The Portmuthian 2013 by The Portsmouth Grammar School

2013

PORTMUTHIAN

DEDICATION All the support staff at PGS who keep our buildings, old and new, running seamlessly; without them our work and education would not be possible.

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Plan of the School from 1877

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From the PGS Christmas card, 1948. (by Art Master W.Bartle)

Headmaster’s Review 2013 Outside, a two-decker coach is packed to the gunwales with timpani and tubas. A river races past, festooned with water bombs and floating sandals - relics from an epic water-fight between pupils and staff on the last night of the Brass Band Tour to Austria and Bavaria. With instruments packed away, I may not be able currently to hear the Sound of Music, as such, but I can hear the sound of musicians queuing for lunch as we pause in the pit stops ahead of a 24 hour drive home to Portsmouth. There are 69 of us in total. Fifty eight pupils, ranging from 7 to 18 years, one young OP (19) and 10 parents and members of staff (ages strictly confidential). It is a fascinating distillation of the PGS community, a cross between Noah’s Ark and Cliff Richard’s summer holiday bus. We have had a brilliant time bringing the joy of live brass music to audiences in Salzburg and the surrounding villages and towns. The reaction of locals and tourists alike has been quite moving: the elderly clapping and singing along; toddlers dancing in excited circles; couples holding each other a little closer as they pause and smile. It is great reward for all the hours of practice that have gone into building the bands’ repertoire; but more importantly, it is a reminder of just how powerful the influence of young people can be. And to think that whilst we have been filling bandstands and sliding down salt mines, our senior sportsmen and women have been playing hockey, netball and rugby in Singapore and Malaysia, and our actors and technical crew have been receiving standing

ovations at the International Festival in Avignon. Thank you, Mr Brown and everyone, for having me along for the ride! Looking back on 2012-13 from the mountain viewpoint of Austria, it has certainly been a wonderful year in the life of PGS. So much happens in the school that every week produces a collection of ‘favourite things’ for Julie Andrews to catalogue in rhyme. I hope that you will enjoy reading the pupils’ own perspective on a packed and productive year in these pages and reflecting on just some of the highlights in a brilliant year. On our last night in Austria we sang songs around a bonfire, culminating in a marshmallow-sweet rendition of Jerusalem. It was at this point that someone called out the news that a long-awaited royal baby had finally arrived, an announcement met with jubilant cheers and, for Mr Gladstone at least, a sigh of relief. One of the things I love about the ending of each school year, however poignant it is to say goodbye to pupils and colleagues, is that irresistible sense of a new school year already getting underway. Back home, the main quad is being transformed as a new Sixth Form Centre begins construction. And here, as we prepare to board the coach for Portsmouth, there is excited chatter of a brass band tour to Barcelona in two years’ time. As ever at PGS, there is an enormous amount to look back on and celebrate and much yet waiting to be done and enjoyed!

James Priory

‘Looking back on 2012-13 from the mountain viewpoint of Austria, it has certainly been a wonderful year in the life of PGS.’

Painted trays by GCSE pupil Gemma Liu

A brief history of the buildings of Portsmouth Grammar School It is the 18th century. A Portsmouth Grammar School pupil opens the school gate and walks down a narrow passageway that separates the Master’s house from his neighbour’s on the south side of Penny Street. The school is in a respectable part of Old Portsmouth and the pupil knows he is lucky, one of very few local boys whose fathers can afford the fees. He reaches the end of the passageway and enters the courtyard which is used as a playground in fine weather. Facing him, on the other side of the small courtyard, is the schoolhouse, a sight which makes him feel anything but lucky. His heart is full of dread and fear at the prospect of another day spent memorising Greek and Latin, and the possibility of being thrashed by the Master or his Usher. Under the terms of Dr William Smith’s will, made shortly before his death in 1732, Great East Standen Farm at Arreton on the Isle of Wight was left in trust to the Deans and Canons of Christ Church, Oxford, with the intention that the rent from the property would fund his new grammar school. It took over twenty years for enough capital to accumulate to enable the trustees to purchase a run-down house in Penny Street, behind which the first grammar school was built. The house was repaired for the first Master, the Reverend J. Evans, and the schoolroom erected at a total cost of £717 16 s 9d (£717 84p) plus 5% commission to the builder, John Turner. The new schoolroom, Master’s and Second Master’s (Usher’s) studies were built above a covered play area. The room was nine metres long by seven wide and, according to one Old Portmuthian, was “more like a church than a school”. It was “a fine, lofty room”, lit on the west side by large “diamond-leaded windows” with hard oak floors and beams. “I remember we used to try to burn holes in the oak with the (fire) poker, but we never got far…it got cold before we made much effect on the wood.” It was a brave or foolhardy boy who attempted such vandalism. The Master had his desk directly by the fireplace at the north end, and his study was a few metres away. The play area directly below the schoolroom was exposed to the elements, through three archways, and so, while the Master would have basked in the warmth from the fire, the schoolroom itself was undoubtedly cold in winter. Above the fireplace there was a stone slab with the inscription “Virtuti et litteris sacrum” – Virtue (or courage) and scholarship are sacred. In the four corners of the room stood busts of Homer, Cicero, Virgil and Plato, their ever-watchful presence reflecting a traditional but increasingly outmoded curriculum of Latin and Greek overseen by academics of Christ Church who knew what was needed to progress to university. Perhaps unsurprisingly, from the very beginning, the school struggled to compete with rivals that offered a broader curriculum more suitable for careers in business. Plan and elevation of first Portsmouth Grammar School building from the Christ Church archive

By the 1810s, the Master’s house had become uninhabitable and the schoolhouse was in a state of disrepair. Those hard oak beams had rotted, the lead on the roof was at risk from thieves and the building was in danger of collapse. Pupils were relocated to the vestry hall at St George’s Church (near the

‘In the immediate school environs, pupils experienced the sights, sounds and combined smells of the town gaol, the pub next door and the Anglesea Barracks where soldiers were publicly flogged. But it wasn’t all bad.’ Gunwharf) where the Master, Robert Cumyns, who was Vicar of Portsea, ran another school. In the early 1820s the schoolroom was repaired and the pupils returned but, over the next few decades, the area declined in social status. Southsea had been established as the prosperous and fashionable place for the gentry to live, and property values in Penny Street dropped. In the immediate school environs, pupils experienced the sights, sounds and combined smells of the town gaol, the pub next door and the Anglesea Barracks where soldiers were publicly flogged. But it wasn’t all bad. There were rose trees bordering the courtyard which blossomed white in spring. Boys being boys, the slender trunks were shaken to bring the blossom down. By 1871, with only two fee-paying pupils left, the decision was made to close the school in order that a new one, with higher standards and better management, could be re-established. Five years later, the Penny Street schoolroom was sold for £500, a fraction of the cost of buying the land for a new school, let alone building it. The site for the new school was chosen when land was being freed up as a result of the demolition of the fortifications and the filling in of the moat that surrounded Old Portsmouth. The War Department sold the site of the Town Bastion for £2,000, twice what the new school governors had expected to pay. However, it was in a prime location, close to the principal tramway and within easy reach for pupils crossing the harbour from Gosport or arriving in the town by train. Instructions were issued to architects to design the new school for up to 250 scholars at a cost not exceeding £3,500, plus an additional £2,000 for internal fittings and drainage. The new school was to have separate, well-lit classrooms and, in a nod to the architecture of the Penny Street school, a covered play area accessible through arches. That the ambitious plans came to fruition is due in large part to the energy, ability, influence and single-minded determination of Canon Edward Grant, the Chairman of the Governors, who raised the funds. As a memorial of the old school, the inscribed stone slab was transferred to the large schoolroom in the new building which opened in January 1879. Under Headmaster Alfred Jerrard, the school thrived; within two years a new wing of extra classrooms and science laboratory was added on the east side, and to meet an ever-increasing demand a further wing was added to the west side in 1887.

around what is now the small quad needed extensive repairs before it could be used by the school. During the Napoleonic Wars it had been used as military warehouses and, in 1825, was converted into barracks. Today it serves as the Lower Junior School and is the oldest surviving part of Cambridge Barracks. The Ranch House, with its open verandah, was built in 1904 to accommodate orderlies. In 1969 it was opened for use as a common room and study rooms for prefects and “seventh formers” (pupils doing retakes and Oxbridge applicants). The former Clarence Barracks laundry, built in 1896, was converted into a music centre by the end of the 1960s. The Rotunda was added in 1988-89 and the current Music School, named in memory of Michael Nott, Chairman of PGS Governors from 1972-82, was established. The headmaster’s house was short-lived; it was demolished to make way for the Sports Hall, which opened in 1989, providing indoor sports facilities at the school for the first time. The David Russell Theatre was completed in 1990, the Fawcett Pavilion at Hilsea was opened in 1992 and a new sixth form centre was built adjoining the biology block in 1995.

was not ideal. One OP recalled that in the 1930s, corrugated iron buildings in the Lower School which were used as the gymnasium and woodwork shops leaked, and in the Senior School “the classrooms were stark, the gloss painted walls were grimy, the floors bare boards…In winter the rooms were excruciatingly cold and I can remember masters trailing us around hoping to find a warmer empty room. If we complained of the cold we were told to sit on our hands.”

The acquisition in 2000 of Cambridge House doubled the teaching space and reunited the former men’s barracks with the officers’ barracks acquired in 1926. This enabled the reorganisation of the Pre-Prep and Lower School into a single Junior School, and the creation of a nursery in what was originally built as a coal store for the barracks in 1893. The Gatehouse, which was originally built as a school for adults at Clarence Barracks, was bought at the same time and converted to accommodate the Drama Department.

Just before the outbreak of the Second World War, 400 pupils were evacuated to Northwood House, near Winchester, a Victorian house which had not been lived in for some years. It was dilapidated, it was winter and there was no heating. Considered a bit too Spartan, the house was quickly vacated and the pupils relocated to hotels, guesthouses and other billets in Bournemouth. Two old nursing homes were converted into schoolrooms.

The acclaimed Bristow-Clavell Science Centre was built on the site of the 1950s science block and opened in September 2010. The new innovative and ambitious Sixth Form Centre, due to open in September 2014, will provide a wonderful social and learning environment, as well as a physical link to Cambridge House in the form of an aerial walkway.

In the 1950s, an ambitious plan to build a new science wing was given priority to meet demand in the sixth form where over 60% were studying science subjects. The scheme was completed in 1957 and included chemistry laboratories, a large chemistry preparation room, additional lecture rooms and a biology laboratory.

Pupils entering the humble Penny Street school in the 18th century lived in perpetual fear of their cane-wielding Master. In 1927, pupils arriving at the new Senior School felt “dwarfed and insignificant” by the imposing architecture. Today PGS offers the best teaching, resources and stateof-the art buildings, helping to nurture pupils’ talents in an inspirational historic environment and affirm a sense of belonging to a motivated and welcoming community.

Opening of the former Cambridge Barracks Officers’ block as the Senior School, 1927

When Canon Barton joined the school as Headmaster nearly fifty years later he found that his school was dirty and overcrowded. There were 525 pupils, over twice that which the school was originally intended to accommodate. Its small classrooms were supplemented by sheds with corrugated iron roofs and the playground was too cramped to contain the suppressed energy of so many boys. News that the War Office was willing to sell the derelict officers’ block of Cambridge Barracks, together with a large part of the parade ground and playing fields at Hilsea, prompted the launch of an appeal which raised £18,000. Together with a generous donation by wealthy shipping magnate Sir Heath Harrison, this enabled the school to purchase the land and convert the building. Barton acknowledged that the project would not have been possible without the help of the Chairman of the Governors Frank Privett, whose building firm undertook the work. The Home Secretary Sir William Joynson-Hicks formally opened the school on 13th October 1927 amid great celebrations and rousing cheers from pupils. His visit to Portsmouth was reported in The Times, which commented on the appropriateness of the re-use of the barracks bearing in mind the school’s proud record in providing officers for the armed services. The new school accommodated 21 large and five small classrooms, a lecture room, the War Gallery (formerly the Mess Room), Headmaster’s study, rooms for the Bursar and School Sergeant and a large Common Room. It soon became apparent that the age, condition and design of both the old school and the newly acquired barracks building

The extension of the school estate in the early 1960s, which added nine more former army barrack buildings beyond the quad, was largely prompted by the need to provide more classrooms for the school’s ever-increasing sixth form. This acquisition almost doubled the size of the school. Two army blocks were demolished to make way for an assembly/dining hall and theatre, and a house for the headmaster. The block

John Sadden School Archivist

Bristow Clavell Science Centre 2010

Interview with Mr Nick Gallop, Head of the Sixth form, regarding the new Sixth Form Centre What made the school feel the need to make this change now? The current Sixth Form Centre was built in 1995 and at the time was seen as a suitable solution to the demands of increased social and administrative space for the Sixth Form. Since the school acquired Cambridge House in 2000 the school, along with its Sixth Form, has expanded quite significantly and the provision for our Sixth Formers in terms of independent social and learning space and dedicated classrooms has been a goal for investment and development for quite some time. In some schools, Sixth Form areas can be tucked away and out of sight but in ours the Sixth Form Centre is right at its heart, with such a symbolic and aspirational value for the whole school. A building that will genuinely enhance the daily school experience of every member of the school community – one day – is a really exciting one. So, in that sense, it’s part of a much greater vision for the school? Yes, and in a practical sense the building of not just social space, careers space and library/learning space but also a whole extra floor of classrooms – seven in total – will provide facilities for non-Sixth form year groups too. It will also mean that with departments moving to these new areas, the school can think creatively about how best to use and develop other areas of the school too for the greater benefit of all pupils in the years ahead. Was the project a particular person’s ‘baby’? Major developments like the DRT, the dining hall or more recently the Science Centre – and the commitments in terms of resources that they require – are many years in the making. The thinking and planning and input from the whole school community, from parents to governors, is substantial and the school is always looking to plan and to prioritise to ensure that the learning experience of the pupils is as great as it can be. There’s also the ever-present question of financing projects too, especially in complex and uncertain economic times. Testing potential projects, in the planning stages, for their positive impact and value to the school community is the most

important. What are the most significant new facilities, the things that stand out? Rather than a major piece of architecture, the most significant new facilities are the ones that fill the demands expressed by the pupils. Some areas of the school are so heavily used that they can actually prevent activities from developing. Areas where groups of pupils can meet easily – for lectures, debates, revision sessions, medics club, Model United Nations, Pupil Council meetings, talks. Also flexible spaces that are primarily social but could also be used for exhibitions or performances. A careers centre – for the whole school – which places the excellent advice that we offer right at the forefront of the school community. Quiet spaces where there is enough silent work space for everyone who needs it in study periods. IT facilities - really fast WIFI and small banks of computer stations dotted around, with a screen downstairs to allow you to locate immediately which stations are logged on to and which are free. The plans and images look great; how will the building actually benefit Sixth Formers? The whole building has been designed with the daily experience of Sixth Formers in mind: from the moment they come into the school, through lessons and study periods, breaks and talks about careers or university advice, society meetings at lunch time to after-school independent study. It’s somewhere that basic needs can be met – getting a cup of coffee or a snack in a vibrant social environment – to providing areas in which the most invigorating pupil-run organisations can come together. It will more than meet the daily technological needs of pupils too – from quickly printing off a homework essay to extensive research of on-line journals for major pieces of coursework. In such an attractive environment, might the Sixth Formers become separated from the rest of the school? It’s an interesting point but I don’t see a change to the current levels of involvement and interaction of sixth formers in school

‘In some schools, Sixth Form areas can be tucked away and out of sight but in ours the Sixth Form Centre is right at its heart, with such a symbolic and aspirational value for the whole school. A building that will genuinely enhance the daily school experience of every member of the school community – one day – is a really exciting one.’ life. To begin with, the location of the building means that it is at the heart of the school; the careers facilities will be wholeschool and some of the teaching spaces on the top floor will be whole-school too. There will be spaces – primarily social and learning – which will be for Sixth Formers only, and that is important. The fact that it’ll be connected to the rest of the school, to the science department, with the glass walkway that will take you to Cambridge House means they will stay even more in touch. In many ways though, the sixth form is about developing personal relationships: about balancing social life with study, much closer to what you will have in years to come than what you’ve experienced. It will provide the space for these things to happen, and that level of independence is vital.

year group at one specific time. Investment in the school, to ensure that it supports what goes on here as effectively as possible, is on-going. Finally, how excited are you about this project? It’s very exciting, although it has actually been on-going for some time now – already over two years. The Sixth Form said an emotional farewell to their old building in the last Sixth Form Assembly of the Summer Term and we are all really looking forward to watching the new one grow over the next academic year and, of course, getting in to a fantastic new building from September 2014. Interview by Josh Rampton

How much roughly will it cost? The same as the science centre? Approximately, yes, and projects such as these are planned for over many years: they never have an impact on one specific

PGS Cohort 3 IB report: Summer 2013 Third year of IB success for PGS pupils Our third Cohort of International Baccalaureate Diploma pupils have carried on the traditions of their predecessors by performing very well in their summer exams and having outstanding success in their university applications. Achieving a record PGS average point score per pupil of 37.3 (from a maximum of 45), thirteen of the 14 pupils were successful in achieving their firm choice offer for UCAS or Art college, with the unsuccessful pupil nonetheless succeeding with a very impressive insurance choice of History at Warwick. Two other pupils are taking gap years as they decide what direction they wish to pursue. Once again, UCAS success this year included a wide range of universities, including Oxford, Durham, York, Nottingham, Birmingham, Loughborough, Bristol, Exeter, UCL and Royal Holloway. One pupil also successfully applied to Trinity College, Dublin although she has chosen not to take up this place. Courses being followed this year include regular favourites such as Medicine, History, English and Geography, but also International Relations, Combined Honours Archaeology & Ancient Civilisations. In completing their Diplomas, the pupils joined 127,000 other pupils world-wide who were receiving their Diploma results this summer, and there are currently over 1 million IB pupils around the world following IB programmes, at over 3,600 schools in 145 different countries.

