. Charlie Higginbottom, Cressy Killick and Mr Fuller joined the BBC’s Georgy Spanswick on the Radio York Breakfast Show on the morning after the presidential election to talk over the result – as we now know, much more was to follow.

Whitman in York Having enjoyed nine days in Washington in October we were delighted to welcome the American party to York in late June. Walt Whitman High School legend, Mr Bob Mathis, made his sixth visit

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to St Peter’s (despite having already retired from teaching) and was joined by Ms Laurie Safran and a party of students. They arrived mid-morning after a transatlantic flight, and we began showing them York’s history straight away with a trail around the city’s highlights and a trip to the Castle Museum. On the Wednesday we were joined for a day in London by the lower-sixth Politics students and a group of prospective lawyers touring the Inns of Court and sitting in on a trial with Mr Vann and Miss Loftus. The main group enjoyed a full tour of the House of Lords and a chance to sit in on the final day of the Queen’s Speech debate as Amber Rudd and Diane Abbott went head-to-head on Home Affairs matters. Following the debate, the first major vote of the new minority Conservative government backed by the DUP was won. We then saw the work of Prime Ministers past and present with a visit to the secure underground bunker from which Winston Churchill directed the war and a walk up Downing Street itself. We were scanned through the security gates and able to explore the street just after Theresa May and senior ministers had

arrived for a meeting. Our party was greeted by Larry the cat who later had a twitter conversation with Mr Fuller (the internet was made for cat pictures after all.) A favourite day for many saw us hiring bikes to ride to Beningbrough Hall to explore the house and gardens. Friday saw another full day out, taking the train to Edinburgh to tour the Castle and Mary King’s Close to get a flavour of the Old Town, before crossing to Princes Street for a taste of the modern city and its shops – the exchange rate being very much in favour of American shoppers! Aside from the main programme the visiting and host students and their families enjoyed a good time together beginning to understand our shared but different culture and attitudes. The ten-year partnership between the two schools and students and families on both sides of the Atlantic continues to be a very valuable one and has opened up wonderful opportunities and new friendships to many. Mr Ben Fuller

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VISITS AND EDITORIAL EXCHANGES

Visit to NASA, Florida

During the Easter holiday of 2017, 24 third- and fourth-form pupils embarked on an inspirational journey into the heart of the world’s biggest scientific and engineering venture, at the doorstep of humanity’s greatest achievement. The pupils had the chance to meet with some of space exploration’s elite on an exclusive journey behind the scenes of the NASA space programme with lots more besides. After a successful trip in 2015, this was the second time that St Peter’s have embarked on a space-related trip to Florida, which we hope will continue to be a biennial feature of the school’s tour programme.

Mercury spacecraft. And 50 years ago the Apollo programme to put a man on the moon found success in the flight of the Apollo 4 spacecraft, which travelled around the moon. These launches, as well as every mission to the moon and every one of the 135 shuttle launches, were from launch pads at the air force base of the Kennedy Space Centre (KSC). The KSC is an enormous interactive museum of all of NASA’s missions into space. Here the pupils spent two days learning the story of everything that has happened since those incredible early space missions.

55 years ago, John Glenn became the first American to be launched into orbit around the earth, making three orbits in the Friendship 7

At KSC the pupils were awe-inspired by the Saturn 5 rocket. Gazing up at the huge F1 engines of the most powerful machine

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ever made was simply mind-blowing. Possibly the finest of the space shuttles is Atlantis, which now resides in its own exhibition space at KSC. Beyond the sight of the shuttle up close, another highlight here was to ride on a simulated shuttle launch which had been designed by ex-shuttle astronauts. There was a talk from a space shuttle astronaut Sam Durrance and the chance to meet with him afterwards. KSC is an enormous site and required a bus trip out to the launch pads of the cape. Pupils had a close view of the vehicle assembly building, which is so big that it has its own cloud formations on the inside; it is a single-storey building which has been used since the sixties to build rockets. The crawler which was used to transport rockets to their launch pads, with its four tracks each the size of the cricket pavilion, was simply an immense feat of engineering and a fascinating thing to see. The crawler, the VAB and launch pads are currently being upgraded ready for NASA’s future missions with the aim to put a man on Mars – this was a very strong message which was repeated by NASA during the visit. Moving away from engineering and thinking about the astronauts themselves, one of the key aspects of an astronaut’s training is to learn to deal with a range of new and extreme forces. The group’s trip to the Aquatica waterpark offered an opportunity for the pupils to do so too. The vertical drop slides offered a zero-g effect, as well as other twists and turns providing a good range of acceleration and exhilaration. Astronauts receive a lot of aeronautical training, which includes skydiving. This seemed like a good excuse to go to an indoor skydiving centre. The pupils were given a briefing about how to skydive, before then jumping into the 100+mph airstream. It is surprisingly harder than it looks on TV. The instructors gave a few demonstrations afterwards and seemed to enjoy showing off their awesome skills. Future long-duration space flight will put a new set of demands onto future astronauts in terms of working in close proximity. The Cocoa Beach Escape Rooms provided the opportunity for some teamwork in a confined setting. One of the challenges had a space mission theme. However the stand-out game was called ‘Jailbreak’ and began with all pupils being handcuffed and locked in a cell. The pupils worked together very well in these activities and everyone did manage to get out of jail, free! Kayaking is a great way to get around the still inland waterways of

the Cocoa Beach area and has also formed part of the astronaut training in the past. Actually ‘astronaut’ is roughly translated from Greek words which mean ‘space sailor’. In all, a great excuse for the group to spend the morning out in the Thousand Island area in tandem kayaks. Looking for wildlife, particularly dolphins and manatees, pupils were lucky enough to see an amazing sight: a herd of very inquisitive manatees, many of whom came right up to the pupils’ kayaks. It was a really beautiful area to visit on the water and the pupils were exhausted, although they had lots of fun in their kayaks. Dining out in the evening included visits to some of the restaurants which have been frequented by astronaut crews over the years. In fact, there were few places that didn’t have NASA memorabilia on display. The Juno mission crew loved shrimps so much that the Dixie Crossroads Shrimp was the mascot for that particular mission. The pupils had a meal with two NASA engineers, Ed Mango and Bob Linner. Ed was responsible for directing the development, production, test and supportability of the space shuttle fleet in a $750 million per year effort in his time at Johnson Space Centre. He also directed the programme to maintain services for the International Space Station. Bob is the chief engineer for

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avionics for NASA’s new Space Launch System. Pupils and staff were enthralled by Ed and Bob’s amazing first-hand stories about launching spaceships. The fact that these NASA legends had given up their evening to come and talk to us was hugely appreciated by all. A range of different active-relaxation activities were enjoyed by everyone on the trip. There was body-surfing at the beach, volleyball, basketball and visits to Ron-Jon’s Surf Shop and to The Mall providing retail therapy for some (apparently new trainers are called fresh creps?). There was also a fairly relaxing trip to the Florida University’s planetarium one evening. Everywhere we went, the food was terrific and everybody tried something new: corn dough-balls, waffles with cream for breakfast, six different types of

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shrimp – the list goes on. The pupils truly gained an all-round Florida experience. The pupils have truly been inspired by their experiences and the people they met in Florida. Space exploration is surely one of man’s finest achievements, behind which are some very talented people. It was great that the pupils got to meet some of these NASA legends, who are outstanding in their field, but kind and down-to-earth too. There was a real sense of broadened horizons and greater aspirations for one and all on returning home – surely the hallmark of a great school trip. Mr Andy Parr

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Rugby Tour to Argentina

After lots of travelling the boys started the tour in excellent fashion with the first XV being too strong for the hosts whilst the second XV were held out by some excellent defence, eventually losing. Two great matches to start the trip.

After a long journey the boys gather outside the ranch castle ready for a polo

The whole squad together after the final gruelling matches: fantastic opposition

lesson followed by gaucho show and a traditional Argentine BBQ!!

followed by a fantastic reception – a great way to end the rugby!

The squad photo overlooking the city of Cordoba where the boys spent the morning

Last night in the mega-city of Buenos Aries: the boys await the steaks!

playing touch-and-pass before having some downtime shopping in the city.

Both teams line up against a very passionate hosting team in Rosario to sing

What a way to finish this fantastic trip, by visiting the Iguazu National Park to

the national anthems. After two very strong performances the boys enjoyed a

see the falls – a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the most amazing scenery

wonderful reception at the club before spending the night with their hosts.

and appreciate a very special place.

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News, Events & Activities

Beverley 10k run This year there was a record number of 1,500 starters for the Beverley 10k race. Scorching temperatures made conditions for running uncomfortable, and this, combined with a technical route, really made for a challenging race for all, from novices to elite runners. However, all of the mighty St Peter’s runners dug deep, did themselves proud, and completed the distance. Mr Morris has been to every one of the Beverley 10k events over the years, always in a couple of good positions to take great photos which appear in school publications. It is a real boost to see him just before the first climb when runners are looking fresh and energetic, and then again in the market square near the finish (where the condition of the runners can be variable). All our thanks go to Mr Morris for his support of the race over the years, particularly in this, his retirement year. We secretly hope that he will be in the usual spot next year. In terms of results, of the 40 runners from St Peter’s there was a high number of notable individual performances. Charles Barry was the first to finish for St Peter’s, in a superb time of 37:40, winning the under-18 category on the day. Well done also to Stephen Johnson, Tom Tam, Ethan McKinney, Kieran Whyte and Ben Hobbs, who filled the places from second to sixth, and all finished in under 41 minutes – a great team effort from St Peter’s. Quickest of the girls, finishing third in her age-group, was Lucy Lawrence in 48:52, closely followed by Lily Naylor in fourth. There were many other satisfying personal achievements on the day amongst the pupils, staff and friends of the school who took part. For some pupils, this was their first competitive 10k and a huge milestone in their running careers. Some of the

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St Peter’s team had not run for years, but the Beverley event had represented a goal in returning to running. Several runners have really caught the running bug and have signed up for further distance events, which is great to hear. In all a terrific effort was made by all who took part at Beverley in May. We returned to school for the traditional barbecue and icecreams on the Clifton lawn, as compensation for the morning’s exertion. The runners concluded the day with a real sense of pride in taking part, despite the tiredness and sore legs. Thank you to all the pupils, staff and friends of the school that supported the event, again to Mr Morris for his support and photography, to Paddy and Chris Hall for their support and driving skills. This year we were collecting sponsorship money for the Martin House Children’s Hospice and at the time of writing the total raised stands at £600 with hopefully more to come. Mr Andy Parr

NEWS, EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

City of York Independent State School Partnership The City of York’s Independent State School Partnership (ISSP) continues to be successful in offering opportunities for secondaryaged pupils of York outside the normal school curriculum. Staff and students from St Peter’s were heavily involved yet again this year in the plethora of events. Mr Harry Vann continued to teach the ever-popular ISSP Latin course to 30 pupils from schools across York. This superb venture sees ISSP offer Latin GCSE to pupils whose schools do not deliver the subject themselves. Year-nine pupils are selected from the eight state schools in the ISSP to take part in the two-year course, during which they learn five years’ worth of Latin – and achieve a full GCSE qualification at the end of the second year. This role will be taken up by Miss Caron Downes next year. The Maths Excellence Club ran again this year delivering classes for talented mathematicians. The students are stretched on mathematical problems that go beyond the national curriculum through a combination of meetings with maths teachers, a team of university student mentors and an online resource to let them keep in touch between meetings and to help develop thinking. October half term saw pupils from St Peter’s joining 60 others from schools across York at the ISSP’s annual residential course in Brathay, Ambleside. Pupils were given the opportunity to study a variety of courses and take part in a number of gruelling outdoor activities. ISSP continued their very successful first ‘Breakthrough’ event in November this year - held here at St Peter’s School. The aim of the

event was to attract students who had no previous link to ISSP courses and who might not have put themselves forward without encouragement. Teachers from a range of schools then gave minilectures on breakthrough events such as the discovery of fire and the invention of numbers. The students then discussed these on their tables and were set various challenges and questions. March is always the busiest time of year for ISSP as it brings with it the annual ISSP Masterclass programme and this year ISSP created its most challenging and exciting programme yet. St Peter’s School hosted this event again this year with classes held over three consecutive Saturday afternoons where the event sought to challenge interested and able pupils aged 13-18 from schools across York. The question addressed through this year’s Masterclasses was ‘What is Beauty?’ Pupils were encouraged to explore this question in any way that interested them, whether they chose to follow a scientific, creative arts or humanities approach. Thank you to all staff involved at St Peter’s in making this such a successful event. ISSP York improves each year and is valuable in offering great opportunities to our students, not only to develop their knowledge outside the classroom but also in inspiring and enthusing them with the love of learning. This year also saw Johnathan Taylor, York ISSP’s co-founder, receive an MBE for his work and we look forward to next year where we will also host GCSE Astronomy classes and an inter-schools art exhibition. ISSP York just continues to grow and go from strength to strength. Mrs Ella Mallard Head of Academic Extension

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NEWS, EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

Combined Cadet Force 2016-17 was an outstanding year for the Combined Cadet Force. Almost 30 fourth-form cadets, completing their first full year with the contingent, took part in a packed year of activities with older pupils and staff. Army cadets completed three overnight exercises, and the RAF section flourished, with 17 cadets in total, and two days of flying training at Linton-on-Ouse. The highlight of the year was the annual camp, this year at Crowborough, and attended by both Army and RAF cadets. Twenty-nine pupils and four staff made the five-hour journey for the week-long camp. The first day of training involved four military skills activities at Pippingford Park (the inspiration for the Hundred Acre Wood in the Winnie-the-Pooh stories): a platoon attack, assaulting enemy positions; a bushcraft stand, studying ways of igniting fire and building beacons, and creating emergency stretchers for casualties; stalking a sniper position; and a final stand learning how to stage vehicle check points and carry out searches – and deal with armed and dangerous drivers. Tuesday was a very busy day of adventure training, featuring orienteering, mountain biking, assault boats and canoes and kayaks, while Wednesday involved an outstanding range package, including Laser Quest, the 25m outdoor range, firing .22 on the indoor range, shotguns, archery, paintballing and finishing with training on the obstacle course.

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Competition day on Thursday stretched the cadets on their military knowledge, fitness, survival, shooting, teamwork and military skills, before an overnight exercise – including an ambush by the enemy, and a return attack on the enemy position – put those skills to the test in the field. The final presentation on Friday saw St Peter’s take the top slot in the timed march, the mountain biking, and survival skills, and come fourth overall out of thirteen schools – an outstanding achievement. Lt Hannah Hamilton

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NEWS, EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

Community Action This year has seen Community Action pupils involved in a wide variety of fundraising and volunteering projects, some of which are regular features in the St Peter’s calendar and others which they have been involved in for the first time. In all situations our pupils prove themselves to have the qualities that make an excellent volunteer. They are reliable, positive and superb at making

Pupils also showed good humour when carrying out environmental work in collaboration with York City Council. An area in Clifton was prepared for children from a primary school in York to plant shrubs in to make a local public space more pleasant for local residents. Different skills are required for this type of work – physical strength and resilience! Comic Relief 2017 brought the usual varied selection of fancy dress outfits, with the addition of some staff dogs to add to the mix. Everyone was in good spirits and the Chaplain gave a fitting reminder at the start of the day that the main purpose of the day was to raise money for a very worthy and important cause.

The usual events in the Community Action calendar were a success as ever. Our pupils provided a cheerful welcome and enjoyable party games for the children from The Island, a local charity which mentors and supports young people. The ‘Under the Sea’ theme this year provided ample opportunity for themed games, facepainting and the design of invitations. others feel welcome. The Community Action staff are continually delighted with the dedication and enthusiasm of pupils in all year groups. As they stood in York city centre one afternoon to do a charity fundraising collection for Barnardo’s they showed the resilience and positive outlook needed to persuade people to part with their money! After an informative session with a member of Barnardo’s staff they had a greater awareness of the importance of Barnardos’ work and how the money they raised is used.

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Mencap Day proved another success and annually makes a big impression on pupils as they help visitors with learning disabilities enjoy a variety of activities on school premises. As ever, it was a really successful and enjoyable day with pupils helping and guiding the visitors in cycling, drumming, basketball and other activities. As our pupils progress into adulthood our hope for them is that they carry an enlightened and positive view of people with disabilities, which benefits society as a whole. While the third form were

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helping the visitors with learning disabilities, a happy band of fifthform volunteers were renewing and refreshing The Glen, a local respite centre for children with severe disabilities. The efforts our fifth form make there make a huge difference to the quality of life for the residents and they leave the outdoor space looking tidy, vibrant and welcoming, despite working in some very inclement weather. Mention should also be made of our sixth form pupils who regularly visit charity shops, York Explore Library and SNAPPY play centre on Saturday afternoons. These placements require a high level of maturity, reliability and thinking on one’s feet. This year’s volunteers have shown all of these qualities.

Congratulations to sign language pupils who successfully completed the Introduction to British Sign Language course. In achieving this they gained an awareness of issues surrounding deafness as well as a means of communicating to a wider range of people. My thanks go to Mrs Robinson, Mrs Gillies and Mrs Middleton who continually help and support our pupils to gain these varied experiences. Community Action helps to ensure pupils are outward looking, with a willingness to proactively help others and support causes close to their hearts. Pupils gain a wide experience of different types of volunteering and fundraising, preparing them for making a contribution as they enter adult life. The upper sixth who participated heavily in Community Action this year were generous with their time and skills. We wish them all the best with their university studies, as well as all future volunteering they may do. They certainly have a lot to offer. Mrs Laura Chapman

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NEWS, EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

Debating

Senior Debating Society Once again the Senior Debating Society has had an extremely successful year whilst the ever-changing political climate has provided much stimulus for discussion and debate – it is strange to think that we thought this time last year that the shock result from the EU Referendum in June would be the pinnacle of political uncertainty. Our weekly debates have ranged widely from ‘This House would make sports teams responsible for the actions of their fans’ to ‘This House believes that freedom of speech outweighs the right not to be offended’ and ‘This House Believes that torture in war is justified’. The unwavering support of both staff and students in attending our debates really acts as the heart and soul of the society, and I applaud their contribution. In the Easter Term teams competed in the senior house competition. The motion for the final between The Rise and Linton, in the week of the budget, was ‘This House believes that governments should provide a guaranteed, universal, basic income’. After some discussion the judges awarded the prize to Linton. Our second debating dinner was a wonderful evening. We welcomed teachers and students to participate in the ‘dinner debate’, which this year stemmed from ‘the answer to life, the universe and everything is 42’. This motion allowed for much scope, taken up by the proposition of the Reverend Daniel Jones, Mr Vann and Mrs Hempsall. However, the students speaking in opposition were also inventive, consisting of Louise Gould, Alice Jackson and Dan Hicks. We also had the pleasure of welcoming back previous Society Presidents Jonathan Fry OP, Alex Woodruff OP and Ed Kettleborough OP for the unveiling of our new society honours board.

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The current upper sixth will be sad to leave and I’m grateful to Toby Johnston, Alice Jackson, Oliver Williams, Alistair Dodds, Louise Gould, Charles Dunn and Niall Collinson for their significant contribution to the society, whilst the hard work of vice-presidents Cressy Killick, Gideon Wakelin and Frank Jiang has been invaluable. Finally, I thank Mr Fuller and Miss Pearson for their tireless and continuous support and organisation throughout the year. I wish the society all the best for the future under their watchful gaze. Elizabeth Martin, UVI Debating Society President 2016-17

NEWS, EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

Junior Debating I know we say this every year but this year the standard of junior house debating was higher than ever. Motions tackled topics from selfie sticks, to vaccination, to adopting an official world language. The final, between Hope and School, was a tough one: ‘This House Believes that, after meeting their basic needs, individuals have a moral responsibility to donate their wealth towards poverty alleviation’. It seemed that the Hope house proposition, all third formers, would be squished in an instant by the seasoned School house crew of Jamie Dunsmore, Tom Hatfield and Sam Beighton. In fact, the third-formers (Henry Butters, Jennie Durham and Kitty Black) rose to the occasion, firing quick and pithy points of information and delivering their own material with precision and clarity. In the end, judges Mrs Mallard, Mr Vann and Mr Bateman felt that the slick combination of School house’s team edged them into the top spot. The junior society’s core fourth-form contingent debated well during the year and kept the life and soul of the junior society alive. House debating brought a wave of interest from the thirds and I think we will start next year strongly with a talented batch of third-form speakers moving into the fourth form, the senior society gaining an experienced group from the fourths. Miss Laura Pearson

Public Speaking If there’s one thing that Peterites are good at, it’s talking! It has been impressive to see a range of excellent speakers participating in this year’s speaking competitions and we hope to see even more participants in the future! In the senior public speaking competition the Head Master, Mrs Lawrence and the Chaplain judged what was a very fine afternoon of speeches. Toby Johnston spoke on the environment, Alice Jackson (who wowed us with her dinner debate speech) took a feminist line and spoke on film. Charles Dunn, a regular at the lectern, was awarded a highly commended prize along with Marton Busa in his debut speech on bilingualism. In the end, the judges awarded the Senior Public Speaking plate to Georgina Edwards

of the fifth form. So good was the speech, that she was asked to deliver it again in chapel so the whole school could hear her valuable insights on the unexpected benefits of failure. The rapturous applause at the end was testament to her excellent presentation and content. In the junior competition Phoebe Stephenson harnessed the power of the flower and spoke on why we should be a bit more like the hippies to win ‘highly commended’. In total contrast, Iris Greaney challenged the audience with well-researched arguments in favour of the death penalty. There was certainly a lot of food for thought from both speakers. The winner of the competition was Jennie Durham with a personal and emotive exploration of dyslexia and the myths that surround it. Jennie drew the audience into her speech with a well-structured combination of research and stories from her own experience. In a joint initiative between the Debating Society and the English department an expanded dramatic reading competition was held for the juniors. Students were asked to select 600 words of a favourite text and present it in a clear, dynamic and engaging way. Mrs Wright, who brought her expertise in drama to the judging, commented on the high standard of presentation and the confidence displayed by all of the speakers. Beth Wheelhouse delivered a thought-provoking passage as Joan of Arc. She used her voice very well and was highly commended on the day for her moving interpretation of the text. Also highly commended was Kitty Black, whose passage from Junk was delivered with animation and humour. Kitty’s piece thoroughly entertained the audience and showed that she could command a room very well. The winner of the competition was Jennie Durham. Jennie read a favourite passage from Winnie-the-Pooh, bringing life to the piece with a range of character voices. A big ‘thank you’ to the judges who gave up their time and spoke so helpfully about each participant. We hope to enter some interschool fixtures in the future and to expand the scope of individual speaking opportunities. Miss Laura Pearson

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NEWS, EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

In September 2016 pupils in the third form were able to start their DofE Bronze award, and 50 chose to take up the opportunity to start a range of DofE accredited skills, physical activities and volunteering opportunities. In order to relieve a little bit of pressure around the time of GCSE examinations for those working towards their Silver award, the opportunity now exists to start the Silver award in the fourth form. The timescales for each section of the award are such that a pupil should be able to complete their Silver activities by the end of the first term of the fifth form. In September 2016, 99 pupils in the fourth and fifth form started working towards their Silver award. Achieving your Gold Award is a significant challenge. It shows that you have the skills, determination and mentality to really succeed. 41 pupils in the sixth form have been working towards their Gold award in the last year.

