House Reports

the first two of these but, because of his endeavours, the third succumbed as well ... just a little. Will’s involvement with the school has been comprehensive in its scope, as he brought to his work tremendous energy and kindness, and enviable eventemperedness under pressure.

He arrived straight from university and, having spent some time establishing our Cross Keys society in the then-headmaster’s living room, moved into teaching Geography. Although teaching did not come easily in those early months, he became a natural and accomplished teacher – someone that we had the pleasure to rely on. Will’s eagerness to learn characterised his time with us and he was keen to take all available opportunities for professional development, working through the Buckingham iPGCE and growing ever more confident in the world of education.

Throughout his time he acted as the Geography department’s resident IT consultant and general guide to the 21st century. He has been a stalwart of fieldwork near and far, and his taste for whisky is, I’m sure, nothing to do with the now annual lower-sixth visit to the Arran Distillery.

Will soon added responsibility for the newly-formed Horizons department to his portfolio, and further developed his reputation as a Swiss Army Knife by being recruited to help out with RS too, whilst being an outstanding tutor, bringing his trademark warmth and showing a genuine interest in six generations of Queen’s pupils – most recently as their Assistant Housemaster.

And all this has been alongside his coaching of rugby, of hockey, and of tennis, his singing in the Choral Society and in silly staff songs and being our very own Michael Fish (if you can remember the drought in 1976) or Darren Bett (if you can’t). Who can forget his emailed meteorological disclaimer: ‘I get blamed a lot for certain types of weather,’ he complained; ‘I’m not in charge of the weather – I simply have a machine that can measure it.’ With all this going on, it is no surprise that Mr Bembridge recollects that, when here for his interview for his job, Will was the guy running around doing everything. ‘It would have been no surprise at all’ he remarks, ‘to see him come whizzing by, at some point, on a lawn mower.’

Wherever life takes him, I hope York will always be a very special place for Will. It is here that he has set up his first home with Mary and where, 18 months ago, little Joel was born. Earlier this year, the burgeoning family Allan made the big and bold decision to leave not only St Peter’s, but school-teaching aswell, to strike out for a career in church ministry. Given the passion and support he has shown for our Chapel throughout his time with us (which once saw him serving himself dog food during a sermon) this comes as little surprise, and perhaps at some point he will return to a lucky school somewhere in the guise of a Chaplain.

Will has been a much-treasured colleague, guide, gentleman and friend to so many of us, and we wish him the very best.

Mr Martin Lawrence

Mr Simon Mortimer

Three and a half years, Simon’s time in the Art School at St Peter’s, have gone very quickly and when this happens it is always a sign that things have gone well. Just so!

Getting to know Simon was an easy and enjoyable process. How could anyone not enjoy the company, both at work and outside work, of someone whose existence revolves around making the most of opportunities and living life to the full? Being without airs and graces, Simon hated pomposity and showed complete humanity. He made friends with everyone he met and was wellliked by all.

Simon’s contribution to the department and the school was more than substantial. He quickly established a great working relationship with his pupils and in a short space of time they came to trust and respect his guidance and constant encouragement. He more than played his part in our excellent examination results at GCSE and A-Level over the past three years. How we teach Art is different from how most other subjects are taught and much of what our pupils achieve is down to long hours spent in the department with their teachers. Simon was certainly not work-shy.

Simon’s ability and interest in sport was put to good use by the Games department and in his time her he coached football and running. He also took it upon himself to organise the staff five-a-side football and staff squash. When not playing football or running in marathons and taking part in triathlons, Simon played tennis or swam or exercised at Mrs Tooby-Smith’s ’bums and tums’ classes.

He also helped with DofE expeditions and two Morocco treks and was a tutor in School house. Simon is simply one of the best blokes that I have met, both as a colleague and a friend. He will be remembered with much affection by all who came into contact with him and on behalf of the school I wish him and his partner Thuelmna the very best of good fortune in their new life in Manila.

Dr Jemma Senczyszyn

Jemma was with the Chemistry department for two years, although it felt longer. I mean this as a huge compliment. She immediately got fully involved in the department with her humour and engaging personality. Although she was new to the game of teaching she brought plenty of ideas to the classroom, and the pupils enjoyed her style of teaching and her vast knowledge of the subject. Jemma also found herself fully involved in the wider school life, as an excellent, caring tutor, a water polo coach and as leader of the odd Zumba class. Jemma will be missed by pupils and staff alike; we wish her all the very best in her teaching career and her life journey.

Mr Graham Smith

Miss Alice Lambert

Although Alice only joined us two years ago, her enormous contribution to the life of the school has been such that it seems as if she has been with us for a much longer period of time. She came to us as an NQT after having achieved a fi rst-class degree in English and French from the University of Southampton. However, what attracted us to Alice was not only this academic excellence but, more importantly, the breadth of experiences for one so young, having previously worked as a lifeguard, an electrical sales assistant, a Keycamp courier, an animatrice in south-eastern France and an admin assistant in the Commonwealth Offi ce. Then, when she impressed us during the interview, showing wisdom beyond her years, her fate was sealed.

Alice’s adventures at St Peter’s have been similar in some ways to Lewis Carroll’s slightly more famous Alice in her very own version of Wonderland. In the same way as the fi ctional Alice learned about the importance of time from the White Rabbit, our Alice found that any notion of time that she may have had before joining St Peter’s vanished in a puff of smoke and she had to learn quickly that her new job would require the skill of doing a lot of things within a pressured amount of time. Thanks to her incredibly impressive organisational skills and her uncomplaining nature she was able to adapt to all situations and, unlike Carroll’s Alice, she was able to get herself through the diffi cult fi rst months of this new world without swimming in her own tears. In fact, the proof of her success at the end of this fi rst year was a French iGCSE group that scored 22 A*s and one A.

Moreover, our Alice, in a similar way to the heroine in Carroll’s tale, was able to transform herself into many different roles within in the school in a very short time-span. A few of these are: DofE, rowing, the Choral Society, duties in a boarding-house, assistant in a day-house, cultural visits and a week-long trip to Spain during the Easter holiday where she found the time to fi t in some Spanish lessons as well as getting in some early-morning practice runs for the Beverley 10k.

During Alice’s much-needed breaks from school, her sense of adventure continued. As well as using this precious time to be with family and friends she also embarked on more exciting ventures: skiing in France, spending the entire summer cycling to Paris and back, trips to Portugal and, of course, Scotland where she no doubt rubbed shoulders with a few mad hatters on a night out in Glasgow. These trips would have been used to recharge batteries but I’m sure that in the back of her mind – like all good language teachers – there would have always been the thought that she could practise and hone her language skills.