Our pupils have not only shown the tenacity to excel in the academic side of the course, specialising in their three chosen Higher Level subjects whilst maintaining ‘breadth’ with three Standard Level subjects too, but have also completed the Theory of Knowledge and the CAS (Creativity, Action and Service) programmes. The latter this year included the usual host of established school activities, including lead roles in the school musicals, Sixth Form Shakespeare and Talent Show, as well as leading roles in the senior prefect team, school sports teams, CCF, Model United Nations, orchestras and choirs, not to mention instrumental lessons and LAMDA . More ‘exotic’ CAS contributions from our Third Cohort of pupils included chairmanship of the Portsmouth Youth Parliament, acting on the committee of the Children’s Trust Board, broadcasting for local radio, working with Operation Smile, handing out water at the London Marathon, volunteering in a local Wildlife Hospital, playing at Bestival, writing book reviews, teaching French to junior pupils and English to Swedish Y9 pupils (in Sweden), playing national standard badminton and assisting at the Fishbourne Roman Palace and the Mary Rose Museum. This cohort of IB pupils were also pioneers in being the first group of PGS students to visit our partner Swedish friends from the Tall Ship Gunilla at their beautiful island school, near Gothenburg. Naturally, we wish them and their fellow A Level pupils every success in their future studies as we welcome into Year 12 our fifth Cohort of IB pupils. Simon Taylor

PGS Extend Celebration Evening The fourth Ithaka Prize for Independent Learning was awarded this year, in a celebration of creativity and passion for research. The audience in the DRT included our guest of honour The Right Reverend Dr Christopher Foster, Bishop of Portsmouth, who awarded the Trophy to Fay Davies for her Translation of

Literature: Challenge, Sacrifice and Potential. The Ithaka trophy is awarded for the best PGS Extend research project or IB Extended Essay submitted by Year 12 pupils. PGS Extend is a research project carried out by A Level students in the summer of Year 12. Students of the International Baccalaureate carry out an Extended Essay as part of the IB qualification. The research skills gained by these experiences are often the subject of university interviews and applications and are useful preparation for Higher Education. PGS Extend is increasingly popular with pupils in Years 7-11 too and the following pupils, whose submissions were commended, joined the Celebration with their families: Alexander Sidnell (Yr 8) and Jordan Gibson (Yr8) for their collaboration Corruption is the Key, Isobel Porter (Yr 8) for Olympic Union, Noor Shihadeh (Yr 8) for Jordan, and Fergus Kaye (Yr 10) for Plan to Flourish. This year’s PGS Extend Celebration Evening was marked by the great creativity and originality of the finalists’ submissions. Sophie Tobin’s Investigation into 19th and 20th Century Portraiture showed her great skills and commitment as an artist in the diverse interpretation of her sketch of her sister, inspired by such diverse artists as Modigliani and Bacon. Louisa Stark’s abstract painting inspired by ‘Metamorphosis: Titian 2012’ at the National Gallery showed the great depth of thought given to the creation of her powerful work. A third artist presenting on 19 March was Barnaby Martin who presented the exquisite photographs from his Costa Rican Wildlife: A Photographic Collection in a modest and humorous manner that belied the skills required to take the images he shared. Literature inspired two of the finalists. George Laver’s IB Extended Essay explored How and to what effect is the emotion of fear evoked in M G Lewis’s ‘The Monk’ and Ann Radcliffe’s ‘The Mysteries of Udolpho?’. This was a model piece of research with an excellent structure and extensive referencing which guided the reader easily to its conclusion. Fay Davies was a worthy recipient of the Ithaka Prize with her Translation of Literature: Challenge, Sacrifice and Potential. This was an original project which identified the challenges and sacrifices made by two translators in their interpretations of Dante’s Inferno,

‘Fay Davies was a worthy recipient of the Ithaka Prize with her Translation of Literature: Challenge, Sacrifice and Potential.’

FAY DAVIES Translation of Literature: Challenge, Sacrifice and Potential Supervisor: Mr James Burkinshaw Marker: Mr Julian Elphick-Smith

Pursuing a recent interest in the translation of literature, I picked up a copy of Dante’s Inferno translated into modern English. The Inferno is the first part of Dante’s Divine Comedy, a medieval Italian poem regarded as one of the literary greats. Out of curiosity I had a look at an older translation, and my project stemmed from here. Comparing the two different translations, I hoped to demonstrate the imprecise nature of the art and ultimately show that imprecision does not have to equate to loss, but rather potential. The research involved studying the original text and pinpointing areas that would present a particular challenge for translators – a pun, for instance. The process got me thinking about the underlying motive behind translation – what actually is it, and why do we do it? It is easy to see it is a sacrificial process; one that can never reach perfection. But the distinctness of the two English versions meant that I began to see translation as an opportunity for the conception of literature in its own right. I intend to read English at Cambridge University.

and their success in achieving their own original work in the process. Billie Downer’s IB Extended Essay To what extent was the

‘Cult of Gloriana’ effective in aiding Elizabeth I’s maintenance of power from 1563 to 1588? was a tour de force of research, using a

Philip’s Four Amazing Stories was a heart-rending account written with great sensitivity and compassion about four young people with incurable physical disabilities whom he met whilst doing work experience at a GP’s surgery.

wealth of primary and secondary sources. Prashanth Ramaraj and Philip Belcher explored Medicine in very different ways. Prashanth’s Neurogenesis: Fixing Your Brain was a detailed analysis of the key research into the causes of neurogenesis and possible uses for it. His research extended beyond reading and included conversation with medical experts.

LOUISA STARK A response to the exhibition : ‘Metamorphosis: Titian 2012’ at the National Gallery Supervisor: Miss Crockford Marker: Miss Alison Dyer

My PGS extend project was inspired by the ‘Metamorphosis: Titian 2012’, a collaborative exhibition held throughout the summer at the National Gallery featuring work by three contemporary artists, in response to the work of an old master Titian. Whilst his three paintings depicting a poem about the goddess Diana from Ovid’s Metamorphoses were the highlight, I found the inventive and varied modern responses interesting so decided to create one of my own. As Diana is, in Greek mythology, the moon goddess I chose to paint her as the lunar cycle, to show her changing attitudes at different points throughout the story – icy, vulnerable, resplendent. Using a background of Titian’s colour scheme, I wanted to create a linear image using a timescale and arrow to show a constant forwards movement; a ‘metamorphosis’ from blue indifference, to red vengeance and finally the darkness of oblivion, represented by a black hole. Throughout there are references to Titian’s original painting, yet my focus is always on the complex character of Diana; it is in effect a portrait of both an untouchable goddess and sensitive woman.

The presentations ended with Max Keegan singing How I will forget you, written by his band The Silver Jacks, and performed on a restored 1956 Archtop guitar. This original song, renovated guitar and the other accomplished and engaging presentations of the evening sum up the originality and rigour that is the mark of PGS Extend. Louise Wilson

PHILIP BELCHER Four Amazing Stories

Supervisor and Marker: Mrs Susan Pye During work experience I was privileged to meet some young people with long-standing medical conditions profoundly affecting their lives. Whilst working as a volunteer at a swimming group for disabled people, I met individuals with various handicaps but had not encountered people with such difficulties as those I met whilst working in a GP surgery. I was deeply moved by the degree of disability suffered by these children and young adults. I researched their illnesses in more detail describing the stories of those I met. I began thinking about the ethical issues associated with the medical care of people with incurable diseases, what criteria are used for treating patients with such illnesses, the particular problems encountered when the patient is young, and how that care and treatment affects the child’s family. I found the subject fascinating to research but realised there are no simple answers in these difficult areas. Indeed, with increasing medical technology and progress, some aspects of care for people with severe illness will become even more challenging. I intend to read Medicine.

I intend to read Fine Art.

BILLIE DOWNER

PRASHANTH RAMARAJ

To what extent was the ‘Cult of Gloriana’ effective in aiding Elizabeth I’s maintenance of power from 1563 to 1588?

Neurogenesis: Fixing Your Brain

Supervisor: Mr Simon Lemieux Marker: Miss Lisa Rickard

Elizabeth I was only the third ruling Queen of England and unlike her predecessors managed a successful reign for 45 years. Despite experiencing periods of success and failure, Elizabeth’s reign has been widely known as the ‘Golden Age.’ The ‘Cult of Gloriana’ which achieved this reputation was the image of Elizabeth portrayed by her propagandists in order to legitimise her rule as a woman. To study the significance of the ‘Cult of Gloriana’ on Elizabeth’s maintenance of power, I looked at the question: to what extent did the ‘Cult of Gloriana’ aid Elizabeth’s maintenance of power from 1563 to 1596. The dates 1563-1596 were chosen as this was the period of Elizabeth’s reign in which the cult had been successfully formed and projected onto the population. Furthermore, during this period Elizabeth’s power base was at its most secure, as later Elizabeth’s power disintegrated along with the cult. The conclusion was that the ‘Cult of Gloriana’ was greatly effective in aiding Elizabeth’s maintenance of power, from 1563-1596, although other factors were also necessary to ensure power maintenance. This conclusion emphasises the importance of propaganda and image that was clearly apparent in Elizabethan England, and which remains apparent in our society today. I intend to read History at University College London.

GEORGE LAVER How and to what effect is the emotion of fear evoked in M G Lewis’s ‘The Monk’ and Ann Radcliffe’s ‘The Mysteries of Udolpho’? Supervisor and Marker: Ms Bryony Hart

For my IB Extended Essay, I chose to explore the use of fear as a literary device in the gothic novel. I focused on two of the most significant works of the genre, Ann Radcliffe’s The Mysteries of Udolpho and Matthew Lewis’s The Monk. I selected these works not only because of their individual literary significance but also because their broadly differing styles offer excellent grounds for comparison. I based my essay on the title question “How and to what effect is the emotion of fear evoked in M.G. Lewis’s The Monk and Ann Radcliffe’s The Mysteries of Udolpho?” My research took me to the British Library in London and to Chawton House, the former home of Jane Austen’s brother. I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to follow my own lines of study and found that working on this piece enabled me to explore the views and intentions of both authors in greater depth and detail than I had been able to do before. This experience has been particularly useful in terms of preparation for higher-level research and has helped confirm my decision to pursue a literature-based degree at university. I intend to read English and Italian at Durham University.

An Investigation into 19th and 20th Century Portraiture Supervisor: Miss Alison Dyer Marker: Miss Lucy Crockford

Given my aspiration to study an Art Foundation Course next year, I wanted to do an art related project where I could work with a wide range of materials and techniques. After much consideration, I decided on taking one photo and then drawing and painting it in the styles of different artists to demonstrate how their styles and techniques differ. I chose artists with distinctive styles – Picasso, Freud, Modigliani and Seurat - then took a picture of my sister and made a template of the outline of her facial features. Next, I researched their techniques and paintings, and began the process by drawing an initial sketch. I found Freud’s style the most challenging to interpret and feel my interpretation of Seurat’s work was the most successful as, although it is not entirely in the style of Seurat, I discovered a new way of interpreting an image. Overall, I enjoyed working outside my comfort zone to create these pieces and feel that I achieved far more than I anticipated when I started. My project allowed me to experiment with different styles, which greatly improved my drawing abilities. I found it really interesting to study the artists’ work carefully in order to effectively create my own interpretations. I intend to do an Art Foundation Course at Falmouth University.

Neurones are the fundamental building blocks of our central nervous systems (CNSs). They allow us to move, respond to stimuli and even think. Neurones are so vital that it is stunning to realise the adult CNS can only create new neurones in two specific places. This discovery, that the adult CNS could generate new neurones at all, was only confirmed as recently as the 1990s. However, when this phenomenon, the creation of new neurones (neurogenesis), was finally confirmed it revolutionised the field of neuroscience. The reason for the importance of this discovery lies in the numerous possibilities that neurogenesis unlocks. Imagine a young woman in a road accident who suffers spinal injury. This could leave her paraplegic or even completely paralytic. Now, if the mechanisms of adult CNS neurogenesis could be artificially mimicked in the spinal cord the damage could be repaired- possibly allowing the young woman to walk again. My PGS Extend project researches a relationship between neurogenesis and depression. Could it be that all those Monday morning blues and midlife crises are due to your brain making neurones slightly slower than normal? Could quickening the rate of neurogenesis make us happier (or at least less depressed)? Read my PGS Extend to find out! I intend to read Medicine at Imperial College, London University.

MAX KEEGAN Renovating a 1956 Framus Archtop Guitar Supervisor and Marker: Mr Mick Kirby

BARNABY MARTIN Costa Rican Wildlife: A Photographic Collection

SOPHIE TOBIN

Supervisor and Marker: Mr Paul Nials

Supervisor: Mr John Baker Marker: Mr Simon Baker

I chose to do my PGS extend on the wildlife of Costa Rica as I was fortunate enough to be travelling there in the summer for a rainforest safari. This was perfect for me as it combined my lifelong love for wildlife and my burgeoning interest in photography. When I decided to do a photographic album my experience was severely limited with digital SLRs, as I had only used a film SLR before, for wildlife photography. This meant that I had to learn in the field how to get the best out of my camera and present the animals I was trying to photograph in the most aesthetically pleasing way. This proved both challenging and stimulating as the rainforest is not hospitable to technology and the animals themselves are not going to merely stand and pose. The photos of frogs and humming birds especially demonstrated the challenges I faced as they required an intimate knowledge of the animal’s habits and a solid understanding of the cameras abilities. This was important as most of the animals don’t inhabit areas of bright light without distracting backgrounds. To achieve the desired result I used both the local guides and my own knowledge of the animals found there. Hopefully my album is both interesting and entertaining. I am taking a Gap Year with a focus on wildlife conservation before reading Geology at Cardiff University.

Upon being confronted with the undoubtedly daunting challenge of choosing a subject for my PGS extend I was initially inclined to do something that would complement my intended academic career in politics. However, having given the issue much thought I mused that perhaps this was one of the few opportunities afforded to me during the Sixth Form where I could study something outside of my academic studies. Since learning to play guitar at the age of thirteen it has been one of my greatest passions, the writing and performing of music has been something that has enthused me ever since. Despite this I found that I had very little actual knowledge of the equipment behind the sound and with this in mind I decided that PGS extend was a chance to remedy my ignorance. I have always found that my preference lies with music from the late 50’s & 60’s therefore it seemed that restoring a period instrument back to its former glory would be the most satisfying project to take on. At first I had not planned to buy a guitar in as much of a state of disrepair as I did, but whilst trawling for suitable instruments I found a very reasonably priced Framus (as played by Paul McCartney). The only issue was that it was missing its neck; even the least musical of those reading will know that this is a fairly important component. Knowing that this was beyond my very limited knowledge of guitar repairs I consulted a guitar builder and friend Alex Taylor, to whom much of the project should be credited. Alex and I spent many hours completing the build, the details of which are documented on the slide show that will be played during my performance. I intend to read Politics at the University of East Anglia.

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The Arch - by Ellie Burr-Lonnon

Miss Laura Burden,

Mr Lewis Chalk, the new Head of Academic ICT

the new Head of English

What was your previous education like/what qualifications do you have? I studied at the University of Southampton and absolutely loved my degree. I qualified with a BA Honours in Business Studies and throughout my course I gained great experience in IT. I then took this interest further when I completed my IT PGCE so I could become a teacher of both subjects…and here I am today, Head of ICT at The Portsmouth Grammar School.

‘If you were stuck on a desert island, what 5 items would you take? Assuming that practicalities were taken care of, I’d bring two lengthy books, my two pet tortoises and one can of cold diet coke.’ What was your previous education like/what qualifications do you have? I have a First Class degree in English from Durham, and I stayed there to do my MA (specialising in publication methods in the nineteenth century). I also have a teacher training qualification. Before coming here I worked at Oundle School in Northamptonshire. What was your very first job? Aside from a lot of babysitting in my teens, my first proper jobs were on my gap year – I worked in an office until 4pm, then in a Library until 6.30pm and lastly in a pub until 11pm. When I’d saved up, I spent seven months teaching English in Sri Lanka. What is your most embarrassing teaching moment? Fainting into a football goalpost whilst invigilating the French GCSE in the school sports hall at my last school. By the time I realised I was feeling that ill I couldn’t see anything and so couldn’t make my way outside. Not a great moment. Have you taught any famous or influential people? If not, who would you like to have taught? No…although I’ve taught the children of some influential people, which can be tricky as their peers tend to focus on them, especially when they first arrive at a school. I would be proud to teach anyone who became a force for good in the world, whether they were famous or not. What is your life time proudest moment? My brother, who is six years younger, has Down’s syndrome. When he was eighteen he was selected to play the Lion in his special school’s production of The Wizard of Oz and sang a solo. He’d never done anything like that before and it was a major achievement – he still won’t even join in with “Happy Birthday” at family parties but on that one day he remembered all his words and spoke clearly in front of an audience. I was so proud of him. My sister’s graduation ceremony was also very special as medicine is a long haul and she did well to complete the course with honours. If you could be any Disney character who would you be? Belle from “Beauty and the Beast”. She reads constantly and is able to see the Beast’s inner worth.

What is your favourite book? There are so many wonderful books but my favourite has to be George Eliot’s Middlemarch. What is your favourite film? Tricky. I love The Constant Gardener for the cinematography. The Lord of the Rings will always be quite special because I first read the trilogy travelling around New Zealand when I lived there as a ten year old, and so when they filmed it there it was the only time that a landscape in my imagination matched the one on the screen. Do you have any hobbies? I play hockey for City of Portsmouth HC…but as Mr Leach will tell you (he coached me this year), not brilliantly and we just got relegated. It’s the taking part that counts, honestly… I’m a scuba diving instructor but I haven’t done much diving since September. If you could swap lives with a celebrity, who would you choose? I hate the whole concept of “sleb” culture. What is your lifelong ambition? To have a novel published…but I usually have too much marking to make much progress on my writing in term time. If you were stuck on a desert island, what 5 items would you take? Assuming that practicalities were taken care of, I’d bring two lengthy books, my two pet tortoises and one can of cold diet coke.

What previous jobs have you had? What was your very first job? My first job was working at Petsmart, until a dog bit me! So I quickly decided a job dealing with pets was not for me and moved into working in Finance and IT for Pirelli Cables, as part of my degree. After this I worked in America as an IT and Sports Coach on a Summer Camp near Boston. This experience of supporting and helping others helped me realise I wanted to become a teacher. What is your most embarrassing teaching moment? First MUFTI day at PGS – I didn’t realise what this meant and so dressed up in my usual attire when I could have sported my favourite jumper! Have you taught any famous or influential people? If not, who would you like to have taught? No one famous as yet…but I hope the PGS pupils of today will go onto amazing things in the future! What was your favourite previous teaching job? I really enjoyed my role as Head of Business Studies at Brookfield School. I got to really drive the department forward working with the pupils and offering lots of new opportunities. This was a big challenge and set me up for my future career moves… What is your life time proudest moment? Taking the plunge to move to the Dominican Republic in 2010. I moved there to live for 2 years and took up the post of Head of Computing at The Abraham Lincoln School in La Romana. I didn’t learn as much Spanish as I should have, but I made some brilliant friends, learnt to scuba dive and best of all, I met Laura, my beautiful wife. If you could be any Disney character who would you be? Peter Pan I love his green top as it matches my running vest plus he is full of energy! If you could have a superpower, what would you have? Teleportation as I dislike commuting! What is your favourite book? Despite all the controversy that has since followed, I really enjoyed Lance Armstrong’s book, “It’s Not About The Bike<http://www.amazon.co.uk/Its-Not-About-TheBike/dp/0224060872>”…it helped me transform my fortunes as an injured football player into a national level runner.

What is your favourite film? Cool Runnings!!! Do you have any hobbies? Running…as if you have to ask! What is your favourite food? Pasta to fuel my running and pizza as a reward after races! If you could swap lives with a celebrity, who would you choose? Justin Timberlake, I grew up listening to Nsync, love JT’s new albums and have enjoyed all the films he has starred in. If you could have any promotion, whose job would you have? Seb Coe did a brilliant job leading our Olympic Vision…I would love to get involved with a future Olympic or sporting event that our country would be really proud of. What is your lifelong ambition? To achieve an MA which I am currently studying for…to maybe live abroad again and I would love to run a marathon in 2 hours and 29 minutes. I could be greedy and say I’d love to run in the Commonwealth Games for example but this is slightly beyond me; that’s not to say I won’t go on trying! If you were stuck on a desert island, what 5 items would you take? Trainers, hammock, pasta, Ragu sauce and my laptop. What is your worst fear? Missing my wedding anniversary!!!

Do you have any hobbies? Running.. as if you have to ask!’