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NEWS, EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

For many of those taking part it is the expedition that provides the greatest challenge and satisfaction. A practice expedition is followed up with a qualifying expedition, observed by a DofE accredited assessor. Ten expeditions have been completed this year by 19 teams, with the generous support of many St Peter’s staff. Silver and Gold teams have ventured to the Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire Moors, and North Pennines, whilst the Bronze teams have explored the footpaths and bridleways a little closer to York. One team completed their expedition on two wheels, and plans are underway to take to the water next year! Mr Jon Whitehouse

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NEWS, EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

Library The library continues to shape around the needs of the pupils, and this year saw a very exciting development with the introduction of twenty tablets, each with a detachable keyboard and mouse. The flexibility of these devices has allowed pupils to use them in all areas of the library, rather than restricting them to the upstairs area. This was a great benefit during busy revision times and pupils excelled themselves in taking responsible care of the equipment. Ten desktop PCs remain in the library for those still attached to the more traditional set-up, providing the pupils with additional IT access when classes are held in the library. The Library Committee has also been adjusted so we now have a representative from each house from the third and fourth form alongside the representative for the fifth and sixth form. In prize and competition news, National Poetry Day was celebrated with a poetry competition open to all year groups with a theme of ‘Messages.’ Daisy Gilbert’s (third form, Temple) atmospheric gothic poem won an Amazon voucher for her standout efforts. The always-impressive Man Booker evening was a heated contest this year with the introduction of a prize for the champion of the St Peter’s winner: copies of the complete shortlist. Esme Wright (upper sixth, Temple) won decisively with her spirited and convincing comments on Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeline Thien. This year also saw the introduction of shadowing

the CILIP Carnegie Medal by selected fourth form pupils with the winners each receiving copies of the shortlist. Grove house scooped the Christmas Quiz, returning the house to their previous winning streak. Each team member won a Christmas stocking filled with Christmas treats and, of course, the coveted trophy. Jack Hargrave (lower sixth, Hope) excelled as quizmaster and our huge thanks go to him for such enthusiastic delivery. World Book Day was celebrated in fine style with a ‘book spine poetry’ competition: pupils writing poems or short stories using only book titles, stacking the books accordingly and taking a photo. The winners were Tansi Marshall (upper sixth, The Grove) and Joseph Simpson (upper sixth, Hope) with their great joint effort and Hannah Aubrey (School) leading the pack for the third form using an impressive eleven titles! The third form also received a visit from Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize 2016 Winner, Alex Wheatle, who told us of his transformative experience with reading and how books helped to shape him into the writer he is. Alex had lunch with pupils and delivered a creative writing workshop to selected fourthform pupils. The end of the academic year saw the twentieth anniversary of the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, and the library held a party to celebrate. No detail was overlooked, with the library adorned in flying owls carrying invitations to Hogwarts, flying keys, Butterbeer, Sorting Hat cupcakes and of course, tabletop Quidditch. A Goblet of Fire raffle was held with lots of prizes going to pupils in every Hogwarts House. My thanks, as ever, to the sterling efforts of the remarkable Library Committee this year, whose enthusiasm and commitment has known no bounds. Mrs Amy Wong

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Exploration Week 2016 With exams completed and the academic year drawing to its conclusion, our lower-sixth pupils were free to enjoy something a little different – Exploration Week 2017. Exploration Week introduces the pupils to a range of enlightening subjects and practical tasks, designed to complement all they have learned during their penultimate year at St Peter’s. Essential UCAS and careers advice takes centre-stage as pupils begin to think about life after school, with workshops and talks focusing on personal statements, public speaking, creating an online brand and an introduction to university-style learning.

Exploration Week 2017 gave opportunities for pupils to do exactly what it says on the tin – explore – way beyond the boundaries of their usual timetable at St Peter’s and, as ever, they took on the challenge with typical Peterite gusto! Mr Ben White

The week provides opportunities for staff to offer their own expertise on a wide array of topics, with sessions focusing on codebreaking, rat dissection, bike maintenance, stargazing, psychology, contemporary art, sports nutrition, flower arranging, survivalist cooking and even magic. The centrepiece of the week was a team-building day for the entire year, in which pupils are required to work together in small teams

to complete a series of fun challenges – a particularly popular task is passing a baton to teammates over an ever-widening gap, which often results in some complicated human pyramids.

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Public Lecture Series Lecturers and visitors challenge, inspire and entertain Our programme of public lectures, sixth-form lectures and informal lunches continues to bring a diverse range of outside speakers with great experiences, new ideas and different (and often witty) perspectives on life into school. We’re pleased that our evening public lectures are well supported by so many in the wider St Peter’s community and from the city and beyond: all are welcome, so if you haven’t already been along, do please join us! In the Christmas term we welcomed the classicist Peter Jones, formerly of the University of Newcastle and a prolific author and columnist, who entertained us with new insights into the links between Latin and English and the Romans’ way of life and ours. In October the Shepherd Hall was packed to hear author Bernard Cornwell in conversation with the BBC’s Elly Fiorentini, talking about his life as a journalist and writer and the research needed to bring his Sharpe novels authentically alive. Chris Mullin returned to talk about his work as an MP, campaigner and diarist on publication of his autobiography, Hinterland. In a year of political maelstroms he brought a voice of calm and perception through his experience and anecdotes. In the spring we hosted seven events over two weeks as part of the York Literature Festival. Gervase Phinn connected warmly with his audience as he regaled us with stories of Yorkshire and education. Beautiful photos and Dan Cruickshank’s irrepressible enthusiasm took us through A History of the World in 100 Buildings. Ann Widdecombe spoke about life as an MP and minister, and her reinvention as a writer, broadcaster and Strictly Come Dancing contestant. We brought science to the Festival with Professor Jeff Forshaw returning with his Guide to the Cosmos. The Rev Richard Coles was in conversation with Ben Fuller. As a former member of the Communards, now a broadcaster and Church of England parish priest, Richard had much to talk about. The BBC’s Jonathan Dimbleby gave an illustrated talk

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on the Battle of the Atlantic and explained why victory there was so central to winning World War Two. We closed with a wonderful evening with the Yorkshire Rows, the four intrepid Yorkshire mothers who last year became the oldest all-female crew to row the Atlantic. Janette Benaddi, Helen Butters, Frances Davies and Niki Doeg published their story, Four Mums in a Boat, during the Festival, and the TV and film rights have already been optioned. Our summer term programme brought two speakers from different sides of the world. Sir Ron Cooke, long-time York resident, spoke about the work of the York Civic Trust to improve the cityscape whilst Steve Biddulph visited from Tasmania. The Memorial Hall was packed for two consecutive nights as Steve imparted a lifetime’s insight into the tasks of Raising Boys and Raising Girls.

We welcomed Julian Sturdy MP (York Outer) to lunch to talk to students about his work and answer questions from students about issues facing York and the country after Brexit. Having recently had visits from two OP MPs, Neil Carmichael and Alan Mak, we were delighted to complete the set with a visit from John Healey (School house,1976-1978, MP for Wentworth and Dearne), the Shadow Secretary of State for Housing and Planning. Mr Healey spoke powerfully in Chapel about the opportunities given to him and all Peterites through being at the school and what we can all do to serve others in our life after school, and then met Politics students to answer questions.

The year’s final lecture, in partnership with the Festival of Ideas, marked the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation with Peter Stanford speaking about Martin Luther and his legacy today. We had three excellent sixth-form lectures during the year. Our first was from the ever-enthusiastic Mike Hurst who gave his talk on the history of popular music, brought to life through his guitar. Carolyn Hodgson brought her experiences as a TV presenter to the needs of sixth formers trying to make a good first impression in the world of work or at interview – and went on to work with small groups during the term in the upper-sixth Global Perspectives programme. Gordon Tait OP, Professor of Sociology and Philosophy at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia, made us think anew about the importance of different forms of study and ways of thinking, and introduced us to academic disciplines new to most sixth formers but which they might study at university – whilst being hugely entertaining and irreverent.

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Once again I have hugely valued the support and professionalism of all those in Estates, Catering, Housekeeping, IT, Marketing and the school office who have helped me enormously. This year’s monitors and heads of school have been great ambassadors as they welcomed our audience guests, assisted by a number of colleagues. In particular I would like to thank Sara Burns for her technical wizardry and professionalism, Sue Jenks who has run the box office with great efficiency for a number of years and David Morris who helped out front of house and took amazing photos – and will be much missed on retirement. Mr Ben Fuller

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St Peter’s School Mock Election 2017017 St Peter’s has a fine tradition of holding mock elections, with a lively campaign in 2015 featuring strong student candidates for all the main parties and a mock EU referendum in 2016. Theresa May called the 2017 election for Thursday 8 June which was a difficult date for a mock election, coming in the middle of exams. This called for a slimmed-down campaign. Three members of staff made the case for the three main parties standing in York Central at an assembly and all those students in school on the day were able to vote. Our mock election turnout was high at 88% with a Conservative victory in all but one of the school groups or constituencies voting. Meanwhile, many in the upper sixth enjoyed the opportunity to vote, for real, for the first time. When the results for York Central were declared Rachael Maskell, first elected as MP in 2015, saw her majority soar from under 7,000 to over 18,000. Mr Ben Fuller

National Schools’ Challenge This year saw the St Peter’s Challenge team crowned regional champions for a second time. After their preliminary match, our very impressive team of George O’Neill (captain), Dan Hicks, Piyush Koorapaty and AJ Coates came through a very tense semi-final against Ampleforth, a match decided in the very last minute by a single set of questions.

In the final, they defeated Barnard Castle as a result of their knowledge of Flanders and Swann, international currencies and Formula 1, but decidedly not English literature: apparently, ‘Murder in ... Grimsby’ is a title still available ... It should be noted that the other St Peter’s team of Cosmo Forbes (captain), Jamie Dunsmore, Josh Glyn and Ethan McKinney came through the ‘triad’ round with very hard-fought wins, against Bradford Grammar School (310 points to 280) and against Ripon Grammar (350 points to 150). In their semi-final, they lost by a single question to the Barnard Castle team whom the A-team defeated in the final. This victory in the regional championship meant that St Peter’s progressed to the inter-regional final, missing out on victory by the finest of margins. This match was fought against Manchester Grammar School and the team (now including Cosmo Forbes) was impressive once again with their knowledge of music, literature and politics – excelling particularly in a round on the middle names of American presidents! They came up against an impressive Manchester Grammar School team in the final, and after a hard-fought contest, were beaten 570-510. My thanks to all involved and I very much look forward to next year… Mrs Ella Mallard

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United Kingdom Mathematics Trust Challenges 2016-2017 Senior Team Challenge

Year 10 Mathematics Feast

Luke Dunsmore, Jerry Tam, Jack Hargrave and Demi Xin competed in the regional final of the United Kingdom Mathematics Trust Senior Team Challenge, at Fulford School. The competition tests mathematical, communication and teamwork skills, and students compete against teams from other schools and colleges from their region. 22 schools from the county were represented and the St Peter’s team was placed fourth.

Four fourth-form students made the short journey to Bootham School to compete in the Further Maths Support Programme Year 10 Maths Feast. The competition consisted of several rounds, all requiring teamwork and a range of mathematical skills, including flexible approaches to problem-solving. The St Peter’s team of Laurie Carlyle, Matthew Shawcross, Lily Williams and Maddie Wylie worked well together throughout a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon.

Senior Mathematics Challenge

Junior Team Challenge

This challenge encourages mathematical reasoning, precision of thought, and fluency in using mathematical techniques. In November forty-six St Peter’s sixth-form students took part: nine received bronze awards, sixteen gained silver, and gold certificates were awarded to Jerry Tam, Cecilia Duan, Luke Dunsmore, Lily Wang, Thomas Tam, Sam Lightwing, Steven Jones, Frank Jiang, Jack Hargrave, Demi Xin, Schephay Dong, Cecilia Zhang and Clare Hornby.

In the summer term, Matthew Ng and Tommy Hudson together with Harry Tsang and Hugo Lange from St Olave’s, competed in the regional final of the UKMT Team Challenge, at the Mount School, alongside 27 other school teams. There was a group competition, a crossnumber, a head-to-head and a relay race. They worked very hard during the day on these activities and finished fourth overall.

Senior British Mathematical Olympiad and Kangaroo Because of their high marks in the UKMT Senior Maths Challenge eleven students were invited to take part in higher rounds of the competition. Cecilia Duan, Luke Dunsmore, Lily Wang, Thomas Tam, Sam Lightwing, Steven Jones, Demi Xin, Schephay Dong, Jack Hargrave and Cecilia Zhang sat the one-hour Senior Kangaroo Challenge. Jerry Tam 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.

British Informatics Olympiad 2016 Jerry Tam and Luke Dunsmore competed in this three-hour computer programming competition which involves solving problems against the clock, using nothing more than pen, paper and a computer.

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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, 49 St Peter’s middle-school students took part, with 26 pupils achieving a gold certificate, ten a silver and ten a bronze.

45th UKMT National Mathematics Summer School at St Anne’s College, Oxford Following his excellent performance in the Intermediate Mathematical Challenge, Francis Zhang was invited to the 45th UKMT National Mathematics Summer School at St Anne’s College, Oxford which took place in August.

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Intermediate British Mathematical Olympiad and Kangaroo Jamie Dunsmore, Matthew Ng, Matthew Shawcross and Francis Zhang were invited to sit the United Kingdom Mathematics Trust Intermediate Maths Olympiad following their 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. As a result of their excellent performances in the Maths Challenge,

Iris Greaney, Andrew Hanson, Oliver Tomalin, Katie Bonner, Maddie Wylie, Man Yi Lee, David Lyon, James Hanson, Ksenia Trubacheva, Isabel Chen, Amelie Lam, Barney Baker, Tom Hatfield, Lily Williams, Alex Harrison, Laurie Carlyle, Ilya Rzheznikov, Morgan Enoch, Ben Hobbs and Amelia Gray 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. Mr David Spencer

Maths Inspiration Lectures 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 lower-sixth Further Maths pupilsattended the Maths Inspiration Lectures at the West Yorkshire Playhouse. There were three talks: 1. Coralie Colmez: Maths on Trial Coralie examined some of the mistakes that have been made by people trying to use maths as evidence in court by looking at cases in which the sums were wrong and the accused were innocent.

2. David Acheson: Mathematics, Magic and the Electric Guitar Dr David Acheson looked at a number of exciting ideas including the mathematics involved in the vibrations of strings. His talk was inspiring and all appreciated his excellent guitar playing. 3. Colin Wright: Patterns, Predictions and Juggling In this highly entertaining talk, Colin Wright showed how spotting patterns can help in a surprising number of situations, including the invention of new juggling tricks, and that patterns aren’t always as predictable as they seem. Mr David Spencer

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Northern Eastern Schools’ Modern Foreign Languages Debating Competition Grammar School at Leeds, Wednesday 8 February 2017 This was the third year of the North Eastern Schools’ MFL Debating Competition and it is encouraging to see that the popularity of this competition continues to grow. This year we changed the venue in order to share the experience of running the competition and in an attempt to draw in more schools from the north-east. There were debates in three languages: French, Spanish and German, to give more pupils the opportunity to participate in their chosen language. Eight teams attended for the German competition, twelve for Spanish and fifteen for French. The standard of debating was excellent despite the difficulty of some of the motions: ‘It would be better for young people to study using the internet than go to school’, ‘We should close our borders to immigrants’ and ‘It is more difficult being a parent nowadays than in the past’. The unseen motion for the final was that ‘Money brings happiness’. The debates offer students a brilliant opportunity to practise their languages in an intense but supportive atmosphere – excellent training for those who must sit advanced level oral exams each summer. We entered two teams this year: the French team of Jess Webster and Ellie Brierley debated well but narrowly lost out to RGS Newcastle (the eventual winners) and the Spanish team of Gaby Richardson

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and Alice Jackson came first in the Spanish debates, beating GSAL in a tense final. The greatest satisfaction from a teaching point of view is seeing the development in confidence of these young learners during the day of competition. They usually arrive full of nerves but they soon start surprising themselves and impressing their teachers through the language and the arguments that they are able to produce. We would like to thank all students who participated on the day and their teachers who helped them prepare for the debates. Mr Mike Duffy

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Scholars’ Trip: GR8escape St Peter’s scholars enjoyed a scholars’ trip to York’s famous ‘escape rooms’, where they were locked in themed rooms and given just one hour to escape. To do so they had to complete a variety of challenges and puzzles, testing both brains and teamwork. This was a thoroughly enjoyable evening. Our most successful team was our sixth form (Steven Jones, Luke Dunsmore, Jack Hargrave, Clare Hornby and Chloe Wong) who were the only team to escape – with 53 seconds to spare! In doing so they became only the 59th team to have managed it from over 250 teams to have tried.

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Science Department Trips and Outreach Ogden Trust York Schools Science Partnership We are now entering our fifth year of the Ogden Trust Schools Science (Physics) Partnership in York, with St Peter’s being the hub school. Vale of York Academy, Fulford School, Archbishop Holgate’s School, The Joseph Rowntree School, Manor CE School and (as of next year) The Mount School, work alongside the University of York Physics Department’s Outreach Officer/Ogden Officer, Katherine Leech. 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 continuing to strengthen relationships over the coming years. The partnership schools were encouraged to attend the public lectures and contribute to the Stargazing Live exhibition. We held the fourth York Schools Science Quiz, and the eighth Science Technicians’ Conference and the eleventh Physics Olympics were also jointly attended events. The partnership has funded the purchase of physics equipment for the partnership schools and we hope that it will be able to continue to do this. We were also able to loan the demonstration cloud chamber out to the university for their open days.

Nuffield Research Placement Presentation Ceremony In early October the Nuffield/STEMNET award ceremony was held for the sixth-formers from local schools who had taken part in research placements in various institutions dealing with science, technology, engineering and maths. The body of work undertaken

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by the students in their research placements earns them a Gold Crest Award and the presentation of the certificates took place in the Yorkshire Museum in a special ceremony prior to one of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society’s series of lectures. The students displayed their posters and were quizzed by members of YPS before the lecture on Explosives: the past, present and future by Prof Jackie Akhavan, head of the Centre for Defence Chemistry, Cranfield University, who presented Daniel Kondratiev and Frank Jiang with their Nuffield Certificates and STEM Gold Crest Awards. During the summer of 2016 Daniel and Frank carried out their Nuffield projects at the universities of York and Bangor respectively. Daniel’s project aim was to create software for taking low temperature magnetoresistance readings and Frank’s project aim was to demonstrate and apply the photonics effect known as laser speckle.

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On Wednesday 9 November, we were delighted to welcome Professor Martin Elliott for the Guy Fawkes Lecture. In his lecture entitled Formula 1 May be Good for your Health Professor Elliott, who was until July 2015 Medical Director at The Great Ormond Street Hospital, explained how the principles used by Formula One teams to improve performance are being put to use across the world in life-saving heart surgery. Professor Elliott, now Professor of Paediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery at University College London, described how the sport’s principles of teamwork, innovation and excellence, alongside the relentless pursuit of safety, have influenced his essential work and that of doctors and surgeons around the world, but also stressed that the medical profession could still learn much more from other industries. On Friday 13 January this year’s Stargazing Live event (now in its seventh year) combined a science exhibition (including mobile planetarium and sun dome), telescope retailers and some handson things to do, a lecture and an opportunity to look through a host of telescopes. The lecture, The Beauty and Science of Nebulae,

Science Public Lecture Programme On Wednesday 21 September Professor Cobb of the University of Manchester delivered a talk entitled The Brave New World of CRISPR Gene Editing, in which he discussed the controversial process and its potential implications in the worlds of medicine, biology and even international politics. On Wednesday 12 October, in a lecture entitled ESA’s Big Year in Space Science 2016 Professor Mark McCaughrean, Senior Science Advisor at the European Space Agency, brought his audience up to date with the latest findings from a year which has really pushed the frontiers of space exploration. Some of the most fascinating results presented included those from the celebrated Rosetta spacecraft, which only completed its mission at the end of September, whilst the lecture also looked forward to the ExoMars-2016 mission, which was set to land on the Red Planet later the same month.

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was delivered by Professor Carolin Crawford of the University of Cambridge who showcased a series of spectacular astronomical images, explaining how a nebula – a frequently vivid collection of interstellar clouds and dust – is formed, and what we’re actually looking at when observing the phenomenon. The event was run in conjunction with the University of York’s Physics Department and York Astronomical Society who once again turned out in force with an amazing array of telescopes. Thanks to the Friends of St Peter’s who again ran a raffle and manned a food stall. Demand for the event was huge, with all tickets going. The event is a particular highlight of the school year and it was great to welcome people of all ages from across York and the region to make real observations of the night sky and to learn more about astrophysics. The enthusiasm it generated was infectious and we are already looking forward to next year’s event. On Wednesday 15 February a former St Peter’s pupil returned after 42 years: Mike Ferguson (School, 1975), Regius Professor of Life

in some regions of the world. Professor Ferguson’s own significant contribution to this has been the establishment of the Drug Discovery Unit at the University of Dundee, at which 95 scientists dedicate their time to creating new and safer medicines for infectious diseases and tackling the spread of drug-resistant infections that aren’t prioritised by the pharmaceutical industry.

On Wednesday 1 March we welcomed Professor Kevin Shakesheff to deliver a lecture entitled Growing and Regenerating Human Tissue: A New Frontier in Medicine. Professor Shakesheff, of the University of Nottingham, discussed the future of medical science, focusing on his work in regenerating human tissue and its utility in treating illnesses ranging from cancer to blindness – a relatively recent and highly exciting new development in medicine. The audience quizzed the speaker on a range of topics, including the commercial viability of cell regeneration as an available treatment, the potential applications of the process in plant life, and even the possibility of creating a whole human being with the technique. Sciences at the University of Dundee, delivered a lecture entitled What are the Boffins doing about Infectious Diseases?, detailing what scientists like himself are doing to tackle diseases such as Malaria, African Sleeping Sickness and Tuberculosis, which is still prevalent

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On Wednesday 22 March Professor Jeff Forshaw from Manchester University took the York Literature Festival back in time – all the way to the moments leading up to the Big Bang. Professor Forshaw, who has collaborated with Brian Cox on his new book Universal: A Guide to the Cosmos, explained how science has progressed to such a point that physicists can now study how the universe was behaving at the exact moment the Big Bang took place. Professor Forshaw detailed how the Higgs Boson particle, discovered in the Large Hadron Collider in 2012, has enabled a whole new way of thinking about the past, present, and indeed future of our universe. On Friday 19 May worldrenowned theoretical physicist Professor Lisa Randall, of Harvard University, enlightened the audience on the unlikely connection between two spectacular phenomena. Discussing the theory behind her new book, Dark Matter and the Dinosaurs: The Astounding Interconnectedness of the Universe, Professor Randall explained the role of dark matter in the origins of the universe, its role in our solar system and the process by which scientists

explore new concepts and theories. Professor Randall elaborated on the idea that dark matter could in fact be responsible for the meteor the size of a city descending from space to wipe out the dinosaurs sixty-six million years ago, before concluding her lecture with the surprising connections to be found between science and art – something she has explored through writing a libretto for Hypermusic: A Projective Opera in Seven Planes and co-curating an art exhibit for the Los Angeles Arts Association. It was a wonderful experience to be able to welcome a physicist of Professor Randall’s standing to St Peter’s. She is a leading expert on the mysterious subject of dark matter and her theory of how it may have led to the extinction of the dinosaurs was truly fascinating. She was an inspiration to the next generation of young scientists. In June we hosted two lectures as part of the York Festival of Ideas. The Festival was launched in June 2011 by the University of York, with the aim of enhancing York’s reputation as a city of ideas and innovation. The Festival offers the highest calibre of public events to local, regional and visitor audiences and thereby demonstrates the transformative power of education. Now in its seventh year, the festival has grown rapidly, and we at St Peter’s were delighted to be able to play our part in it. More than 150 events took place across a thirteen-day period during the Festival.