Alice now departs on another adventure to France where she has accepted the placement of a lectrice d’anglais in the University of Nantes. Alice might look back one sunny day and remember her time in the wonderland of St Peter’s as a pleasant dream or a bit of a nightmare. Ultimately, we all hope that she has learned much from working in such a pressured and challenging environment and it will serve her well for her position in France. We would like to see Alice returning to this profession in the future as she has much to offer as a colleague and a friend, and we promise that anytime, should she come back to visit, one of us could take on the role of the Queen of Hearts and provide a few ‘eat me’ jam tarts for a little celebration.

Mr Mike Duffy

House Reports

CLIFTON

Clifton has enjoyed something of a ‘Golden Age’ this year at the top end of the house, with the honours of both Head Girl (Sally Hicks) and Head Boy (Ben Turvill) being bestowed upon pupils within the house; added to this were three appointments as monitors (Fenella Hayes, Oliver Leedham, Toby Latham), showcasing the strength of student leadership and character within the house.

However, a house is so much more than its ‘headliners’. Of course, our collective aim is to be the best that we can be both as individuals and in our various guises as teams but there is arguably more satisfaction to be gained from endeavour and improvement than from victory. It is the spirit of a team from which I take delight, rather than the performance of it.

Yes, we have been victorious in some of the events that we have taken part in – the junior girls’ rounders and netball, and the junior boys’ cross-country – and have also achieved runnersup status in several other, high-profi le events (unlucky, but well played, boys!). But, what if we hadn’t? Would we have enjoyed the experience any less? Would be any less of a ‘house’? It’s nice to have trophies in the house photos to go on the wall, but we remember the sparks of friendship much longer than the triumph of victory.

By way of example: Joe Copley has been a member of every Clifton house Great Egg Race team from his third form until his fi nal, uppersixth, year. Will he remember the positions of each of the teams that he was a member of, or will he remember how much enjoyment he has gained from participating? I suspect that there will always be a longing for a championship medal by way of reward, but I am confi dent that he will refl ect, in years to come, on how his teamwork grew over each of the years and feel that his participation has, in some way, enabled that growth. That growth is the real reward: no trophy can replace it.

The cross-country is a dreaded event because there is nowhere to hide. There is no excuse for personal underperformance and it lays bare effort and commitment. It is a great test of spirit and results actually speak volumes of the character of the individual rather than their athletic and aerobic ability. The ‘winners’ are not those who fi nish ahead of others, but those who give their all. Therefore, it is frequently the house with the strongest characters coupled with a few stand-out athletes that enjoy the event the most. It is testament to the recognition of personal challenge, however, that the fi nal fi nishers are frequently applauded with more warmth (and empathy!) than the victors because each one of us knows how hard it is to try to do something that we do not fi nd easy.

Our Chapel this year discussed inspiration and its origins and it was marvellous to see members of all the year-groups working together to deliver such a thoughtful address. One of the lessons that can be learnt from the preparation of a Chapel service is that there is inspiration to be gained around us by working with those that we might not ordinarily have the opportunity or inclination to work with.

Another such opportunity is the St Peter’s Challenge competition, which allows individuals the opportunity to test themselves in a high-pressured environment and frequently allows stars that had not been seen before to shine that little bit brighter.

But, just like the night sky, some bright stars can seem to outshine or eclipse others and there is a danger that by highlighting the successes of some of the events that we take part in together, we forget some of the personal triumphs and overlook the richness of the collective achievements and so lose the real sense of who we are as a house. It is our job as members of a community to recognise the challenges of those around us and to lend a hand when we are needed.

One of the events that allows us to truly work together to see what our capabilities are as a collective is the house singing competition. This year’s rendition of In the Jungle was delivered with the enthusiasm that the competition hopes for, if not quite the musicality. We did have an enormous amount of fun in the rehearsals and I must thank the sixth-form team for helping to organise and deliver such a great performance.

My continuing thanks go to the students and parents of Clifton; to the Clifton tutors, Mr Fuller (upper sixth), Mr Spencer (lower sixth), Mr Wallace (fifth) and Mrs Lundardi (fourth), who have supported the students so admirably, and finally to my invaluable Assistant Housemistress Miss Lambert (third form), who (unfortunately for us) will be moving to France at the end of the year to further her love for language, travel and teaching. Hopefully, some of the Clifton spirit will remain with her on her travels.

Yellow and proud!

Mr Rob Snelling

DRONFIELD

It’s been a good year in Dronfi eld. House competitions have offered great opportunities for the girls to work together as a team. However, more importantly, the friendships and day-to-day goings-on in the house have provided the foundations for the various successes. Sixteen new additions to the house across three year-groups all settled in well and soon immersed themselves into boarding life, and contributed towards making Dronfi eld a vibrant and happy house. We also welcomed our new house tutors Mr Miller and Mrs Chapman, and our resident assistant Mrs Brough. Kath was also a very welcome addition to our domestic staff.

Our debating teams both had a successful run in the house competition, with our senior team of Lily, Alice and Abi reaching the fi nals. They defi ned their motions and explained their arguments with a strong voice and good presentation skills. What must not be forgotten is the time spent preparing for the debates, working together,

researching and structuring their cases. Our junior team of Katy, Holly and Alice were a great team, and show great promise for the years ahead. Lily is congratulated on her Debating Prize, received at Commemoration. Annabel’s idea to run a fi rst aid course for boarders became a reality when a good number of the Dronfi eld girls attended two St John Ambulance fi rst aid sessions. The response to Annabel’s idea received great support from her peers, and it was a pleasure to see so many participate positively in the training. The lessons were delivered as part of a fi rst aid course by Vicky Rountree from St John Ambulance North East region. The fi rst aid training taught pupils to use Primary Survey to assess injuries, and included modules on communication, casualty care, and choking. Annabel said: ‘completing the fi rst

aid course really helped me understand the importance of the small things we can do to help someone in need. The training was a lot of fun, and now I feel more confident to help with a first aid situation.’

Our runners won the senior house cross-country cup early in the year, with top-twenty placings for Pippa, Georgia, and Abi, and notable performances from Holly, Issy, Eleanor, Liv and Min. Particular congratulations go to Nicole for her first place, winning by over a minute.

The girls were placed second in the inter-house Swimming, with two school records set by Nicole. Our senior hockey team made it to the semi-finals, and the house collectively did themselves proud in the inter-house singing competition. It must be noted that Min was instrumental in the house winning the coveted house mince pie competition, with Mrs W winning the staff competition.

The steady trickle of merits for good academic work over the year was recognised with a creditable third place in the Merit Cup at the end of the year. Well done to all.

There have been some other notable individual successes this year.