Mr Tom Clayton-Shepherd,

Interview with Mrs Sally Filho,

the new Head of Rugby

the new Head of Drama

‘I think I embarrass myself every day at some point, either being bowled out by a Year 8 pupil or being beaten by pupils in sport (this happens a lot!)’ What was your previous education like/what qualifications do you have? I went to Colstons School in Bristol, where I boarded from the age of 13 -18. I did alright at school from an academic point of view, definitely messed around too much and caused a bit of trouble for my parents but on the whole achieved quite good academic qualifications. I then went to Chichester University to train to become a PE teacher. What previous jobs have you had? What was your very first job? Before joining PGS, I worked at a great school called Perins, near Winchester. I worked there for 7 years. During my time at Chichester I had lots of jobs, some good … some not. I remember working in a factory, bagging potpourri: it was horrendous. 12 hours shifts in a factory. I didn’t last long in that job! What is your most embarrassing teaching moment? I think I embarrass myself every day at some point, either being bowled out by a Year 8 pupil or being beaten by pupils in sport (this happens a lot!) Have you taught any famous or influential people? If not, who would you like to have taught? No, I haven’t had the pleasure of teaching anyone famous yet. I have coached a lot of players who have gone onto play elite level rugby, but hardly famous. What was your favourite previous teaching job? I really enjoyed my time at Perins School. I learnt so much about teaching and coaching sport. The pupils were very keen and enthusiastic and we had some really good times together.

mind control of Yoda! All three of those would create an amazing character. What is your favourite book? Believe it or not I do like to read! And this is a difficult question to answer. I have just read a book called Talk so People Listen and Listen so People Talk. It was amazing and very thoughtprovoking. I remember my English teacher saying everybody must read Moby Dick as ‘a rite of passage’. Well I did and I didn’t like it or get what the hype was about - I suppose, being dyslexic, the language didn’t help me very much! What is your favourite film? My top 3 films are 1. Shawshank Redemption 2. Star Wars-

Return of the Jedi 3. Grease. Do you have any hobbies? I obviously enjoy sport, both playing and watching however away from the field of combat, I enjoy swimming, rock climbing and going on outdoor adventures with my family. What is your favourite food? Any, just lots of it! If you could swap lives with a celebrity, who would you choose? Does Mr Priory count as a celebrity? He is always in the local papers or off giving talks to people, so it would good to live his life for a day! What is your lifelong ambition? Apart from taking PGS rugby to world dominance, to raise my family and be a true role model to my children.

What is your life time proudest moment? Getting married and having 2 amazing young boys is my proudest moment. Away from my family it would probably be representing England Students at rugby (that was a long time ago though…)

If you were stuck on a desert island, what 5 items would you take? A knife, some flint, a plastic sheet to build a shelter with, my family and a selection of sports equipment- to keep me and my boys busy!

If you could be any Disney character who would you be? I think possibly Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story, as he is pretty awesome, looks good and claims to be able to fly! Or maybe Baloo the Bear, from The Jungle Book. Both characters don’t take themselves too seriously but always try their best and never hurt anybody else.

What is your worst fear? That is deep! As Marianne Williamson states “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. You playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It’s not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others”.

If you could have a superpower, what would you have? The ability to fly is obviously one of the top qualities; however if I could create myself as a superman, I would have the timebending powers of Neo from The Matrix, Raiden’s (God of electricity from Mortal Combat) power of electricity and the

‘What is your life-long ambition? To have made a positive long-term difference to the lives of my pupils, big or small; to have made a contribution to knowledge that will have a positive impact for future generations.’ What was your previous education like/what qualifications do you have? • The King’s School, Worcester • The University of Exeter, BA (Hons) • The Open University, PGCE • The University of Bath, MA • First person in the world to gain the IB level 1 and 2 Teacher Awards (for practice-based research into IB education) • Currently in my second year of a research PhD with the University of Bangor What previous jobs have you had? What was your very first job? First job - teacher of English and Drama at Malvern College, Worcestershire Second job - Head of Theatre, King William’s College, Isle of Man Third job - Head of Arts Faculty, Sotogrande International School, Andalusia, Spain. What is your most embarrassing teaching moment? More bemusing than embarrassing: reprimanding 13 year old boy in my English class at Malvern for not correctly writing the essay title at the top of his work. He had instead written just ‘Prinz Hannover’ and no essay title. When queried, the boy replied, quite rightly, that I had asked everyone to write their name and the title at the top of the work: his family name was Hannover and he was a prince - fair enough! Have you taught any famous or influential people? If not, who would you like to have taught? As above... various nobility (UK and International) and brand name “aristocracy” (Cadbury family, Bulmer family, Zeppelin family), son of the Chair of the World Bank, taught Pam Ayres’ sons Drama, also Zoe Ball, Dick Francis’s grandson....etc... There is nobody I would particularly like to have taught - everyone has the potential to do extremely well at something. Whether they become famous or gain influence for that is another matter entirely. What was your favourite previous teaching job? Teaching my son to ride his bike! What is your life time proudest moment? Holding my son in my arms for the first time

If you could be any Disney character who would you be? Ferdinand the Bull If you could have a superpower, what would you have? To be able to speak any language in the world fluently What is your favourite book? • Shakespeare, King Lear • Dickens, Our Mutual Friend What is your favourite film? Alain Resnais, L’année Dernière à Marienbad Do you have any hobbies? I write poetry: www.newsamorphosis.com What is your favourite food? King prawns; Indian food generally If you could swap lives with a celebrity, who would you choose? Vaclav Havel in 1989 If you could have any promotion, whose job would you have? Director General of the IB Organisation What is your life-long ambition? To have made a positive long-term difference to the lives of my pupils, big or small; to have made a contribution to knowledge that will have a positive impact for future generations. If you were stuck on a desert island, what 5 items would you take? The complete works of Shakespeare The King James Bible Some sort of wind-up or solar charged radio A powerful telescope A Swiss army knife What is your worst fear? Narrow-minded people in positions of power

Mrs Joanna Gladstone, new teacher of Biology What was your previous education like/what qualifications do you have? My first degree was at the University at Cambridge from which I have a MA in Natural Sciences. Fancying a change, I then studied for an MSC in Sustainability and Management at Royal Holloway and then, after working as a consultant in the City, did my PGCE. I think I enjoyed being a student too much! What previous jobs have you had? What was your very first job? My career before entering teaching was as an Executive Remuneration Consultant in a large multinational firm which had its offices in Holborn, London. It didn’t take me too long to realise that I wasn’t getting a lot of satisfaction from it and so I left to complete my PGCE. My very first job whilst I was still at school was as a waitress, serving dinner at a Masonic lodge. What is your most embarrassing teaching moment? Thankfully, if my memory serves me correctly I haven’t yet had one, or at least I have erased it from my memory. I’m sure it’s only a matter of time….. Have you taught any famous or influential people? If not, who would you like to have taught? Not yet! There are a few that I am expecting to hear of again in the future... What was your favourite previous teaching job? I’ve only had the one prior to PGS. I was a Biology teacher at Sevenoaks School and I loved my role as a boarding house tutor. What is your lifetime proudest moment? Completing the Paris Marathon in 2011. It wasn’t fast or pretty, but I got to the end and it is probably the hardest thing I’ve done. If you could be any Disney character who would you be? Dory, from Finding Nemo, a good-hearted and optimistic regal blue tang with short-term memory loss. She must see the world as a very happy and surprising place.

‘My career before entering teaching was as an Executive Remuneration Consultant in a large multinational firm which had its offices in Holborn, London. It didn’t take me too long to realise that I wasn’t getting a lot of satisfaction from it and so I left to complete my PGCE. ‘ I do as much choral singing as I have time for and try to run along the seafront a couple of times a week. I’ve also now got to the age where I love to go walking – preferably in the Lake District. What is your favourite food? Chilli con Carne with all the trimmings – sour cream, salsa, guacamole, tortillas. If you could swap lives with a celebrity, who would you choose? Simon Reeve If you could have any promotion, whose job would you have? Professor Alice Roberts.

andrew johnson, new teacher of Music Andrew Johnson joined PGS from Magdalen College School, Oxford, having been an intern in the Music Department. As a talented singer, Andrew, a former Academical Clerk in the Magdalen College Choir at Oxford University brings a variety of talents to the Music Department at PGS. A keen sportsman and man of Bath, he has, unsurprisingly, helped out with rugby but also cricket in his first year at the school, while also overseeing Middle School music ensembles with enthusiasm and care. We are delighted to welcome him to the school.

Gouache painting by GCSE pupil Tina Souchani

What is your lifelong ambition? To see more of the world. If you were stuck on a desert island, what 5 items would you take? Assuming this is in the style of ‘Desert Island Discs’ and I am already allowed to take the Bible and the complete works of Shakespeare, I would also need a decent coffee machine, a digital radio, pictures of my family, sun cream and a set of classic novels, because I’m embarrassed how few I’ve read. What is your worst fear? Parsnips.

If you could have a superpower, what would you have? Definitely flight. I would love to travel the world without all the expense and pollution! What is your favourite book? Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell – I couldn’t put this one down and was amazed by the scope of his imagination. As a child, I loved Goodnight, Mr Tom by Michelle Magorian. What is your favourite film?

Little Miss Sunshine

Do you have any hobbies?

John Paul McCrohon (affectionately dubbed “JP”), the new Director in Residence ‘In an ideal dream world I would be the artistic director of the Donmar warehouse in London. It is the most exciting theatre in London, with small spaces but producing some of the best work. There are no boundaries between different kinds of theatre. I aspire to that perfect blend. ‘ What was your education like? Portsmouth born and bred. I attended St. John’s College (I am therefore surprised to have ended up teaching at rival PGS) and then trained at Chichester University in Drama and Musical Theatre.

What is your life time proudest moment? I tutored a girl who was predicted a ‘C’ at GCSE Maths. My dad had twisted my arm to do it as a favour for a family friend; in the end she got an A ‘ ’. So that was very proud moment for me, and I suppose it was also one of the main reasons I considered this profession. It’s nice to feel like you can make a difference and be such an important figure in so many people’s lives.

Have you taught any famous/influential people? No, but some people who hopefully will be in the future. One person I taught has been in Les Mis in the West End and is now moving on to a production at the National Theatre. Through running CCADS, my (award winning) theatre company there have arisen leads in Dreamboats and Petticoats and a lost version of Lionel Bart’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Favourite book?

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee(also directed it on stage) Favourite film?

Some Like It Hot (Marilyn Monroe), perfect, there’s nothing about it that doesn’t work. Also American Beauty directed by Sam Mendes.

What was your previous education like? I went to school in N.Ireland, in a school which was fairly similar to PGS; we even had a black and red uniform! For my A levels, I studied Maths, Further Maths, Physics and Chemistry. I then went to Queens University in Belfast to study Maths. I have fond memories of my time at both Regent House and Queen’s; at both institutions the support that was given to me was excellent. I would certainly recommend Queen’s to any Sixth Form pupils who are currently considering their options, and Belfast is such a friendly city. What is your most embarrassing teaching moment? As a teacher you tend to embarrass yourself fairly regularly; my most embarrassing moment? During my second placement, I was in the staff room with one of the other PGCE students. She was a Zumba instructor and was telling me just how difficult it was to do. At which point I stood up and pulled a few “Zumba moves” to prove her wrong. Why? I don’t know. Once I had finished I looked round and saw my Head of Department staring at me in disbelief.

What previous jobs have you had? While still training (19 years old) I was contracted to write an internet soap opera for Casio (of keyboard and computer fame). Because of a friend who had faith in me who worked in the industry I ended up at a large important board meeting which had Japanese businessmen and the like. I wrote the manga animation which was supposed to have a “Friends meets Hollyoaks vibe” on a regular basis for a year. After that I toured doing various pieces of theatre until I got a teaching qualification and started working at South Downs College, where I worked for seven years before coming to PGS.

If you could be any Disney character, who would you be? Torn between Lumio (the candlestick from Beauty and the Beast) whom I played on stage, and Sebastian the crab from The Little Mermaid, because I mainly look forward to watching my three year old son experience these characters for himself.

Patrick McGuiggan, new teacher of Mathematics

Do you have any hobbies? Well I love sports. I love to play table tennis, football, badminton and squash. I also like watching movies and listening to music, attending gigs/festivals and playing on my PS3. What is your favourite food? It has to be pizza. Even a bad pizza is good…it just can’t go wrong.

Ideal job? In an ideal dream world I would be the artistic director of the Donmar warehouse in London. It is the most exciting theatre in London, with small spaces but producing some of the best work. There are no boundaries between different kinds of theatre. I aspire to that perfect blend.

If you could have any promotion, whose job at school would you have? I’d like to be a Head of Maths someday but I suppose that’s a pretty boring selection. Let’s go with the Headmaster.

If you were stuck on a desert island, what 5 items would you take? i. Some sort of music player (since I love listening to music) ii. Solar power generator (to charge the music player) iii. A hunting knife iv. A sleeping bag v. A ham radio What is your motto in life? I like the quote from Ferris Buller’s Day Off: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” If you could ask anyone anything, who would you ask and what would you ask? George Lucas – Why did you inflict Jar Jar Binks upon us? What is your favourite band? This is a horrible question for me, I like so many bands. I think I’ll go with The Postal Service. Which band do you hate the most? One Direction! They spoilt my go-to karaoke song, ‘Teenage Kicks’, in their new single which was pretty upsetting. What is your advice for pupils? I don’t really feel qualified enough to give life advice. I think ‘Baz Luhrmann - Everybody’s Free To Wear Sunscreen’ puts it rather nicely, definitely worth looking up on youtube. I am not long out of education, but already I look back and if I was able to do it all again, I know there are a lot of things I would change. I suppose my main piece of advice is to enjoy your time at school and university, as clichéd as it is, they are some of the best times you’ll ever have. Also, to do the best you can, otherwise you’ll spend the rest of your life wishing you had. I would also say that, although it’s nice to have a career in mind, I didn’t know what I was going to do until I was 24; there is a lot of time to figure it out. I like this quote by John Lennon, “When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment; I told them they didn’t understand life.”

‘“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”’ Ferris Buler.

Mr Luke Rees,

Mrs Sharon Smith, new Teacher of Mathematics

the new Head of Economics and Business What was your previous education like/what qualifications do you have? Degree in business management, followed by PGCE in Education, enjoyed time at school, however didn’t enjoy science despite (or possibly because) of mother being Biology teacher. What previous jobs have you had? What was your very first job? Working behind bar in local golf club. What is your most embarrassing teaching moment? Playing for a staff cricket team at first job, and being opening batsman, and out for a duck. Have you taught any famous or influential people? If not, who would you like to have taught? Would have liked to have taught George Osborne Fiscal Policy and Nigel Farage the macroeconomic benefits of net migration and the virtues of being a member of the biggest customs union in the world. What was your favourite previous teaching job? Eastbourne College due to Sunday brunches, and the opportunity to teach 4 sports sessions per week. What is your life time proudest moment? *Cringes* It changes every day as my 18 month old son learns something new. If you could be any Disney character who would you be? Peter Pan If you could have a superpower, what would you have? Flight What is your favourite book? The Firm - John Grisham What is your favourite film? Quadrophenia

What is your favourite food? Italian - Seafood Linguine. If you could swap lives with a celebrity, who would you choose? Rory Mcllroy.

‘I am truly impressed by the number of opportunities offered to pupils at PGS and the dedication and hard work of the staff to provide such an amazing experience for the pupils who attend this school.’

If you could have any promotion, whose job would you have? Mr Gallop’s! What is your lifelong ambition? Become a scratch golfer (0 Handicap) If you were stuck on a desert island, what 5 items would you take? Golf Club, iPod, Hammock, Small Sailing Dinghy & Snorkel. What is your worst fear? Locked in a room full of snakes, after a run-in with an adder on a golf course.

From when I was 5 years old I always wanted to be a teacher. As I progressed through school I realised that I really enjoyed Maths, and so… I put the two together. My journey to PGS started in Warwickshire where I lived until I was 18. I then moved to Newcastle Upon Tyne to complete a Maths and Economics degree followed by a PGCE. Newcastle is an amazing place to be a student with a mix of city, countryside and beach life all within easy reach. The lure of bright lights and big city then took me down to London. The time flew by and thirteen years later, having worked at 3 different schools, being a Deputy Head at 2 of them, completing a Masters in my ‘spare’ time and squeezing in lots of travelling it was time for a change. My husband’s job moved to Southampton so we relocated. My life changed completely with the arrival of our 2 little girls. In between having babies I worked at Havant College. I was there for 5 years but really missed teaching younger pupils. This takes us to the present day and my part-time post at PGS. I really enjoy the extra-curricular side of teaching and think it is highly valuable to be involved in things like the Duke of Edinburgh’s award. Indeed, one of my proudest moments was introducing 4 of my students, who’d completed their Gold award, to Prince Philip at St James’ Palace. I am truly impressed by the number of opportunities offered to pupils at PGS and the dedication and hard work of the staff to provide such an amazing experience for the pupils who attend this school.

Sharon Smith

Do you have any hobbies? Golf, Sailing, Cycling, Snowboarding & Swimming.

‘What is your worst fear? Locked in a room full of snakes, after a run-in with an adder on a golf course.’ 29

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A UNIVERSE FROM NOTHING It’s been a while but these words still echo in my ears. However bizarre and discouraging it may sound, if you were there when Professor Lawrence Krauss delivered the lecture on his latest findings and his new book, you would have had no qualms about what he said. On Thursday, 4th October, Professor Lawrence Krauss came to Portsmouth Grammar School to deliver a lecture: “A Universe From Nothing”, the title of his latest book. The concept of the universe and its origin is a mesmerising one, often beyond the grasp of most people. However, Professor Krauss’ lecture was more than enough to shed light on the questions that may arise when you think about the universe. We all hear many theories about the creation of the universe, the beginning of time and have heard and read about the ‘Big Bang’. It has been a massive question and slowly but steadily, the mysteries of the universe are being unravelled. There have been some major advances in this field over the past century or so, inspired by the likes of Edwin Hubble in the 1920s. In his lecture, Krauss said that Hubble, who was a lawyer at first and later pursued his childhood dream to become an astronomer, was one of his greatest inspirations. Krauss touched upon many facets of the universe and the likely beginning and end of time. Being fascinated by eschatology (which is the study of the end of the world), Krauss spoke about how the world we live in and all we see around us came to be and how it all might end. He explained in brief and in more detail in his book that the universe is expanding. If we picture ourselves, our galaxy that is, to be at the centre (even though we’re not), the universe is being stretched in all directions around us. This has been proved by years of observation and research by eminent personalities like Hubble, Georges Lemaître, Vesto Slipher and many more. Now that we know that the universe is expanding, another question which has risen many times over the years is regarding the shape of the universe. Many claim the universe to be ‘open’, some claim

Ben Fogle:

it to be ‘closed’, or is it simply ‘flat’. The ‘flat’ universe theory is what is now being widely accepted and was also brilliantly demonstrated by Professor Krauss. In the simplest of words and with the help of a few pictures, he explained to us one of the most complex theories there is. He went on to speak about the mass of the universe, the energy present in outer space, what might be the source of this energy and how there are several questions which still puzzle the most brilliant minds on earth. One of the most impressive things about the entire lecture was the ease with which Professor Krauss explained his theories and the simplicity of his illustrations. Everyone in the theatre, no matter what age, understood and accepted them. The element of subtle humour in his words was also a major part of making his work more accessible and enjoyable. One of the highlights of the evening for me was his ‘beer-bottle’ analogy, where he used something that often occurs in our lives to explain the Big Bang theory, the creation of our universe. I was once asked in an interview, what is it that motivates me when I get up from bed every morning, what inspires me the most. I guess I finally have a good answer now. Professor Krauss’ lecture and his work in the field of physics and scientific scepticism is truly inspiring and I’m sure has fascinated everyone present there for the lecture. I walked out of the theatre thinking about one thing he said. We must never start a question asking “why”, since then we are assuming that there is definitely an answer waiting for us, but we must be inclined to ask “how”. How the universe came to be? How it all started? How is it that I’m sitting here writing this at this very moment? It is these simple questions which later open the door to new discoveries and ideas.