On Friday 9 June Professor Freemont from Imperial College gave a lecture entitled Synthetic Biology – Designing the Future in which he examined the ongoing debate about scientists ‘playing God’, as they develop new ways of reprogramming cell behaviour. This ‘new era of

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biotechnology’ has been brought about largely as it is now cheaper than ever to read and write DNA. Professor Freemont asserts that there is no better time for governments to invest in a sustainable bioeconomy, as the applications of such engineering could be endless, revolutionising numerous industries, including energy, food, manufacturing, medicine and security. The audience quizzed the speaker on the potential pitfalls and unforeseen hazards of this revolution, considering whether there was potential for weaponising the technology, or even if cloning and the ability to artificially design people was a real possibility. Three days later on Monday 12 June medical doctor Beth Healey spoke on the subject of White Space. Dr Healey has recently returned from a year-long mission to Antarctica, the earth’s southernmost continent, where she has been examining the effects of this extreme environment on the overwinter crew at the Concordia research station. She explained how the crew could expect to go more than 100 days without a glimpse of sunlight, and that temperatures at Concordia would rarely creep above minus 80 degrees Farenheit. Understandably, this takes a significant toll on the team of scientists who work there during the winter months. The station, nicknamed ‘White Mars’, due to its inaccessibility, altitude and low light levels, is designed to mimic conditions on the red planet, allowing Dr Healey to examine the physiological and psychological effects of monotony, confinement and isolation on the thirteen crew members. Her findings cast doubt on Mars’ viability as a refuge for humanity, and Dr Healey argues that this is all the more reason for us to take better care of the planet we currently call home.

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Eighth Ogden A2 Physics Symposium, The University of Durham: The Ogden Centre for Fundamental Physics At the start of September Samuel Stanford won a place at this symposium which has the object of allowing students to sample physics as it is taught and demonstrated to first-year undergraduates at Durham and to encourage them to apply to study the subject at degree level, whether at Durham or elsewhere. My visit to the physics symposium at Durham University was a fantastic opportunity to understand what it would be like to study Physics at Durham and gave me the experience of being a residential student at university. The lectures covered a range of topics, from learning how to slow down atoms with lasers to deriving E=mc2. The educational content was fascinating, and I felt very privileged to receive a hands-on lecture from a group of PhD students about using computers and virtual reality to explore the beginnings of the universe. I participated in a formal dinner at St Aidan’s College, and I enjoyed staying in Van Mildert College. The activities run in the evenings by the hosts were fun and socially engaging, and I particularly enjoyed the quiz on the second evening. I would highly recommend this event to anyone thinking of applying for a science-based degree at university. Sam Stanford, UVI

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Bloodhound Race for the Line Competition BLOODHOUND SSC is the fastest car ever designed, with a top speed of 1,050 mph. It will begin its supersonic run programme in 2017, targeting 800 mph. 500 data channels on the car will tell Bloodhound engineers and school students how the design of the car is performing as it gets increasingly fast over 30 runs on the Hakskeen Pan in South Africa. The BLOODHOUND Project is using this 1,000 mph world land speed record attempt to inspire the next generation to enjoy, explore and get involved in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. In support of this project is a Race for The Line Bloodhound Micro:bit Model Rocket Car Competition for 7-16 year olds. The goal of the competition is simple: the fastest car through the timing gate, set so cars enter it at the 15-metre mark, with a functioning micro:bit on board able to gather acceleration data and upload it into the leader board, wins!

St Peter’s School in York has put itself forward as the STEM Hub for the York area and was host to a teacher training session for ten teachers from York and from further afield, led by the BLOODHOUND SSC support team. At this, pupils and teachers at the school have been learning all about the science behind the 1,000 mph car and building their own miniature prototypes. Everyone tested their cars on the School’s tennis courts, hitting speeds in excess of 50 mph. All schools from the area were invited to register for their free allocation of foam model rocket kits and could then attend the Hub race day in April 2017. To be involved with such a ground-breaking project is hugely exciting for everybody at the school. It’s great to see pupils engaging with the STEM subjects in such an interactive and dynamic way. The UK is in need of future engineers and what better way to inspire pupils down this career path.

A-level Science Live At the end of November our lower sixth Physics pupils attended the A-level Science Live event in Manchester, to hear what some of the country’s most eminent physicists have to say about the universe’s big questions. The event encourages young scientists from across the country to engage with top physicists, including the author and star of multiple documentaries, Professor Jim Al-Khalili. Professor Al-Khalili invited pupils to consider one of life’s great questions: do we live in a deterministic universe? Other discussions focused on particle physics, fluid dynamics and the mysteries of gravity, and Professor Lucie Green, from the BBC’s Stargazing Live, offered an insight into the sun and the next generation of spacecraft that are going to be going ever closer to its surface to measure the Coronal Mass Discharges. The other speakers were Dr Helen Czerski,

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Dr Tom Whyntie and Dr Michael Brooks. Alongside hearing the distinguished speakers, pupils also got to grips with the fine detail of their A-level curriculum, with help from an experienced chief examiner. Engaging with these renowned scientists, each working at the cutting edge of their respective field, will have given our pupils plenty of food for thought about pursuing careers or further education in physics. All of the speakers were hugely passionate and were chosen for their great communication skills. Being able to couple this enthusiasm with an insight into what A-level examiners are looking for will no doubt prove invaluable for our pupils in their studies and beyond.

GCSE Science Live At the start of December we took the whole of the fourth form to the GCSE Science Live event which took place at Leeds Town Hall. During the course of the day the pupils saw and heard five of Britain’s top scientists, all working at the cutting edge of their specialisms. The scientists were carefully chosen for their ability to communicate with students of this age in a direct and exciting way. The day was fast-moving, exciting and thought-provoking, and gave the students the chance to raise issues with the scientists and allowed them to see that science really does offer solutions to many of the world’s great problems. Each pupil received a well-produced booklet with details about each scientist, the lectures and some general articles about studying science and working as scientists – as well as a number of pieces from an experienced chief examiner on

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success with Science GCSE. The scientists appearing during the day at Leeds were Professor Lord Robert Winston, Professor Dave Cliff, Dr Jamie Gallagher, Dr Ben Garrod and Professor Lucie Green.

York Astronomical Society Student Presentations On Friday 20 January five of our upper-sixth physicists gave short presentations to the members of York Astronomical Society at one of their bi-monthly members’ meetings. The students chose and researched their own topics and spoke for 12-15 minutes each, taking questions from the floor at the end. About 20 of their friends from St Peter’s went along to support them and helped to make up an audience of about 60 people. Cecilia Duan spoke on The Colonisation of Mars, Daniel Kondratiev on From Gagarin to 2017: a Brief History of Russian Cosmonautics, Jerry Tam on The Limit of Space Travel, Frank Jiang on Intermediate Black Holes and ULXs Starter Pack and Sam Stanford on Computers in Space. We were delighted and honoured to get the invitation from our friends at York Astronomical Society and all of our pupils more than rose to the challenge. They spoke with confidence and it was clear that a lot of preparation had gone in to their talks. They even managed to

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also the York Schools Ogden Partnership, with a large thank you to the Rotary Club of York Vikings for the water bottles and the Ogden Trust for the 8GB memory sticks and Amazon Voucher prizes. Each member of the winning teams won £20 Amazon vouchers. The quiz was put together and presented by Mr Andy Parr, from St Peter’s School Physics department, and consisted of Biology, Chemistry and Physics rounds alongside an observation challenge and a ‘hitting the headlines’ round, amongst others. At the end of the quiz the teams waited with bated breath for the results to be announced. Schools without sixth forms: 1st

‘Geeky Gooks’ Bedale High School

2nd

‘The Lab Rats’ Millthorpe School

3rd

‘Team’ Manor Academy

Open competition:

add a little humour along the way and their efforts were warmly recognised by everyone present. This was the first time that we had done something like this and I was very proud of our pupils and the way in which they represented themselves and St Peter’s. We hope to be able to repeat the experience with some of next year’s upper sixth.

Fourth York Schools Science Quiz On Monday 6 March twelve schools from in and around York came together for the fourth York Schools Science Quiz. Twentyfour school teams competed along with four teacher teams (put together from the teachers who brought the pupils along from the various schools) for the trophies and prizes. Each team consisted of two lower sixth- and two fifth-form pupils or four fifth-form pupils for those schools without sixth forms. The schools represented were The Joseph Rowntree School, Archbishop Holgate’s School, Fulford School, The Mount School, Manor CE Academy, Millthorpe School, Bootham School and St Peter’s School from within York, and Bedale High School, Harrogate Ladies’ College, Pudsey Grangefield School and Archbishop Sentamu Academy from outside the city. The event took place as part of the York ISSP and

1st

‘Bootham B’ Bootham School

2nd

‘S=T/P’ St Peter’s School

3rd

‘Jo Rovers’ Joseph Rowntree School

I was delighted with the positive support from the schools of York, with this year’s event being the biggest so far, and I hope that the competition will continue to grow. Many of the schools that were unable to take part this year have indicated that they will come on board next year. A good number of the questions were very demanding, and the answers from the pupils were impressive: no doubt much science would have been learned on the evening. Congratulations to Bootham School and to Bedale High School for their success.

NE/NW Science Committee for Science Technicians’ Conference In May, for the eighth year running, St Peter’s hosted the North East North West Standing Committee for Science Technicians’ conference. This was attended by over 90 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. There was a fantastic range of activities, exhibitions and workshops available throughout the day for the delegates,

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delivered by education consultants, university outreach officers and fellow technicians among others. Thanks to all of the St Peter’s technicians for helping to make the day such a big success, particularly Mark Robinson, who again led one of the most popular workshops entitled Don’t Believe Your Eyes! which contained a miscellany of illusions and ‘magic’.

King’s Chester Physics Olympics On Tuesday 20 June eight of our third formers took part in the second King’s School Chester Physics Olympics Competition. After an early start and lengthy minibus journey, during which we practised some Fermi Quiz questions, we arrived at our destination and organised ourselves into two teams of four. Team Heisenberg consisted of Hannah Aubrey, Jodie Leon, Andy Hanson and Tommy Hudson, whilst Team Watt featured Jenny Durham, Poppy Steenberg, Ben Dunsmore and Oscar Hawes. During the course of the day the teams tackled five practical challenges, including constructing a solar-powered boat, making an electromagnet, firing a rocket at a target, building a boat out of plasticine and plotting a calibration graph to find an unknown mass. Alongside these was the Fermi Quiz which requires estimates of quantities to be made to the nearest power of ten. Both of our teams focused well in all of the tasks, recording consistently competitive values, giving them the chance of being successful. We were all delighted when Team Heisenberg were announced as Silver Medal winners, followed by Team Watt as the Gold Medal winners. The first challenge of the Physics Olympics was having to get to school by 7 am. This was because it was being hosted at The King’s School Chester. The stakes were raised this year as King’s had won the Year 8 Physics Olympics at St Peter’s the previous week. There were two teams from our school (Watt and Heisenberg) competing against 22

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other teams from a range of different schools. In the competition, there were five challenges as well as a Fermi Quiz. The Fermi Quiz involved estimating (and quite a bit of guessing) which all the teams had to complete throughout the day. For instance, we had to work out how much the global sea level would rise when an oil tanker was placed in it. The first activity for us involved trying to make the biggest temperature difference from some water. By splitting the water into two beakers, we attempted to keep one warm whilst cooling the other one down.

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This was our most successful event (we came second). After this, our second challenge was to create a catamaran. This involved designing a boat from two water bottles acting as hulls, and a propeller. In the end, we posted quite a good time but this was after some high-pressure, last-minute changes to the design and some confusion over which way the propeller spins. My favourite event came next which was designing a rocket to get as close to a flag as possible. We could affect the trajectory of the rocket by altering the pressure, angle and direction of the launcher. After unsuccessfully trying to find the mass of plasticine with springs, we moved onto the final challenge. This required us to induce an electromagnetic force from a piece of metal in order to pick up as many paper clips as possible. Although we all wanted the winning t-shirts, we had reconciled ourselves to a middle-of-the-table finish. Surprisingly, the St Peter’s Heisenberg team were read out as the runners-up. Even more surprisingly, St Peter’s Watt team were the overall winners. Even though we didn’t win any events, we were consistently high. This concluded an enjoyable and interesting day. Thank you to Mr Morris for a great trip! Ben Dunsmore, III achievement, together with parents and teachers, were invited to the celebratory event, at which everyone was invited to try out hands-on experiments in the Department of Physics’ teaching laboratories. This was followed by an awards presentation by the Head of Physics, Professor Sarah Thompson, and a keynote lecture by Dr Laurence Wilson on salt lakes, Malaria, and Molecular Motors. Schephay Dong won the Year 12 award with Maisy O’Neill and Andrew Liang being the Year 10 award winners.

Liverpool University Physics Olympics Competition School Physicist of the Year awards The Ogden Trust and the University of York held their School Physicist of the Year Award ceremony on June 27. The annual awards ceremony recognises the most promising A-level and GCSE physics students in their region with each prizewinner receiving a book token to the value of £25. The students who had been nominated by their teachers for their outstanding effort and

Two teams of four of our upper-sixth physicists have taken part in the Liverpool University Physics Olympics Competition, which this year was celebrating its 25th anniversary. The teams competed against a total of 35 schools from across the North of England in six separate challenges throughout the day. These included determining the density of a ‘fly’ by timing its descent through a viscous liquid, releasing a car from a sloping track at the right height for the car to jump a gap and land on a target and communicating by code the identity of four elements between one pair of team members

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and the second pair of team members with only an empty can of Pringles crisps to work with! The teams also had to find the area within the outer perimeter of a symbol suspended high on the side of a building and identify five absorption lines in the spectrum of a star. Both of our teams came first equal in one of the games, but it was team Barkla that also went on to come out on top in the Fermi Quiz and amass enough points to make them the overall winners of the competition. The Fermi Quiz had a theme of silver with one of the questions being: what is the potential energy due to the electrostatic repulsion between all of the protons in a silver nucleus? The winning team consisted of Daniel Kondratiev, Cecilia Duan, Sean Shao and Steven Jones and they are to be congratulated on this tremendous achievement in what was a very competitive field. Mr David Morris

The Liverpool Physics Olympics was a great event to attend, and I am certain that all the eight pupils who represented our school, including myself, had a very enjoyable day. On behalf of all of us, I would like to thank Mr Morris for all the effort he put into taking us there. On the day, we met early in the morning when it was still dark and chilly to take the two-hour bus journey to Liverpool. Following a sleepy start, whilst still on the minibus, we began looking at previous years’ Fermi Quizzes, trying to cram in as many useful facts as we could in the time left: the average atomic radius, planet distances, and even equations we have not studied yet. Some of these were crucial to the questions we got! During the time we had in Liverpool before the scheduled start, we visited the Metropolitan Cathedral – an immense and fascinating masterpiece of architecture! The Olympics took place at the University of Liverpool. There was a total of five events to complete alongside a Fermi Quiz, where we had to estimate the order of magnitude of various physical quantities. Some events were slightly more straightforward, but they all required intense collective thinking from the whole team due to strictly limited time and resources. The pressure was high since we had hardly any time to rest between challenges. During lunch, we were rushing to complete the Fermi Quiz, cross-checking each answer multiple times and trying to recall all the physical constants we couldn’t remember. Finally, it was the time for the awards ceremony. Anticipation and nervousness were almost palpable in the air. Soon, it was over with

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all the winners announced. Our team was proud to have achieved the first place in the whole event, although it was a great surprise at the time. Returning to York, we were all exhausted after such a brimming day. Although Mr Morris objected to the idea of celebrating by drinking champagne from the Winners’ Cup, we all had a pleasant meal to conclude the experience. Daniel Kondratiev, UVI

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British Physics Olympiad A2 Competition In the British Physics Olympiad for Year 13 students Cecilia Duan received a Gold Award, Frank Jiang, Daniel Kondratiev and Luke Dunsmore (not in picture) received Silver Awards, Gideon Wakelin and Jerry Tam Bronze I Awards and Samuel Stanford a Bronze II Award.

Front row: Frank Jiang, Cecilia Duan, Jerry Tam; Back row: Daniel Kondratiev, Samuel Stanford, Gideon Wakelin

British Physics Olympiad AS Competition In the AS National Physics Competition for Year 12 students Schephay Dong and James Mahon received Silver Awards, Zaki Ward, Marcus Brown and Ben Chamberlain received Bronze I Awards, and Matt Ubhi a Bronze II award. Schephay also received an Emerald Award Certificate for outstanding performance at Isaac Physics.

St Peter’s Physics Olympics Competition 2017 140 pupils from across York and the north of England travelled to St Peter’s School, York, for an annual physics competition. The competition, now in its eleventh year, brings together teams of Year 8 children who compete across a variety of challenges including a Fermi Quiz, constructing the highest tower and building the fastest solar-powered boat. The standout team on the day was Team Gamow from King’s School Chester, who finished in the top ten teams in each of the six separate challenges to run away as Gold Medallists, with Cundall Manor School second and Bradford Grammar School third. Winners This Way and That: Team Röntgen, The Grammar School at Leeds Highlight:

Team Chadwick, Bradford Grammar School

Solar So Good:

Team Weber, Millthorpe School

Mind Over Matter: Team Thomson, Cundall Manor School Hippopotomas:

Team Kelvin, St Olave’s School

Fermi Quiz: Team Becquerel, The Holy Family Catholic High School 5th

Team Kepler, Beverley Grammar School

4th Team Dirac, St Aidan’s Church of England High School

Front row: James Mahon, Schephay Dong, Matt Ubhi; Back row: Zaki Ward, Marcus Brown, Ben Chamberlain

3rd

Team Chadwick, Bradford Grammar School

2nd

Team Thomson, Cundall Manor School

1st

Team Gamow, King’s School Chester

It was fantastic once again to welcome so many schools from across

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Science Society Christmas Lecture: Medicine through the ages The Science Department’s Christmas Lecture 2016 covered the topic of Medicine through the ages. We saw how the application of science has enabled medicine to develop from hacking off limbs very quickly on the battlefield to very precise targeting of individual sections of DNA today. Coupled with medicine’s ever-increasing power, is the rise of medical ethics and the pupils were sent away with the idea that their generation will be faced with some very difficult decisions regarding the application of our rapidly gaining knowledge.

the region. To finish the tasks required focused team work and the pupils were stretched throughout the day. Everyone competed with enthusiasm and it was a pleasure to see so many budding young physicists rising to the challenges and enjoying themselves along the way: they were a credit to their teachers and schools. I would like to thank all of my colleagues, the support staff and the dedicated sixth-form helpers who helped on the day to make this year’s event the biggest and best so far. In particular, Mr Robinson showed his willingness and expertise in the designing and making of much of the equipment for the games and Mr Edwards once more displayed his ‘wizardry’ on the computer in collating and presenting all the competition data. Clearly the competition could not happen without any of them. The event is sponsored by the Ogden Trust, the Institute of Physics, the Rotary Club of York Vikings, Nestle and Taylors of Harrogate.

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Mrs McKie and Mrs Hall enjoyed imparting the gory details about battlefield barbers: ‘treating the war wounded was one of the main tasks of the barber-surgeon, as well as extracting teeth, performing enemas, selling medicines, performing surgery and, of course, cutting hair.’ The battlefield was the ideal place for the inquisitive anatomical scientist. The anatomists had a problem during times of peace or when there were a lack of public executions, however – hence the development of professional grave-robbers. Much of medical treatment, such as bloodletting and trepanning, was based on superstition or incorrect understanding of concepts such as the four humours, although some traditional apothecarial remedies do have some scientific basis. Mr Mallard then introduced the development of the scientific method to furthering medicine (if not the development of medical ethics) by talking us through Jenner’s work with vaccinations. Chemistry took on the challenge of sampling traditional remedies when Mr Smith chewed on willow bark. We realised that it really doesn’t taste too good. This was the origin of aspirin and we were taken on a journey through its development from a fairly unpalatable substance to the drug with minimal side effects that we know today. The sixth-formers filmed how aspirin can be made

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in the lab although sensitive information was left out just in case anyone wanted to emulate Walter White. An ongoing issue in medicine today is the onset of infection and it was made clear how the use and development of mundane materials such as soap and iodine have had such a huge impact on successful prognoses. After a quiz where we had to identify the possible use of some fairly gruesome pieces of equipment (anyone fancy a cowpat poultice or a haemorrhoid clamp?) it was the turn of Physics to talk about imaging techniques. We were lucky enough to borrow some state-of-the-art ultrasound equipment which has only recently been introduced in hospitals. Some basic A-level Physics combined with very fast computing power is leading to a revolution in diagnoses

of conditions such as liver disease without the need for invasive biopsies. Mr Parr also demonstrated that he was very much a living person by showing the Doppler Effect image of his carotid arteries. Another piece of equipment that was kindly loaned to us was a box that surgeons use to train for keyhole surgery. Two members of the

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audience competed and struggled to place one sugar cube on top of the other whilst we all watched via a webcam. When we realised that proper medical students are expected to cut the heads off jelly babies and then sew them back together, the skill of surgeons was very much appreciated. Targeted treatment was the final topic of the lecture. The increasing precision of radiotherapy was introduced by Mr Bateman and then Mr Stephen outlined the amazing development of nanobots and CRISPR where we are able to cut out precise sections of DNA and replace them. Watch out for a future Nobel Prize! Soon we will have the power for people to donate their genes as well as their organs. We have come a very long way from the barbers! A huge amount of work goes into the Christmas lecture and my thanks go to all the staff involved – particularly Mr Gant, Mr Gill and Mr Robinson, our fantastic lab technicians, and Mr Morris for procuring the loaned equipment. Mr Mark Edwards

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St Peter’s Challenge Enormous thanks must go to Mr Vann who gave up a great deal of his time to help with the Challenge competition. Especial congratulations to the two teams in the final, who not only provided the closest but also the highest quality final that there has ever been in the competition.

Junior Competition In the summer term it was the turn of the third and fourth form to display their talents in the junior competition. Once again we witnessed some superb matches, displaying our wonderful house spirit and the breadth of our pupils’ knowledge.

Senior Competition The Christmas term saw the welcome return of the ever-popular St Peter’s Challenge competition. Each week pairs of houses competed against each other, answering an array of general knowledge questions. The competition saw great house spirit and many impressive displays of knowledge and quick buzzer skills. The final of the senior inter-house challenge was contested by two exceptionally able teams, from The Grove and School houses. The teams – made up of Matthew Roberts, Polly Moss, Zaki Ward and Daniel Hicks for The Grove, and George O’Neill, Rose Gabbertas, Cosmo Forbes and Jamie Dunsmore for School – provided an absolutely nail-biting match, in which School prevailed by the narrowest of margins, 400 points to 350. The Grove demonstrated a huge breadth of knowledge, from the name of the composer of the Monty Python theme tune and the foundations of Mormonism, to the Romanov dynasty, and this was met by the School team’s knowledge of Roman months, the value of Scrabble letters and cake.