Pippa was honoured at the annual Physicist of the Year Award ceremony, organised by the Ogden Trust and the University of York. Pippa’s award recognised the most promising A-Level Physics pupils in the region from the schools they partner. School colours were awarded at the end of the summer term to Georgia and Nicole. Eleanor was awarded her colours for rowing, and Sarah was awarded half colours for rounders. Mention must also be made of Sarah’s captaincy of the second netball team this year, and Georgia for her significant contribution to school firstteam sport. The Lister Trophy for contribution to Dronfield house sport was awarded to Georgia this year.

Jemima’s end of year Cabaret performance of the Whitney Houston classic Saving all my love for you was a musical highlight, and anyone who was privileged to hear her sing will have been struck by the quality of her performance.

Vivian’s art work was rewarded with a prize at Commemoration, and staying with the arts, particular mention must be made of Edith’s GCSE devised drama performance, and those who took part in the middle-school plays – Ella, Shania, Holly and Lauren.

Praise must go to Holly and Jemima, who have carried out their role as Heads of House with calm and composure, and to Georgia

in her role as a school monitor. We thank them for their hard work over the year.

We congratulate Issy on her appointment as Head of School for next academic year, and Pippa in her role as Deputy Head of School. We look forward to next year with Pippa and Zoe taking the helm as Heads of House.

The sing-off on opposite sides of St Peter’s Grove at the end-ofyear house barbeque brought the girls together as a team one last time. Apart from some slightly iffy dance moves from the housemaster, there was a lovely spirit and togetherness.

We send our love and good wishes to Miss Lambert as she heads off to pastures new in France, and thank her for giving her time and support to the girls in the house.

Thank-you to Holly, Jemima, Lily, Georgia, Farrell, Vivian, Sarah, Carol and Phoebe who have contributed so positively to the house, and for most over such a short amount of time through the two sixth-form years. Memories of you in your orange convict suits on Red Nose Day will stay with us, and remind us of what a good team you were, even if you were handcuffed and roped together. May the light of friendship guide your paths together, as you move on from D-block.

Mr Jon Whitehouse

HOPE

With Hope House Chapel only two weeks into the Christmas term, the upper sixth chose their theme and laid down the gauntlet to the house (and the wider school community): this was to be a year of self-improvement!

Many responded to the challenge, galvanising themselves into action for cross-country. In the boys’ races, Charlie Higginbottom and Edmund managed to secure places in the top 25, performances matched by Megan and Annie in the junior girls’ race. Also in the junior girls’ race, Katarina’s excellent run secured her fi rst place, whilst the senior girls’ event saw Livi, Phoebe, Katherine and Rosalind all placed in the top 25, securing fourth place overall for the house.

As the year progressed, fourth place became something of an emerging theme: in group B, we were placed fourth in the girls’ inter-house hockey, following a valiant effort in our opening matches (Izzy, Marianne, Hannah, Jess Scott, Ilana, Beth, Rowan, Phoebe Phillips, Annie, Phoebe Hall, Katarina, Eve and Georgina); an enthusiastic and hugely supportive senior girls’ team secured fourth place overall in the inter-house netball (Izzy, Marianne, Phoebe Phillips, Beth, Eve, Rosalind, Jess Hart, Rowan, Lucy and Laura); despite some skilled play in the inter-house squash, we lost 3-1 to Clifton in the play-off for third and fourth places. Of course, the exception was the inter-house swimming where, once again, we dominated the competition. Katherine Spencer almost broke a school record, Sarah Avery too swam extremely well, as did Katarina and Lucy, who won Mrs Burdass’ ‘Swim of the Day’.

Other inter-house sports teams – although not quite as successful in their placings – nonetheless played with typical sportsmanship and showed outstanding support for each other and the house in general: spirited games were played in the boys’ football (James Bottomley, Lewis, Sowerby, Jake and Callum), and all the sixthform girls had a lot of fun in the senior rounders competition where, although we established a good target for other teams to match, our fi elding skills could not contain our various opponents. It was left to the junior girls’ rounders team (Felicity, Phoebe, Annie, Megan, Katarina, Georgina, Sarah, Rebecca), and junior boys’ cricket team (Charlie, Fred, Jack F, Will, Zac, Harrison, Max A) to demonstrate how it should be done! Our sporting year was rounded off by the inter-house tennis. Never before have we had, nor are we likely to have again, two pairs of sisters representing the house; an emotional tournament for those involved

(and their parents!): Izzy and Phoebe Hall, Hannah and Livi Whitehouse.

Although the inter-house performances may suggest that Hopefuls do not shine at sport, nothing could actually be further from the truth. Several pupils have excelled in their own arenas this year: Harrison represented Yorkshire in the under-15A rugby side, Ted represented Yorkshire at cricket, Charlie was selected to train with the elite county hockey squad, and Katarina continues to swim at a regional level. Very many congratulations to you all.

The creative talents of Hopefuls are second to none! The Great Egg Race is a competition that Lewis has been involved in every year since he joined the house and he was determined to put in a memorable performance in this, his last. Ably assisted by Jordon, George and Charlie, the task was to build and race a paper hovercraft. Had the race track been wider, we might have vied for the top spot, but whilst the team’s creation moved swiftly across the floor, it did have a tendency to move sideways, adding another fourth place to our growing total! Inter-house singing, a highlight in the year for many, was well prepared. Izzy and Marianne, assisted by a hugely enthusiastic James Bottomley, shaped our entry and encouraged more junior members of the house to smile and try to look as though they were enjoying themselves, and the musical team of Edmund, Max Auty and Ella kept as many as possible in tune and time. The gathering of the whole house and chanting outside the front door to get everyone ‘psyched’ for the performance before they left en masse for the Memorial Hall was quite something to watch from my office window; Hope team-spirit was a force to be reckoned with!

Be it music, drama or art, Hopefuls have won acclaim across all disciplines this year: Max Auty, Jack Hargrave, Eve and Will led the way in the Music Award Holders’ concert back in October, showcasing their considerable talents, and continued to do so throughout the year in a variety of concerts and competitions. Jack won the brass class of the Junior Music Festival with his lively trombone performance, whilst Phoebe Hall won the woodwind class for her beautiful rendition of Elgar’s Chanson du Matin, and Felicity scooped wins in both the piano and harp classes, playing with confidence and poise in both.

The production of Guys and Dolls was outstanding this year, with Hopefuls involved both on stage and behind the scenes: Rosalind’s performance as Sarah Brown was exceptional in every respect, and Will managed to inject some comedy into his role as Lt Brannigan. Rowan performed with the singing, dancing Hot Box Girls, whilst Beth and Jack joined the musical ranks of the Salvation Army and, behind the scenes, Livi was a dedicated and hugely reliable member of the stage crew.