The Accidental Naturalist Visits PGS Friends, family and animals were the main themes for Ben Fogle at the very beginning of the school year when he gave an entertaining talk to a packed audience in the DRT about his life and many adventures over the last few years. Ben was on a brief tour to promote his latest book The Accidental Naturalist which looks back over his experiences with animals and how they have been formative to his life, it is the sixth book he has penned in recent years. Having sped over from Poole by speedboat to undertake a day’s filming at the school, Ben captivated the audience with tales from his childhood at his father’s bustling veterinary practice in London to taking a swim in the Nile with its infamous crocodiles. Ben Fogle wasn’t the only familiar face at the event – Hugh Dennis, who is a great friend of Ben’s since their “dangerous roads” journey in Peru, came along to offer moral support and just a little bit of friendly banter! If there was one thing to take away from the evening it was that with passion and a positive outlook the world really is full of opportunities, which Ben has certainly proved. After his inspiring talk Ben then spent over an hour chatting to the audience and signing copies of his book.

Elisa Linley

‘Ben captivated the audience with tales from his childhood at his father’s bustling veterinary practice in London to taking a swim in the Nile with its infamous crocodiles.’

Sampad Sengupta

“You are insignificant.. The future is miserable!”

James Priory, Professor Lawrence Krauss and Jeremy Thomas

James Priory with Ben Fogle and Hugh Dennis

Baillie Gifford &

Canning House Essay Competition

Financial Mail

‘The pharmaceutical industry in Cuba has been very successful and it is converting rapidly into one of the best countries in the world with regard to health.’

Young Writers’ Competition Pupils taking either A Level Business Studies or Economics are encouraged to enter a range of national competitions both to reinforce pupils’ learning and inspire creativity of thought. The department has had great success in recent years, most notably with Romy Barton winning this very competition in 2011. This year four of our most gifted economists, Dominic Northey, Liam Stigant, Rohan Ahlawat and Henry Farrant were selected as finalists in the 16-18 year old age category. This year’s competition set students the task of writing an essay answer to the following question: When do you want to retire and

how do you plan to fund this? The essay responses from our finalists were insightful, relevant, extensively researched and in some instances very creative. All of the pupils who entered found this activity extremely beneficial, not only in terms of supporting their A Level studies, but also for assisting in their university applications. The boys won a £200 book token for the school and a £50 book token each for their personal use. Needless to say, I have recommended a few titles! L F Rees

‘The essay responses from our finalists were insightful, relevant, extensively researched and in some instances very creative.’

The students had to arrive two hours before the start of the event to set up our equipment, which ranged from light spectrometers to a jigsaw puzzle of the moon. We were given

What a title! I decided to write about this theme because I would like to study medicine in the future and this is a very relevant theme. The pharmaceutical industry in Cuba has been very successful and it is converting rapidly into one of the best countries in the world with regard to health. According to “Foreign Affairs” (an American magazine) the quality of the health system in Cuba is the major triumph of the socialist party. Also, Cuba has developed many vaccines and treatments against various viral and bacterial infections but my essay

PGS at BBC Stargazing On 10th January 2013, PGS was given the opportunity to be part of the BBC’s Stargazing – Live series conducted by Brian Cox and Dara O’Brien. The HMS Warrior in collaboration with Stargazing – Live hosted an evening of activities and lectures related to astronomy to give people an insight and better understanding of our solar system and the universe. Pupils from PGS, the Year 9 Science club and the Sixth Form Science Ambassadors, got the chance to be part of this event and work alongside researchers from the University of Portsmouth’s Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, presenting various activities to the visiting members of the general public under the watchful eyes of our teachers, Mr Thomas and Mr Goad.

Canning House is the centre of Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian culture in the UK and it organises many events like debates and educational competitions. One of the competitions is a writing competition with the title “What Particular Contributions do Latin America or Iberia Make to the Modern World?” It is true there are lots of different possibilities and themes that could be explored but I decided to write my essay about public healthcare and the pharmaceutical industry in Cuba.

focused on one specific drug called “Vidatox”. This drug uses the venom from blue scorpions and studies have shown that this venom can enter malignant cells of cancer and destroy the nucleus that causes damage to the body. Furthermore, according to pharmacologist Dr. Maria Guevara García, the drug is safe and it does not have side effects that can affect your health. It is used by thousands of people internationally without dangers or negative effects. In reality, it has helped lots of people and there are lots of success stories. Finally, after some months, I received an e-mail that said my essay had been selected in the top three. The awards ceremony was in London and I went to Canning House with Mr Stone. There were lots of very important people such as lords and ladies and everyone was impressed with my essay. In the end, I won second prize and I am very happy with the result. I enjoyed writing this essay and I learned a lot about a very important industry in the world and my ideal job.

Alec Webb

a crash course in astronomy and spectroscopy by Mr Thomas before the start of the event which was extremely useful later on as the evening progressed, when several of the people coming in turned out to be well-established and experienced physicists or astronomers. The evening was a massive success with people enjoying their time looking around the various exhibits and also listening to the several lectures that took place. The cloudy weather and slight rain did dampen the hopes of those who had set up telescopes on the main deck of the ship to view the stars, but the activities that were organised did cheer them up, being both enjoyable and educative. The event on a whole was quite successful with every one of us who were involved enjoying it to our fullest and also getting the opportunity to know more about the unknown.

Sampad Sengupta

‘Pupils from PGS, the Year 9 Science club and the Sixth Form Science Ambassadors, got the chance to be part of this event and work alongside researchers from the University of Portsmouth’s Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation.’ 34

Science ambassadors Fergus Houghton-Connell and Sampad Sengupta

Alec Webb with his Spanish teacher, Mr Stone (far right).

Developing Links with Ping Xiang Middle School

Effective Learning ‘Distracted from distraction by distraction’

What images are evoked when you think of China? For me these were a confusing kaleidoscope. I envisaged the bicycles, terrible grey poverty and paddy fields of China following the bookless (apart from works by Chairman Mao) cultural revolution of the 1970s, contrasting with the vibrant and cosmopolitan city of Hong Kong where I lived 30 years ago, when that pearl was still a British territory, secured from the Qing dynasty in China for over 150 years, as a trophy from the Opium Wars. I could still smell the rich odours of Cantonese food and see squirming live eels, chopped and dished out to shoppers on the street, great mounds of ‘thousand year old’ raw eggs preserved in soil and slimy sea cucumbers served up – all too exotic for my twelve year old taste buds. I imagined Chinese cities of choking pollution, with masked pedestrians bustling along packed roads of every vehicle, except bicycles, rushing to work in factories, built to serve a now ailing western economy whilst the People’s Republic of China booms (for the time being) on plentiful minerals, cheap labour and limited health and safety restrictions. I have just returned from a week in the city of Ping Xiang in southern China, bringing home an agreement between PGS and Ping Xiang Middle School (for 15-18 year-olds) to develop a mutual understanding of the British and Chinese cultures. PGS may host one or two students from Ping Xiang in our Sixth Form, we hope to have a pupil exchange programme and benefit from a teacher from Ping Xiang working at PGS for a short time. Our ‘sister’ agreement was met with great excitement in the Middle School – hundreds of fire crackers were let off in a 15 minute explosion of sound that had me and my Chinese counterpart cowering in the security guard’s office and then emerging to a sea of red paper, smouldering and burning at the entrance to the school. Should we feel the same degree of excitement for our side of the deal? Absolutely. Those members of PGS who are fortunate to visit Ping Xiang in future will have a life-changing experience. You will visit a thriving city of 2 million people, living in high-

Chairman Mao outside the museum dedicated to his memory in the city of Ping Xiang

rise apartment blocks in family units of three generations, each conforming to the government’s one child policy. It is a place of rampant consumerism nestling under towering monuments to the Republic’s revered communist leader, Chairman Mao. Coalfired power stations and tiny businesses produce everything the capitalist world thinks it needs, with little thought for health or safety. But the level of air pollution feels nowhere approaching that of London, the people are relaxed and friendly – particularly to Westerners, and mine was the only Western face I saw in a week. Your hosts will do everything to make you feel welcome and enjoy your stay, and want to learn everything about your home. In a region two thirds the size of the UK, there is much to see outside Ping Xiang. This is a lush, semi-tropical area, with lotus flower meadows, freshwater and thermal springs, paddy fields, orchards of Chinese strawberries and mangosteen fruit and steep, bamboo-covered hills and mountains. Good use is made of the fertile land to make delicious dishes. Meals always include chilli but there are also gentle flavours from soups made with hibiscus or day lily and lots of green vegetables. My taste buds have become much less risk averse since my childhood in Hong Kong and I enjoyed nearly everything that was offered. I re-encountered black, preserved eggs and avoided those. I also declined ducks’ tongues, served on the bone.

Louise Wilson

‘Those members of PGS who are fortunate to visit Ping Xiang in future will have a life-changing experience.’

‘How I would manage as a student today with the Internet, mobile phones, PlayStations, Xbox, Facebook and other distractions, I am not sure.’ I am not quite old enough to have forgotten homework, my slightly frayed exercise books, blotchy ink and very doubtful grammar and spelling. I would like to say I was a good student but it’s not quite true, working at a slow, glacial pace, scraping through deadlines; the appeal of French grammar, algebra or the exports of New Zealand outweighed by the television or my current book. So now as a parent with two children, I feel I am on unsafe ground when they in their turn need to be organised and encouraged. On a wet Wednesday night in February I headed to PGS for suggestions and inspiration, an evening of techniques on effective learning. It was a good humoured event with useful tips on organisation, planning and revision techniques; ranging from organising files and different learning styles to discussing rewards and whether or not we thought they worked. Looks of recognition passed between parents as we identified the common problems on getting the best from our sometimes reluctant offspring; a useful evening with many suggestions to employ. How I would manage as a student today with the Internet, mobile phones, PlayStations, Xbox, Facebook and other distractions, I am not sure. All I know is that something was passed on to me despite my sluggishness. I still remember many of my teachers fondly and their interests and enthusiasm have been inherited. I still mumble poems from the Dragon Book of Verse at red traffic lights and I can still name the flowers pointed out by my biology teacher. Perhaps to be effective parents and teachers our job is to be interested and enthusiastic, to sow the seed and hope that we are still around to appreciate the crop. In the meantime as Mark Twain said:

“When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.” Mr Bruce Derby

Wugong mountain near Ping Xiang

Mrs Wilson provides useful advice to parents

Effective habits, attitudes and skills for learning Seminar Mrs Christine Giles, Senior Teacher and Geography Teacher, and Mrs Louise Wilson, Deputy Head (Academic), ran two seminars in February with the aim of sharing research and practical advice to help PGS parents maximise effective study for our 11-18 year old boys and girls. At the heart of effective study is motivation. Research by Carol Dweck1 indicates that people achieve best when they are motivated by the process of learning rather than outcomes, people who self-reference their achievements, rather than comparing themselves to others, and believe that they can improve with effort, even in things that are challenging. As teachers and parents, we should strive for an open mind set and encourage that in our young people. Habits are important in creating a healthy lifestyle which, in turn, enables pupils to study to best effect. Research by Australian psychologist Michael Carr-Gregg2 shows that teenagers need between 10 and 12 hours’ sleep per night, and a night’s sleep should start well before midnight and be preceded by relaxing in a calm and softly-lit room. Healthy eating, good hydration and exercise all benefit studying. Mrs Giles has many years of experience assisting pupils with study skills. She offers a daily drop-in clinic for pupils who need assistance organising their work, planning their revision or need ideas on how to revise effectively. During the seminar, parents took part in a memory challenge and learnt how games can help a pupil’s mental dexterity and aid study.

They experienced how the teacher’s tips impact positively on the ability to carry out tasks by trying the same number matching activity several times, each time with a little more guidance provided. Revising can be made more comfortable and enjoyable with the help of parents – providing meals and refreshments, stocking up on attractive and useful stationery so that there are plenty of folders, highlighters, index cards, post-its and, most important of all, a pen that is a pleasure to write with. Effective revision is not about copying out notes; it involves condensing them into brief points and then being able to expand them out again – either in writing or by retelling the information to a parent on hand to listen.

Faith and Football Social Enterprise Challenge ‘At the end of the challenge, they find themselves stronger as friends and more confident individuals with practical knowledge of starting a business.’

The main message of the seminar was that there is no single right method for ensuring effective study but there are lots of things to try, and encouraging and celebrating good effort is important. A strong partnership between pupils, parents and teachers provides a sound basis to help our young learners. Information from the seminar is on the parents’ area of MyPGS and we hope to offer similar seminars in future.

Green, whilst operating within the team framework. Every week without fail they held meetings to discuss progress and tweak their business concept into the successful endeavour it became. There have been several deadlines throughout the process which have helped the girls to develop their time management skills and they have pulled together as a team to overcome difficulties along the way. At the end of the challenge, they find themselves stronger as friends and more confident individuals with practical knowledge of starting a business. So as well as helping others, the girls have benefitted greatly from participating in the challenge.

References 1 Dweck, C (2012). Mindset: how you can fulfil your potential, Robinson 2 Carr-Gregg, M (2005). Surviving Adolescents, Penguin, Australia

Louise Wilson

During the past academic year, Year 9 pupils Jemima Haydon, Georgia Henderson, Cicely Podmore and Rebecca Golton have been working extremely hard to design and create their own unique business with the capacity to generate income. This has all been in aid of charity and part of the girls’ entry to the Faith & Football challenge. Each year the charity runs a Social Enterprise Scheme for Year 9 pupils, aimed at developing Enterprise and Work Related Learning skills in an exciting and challenging way. The challenge required the girls to formulate their own business including a logo, name, identity and detailed business plan. They also had to raise their own capital in order to get their business up and running. The girls soon decided on their business concept which was to produce small handmade gifts comprising jewellery, bags and trinkets. All products were made from recycled materials, in keeping with their desire to protect the environment and ‘fly the homemade flag’. And so Ever Green was born!

Throughout the challenge, Georgia wowed the judges with her outstanding leadership and entrepreneurial qualities which resulted in her being offered a scholarship at the Faith & Football Enterprise and Leadership Academy which works with local commercial and educational organisations to develop potential in young people. Upon completion of the challenge, Ever Green won the ‘Highly Commendable’ award, finishing in second place out of the many schools which took part. For their efforts they have been awarded a trophy and vouchers for a speedboat ride; a well-deserved treat which reflects the dedication and commitment the girls have given to helping others. Hayley Chipman

To raise capital they held a cake sale at school and used some of their own funds to buy materials and equipment. In addition to their everyday commitments, the girls have spent many hours carefully making their products ready to sell to the public. The products were sold during two designated trading days at Cascades Shopping centre and Meridian Shopping centre, Havant, where a considerable amount was raised and the products proved popular with all ages. All of the products created and sold by Ever Green have been designed independently, based on their own detailed market research. The girls have each taken personal responsibility for various elements of the design and production behind Ever

Mrs Giles explaining how parents can support students’ studies

Gap Year and University Convention 2013 Every year The Portsmouth Grammar School organise a wellinformed evening for those in year ten and above regarding further education and career choices. For some it’s simply an insight into university life and the working world while for those in the more senior years it is a fantastic opportunity to get a feel for the various different options which are laid out for their not-too-distant future. The event is open to just about anyone and always attracts plenty of interest from other schools (whose pupils often come to get an idea of what might be for them in the upcoming years). It’s such a great evening and the advice on offer is certainly worth taking. On arrival, all that could be seen was a room full of smiling individuals, each of whom was willing to help. Various universities had their own table with prospectuses laid out, while there were also many successful individuals who’d achieved plenty in their chosen profession that had come to advise pupils. Law, teaching and journalism were just three of the areas represented, showing the range of options available, and each drew plenty of interest from the pupils. There were universities from cities such as Cardiff, Exeter and Glasgow, as well as many from London, and it was great for those considering their next move due to the number of representatives which were able to provide an insight. On top of all this, there were also several who were able to give advice on Gap Years and draw on their own personal experiences so that pupils could really get a flavour of what they provide. There were Old Portmuthians and specialists on hand to talk to those wishing to take a Gap Year. Furthermore, towards the end of the night pupils were able to listen to a talk aimed at those hoping to take a year out before university meaning that individuals could get a better idea whether this option was the best for them. Pupils were also able to enjoy talks about careers in the Armed Forces, Medicine and Engineering which were given by representatives with experience from various companies.

A Year in the Life of a (very busy) Gap Year Student ‘It has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience for us all, and we will remember it fondly as we all move on to the next stages of our lives.’

There was also an insightful talk from the University of Sheffield which looked at the importance of choosing the right course and the transition to higher education. To add to all of this, individuals were always available in the main hall to talk about different professions with an element of diversity such as Acting and Directing, Fashion Design and Travel meaning that there was something for everyone. Pupils thoroughly enjoyed the evening and found the information available extremely useful. Natasha Morgan, a Year 12 PGS pupil said “I thought it was really interesting and helped me think about all the options that are open to me”. Rachel Boylin, another PGS pupil in Year 12, stated that the evening was great because “I was able to get a lot of prospectuses which helped me decide which course to take”. Overall, the evening was a huge success and certainly benefitted those pupils considering their next move. Zoe Rundle

‘It’s such a great evening and the advice on offer is certainly worth taking.’

There have been six GAP Students this year, linked to both PGS and the Cathedral. Tom Brooke has been working with the Festivities, David Harris has been in the Music department, and Sam Lake has been in Drama. Danny Purtell has worked in the Library and the English department, Hector Watson has been the sports gapper, and I, James Marriott, have worked in CCF, Outdoor Pursuits, the Development Office, and anywhere else I’ve been needed. For the first term, we were joined by ex-PGS pupil Tor Murphy, who kept us all under control before going off to Cambodia. In January, Katie Reid filled Tor’s shoes, and possibly kept us in check still more effectively – she has now joined the army, after all! We’ve all had our highlights of the year which we wanted to share. David particularly enjoyed Producers week, with the rush to the King’s Theatre after Evensong, the late nights, the fatigued thumbs due to far too many glissandi – but every minute of it worthwhile for the great atmosphere backstage, the phenomenal sound that the band produced, and of course, four absolutely sensational performances. Despite tiring work from 8am to 11pm, and on the final night not leaving until 2 in the morning, Sam agreed. Danny’s favourite moment was the singing masterclass with Nigel Cliffe from the Royal Opera House, following the wonderful Remembrance Concert in which we all sang. Hector enjoyed his U14b Rugby team playing Churcher’s, where he refereed the match and the team won. Tom, meanwhile, has enjoyed Friday fish and chips and not having to queue for lunch. I have had many brilliant experiences this year, including going on the Ten Tors challenge, having a silver service three-course dinner in a tent on Dartmoor, and helping on numerous trips and getting to know the pupils. Collective highlights have included the biscuits and comfy sofas in the staff common room; Sam and I also enjoyed the chocolate box. We definitely don’t have a sweet tooth…! And it wouldn’t be a complete account of the year without mentioning Glee Club, run by Mr Hancock. It has brightened our Friday lunchtimes all year, and we particularly enjoyed the choreography to Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now – some more than others!

Danny Pu

rtell

rris

David Ha

Hector W atson

It has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience for us all, and we will remember it fondly as we all move on to the next stages of our lives. Danny and Hector are heading to the University of York, Tom and David to Durham. I’m moving on to study at Bath Spa, and Sam is taking another gap year singing at Gloucester Cathedral.

rriott

James Ma

Special thanks go to all of our line managers for making us feel part of the PGS family; do keep in touch!

James Marriott

Sam Lake

Ides of March Lecture 2013: “Ancient Egypt: From the pyramids to Cleopatra” Toby Wilkinson As has been the tradition for many years at PGS, around the Ides of March (the 15th for the non-Classicists out there), we invite a guest speaker to talk on a Classical subject. One would expect to hear the story of Julius Caesar’s assassination at such a function, considering that it is probably the best known historical event to have happened on the 15th March. However, this year, we were treated to a talk on a very different, though connected topic, Ancient Egypt. The speaker was Toby Wilkinson, who, we learnt from Mr Lister’s introduction, was a schoolboy here at Portsmouth Grammar, before studying Egyptology at Downing College and Christ’s College, Cambridge, completing his PhD in 1993, and going on to become a Fellow at both Christ’s College and Clare College, Cambridge. He is now the Head of the International Strategy Office at the University of Cambridge, and, in his role as an acknowledged expert on Ancient Egypt, he has been a consultant and broadcaster on many TV and radio shows. His youthful appearance was quite a shock, especially when coupled with his decision to wear a blazer and his Prefects’ tie, the only thing about PGS that had stayed the same, according to him!