The semi-finals and final were much anticipated (as we had to wait until exploration week and exam week to conclude the competition). The final was played out in the last week of term on a very hot Tuesday lunchtime. We saw very impressive teams from School and Queen’s houses battle it out in the final with the final score reading: School 330 points, and Queen’s 260. The interest and participation in this competition is a credit to the school, as all houses managed to get a large number of their third and fourth forms involved (many teams swapped players each week to allow many students to participate). It not only displays a great house spirit but also shows off the diverse (and numerous) talents of our pupils.

Staff versus Monitors The end of term brought with it the entertainment that is the Staff versus Monitors match. The monitors put up a very strong team, but they were defeated 390-170 by the staff ‘dream team’ of Miss Jones, Mr Grant, Mr Gwilliam and Mr Vann. Thank you to all involved – and a special thanks to Mr Lawrence for writing the questions. Mrs Ella Mallard

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Drama A Midsummer Night’s Dream The Drama department’s first play of the year was A Midsummer Night’s Dream, performed in October as part of the annual nationwide Shakespeare Schools Festival. The festival invites pupils to perform a thirty-minute version of a Shakespeare play at a professional theatre, alongside other schools. This year eighteen St Peter’s pupils performed at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre in York. We were delighted to perform on the same evening at St Olave’s with their fantastic version of The Merchant of Venice. This was the Shakespeare Schools Festival director’s appraisal of A Midsummer Night’s Dream: ‘I was impressed by the passion with which the cast portrayed their characters: from Egeus’ (Benji) anger with his daughter to the affection between Hermia (Vicky) and Lysander (Mathis); the determination of Helena (Milly) to win Demetruis’ (Owen) love; the mischeviousness of Puck (Ava); the petrified reactions of all the Mechanicals to the transformed Bottom (Felix). ‘The comedy was very strong thoughout. I particularly enjoyed the characterisation of the Mechanicals with their hilarious gestures and the contrasting relationships between frustrated director Qunice (Olly) and each of his actors. ‘In addition, the drama was played effectively. The conflict between Titania (Rachel) and Oberon (Ewan) was very realistic and reminiscent of a custody battle. This encouraged Oberon’s cruelty, which the ever-obliging Puck was happy to serve. All the fairies had an ethereal quality that really felt as if they were manipulating the natural world. ‘Strong physicality was present throughout – the Mechanicals’ preparations for rehearsal; the way Puck puppeteered the lovers; the confusion of Bottom in the movement sequence after he

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was turned into a donkey; and the perfectly timed fight scene with the lovers were all a pleasure to watch. ‘This was a well-developed, hilarious production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream from a talented and passionate cast, who understood the all nuances in the text. I would like to congratulate everyone involved in this superb production. I hope to see your school in the Festival again next year.’ Nadia Nasif

CREATIVE & CULTURAL

Grease In November Grease was the word. The second production of the term was performed by a cast and crew of sixty-one pupils, making it St Peter’s largest production in my time here. Full of foot-tapping tunes and snappy one-liners, this well-known musical was always going to be a popular choice and this proved to be the case with sell-out crowds on all three nights of the run. There was a real buzz throughout the cast and crew and this produced a show with great energy, underpinned by a band of staff and student players who were also really enjoying the experience. The principals all performed strongly but this was very much a team effort on the part of all the pupils and staff involved and the production was warmly received by all who attended.

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Trip to The Great Gatsby In December sixth-form Theatre Studies pupils dressed up for an evening in 1920s style and went to see the Guild Of Misrule’s acclaimed version of The Great Gatsby. This was an immersive production where the audience are invited to one of Gatsby’s parties, taught how to dance the Charleston, play poker with the characters and are taken around many rooms in Gatsby’s world as the actors need their help to continue the plot.

#20MinutesOfAction In January 2016 the world lost the great actor Alan Rickman. One of Rickman’s quotes is ‘Actors are agents of change … a piece of theatre … can make a difference. It can change the world.’ This year more than ever I believe St Peter’s pupils have been making political theatre which can really make a difference. In February the A-level Theatre Studies group created and performed a piece of theatre titled #20MinutesOfAction. One of the assessments in Theatre Studies is to collaborate to create a ‘unique piece of theatre.’ This can be a re-imagining of an existing play or completely created by the group themselves. This group chose the hard option and did the latter. Their piece was centred on a real-life event: on 18 January 2015 a Stanford University student named Brock Turner was arrested, and later found guilty of sexually assaulting an unconscious 22-year-old woman on the university campus. There were a number of factors that made this particular case so widely-known: • the extremely short sentence given to the perpetrator (a Stanford athlete) by Judge Persky (a former Stanford athlete) • the victim-blaming culture that ‘Doe’ and women in general experience • an eloquent, honest and passionate 18-page letter written by the anonymous victim ‘Emily Doe’ to Brock Turner himself

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• It re-addresses the concept of consent • Brock Turner’s father’s misplaced priorities and dismissive phrases including that a jail sentence was a steep price to pay for ‘20 minutes of action’, which is where the title came from. The majority of the text used in this piece was verbatim, meaning the real words spoken by the real people involved as the result of an extraordinary amount of research. The piece was originally performed to an audience of 40 in the Whitestone Art Gallery as a small-scale exam piece. It was site-specific in a gallery because of the way the group felt evidence had been collected and exploited and the fact that every part of ‘Emily Doe’ was laid bare, like an exhibition. However, it was felt that the piece raised such strong relevant points for discussion, such as consent, rape education and alcohol consumption, that it should be seen by a wider audience as part of the PSHE programme at St Peter’s and was therefore shown to the sixth form in assembly.

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GCSE - If Not Me, Who? The GCSE groups also intended to show the need for change. They were tasked by the exam board with the overall brief of ‘looking forward/looking back’. One group decided to devise a play which spanned from women campaigning for the vote in 1917 to #WomenWhoVoteTrump in 2017. It focused heavily on three particular real women who inspired them. Emmeline Pankhurst (played by Freddie Cowman-Sharpe) The group found that Emmeline Pankhurst’s great-granddaughter Dr Helen Pankhurst made a speech about what Emmeline would have felt at the 2017 March4Women. The audience looked back at one of her inspiring speeches, and contrasted this with the 2017 ‘policies regressive in terms of feminism’. (Dr Helen Pankhurst.) Emma Watson (played by Rosie McLeish) One of the women who stood out to the group for her use of the word ‘feminism’ was Emma Watson, and they used her UN speech from 2016. This was also where the title of the play came from: ‘If not me, who? If not now, when?’ This speech showed the group the necessity of looking forward and continuing to question genderbased assumptions and equality. Malala Yousafzai (played by Margo) The Taliban attempted to murder Malala in 2012 and as she recovered she became famous, and this enabled her to speak for equality in education in Pakistan, her home country. The reason they chose Malala was the way she represents places in the world where gender equality has further to go.

GCSE-The Second Amendment Another group began by looking at gun-crime facts: in 2014 the USA had 59 school shootings and 12,570 people killed in gun incidents, whereas in the UK there were no school shootings and 30 people killed in gun incidents. They decided they were lucky to live in a place where it is NOT ‘the right of people to keep and bear arms.’ This was why they called their piece The Second Amendment and decided it would be based on real-life events in America. When devising they decided to focus on the 1999 Columbine High School shootings and the 2014 Isla Vista shootings. Their play used the brief ‘looking forward/looking back’ because it presented these events in chronological order and followed it with a third, fictional, American high school shooting in the near future which has not happened yet and could be prevented. They found a series of adverts by ‘Moms demand action for gun sense in America’ which show children holding a gun and a banned object asking which one is banned? One of these is a Kinder Egg and they used this to shape the play at the beginning and end.

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GCSE - Look Up As part of their practical coursework the groups explored the poem Look Up by Gary Turk which discusses our reliance on technology and social media. They used this stimulus to create varied pieces which looked at indoctrination through social media, the use of robots in the home being closer than ever, bullying through social media and the idea of lack of human connection and interaction.

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GCSE Drama We were really happy to see two pupils taking the design route for their GCSE Drama qualification, Elliot Milman did the lighting design for the production of 100 and Shania Wong did the costume design for the macabre storytelling piece Once A Tail Is Told. Mathis, Farah and Joe performed a physical and hard-hitting performance Pool (no water) in front of the visiting examiner, all gaining full marks for performance, which is very rare. Well done to them.

An Inspector Calls Studying the set text An Inspector Calls by J B Priestley saw St Peter’s dining room transformed into The Birlings’ home in 1912 where two fourth-form GCSE groups collectively performed the three-act drama, which takes place on one evening. This enables them to consider the play practically, in order to write about in their final examination.

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London Trip At the end of the summer term lower sixth pupils made a trip to London. There we visited the Globe Theatre to see Kneehigh’s Tristan and Yseult, and the Old Vic Theatre to see a new production of Buchner’s Woyzeck staring John Boyega in the title role. They also took part in a workshop with The Guild of Misrule to explore immersive theatre. Miss Helen Lindley

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CREATIVE & EDITORIAL CULTURAL

Art There have been changes in the Art department this year. A new Head of Art, as well as changes in exam board for GCSE and a totally new qualification at A-level was reflected in the work exhibited at the end of year show, On Your Marks... Emphasis was on the achievements of both examined year-groups, and although the whole of the Art block was, as ever, bursting with work from students across all year-groups it was the fifth form and the upper sixth who are represented here. The A-level in particular is now also a two-year course, and builds on the skills acquired in the GCSE years. First-hand observation through drawing and visual note making is at its core and is a focus during the lower sixth year in particular. Informing their practice through in-depth research into artists and trends in art helps to develop the students’ visual and artistic fluency and the nurturing and ‘bringing on’ of an individual voice. The theme of the examination unit this year was ‘Environment’ and this theme was their starting-point for a very rich and varied body of work. Upper sixth students have all trodden a very individual path and this was evident in the wide variety of work shown in this exhibition. Mrs Charlotte Chisholm

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Upper Sixth - A Level

Iva Sharp

Helen Ford

Anna Muirhead

Mia Morris

Ed Bottomley

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Upper Sixth - A Level (continued)

Livi Whitehouse

Emma Nelson

Nicole Moir

100

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Jonny Jaworski

Ben Maher

EDITORIAL& CULTURAL CREATIVE

Jonny Jaworski

Yana Martirosova

Emma Nelson

Liv Calvert

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GCSE Coursework and Exam

Olivia Thew

Clara Wright

102

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Ella Meere

EDITORIAL& CULTURAL CREATIVE

Josefien Heijbroek

Tiff Spink

Kieran Whyte

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GCSE Coursework and Exam (Continued)

Alice Whitaker

Sophia Johnson

Lily Naylor

104

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Benji Denison

Ellie Spencer

EDITORIAL& CULTURAL CREATIVE

Ksenia Trubacheva

Rebecca Dowson

Albert Pollard

Georgie Lawrence

Jay Davies

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Music Autumn Concert The pupils made a very encouraging start in our Autumn Concert, which is the first major concert of the academic year. There were a number of polished ensemble performances, including from the Clarinet Choir, Flute Group, Brass Ensemble, the Chapel Choir and the Chamber Choir, performing a wide variety of music in multiple parts with fluency. We were also treated to some advanced solo performances from our upper sixth musicians. In the second half we moved through to the Memorial Hall to hear our Wind and Swing Bands play lighter repertoire, the Wind Band’s performance of Pirates of the Caribbean being a particular highlight, with great enjoyment clearly evident from the 66 players involved.

Evensong in York Minster The Chapel Choir sang a beautiful Evensong service at York Minster on Monday 21 November. Starting confidently with Humphrey Clucas’ bright set of responses, the choir achieved good ensemble and phrasing in Psalm 106. The Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis by Charles Wood were performed with a wide dynamic range and real accuracy, with a dramatic finish to the Gloria. John Ireland’s well-

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known anthem Greater Love closed the service with accomplished solo singing from our head choristers supported by strong ensemble singing from the choir. It was certainly among the best services that we have sung since I became Director of Music, and my thanks go to all the pupils and staff involved.

Christmas Concert It was a fun show this year with a warm, festive atmosphere in the Memorial Hall. The Wind Band set the tone from the beginning with A Christmas Festival and this was followed by strong performances by the String Orchestra and Chamber Choir. In the second half, we returned to ‘Cabaret’ format with the Swing Band playing well and polished close harmony sets from the Barbershop and Barbieshop. The Little Big Band provided a good contrast to these vocal performances and we closed the show with a Christmas Medley involving both the School Choir and Swing Band. It was a pleasure to direct the show and see all the performers really enjoying their music-making.

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Carol Service We are fortunate to be able to hold our Carol Service in the majestic surroundings of York Minster and there was a warm atmosphere this year, with strong congregational singing supported by our School Choir and Brass Ensemble. The Chapel Choir performed two pieces, with the tranquil Iona contrasting well with The Seven Joys of Mary, which had been specially arranged by Dr Richard Shephard as a gift to the choir this year. The Chamber Choir sang Walton’s well-known All this time and the School Choir the bouncy Victorian carol Jacob’s Ladder and Richard Lloyd’s witty arrangement of I saw three ships. The readings were very well communicated by pupils and staff and it was a joyful occasion.

Evensong in Westminster Abbey Our Chapel Choir were invited to sing an Evensong service at Westminster Abbey on Thursday 5 January and it was a special occasion with a congregation of over 500 present in the building. The choir sang confidently throughout, with a warm, open tone in the canticles by Charles Wood. The pupils then produced a suitably bright, joyful sound for the anthem, The Seven Joys of Mary, arranged for us by Richard Shephard. It was a wonderful way to mark the last day of Christmas and a very memorable trip for the pupils. My thanks to the staff who helped to supervise the choir and to Mr Wright in particular for his organ-playing during the service.

Senior Music Festival This was a very enjoyable evening this year, with performances of a high standard in all the classes. Our adjudicator was Anthony Krauss, the Assistant Director of Music at Opera North. He spoke with real authority and provided some excellent feedback to the performers that praised positive aspects of each performance whilst also offering guidance on areas to improve.

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Brass: Katherine Spencer Harp: Felicity Edwards Strings: Rosie McLeish Piano: Carl Leighton The winner of the Senior Music Festival Prize for the outstanding performance of the festival was Sam Lightwing for a sophisticated and beautifully shaped performance of the first movement of the Hot Sonate by Schulhoff.

Durham Cathedral Evensong Our Chapel Choir travelled to the beautiful cathedral in Durham on Monday 13 March to sing Evensong. It was very much a team effort with our chaplain singing the office, Mr Wright accompanying on the organ and committed singing from everyone throughout the service. The choir successfully navigated their way through a challenging Lenten programme, with Gibbons’ Short Service followed by Purcell’s masterful verse anthem Jehova quam multi sunt hostes mei. The pupils did very well to cope with the split parts in the Purcell and we had stylish solos from Daniel Hicks and Tom Dowdy. The Dean of Durham was very complimentary about the choir and invited us back to sing again next year.

Junior Music Festival This was an enjoyable and worthwhile evening with many promising performances. Our adjudicator was Clive Harries, a very experienced adjudicator and senior examiner for the Associated Board. There were a number of performances commended, and the winners of the classes were as follows: Percussion: Tom Storey Girls’ Singing: Abigail Brown Piano: Jasmine Brimmell

The winners of the classes were as follows:

Brass: Toby Search

Boys’ Singing: Daniel Hicks, with Tom Dowdy highly commended

Harp: Iris Greaney

Woodwind: Sam Lightwing, with Rosie Stephens and Felicity Edwards highly commended

Woodwind: Annabelle Stanford

Girls’ Singing: Gaby Richardson, with Fleur Booth and Amber Rose highly commended

Strings: Marion Akhurst

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Boys’ Singing: Oscar Hawes

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The winner of the Junior Music Festival Prize for the outstanding performance of the festival was Annabelle Stanford for a beautifully phrased performance of the Cantilena from the Flute Sonata by Poulenc.

Orchestral and Choral Concert, York Minster This year we began with an impressive performance of Schubert’s Third Symphony, conducted by Mr Wright. The String Orchestra had worked very hard over a six-month period to learn the entire symphony and this also gave some of our senior wind players an excellent opportunity to experience a full symphonic texture. Following this was a delicate performance of Fauré’s famous Pavane in a chamber orchestra arrangement with four vocal soloists conducted by Dr Harrison. This was a great opportunity for six of our upper sixth form to take on solo roles and to involve our Senior String Ensemble. To finish the concert the School Choir and Choral Society sang Rutter’s well-known Requiem. This was an atmospheric performance with support from Mr Wright on the organ and a small instrumental ensemble that featured lower sixth-former Felicity Edwards on the harp. The soprano solo was beautifully sung by our head girl chorister, Fleur Booth.

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Summer Concert This was a very enjoyable event with a wide variety of music on offer. The Wind Band had their main performance of the academic year under the direction of Dr Harrison, starting the concert with two substantial medleys from the famous West End shows Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables. There were plenty of opportunities for the band to show off their impressive dynamic range and a number of solos were incorporated, including some fine trumpet playing from the head of band, Ellie Richardson, as well as solo debuts from some of our fourth form. The Clarinet Choir played some complicated repertoire, including a Puerto Rican dance with lots of pauses to keep the audience guessing! The Flute Group and Chapel Choir were on fine form and we enjoyed four highquality solo performances from lower sixth-formers Izzy Crook, Felicity Edwards, Jack Hargrave and Carl Leighton. A highlight of the concert was to see the combined double bass players from St Peter’s and St Olave’s, numbering nine in all, playing two arrangements. The concert finished with a joyful rendition of Oye Como Va from the Percussion Group.

Cabaret 2017 I had a wonderful time directing Cabaret this year. 19 members of the upper sixth put themselves forward for solos and they all really rose to the occasion with some super singing and playing. There was a fine pair of pieces from the Chamber Choir and some crowdpleasing character in the Barbershop set featuring a memorable rendition of Johnny Cash’s Ring of Fire arranged by Tom Dowdy. The Barbieshop included an arrangement of Say Something by Katherine Spencer and their performance of It’s raining men will remain long in the memory. The pupils made a lovely presentation to my colleague Jo Appleby and the School Choir then finished the show with a medley from High School Musical. This was sung with great energy and I was grateful to all of them, and our staff, for their support in a very rewarding show. Congratulations also to the Swing Band on their playing behind the soloists.

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National Youth Choir We congratulate our Head Boy Chorister, Sam Lightwing, on being invited to join the main National Youth Choir following his audition last November. This is the flagship national ensemble for young singers aged 16-22. Sam has been singing in the training choir and this step up into the main choir takes him into a very select group of young singers. The choir numbers around 100, with eight sections, and Sam will be singing first bass within a small group of ten baritones. The National Youth Choir routinely participates in events such as the BBC Proms and Snape Proms and at venues including the Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Barbican and Birmingham Symphony Hall. The choir tours internationally every three to four years, and makes frequent recordings and broadcasts. We are also pleased to see Carly Jackson (fourth form) and Isabella Crook (lower sixth) being accepted into the National Youth Training Choir. Sam reports: When I got my place in the main choir of the NYCGB I felt really anxious: I was one of the youngest people in the choir and I wasn’t studying Music at university, like the majority of the members. Despite this, it turned out to be a tough but manageable challenge and a lot of fun. The rehearsals were hard work at times, especially in the evenings when everyone was tired, but rewarding because of the sounds we could produce. Repertoire consisted of Prauliņš’ Missa Rigensis, the premiere of Eriks Ešenvalds’ Salutation commissioned by NYC, and many more. The culmination of the week was a live-streamed concert in Trinity College Chapel, Cambridge under Stephen Layton as conductor which was a magnificent end to the week. Aside from the music I had a great time getting to know so many interesting people, with social activities every night and breaks throughout the day. I thoroughly enjoyed my time and would recommend it to all singers who enjoy singing in choirs. Sam Lightwing, UVI

Instrumental and Singing Examination Results 2016-17 It has been a very positive year for the pupils with much success in our graded music examinations. The following are to be congratulated on achieving the highest grade:

Jasmine Brimmell Violin Hannah Bilton Flute Merit Kitty Clapham Singing Merit Isabella Crook Violin Merit Julia Crowther Singing Merit Tom Dowdy Double Bass Merit Jack Hargrave Clarinet Merit Sam Stanford Piano Merit Cassie Bythell Singing Distinction Ellie Caley Singing Distinction Tom Dowdy Singing Distinction Ben Dunsmore Piano Distinction Felicity Edwards Piano Distinction Louise Gould Singing Distinction Jack Hargrave Singing Distinction Daniel Kondratiev Singing Distinction Rosie McLeish Singing Distinction Rosie McLeish Viola Distinction Edmund Meredith Clark French Horn Distinction Gaby Richardson Singing Distinction Katherine Spencer Trombone Distinction Sam Stanford Saxophone Distinction Diploma Successes Katherine Spencer has been awarded the Associate diploma of Trinity College London (ATCL) in piano performance. This involved Katherine performing a 35-minute recital of challenging piano repertoire, including a complete Mozart sonata and concert pieces by Chopin and Debussy. This is a nationally recognised qualification that is used as an examination target for undergraduate students at Trinity College for the end of their first year of study. Daniel Kondratiev and Man Yi Lee have both been awarded the Associate diploma of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ARSM), also in piano performance. This is a brand-new post-grade-8 qualification involving a half-hour recital of concert repertoire, which is assessed both in terms of technical assurance and performing skills. Daniel and Man Yi are amongst the first students in the country to be awarded this diploma, with Man Yi being awarded a merit in the qualification and Daniel a distinction. It is always special to be awarded a diploma whilst at secondary school and reflects the hard work and dedication of these three pupils. We hope that these successes will inspire many more of our musicians to take on these qualifications in the future and we have now had 19 diplomas achieved by St Peter’s students in the past ten years. Mr Paul Miles-Kingston

Grade 8 Fleur Booth Eve Bracken Ellie Brierley Jasmine Brimmell

Trumpet Singing Singing Piano

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Creative Writing Down to Earth

you.” Oh how I pleaded for that elevator to hurry up.

I heard it before I saw it, a high screeching wail that shuddered down the tracks to the platform. Up ahead, coming out of the numbing morning fog, the train was slowing down to pick up the next batch of commuters. Quickly, I grabbed my bitter coffee and hefty bag before springing to the platform edge in order to force my way through the doors as soon as possible. The train stopped. Those steel panels groaned open and I barged my way through to grab a seat before the rest of the solemn crowd could beat me to it. Deliberately, I let my bag roll over onto the seat next to mine to hopefully ensure that most of my fellow, semi-conscious travellers wouldn’t bother to make me free up space for their own backsides. I was right! A dozen glowering pairs of eyes went by but no words were uttered from those grinding teeth. Feeling just a bit proud I laid back, opened my laptop and began to work on tomorrow’s presentation.

“Yes, Mark? What is it?” I muttered.