The Shakespeare Festival and middle-school plays gave middleschool pupils further opportunities to shine: Katherine Spencer, Rowan, Jack and Livi were all involved in Hamlet at the West

Yorkshire Playhouse this year, and Jack took on the role of Phil in Dennis Kelly’s DNA as one of the middle-school plays. A quietly understated performance which saw Jack eating for most of the play whilst at the same time leading the cover-up of a group of teenagers, was priceless and still makes me smile today.

In Art and DT, Izzy, Marianne and Hannah have all had their talents duly recognised. Hannah’s inspired project completed in collaboration with York Hospital is truly extraordinary, and Izzy’s Lobster-cum-man, and Marianne’s Sunflowers, their main pieces in their art portfolio this year were equally outstanding. I look in awe at some of the pieces our pupils produce, and hope that some might be showcased in the house before too long.

We have celebrated many academic successes again this year too. The Science Quiz team (Jess Scott, Lewis, Georgina and Jaedon) came a very respectable ninth out of 20 teams, and our MFL team (Jeff, Marianne, Tom Dabbs, Jordon, Jack Coulthard, Natasha, Annie, Rebecca and Ella) also fought valiantly on Languages Day. The St Peter’s Challenge team have been hard at work too, vying for the top spot, ably led by Lewis and James, with many others involved, and the junior team was led by Rebecca whose breadth and depth of knowledge secured her a place on the school team. We were pipped to the post (again!) for the Merit Cup, but very much in the running, Rebecca and Barney leading the way in the house. Our prize-winners must also be congratulated: Rebecca, Barney, Harriet, Jack Hargrave, Katherine Spencer, Livi, Izzy, Hannah and Will Hartley. Congratulations must also go to Rosalind who has been appointed as a Monitor and I am delighted that she and Jordon have accepted the roles of Head of House next year; I have every confidence that they will make an excellent team.

I must extend continued and heartfelt thanks to the tutor team who are always so generous with their time and support of the house and without whom the house would not run as smoothly. We say good-bye to many this year: Mr Noy Scott who, having done such a terrific job with the current lower sixth, joins Queen’s house as Assistant, Mrs Kinread, who has been extremely patient with the fifth form, Miss Matts, who, having only been with us a short time, leaves to take on the Assistant’s role in The Grove. Her energy and enthusiasm with the third form will be much missed by them, and Mrs Heaton, who leaves us to move to Bath with her family. She has been a very loyal and dedicated member of the house whose expert handling of the third form in their settling into senior school has been hugely appreciated. We wish them all well in their new roles.

We must also bid a fond farewell to the upper sixth. Since their third-form days, they have been a tightly-knit group who have supported each other through thick and thin. They have been a truly outstanding year-group who have re-energised the house and raised the collective spirit still higher. They remain resolute that Mrs Watkinson’s comment from their early days in Hope, ‘it’s not about the taking part that counts, it’s the winning’ should remain their legacy, but they have left behind so much more: a house full of Hope!

Miss Libby Ullstein

LINTON

Mud, sweat and tears whilst enduring the greatest hardships is what truly shapes men. For generations Linton house has turned boys into men, as their physical abilities have been put to test in the most drastic conditions. Be it playing rugby in the thick autumn mud as the drops of rain strike from the skies, or surviving the inter-house Cross-Country event, there is no doubt that Linton breeds some of the greatest athletes. It is therefore no surprise that yet again the unbelievably athletic senior members of the house secured the Cross-Country trophy for yet another year.

The start of the summer term began as yet another sunny day for the Peterites. However in Linton house the atmosphere was tense. Despite the warmth of the early spring days the Linton water polo team was at the peak of their concentration. The squad of ten incredible players could not afford to get complacent because after a diffi cult day of academic study, the afternoon was only going to get more challenging. No heat could put them off their target: victory. This was the day that their endless nights of training were to be put to test versus the more experienced sides. After their fi rst game, Linton was drawn against The Manor. True motivation roots from within and even without our York City water polo wonder kid – Sam Raper – we persevered all the way to the fi nal. With Manor swept aside, the Linton Lobsters had their claws on the chalice of victory. The last step was to defeat Temple house. In this David and Goliath encounter, Goliath destroyed David with a record-breaking score of 6-0.

In the inter-house Football competition Linton achieved a very credible third place, having reached the semi-fi nals. Our Soviet defence, captained by Andrii Fokin and ably supported by Nicolae Bolocan, was most impressive and received several congratulatory notices.

There are of course numerous innately talented athletes in all the year groups in Linton. However it was Harry Richardson and Elliot Millman who impressed their coaches the most. Harry has been honoured with a place in the North of England rugby team, whilst Elliot Millman represented his county in several rowing competitions. Being able to perform at such high levels is truly impressive and the two young Lintonites bring pride to the entire house.

As you might have gathered by now, Lintonites are renowned for their sporting abilities. This however is by no means the only thing we are good at. Although we play football like the Red Devils, we can also sing like angels. We possess some exceptional talent and came second in the inter-house Singing contest. Having sung Enrique Iglesias’ ballad, Hero, conducted by Patrick Litten, the Lintonites were in fact true heroes since despite our underdog status we achieved praise. Of course in every team there are individual leaders and in the case of Linton house they were Josh Ramalingam and George Pindar who were so good that they won classes in the Senior Music Festival. Tom Collinson contributed just as much and his efforts were refl ected in his achievement of a second place. For fi fteen years, The Great Egg Race trophy seemed far from our grasp. Many talented physicists and engineers have come through Linton house without having achieved victory in such a competitive event. However a dynasty of warriors at heart, inspired by their captain Will Emery and supported by the loudest of crowds, put an end to this winless streak. A time far better than any of the other houses’ was achieved as the unstoppable machine glided over the fl oor of the Memorial Hall. A hard-fought

victory was secured thanks to the team’s deep knowledge of aerodynamics and material science. Will Emery’s special exterior design and the unique Winterburn switch were more than a match for our opponents.

Of course Linton house was not all fun and games. Our impressive sport achievements are mirrored by our even more impressive academic record. Not only have our upper- sixth members secured places at some of the top universities, but many of them have also won school prizes for their academic achievements. Will Emery put all his quantitative abilities to great use as he achieved the Mathematics Project prize. Similarly, Andrii Fokin was presented with the Economics and Business prize. Patrick Litten’s effort as President of the Debating Society was recognised by his attainment of the Debating prize. This academic excellence stems from the hardworking nature of Lintonites, who have inspired the whole house with their endless hours of hard toil.