His first section was entitled “a megalomaniac, a mistake and a marvel”, where he revealed the multiple failed attempts of the pharaoh Sneferu, who reigned for 40 years around 2575 BC, at building a smooth-sided temple, before he built the Red Pyramid. At first, he imitated the only other pyramid that had been built in Egypt, the step-pyramid, a sight he would have grown up with in his home-town of Memphis, and so he built a step-pyramid. When he realised he wanted a smooth-sided pyramid to represent a ray of sunlight, he ordered a new pyramid built, but the terrain chosen and the lack of knowledge of the builders meant they had to compromise and ended up with the “Bent Pyramid”. He then tried to make his step pyramid smooth sided, but because it had not been designed to take the extra weight, much of the stone fell away, leading to its present appearance. His builders learnt the lessons from the

‘He selected three points in Egyptian history for his talk, as it would have been somewhat difficult to cover 3000 years of history without overrunning!’ other failed attempts to create the Red Pyramid, the first of the pyramids, where the Great Pyramid now stands. Later pharaohs learnt from these failed attempts and so we can explain the Ancient Egyptian great pyramids with “no need to invoke little green men or castaways from Atlantis”, said Dr Wilkinson, in an attempt to dismiss some of the more ridiculous theories that have grown up around these magnificent structures. His second section was on “the doomed princess Ankhesenamun” . He told us of her multiple misfortunes: she married her half-brother - Tutankhamun at the age of eight, left no heirs due to congenital diseases, her husband died very young and then she was forced to marry an aged general. This part of the talk really focused in on the politics and religion of different groups in Egypt, making it fascinating to hear. Dr

Wilkinson finished the main section of his talk appropriately with the end of the Egyptian empire in the reign of Cleopatra, revealing the events of the last few years of her life. In the audience questions, Dr Wilkinson was asked if the Egyptian Empire stayed the same over its immense lifespan or if it changed. He explained that it did change dramatically over the years, but hid the changes under the veneer of ancient traditions, such as the hieroglyphs and stylised depictions of their rulers. Mr Priory linked this “masking of change” of the Ancient Egyptians with Dr Wilkinson’s apparent youthfulness, which he thought a “faintly disturbing” resemblance to “a member of my Sixth Form”! At the end of the lecture, we had the opportunity to buy a signed copy of his award-winning most recent book, The Rise

and Fall of Ancient Egypt: the History of a Civilisation from 3000BC to Cleopatra, which I am glad to say I now have the privilege of owning, and intend to read shortly.

Gregory Walton-Green

He selected three points in Egyptian history for his talk, as it would have been somewhat difficult to cover 3000 years of history without overrunning! To give some idea of the huge span of history covered by “Ancient Egypt”, he reminded us that we are closer in time to Cleopatra than she is to the Pyramids. He started off by linking his topic to the Ides of March, by explaining that Cleopatra had been present in Rome for two years when Julius Caesar was assassinated. Rome had started to meddle in Egyptian affairs to sort out a dynastic dispute, four years before Caesar’s death, and the affair between Julius Caesar and his Egyptian “paramour” brought the newest Mediterranean empire together with the oldest.

Toby Wilkinson with his book

The Broken Pyramid

La Gaceta 2013 – PGS’ Pupil-led Spanish Publication ‘So, from modest beginnings of a magazine in black and white to an explosion of colour from the seventh edition, we have come to this year’s magazine which includes work by Year 13 pupils for the first time.’ Fifteen years ago when I managed to bring to fruition my idea of producing a Spanish language magazine with articles written by pupils from Year 12 , I could barely have imagined that it would still be in production now. I was fortunate in that Mr. Alec Harrison, with his infinite patience and ability to understand what I wanted, agreed to produce it. Why did we write it? Because the pupils had to sit an oral exam based on a Hispanic theme and I thought it was a shame that we couldn’t showcase all the effort that went into research and the demands of writing a 3,000-word essay as a basis for the oral topic. And also, why was it necessary to write so many words for a 10-minute oral exam? The reason is that if somebody can write 3,000 words in the language of Cervantes, they should be perfectly capable of talking about that topic in the time that the exam board allows for the oral.

So, from modest beginnings of a magazine in black and white to an explosion of colour from the seventh edition, we have come to this year’s magazine which includes work by Year 13 pupils for the first time. Mr. Doyle has joined the team as producer, so everything is now ‘in house’. The future is to convert the magazine into a digital format and post it on My PGS and, who knows, to a wider audience.

Ms Nogueira Pache and Mr O G Stone

Mixed media painting by AS pupil Molly Cranston

Sir Max Hastings Visits PGS Sir Max’s aim was to write an account of human experience. The book had an excellent reception from critics, with the Evening Standard saying “This is military history at its most gripping” and being named as one of the Telegraph’s Books of the year 2011. His talk mainly focused on the effects of the war on the world’s people; it included contemporary accounts from a number of individuals, as well as many interesting and sometimes shocking statistics. One of his more sobering statistics was that, combined, British (including Commonwealth troops) and American military casualties accounted for 4% of the allied military war losses whilst the Soviets make up 65% and the Chinese 23%. Sir Max Hastings after his talk

World renowned historian Sir Max Hastings visited PGS in the second week of November to give the annual “We Will Remember Them” lecture to mark Armistice Day. Sir Max was a foreign correspondent for the BBC and The Evening Standard, and has reported from sixty countries and eleven war zones; he was also the first journalist to enter Port Stanley, capital of the Falkland Islands, after it was liberated by British Forces during the 1982 Falklands War. He has edited both The Daily Telegraph and The Evening Standard and currently writes a column for the Daily Mail, as well as contributing to The Guardian and The Sunday Times. His new book All Hell Let Loose is an overview of the Second World War, which gives the reader a view of the war from the perspective from many different individuals, ranging from a Royal Navy Lieutenant to housewives, a black market dealer and citizens of Leningrad. When setting out to write the book

After his talk, Sir Max answered audience questions, on topics ranging from the possible causes and effects of another global conflict and the circumstances that would have been required for a German victory in World War Two, to the practicalities of visiting battlefields in Soviet Russia. Many thanks must go to Mr Lemieux for obtaining such an excellent speaker. Charlie Henderson

‘One of his more sobering statistics was that, combined, British (including Commonwealth troops) and American military casualties accounted for 4% of the allied military war losses whilst the Soviets make up 65% and the Chinese 23%.’

‘Even some of the greatest historians in the world are still not quite sure why the First World War happened, whereas the Second World War was relatively simpler: it was all about Hitler, and so it’s so much easier to explain the Second World War than it is to explain the First.’ TOM: What difficulties did you have in researching All Hell Let Loose? MAX: Well, I’ve been working on the Second World War for 35 years so in a way I put into All Hell Let Loose a lot of stuff that I wasn’t able to put into other books. I’ve been thinking about this for a very long time, and actually at the moment I’m writing a book on 1914, and I do find that tougher as although I find the First World War fascinating I’m not completely ‘lived into the period’ unlike the Second World War, as I feel pretty confident about what people thought at that time. Even some of the greatest historians in the world are still not quite sure why the First World War happened, whereas the Second World War was relatively simpler: it was all about Hitler, and so it’s so much easier to explain the Second World War than it is to explain the First. TOM: Do you think there are any outstanding attitudes towards war that have changed? MAX: Oh yes, I think attitudes to war have changed hugely, in most cases for the better. If I can give you an example from 1914: if I was asked to explain in one paragraph why the First World War happened it was because all nations of Europe regarded war as a perfectly rational way to pursue their policies, and they didn’t realise that the cost in life and cash far exceeded anything they could possibly get out of it. But now everybody does understand that. It’s much easier to get into wars than it is to get out of them, as the President of the United States and

the Prime Minister have found in Afghanistan. The attitude to losses has also changed. People used to accept that if you had wars people got killed, but nowadays there’s an expectation that if our side do their bit right then nobody will get killed. Actually it isn’t like that, as in all wars people get killed, but there’s anger and a feeling that somebody ought to be blamed if anybody does. But actually one fundamental thing about wars which is very important is if you give very young men (who wouldn’t be much older than you) lethal weapons and you ask them to make split-second life-and-death decisions, they’re going to make mistakes. There was a great line from Lord Cheddar, who was Eisenhower’s deputy in the Second World War, who said “War is organised confusion”, and that’s true. It’s absolute chaos, it’s always chaos, and you have to recognise that. BEN: How do you think people perceive modern weapons such as drone strikes? MAX: Well, your generation will have to decide that one, but this is something that has changed. In the old days, war used to be understood as a bargain whereby you had a go at killing the other guy, and in return you let him have a shot at you. Now the new way, the drone way, has nothing to do with the old sort of warrior ethics and this idea of chivalry. The new idea is that you kill the other guy before he’s even seen you while you’re sitting down in Colorado underground directing a drone by remote control across several thousand miles, and this is a very different way of waging war. I think there’s a danger about it, because the ‘drone strikes’ approach is liable to make you Sir Max Hastings being interviewd by Tom Harper and Ben Schofield

Tom Harper and Ben Schofield in Interview with Max Hastings BEN: What would you say inspired you to write? MAX: Well, I didn’t have much choice because both my parents were writers. My family’s been writing for three generations. When I was in my teens I wanted to become a soldier, but briefly whilst in the Territorial Army I went Cyprus with a very good regiment where I found out that I hated it! I came back from Cyprus and fortunately I was still in my Gap Year, so I was able to go on to Oxford. After that it was journalism or nothing, and so I was very lucky as while in Oxford for a year I worked in publications for a newspaper in London. Eventually when I was offered a job I knew that this was what I wanted to do so I dropped out of Oxford and after that I worked in journalism for a year or so, and then I started writing books.

BEN: Do you think they led on from one another, journalism and books? MAX: Although I always loved journalism (and I still love writing for daily newspapers), it’s all, in truth, that today’s newspapers are tomorrow’s fish and chips. Books last a little bit longer. I got very lucky because as a Fellow of the World’s Press Institute it was a fantastic year in America from 1967-1968 as a huge amount was happening: Bobby Kennedy was shot; there were various riots and huge rows about the Vietnam War. So when I came back from America (because I had ended up staying for a few years there) I wrote a book about it – an incredibly bad book – but at least it taught me to write. It was my first book, and you have to write a book in order to figure out how to do it, really. It was a learning process and I wrote another book the next year about Northern Ireland when its troubles were starting up - and I should say none of these books I recommend you read – but you’ve got to start somewhere.

think that you can fight wars at no cost, and there’s always a cost. In a way, if your own people are getting killed it tends to make you think a bit more about what you’re doing, whereas if you’re just doing it by remote control there’s always a danger that you forget what war is about. It’s a very spooky way of doing things, but again your generation may be comfortable with it. My generation are not too sure as to whether or not we think it’s a good idea. TOM: In your opinion, is war the most interesting aspect of history? MAX: War is the natural part of mankind’s history, because if you look at history you find that mankind has more often been at war than he has been at peace. One thing I’ve learned when I started writing about wars is I used to think wars were about battles, and this isn’t true. Of course battles have their role because who wins the battles decides who wins the war, but the lives of millions of people – and in the case of the World Wars hundreds of millions of people – had their lives drastically affected by the war without in some cases ever seeing a battlefield. Far more civilians were killed in the two World Wars than people in uniforms. People think it’s soldiers who are at risk, but actually people’s lives can be drastically changed by wars without ever having needed to fire a gun! I’ve grown in recent years, and although I’ve written a little about the battles just to keep the narrative going, really what the book is about is what the war meant to all sorts of people. When I was young I didn’t understand at all how war - especially the World Wars affected women, I mean it was absolutely horrendous! At the very least your life is changed by being separated from your loved ones and being on your own for years on end, and it can get much worse if you were, as tens of millions were, a victim of rape and certainly terrible suffering. You never had the chance to do anything heroic, and I had to become quite a lot older before I understood that. War is not about heroes: war is mostly about victims. BEN: That reminds me of a quotation from a play that we’re studying in English at the moment: “History is 500 years of studying masculine ineptitude with women following behind with a mop and a bucket.” What is your view on that? MAX: Well, there is an element to that. One thing I will say is when I was young my father, who was war correspondent for a very famous magazine during the Second World War, adored the war and thought that the whole thing was a great laugh. He brought me up to believe that I was really unlucky to have missed it. He also brought me up to believe that physical courage was the most important thing that a man could have, and when I was young I did all these things like parachute that were supposed to be macho. But as you get older you realise that there are two kinds of courage: there’s physical courage which actually tends to come quite easily to young men, and there’s moral courage which in many ways is much rarer and more often comes to women. The older I get the more I respect the moral courage of women. I think men go to pieces remarkably easily in difficult circumstances! When I was editing newspapers, I found so many of my best colleagues were girls who tended to be a lot steadier under fire – but not literally of course!

TOM: What shocks you the most about the effects of war on society? MAX: As I said, I used to grow up thinking war was all about heroes whom I had enormous respect for, and then you actually learn that... I’ll give you one example: H. Jones who got a Victoria Cross in the Falkland’s. It wasn’t the army who decided that he should get a V.C., it was Mrs Thatcher, who wanted him to get one for loads of reasons. A lot of H. Jones’ battalion disliked him considerably. They thought he was a nutter who would get them all killed. What I learnt is that soldiers tend to be quite frightened of going into battle with heroes: they want to be led by people who will do the job whilst bringing them all back in one piece. I expect you’ve seen that wonderful old film ‘The Dam-Busters’ who were led by Guy Gibson, a 24 year old wing commander who got the Victoria Cross for leading them. I remember being so shocked when I was researching my first big book about the Second World War which was called Bomber Command. I met people who had been in Guy Gibson’s squadron and was absolutely stunned to discover that most of them hated his guts! So my view of war changed a great amount from when I was young to when I got older. BEN: Do you have any tips for aspiring journalists or writers? MAX: Well the obvious one is don’t, because it’s a grossly overcrowded profession. I always think that it’s appalling that so many kids are allowed to do media studies at Uni, as first of all doing a media studies course will do absolutely nothing towards getting you to being a journalist. You can learn the mechanics of journalism in about 20 minutes from a newspaper or broadcast station. One is much better off at Uni to do almost any subject and pick up the journalism later. But I think without a doubt that the strand of.... oh, what was it?... a famous journalist of my generation said: “To be a journalist, you need rat-like cunning, the ability to get around bureaucracies and a little literary ability”. There’s something in all that, and preferably if you have family connections too. He was talking about how nepotism in the old days was still operating whereas these days nepotism is dead. It has always been huge fun for my generation at the best of it because when I was editing newspapers they were making lots of money, and it’s always fun working for rich organisations at the time. Nowadays there isn’t much money about. My children don’t read newspapers, they read everything on screens and online. Whether or not printed newspapers will go on for another 10 years is uncertain, but I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy every moment of it. I’ve had a very privileged life. Most people end up doing jobs they don’t really like, they do it because they have to pay the rent, and those of us who are the really privileged minority are not those who went to the best schools or those who have rich parents: the really privileged minority are those who end up doing jobs they like. There aren’t many of them. But you can still have huge fun in newspapers; I remember a girl who came to me for a job from university, who said ‘Would you call journalism a gentleman’s profession’ and I said A ‘ bsolutely not: it’s a trade for cads and bounders!’. She was a bit shocked by that.

Interviewed by Tom Harper and Benjamin Schofield

Max the Grounds Dog ‘Max was here to assist James when any intruders were onsite or when the alarms would go off in the early hours of the morning. He also played a big part in keeping the foxes off the cricket squares during the day by barking at them until they retreated back into the undergrowth.’ You may have noticed that things around The Hilsea Playing Fields are not the same as they used to be and that reason is because this year the ground staffs K9 companion sadly lost his fight to cancer. Max the Beagle was almost 3 years old when he was diagnosed with Osteocoma (bone cancer) in May 2013 .This aggressive cancer, once diagnosed, didn’t give Max long to live. I was informed by the vets that a dog under the age of 5 getting this cancer was very rare, a beagle getting this cancer was even rarer and for the cancer to have formed in his rib cage was again rare – I was then told I had more chance of winning the lottery! And at that point I wish I had ... but in a way I did win the lottery as having Max was one in a million.

Anyone who came to Hilsea, whether it was Teaching Staff, away staff/parents, pupils, PGS parents or contractors, they were all greeted and welcomed by Max. Max of course had his favourites; he was very fond of the junior and senior girls’ rounder teams and would regularly wait outside the Grounds Man’s office in sun or rain to meet them; he also loved the yearly visits from the nursery school children. He had his favourite teachers. He loved seeing and playing with Ann Evans, Helen Linnett, Steph Farmer and Kirsten Cox, but the teacher he admired the most was Simon Baker. Max will never be forgotten. But living on site at Hilsea, a guard dog is needed, so after the summer holidays please look out for a new Beagle – Mylo. James Wheeldon

Max arrived after the school gave permission for him to live with the resident grounds man James Wheeldon in the lodge at Hilsea. Max was here to assist James when any intruders were onsite or when the alarms would go off in the early hours of the morning. He also played a big part in keeping the foxes off the cricket squares during the day by barking at them until they retreated back into the undergrowth. Bob Wheeldon (the Head Groundsman) also had a very strong bond with Max, and Max would assist him in the day to day running of Hilsea. Max once helped Bob with an intruder in the changing rooms by giving him a barrage of barking and growling in order to protect his granddad (that’s how Max knew Bob) and I believe if Max wasn’t there then this confrontation could have been a lot worse! His life at Hilsea was very short but his impact was legendary! Everyone knew him and commented on how well-behaved and friendly he was with children and people in general. Max with his owners, Bob Wheeldon, James Wheeldon and Andrew Watton

PGS Mock U.S. Election 2012 ‘The PGS result reflected the immense popularity of Barack Obama abroad, which was no doubt helped by his opponent, Mitt Romney, insulting the London 2012 Olympics and showing aggressive tendencies in foreign policy.’ As organised for the 2008 US Presidential Election and the 2010 UK General Election, the Politics department, led by Mr. Lemieux and assisted by Year 13 Politics and History students, ran a PGS mock Presidential election on Tuesday 6th November 2012. The day before polling day, a presidential debate was held in the David Russell Theatre between two familiar faces on the PGS political scene, Andrew Jones (MUN secretary general, Democrat) and Emily Duff (Republican); this was a well-attended event and general opinion afterwards was that the PGS debate reflected the first US Presidential debate where the Republican candidate seemed to have gained the upper hand. PGS managed to bring out their result before Florida, the first state to announce its winner and the recipient of its Electoral College results. The PGS result reflected the immense popularity of Barack Obama abroad, which was no doubt helped by his opponent, Mitt Romney, insulting the London 2012 Olympics and showing aggressive tendencies in foreign policy. Mr. Obama won by a landslide of historic proportions with 83.8% of the popular vote, winning all six “states” i.e. the middle school, the four senior school houses and the common room. The common room was the greatest Democrat victory with 93.3% of the vote, this was closely followed by the Middle School where Obama won by 86.4%. The somewhat more expected PGS landslide victory for Obama was again reflected in the less-expected solid victory in the real US election by President Obama. Unlike the 2010 mock UK General Election where representatives of certain fringe parties gained votes through practices that would result in scandal in real politics (i.e. 1 vote = 1 sweet), this election clearly showed the PGS (i.e. logical) choice for the leader of the free world.