Today, like every other working day, I have gotten up early and caught the 6.30 train to London and most likely will not get back home until eight. I work as an architectural design editor, spending entire days cooped up in my little office and facing a glaring monitor. I work six days a week, constantly putting my nose to the daily grinder and taking my working life one excruciatingly dull hour at a time. I am sour, I am demoralised and I am tired, but I still get up almost every day to go to work and crawl back into the hole from which I earn my salary. And today was to be no different. After about an hour my cramped chariot rolled into King’s Cross. A bleak dome of grey cloud hung over my head as I pushed through onto the platform and into the hectic streets. I soon arrived at my work’s building and, trudging rather than strolling, passed through the automatic doors. Proceeding to the elevator, I glumly nodded at the receptionist and soon found myself packed in with several other employees. There was Carl with his synthetic and cheesy grin, Cindy and her unbreakable upper lip and, of course, there was Mark. You see, in life there is always an enemy. Whether it be a bully from your school playground, a neighbour that scowls on a morning and grumbles in the evening or even a steely father-in-law that never gave you his blessing. Mark was just that to me, he was a street lamp that smothered the starlight of my life. Whenever, wherever and however it was possible he would be there to climb the corporate ladder, clambering over me as he went. Mark had been a driving force for me in my early days at the company but, as the months had ground on into years, he was now just a cattle prod to keep me working. He was taller than me, funnier than me. He was a ‘rising star’ in the company and I was just another loyal servant. Mark was perfect. The jerk turned to face me. “Listen Smithy,” he slurred, “I have some news that might interest

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“I’d just like to let you know that, from now on you’ll be working for me. I’ve been promoted for my work on those fire station designs.” “What?” I stammered, unable to believe what I was hearing, “that’s unfair! Those designs were a group project – you can’t take credit for them!” Mark, sniggering through that gaping hole he called a mouth, proceeded to revel in my frustration. “Listen Edward, we both know that I was head of the group and so I am the one responsible for the project’s success.” The bell rang and the doors pried themselves open. I hefted my bag onto my shoulder and began to march out into the office when I heard that low-life make one last gleeful remark. “And so, Edward Smith, as your new head of department, I want a report on the project’s work in half an hour. Be quick about it; I’m having brunch with the chief executive soon.” With this I turn and glowered in Mark’s direction, staring with a resentment that bordered on hate, and remained in a stance of defiance until the elevator doors groaned shut once more. For the following, dismal hours I slaved over my keyboard, enduring the endless racket of hundreds of fingers striking keys around me and the relentless ticking of the cheap, mounted clock at the end of the office floor. I produced, after tremendous strain and hard work, an evaluation for the group project and handed it over to my new boss. Having to work for my mortal opponent, the man that had beaten me down and stepped over me in the company, was the final nail in the coffin. My mood plummeted down to Satan’s basement and I was left to rant and complain in my cubicle-sized office whilst Mark, being the hard-working soul that he was, laid back in his new leather chair with a view over the Thames. The macabre cloud that hung over me must have attracted the attention of my co-workers, who promptly veered out of my way whenever possible. With even Carl’s stupid, fake grin straightening as my snarling figure passed by, I was more than ready to leave at the end of the day. I went home, at last I went home. Retracing my morning trudge to work I headed straight for King’s Cross and soon fell into a cramped little corner of a train carriage, feeling just as weary as I had been over ten hours ago. You’ll find me to be a gloomy, lethargic and overall miserable person, most of the time. But at home I am different. The walls, roof and people there shield me from life’s hurricane. It is my family that drives me, I realise. It is my wife, who meets me at the platform with a warm embrace, and my two beautiful children that keep me going. Nothing, not Cindy’s implanted grimace or Mark’s bolstered ego, can drag me under when I have the people I love to keep me afloat.

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I am adrift in my life, I will lose sight of what’s important and favour to focus on the insignificant and stressful. Yet, no matter how much life churns my world around me, I keep above the waters. Even when the spray blinds me and current grips me like a vice I cannot be lost because I have my anchor. I have home, and that’s what keeps me down to earth. Adam Dalton, IV

Down to Earth I want to be down to earth,

As people begin to seep through the wrought iron gate, hinges stubbornly reluctant to open in the cold, the crow is disturbed. The frozen figure leaps in surprise, feathers bristling, and takes off, displeased; its territory has been rudely stormed. It soars into the distance and eventually bleeds into its surroundings, swallowed by a vast mass of milky clouds, comparable to a careless wash of colour on canvas, with violet shadows that dance serenely on the surface, threatening snow. The clouds become bloated over time – full and heavy and fit to burst, feeling much like many of the forlorn figures gathering and assembling themselves in a remote corner of the landscape. Georgie Lawrence, V

It’s my dream to be calm and undisturbed. But my head is in the clouds, My heart scattered in the sky. My body is in shreds, My soul is lost. My mind drifts into outer space, Past the milky ways. Where galaxies upon galaxies, Dance with secrets long forgotten. The empty moon looks down on me, Sealing my scars and my fate. All the stars are burning bright,

Beyond the chaos of the traffic, there can be found a surging mass of pedestrians forever in a hurry down this long street. From those who have tiredness etched in their faces hair dishevelled and suits crumpled, clutching their cold coffees in their hands as they push their way to work, to the tourists. These roam in pairs or groups, large cameras poised in hands to capture moments of their visits. They may even notice a pillar of stone, may register the flags and in that moment will snap a picture that will carry no meaning for them, for they never really looked at the statue and without even a break in stride, they will continue on their way. Tom Hatfield, V

Piercing through the darkness. I thought I could catch a shooting star, I wanted something to stay forever. I might not be down to earth, But the earth will come down to me… One day. Molly Smith, IV

Down to Earth The floor of the plane instantly turns into cold night and an inevitable drop awaits. My shirt becomes an extra layer of skin, fused by the fear translating into sweat. The beep of the buzzer sounds and I drop. The wind swirls and rushes past me as I plummet down. Too fast to see, I simply close my eyes and wait. I reach out for the cord in a bid to gain back some control. My fingers, enclosed in the warmth of the gloves, fumble to get a grip. I finally grasp the ring of the metal and tug. My muscles ripple and scream with the force. My head spins as the parachute is released and my body is wrenched backwards. The sudden change of direction causes a moment of confusion and my head, oblivious to the change of pace, lurches forwards sending a searing pain through my neck like the crack of a rifle. Sam Beighton, V

At night, everything seems different. The array of autumnal hues dissipates into charcoal silhouettes etched upon a sapphire sky. Metallic shimmers of holographic beetle-backs glisten in the dim starlight as they scuttle up tree-trunks, higher amongst the lofty branches. Clara Wright, V

A momentary sonic boom fills the pitch-black air and shakes me to the core like an earthquake. The sky wakes up as streaks of multi-coloured light like a paint palette coat the abyss. A scent of gunpowder settles in the atmosphere, growing stronger with each eruption of colour. Used rockets from above fall to their inevitable fate. As the display draws to a close, a wave of disappointment floats over the previously avid spectators and a black blind is drawn. The crowd forks and floats in different directions, much like the pearly haze hanging intermittently amongst it. Ellie Pyrah, V

Outside the window, the earth lies spread out before me, wrapped by a thin film of atmosphere and lit by a gleaming sun dipping below the horizon. Illuminated is a canvas of azure blue interspersed with puffs of white in the sky. Of the sun itself, only a fierce white

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semi-circle is visible, surrounded by softer shades of orange and yellow. Nearest the capsule, innumerable specks of light are visible on a surface which is revealed to be dark green, rather than the blue coating the rest of the world. Jamie Dunsmore, V

The city is riotous (in the rush hour particularly). The people of Paris spill out of their office buildings and their dreary shades of grey band them in unison. Despite that, they’re oblivious to one another as they dance like enchanted shoals of fish. The crowd blurs into an unfocused streak of bland formality. Cars squeal among the bustle of the street and drivers cry out in frustration as horns are vigorously pressed and the sound cuts through the rush hour chaos. The city comes alive with the exotic chatter of languages I don’t understand. Ellen Storey, V

This countryside in particular is dominated by a gentle, humble valley: a valley backed by a shocking, sheer-faced cliff moulded from the deep of silver-greys of steel and the stubborn lighter greys of granite. The monstrous cliff stands to the far left of the painting, towering above its peers. Down this cliff, the skyline seems to thunder, piling over lead into waves and waves of the clearest blue. This blue hollers down to a clustering herd of buildings: buildings with frost-bitten walls and windswept roofs, tired from the battle against the elements. Jack Mayfield, V

The station floated in the gloom of space like a lighthouse on a shore, throwing out the only brightness for miles. Inside the station sat a man peering out of a porthole into the inky blackness beyond. Space had swallowed up the horizon like some great dark leviathan from the depths of the ocean. Suspended as the only visible object for many millions of miles, the great sphere of Earth hung. It spun lazy pirouettes across the black dancefloor that was space. James Smith, V

To my left, under the sombre shadows of the lifeless hazel trees, lay a small, derelict graveyard. Long, dark shadows stretched over the dilapidated graves. To my right lay a deserted village memorial. The battered writing seemed neglected and forgotten. Above the plaque of writing stretched a stone cross, as if grasping to catch the clouds. It stood, withstanding the countless years of pounding from the brutal English weather. Under the memorial’s gaze lay a small, solemn wreath adorned with bright scarlet poppies. Paddy Livings, V

Despite the close proximity and environment, the tree on the right was completely different. After the first initial jut of growth, the leaves only continued to cover the skeleton of it for half of its height. A spindly hand reached up to the sky with its many fingers, on which only a few leaves, like bats, hung. They shimmered and flapped until they flaked off pathetically before wafting tiredly to earth. James de Planta, V

I try to locate the noise but all I can see is trees, trees and more trees. Loving trees, whose branches try to reach across the path to each other; proud trees that stand alone, are too tall for anyone to imagine seeing the top of and the other trees don’t grow too close to as a sign of respect; stringent trees which line either side of me like regimented soldiers, not one daring to step out of line, lest it left a gap for someone to break through the barricade. Grass-green leaves cover their twisted branches, contrasting with the goldenbrown of the rough bark.

Out of the corner of my eye I see the ever-present flight-attendant who is wearing a little bit too much make-up. Her cherry lips are pursed into a threatening smile, hiding her too-white, lipstickstained teeth. Her neck, that is a slightly different shade to her face, is wrapped tightly in a sky-blue, smooth silk scarf. Outside, the landscape is clothed in a bleak coat of mist. Tara Jones, V

Harriet Edwards, V

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In the forest, the leaves are still spring-green and lush. The first dark spots appear on some of them as a warning that summer is fading. Winter buds poke through the hazel trees. There is an opera of birdsong tumbling through the air. October is the month of fire; the leaves turn to magma-red, hot-oranges and fever-yellows. The sun is cold and pale, throwing down weak lances of light. The sun-spears do not reach the sooty heart of the forest which is rayless and eerie. When squirrels return to their mossy beds, there is no sound in the forest. There is no insect-hum, no leaf-rustle, no whistling wind.

An impenetrable layer of thick, dark cloud choked each entity it came across, grasping each with its vine-like tendrils. Exhaust pipes sputtered with the effort of pumping more and more of the heavy gas into the air. The steady whirs of the queuing cars were now familiar to me, the low hum part of my nightly evensong. Mingling with this is the shrill screeches of intoxicated women, each harpycry piercing the night air. The men, in retaliation, respond with their own unique calls: cries of ‘oi – oi’ pervade every street corner that I turn down, sexist remarks flung at every passing female, as if this blatant peacocking could actually woo.

Ella Meere, V

Anna Geddes, V

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I stand alone yet surrounded all at once by vast open horizons lying flat around me. An odd cloud, passing over the high sun accompanies me as I walk to the entrance of an old copper mine, once paired with a warehouse of corrugated iron. Now all that remains are wafer-thin walls of rust and the memory of miners that once worked there. The entrance of the mine, hidden in the cliff face, is now just a void of darkness held up by feeble wooden frames. Evie Cowans, V

Suddenly I am out, the freezing air cutting through my clothes, the sky ablaze with anti-aircraft fire; everywhere, planes are burning and wherever I look I see hundreds of billowing parachutes. Mine has fully opened, jerking me upwards, the harness digging into my thighs. Ploughed fields and thick hedgerows rush up to meet me, dotted with fires and parachutes, gunfire erupting everywhere. I prepare to meet my destiny, music provided by a chorus of bullets and engines. Alex Phillips, V

Looking mindlessly down through the dewed window, the morning light glinting on the pregnant drops, I saw no movement to disturb the dawn’s peace save a solitary shape contracting then extending in a regular rhythm: the neighbour’s young daughter attending the garden. Her stocky frame bent determined over the sodden earth; she thrust her dented, aged spade into it once again. Her burgundy jumper, though tired from love and wear, still showed up brilliantly against the muddy backdrop in front of which she acted, like a holly berry against a Christmas wreath. Rosie McLeish, V

Tennessee gardens ‘Where the tailor may go, and the doctor may meet, In the garden of Tennessee. Where the workers may be and the farmer will sow, In the garden of Tennessee. Where the teacher may teach and the preacher may bleach, In the garden of Tennessee. Where the herald may cry and the slaves do all die In the garden of Tennessee’ The Bridge across the stream connected the town like a vein through a tree. Brushed silver coated the outskirts of the gritty cobble sides, fervently inactive to the summer light and entirely plain. Darker silver coated the cobbles, the thick paint smoothing the irregularities; as if in the centre existed a depression, such that the pull made it warm to touch even in the coldest months. The lower side beams mirrored that of a Chinese antiquity, as the perforated red stone curled in on itself like a human hand. Mounted

at the sides were the stone railings, same colour as the brick but different material, curving such that the gaps between the pillars looked like pieces of bread, the entirety of the barrier looking like battlements from a castle. There were no ornaments at the vertices of the bridge, no lamps or extensions or small decorative pillars; just the steep incline at the beginning and end - an industrialist’s motif. The actual curvature of the bridge defied realism, yet it remained unassailably strong. The power it pertained was awe inspiring but erroneous; never before had existed such a monsoon of unadorned grandeur. The stream which ran under it came from House Mountain some 30 miles north and separated just beyond the bridge to pervade throughout the whole town. Stretching out SW to the school and allotments, west towards the festival dome and the Dew Mill; east towards Siller’ mall and the rest of the shops, and down SE to the Old Folks club and the Livery. The town curved up to the church in the north, and the stream stopped just east of it. Cassie had often strolled up to the church, not only for Sunday mass but because she liked gazing at it. She would often look at the church from the park and try to grab it with one eye closed. How tickled she would be if she could walk round with it in her pocket, how extremely happy she would be. The feeling of fuzziness and warmth like when a butterfly lands on the back of one’s neck. She longed to have a pet butterfly. Mrs Sanders says it would be boring and callous to have a creature locked up in a cage, their job is pretty self-explanatory. But she wouldn’t have it locked up, she would build a wood shed outside. James said he would line it with film so that she could see into and watch her fly around all day. She could grow plants in there, strawberries, raspberries and everything that she could eat. Hopefully she would eat, not like Dune who only eats buttered meat from the Longsdale farm. She has grown so very thin. Are butterflies cannibals? The bell at the top of the room sprang into life. The tassels beneath it wriggling like a playful worm underfoot. She got up and made her way to the study. She knocked on the open door. Her father didn’t turn around. She picked up the spade on the left of the door, ran towards him and jumped on his back whilst clenching his chest. He let out a rush of air and screamed with laughter as she started to hit him on the head with the pink plastic. He struggled as she tried to tickle him but then got a hold of her hand. Before he knew it she was out the door squealing. She ran up the small set of stairs and through into the kitchen. Lanalie was there making apple custard and black tart crumble. She turned to look at her and with one smile revealed she knew exactly what Cassie had been doing. She laughed and flipped the neighbouring pan upside down and held it to her head. Cassie let out a giggle. Lanalie pointed towards the top right cupboard. Cassie walked to it, waiting eagerly, Lanalie made a drippling motion with her hands. Cassie grabbed the syrup and put it on the counter next to her mother, but was immediately caught in an embrace. She hugged back, wishing that she never had to let go. Her father came into the room, picked up a paper and started reading, smiling at Cassie. She went to sit down next to her father, reading the back of the paper; it was a behind picture

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of a German shepherd trying chase the ball at the last week’s Colts game but was being held back by the leash. Under it marked ‘ Man vs football, A dog’s game’ Her father shook his head and made a pulling motion. Cassie gasped and glared. Her father looked over to her mother. She couldn’t make out what he was saying because of the angle but she smiled as he mother laughed wiggling the spoon in an authorising manner. She loved it when her mother became all demanding. It made her father nervous. She remembered the time he mother got him to drive all the way to the mill just because they left her blanket. They probably think she was too young to remember but she has a surprisingly acute memory. Factual recall comes with ease too her. She still can remember the lessons she had with her mother about the history of the gardens, its coat of orchids stretching for miles. When people came to try and renovate it into a factory complex because of the supposed nearby oil abundance, there was much uproar. They dug up all the land to get to the reservoir underneath. No one knows if they found oil because before anything the pungent smell of methane released drove the plantations away. The orchids grew back soon enough and the smell disappeared. Now no one comes here unless they live here. She likes it like that. A small but tight community, bounded by the ass and cheek, her father says. Although she does hope people come over the bowl some-day. Not everyone can handle the glare of the garden sun. She’s never been over the hills but if it’s anything like this she can’t wait to go. Her mother beckoned towards the counter. On it lay a folded envelope. Cassie looked at it questionably. Her mother pointed to the wall next to the table. The dew mill was that direction. It must be the money they owed Marcus for the wood he delivered last month. She got up and picked up the envelope. It was heavy. Her mother smiled a delicate smile. 3 fingers she held up, then made a cycling motion, tongue out body swaying. Cassie laughed and nodded. Apparently she pulled stupid faces during exercise but she wasn’t so convinced. She slid into her boots and headed for the door. Her father didn’t look up as she left. Cassie walked out of the cul de sac and down onto the market street. She knew if she took the bike she’d be back in time but she wanted to see Mark outside the school. He said he would meet her there and he’d bring cinnamon buns. She loved them. She glanced down the cobble street as she cut across. The mill was on the other side of town so she had to cut across Chandler road and the bridge to get there. There were hordes of people passing, looking at the months collection. Everyone kept stuff they didn’t want and then sold it at the end of the month. Hopefully there were some raisin biscuits. She wanted them every time. As she cut into Chandler street, she couldn’t help but notice the figure next to the bollards. Shaded by the tire shop but not completely obscure. It looked like Tyler. The negro from Texas. He was sweet. Funny in an adorable way. Another thing she wanted to put in her pocket. Most of the boys made fun of him, some called him freak. But she liked his laugh, and he had a beautiful smile. She approached the Bridge, many times she had stood at its peak, looking out over the town despite it being lower than other parts of the area. The feeling was divine.

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She would do it again, but was stopped by a noise coming from the edge of Chandler Street. A figure emerged. It was a man. He wore a dark rainbow sweater with reindeers on it. Visibly sweating. He ran towards her, running with purpose. But why at her? Suddenly they collided, Cassie sprawled onto her back and hit her head ... Nathan Goyea, LVI

The Dwelling of Frost The Dwelling of Frost Spires of grey rock towered above the clouds, Monumental Gods robed in snow. Their majesty fascinated man, From times before memory, We’ve stared in awe for ages. We may never truly understand them, But we must never forget, To respect these ancient giants, From whom the great rivers come. The dwelling of frost, Tower above the children of the earth, And will do so throughout the ages. Sometimes flakes of water fall upon their heads, These delicate arts of the sky lace their snowy cloaks. Their snowy peaks, filled with man and flake, Will always be the dwelling of frost. Piyush Koorapaty, IV

The Sand Swordsman The relentless sun began to descend, a cold chill now upon the soft desert floor. To the east, far off into the distance, small flickers of lights could now be depicted, dancing on the horizon. A pale figure covered in torn cloth rags proceeded towards them, stooping low, keeping quiet, and all the time keeping their hand hovering above a leather sheath at their waist. Screams of agony and pleas for death disturbed the silence in the air. Fires and torches littered the Roman camp, lighting up the arena in which the captives were tortured. Bodies lay wasted on the floor, a covering of sand obscuring their wounds. Unceasingly, Roman soldiers rode in chariots, swaying from side to side as they drank bitter wine in one hand, and annihilated fleeing victims with a blood soaked sword in the other. Silent and agile, swift and effortless, the cloaked figure walked to the edge of the camp, careful to keep close to one of the tents, deep within the shadows. He seemed to scan the arena, searching for something, wandering, until suddenly he tensed. He gripped the

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wooden handle of his blade, trembling as he did so. His shoulders were now pushed back, a violent rage beginning to build within him. His eyes were transfixed on a small boy, leaning against a wooden post. The boy’s eyes were closed, but he was breathing heavily, his sand covered lips dry and cracked. A streak of red covered his chest, blood cascading down onto his legs. His face was chalk white, beads of sweat arranging themselves on the arch of his brow. Tiberius stepped forward. *** The boy that had stepped into the light of the arena was slim and athletic. A piece of black cloth covered his mouth wavering in the mild wind, but brilliant green eyes reflected the fire of the torches, adding to the ferocity of his stature. The noise slowly died down, most of the soldier’s eyes now engaged on the boy. Several advanced towards him, sniggering to themselves slightly, like hyenas approaching their prey. The breastplate of one of the soldiers reflected the moonlight, spots of blood here and there. He had a scarred face and a sly grin that showed his overconfidence. His hand reached out to grab the boy’s shoulder, aiming to bring him to his knees. Instead, a flash of colour caught his eye moving in the direction of his abdomen, just under his armour. The blood drained from his face as he sensed a warmth spreading across his stomach. Looking down, he was able to catch a glimpse of the boy’s fist enveloped around a wooden handle, before he dropped to the floor in shock and agony. Tiberius removed the knife cleanly from the body, took two swift strides, and propelled it towards the nearest soldier, a soft thud as it plunged into his chest. The next had caught onto the situation and made for the boy. He coiled back his arm to swing his sword at the boy’s head, but Tiberius ducked and swept a cloud of sand into the air with his foot. This distracted the soldier for a few seconds, enough time for him to grab a sharp tipped tent peg and slice the man’s throat, blood spurting down his chest. The wind became more apparent now, howling in the night, drowning out shouts of the drunk men. The tents endured waves after waves of sand, slicing across the skin and blinding the eyes of nearby men. Horses frantically searched for cover of some sort, yelping when they were forced to calm down and fleeing from their charioteer. Through all the commotion, all the panic, Tiberius could be seen carefully prying the small wounded boy off the post, lifting him over his shoulder, and walking towards one of the escaped horses. Dozens of men swarmed out of the weapons tent, shouting and cursing, charging towards the small boys. The wind grew stronger, the waves of sand became more immense, all the while Tiberius never looked back, never squinted to look through the sandstorm. He simply lay the boy over the back of the horse, and faded into the night. Nothing would stop him saving his brother.