According to Federico Fellini ‘a different language is a different vision of life’. Indeed, being able to speak foreign languages opens doors and allows one to better one’s understanding of the world. Members of Linton house are therefore some of the world’s most open-minded people. Our ability to understand different cultures is reflected not only in our welcoming nature towards the international members of the house, but also in our annual excellence in the Language Quiz. This year we were placed third in a hard-fought battle of wits and yet again impressed the crowd by being able to answer the most abstract and challenging questions. Finally, we must mention the memorable House Chapel. Embarking on the telling of a story as old as western civilization, we in Linton house re-enacted the tale of the Nativity in our own, unique way. The Tony-worthy performance of the delicate innocence of the Virgin Mary, as portrayed by Samuel Blott, or the world-weary grittiness of Michael Qiu’s immortal line, ‘We come bearing gold, frankincense and maths‘ made the Linton House Chapel both memorable and one to be spoken about with reverence.

It has been one of the greatest years for Linton house and it is with utmost sadness that we in the upper sixth are to move on. But we do so with gratitude that a house that we have known and loved like a family not only made us the men we are today, but will continue to make great and able men. We would also like to wish Joshua Ramalingam all the best as he takes over as Head of School – the third Lintonite to be honoured with this position in the past five years. Well done!

Andreii Fokin and Patrick Litten, UVI

… I would like to thank Andreii and Patrick for their invaluable help in writing this Peterite report: thank you. May I also wish the upper-sixth leavers well as they depart the House: they will be missed. As a boarding house our thanks must certainly go to the band of people who keep the house ticking over, especially to Matron, Tracey, Dawn and Lisa, whose work in ensuring the house is spotlessly clean and tidy can never be taken for granted.

Mrs Justine Williams

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 Alice Appleby and Finlay Craig, who helped to organise house teams and events and lead the Queen’s pupil body.

The Christmas and Easter terms were notable for the sheer number of activities going on: senior pupils were kept busy with the Debating and St Peter’s Challenge competitions. We’re still waiting for another cold winter, but at least this meant most of the sports fi xtures went ahead as planned. There was a large turnout for the inter-house Cross-Country competition, with Ed Johnson securing victory and the junior boys’ cup. October also saw the Queen’s House Chapel, ably led by Luis Fox and Chris de Planta de Wildenberg. The inter-house Singing competition was once again a triumph of enthusiasm with the house dancing along to Shakira’s Hips Don’t Lie. Many of our students performed in the musical, Guys and Dolls, in November, in which Rosie McLeish (third form) had the honour of being the youngest performer selected for a whole school production. The winning tradition

continued in the inter-house Rugby Sevens competition at the end of term, despite awful weather conditions.

In the Easter term the junior girls were more successful on the court and in the swimming pool, securing third in the interhouse Netball and Swimming competitions. This term also saw the culmination of a successful St Peter’s Challenge campaign, underpinned by the broad general knowledge of Ed Kettleborough.

The summer began with the unfortunate cancellation of Sports Day because weather conditions made the grass track unsafe. It is hoped that a by-product of the A-level reforms might be a re-positioning of Sports Day to a more clement time of year! Activities continued despite the obvious emphasis on, and absence caused by, exam season, with enthusiastic participation in interhouse 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, Ellie Dobson and Ed Kettleborough.

Mrs Cath Hempsall

SCHOOL

We began the term by celebrating the various success stories from the summer examination season. Congratulations go to every individual but particular praise is due to our outgoing upper sixth, sitting 49 A-levels between them, and achieving eleven A*s, 27 As, ten Bs and one C: a truly amazing set of results and well-earned success for this hard-working and talented year-group.

Inter-house competitions feature heavily on the 2014-2015 highlight reel and it was the cross-country event that kicked things off at the start of term when Tom Robinson (second) and Sam Hudson (sixth) led the senior boys to a third-place fi nish. The senior girls also fi nished third, with Alice Greswold (fourth) and Hannah Lawrence (twelfth) leading the way. Third place was also secured by the junior boys with Nathan Goyea (sixth) and Jamie Dunsmore (twelfth) leading us home but pride of place was reserved for the junior girls who were crowned winners, led by Lucy Lawrence (second) and Maddy Bennison (third). In the same week, the language quiz teams of Nick, Emily, Hannah, Lucy, Katerina, Maya and James successfully brought the trophy back to School house and our squad of Emily, Alice, George, Rose and Maya reached the semi-fi nals of the St Peter’s Senior Challenge. Meanwhile our Great Egg Race team of Zak, Nathan, Tom Kelly, Tom Robinson, Ashraf and Alistair almost saw more success but their hovercraft contraption didn’t quite go as fast as some of the other houses’!

The annual house singing competition always brings much joy to all involved and after much deliberation our upper sixth decided that Reach for the Stars was the song that would guide us to victory this year. Alas we didn’t break into the top three but once again a huge amount of fun was had along the way. Success was found on the astroturf in the girls’ inter-house hockey competition as the team, captained by Keira and inspired by fellow midfi elders Hannah and Alice, defeated Dronfi eld, Hope and Grove in the group matches. At this stage Anabel had kept three

clean sheets, Lucy Lovisetto and Izzy Cotter keeping the defence organised, whilst top-drawer performances from Lucy Lawrence, Maddy Palmer, Maddy Bennison, Jess, Ellie Spencer, Pippa and Keira ensured a repeat of last year’s final where we faced Clifton. Despite some awful weather conditions, the girls did superbly and an even contest was settled by goals from Ellie and Pippa and a 2-0 victory ensured we finished as champions for 2014. Over on the rugby pitches, the junior boys did very well but were faced with some very tough challenges and bowed out before the semi-final stage. The senior boys, despite losing Tom to injury in the first match, qualified from the group stages with style. Charlie, Tristan, Joe, Alex and Alistair shared the forwards’ duties between them whilst Hugo, Nick, Sam and David (who scored five tries) provided the attacking flair as we went all the way to the final, but there was no shame in finishing as runners up to a Queen’s team including many of the first XV. All competitions on the day were played with great team-spirit, fierce competitiveness and loud and encouraging support – just what we expect from School house pupils! A quick kit-change was needed immediately as some of the pupils ran straight from the sports pitches to the Christmas

Literary Quiz where Maya, Rose, Jess and Hannah enjoyed mulled wine and mince pies in a festive test of their literary knowledge.

The Easter term is always a rollercoaster that is jam-packed full of academic work and co-curricular events and this year was no different. Our senior debaters of Alistair, Jess, Freddie and George have enjoyed the experience despite coming up against some tough opposition, whilst we had enough volunteers to enter four teams in the inter-house science quiz. In inter-house badminton, Keira, Gemma, Hannah and Alice did superbly to go one better than last year and return victorious to become the 2015 champions, and there was no letting up for the girls as Keira, Pippa, Gemma, Lily, Maddy, Vicky, Jenna, Jess, Izzy and Alice did brilliantly to finish in third place on the netball courts. The junior girls, captained by Anabel, also did superbly to finish fourth and it was great to see such wonderful team-spirit amongst the girls across both age groups. With competitions coming thick and fast it was the squash team up next and Hannah, Gemma, Alice and Izzy swept aside all before them before proving too strong for Queen’s in the final to bring the trophy back to School house. In the final week of term our breadth of sporting talent and potential was demonstrated when, out of 20 heats, 19 of the girls qualified for the inter-house Swimming finals where there were some particularly impressive results at junior level with both individual and team successes.