Josh Rampton

PGS Mock US Election Results Overall, Barack Obama won by a landslide 290-56 with 2 spoilt ballots. The separate parts of the Senior School voted as follows: Middle School 70 (Obama) -11 (Romney) Grant 52-18 Latter 34-6 1 spoilt ballot Smith 57-13 Whitcombe 35-5 Common Room 42-3 1 spoilt ballot

“I love argument, I love debate. I don’t expect anyone just to sit there and agree with me, that’s not their job.” Margaret Thatcher, speaking in 1980.

PGS MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2013 The art of debate is one that takes a fair amount of time and practice before it can be mastered - with it comes the ability to speak confidently in front of a room of people. This is exactly what the pupils attending weekly Model United Nations Monday lunchtime meetings are doing. As well as becoming more informed on current affairs and international issues, MUNers develop these skills to speak with poise, debate with passion and be prepared for any future career that demands such talents. Junior Model UN has been meeting every Thursday, organised by Miss Rickard, with debates spanning across issues such as chemical weapons in Syria, prisoner voting rights, creating a ‘world army’, the use of capital punishment, equal rights and ethical treatment of animals. The contribution made by these JUNMUNers has been highly admirable and we can be sure that the future of the society will be in highly competent hands. For the first time, a JUNMUN leadership team will be formed next year to help promote the society in the Middle School. The JUNMUN Sec Gen and Policy Officer will be announced early in Autumn Term 2013.

the importance of determination and seeing one’s aspirations through to the end. This message was to remind everyone that every battle for social justice and equality has faced considerable opposition - but through resolve, those battles have been won. And so with that in mind, delegates set off to their respective committees to fight their battles on matters they presented. The progress of each committee was kept up-to-date via Twitter (#PGSMUN), thanks to Conference co-ordinator Daniel Rollins, and a long line of resolutions were debated and passed or failed. Before lunch, a breaking news report beamed in, with Mr. Elphick-Smith shuffling his papers to inform the assembled delegates that a computer virus had attacked US nuclear power plants, which later led to a American attack on Pakistan. After prolonged debate about the legitimacy of such a strike, it was revealed by another report that India and Pakistan were mobilising along the border, exchanging shots. The pressure in the room was intensified by the intimate nature of the Memorial Library, as tensions ran high. Prizes were awarded to the best, most active and high commended delegates in each committee and overall, with Seb McCue being awarded Best Overall Delegate 2013.

Weekly meetings of the Senior MUN have seen numerous issues put on the agenda - speakers have come from across the school, with Sixth Formers and Senior School pupils in turn presenting their ideas on how to solve global problems. To commemorate the 30th anniversary of Mrs. Thatcher’s re-election, MUN hosted a debate between Thatcher supporter, Mr. Doyle, and Thatcher sceptic, Will Wallace (me), as we debated whether her legacy is a burden on David Cameron and today’s Conservative Party. Speaking as a Thatcherite, Mr. Doyle noted how Britain was no longer the “sick man of Europe” because of her economic reform, and expressed his disappointment at the lack of conviction by today’s leaders. Describing myself as a “progressive, 21st Century Conservative”, I argued that, although her fiscal policies prevented complete economic collapse, they tore the country’s social fabric in two, as the gap between rich and poor widened, eroding social cohesion. The debate sparked a great deal of interest; the room was packed for the debate, and there were a myriad of questions from the floor.

Summer Term saw two trips - the first to Haslemere Preparatory School, and the second to Portsmouth Guildhall. PGS pupils ran a workshop about MUN as part of Haslemere’s One World Week event, which aimed to help their boys learn and appreciate our culturally diverse world, and involved a debate about whether torture could ever be justified. At the Guildhall, 22 delegates from PGS attended the inaugural Springfield School MUN Conference. The afternoon culminated in an Emergency Debate in the Portsmouth City Council chamber - a fitting setting to an impressive conference organised by Springfield’s Year 10s. As Secretary General, I would like to pay tribute to Andy Jones, who stepped down as Secretary General at the beginning of 2013, as well as Daniel Rollins, who took up the role of Policy Director this year and organised an outstanding PGS MUN Conference. I would also like to thank Charlie Albuery and Hugh Summers (Press Officers) for producing the numerous videos that have kept the school so well informed about MUN events. However, above all, thanks should be given to Mr. Robinson, Miss Rickard and Mr. Burkinshaw for their sustained guidance and support in helping MUN to retain its position as the school’s most esteemed society.

In addition to the weekly sessions, the society hosted the annual PGS MUN Conference, which involved PGS pupils joining forces with delegations from Springfield School. We were also joined by three MUN alumni: Aphra Luchesa Smith, Anna Bazley and Michael Roderick, who were made very welcome. For the second year, we invited 12 Year 6 pupils to take part, who enjoyed themselves immensely and, by the end of the conference, were taking an active part in the committee and assembly debates. The conference took place on the penultimate weekend of the Spring Term. Friday consisted of meeting other delegates and competing for their support, with a dinner and quiz to conclude the day. Saturday commenced with a speech by the Secretary General in the Memorial Library, about

William Wallace PGS MUN Secretary General

Douglas James, Yr 7, speaking in committee

Oxbridge Conference 2013 ‘The sporty among us were delighted to learn that there is a Quidditch team at one Oxford College and that there are an inordinate number of Ultimate Frisbee teams.’

Ben Slader assists Junior School pupils

Junior School pupils enjoy the day

On the afternoon of the 12th of February 2013, selected pupils from Year 12 attended an Oxbridge Entry lecture provided to help those considering applying for 2014 entry to make an informed decision. The talk was delivered by three young Oxbridge graduates who are now School Liaison Officers, from Christ’s and Clare College, Cambridge and St Edmund Hall, Oxford. The presentation provided ample time for questions ranging from the intriguing to the seemingly absurd; all were answered equally by the confident and knowledgeable speakers. We were given an idea of the “Work hard, play hard” atmosphere at both Oxford and Cambridge when someone inquired as to extracurricular and social opportunities. The sporty among us were delighted to learn that there is a Quidditch team at one Oxford College and that there are an inordinate number of Ultimate Frisbee teams. Common misconceptions were put right, such as the notion that Oxbridge is much more expensive than most universities, or that questions at interviews are merely plucked from midair to induce terror in applicants.

Experimenting!

Leon Wan Tu encourages learning

As well as myth busting, an insight was provided into the plethora of courses and the structure of Oxbridge degrees. An

Anglo Saxon, Norse and Celtic degree was among the more extraordinary, along with Land Economy. We had a concise explanation of the seemingly infinite application process which differs between the two Universities. Being informed that in actual fact 1 in 5 Oxbridge applicants is offered a place was astounding and alleviated the fears of many in the room. However, for the four out of five, we were rightfully reminded that attending Oxford or Cambridge, for all the centuries of tradition, is by no means the be all and end all of success or happiness and that there are institutions that equal Oxford and Cambridge for their academic excellence. It was also emphasised that one should not be put off applying for fear of failure. This presentation made two of the most eminent universities in the world seem accessible as opposed to almost mythical, unattainable, places, where one had to walk through pearly gates to enter. This accessibility however is not for the complacent or those who desire only a name to drop on their CV and at interviews; it is for those who have a true love of their subject and will thrive under the awe-inspiring tutelage of world experts.

Joshua Rampton

Oceans Alive! ‘Children and teachers alike watched in awe as “clouds” were formed when the liquid nitrogen was poured on the floor, laughing when “steam” poured out of the Year 12’s mouths after having eaten frozen marshmalows.’ An event displaying the science behind the properties of water, Oceans Alive was a chance to enthuse the youngest potential scientists in the school with fun demonstrations and interactive experiments. The Year 2s entered the Bristow-Clavell Science Centre to be greeted by Mr. Goad, surrounded by his Year 12 Science Ambassadors waiting with a strange container already set up. Inside it was liquid nitrogen. Children and teachers alike watched in awe as “clouds” were formed when the liquid nitrogen was poured on the floor, laughing when “steam” poured out of the Year 12’s mouths after having eaten frozen marshmallows. Being eager to get involved themselves, the Year 2s were taken inside the labs where different water-based experiments were set up, designed to show the properties and wide range of uses of water. They learned how water skaters are able to skim on the water, using their own beautifully made paper insects, followed by an explanation of how water rotates turbines and hence how

hydroelectricity is produced. Finally, floating “divers” placed in a sealed bottle of water were made to sink, simply by squeezing the bottle. All of these wondrous things excited the Year 2s, allowing them to think for themselves and often quite correctly giving explanations for all their observations. Before the event ended, the children were given one more demonstration, showing the effects of density in explaining how objects float. Pieces of fruit were put in a tube of four different liquids separated into four layers (alcohol, oil, water and glycerol), the different types of fruit coming to rest at a different boundary between liquids than others. As before, Mr. Goad gave everyone a chance to try and guess what was going on before revealing the full answer, allowing scientific enthusiasm to flourish in the most incredible way. The day’s activities showed that science is not only useful and interesting but is at the most basic level pure fun.

Tim Bustin Oxbridge Students 2013

PGS Firework Extravaganza

Alasdair Akass enjoys the atmosphere before the display

Families look on as the display begins

Sixth Form and Beyond Day 2013 ‘The aspect of the talk that proved most captivating for much of the audience was the unveiling of the plans for the brand new Sixth Form centre – due to materialise by the start of the 2014-2015 school year. To say that this multi-faceted and strikingly creative design actually drew cries of enthusiasm from the crowd might be a little far-fetched, but nobody failed to be impressed by the incredible proposals.’ On Tuesday 13th of November, Year 11 had their first insight into life beyond GCSEs, more specifically, into the Sixth Form at PGS. The event took place on a normal school day but the timetable was hardly typical. The day comprised a short lecture on Sixth Form life and extra-curricular activities, information on the soon-to-be new and improved Sixth Form Centre, ‘taster’ sessions on the many subjects available to Sixth Form students and lunch in the current Sixth Form Centre. The day was organised by the Head of the Senior School, Mr Waters, and by the Head of Sixth Form, Mr Gallop. Overall it was extremely well-coordinated, fun, interesting and, in promoting PGS Sixth Form, wholly effective. One of the main attributes that PGS prides its Sixth Form on having, aside from academic success, is a strong system of pastoral care, and this was a key focus in the morning talk that Year Eleven received on Sixth Form life and extra curricular activities. The talk was given by Mr Waters, Ms Wilson and Mr Gallop and presented Year Eleven with an insight into the opportunities, teaching and learning styles, and support structure they’d be looking to receive on entering PGS Sixth Form. However, the aspect of the talk that proved most captivating for much of the audience was the unveiling of the plans for the brand new Sixth Form Centre – due to materialise by the start of the 2014-2015 school year. To say that this multi-faceted and

strikingly creative design actually drew cries of enthusiasm from the crowd might be a little far-fetched, but nobody failed to be impressed by the incredible proposals. To justify such a largescale project, Mr Gallop even gave his own unique analogy: ‘why have comfy, familiar, but old boots when you could have brand new trainers? Or even crazy spider trainers?’ After this short lecture, the year dispersed into small groups depending on their choice of Sixth Form studies to explore. My own four choices were A-level and IB comparison, Art and Design, English and Philosophy. For me, the first of these was the most enlightening because it provided a deeper and more hands-on awareness of the IB course, serving to strengthen preference for it over A-level. I’m sure I speak on behalf of the majority of my year group in saying these 35-minute sessions, though perhaps somewhat too short, were extremely valuable and interactive. The teachers that gave them were passionate for their subjects and certainly keen to remedy any qualms and satisfy any queries that pupils had. I hope that my peers found the day as beneficial and constructive as I did, even if they were not persuaded by all of the talks. Personally, I think the lunches in the Sixth Form Centre imbued a sense of anticipation for the coming school year as much as anything else! Lottie Kent

¡Buen Apetito! ‘On sampling our food, luckily the faces remained pleasantly surprised and soon we had to disappoint latecomers as many of the dishes had already gone.’ The Year 9 tapas session saw pupils from each class undertaking a fun-filled morning of cookery and linguistics. In pairs, we were each allocated a recipe with which we proceeded to cook under the watchful eye of Mrs Whittaker. Dishes were all typical of Spain and included shrimp omelettes, sugary biscuits eaten at Christmas called ‘polvorones’ and anchovy and olive spread. After flustered cooking and assembling, all the while Senor Stone and Senor Doyle pacing around ‘Master Chef’ style asking us questions about the dishes in Spanish, we finally produced a table laden with surprisingly appetising meals, not at all dissimilar to the glossy photos that we had been shown. It was not long before the Heads of Departments flooded in and all looked equally as surprised as Mrs Whittaker at what we had all achieved in such a short space of time. Teachers approached us and hesitatingly asked us pre-set questions in Spanish (some being more fluent than others!) to which we replied, giving lists of ingredients used and as to whether the dishes were popular in Spain or not. On sampling our food, luckily the faces remained pleasantly surprised and soon we had to disappoint latecomers as many of the dishes had already gone. When everyone had left we were able to tuck in – we were all interested in trying the different flavour combinations; a few of them unfamiliar to us in England. That afternoon we returned to lessons with more than the usual sandwich or pasta inside us and ready for a siesta!

Cicely Podmore

Relief painting completed in the 15 hour A2 examination by Year 13 pupil Phil Rouse

Year 9 Activities on the Island On Monday 24th September, Year 9 travelled to the Isle of Wight for an activities day aimed at getting to know new pupils. Despite the wind, rain and freezing temperatures, we proceeded to our first activity in groups made up from our houses. My group’s first activity was a giant swing with amazing views out onto the Solent; definitely the highlight of the day! Whilst two members were attached to a metal pole, the rest of the group hoisted them higher and higher with a rope until one of the two on the swing pulled a cord which released them to swing back and forth at alarming speed.

After this we went inside and performed team building tasks such as untangling yourself from another person whilst bound to them with handcuffs. Following a much needed hot lunch, the sky cleared and we tried our hand at jousting. We were taught the basics before having a go at spearing one another. Moving on to an assault course, we helped each other complete the stages which included climbing over obstacles, monkey bars and lots of swinging on ropes. We returned having learnt new skills and having worked alongside both new and old house members.

Cicely Podmore

‘We returned having learnt new skills and having worked alongside both new and old house members.’

Year 8 Languages Day Competitions Winners

‘We learnt if we know the base of languages anything is possible.’ On Thursday 31st January all Year 8 pupils took part in Languages Day, a fun action-packed day involving many interactive and interesting activities for everyone to participate in. It inspired and really pushed our knowledge of the languages and also added to our knowledge of the culture. The day started off with Spanish dancing where we took part in dancing to well-known Spanish songs such as the Macarena and songs by Shakira and Las Ketchup. It was also great to hear the language sung instead of spoken which gave us more of a feel and gave it a great atmosphere. We were taught how to do some Spanish dance moves and really enjoyed ourselves; it was definitely one of the best activities! After our Spanish dancing we were next able to learn how hard it really was to sing in another language. We were shown a song called ‘Elle Me Dit’ which is sung by the famous British singer Mika. It was then our turn to sing! I think this was one of the hardest activities because not only did we have to keep up with all the words but also pronounce them properly; it was slightly challenging but showed us how we can be capable of doing more than one thing with a language. Our next activity was Russian. It was a very unique activity as many of us had never spoken it before and it was interesting to see the amount we interpreted in such a short period of time. We also learnt if we know the base of languages anything is possible. By the end of the lesson we were all quite fluent in what we had learnt although it was hard to put on the accent. To really test our knowledge we next had a quiz which involved many facts about languages, food and culture of many different countries. It really expanded our knowledge and the facts were quite incredible. Some facts really surprised us and made us realise how important and crucial it is to have knowledge of the world. Did you know Mandarin is the most spoken language in the world? Or that Switzerland speaks three national languages; French, German and Italian?

We also got split up into two groups, one going to a Mandarin class, the other going to a Japanese class. Here we learnt some of the alphabet and a bit about the language. Some of us also practised writing in the language, writing words such as ‘hello’ or their name on a piece of paper. Overall this activity was fun, to see languages that are completely different to ours. We then saw a presentation on how having extra languages helps with careers. We were told that you can earn more money by doing languages. We also saw some pictures of South America, where the majority speak Spanish. There were pictures from places in South America where they don’t speak English at all, so you would need to know Spanish to survive there. This was thoroughly helpful, and has made most of us see Languages in a different light. Finally we prepared food from different cultures. Different classes had a different country and dish to prepare. In our groups, we were split again into three. Each group made the same food, and we were against the other groups. Whichever group’s food tasted nicest and looked good would win. This competition was mainly judged by Mr Doyle, but the teachers occasionally joined in to try our food. Once our food was judged and a winner revealed, we all of course tucked into our food based on different cultures! Most tasted delicious but some weren’t so good… We had fun doing the different activities and learning about different languages and cultures. It definitely made most people think about languages more than just being in the lesson, but as something that will be useful when they are older. If not that, it was at least a very fun way to think about languages! I think the current Year 7s will have a lot of fun when they get to experience Languages Day next year. Katie Sharp and Naeve Molho

Big Birds and Barbeques:

Sixth Form Induction

‘The day gave new students the chance to ask the ‘veterans’ questions about school life and what we thought of it, and soon everyone was getting along as if they had known each other for years.’ Many agree that joining a new school is no easy experience, especially when joining at such a late stage as Sixth Form, when strong chains of friendship have already embedded themselves deep within the fabric of school life. However, despite having become part of PGS in Year 7 and in turn a firm link in such a chain, I was shocked to find that new classmates, timetables and teachers left me feeling as if I too was a new pupil. Fortunately, the school had organised a solution that took the form of two induction days, for pupils old and new, to introduce them to one another and the new system of Sixth Form. The first of these took place a few days before the new school year began at Goodwood, where a small group of representatives were sent with the new batch of Year 12s to participate in fun activities that would allow them to get to know each other. The variety of such activities was nothing less than astounding: from team quizzes to croquet, from falconry to staring down a particularly large and menacing owl by the name of ‘Boo’, culminating in a delightful three-course meal. The day also gave new students the chance to ask us ‘veterans’ questions about school life and what we thought of it, and soon everyone was getting along as if they had known each other for years. The day was exceptionally entertaining with all pupils discovering new skills that they never knew they had whilst making some new friends along the way. But the fun didn’t stop there, as the next day the new pupils were integrated with the rest of their year at PGS for a day of further team-building activities. The day began with some very

interesting lectures about productivity and what to expect over the next two years to put several anxious minds at ease. Then, after a quick lunch, all pupils were sent to Hilsea for the afternoon where they were finally told whose tutor groups they would be in for the rest of Sixth Form. Old tutees were sad to be separated, but were also looking forward to the prospect of a fresh start, and so to get to know each other better the rest of the afternoon was spent doing activities designed to get the classes to work as a team. All activities were different and challenging in their own separate ways, including using memory to guide the class through a ‘minefield’, carrying water across a considerable distance in caterpillar tracks, building bridges using nothing but wood, tyres and some very heavy cinder blocks and even putting up a tent blindfolded! By the end we were all exhausted, but also relieved to discover a barbeque waiting for us to finish the day on a high. The next day spelled the start of school term, met without the highest spirits upon the realisation that the summer holidays were over. However it was consoling to know that the new year would mean new friends and experiences, and without Sixth Form Induction the integration into such would have been extremely difficult, both for old pupils and new. Both days were fantastic fun whilst also being very useful in terms of showing us what to expect, and so I can only hope that next year’s fresh meat have a similarly brilliant time in meeting new people and entering such a brave new world as the unknown.