foreigners, but other than that they lived a fairly simple life. Cows lazed in the sun, penned up for most of their life, swatting at flies with their ears every once in a while. A soft drumming could be felt on the dampened sand, the vibration pulsating through the animals bodies, unnerving them. The townsfolk lingered at their doorways, interested in the sound that was growing closer and closer. On the horizon a horse could be seen carrying two passengers, the sun’s streams of warmth transfiguring their look as if an artist had gone over in watercolours; hazy and blurred. Tiberius jolted the horse to a stop and descended from the horse. “My brother is dying,” he exclaimed, “please, someone help him!” A man and a woman rushed over to the body on the horse and lay him down. A soft whistling could be heard through the cracks in lips, and his hair clung to his shirt, drenched in sweat. The couple inspected his wounds quickly and carried him inside, muttering to each other hastily. Tiberius followed them to a small hut, but was told to stay outside. He waited for three long hours, feeding the sand on the ground through his fingers, mulling over the last things he had said to his parents. At last the woman came outside. “He will be alright,” she said calmly, “but he needs his rest. You do too.” Tiberius thanked the couple and walked inside. His brother lay on a stone table, asleep and breathing smoothly. His chest was covered in white cloth, wrapped around his back and looped over and over again. His clothes were changed, the torn blood-ridden ones discarded. An old man wandered round behind him, tall and cloaked, wrinkles showing the vast amount of time spent in the blistering sun. “He is a very lucky boy,” he said, his deep voice echoing in the room. He then turned to face Tiberius and asked, “Why did this happen to him?” Tiberius explained the feud between his home village and the Romans. That his brother was captured and taken prisoner, and that they were torturing him. He told him about the Romans he killed in order to do so, and the horse he stole to flee. The man’s eyes were stone, wide open and fixed on the boy. “You killed Roman soldiers?” “They would have killed my br…” “Do you realise what you’ve done?” The man grabbed Tiberius by the throat and threw him against the wall. “Do you realise what peril you’ve brought upon everyone here?” Ben Hobbs, IV

*** The village to the west of the caverns was the home of two hundred people. They sold clothes and milk from their cows to

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Little Gran I don’t want to think of you dead in a coffin. I want to remember your warm hands worn down with work. Making me breakfast aged 10 before I went to school with the cream from the top of the Eshott milk poured onto Weetabix. Nothing tasted sweeter at 4 years old than snapping rhubarb sticks and dipping them in sugar. Remember fishing on the mill? With my new green rod and March brown fly. We caught 4 rainbow trout out of the Coquet and lost 2 on the way home, we laughed for hours. Raspberries, strawberries and honey from the hive at the top of the garden, the smell of tomatoes in the greenhouse and the vines hanging above. Walking along the road into Felton, lying on the green next to the road side as the jets flew over low and loud. Remember being slapped by your mother? When she became pregnant for the thirteenth time and you said ‘… not another one’. You had to leave work early every day, pushing the pram with your daughter in, on the way home to look after your twelve siblings. You smiled when the doctor told you your daughter would be alright. Grandad Tot would have her pram on a rope, sat on the bench, pushing and pulling it back and forth after a shift at Woodham Colliery. I don’t want to think of you dead in a coffin, I won’t because you’re always there, warm in my heart. It’s good to laugh; you had a good life you would always tell me. Reaching ‘99’ then curling up to sleep, your unconditional love forever blessing my life. Charlotte Hollinrake, III

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Sport

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Rugby

First XV An excellent season from the first XV saw the school unbeaten in regular fixtures and achieve fourth place in the country in the Daily Mail Trophy league. The season started positively with a good win against the OPs followed by a determined performance to overcome a very strong Woodhouse Grove team. We moved on to convincing wins over Durham, Ampleforth and Hymers. Our front row of Charlie Corner, Adam Brown, Paddy Hayes and Angus Wilson were starting to dominate setpiece and provide dynamic carries in open play. We then moved into two of our toughest fixtures, against QEGS and Pocklington. Pocklington had always been very strong at this age-group and we had over the years taken

some defeats. A tight game against Pocklington saw us victorious. Ted Patmore and Sam Elliot at half-backs were controlling play nicely and a back line of James Hanly, Will Fordy, Charlie Rae, Angus Barrick, Max Courtis and Oli Fryer were solid in defence and asking questions in attack. Probably the best performance of the season was against QEGS away: we dominated territory and possession to come out on top, with some outstanding individual performances, our second rows George Davis and James Black providing a continuous supply of lineout ball. We were going well in the cup and confidence was high when drawing QEGS in the next round. Unfortunately after half-term we had lost some continuity and fitness

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and QEGS took advantage. This loss spurred the team on to continue the rest of the season unbeaten. Wins followed against St Ambrose, Barnard Castle and narrowly over RGS Newcastle. Our back row of Alex Ingham , Grayson Maguire and Jo Simpson complemented each other well and provided strong ball-carrying, excellent support play and outstanding defence. Our final two wins came against Bradford and Pocklington to complete the undefeated season in regular matches. This was an excellent season from an outstanding team, brilliantly led by captain Joseph Simpson. They were excellent to coach and always gave their all. The first XV squad was: AngusWilson*, Adam Brown*, Patrick Hayes*, George Davis**, Charles Corner**, Alex Ingham*, Joseph Simpson (Cpt)**, Grayson Maguire**, Ted Patmore*. Sam Elliot*, Ollie Fryer*, Will Fordy**, James Hanly*, Max Courtis*, Charlie Rae**, James Black, Alex Liley, Angus Barrick*, Ben Raubitschek, Charlie Hudson, James Guyer, Jack Williams, Adam Freshwater, George Ingall. *Full Colours **Cap Representative honours: Charlie Rae, Will Fordy, Adam Brown, Max Courtis: Yorkshire Carnegie Grayson Maguire: Yorkshire under-18s, North of England under-18s

Sevens The under-14s performed well at our own St Peter’s tournament, reaching the final and losing to a strong Woodhouse Grove side. They continued to improve and reached the semi-final at Hymers and Mount. Unfortunately at Rosslyn Park they did not manage to get out of the group stage. The under-15s reached the final at Barnard Castle and the semi-final at Hymers. This was an excellent achievement given the fact that they had reached the quarter-finals of the NatWest Cup in the 15-a-side game. The under-16s were unfortunate to have two tournaments cancelled and performed well at Sedbergh but could not qualify out of the group at Rosslyn Park. The first VII had another excellent season: they reached the final at Hymers only to lose narrowly to Sedbergh. At Rosslyn Park we qualified from the group, winning every game, then played a playoff game which we won to go into the second day. A round-robin quarter-final saw us draw against Berkhamstead and then beat Felsted. We then had another round-robin semi-final where we narrowly lost to Cheltenham College and then beat Bromsgove. Unfortunately this was not to be enough, but it was an excellent result to reach the semi-final, equalling the best the school have achieved in this competition. Mr Steve Williams

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Second XV By all accounts the second XV rugby team had a superb season this year. Playing ten games and winning nine, the players should be absolutely delighted with their all-round commitment as well as the massive contribution they have made to the team’s success. There was a distinct sense of camaraderie amongst the players in the second XV and a genuine feeling that every player would give their all to ensure the team experienced continued success. Players selflessly put their bodies on the line during tackle and breakdown situations and from a coach’s perspective it is very difficult to ask for more from one’s team. In attack we were lucky to possess some ruthless and talented finishers and as the season progressed it was great to see players in the squad running with ball in hand with a confidence and belief that they could make it across the line. While some of our matches were relatively easy victories such as those against Ampleforth, St Ambrose, RGS Newcastle, Bradford, Durham and Pocklington, in other fixtures every player on the field had to dig deep in order to secure the win. The games against

QEGS Wakefield, Sedbergh and Barnard Castle fit this description. The game against Sedbergh must rank as the season’s high point as the team had almost been written off before the game had even begun. Faced with a hugely physical, well drilled and highly regarded visiting side it would have been very easy for them to roll over and concede victory. However, this was far from the case: instead the team went toe-to-toe with their Sedbergh opposition for seventy minutes. They threw everything they could muster at the visitors. Despite being camped in their own half for much of the game, the St Peter’s team managed to create two excellently worked tries to keep themselves in the lead. When the final whistle blew it became clear just how much the players had given physically to secure the win and it was wonderful to see the players deservedly celebrating a triumph over arguably one of the best second XV sides in the country. If there had to be a low point in such a fantastic season it must have been the first game of the season against Woodhouse Grove. Despite being the better rugby side, we played far too loosely, lacked precision and consequently lost the fixture by 20-19, with

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them scoring a drop-goal in the last minute to secure the victory. There is no doubt that a loss at this stage of the season is difficult to swallow but it was hugely encouraging that all the players in the team went away, reviewed their personal performances, and arrived determined to secure a victory the following week against Ampleforth College, a game they won 60-0! Rory Winterburn, second row and second-XV stalwart, wrote the following statement about the team’s performance this season: Overall, it was an extremely successful season for the all the gents involved in the second XV squad. Despite falling short in the first fixture 19-20 to Woodhouse Grove, the team dug deep in training and with the powerful presence of James Guyer leading from the front, managed to finish the rest of the season unbeaten. With several key players being brought up to the first XV during the term, our squad depth was truly tested, as many influential members had to play out of position. Nevertheless, we treated every game as our cup final. Special mention should go firstly to the dominant forwards pack who took hold of every game up front, with players such as Charlie Tannahill, Adam Freshwater, Kevin Williams, Henry

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Barker, Rory Winterburn and Marcus Thomson playing pivotal roles in the squad. The architects of the team, Jack Williams and Alex Liley, orchestrated every game masterfully, using the powerful centre combination of Spencer Ingall and Harry Contreras to create space out wide for the pace and flair of the likes of Ben Raubitschek, Felix Van der Borgh and Charlie Hudson to produce some magnificent running rugby week-in, week-out. A truly memorable season for everyone involved. I hope next year’s second XV will be equally successful.

Under-16s No endeavour is in vain; its reward is in the doing. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. It was hugely encouraging to see the numbers of the squad who attended pre-season training during the summer holidays. The lads got fitter, worked very hard at their basic skills and as the new season approached, looked at patterns of play. I am indebted to the members of the first XV who came and raised the bar in training.

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The squad was not that big, which was a positive, in that almost all players were able to play each week. However it did have the downside that we were not able to rotate the A-team and B-team players as much as I would have liked. Colin Clark was particularly impressed as the season went on with the ball skills and determination of these so-called B-team players and reminded them that their future in senior rugby will ultimately come down to their desire , accuracy in training, physical stature and self-belief. We were fortunate to have two tremendous captains with Ben Lodge looking after the As and Jack Mayfield the Bs. I should also mention Harry Booth who stepped in so well during Ben’s absence, due to injury. Both sides had settled and effective packs and this gave the backs the opportunity to play with good patterns and with confidence. The A team were blessed with some real dogs of war who simply put their bodies on the line all season doing the dirty work at the break down and carrying the hard yards. Alex, Albert, Tayo, Steeny and Henry provided ball for Zac, Henry and Ben to thrive off a little wider. This excellent ball-carrying and link between the forwards and the half-backs, Ben and Freddie, gave us real go forward and enabled us to develop phases of play and not simply

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bash the ball up the field. The levels of intelligence required to bring these patterns of play to fruition in the heat of battle cannot be underestimated and we were blessed in midfield with Nana and Tom who gave direction in both attack and defence. Brains without competitive hearts are rudderless. We had both in abundance. Alongside this midfield we had a fine back three of Barney, Sam and – until injury – Marcus; subsequently David and Oli filled this

role with real aplomb. The final game of the season at Pocklington saw all of the hard work bear fruit and in a wonderful game the lads played the sort of rugby you would pay to watch. From the lastminute win at Kirkham Grammar in the first game of the season, to the loss at St Ambrose, the lads learned lessons and were prepared to listen in training so they could improve, not only their own skills, but also their patterns of play and when to use them. Freddie was at the heart of this at No 10, understanding that sometimes he needed to get others to take responsibility so he could have the time to give the strike runners the ammunition to fire. One of the greatest strengths of this team was that it was a team, not a set of individuals and this showed very clearly in the way they defended as a group, never allowing players to become isolated. They became much better communicators and grew in confidence, learning to use their own abilities to complement the others on the field. The season comes to an end as the players are reaching the point where they have truly got to grips with the game. It is gratifying to note that many continue with the game at their local clubs and at representative level. This exposure, especially in the cup competitions, certainly does us good as the lads move into senior rugby. There were real highlights for me during the season with wonderful tries scored and tremendous defensive performances given. To single any one moment out would negate the efforts of the group as a team. However there is one area that I would like to compliment and that is the support from our parents who came and watched fifteen lads on the field, not just one! This support gives the lads the opportunity to thrive as they never play under a fear of failure and can express themselves with confidence. They were hugely competitive but always within the spirit of our great game. The objective is to win: fairly, squarely, decently, win by the laws, but still win. Vince Lombardi Many thanks to Gareth Sharp, Colin Clark and Eddie Bradshaw whose support, advice and enthusiasm were tremendous all season. Mr Paddy Stephen

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Under-16Bs Starting this coaching season with a collective coaching unit of Paddy Stephen, Gareth Sharpe and Eddie Bradshaw it became obvious that with limited numbers of players available to enable us to fulfil our fixtures and obtain meaningful games, that an early split of resources would best benefit the players and coaching team. Eddie Bradshaw and I would focus on the ‘B’ players and build the available players into a team unit with the ability to adapt and rotate as necessary. Our main focus for the players would be on individual, unit and game understanding skills based around highenergy pressure scenarios.

personal disappointments to one side for the benefit of others. He always led from the front and enjoyed the respect of his team-mates, opposition and the referees. To all the players who represented the ‘B’ XV, thank you for a successful season in your individual development. Thanks also to the ‘A’ XV squad who supported and challenged the ‘B’ squad players throughout the season’s practices and finally the parents who travelled and supported the team for our matches. Colin Clark, Eddie Bradshaw

With the growing success of the school, several games took us away from the normal local fixtures and this season saw us take on new venues and the challenges of longer distance travel and unfamiliar surroundings. New fixtures included Stonyhurst College and Kirkham Grammar School. Our results were: won five, lost four. Our final game of the season proved to be the most challenging, taking on a strong Ampleforth ‘A’ XV away. This game typified St Peter’s rugby and the benefits of working with a squad of players who have bought into the season’s philosophy and progressive development. Although running out 20-7 against, this game showed how all the players had progressed in all aspects of the game and showed the commitment beyond expectation, and from a coaching perspective was the most satisfying game and one of which all the players can be really proud. Although it is difficult to single out specific players, I wish to give special mention to Jack Mayfield, our captain for the season. Jack could and should have enjoyed ‘A’ game time had we had a wealth of players available to the under-16 group. Jack showed outstanding captaincy skills both on and off the field, always being able to put

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Under-14 Sevens In the end, it’s extra effort that separates a winner from second place. But winning takes a lot more than that, too. It starts with complete command of the fundamentals. Then it takes desire, determination, discipline, and self-sacrifice. And finally, it takes a great deal of love, fairness and respect for your fellow man. Put all these together, and even if you don’t win, how can you lose? Jesse Owens The lads played some wonderful sevens this term and in the end only lost as a full team to two sides; Woodhouse Grove and Wimbledon High School. They lost in two finals to Woodhouse Grove and in the group stage at Rosslyn Park to Wimbledon. It is frustrating to note that Woodhouse Grove won the Plate at Rosslyn Park and Wimbledon the Cup at the same event – small margins!! Competitive sports are played mainly on a five-and-a-half inch court, the space between your ears. Bobby Jones I think this is the real message for the lads: success is really up to them and their willingness to turn the disappointment of defeat into victory. We were 14-0 up with a three-man overlap against Wimbledon and failed to convert the chance. Against any other side we would have played the pattern and scored. The key is for us to play better sides more often so that when the pressure moments arrive we make the correct decisions on the field.

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The lads were a pleasure to coach and understood the fundamentals of sevens very well. As they all grow they will find it easier to absorb pressure from the good sides and to score from turnover possession themselves. Against the best sides it was turnover possession that killed us off. With ball in hand the lads did so well and frankly proved too good for most of the sides they played. The key for the future is to transfer these skills into the games with the best sides. They have the potential to be very good but must learn from defeat in order to improve. You have to have the mentality of executing your game when you don’t feel like there’s a lot of hope. I think the best feeling is when somebody pushes you to the limit and you dig down a little bit extra. By the same token, you also need a little luck. Sometimes they come together. Andre Agassi Mr Paddy Stephen

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Boys’ Hockey

overstate this pair’s contribution to St Peter’s Hockey. The senior pros certainly set the standard for the squad! They played with talent and enthusiasm and demonstrated the level of commitment necessary in training to ensure success in matches. It has been a pleasure to be associated with this group of players, and I hope that they continue to play and enjoy their hockey for many years to come.

This has been another wonderful season: the first team scored 54 goals and conceded only 8, and became county champions for the second season. Freddie Heijbroek was outstanding in midfield: he played for the first team for five years, being one of the finest – possibly the finest – players ever to represent the school. Alex Martin completed four years in the team’s defence and was excellent. It is impossible to

Over one hundred and twenty players have represented the school, playing one hundred and ten matches. Many fixtures were played by our second-string teams against other schools’ ‘A’ teams and this is a credit to the standards reached by our players. One of the highlights of the term was fielding under-14 A, B, C and D teams simultaneously. Thank you to all who have played, coached, and supported this season The first XI: Freddie Heijbroek, Alex Martin, Adam Freshwater, Will Andrews, Matty Roberts, Alex Liley, Oliver Hughes, Max Courtis, Alex Ingham, Robbie Greenall, Sam Elliot, Jack Williams, Seth Williams, Charlton Higginbottom, Marcus Taylor, Chris Wood.

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Freddie Heijbroek and Alex Martin were re-awarded first XI caps. Caps were also awarded to Will Andrews and Matty Roberts. The stick for contribution to St Peter’s hockey was awarded to Will Andrews. The Mark Burn trophy for the most improved player was awarded to Seth Williams . The Pandas cup for middle-school player of the season went to Marcus Taylor. The Hubbard cup for junior inter-house hockey was won by Clifton. The lads who represented the second XI this season were a pleasure to coach and to umpire. They played other schools’ first teams and lost without complaint, they beat other schools’ first teams, and also played their normal second XI games. At all times they were as competitive as they could be and yet always had fun whilst playing. We were blessed with a very good goalkeeper in Marcus Thompson who gave real structure at the back alongside the defensive might of our captain, Tom Dowdy, Jack Lawrence, Will Fordy, Niall Collinson

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and Ethan Thubron. Our strong midfield was complemented by our ever-present and very hard-working man up front, Max Boswell, who gave real bite all season. The day that summed these lads up so well was at Newcastle Grammar School where we played their full first team, in truly horrendous weather: despite being well beaten, utterly drenched and frozen they worked for each other and retained a sense of humour. The under-16 boys had a successful season, playing a number of first-team squads and producing some pleasing results. In their first game, against Hall Cross, the team were taken by surprise by the pace and, despite regrouping, lost the game 2-1. A much more organised and tactically aware team won their subsequent matches against Worksop College and Pocklington, 2-0 and 7-0 respectively. In the national schools’ competition, the team were unlucky to lose 2-1 to QEGS Wakefield in the county round of the competition. Despite the defeat in this match, the whole squad left with their heads held high, having organised themselves and defended with maturity and commitment throughout. It was impressive to see players such as Toby Mayfield, Owen Pudsey and Sam Wordsworth stepping into new positions with confidence and focus. The improvements made during the season had a huge impact on the number of goals scored and led to pleasing wins against Barnard Castle 3-0, Ashville 6-2, Yarm 3-2 and Ampleforth 6-0. The 2017 season proved to be a great success for the under-15As. Resounding victories against Worksop and Ampleforth, valuable lessons learned against Egglescliffe, Yarm, and Pocklington’s first XI, squad rotations, use of squad players and working through difficulties of the term were all part of the development and improvement process. A wonderful and hard-fought final against Harrogate Grammar in the county tournament went to extra time and then to penalty flicks – somewhat controversially – and we had to settle for second place.

the squad deserves great credit for the way they performed. The majority of the teams we faced this term were opposition under-15A sides and we even played a second XI side. Early in the season, the St Peter’s under-15Bs played Worksop College, providing a good opening win for the St Peter’s team. Silcoates under-15As possessed some skilful county-standard players so, despite losing our second match, we could be pleased with our performance. We achieved a 2-2 draw against Scarborough under-15A, followed by an unfortunate one-goal loss against RGS Newcastle’s under-16Bs, then a win at home against Pocklington under-15Bs. We lost our toughest game of the season 3-0 at Barnard Castle, but we played in a committed fashion for the full hour, keeping their scoring to a minimum. The last game of the season was against Hymers under-15As away. This was a well-played match with some incredible attacking from the St Peter’s team. It resulted, however, in an unfortunate loss as we just could not block Hymers’ powerful and organised breakaway attack. The team faced a range of opposition, and can be proud of working well and maintaining a strong team camaraderie. The boys did remarkably well to hold their own against skillful and often more physical teams.

The under-15B hockey side had another successful season and

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Girls’ Hockey The first XI started their season with the annual tournament at Rugby School where a squad of 15 competed hard to manage a very strong 3rd place overall. The new fifth form provided a positive addition. With a loss of four key players to university the girls knew the match against the retiring Old Peterites would be tough and with a closely fought match the first XI were pleased with a 3-3 draw. Although we were prepared for a tough first match against Grammar School at Leeds we were disappointed with our performance, but we worked hard in training and we were prepared to put the effort in to play a great season. The next match was the first round of the Nationals against Queen Margaret’s. At half time it was a nail-biting 0-0, but the team played a very strong game of hockey and a last-minute goal scored by Lucy Lawrence secured their place in the next round. Three consecutive wins against Ashville (7-0) Barnard Castle (5-1) and Giggleswick (6-1) showed great teamwork and determination, and gave the girls the confidence to win the next round of the National Schools’ Hockey competition and qualify from the North East round. The next two matches against Worksop and RGS. Newcastle were both unlucky with two 1-1 draws.

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It was clear that the team were really gelling and these strong relationships made the girls’ performances a joy to watch. Two comfortable wins against very competent teams from Ampleforth (4-2) and Hymers (5-2) emphasised the improvements within the squad and put the girls in great stead for the next round of the National Schools’ Hockey, in which the girls made it to the semifinals where unfortunately they were knocked out by Greenhead College. This disappointing result did not affect their next performance against Durham School, securing a 1-0 win. The penultimate game of the season, against Sedbergh, was by far the most exciting match. Three goals from each side created

a very tense game: the girls fought hard, but they were unable to defend a short corner, resulting in their first loss of the season. The season concluded with a match against Pocklington and a 2-2 draw. This score did not reflect the performance and it was a very positive end to the season being able to see the improvement and development from the beginning. The highlight of the season was a visit from Alex Danson, Olympic gold medallist, who provided an inspiring presentation and engaging training session to all the girls involved in hockey. This opportunity gave the girls insight into professional hockey and the vigorous training needed.