The boys were not to be outdone on the sporting front and, although the footballers couldn’t hold onto the inter-house trophy that they won last year, the hockey players managed to go one better and – led by captain Nick Fullick – they toppled Temple in the final and became the 2015 champions. The final week of term was spent polishing up tactics and formations as the ‘School House Seahorses’ water polo team was re-formed. We swam, we

scored, we conceded but alas our lack of true water polo experience meant we were eliminated before the final stages!

Towards the end of February we performed the annual house Chapel, delivering the important message on the issue of healthy living on the British Heart Foundation’s ‘Wear Red’ day. The Chapel will live long in the memory for Alistair Duffey’s inspired performance on the xylophone; I don’t think I have ever heard a round of applause as long or loud as that day: it was a true gift to all those who were listening. We finished the term with our annual house dinner where Heads of House Keira and Alistair regaled us with a witty speech and stories from each year group; I was even more impressed to see every member of the sixth form making it in for 8.25 am roll-call the next morning – they certainly lived up to the ‘work hard, play hard’ attitude of all Peterites!

In the summer term we were destined for bronze medals on the tennis front as both the boys and girls qualified with style through their group stages but bowed out in the semi-finals. Nick Fullick also reached the semi-final of the Alcuin Cup before being defeated against last year’s winner 2-6, 6-2, 4-6. There was time to squeeze in one final senior competition for the girls before exam leave, the inter-house rounders. Captained by Gemma, with some powerful batting by Keira and Pippa, we swept all before us and recorded a comprehensive victory against Dronfield in the final to become champions, a fitting way to end the sporting year.

The St Peter’s Junior Challenge enabled plenty of volunteers to represent the house and with quick fingers on the buzzers and a vast array of general knowledge; our teams comprehensively marched through to the semifinals before losing to the eventual winners.

Back on the sports fields, the boys donned their cricket whites and, captained by Luke Huffer, with some powerful batting from Charlie Hudson and Matt Ubhi, they made an excellent start to the group stages before going out to the eventual winners in the semifinal. The girls, meanwhile, were making some excellent progress over on the rounders pitches with some outstanding work in the field in particular to restrict the opposing teams and we eventually finished in third place.

To finish, I would like to thank the outstanding tutor team we have in School house and as well as bidding farewell to our upper sixth, we also say goodbye to Mr Mortimer, who will be sorely missed, and we wish him every success in his new role as Head of Art as he moves to Manila in an exciting new venture.

As I once again reflect on the year and our unique community, I marvel at the breadth and depth of talent that exists within the house. We have gone from strength to strength and I hope this will continue next year: indeed I’m sure it will. Brown is good but maroon is better!

Mr Ben White

TEMPLE

2014-2015 has been my seventh year as Housemistress in Temple. For many people the number seven is a lucky number and I have to say that I feel incredibly lucky to have been in charge of such a lovely and successful house this year. At the top end I have had great support from the upper sixth, ably led by Chloe and Charlie as Heads of House and at the lower end (although the groups in the middle haven’t been bad either!) we have had an excellent group of third-formers who settled in amazingly well and have behaved in an exemplary fashion throughout the year, skilfully guided by the experienced hand of their tutor, Mrs Dawson. We are very unlucky in Temple to be saying goodbye to Mrs Dawson this year. She has been my rock in the house ever since I took over as housemistress and we will miss her helpful advice, her genuine care for the pupils, and above all her sense of fun. She is also very adept at spotting a short skirt, the wrong colour tights and the unsubtle make up! Mrs Dawson was tutor for three years to the current lower sixth and it is very much thanks to her that I am confi dent that the pupils taking over the role of upper sixth- formers – and thus role models for the rest of the house – will do an excellent job with Beth Bradley and Rohan Choudhury in charge as the new Heads of House. We wish Mrs Dawson all the best for her retirement, although we will still be seeing her around the school for most of next year as she covers Mrs Middleton’s maternity leave.

I always say to parents on induction day that the key to a happy and thriving house is good communication and this year Temple have proved that they are the best communicators with victories for our teams in the fi nals of both the senior (Helen Taylor, Duncan Smith, Alex Woodruff) and junior (Marcus Dobson, Alex Leahy, Felix Fraser-Krauss) inter-house Debating competitions during the summer term. In addition Alex Woodruff has been

appointed to the role of President of the Debating Society for next year. You could say that this means we are the most argumentative and opinionated house and after all there is nothing wrong with that. Healthy discussion and the confidence to express one’s opinions are to be encouraged. The successful communication of knowledge was also in evidence this year with the senior and junior St Peter’s Challenge teams reaching the semi-final and final respectively and the inter-house Science Quiz team finishing second out of 17 teams. We still need some more girl-power on board though!

Good communication is also important to ensure good teamwork and our sports teams have enjoyed a considerable amount of success over the year. The highlight has to be victory in the senior girls’ inter-house netball competition which is definitely a first under my reign. In both the relatively new inter-house Football and Water Polo competitions we finished runners-up and in the Cross-Country competition congratulations go to Concetta Scrimshaw who finished second in the senior girls’ event and Robbie Brown who won the senior boys’ event. Robbie has been selected twice for the England mountain-running team this year, which is a remarkable achievement. He is leaving us as at the end of the fifth form to pursue his sixth-form studies at Millfield School, where he will be able to follow a structured and intensive training programme alongside his academic studies. We wish him well and will miss him as a very personable young man as well as a talented sportsman and musician.

Music is an area in which Temple has traditionally been very strong and this year has been no exception, starting with the musical Guys and Dolls in the Christmas term where there were notable performances on stage from Charlie Widdicombe, Duncan Smith, Peter Gray and Jack McCartney, as well as major contributions to the orchestra from Fleur Booth, Ellie Richardson, Steph Frankland and Libby Brown. Libby’s highlight of the year has to be her stunning performance of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto at York University in March for which she received a standing ovation, and Steph won the overall Senior Music Festival with her virtuosic performance on the alto saxophone of Pequeña Czarda by Petro Itturalde. In the Junior Music Festival we were also well represented and Alex Leahy won the boys’ singing section with Amarilli by Caccini. I do include inter-house Singing under musical achievements, despite its ‘House Shout’ nickname and this year it was expertly organised and conducted by Emma Richardson. Although we were not placed, the quality of the singing and the instrumentals in our rendition of McFly’s Stargirl was highly praised by the judges. The traditional entertaining ending to the music calendar is the Cabaret Concert and this year’s did not disappoint, with many Temple pupils involved as either soloists or as part of an ensemble or choir. What continues to impress me is

not just the amount of work pupils put into rehearsing but also the obvious enjoyment they get out of performing and supporting each other. There is an infectious and palpable nature to it.