Tom Harper

‘For those joining the PGS Sixth Form this year, there were bound to be some butterflies in their stomach, which is natural when you’re about to join a new school. That is where the Induction process kicked in and played its role.’ The early days of September bring about the same feeling for almost all pupils across the UK, the end of the holidays and start of another new term at school. It means going back to the same old weekly routine. Some might not be a fan of this, while for others (and I’m sure for most) this is definitely something to look forward to. For those joining the PGS Sixth Form this year, there were bound to be some butterflies in their stomach, which is natural when you’re about to join a new school. That is where the Induction process kicked in and played its role. The Sixth Form Induction was spread over a couple of days with the first day being held partly at school and also at Goodwood on the 1st of September. The day started off with newcomers gathering at school and having a bite to eat. We then set off in different groups to take pictures of landmarks all across Portsmouth, a little competition which was intended to help us bond together. We then returned to the school and met up with some of the existing students who were quite nice to chat to. Then it was time for us to take the bus and head off to Goodwood. The fun began as soon as we arrived at Goodwood. We once again went out in groups and took part in several activities. I tried my hand at croquet and came to the conclusion that I could cross out being a professional croquet player from my list of possible professions. Another exciting activity was being able to see some birds of prey from up close. This was definitely one of the highlights of the day. We ended the day with a lavish meal at the Goodwood Hotel which rounded off the first phase of the Induction process.

On the 4th of September, a day before the start of the term, we went back to school and were accompanied this time by all the Year 12 students of the school. We were seated in the David Russell Theatre where we enjoyed a talk by Dai Perks who spoke to us representing an organisation, “Maximise Your Potential”, about how we can exceed our expectations and bring out the best in ourselves. We then hopped on to the bus and made our way to the school playing fields at Hilsea enjoying a candid chat with others in my tutor group on the way. Once we arrived at Hilsea we met all the others who were in our tutor groups and Houses and started off on a series of “bonding” activities. It was quite fun with us having to build bridges from scrap, setting up tents blindfolded, and having to cross an imaginary minefield with help from other teammates. However hectic all this might sound, it was definitely enjoyable and did indeed help us to get to know each other better. We were treated to a wonderful barbecue in the evening which food-lovers like me would consider to be a splendid way to end Induction day. The entire event was planned and carried out very well by the school Sixth Form team with Mr Gallop, Ms Linnett and Mr Dean doing a splendid job. When I got home, and I speak for everyone when I say this, I felt much more at ease and was eagerly looking forward to going to school the next day.

Sampad Sengupta

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IB Art Finals Over the past two years, three Sixth Form students have been working on art projects that contribute to their overall mark in the International Baccalaureate. Courtney Spalding, Georgie Boxall and Ollie Velasco presented their masterpieces on the evening of March 4th and it was a great opportunity to see all the hard work that had been put in over the past couple of years. Courtney was able to improve her skills over the two year period and develop her understanding of art. She looked into the various ways of seeing the real world and investigated the progression of nature. A three-hundred-and-sixty degree tree was created making her work more tangible as a piece. The idea behind this was so that the viewer could walk around it and feel submerged in the scene resulting in a real feel for the nature being presented. The image of a new world was also being offered with a detailed presentation of cells in the work. The cells represented the new life that could evolve from this new world and the idea of the image was evident to the viewer. Seeds were also a common feature in Courtney’s work, again providing the presentation of new life. The seeds represented the start of growth evolving in soil to create life, continuing this theme of nature and of course new life.

Almasts, Bigfoot and the Chupacabra:

a visit from the author Andrew Lane to discuss his new Lost Worlds series encouraged year 8 to consider the existence of cryptids. On 25th June, PGS once again welcomed the author Andrew Lane. On his previous visit, the focus had been on his Young Sherlock Holmes series. Lane has long been an authority on the life and works of Arthur Conan Doyle and his first series of books re-imagined the detective as a boy, solving mysteries and fighting evil. He also has a life-long interest in Doctor Who and had written television scripts for the famous series, including one where the famous detective met the doctor. Andrew Lane explained to year 8 that he had decided to write a new series. Its title, Lost Worlds, is also inspired by Arthur Conan Doyle, whose 1912 novel The Lost World focused on characters such as Edward Malone and Professor Challenger discovering dinosaurs still existing on a South American plateau. The first book in the series does not feature dinosaurs, although they will apparently appear later on, but focuses instead on the search for cryptids – creatures whose existence is a matter of speculation and rumour but not – yet – scientific fact. Andrew Lane discussed various cryptids with year 8. Some, such as the yeti or the Loch Ness monster, are part of common folklore. Others, such as the Mapinguary (a sloth-like creature rumoured still to exist in Brazil) or the Minhocao (a giant

earthworm creature that allegedly exists in South American rainforests) were new to us. Andrew pointed out that some creatures previously thought to be extinct actually still flourish, such as the coelacanth fish. The new series’ protagonist, Callum Challenger, is in a race against time to track down some of these mythical creatures before an immoral pharmaceutical company beats him to it. Callum, a computer whizz, is supported in his quest by a group of good friends.

Ollie also looked at the idea of a brave new world, again inspired from the visit to Fort Widley. One of his main pieces was a large fridge; he chose it because he wanted to alert the viewer that, in life, we only tend to look at the outside when really the inside is just as important, as is the case in a fridge. Ollie was interested in the lighting and how many fridges contain a red light inside. When open however, they are actually cold places so therefore the light should actually be blue to represent their temperature accurately. He also looked at drugs and the growing desire for them amongst young people. He created an image that showed this desire and the drive that there is for them and it came across excellently to the viewer. Ollie describes the IB Art course as “joyous” and all his hard work paid off with a superb finished piece. The three IB artists had worked incredibly hard and continuously for two years and all of their work certainly looked to reach a high standard when presented. It just goes to show that if the effort is put in then the positive results and feedback will be sure to follow.

Zoe Rundle

‘Olie describes the IB Art course as “joyous” and al his hard work paid off with a superb finished piece.’

Year 8 listened to Andrew Lane explaining how he had come to be interested in cryptids and to decide to include them in his new series. Then there was an opportunity to buy books and have them signed by the author. Mrs Mitchell organised the event in conjunction with the team from Portsmouth Festivities and year 8 pupils from three local schools also attended. Year 8 enjoyed the afternoon and many took home books for summer reading.

Laura Burden

‘The first book in the series does not feature dinosaurs, although they will apparently appear later on, but focuses instead on the search for cryptids – creatures whose existence is a matter of speculation and rumour but not – yet – scientific fact.’ 64

Georgie used her niece as her inspiration and revolved her work around Pandora’s Box. She wanted to maintain the innocence and created a piece with a distorted effect (through the image of stitching). The painting was also drawn in black and white to highlight the idea of innocence further. Georgie looked at several artists including John Martin. Martin fused dark, intense colours in his paintings in order to build tension in the image and Georgie aimed to use this style in her work to create a similar effect. Paul Villinski was another individual whose work was looked at and his several paintings of butterflies were used as inspiration for direction. Georgie created a great wave drawing and used birds to create

direction. They were presented in the way that Villinski had shown the butterflies in in his paintings. The colour ideas came from another artist, Lucien Freud, who used rather plain colour in his work. He frequently used olive colours in his paintings and Georgie followed the same route in order to get the best effect from the final piece. From September 2011 she followed a containment theme and, similarly to Courtney, created an image of a brave new world. This came from a visit to Fort Widley in the North of Portsmouth and eight to ten months of hard work followed. It certainly showed in Georgie’s outstanding work on display, much of which will be given to her niece once marked.

Georgina Boxall’s Studio Work

Oliver Velasco’s Studio Work

PGS Leonardo Competition One of the pleasures for the English Department each year is the chance to celebrate the creative output of PGS pupils, and the Leonardo Poetry competition is the final and largest occasion in the school year. The theme this year was ‘By The Sea’, and was jointly interpreted by the English and Art departments, the latter working with Year Nine pupils who produced a stunning series of colourful fish-shaped plates which were displayed to great interest on the evening of the reading by poetry finalists. The Memorial Library was once again the perfect setting for the evening, and the large and enthusiastic audience was treated to a wonderful range of poems from 24 pupils drawn from Years 7 to 10. As in the case of last year, Mr Richardson and Mrs Bell, accompanied by Miss Meadows whose idea it first was, in reading poems of their own as a warm up for the main event, the pupils’ poems themselves. The range of poems and styles was impressive, with many considering the nature of the sea and others looking at the lives of those who live by and on it. At the end, it was adjudged that Maddy de Vere from Year 10 should be awarded the Leonardo Poetry Cup, first awarded in 1958, and she was a worthy winner indeed. Thanks must go to all the pupils who entered (over 400 poems were submitted this year), to the staff of the English department and, in particular, to Mr Richardson, who judged and hosted the event. Laura Burden

Leonardo 2013 Awards Y7 Awards Daniel Hill Sam Harris Abby Coghlan Runners-up Antonia Phillips Emily Whitehead Winner Max Lancaster Y8 Awards Jemma Holden Emma Priory Lydia Buckeridge Runners-up George Wilcockson Mia Ashton Winner Katie Green Y9 Awards George Sidnell James Cracknell Chloe Shaw Runners-up Freddie Rademacher Gemma Webb Winner James Beattie Y10 Awards Matthew Seabourne Kelvin Shiu Catriona Ellis Runners-up Emily Tandy Ciara Dossett Winner and Leonardo Poetry Cup Maddy de Vere

‘The range of poems and styles was impressive, with many considering the nature of the e sea and others looking at the lives of those who live by and on it.’ 66

On the verge, where no-one goes Abby Coghlan, 7V The rotting trees creep right up to the shore, On the verge, where no-one goes. The acidic water surges to devour the coarse sand, Slowly nibbling his way toward the dank forest. On the verge where no-one goes A sharp sunless blanket hangs over the forest On the verge where no-one goes. The contumacious seagulls demolish the suffocating fish The ghostly waves drag the crabs to their makers On the verge where no-one goes. The grey sand sinks and decays the wildlife On the verge where no-one goes. A beat plays in the distance, Chanting, louder, LOUDER On the verge where no-one goes.

Pevensey Beach James Beattie, 9U As waves broke against the bow of the boat, As I stared into the sea’s mists, The wooden planks groaned and the oars splashed Only fuelling my anticipation. My heart raced as I drew my sword Admiring the finely-honed blade. I knew the mist would soon turn red As we approached the shores of Pevensey Beach. The beach soon slipped into the surly white curls As the dunes of sand slowly revealed themselves. The tranquil waves lapped against the sides of the boats Disturbed only by our oars as we slid onto the sand. And at that moment the sounds of thousands of boots Upon sand flooded the air around me And we left the safety of our boats As our eyes scanned the dunes of Pevensey Beach. The crash of the waves and of our metal armour plates Was the only sound that greeted us then. No cry of the Saxons to start a blood fuelled rampage On this tranquil yet hostile land. Then a tidal wave of our men charged up the dunes But were met with no reply For there were none of Great Harold’s army To defend the conquered Pevensey Beach. And slowly the wispy curls disappeared Along with the boats and soldiers. No noise apart from the waves bombarded my ears. Nor the colliding of armoured steel plates. My mind’s imagination switched off the fantasy Of being a Norman foot soldier invading Britain As I sat on the sand of Pevensey Beach.

Deep Depths Katie Green, 8U Dark waves crashed mercilessly Against the jagged rocks below. The almost inky black colour the only Clue as to the fathomless depth below. I had to jump. I had to jump. I would jump. I WAS going to jump. I had to jump. She asked me if I could hear the music. I could hear it, Slow like a lullaby Over and over in my head. I should jump? I shook my head, Snapping myself out of the trance. They mustn’t have it. They would never have it. I had to jump. The woman held out her hands to me, Inviting me. But I could see the cruelty, The evil in her eyes. I had to jump. I looked down at the precious little bundle in my arms. So small, so unsuspecting, Giving no clue as to the power it held as it Snuggled closer into my arms against the biting wind. I had to jump. My babe. My poor, poor babe. Unashamed, tears streaked down my cheeks, For the life it would never know. I had to jump. Drawing all my courage around me like a cloak, I glared at the woman, who had haunted my dreams for years, And knew that here, it would all end. And then I was gone, flying through the air down to the freezing depths below. I had jumped. Flying, Falling, Tumbling. Down, down until I broke the surface of the water, And it drew me into a loving embrace as my vision blacked out. I had jumped, and that set me free. My eyes snapped open, alert. I was on my feet in an instant, Ready to defend the fragile life in my arms. Around me was grey sky and black beach, But I just saw hope. I had jumped to set myself and my child free, And now the nightmare was over, And a new dawn arrived. I had now jumped and now, at last, I was released.

By the sea: a warâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tale Max Lancaster, 7V The stars shone on the water As I thudded up the beach In green and black, A solitary spirit.

What Lies Beneath Maddy de Vere, 10S

The peaceful silence was broken, Often by the sound of cannons, The tranquil waters, once azure, Were now tainted with a crimson haze.

On the surface all you see Are ripples of love and devotion. But if you look deeply into their eyes You reach the abyss of darkness.

The blades of the cold Stabbed the unfortunate As they drowned, A gloomy end.

Being with them is endless light, Entrancing azure eyes reflecting A sea beating slowly and gracefully while The sun soaks through the clarity.

Sunlight danced along the rippling waves, Like diamond eagles on a sunny day, But battleships in navy blue Blotted out the sun as they came in droves. A bloodshot trail followed me, Like parasites on their host, The swarm of landing craft overwhelmed me, A completely heart-stopping sight.

But, without them is like reaching blackness, An empty core of destruction, The endless depths of memory and regret Hold this lonely distance. In the end you realise all The storms must be ceased, For it is better to leave the unspoken words As something that lies beneath.

They showed no mercy, just brutality, Slaughtering us by hand and gun. I am now frozen in time on this decimated battlefield As I lie dead on the sand.

Acrylic painting by Emma Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Leary Year 13

2013 Leonardo finalists

‘Out OF the void…and then?’ I Out of The void In one small step The phoenix rises from the ashes A finch born out of the darkness. Destiny? Pre-ordained? With vice or virtue Thus spoke the reborn In discovery, anxiety is the dizziness of freedom Staring Into TheLight… II Forests falling and cities rising, Lives being lived, loves being loved, In hotels and heavens and hospitals, In loveliness and loneliness and peace. Blocks of flats scrambling for the sky, Yellow streetlights below, accentuating the gloom, Commuters ignore the notes floating on the air, Casting piteous glances at the wanderer in the gutter, And with the invention, the shell, the bullet, We turned our attention from the stars, Took one small step, but a great leap back, We fight, we squabble, Like rabid dogs in the dirt, Blood spilled forms red tendrils, They cover the Earth. And the stars we ignored, They are at peace They judge They sigh And look away In shame.

III The stars’ gentle blush caresses dusty plains Untouched epochs passed, until time finally slows Expectant of the arrival So imminent in its slow descent Clouds appear then clear, residue remains Silence is stifling in vacuous space Never the cry of a swan nor call of a dove Has this place heard Man’s footstep makes no sound, though it is firmly there Voices from inside resound the call “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” IV Episodes of science, Influenced transgressions. The stars are away then. As Atlas passed, As the atmosphere was lost. We lament, Yet disregard the ocean; Stain, gorillas and green. Deep sea diving For shallow waters. With light like silver screen, We gain innocence And lose but all. *** The star is so distant. A pinpoint of light, Etched in the black. With no one to say if it is ours Or just a taunt from the abyss. It is so cold here, Even in the richness of the light. An ocean of diamond blankets the planet, With icebergs of crystals… More than all the wealth of our Barren Earth. But they have lost their wealth, Without the star they have lost their gleam. And with their dark, extinguished my dream.

V Iris to iris Yours is a cascade of eternal onyx A shroud of uncertainty encompassing, surrounding all with insubstantiality Full of forgotten wishes and forgotten lovers Mine is quaint and murky green Gleaming membrane in awe of your expanse What happened here to turn you charblack? Only small beacons, blossoming in the abyss Fragility of your form and the fragility of my destiny, Parallel and unsynchronised Glowing heat, a testament to our memory. VI We assimilated our universe: A breeding void, for our empty chances. Science conquers all with completenessWe engorge our knowledge. But our hopes are starved. Our tongues dry from accomplishments We chose ourselves. Now culture Plays God - we wallow In insipid insecurities Of comings and goings. Can A world unmade Be reborn?

‘The group in creative action’

The event was the Sixth Form’s contribution to National Poetry Day, in which 13 pupils took part in a poetry workshop. The task was to create a linked poem on the National Poetry Day’s theme of ‘Stars’, all in under two hours. Divided into poetry teams, they took inspiration from ee cummings, Einstein, Iain Banks, the film 2001 and, of course, the Moon landings, especially the

first in 1969. After much fevered work, a new poem emerged, entitled ‘Out of the void…and then?’ Congratulations to all involved, and particular thanks to Mrs Kirby who inspired the event, and Mr Richardson, who helped guide and shape the finished piece.

Mark Richardson

And so we look back, up at these stars. Ancient legends told anew. This small step A Giant Leap

Authors Section I: Aladdin Benali, Joshua Rampton Section II: Robert Bendell, Alistair Gray Section III: Lydia Brown, Isabel Mackay Section IV: Thomas Brett, Matthew Peacock Section V: Mun-Roop Gill, Molly Cranston, Taylor Richardson Section VI: Tom Harper, Gregory Walton-Green

National Poetry Day

‘The drafting process’

‘Lydia Brown and Izzy Mackay’

Joe McAuley surrounded by Year 9 fish paintings in the Guildhall

Year 13 A Level pupil Alex Love with his final outcome for his A2 coursework

Portsmouth Guildhall Provides Impressive Setting for Annual Art Show On Tuesday 2nd July, the annual Summer Art Show was held in The Portsmouth Room at The Portsmouth Guildhall. Built in 1890 and designed in the neo-classical style by architect William Hill, the Portsmouth Guildhall provided a wonderful setting for this year’s showcase of artwork by pupils in Years 7 – 13. A wide range of disciplines was on display, including painting, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, mixed media, photography and animation. Year 11 pupil Charlotte Pascoe with the mixed media piece she produced in the ten hour examination

Head of Art and Design, Alison Dyer, said, “We were delighted to welcome over two hundred visitors to this annual event and it was a pleasure to celebrate the pupils’ achievements in the subject in such a prestigious setting”.

World Book Day 2013

Ali Dyer

‘A wide range of disciplines was on display, including painting, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, mixed media, photography and animation.’

Jonathan Easton surrounded by Year 8 African masks in the Guildhall

Year 13 A Level pupil Kate Murphy with the painting she produced in the 15 hour examination

World Book Day 2013 was another successful day in the PGS calendar with the English department welcoming back The New Apollo Theatre Company who performed a ‘rehearsed reading’ of a play written by the company themselves. They had amalgamated two Conan Doyle stories concerned with spiritualism and the supernatural and created a spine tingling atmosphere in the Memorial Library where groups of years, 8 and 9 watched the murderous tale unfold! Other groups participated in a literature quiz, competing against each other with book title Pictionary, Portsmouth/2013 themed questions, general questions and a book character picture round. Particularly popular was the “bid for a character”

section, in which teachers read out a description of a book character that was initially vague and became more and more specific as pupils raced to guess the answer. During the following week, some pupils used their Library lesson to take out books mentioned in the quiz. The Sixth Form took on a different challenge through a “Match the Teacher to the Book Selection” competition. Nine teaching staff selected three titles each and pupils had to infer who had read works such as Master and Commander, The Name of The Rose and The Hobbit. Mrs Bell and Ms Burden

Tools of the Trade In the Spring term, pupils studying Art in Year 9 were given the opportunity to visit the Dockyard Apprentice Exhibition in Boathouse No.7. During the 18th and 19th centuries, Portsmouth Royal Dockyard was the greatest industrial complex in the world, employing over 25,000 workers. The Dockyard Apprentice Museum tells the story of Dockyard life in 1911, when the great Dreadnought battleships were being constructed. It is often said that the Industrial Revolution started in Portsmouth Dockyard in the early 19th century with the introduction of Marc Brunel’s block-making machinery. Originally housed in the Block Mills, these were the world’s first machines designed for mass-production and some of them can now be seen in the Dockyard Apprentice exhibition. During the visits, pupils were given the opportunity to talk to some of the original apprentices about their trades and working conditions and to learn all about the crafts and

skills which once made Portsmouth Dockyard the greatest shipbuilding centre in the world. The museum provided the inspiration for a mixed-media Art project, entitled ‘Tools of the Trade: Deconstruct – Reconstruct’. In lessons, the pupils worked alongside Artist-in-Residence, Julie Graves, to explore the properties, functions and aesthetic qualities of some of the original Dockyard tools. They experimented with some unusual and exciting materials and techniques and their final outcomes can be seen in the images on this page. Their work included etchings, handmade brushes and mixed media sculptures. The project encouraged the pupils to closely examine objects which they would normally take for granted and to appreciate the level of skill involved in making the original shipbuilding tools.