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Once again, for the fourth consecutive year, the 3rd team have made it through the hockey season unbeaten. As a team, the thirds grew and thrived, playing many 1st and 2nd teams from various schools this season. Although some matches were extremely challenging, the girls all maintained high spirits and always gave 100% to put in some pressured performances. The thirds have developed and executed some new tactical play, and developed their unity in applying it into game situations. Some highlights of the season include wins over Pocklington 8-0, Sedbergh 3-0, GSAL 6-0, RGS 7-0, and Barnard Castle 5-0. With only two losses, the 4th team kept up high standards and vastly improved their play throughout the term. Starting with a brilliant game against Scarborough, the girls showed real team spirit right from the start and managed to draw 1-1, then

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proceeded to win the next match with a smashing 6-0 score against Barnard Castle. This vein continued for the first half of term, including a very well fought game against Bradford, drawing 2-2. All the girls should be credited for their consistently enthusiastic and polite behaviour, turning up to training and matches not only on time, but also with the right attitude to play and learn. A huge well done to: Ella Huckvale, Freddie CowmanSharpe, Immy Matthews, Eliza Withall, Daisy Greenwood, Georgia Edwards, Lydia Palmer, Emily Both, Annie Ellis, Libby Kimpson, Grace Moody, Hannah Bilton, Alex Johnson, Alice Whittaker, Amelia Fennel, Tiffany Cheung, and Farah MckenzieLieu. The U15 teams set about their craft with the usual measure of enthusiasm and energy that has characterised this group of individuals throughout the season. Speed, great composure and

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vision ensured the A squad won all their fixtures bar one, and achieved a tremendous 6-0 win over Pocklington on the final game of the season. The U15B team’s efforts also came to fruition on the final game of the season to reward their equal effort and commitment. The step up to 11-a-side level is always a challenge for the girls moving up to St Peter’s as they embark on their U14 season. Their previous experience has been just 7-a-side on half a pitch. Learning new positions and adapting to the sheer size of the pitch can be particularly daunting – fitness levels have to be high and new positions understood. For the U14B side a lot of their matches were against other schools’ A teams – consequently their performance improved greatly. The first match of the season for the A team took place after just one training session on the first Saturday of the term. In glorious sunshine the girls very quickly learned how to defend on a full-sized pitch and adopted a very strong press. As usual all the girls learned to adapt to different situations very quickly and their technical and tactical play progressed. In the National Schools competition the A team progressed to the county round and, following on from a close-fought final (involving penalty flicks), reached the North East finals.

Hockey 1st team Results: Ashville won 7-1 Barnard Castle

won

5-1

Giggleswick won 6-1 Worksop College

drew

1-1

Ampleforth won 4-2 RGS Newcastle

drew

1-1

Queen Margaret’s

drew

0-0

Hymers won 5-2 Durham won 1-0 Sedbergh lost 2-3 Pocklington drew 2-2

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Hockey 2nd team

Hockey 4th/5th team

Results:

GSAL won 5-0

Ampleforth won 3-2

Scarborough College 1st

won

7-2

Barnard Castle

won

6-0

Barnard Castle

won

5-0

Giggleswick 3rd

won

1-0

Giggleswick won 7-0

Worksop drew 0-0

Silcoates won 4-1

Worksop won 11-0

Ampleforth won 2-0

Bradford Grammar

drew

2-2

RGS Newcastle

drew

1-1

Ampleforth 3

lost

0-4

Queen Margaret’s

won

5-2

Ampleforth won 2-1

Hymers U16

drew

1-1

Hymers lost 0-2

Hymers drew 1-1 Durham won 7-0 Sedbergh won 2-0 Silcoates 1st

won

1-0

Pocklington won 7-0 Ashville won 7-0

Hockey Under-15As Results: Silcoates won 3-0 Giggleswick won 6-1 Ampleforth won 4-1 RGS Newcastle

drew

1-1

GSAL won 1-0 Sedbergh lost 1-2 Pocklington won 6-0

Hockey Under-15Bs Results: Barnard Castle U15a

lost

1-4

Worksop U15a

lost

0-5

Silcoates lost 4-5 Yarm lost 1-3 RGS Newcastle

Sedbergh lost 0-2 Pocklington won 6-0

Results: Ashville 2nd

won

2-0

Worksop

drew

0-0

Bradford Grammar

drew

1-1

Yarm 1

drew

1-1

RGS Newcastle

won

7-0

Sedbergh won 3-0 Bootham won 6-0 Sedbergh won 3-0 Pocklington won 8-0

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2-2

GSAL won 5-1

Hockey 3rd team

drew

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Hockey Under-14As Results: Ampleforth won 3-2 Giggleswick drew 3-3 GSAL drew 3-3 Ampleforth drew 2-2 RGS Newcastle

lost

0-1

Sedbergh lost 1-2 Pocklington won 2-1

Hockey Under-14Bs Results: Giggleswick drew 1-1 Worksop drew 3-3 GSAL drew 1-1 Ampleforth lost 0-2 RGS Newcastle

lost

2-3

Pocklington won 2-1

Inter-house hockey Results: 1st Clifton 2nd School 3rd The Rise 4th Dronfield

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Girls’ Tennis

Eight teams, four of them senior, have been competing this term and our tennis is at an all-time high. Helped by our all-year-round training, and also with new player Sofiya Aleksandrova arriving in the fourth form, it has been an excellent season. The highlights for the seniors have been winning the Bradford invitational tournament outright, and also winning the majority of their matches on the local circuit. At Eton, Sofiya and her regular partner, Ellie Caley, went through as winners of their round-robin group, only to lose to a strong Bedford pair. Our second senior pair at Eton, Lucy Dabbs and Alex Wood, did well against some very talented opposition. Congratulations must go to the second and third teams who were unbeaten this season, reflecting the standard throughout. The Shepherd Cup was won by Sofiya Aleksandrova, beating Eleanor Caley 6-2, 6-0 in the final. In the juniors we held our second tennis festival with 96 players entering in the under-15 and under-14 age groups. The under-15s emerged as winners. We also won the under-15 AEGON national competition for the area and will continue the campaign in September on a knockout basis. Congratulations to the under-15 pairings who competed at Eton this time: Katie Bonner, Lily Williams, Leah-Grace Gath and Amelia Blackburn. The under-14s won the Chapman Cup at the start of the season and also were joint winners of the under-14 York junior team tennis league. Mrs Margaret Whitehead

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Inter-house tennis: 1st

The Grove

2nd Hope 3rd

The Rise

4th Queen’s

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Boys’ Tennis across both groups, St Peter’s finished fifth in the country – the furthest we have ever gone in the LTA National Senior Students’ Competition. Special mention goes to Sam Tsui, who was singled out by the tournament referee for his sportsmanship. The regular first team summer season was shortened by wet weather. There was a notable win at Ampleforth College by 7 sets to 2, but this was followed by defeats at the hands of the University of York, Poppleton men’s and Rowntree Park men’s teams. However, in the North of England Independent Schools’ Tennis Championships we finished third out of twenty schools at under-19 level. The St Peter’s first team enjoyed another successful season. The highlight of the season was the AEGON LTA National Schools competition where the team finished fifth out of the 300 entered school sides. The first IV including Sam Tsui, Robbie Greenall, Steven Jones and Captain Freddie Heijbroek, won the regional qualifiers, defeating Pocklington School, Egglescliffe School and Greenhead College on the way. The team then beat the Scottish champions Strathallan School in the knock-out stages, where Marcus Taylor replaced Steven because of an unfortunate injury. In the final, eight schools battled it out at the Bolton Tennis Arena. The first IV played some exquisite tennis, in particular Robbie and Sam who impressed by both winning two out of their three tough singles matches. The team tied in first place at the top of the group, but narrowly finished third in the group on sets lost in the middle match, missing out on a place in the final. With the results

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In the National Independent Schools’ Tennis Championships at Eton College, the first IV’s first-round match was against Reeds School (who were seeded third) in the Youll Cup. Our first team lost two matches to love. All four of Reeds’ players are scholarship players who are going to different American universities to play tennis in September, and their number one played Junior Wimbledon last year, so the defeat stings less than it might have done. In the Clark Trophy (under-19) Plate we defeated Eastbourne College: Robbie Greenall and Steven Jones won 6-2 and 6-0; Barney Baker and Freddie Heijbroek won 6-4 and 6-4. This took us through to play RGS Newcastle in the quarter-finals. After the doubles we were one match all, our first pair winning and our second pair losing. This resulted in a deciding set, with a new doubles combination of one player from each of the two original pairs. Robbie Greenall and Freddie Heijbroek were 4-2 up but eventually lost to a very good pair, 6-4.

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The under-15 boys had a most successful run in the Eton competition. In the Thomas Bowl the boys’ first pair of James Hanson and Tom Harpin had the following pool results: lost 3-6 to Sevenoaks 1, lost 5-6 to Rugby 1, won 6-1 against Merchant Taylors’ 2 and won 6-1 against RGS Newcastle 2. In the plate competition, James and Tom defeated Merchant Taylors’ 1 by 6-3, Hymers 1 by 6-3 and then Loughborough 1 by 6-1. In the knockout stages of the plate – their eighth set of the day – the boys lost to Charterhouse by 6-1. The St Peter’s 2 pair of Charlie Blackburn and Tom Robins in the Thomas Bowl lost 4-6 to Bradfield 1, lost 4-6 to Loughborough 1, won 6-4 against Yarm 1 before losing to Sevenoaks 2 by 3-6. In the plate they defeated RGS Newcastle 1 by 6-3, followed by a win

against Cranleigh 6-4, and in their last match of the day they won against The Leys 6-3. The St Peter’s boys got better and better throughout the day, playing seven sets. In the following day’s play, in the last 32, Charlie and Tom beat Colston’s 8 games to 4. In the quarter-finals they eventually lost 2-8 to Merchant Taylors’ 1. The second VI played well this season winning two out of their three matches. The under-15 VI had an outstanding season, winning ten of their eleven matches, with the match against RGS Newcastle being a three-set-all draw. They also progressed to the knock-out stages of the AEGON competition in September.

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The under-14 VI, in their first season of full-time tennis, won four out of seven fixtures. The Alcuin Cup again attracted a big entry this year of 32 students. There were some great matches along the way, particularly in the semi-finals where Robbie Greenall defeated last year’s winner Sam Tsui in straight sets. However, the final was contested between two former winners in Robbie Greenall and his doubles partner Steven Jones. The match itself was a high-class affair with powerful hitting from the back of the court from Robbie and some wonderful changes of spin and variation of tactics from Steven. However, the greater power and control on both forehand and backhand of Robbie Greenall told in the end in a score of 6-2, 6-3.

Colours and Caps Caps were awarded for the first time ever in boys’ tennis to the captain, Freddie Heijbroek, and to Steven Jones and Robbie Greenall. Colours were re-awarded to Sam Tsui, Barney Baker and Marcus Taylor. Mr Bob Shread Frederik Heijbroek (Captain of Tennis)

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Cricket St Peter’s 1st XI Cricket ‘Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, some don’t turn up at all.’ Sam Ewing The first XI enjoyed a season full of triumphs as a team, and excellent achievements as individuals in cricketing accomplishments and in life lessons. The season began on a blustery weekend in April with two preseason fixtures at home to an exceptionally strong Sedbergh side. However, there are never any winners or losers in pre-season and the boys took away some valuable lessons and many positives. Defeat to Worksop in the opening game of the summer was disappointing. A simple, but profound message to the players: stop doubting yourselves, work hard and make it happen. Strong, dominant wins against the Yorkshire Gents, Ampleforth and Durham, and two 80-run victories in the first round of the National T20 against Ashville and Bradford, sparked the belief and confidence required for success. Friday 26 May will live long in the memory for everyone who was there: after comfortably beating RGS Newcastle in the north-east semi-final we came up against Worksop for a place in the North of England Final. Worksop were left needing six to win from the final over. After singles from the first two balls, Cameron Burdass held his nerve to take the final wicket, caught by Alex Liley with the third ball of the over. Ecstasy and elation – a thrilling and memorable game, all down to the hard work and confidence of the boys. We scored further wins against Pocklington, Bradford, RGS Newcastle, and Hymers. The only blips in the second half of the

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National T20 at the hands of the mighty Sedbergh, who went on to win the competition at a canter. The last week of term saw the start of the new first XI festival with Repton, Epsom College and Warwick. The annual OP classic clash was one of the most equally contested games in recent times, with the school winning by one wicket to round off a wonderful summer for the team. First XI 2017 (+ cap *colours #half colours): Ted Patmore *+ (Captain), Cameron Burdass *+, Sam Elliot *+, Chris Wood *+, Alex Martin*, Alex Liley*, Harry Contreras*, Jack Amsden #, James Black #, Matty Roberts, Jack Williams, Charlie Rae, Ben Raubitschek, Oliver Tomalin, Joseph Bates, Amman Mulla, Ben Lodge The second XI season started off with a thrilling encounter against Worksop and our closest loss of the season. Against Ampleforth at home, we finished the day with a magnificent 67- run win, the first of the season. In our next match, Durham were waiting to put us to the sword! With a 43-run loss, it was a very quiet and sombre drive back to York. Hymers at home returned the second XI to their usual fine form. Five replacements from the under-15A side lived up to the standards set by the more senior players, and one of our super subs, Isaac Giannini, hit a superb 40 runs to see us clear and seal our second hard-fought victory.

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Our final match of the season was against Bradford, away. With a depleted side of players from third form to lower sixth, things did not go to plan. It was a disappointing finish to an enjoyable season, but the boys and Coach Battersby left with their heads held high. The under-15 lads started their season right back in January with pre-season nets. It was good to see a little more grass on most of the pitches that we played on so the seamers could get some life out of the pitches. The B-team played the majority of their matches against very strong sides. They achieved a good level of individual and team success during the season. Because of the high quality of the opposition at times, some hard lessons were learned, most notably when batting, to really concentrate and defend good balls. In the T20 competition we had a main squad of thirteen that rotated as the competition progressed. We played some very good cricket and learned a great deal about playing under pressure in these competitive games. We entered the North Yorkshire final with considerable confidence and lost it off the last ball, with ourselves and some great batting from Lady Lumley`s middle order to blame. The development side started well with a fine pre-season coached game against a selection of Ampleforth first-team and under-15 cricketers. It showed that we had real strength in depth with Harvey Gration, Flynn Southgate and Charlie Bramley all coming into the mix well with the rest of the under-15s.

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The Norwich festival was a great end to the school season in which we beat Trent on the first day, lost by one wicket to Cheltenham College on the second and lost to Norwich in a T20 match on the last day. The other coaches and umpires highlighted our competitiveness and sportsmanship throughout. Chris Wood represented the North of England at under-15 level at the Bunbury Festival at Stowe School. The under-14A side had an excellent season, winning six matches, with one loss to North Yorkshire Select. In our first match, Worksop were bowled out for 22: a convincing start to the season, reiterated when Ampleforth were bowled out for 46. Sterner opposition came from North Yorkshire under-14s, who amassed 191-7 in 40 overs. We struggled in reply to 112 all out. It was, however, a good experience for the team showing them what to aspire to. Durham were bowled out for 100, Hymers for 66, and Pocklington for 70. In the final match of the season against Bradford, once again our bowling was too strong for the opposition, who were all out for 57. The team is to be commended for their understanding of how difficult it is to ensure everyone is involved, especially when we are consistently stronger than the opposition. The under-14B cricket team had a good season with around 25 in the squad and the team rotated most weeks. They played five matches, winning three and losing two, with notable victories against Worksop and Ampleforth. Thanks to the ground staff, George and Andy, for their tireless and determined preparation of the facilities; to David Foster, for his continued energy and enthusiasm with all the St Peter’s cricketers; and to all the boys for their continued commitment, good humour and effort throughout the season. A special thanks and the best of luck to Ted, Cam, Sam and Alex for their combined services to St Peter’s cricket.

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Netball The level of netball being demonstrated across the whole senior programme has been exceptional. It has been pleasing to see the high levels of participation this year and the overall success that has been achieved across the board. This season has seen the senior teams take a clean sweep against challenging opposition including Queen Margaret’s, Ampleforth, Sedbergh, Yarm, Pocklington, RGS Newcastle, Giggleswick, Ashville and Barnard Castle. The 85% success rate is an extremely impressive figure considering the stronger opposition added to the programme this season – a real testament to the breadth and depth of talent across the school and the commitment shown by all. In the National School tournaments the under-19, under-I6 and under-14 teams were all unbeaten in their area rounds, and went on to represent York and Selby in the county tournaments: a great achievement with all tournaments being played out of season. The under-19 and under-14 teams both reached the regional rounds of the nationals convincingly, for the second year in a row. Both age-groups contested throughout the competition, displaying advanced techniques and principles of play to a consistently high standard with accuracy, control and fluency. Well done to all involved!

First Team The first VII worked collaboratively with enthusiasm, dedication and commitment to achieve one of the best netballing seasons to date. There was a sense of solidarity, to act decisively in committing to the game-plan with real intent, and executing this across all games with the utmost confidence. The players demonstrated that they are building a platform for success and performance, showing a mature approach to evaluating their game-play and making adjustments to this in response to challenge; this has been key to their success this year. They accomplished some remarkable results against high-class opposition, including beating Sedbergh 39-31 in an end-to-end game of intense netball. The willpower of the girls and the early

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preparation from through-court, and centre pass attack enabled them to capitalise on the opposition’s error rate and successfully transition to goal, to finish the game with a comfortable victory. Yarm was another challenging game of netball. The versatility of the girls helped them secure a 32-27 win. In attack the team played with a high tempo to move their opposition around the court and to produce some very impressive shooting stats to take the lead early in the game. Yarm fought back in the latter stages of the game, but the lead from the first VII was too much for Yarm and it ended with a proud victory.

The defensive unit this season have used their experience and composure in team defence to utilize on set principles of play; this has exploited some successful sides including Ashville, where a 29-23 win was achieved. Overall a brilliant season of netball. A special mention should go to Phoebe Phillips – a true leader on and off the court. Her drive to succeed and determination to commit wholeheartedly to tactics rubbed off on her teammates and played a major role in their success. First team: Phoebe Phillips (Captain), Madeleine Bletcher, Rebecca Green, Jessica Webster, Katherine Robinson, Sophie Wilson, Harriet Kirkwood, Amy Webster, Jenny Elliott. Miss Stephanie Wilson

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Second Team Without having played or trained together beforehand the second team faced Newcastle High away for the first match of the season. The result was, to say the least, disappointing with a 10-50 loss! If we ignore that result, the second team had a fantastic season and won all their remaining matches. Our squad consisted of three different year-groups and although we didn’t know each other initially we quickly gelled as a team. High-scoring wins against RGS, Pocklington, Barnard Castle, Yarm and Giggleswick demonstrated the experience and high standard of all the players with 203 goals for and 43 against. Ellie Brierley, Laura Aspinall, Emily Booth and Grace Freshwater defended brilliantly in these matches. Matches against GSAL, Woodhouse Grove, Ashville, Ampleforth and Hymers proved slightly more challenging with 141 for and 74 against. Again defence played well enabling Annabelle Blackburn, Emilia Proctor and Amelia Bell to feed the ball through court and into the shooters Liv Calvert and Frankie Chapman. Rain stopped play against Hull Collegiate as the home courts became too dangerous to play on, although we were leading 7-3 when the match was abandoned. Queen Margaret’s away was one of the toughest matches we played but we still managed to win 23-18. The most difficult match was towards the end of the season against Sedbergh at home. We knew this would be the most challenging as they have a strong team and had beaten us in the past. Despite this we were confident as we had played well up to this point with everyone working as a team. The match was very tight, but the determination of the whole St Peter’s squad proved successful and although the results could have gone either way the final score was 29-25 to St Peter’s. The last event of the season was a tournament at Queen Margret’s. The team was depleted through injury but the squad showed enough versatility to cover the missing players, with the inclusion of

Maddie Wylie and Lucy Moss. We fought hard in all areas of the court and were unbeaten, going on to win the whole tournament. In total thirteen matches and one tournament were played and won. Although we had a successful season it is not just down to the squad as we have also had fantastic coaching from Miss Wilson and Mrs Sellars and would not have had such a great season without them. Thank you! Frankie Chapman, V

Third and Fourth Teams Impressive strength and depth in the senior squads meant that both the third and fourth teams were able to field strong players which led to an impressive match record. Continuity of team composition and dedication to training saw a good improvement in individual skills and match play during the season. Mrs Cath Hempsall

Under-15s This group of talented girls approached their netball with as much energy and enthusiasm as they have all their sporting commitments. An absolute joy to coach, with a strong work ethic and a large measure of enjoyment, this was a successful term in relation to individual improvement and team cohesion.

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The A-team was particularly strong, with attacking fast play at every opportunity. Within the school circuit they lost just one of their nine fixtures and in the area competition were crowned winners without the loss of a game. The B-team achieved this as well within their area tournament, again remaining unbeaten across the afternoon. Within their fixture programme they lost just one fixture out of ten, to complete a tremendous season also. We also played a string of C-team matches which served to illustrate the tremendous strength in depth across this group of performers. Well played all! Carly Jackson, IV

Under-14s Pleasingly many third-form girls opted to play netball this year which enabled us to field three very competitive teams. The under14As, who enjoyed a very successful run in the national schools competition, trained on a number of occasions with the senior girls: they needed to be pushed and to learn very quickly how to play a highly contested and physical game, but pleasingly they rose to the challenge. Unfortunately their run in the national schools competition ended at the county round. The fact that 90% of the team were ill may have been a contributing factor! In the regular school fixtures there were many outstanding matches: the under-14A team began to settle down and play a more structured, less frantic, game. Their skill level was extremely high from the outset and as play patterns emerged they began to trust each other. There were many impressive games – particularly worthy of mention were their wins against Woodhouse Grove and Sedbergh. In these matches they remained focused and resolute throughout. The under-14B and C teams had a number of challenging contests: they were sometimes matched against other school ‘A’ teams. This experience was invaluable to them and will most definitely help them develop as they progress through the school.

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Football

The St Peter’s first XI of 2017 have completed a historic season after going unbeaten across all matches with a phenomenal 100% record of playing, and winning, all nine matches. With the squad having maintained a strong core of upper-sixth players from last season, expectations were high as we began the season attempting to defend our trophy in the now-traditional St Peter’s Sixes - a six-a-side tournament hosted at Playfootball York. A strong squad swept all before them defeating Barnard Castle (40), Bootham (7-1), Woodhouse Grove (5-2), Hull Collegiate (6-1) and Ampleforth (6-1) to top their group and become champions for the second year in a row. This perfect warm-up for the regular season and a convincing 5-0 win over the Old Peterites meant we were fully set for the run of games ahead. We opened our account with a 1-0 win away to Woodhouse Grove with Cameron Burdass getting the key goal

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and Ben Raubitschek making some outstanding saves to ensure our clean sheet. Two big wins followed as our pacy attacking play was too good for Ampleforth (5-0) and Ackworth (5-0) as we turned the Colts pitch into a fortress. RGS Newcastle were the next to visit and with the score 1-1 at half-time in a tight game, it took two poacher’s goals from Tom Hawksworth to take the game away from RGS as we finished 4-2 winners. An away trip to GSAL is always one of the biggest challenges of the season and despite missing several key players due to rugby 7s duty, the boys who came in played superbly and again it was two Tom Hawksworth goals that gave us a 2-1 win. A hard-fought 3-1 win away to Barnard Castle followed before we dispatched Bootham 4-1 to win the local ‘derby’ convincingly. Returning to Ampleforth for our final fixture, we saved some of our best football until last as we constantly played some excellent ‘pass and move’ football to win 4-1. This concluded an incredible season and full credit should go to all players who pulled on the 1st XI shirt and represented St Peter’s so well for this 100% record. However, after such a season we struggled to maintain the intensity going into the ‘Hull 8s’ in an end of season tournament where wins against Birkdale, Fulneck and Scarborough but losses to GSAL, Bootham and Hull Collegiate meant we finished

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in seventh place out of twelve teams. Before enjoying an afternoon of ‘footgolf’ to finish the season, we celebrated the term’s work on the football pitches with the end-of-season awards where the following trophies were awarded: Top Goalscorer - Tom Hawksworth Goal of the Season - Cameron Burdass First XI Goalkeeper - Ben Raubitschek Manager’s Award - Ted Patmore Most Improved Player - Matt Ubhi

Players’ Player - Peter Konstantynov Player of the Season - Ed Bottomley In the final assembly of term full colours were awarded to Ben Raubitschek, Charlie Rae, Ted Patmore, Edmund Meredith Clark, Adam Brown, Charlie Hudson, Felix Van der Borgh and Peter Konstantynov for their significant contribution to first XI football. In recognition of their outstanding performances in first XI football over the past two years, Ed Bottomley, Cameron Burdass and Tom Hawksworth were awarded their school cap whilst we look forward to the captaincy of Peter Konstantynov in 2018. Mr Ben White

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Athletics This year’s planned athletics programme sadly fell victim to wet weather, and a couple of meets which we were due to host were cancelled. The girls entered the Track and Field Cup, and also had a very successful meet at the independent schools’ competition at Barnard Castle School, competing against a number of schools from the North of England including Sedbergh, RGS Newcastle, Newcastle High, Pocklington and Carmel College. As well as a number of excellent individual performances, which saw Angel Norza place first in the 100 metres, Maddie Wylie second in the 100 metres and 300 metres, and Elicia Race first in the high jump, the girls put in some impressive overall team performances. The under-14 team scored 70 points, and the under-15s 63 points, earning them both second-place finishes. Elicia Race was also selected to represent York and District at high jump.