I mentioned last year that drama is another area where Temple pupils continue to excel and this was nowhere more obvious than at the fourth-form performance of Remote where over half of the Temple fourth-formers were involved in this absorbing and tense portrayal of teenage life. This was repeated in the four middle- school plays where members of the third form joined them. As well as budding performers we also have emerging writers in the house with Duncan Smith involved in writing, directing and performing this year and Concetta Scrimshaw winning the senior Creative Writing competition.

House Chapel gave pupils the opportunity to showcase their creative talents as, having been encouraged through previous chapel addresses to explore the possibilities of play, Temple organised an extravaganza of music and dramatic readings to get the day off to a most enjoyable start.

That completes my summary of this year and as ever I apologise to anyone I have missed out. It remains to say a big thank you to my team of tutors in Temple. Dr Senczyszyn (I still have to look up the spelling of her name! ) is leaving us after two years to take up a Chemistry post at St Paul’s Girls’ School and I thank her for the help and support she has given to the fifth form, who have been a wonderful group for her to work with, getting on with everything with a minimum of fuss and giving her a very enjoyable and pleasant first experience of what it is to be a tutor. I also thank Mr Johnston for helping the lower sixth make the transition into the sixth form and for getting to Temple before me in the mornings so that I don’t have to search my handbag for my keys! I thank Mr Matkin for being so flexible and agreeing to support the upper sixth through their higher education applications and their exam stresses. Last but not least I thank Mr Parr for being such a supportive and unflappable assistant housemaster and fourth-form tutor: he is willing to step into the breach whenever he is needed and I value his assistance greatly. I wish the upper sixth well as they go off into the big wide world and I hope they continue Temple’s new-found reputation as good communicators by staying in touch and keeping us informed about their progress.

Mrs Jenny Houghton

THE GROVE

Among my many duties as a housemaster is welcoming visitors to the school, usually potential parents and their children. These visits comprise a meeting with the Head Master followed by a tour with one of The Grove’s fi nest before catching up for a chat in my offi ce. I often feel that it is when I describe the way in

which the house fi ts into pupils’ lives, both as administrative and pastoral entities, that our visitors are most impressed. The senses of belonging, collaboration, ownership and ultimately of pride that the houses engenders among pupils and staff are all palpable and authentic. Our house meeting, which kicks off Saturday mornings, is a chance to get us all together and celebrate our achievements and there is a genuine sense each week of togetherness and investment in one another; this is not just a time to organise teams and grumble about kit in common rooms and signing in and out! This year, alongside academic progress, we have celebrated sporting achievement, dramatic performance, musical brilliance and the more intellectual pursuits of debating and quiz teams refl ecting the strength and breadth of Grovite participation.

Our teams have thrived again this year and to list all the results and participants would make this report impossibly long. Our junior sports teams have given much to cheer about and, in capturing the silverware in the Rugby Sevens, Hockey and Cricket, the junior boys claimed what they have since coined their ‘Triple Crown’ as well as the commensurate bragging rights. The rugby result was sealed on a foul day, under the leadership of Max Courtis (who had been in the winning team the previous year too) while the senior seven lost to the eventual winners in the semi-fi nal. Under the guidance of Ralph Sinclair and on a much fi ner day, our cricket fi elding proved the difference against the pre-competition favourites and our noisy neighbours, in a gripping fi nal. Grove tennis continues to enjoy rude health and while the boys’ team were runners-up (after a sudden death tie-break), the girls prevailed amid shrieks of delight still etched on the eardrums. The junior girls’ rounders team were runners-up (following a countback to separate us from Clifton), our footballers were fourth, our cross-country runners fi fth and it was a great shame

that the Yorkshire climate put paid to Sports Day, denying some of our finest athletes their moment in the metaphorical, and literal, sunshine.

Sports teams represent perhaps the most obvious, but by no means the only, way that Grovites have come together to compete this year. In the more intellectual spheres we have thrived and, under the guidance of Arkwright Scholarship-holding Joe Waterhouse, a hovercraft built for The Great Egg Race stylishly skimmed its way to third place. Meanwhile, our senior debaters reached the semi-final and we retained the Literary Quiz title, led (again) by Bea Rhodes-Blangsted. In the junior competitions, our pupils have been dominant with Daniel Hicks masterminding his Debating and St Peter’s Challenge teams to final appearances. Arguing with passion and clarity, Daniel was declared best speaker (and scooped the Junior Debating Prize) but our team was edged out by a more experienced Temple team. In the Challenge, revenge was ours as Temple were seen off by 270-110 and so we retained the cup.

This year, our two Heads of House, Sophie Reed and Ben Gibson, have proved to be a potent pairing providing both organisational accuracy and pastoral antennae. Their energy made many things happen in the house from a highly civilised meal out together to revitalised house kit. But perhaps their most public and celebrated role is bringing the house together for the annual inter-house singing. Song choice, rehearsal planning and choreography are left entirely to the pupils, and it is more than impressive to watch the thing come together from nervous disorder to polished performance. This year saw us taking on Bon Jovi’s You Give Love a Bad Name, but sadly, despite all the fun, we were robbed by the judges and unplaced (again). Better luck next year!

The house is blessed with many musical and dramatic performers of note and it is always a pleasure to see them performing in the rich variety of concerts and productions across the year. Sam Lightwing and Daniel Hicks qualified twice each for the Music Festival finals and Sam, Millie Grant and, particularly perhaps, Emily Brown, played key roles in the spectacular Guys and Dolls before Christmas. Marcus Thomson showed his comfort and presence on stage in his performance in the junior production of Sparkleshark. Alongside these there have been a host of Grovites selflessly giving time to our Community Action programme. Be it helping in a charity shop, volunteering at a care home or helping at the junior school, these pupils have given generously in time and energy and have embodied the school’s values of friendship and compassion.

The summer term saw the arrival of an outdoor table-tennis table to the Grove lawn which has proved hugely popular as a pursuit before and after school, at break and at lunchtime, in sunshine, wind and rain … in fact, all the time. With it placed outside my window, I have greatly enjoyed observing its communal use and

seen it slicing through the barriers between year-groups that can prove quite impenetrable. With no staff intervention, long and entirely democratic queues have formed to challenge the current ‘King’ and the only loser would appear to be the lawn which now has a doughnut-shaped bald patch!