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Rounders Thankfully, the summer of 2017 started off in glorious sunshine which enabled us to undertake the first few fixtures of the term. All the girls trained hard and were keen to participate in the matches. Using only one person on base enabled us to set a tight field which meant that the passing between bowler, backstop and first base had to be accurate. All the girls in the under-14 and under-15 teams who opted to play rounders were given the opportunity to represent the school. It was very pleasing to see the under-14 team make great improvements during the season and I hope that they continue to progress at under-15 level. The under-15s had some particularly demanding matches: their effort was commendable but unfortunately, at times, small errors in fielding cost them runs. Yet again the senior team encountered a lack of continuity, especially in the latter half of the term because of study leave, school examinations and open day visits. However, as usual, we were able to fulfil all our fixtures because of the flexibility and helpfulness of the girls. On many occasions we proved too strong for the opposition: the trio of Sophie Wilson, Charlotte Hollinrake and Katherine Robinson stopping batters from progressing past first base time after time!

The following girls represented the senior first team: Harriet Kirkwood, Charlotte Hollinrake, Sophie Wilson, Madeleine Hunter, Victoria Brook, Lucy Lovisetto, Kitty Clapham, Amelia Fennell, Emilia Proctor, Lydia Palmer, Emily Booth, Katherine Robinson. Senior inter-house rounders: 1st

The Grove

2nd Clifton 3rd

Dronfield

4th School Junior inter-house rounders: 1st School 2nd

The Grove

3rd Clifton 4th Hope

Girls’ Squash What a fantastically successful season for the girls’ first squash team this year, finishing top of their division in the Ladies York and District league. With an unbeaten season in the league from Lucy Lawrence and Yulia Trubacheva, the girls team had strength at seeds four and five. Izzy Cotter and captain Julia Crowther both lost just once in the league and Livi Whitehouse, playing at the extremely challenging number-one position, had some excellent matches with probably some of the best squash being played at this level for many years. A committed group of girls helped the success of the team and this is especially an achievement as the matches are played in the evenings. Lots of team spirit, fun and determination culminated in a thoroughly fine year of squash. I would like to thanks all the girls involved in squash and wish them lots of luck in the future. Louise Moss

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Girls’ Swimming The swimming team had a fantastic season this year, winning seven out of eight matches and being part of a successful trip to Stonyhurst for the annual John Parry Relays. A small but strong team of under-14 girls came up from St Olave’s, all very competent and always willing to help out in the higher age-groups if they were required. This is often hard to do when they are all coping with the extra demands required of them during the transition over from the junior school. The under-15s were a very capable group of girls who, again, always gave their best and never left the team short if anyone was off due to illness or injury. It is the senior age group, though, who never fail to impress me with their ability to juggle the many aspects of school life alongside studies and sporting commitment. It is something that is hugely evident in the team and the girls have a great work-ethic in all these areas, always working together and getting the best out of each other. Alongside the girls mentioned below who represented the school, I must also mention the core group who continued to come down to training not only to increase their fitness and improve their wellbeing but also to help me on poolside and generally add to the tight-knit community that we have down at the swimming. So those thanks go to Gaby Richardson, Cassie Bythell, Holly Drake, Katy Colthup and Evie Cumberland. Girls representing the school: Under-14s: Olivia Bone, Jennie Durham, Phoebe Holmes, Jazz Nixon, Phoebe Stephenson Under-15s: Sophie Adeley, Sophie Bone, Katie Bonner, Molly Smith, Maddie Wylie Seniors: Katarina Bonner **, Sophie Green, Abi Harrison*, Lauren Moir, Nicole Moir**, Ellie Richardson, Gaby Richardson, Katherine Spencer**, Lydia Theos** *Full colours awarded **Full colours re-awarded The Fowler Cup, for the best performance in swimming in upper sixth, was awarded to Nicole Moir.

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Inter-House Swimming Hope once again won the inter-house swimming, for the fourth year running, although it has to be noted that the winning margin wasn’t quite as large this year so maybe the other houses are finally catching them up! As ever the event was fantastic and the girls entered into the house team spirit wholeheartedly. Five new records were set: one in the juniors for Jazz Nixon, and in the senior age group Maddy Bennison gained one record with Kat Bonner setting another three. This means Kat now holds seven school swimming records in total, which is an incredible feat in itself. 1st

Hope

124 pts

2nd

School

111 pts

3rd

The Grove

101 pts

4th

Clifton

90 pts

As ever, I would like to give huge thanks to the captain Nicole for the dedication and commitment she has always given to school swimming, and in this last year the particular help she has given to both me and the team. Finally, I would like to thank all the girls who have swum in the teams since I started coaching at the school nine years ago, and all those pupils in the five years before that when I helped out with Clifton School swimming. Some of the girls who are 2017 leavers are the same ones that I started helping to swim when they were in Year 1 – very many lengths have been swum since then! It has been a pleasure watching them all grow up and I have very many wonderful memories. Throughout the whole of this time the girls’ swimming teams have always been a credit to the school and I shall miss them greatly. I wish every single one of them all the best for the future: they made my job an absolute joy. Mrs Karen Burdass

SPORT

St Peter’s School Boat Club

Ancholme Head

York Small Boats Head

The Boat Club had a successful first away trip of the year at the Ancholme Head in Brigg. Racing over two divisions there were wins for the fifth-form boys coxless quad whose time of 10mins 10 secs for the 2,700m course placed them second overall. Equally impressive were Jack Coulthard in the J18 single sculls and Katarina Bonner in the women’s novice sculls. Not only did they win their individual categories but both proved to be the fastest male and female single scullers of the day. The day was completed with wins for both the senior women’s double scull of Sophie-Rose Haslam and Maddie Day and the fourth-form boys’ double scull of Joe Johnson and Andrew Liang. Across the boat club many other good performances were registered – an encouraging start to the year.

The Boat Club had a small but dedicated core of rowers competing in the annual York Small Boats Head on Sunday 21 November. The fifth- and sixth-form boys combined to produce three competitively-matched boats, racing in a category dominated by university rowers. Despite not winning, their times showed they have moved on with more to come.

GB Trials November Boat Club captain, Jack Coulthard, represented St Peter’s at his first GB rowing trials in Boston, Lincolnshire. Up against 120 of the country’s top junior oarsmen, Jack raced hard, placing 44th, a strong performance in this new environment and less than 15 seconds away from placing in the 20s.

The sixth-form girls double of Sophie-Rose Haslam and Katarina Bonner. however, proved too much for their competition. A combination of their experience and dedication produced a winning margin in excess of 30 seconds that was well deserved. After a difficult year last year the fourth-form boys and girls took the opportunity to gain valuable ‘water time’. The quad of Joe Johnson, Guy Jenkins, Andrew Liang and Nick New coxed by James Connolly, the double of Freddie Dorling and Alexander Coates and the girls double of Lottie McKelvie and Valentina Cross experienced at first hand the competitive nature of head racing. Despite their inexperience they performed well in a strong field and returned to row again.

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Newark Head

Yorkshire Head

On 3 December 27 pupils returned to Newark Head after a ten-year break. All the crews gave a good account of themselves on the challenging twisty course, with six from twelve St Peter’s crews emerging victorious! Scullers Jack Coulthard and Kat Bonner were followed by winning crews in boys’ J16 coxless quad, boys’ J15 coxed quad, women’s intermediate 3 double and boys J16 double.

Saturday 11 March saw the Boat Club again competing on our home water in the Yorkshire Head. The weather was perfect for the event, seasonally warm, low wind with sunny spells.

South Yorkshire Head The Doncaster weather was typically mixed with occasional sleet and rain but the biggest challenge of the day was trying to stay warm with temperatures barely making it above two or three degrees. Jack Coulthard set an excellent example with wins in both his J18 single and open single. Jack was the fastest single sculler overall on the day which was great preparation for the forthcoming trials at Boston. The senior girls of Maddie Day, Alex Johnston, Katarina Bonner and Sophie Haslam also rose to the occasion and sculled with control to win the WJ18 quads by over a minute from their nearest rivals. Later in the day the WJ18 double of Maddie Day and Sophie Haslam and WJ16 double of Alex Johnston and Eve Gilbert also claimed victories. The J18 boys’ quad continued to show progress whilst the J16 quads had to battle against each other as their opposition failed to show up. Grayson Townend and Elliot Millman took the victory in the J16 doubles with a display of determined sculling. The development squads consisting of the J15s and J14s, some of whom raced for the first time, showed just how far they have come in a short space of time. Not only did they defeat the unrelenting cold but they also demonstrated great spirit both on and off the water.

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Sixteen crews represented the school and all continued to show great improvement with competition coming from as far as Hampton School. The boat club recorded two wins, an impressive feat against tough opposition, with numerous second and third placings in very large categories. Elliot Millman and Grayson Townend won J16 doubles and Sophie Haslam, Alex Johnston, Katarina Bonner and Maddie Day won the open women’s coxless quads.

Schools Head of the River Race As in last year’s Boat Race, the weather had a major effect on racing and as conditions deteriorated the organisers shortened the course to just under 2 km. Undeterred, the senior boys racing in the championship quads put in a solid performance against some of the top quads in the country. They maintained their focus despite being hit by waves breaking over their heads only two strokes into the race.

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deteriorate throughout the afternoon. Many crews struggled to make headway but the St Peter’s crew stuck to the task and finished in 17th position overall.

Junior Sculling Head The Boat Club’s first appearance at this event was blessed with bright skies and a tricky headwind. Five St Peter’s crews made up of girls and boys from the third and fourth forms competed in the coxed quads events racing two legs of 1800m on the famous Eton Dorney course. The fourth-form boys quad of Hanno Brach, Joe Johnson, Adam Dalton and Ethan McKinney, coxed by Paddy Renwick, rowed with purpose and overtook three other boats out on the lake to finish comfortably in the top third of their event. For many of our crews this was their first experience of Eton Dorney and in true St Peter’s spirit they made the most of it both on and off the water. On the water they may have been divided by age and gender but off the water there was no such division. Seldom has the Boat Club seen such an excellent display of cohesive teamwork throughout the day.

The J16 boys’ quads had similar experiences and were forced to dig deep and drive their boats hard to finish fifth and tenth overall. The results were a vindication of their hard work and commitment throughout the term as a whole. The senior girls’ quad also demonstrated tremendous grit, determination and skill in the hostile conditions that continued to

Ghent Rowing Camp and International Regatta Fourteen seniors made the trip across the North Sea to Belgium in order to train and compete in the Ghent International Regatta. For the second year in a row the weather was fabulous which allowed the St Peter’s crews to gain the most from their experience.

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Jack Coulthard raced in both the J18 and U23 single sculls and produced some of his fastest times of the year to date. His pace off the start pontoons was particularly impressive and gave him an advantage that many of his competitors could not close down. Nine of the J16 boys’ squad travelled to Ghent and raced in various combinations of doubles and quads in both J16 and J18 categories. There were strong performances across the board with one memorable race on the Sunday afternoon where two of the quads battled all the way down the course with the outcome only decided in the last ten strokes of the 2 km race. Not to be outdone the senior girls also raced various combinations of doubles and quads in the WJ16 and WJ18 categories . It did not

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matter which combination went out to race as the senior girls’ crews raced hard and showed tremendous determination against the international field.

Tees Regatta The Tees Regatta in May has proved to be a popular event with our junior rowers. For the third form this was their first experience at the regatta but they were not overawed. Both the girls and boys dealt well with everything that regatta racing throws at you and came away stronger for the experience. The fourth form however were back for the second time and were determined to make amends for last year. The boys’ quads raced well but met stern opposition as they had been drawn against student rowers from Lancaster University. The double sculls

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however were matched with their own year-group and took full advantage by taking first and third places in the final. Equally determined were the fourth-form girls who were similarly mismatched in their first event but dug deep and took a fantastic win in the women’s novice coxed quads by a length.

National Schools’ Regatta The National Schools’ Regatta returned to Eton Dorney and is one of the highlights of the rowing year. The third and fourth form were the first to take to the water on the Friday with the time-trials. The glorious blue skies could not disguise the strong head wind that was blowing over the 1,000m course. St Peter’s crews battled hard and performed to the best of their abilities but with such a high standard across the board qualification was tough. Despite not making it through to the final stages all the crews gained valuable experience that they will hopefully draw on in the future. Day two saw Jack Coulthard compete in the championship single sculls. His progress across the year was evident when he secured thirteenth position in the time-trial, earning him a place in the semi-finals. An unfavourable lane draw meant that despite his efforts he could not secure a place in the final. The third and final day brought greyer skies but more importantly the wind had dropped and the racing conditions were near perfect. Both the senior girls and senior boys made it through their timetrials. The senior girls’ quad of Maddie Day, Alex Johnston, Eve Gilbert

and Sophie Haslam were unfortunately at a disadvantage before the first stroke was taken as they were having to compete against girls in older years. Giving away such an advantage at a national level is hard but they stuck to their task and were rewarded with a welldeserved place in the ‘C’ final, finishing in fifth place. The senior boys in two coxless quads made the ‘B’ final in the ‘A’ category and the ‘A’ final in the ‘B’ category. The ‘A’ crew of Kieran

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Whyte, Grayson Townend, Elliot Millman and Sam Gowland finished sixth in their semi-final, whilst the ‘B’ crew of Tom Raper, Will Foster, James Smith and Harrison Smith finished fifth in their final. Hanno Brach teamed up with Jack Coulthard to race in the championship double sculls. Once again this crew saved the best for race day and secured a place in the semi-finals. Having only a limited period of time together this was a tremendous result which placed them in the top fourteen doubles in the country. Only nine seconds separated the crews in the semi-final with Hanno and Jack just being on the wrong side of the cut.

Henley Women’s Regatta A fabulous weekend of racing in June saw the senior girls’ quad of Maddie Day, Sophie Haslam, Alex Johnston and Eve Gilbert fight hard. Unfortunately they were unable to progress beyond the timetrial after coming up against top-class opposition.

York Summer Regatta The senior boys swept to victory at the York Summer Regatta registering wins in four events, two of which were in open competition against non-junior rowers.

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Peterborough Junior Championships Thirteen third- and fourth-form crews travelled to Peterborough, and four made it through to represent the school in their finals. The J14 quad gained a bronze medal which is an encouraging result from a crew in their first year of St Peter’s rowing. Hanno Brach and Joe Johnson raced in J15 ‘A’ doubles, winning a fantastic gold medal, followed soon after by Hanno racing again in his single, losing out on a second gold by the smallest of margins. Guy Jenkins and Adam Dalton raced in J15 ‘B’ doubles and were rewarded with a bronze medal. The Boat Club has enjoyed a successful season and is looking forward to 2017-18 with renewed enthusiasm. Mr Ian Doyle

Leavers’ Destinations 2016

LEAVERS’ DESTINATIONS

Tamsin Abbott

Northumbria University

Built and Natural Environment with Foundation Year

William Andrews

King’s College London

History and International Relations

Samuel Appleby

Newcastle University

Computer Science

Laura Aspinall

University of Edinburgh

Chemistry with a year abroad

George Avery

Gap year

Angus Barrick

Gap year

Joseph Bates

Swansea University

Computer Science

Amelia Bell

University of Nottingham

English

Annabelle Blackburn

Northumbria University

Applied Sciences Foundation Year

Fleur Booth

University of Manchester

Zoology with a Modern Language (4 years)

Edward Bottomley

Gap year

Eve Bracken

University of Edinburgh

Psychology

Eleanor Brierley

University of Nottingham

Medicine

Edward Brook

University of Liverpool

Business Economics

Victoria Brook

Gap year

Cameron Burdass

Nottingham Trent University

Sport Science and Management

Cassie Bythell

University of Leeds

English Literature

Eleanor Caley

Durham University

Psychology (Applied)

Olivia Calvert

University of Edinburgh

Business Management

Naomi Carey

University of Bath

Computer Science and Mathematics

Nathan Chapman

Nottingham Trent University

Business Management and Entrepreneurship

Niall Collinson

Employment

Alice Connelly-Bosson

Norland College

Early Years Development and Learning

Charles Corner

University of Leeds

Civil and Structural Engineering

Isabella Cotter

Gap year

Jack Coulthard University of Nottingham

Product Design and Manufacture including an Industrial Year

Julia Crowther

Newcastle University

Classical Studies

George Davis

Gap year

Ella Day

York St John University

Physiotherapy

Ravin Dhesi

University of Liverpool

Business Economics with a Year in Industry

Alistair Dodds

University of Manchester

Biosciences with a Foundation Year

Thomas Dowdy

Gap year

Chenyang Duan

University College London

Engineering (Biomedical)

Charles Dunn

University of Reading

Philosophy, Politics and Economics

Luke Dunsmore

University of Cambridge

Computer Science

Samuel Elliot

Gap year

Jennifer Elliott

Northumbria University

Psychology Foundation Year

Emily Elsey

University of Birmingham

History

Helen Ford

Gap year

William Fordy

Durham University

Earth Sciences

Adam Freshwater

Loughborough University

Product Design and Technology

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LEAVERS’ DESTINATIONS

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William Fryer

University of Reading

Rose Gabbertas

Gap year

Sophie Gill

University of Edinburgh

Economics

Alice Gilman

University of Leeds

Psychology

Louise Gould

Gap year

Eleanor Graham

University of Glasgow

Veterinary Biosciences

James Guyer

Herriot-Watt University

International Business Management with Year Abroad

Christopher Hall

Northumbria University

Law

James Hanly

University of Bristol

Medicine

Abigail Harrison

Gap year

Elizabeth Hartley

Newcastle University

Economics

Thomas Hawksworth

Newcastle University

Economics

Patrick Hayes

University of Aberdeen

Business Management

Frederik Heijbroek

Utrecht University

Economics

Yuk Ho Ian Ho

University of Nottingham

Industrial Economics

George Ingall

Gap year

Alexander Ingham

Durham University

General Engineering

Alice Jackson

University of Edinburgh

Spanish and History

Sebastian Jackson

University of Sheffield

Economics and Mathematics

Rohan Jain

Newcastle University

Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Tilly-Mae James

Gap year

Jonathan Jaworski

Nottingham Trent University

Furniture and Product Design

Hongyuan Jiang

University College London

Physics

Tobias Johnston

University of Exeter

Geography

Steven Jones

Gap year

Emily Kelly

Durham University

English Literature

Cressida Killick

Teesside University

Law

Daniel Kondratiev

Durham University

Natural Sciences

Lucy Leedham

Newcastle University

Psychology

Cheuk Li

University of Essex

Mathematics and Statistics

Samuel Lightwing

University of East Anglia

Medicine

Grayson Maguire

Gap year

Benjamin Maher

University College London

Management Science

Tansi Marshall

University of Stirling

Psychology

Alexander Martin

Gap year

Elizabeth Martin

University of Manchester

Politics and Modern History

Yana Martirosova

University of Edinburgh

Architecture

Edmund Meredith Clark

Gap year

Nicole Moir

University of Liverpool

Tsz Mok

Gap year

Mia Morris

Newcastle University

Marketing

Polly Moss

University of Nottingham

English

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Business Economics

Marketing with a Year in Industry

LEAVERS’ DESTINATIONS

Anna Muirhead

University of Reading

Art and Psychology

Emma Nelson

Norland College

Early Years Development and Learning

William Newitt

University of Nottingham

Geography with Business

Edith Norvor

University of Essex

Business Management with a Modern Language

George O’Neill

University of Warwick

History

William Owen

University of Glasgow

Psychology

Edward Patmore

Nottingham Trent University

Business Management and Marketing

Jia Yue Peng

University of Melbourne

Bachelor of Science

Phoebe Phillips

Gap year

Tom Pycock

Keele University

Charles Rae

Gap year

Matthew Ramalingam

Newcastle University

Helena Reeds

Gap year

Eleanor Richardson

Gap year

Gabrielle Richardson

Durham University

Modern Languages and Cultures (with Year Abroad)

Matthew Roberts

University of Reading

Mathematics and Economics with a Placement Year

Oluwatoni Salami

Durham University

Business and Management with Business Placement

Yuquan Shao

University of Aberdeen

Engineering (Mechanical)

Iva Sharp

Gap year

Joseph Simpson

Northumbria University

Built and Natural Environment with Foundation Year

Katherine Spencer

University of Nottingham

Mathematics (4 years)

Samuel Stanford

University of St Andrews

Computer Science

Rose Stephens

Durham University

Music

Archie Stephenson

Gap year

Olivia Surtees

Royal Holloway University, London

Human Geography

Rowan Tait

University of Glasgow

Human Biology

Kin Fung Tam

University of Cambridge

Natural Sciences

Pok Tam

University of Manchester

Electrical and Electronic Engineering with Industrial Experience

James Taylor

University of Sheffield

Medicine

Ethan Thubron

University of Roehampton

Sociology Extended Degree

Lok Him Tsui

University of Hong Kong

Medicine

Karmelia Tuhirman

University of Bristol

Medicine

Felix Van der Borgh

University of Liverpool

History

Thomas Veysey

Gap year

Gideon Wakelin

Southampton University

Chemistry

Haodong Wang

University of Manchester

Mathematics with Financial Mathematics

Jessica Webster

University of Oxford

Economics and Management

Olivia Whitehouse

Leeds Beckett University

Events Management

Oliver Williams

Richmond University

Political Science

Aimee Wilson

University of Cambridge

Medicine

Esme Wright

University of York

English/Philosophy

International Relations and Politics

Economics and Business Management

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St Peter’s School • York • YO30 6AB Tel: 01904 527300 • Fax: 01904 527302 Email: enquiries@stpetersyork.org.uk www.stpetersyork.org.uk Registered Charity Number 1141329

The Peterite 2016-2017

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