And so to our leavers … The departure of our upper sixth as they disperse to their chosen courses, travels and careers brings an

annual mixture of sadness and excitement. Their journey with the school now complete, we hope to see them return to The Grove with their news in the not too distant future. Ed Coidan leaves after his fifth form to pursue his studies in the classical world while Will Huffer also leaves at the same stage for a life in professional football. Will has been a great servant to school and house sport and has somehow managed to squeeze playing for England under-17s into his GCSE year. His is a career which we will follow particularly closely. The house says goodbye to two of our tutors this year. Mr Carter has worked as a Graduate Sports Assistant and has been tutor to our lower sixth form. He has brought fresh ideas and interest to his tutor meetings and has gained a strong knowledge of each of his tutees in his brief time with us. Mrs Middleton, our third-form tutor and most enthusiastic supporter at house events, leaves us, temporarily, on maternity leave and we send her on her way with our very best wishes for her new arrival. To Mrs Middleton, and all those leaving the Grove family, we say bon voyage!

Mr Martin Lawrence

THE MANOR

The Manor is a boarding house transformed as the separate report on our refurbishment and extension attests. I reiterate my huge thanks to all those who enabled this to happen. We all have been benefi ciaries of this change.

Christmas Term

Eight third-formers and four lower-sixth joined us in September and they made a very good contribution to the house and the school during the year. Thando Moyeni, our exchange student from Selborne in South Africa, also joined us for six weeks and made the very most of the opportunities on offer.

Inter-house cross-country was the year’s fi rst house event, where Rory Combe featured strongly. The team competition depends as much on the seventh-placed person as the fi rst, so as a house we fi nished a bit lower down. Sam Dickinson’s performance in both duathlon, where he achieved GB representative honours, and triathlon, was a notable sporting feature of the year and he, along with quite a few others, availed themselves of the swimming pool during the week to train. Indeed the facilities available to the boys seemed better-used than ever before. The gym, sports hall, tennis courts and various pitches are used regularly on an evening; there are few occasions where computer games are being played.

Inter-house rugby is always a highlight, perhaps just as much for the design of the house shirt as for the occasion itself. It was great to see our juniors reach the fi nal after a huge win over our dear friends in Linton, where both the experienced and newer players gave their all for the team.

The house dinner was the fi nal act of term and as ever it was delightful event. An excellent speech from the Head of House was the most appropriately humorous I have heard, and the whole house appreciated the panoramic view, and commentary, that is possible from a wind turbine!?!

Easter Term

Football was our strongest sport in house this term. A number of boys represented the school fi rst and second teams. Hopes were

high for the inter-house football competition and this year we did not fail to live up to expectations. An excellent performance in the final saw us win this and bring some silverware back to house. 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 was a strong one, losing only to the eventual winners.

Music continues to flourish, with many learning instruments and performing in both the junior and senior Music Festivals. It was always going to be difficult to follow on from last year’s interhouse singing victory, but the boys really impressed with a gutsy, well-organised and well-delivered performance. Our joint second place was richly deserved. Our House Chapel this term was also very well received and was all based around the International Day of Hugging. Both preparation and delivery were excellent.

Summer Term

The summer term prior to exams was short and it is my great hope that the new exam reforms bring improvement in this respect in the future by eventually removing lower-sixth exams. Thankfully this did not stop many taking part in the Beverley 10K event and, on a more regular basis, from being involved in various sports teams. It is essential that exams, while having their place, do not come to dominate life and prevent young people from doing what they both enjoy and are good at.

That said, necessary revision was done and the atmosphere in house was better than ever before in terms of purposeful work. I hope all are well rewarded for their efforts. Post-exams there was a really enjoyable wind-down to the end of term and thankfully little to think about in terms of major structural developments!

The People

This year’s upper sixth joined the house when Dori and I did. It has been an immense privilege to live alongside them for the last five years. They have all developed in so many ways, and spending so much of this time in their company, you get to learn so much about what really matters in education. Sam Dickinson has led the house ably and in this he has been supported in various ways by all the member of the year-group. I wish them all the very best in their future endeavours. Dori and I are ably supported by a strong team of tutors and in-house support staff. Dave Ray and Dave Robinson share the evening duties with me, and Laura Pearson does some Sundays as well. Colette, our Matron, and the team of cleaners continue their remarkable job. So often when showing round prospective parents they comment on this.

As ever, my final thanks go to my wife and children. Without their support, understanding and enjoyment of what we do it would be nowhere near as much fun as it is.

It has been another excellent year!

Mr Steve Gwilliam

THE RISE

Another year has fl own by already at The Rise, which has seen the girls work hard, play hard and enjoy much success along the way.

Christmas Term

We welcomed our new third-formers, Alexandria Johnston, Elizabeth Naylor and Ksenia Trubacheva, who made friends very quickly and supported each other admirably through the newness of the fi rst term and beyond. The effi ciency with which they went about their morning duties was staggering: three girls with supplies for the whole house, and all before morning call. We also welcomed three new lower-sixth pupils: Charlotte Chong, Darja Lapika and Emily Lockett (next year’s Head of House). Remembering the house mantra: ‘it’s not the winning but the taking part’, the girls braced themselves for the formidable challenge of the inter-house cross-country. The balmy conditions were perfect for the race, and the girls all did brilliantly. Their gritty determination paid off and the junior girls took second place. Particular stars on that day included Annabel Blott, Anna Fairbank and Charlotte Hollinrake, who have since been regular twilight fi gures running through York after prep.

House Chapel was next on the agenda. Under the highly organised and motivating leadership of Alicia Cranston, the girls explored the very important topic of ‘not judging by appearances.’ It was thought-provoking and imaginatively written, and involved most girls in the house, avoiding the dreaded ‘drama moment’. Emily McDonald sang Lights Will Guide You calmly and with great feeling.

The inter-house singing competition proved to be a particularly memorable and joyous occasion. Under Alicia Cranston’s leadership (again) and with Anna Thrussell’s excellent conducting skills, the girls committed themselves to countless practices of All About That Bass by Meghan Trainor. The musicality, unity and sassy fun of their fi nal performance was outstanding, and the victors’ cup was ours.

The girls waited patiently for the Great Egg Race date to be announced as it is always a great favourite in The Rise. Our team – Ksenia Trubacheva, Kitty Clapham, Anna Van Harwegen den Breems, Annabel Blott, Emily McDonald and Darja Lapika – made a valiant attempt to make a hovercraft. Were there a prize for innovative design they certainly would have won, but the fi ckle luck of the fi rst test-fl ight determined all and we were, in a word, unsuccessful.

The school production of Guys and Dolls was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the Christmas term for the whole school. Eve Bracken and Maddie Day stunned as glamorous Hot Box Girls while Jodi Smith’s and Grace Moody’s brilliance backstage contributed to the professional edge that was so frequently commented upon.

The Autumn Concert continued the musical theme where we were treated to a wealth of musical