Ali Dyer

Creative Cultural Collaborations During the Spring Term, Year 8 pupils studied African Masks in their Art and Design lessons. Pupils worked in pairs to design, construct and decorate complex three-dimensional masks from cardboard, gum strip and acrylic paint. The pupils made

links between their own work and that of Pablo Picasso and Naum Gabo during the project and the final outcomes were the result of careful planning, collaboration and execution.

Ali Dyer

‘During the visits, pupils were given the opportunity to talk to some of the original apprentices about their trades and working conditions and to learn all about the crafts and skills which once made Portsmouth Dockyard the greatest shipbuilding centre in the world.’ Year 8 pupils wearing their colourful creations

Large wicker sculpture by Artist-in-Residence Julie Graves

Old Portsmouth Provides Inspiration for The Big Draw 2012 Behind the Scenes To coincide with this year’s school musical, ‘The Producers’, Year 9 pupils in Art explored the visual qualities in the backstage areas of The Kings Theatre, Southsea. Initially, the pupils cropped photographs of the backstage areas which they then translated into sophisticated lino cuts. Their next task was to create mixed media acrylic paintings using a

range of materials to emphasise the opposing surface textures in the imagery. This project encouraged the pupils to use cropping as a tool for abstraction and manipulate materials effectively to bring a scene to life. Ali Dyer Year 9 Exhibition at The Kings Theatre 1

Collaborative Sculpture to Celebrate the London 2012 Olympics ‘The sculpture will be a permanent fixture and we hope the school community will enjoy seeing it weather into its surroundings over time.’ Year 10 pupils studying GCSE Art and Design had the exciting opportunity to work closely with local sculptor and PGS parent, Cara Wassenberg, as part of the Artist Residency Programme. Each pupil selected a different Olympic sport to investigate and produced visual research in their sketchbooks. The aim of the project was to design copper discs which relate to the individual Olympic sports and create them in the workshop under Cara’s expert supervision. Pupils were introduced to different techniques for folding, manipulating, texturing and embellishing copper. The designs are based on the logos, equipment and movements associated with each sport and many of the discs have developed into striking abstract designs. Each pupil produced three copper discs inspired by their chosen sport and these were being fixed to a large spherical armature to create a collaborative sculpture to mark the London 2012 Olympics.

Head of Art, Alison Dyer said, “The Artist Residency programme always provides exciting opportunities for our pupils and this project has certainly equipped the Year 10 pupils with a range of new skills. The pupils have enjoyed working collaboratively and the final outcome is very impressive. The sculpture will be a permanent fixture and we hope the school community will enjoy seeing it weather into its surroundings over time.”

In the Autumn term, pupils in Year 10 worked on a collaborative project for The Big Draw entitled A ‘ rchitecture, Mapping and Movement’. The Big Draw is a National Campaign for Drawing which raises the profile of drawing as a tool for thought, creativity, social and cultural engagement. The Campaign has created a new regard for the value of drawing to help people see, think, invent and take action. Artist-in-Residence, local Fine Artist and Graphic Designer Chris Wood, worked closely with the GCSE Art pupils on the project. They used a wide range of contemporary and traditional drawing media and techniques to record the array of architectural features and routes around the Old Portsmouth area. Each class was given just one day to work alongside Chris in St. Thomas’ Cathedral on the ambitious project. The private view, which took place on Wednesday 10th October in the Cathedral, was the culmination of three days’ work and visitors enjoyed the variety of mixed media responses on display, which included engravings, printmaking, soundscapes and projections. Head of Art and Design Alison Dyer said, “This project has given the pupils the opportunity to scrutinise their surroundings and observe closely the features they often take for granted on a daily basis. Working with Chris Wood has shown the pupils that drawing can be exciting; they were encouraged to take risks with materials and techniques and work intuitively. The final exhibition is a celebration of our local area and a real visual treat.”

The final sculpture was installed at our Hilsea sports ground and it was unveiled in September 2012.

Ali Dyer

‘The Big Draw is a National Campaign for Drawing which raises the profile of drawing as a tool for thought, creativity, social and cultural engagement.’

The exhibition offered alternative perspectives and personal interpretations of our local environment and landmarks.

Ali Dyer Head of Art Alison Dyer, Artist-in-Residence Cara Wassenberg and Headmaster James Priory at the unveiling Vistors enjoy the private view

Diary of a Madman

A close-up of the shrine

Each year the Year 12 A Level Art group undertake a site specific installation project as part of their coursework. This year, their work was inspired by Nikolai Gogol’s farcical short story ‘Diary of a Madman’ which records the gradual descent of the protagonist, Poprishchin, into insanity. After initial planning and preparation in lessons, the pupils were given one day to finalise the installation in the Art Department. They utilised a wide range of media and techniques, including painting, soundscapes, textiles and found objects, to create their own interpretation of the fragmented narrative. The exhibition was open to visitors on the evening of the Sixth Form Subject Forum and many commented on the chilling and compelling atmosphere which had been created. Head of Art and Design, Miss Alison Dyer, said “This was a fantastic opportunity for the pupils to work collaboratively on a challenging project and the final installation certainly captured the disjointed and disturbing nature of the original text from 1835”.

Ali Dyer

final of the iary w e i V ed n - th llatio a t s n i

‘Pupils utilised a wide range of media and techniques, including painting, soundscapes, textiles and found objects, to create their own interpretation of the fragmented narrative.’

View of the final installation - the study

SPORTS B oys

’ Ho ckey s’ Ho 82 ckey 86 R u gb y 90 Netb all 99 Cric ket 102 T e nn is Spor At h l 108 t etic Th a i s To u r s land to 109 a n d M a l ays S i ng ia, apo 110 re Spor ts D ay 112 Girl

PGS Sports Hall

Boys’ U16 and 2nd XI Hockey ‘The highlight of the season was the Hampshire Rounds of the National Cup.’

Boys’ 1st xI Hockey Any teacher or coach working with the 1st X1 this season will have witnessed the slow and complicated road to adulthood. One of the challenges as a coach is to find the key to unlock the talent of some players. However you can only help those who want help and who want to improve and are willing to work at it. “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act but a habit.” Aristotle. Results: Played 21 Won 12, Lost 7 Drawn 2. Goals for 59, against 44. We played in the Hampshire U19 Cup Tournament in Southampton on Wednesday 30th January and beat Lord Wandsworth in the final on penalty flicks. These were scored by Tom Farnworth, Tom Lavery, Will Seebold, Lewis Garland and Charlie Futcher. This is a notoriously difficult tournament to win, although the present Lower 6th won it in Year 11, so great credit to them winning two years in a row. It is an ideal day to develop team work and general team play. Seth Jackson spent the whole day in his sleeping bag - the start of a virus that spread to some of the others. Alex Leach departed for hospital after being injured while umpiring! The ball flew off a stick onto his cheek requiring hospital treatment. We played Churcher’s College in the county rounds of the National Cup minus our goalkeeper, James Woolas, who was at Twickenham! Dominic Mortimer replaced him and kept really well. A difficult baptism, as he had never played for the 1st X1 before. We were 4-1 down at half-time but managed to score three goals in the second half reaching 4-4. It was an excellent match, with a cracking second half. However, we proceeded to miss three flicks which lost us the game. Joseph Brown scored two goals, Tom Farnworth and Tom Arnold the remaining. The 1st X1 then proceeded to win all their matches in February quite convincingly, beating Seaford 2-0; Lord Wandsworth 3-1; King’s College School Wimbledon 2-0 and KES Witley 5-1. Will Seebold who broke his leg in October returned for the cup match to strengthen the defence and midfield with his skilful play. Indoors: We trained well for the South Indoors but were required to qualify! One opponent took three weeks to ‘cry off’ which meant that the qualifying decision went to the ‘toss of a

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then is not an act but a habit.” Aristotle. coin’. This was frankly an outrageous decision considering the present Lower 6th had reached the South semi- finals in 2011/2012, losing to Whitgift. All the indoor team had played for PGS since year 7 and been on tour to Germany. They are an excellent indoor squad adding to the disappointment. St. George’s Sixes: We played five games - lost three, won one and drew one. Unfortunately, we were without the Captain Josh Gibbard and Lewis Garland on University interviews. The Team: There are some very talented players in this group ably led by Josh Gibbard, himself a gifted and very fit player. Our best results came when we played five matches close together, developing fitness and teamwork. We probably scored from 20% of corners – not enough. However, Tom Farnworth, when playing forward scored two hattricks and was the main goal scorer. He is an excellent player with vision and a high level of skill. We had a talented midfield in Sam Collings-Wells, Josh Gibbard,Will Seebold, Seth Jackson and Tom Farnworth. They are all excellent sportsmen who linked well together. The defence on most occasions remained solid and was ably organised by James Woolas, an excellent keeper. Lewis Garland, the right-half was a consistent performer, strong in the tackle. Charlie Futcher and Tom Penlington are two further quality players - Penlington consistently the best defender throughout the season. Huan Xie played creditably while replacing Will Seebold when he was injured. Justin Wilkinson is another solid and reliable defender. In the forwards we had a strong right-wing and inside right duo of Sam Collings-Wells and Tom Lavery, who on their day can beat most schoolboy defences. Tom Farnworth, Tom Arnold, Josh Gibbard and Seth Jackson rotated up front and in midfield. Josh and Tom scored two outstanding goals against Milfield. This group scored the majority of goals during the season. Alex Love and Prash Ramaraj played on various occasions.

This was never going to be an easy or even straightforward season for these teams. The lack of a stable squad of enthusiastic hockey players was always going to be a limiting factor in terms of results and our ability to compete with the strong fixture list that was ahead. The U16 year group was especially limited, with only a few players of real quality and a lack of determination and commitment from a number of players with potential. As a result of this the team was often supplemented with boys from the year below who gained valuable experience and showed great potential for next years cup competitions. Of the players who did perform regularly, Phil Horton was a reliable and often active goalkeeper, Hugo Andrews worked hard in midfield and Dylan Hoddle played in a number of positions with enthusiasm and determination. Jamie Parker-Jervis and Roshan Laly showed occasional signs of the potential they have to play senior hockey to a good standard if they choose to. The highlight of the season was the Hampshire Rounds of the National Cup when the U16s strengthened by key players from the U15s, firstly beat King’s Winchester 2-1 despite an amazing display by their England Goalkeeper and then in the Hampshire Final beat King Edward’s VI Southampton 1-0 to qualify for the South Tournament. Sadly, this day was to be disappointing, losing all our games. Some of U16s also played for the 2nd team, who performed well despite a lack of serious training and some limited commitment. Once we managed to get 11 players on the pitch they all played strongly and enjoyed themselves. We had good results against Lord Wandsworth (in the snow!), Ryde (game finished early when Justin Wilkinson put his head in the way of an opposition stick!) and King’s Wimbledon, showing that this was a good quality team with potential.

Steven Hawkswell

Boys’ U15A Hockey ‘The team, already cohesive and experienced, worked together at consolidating skills that a number of the squad had acquired at club and county level.’ This year the team welcomed Mr Gammon, the new coach, who worked with us to try a variety of new formations and strategies to lift the level of our play. The team, already cohesive and experienced, worked together at consolidating skills that a number of the squad had acquired at club and county level. The team improved throughout the year and started to play the short passing “tiki a taka” game which the coach was looking for. A highlight of the year was winning the U16 Hampshire Cup with a little help from a number of the U16 team against King Edward’s VI Southampton and therefore reaching the U16 Regionals. This was a great experience as over half the team was still 14. New to the A team this year were Nick Gatenby and new arrival from Ryde School, Charlie Connaughton. Often playing at left back, Nick put in a series of solid performances and cemented his place alongside William Dry, Jonathan Entwistle and Ollie Wratten in defence. These players played a huge role in keeping the opposition at bay in many games with the excellent distribution of Jadon Buckeridge playing a keep role creating fast breakaways and chances for the team whilst Charlie injected great speed and energy into the right wing which created many chances for our forwards. Alongside Charlie there was the centre midfield partnership of Matthew Roberts and William Jones who scored many of the great goals of the season, and at pivotal times, to send the team through to the rounds of the Hampshire cup. While in many games the quality of our play kept the ball well away from our D, when the opposition did manage to penetrate our defence the level headed judgment and the one on one commitment of our keeper Tom Woolas was invaluable. This kept us in games and gave our forward line of Ben Stainton, James Campkin, Sam Shingles, Amir Thakrar and Jack Dry the chance to wreak havoc in the opposition D. Ben finished the season as top goal scorer with many coming at important times with his ever improving drag flicking. I would like to thank Mr. Gammon on behalf of the team for helping us achieve a successful season and we look forward to new challenges next year. Ben Stainton Boys’ U15 Captain

This year’s team has been an enjoyable, talented and fun group of players to work with. Roger Gilliatt

Boys’ U13 Hockey We worked hard in our first week of training and got to know our new coach Mr Stone so we travelled up to face Whitgift for our first game under his direction. It was a tough game with a barrage of attacks from Whitgift. Despite our best efforts we couldn’t match their play and we had to settle for an 11-0 defeat. We moved on to our next match hoping for a better result against Reeds, but a good display of hockey in a very tight game ended up in a 2-1 defeat, although in my opinion this shouldn’t have been the outcome of the match. We carried on training for a few more weeks and went away once again to face Reeds. After the previous match against Reeds, we were out for revenge. We put everything into it but we ended up with a 3-0 defeat. After some weeks with no matches, we finally played against Kingston Grammar School. After the weeks of training people were rapidly improving; we showed a good display of hockey and, even though it was tight, we narrowly missed out by losing 1-0. We were highly disappointed, so we were fired up for our next match against the strong side of Whitgift! Determined not to lose 11-0 again, we put up a good fight scoring first but as we grew tired they only got stronger and so the final result was a 4-1 defeat but a massive improvement on the last time we played them. Our last match of the autumn term and our last match under Mr Stone against Kingston was (like the previous match against them) very close but despite this they finished their chances and we didn’t so we lost 2-0. For the Spring term we had Mr Rutherford as our coach. We prepared for our first match under him against King Edward VI Southampton and after a tough game we finally won our first match 2-1 and it was a great feeling. Our next match was against Churcher’s College and having tasted victory we were desperate to win again. We played some really good hockey and dominated

Boys’ U14 Hockey play throughout the game and won convincingly 5-2. Next we faced Kings Winchester and after dominating again we won 4-1. Things were going well and we were playing more as a team and everyone was showing more confidence.

The progression this year in the U14 boys’’ hockey team has been better than ever before; overall, our game as both individuals and a team is now much more professional than it was at the beginning of Year 9.

We faced Highfield next and after end-to-end play and a few close calls around our D, we came away with a 3-0 win, our fourth win in a row. After this we faced our toughest opponent yet in the spring term, Parkside. After a very worrying game of close calls at our end and after nearly losing, we won 1-0. Our last friendly fixture was against Hampshire Collegiate and we totally dominated to win 6-0.

As the season moved on, the fifteen boys who are part of the boys’ hockey team showed rapid development in all of the aspects that are required to play this sport such as core skills, teamwork, and mental attitude.

In the Hampshire Round of the National In2Hockey Cup we won comfortably with wins over Romsey, King’s Winchester and John Hanson. We therefore qualified for the South Regional Finals. Despite not losing a game we came third in our group, a good achievement for our team but being third we didn’t get through to the semi-final on goal difference. Our last game of the season was the toughest opposition of the Spring Term, St George’s College Weybridge. It was a grim day, it was pouring with rain and we weren’t in the game at all. As we all stood back and watched them play they scored 2 goals to lead at half time. During the break, stern words from Mr Rutherford sparked us back to our best and we came back into the game and ended up drawing 4-4, a well-deserved result. I would like to say thank you to our coaches Mr Stone and Mr Rutherford. U13 players: Tom Baker, Adam Brown, George Campkin, Sam Crosby, Thomas Crundwell, Ed Donnelly, Seb Hiller, Ethan Hoddle, Harry Hoolahan, Harry Minall, Matthew Roberts (GK), Gordon Stone and Noor-al Deen Shihadeh.

Ethan Hoddle, Boys’ U13 Captain

‘The hockey season was a tough one this year. But it was made a lot easier with people improving constantly.’

There were very vivid examples of this throughout the season; possibly the best was the competitive games against King Edward’s VI Southampton. At the beginning of the season (and our first match against this specific team) we took a painful beating of 6-0, which of course looked threatening to us for the future games against this efficient team. After hard hours of training, we faced this side again, and this time it was a close shave; however we still lost 1-0. By now, we were determined to obtain what was rightfully ours in the Hampshire Cup Final against King Edward’s; we went out a stronger, different team

Boys’ U12 Hockey The U12 A&B teams: The results were very mixed throughout the season. Both A and B teams lost in the opening game against KES Southampton. Key lessons were learnt from these initial games. The following games against Churcher’s College were a mixed bag with U12A being victorious 4-0 and Bs losing by two. We then met a set of very strong Whitgift teams in Croydon and lost across the board. The boys demonstrated courage and determination and played with their hearts on their sleeves until the final whistle. The highlight of the season was the final game against King’s Winchester, when all the skills and tactics clicked in this 11-a-side game. Matt Cotterell and Daniel Williams played a key role in our defence throughout the season. The boys have showed amazing enthusiasm and progression throughout the season and now have a good foundation to build from for next season in U13s. The U12C team: The year started on a positive note at home to Churcher’s, where PGS won 5-4. It was a great team performance with some high quality goals. Next up for PGS was the great sporting school of Whitgift. After a long journey up we lost 6-1 with a goal from just on the edge of the D into the top corner! Our following fixture was unfortunately about 4 weeks later due to some terrible weather. When we did play our next game, against a strong Kingston Grammar School, we were not on top form and lost 4-1. However after being 4-0 down at the break, we dominated the second half with Sam Horsman scoring the only goal. A week later we travelled back up to Surrey to play St George’s School in Weybridge. A match split into 4 quarters was easily dominated by St George’s in the first two and we found ourselves 3-0 down again. However in the remaining 2 quarters, PGS came back into the game, with

‘The fifteen boys who are part of the boys’’ hockey team both showed rapid development in all of the aspects that are required to play this sport such as core skills, teamwork, and mental attitude.’ than we had previously, and managed to win a 2-1 victory; it just proves what a few hours of extra training can accomplish! In my opinion, every single player who has been involved in this sports team this season has improved and played to their full ability and due to this I would like to congratulate everyone. However, none of our goals and targets would have been attained if it were not for our encouraging and determined coach, Mr Leach. This season, he has transformed our squad and was excellent at keeping up our morale, which I am sure we are all grateful for! It has been a fantastic season, and I hope that we will continue to improve and be successful in the future.

James Harper, Boys’ U14 Captain

goals scored first from Max Hill and then by George Charlton in quick succession. We lost the game 4-2, but it was testament to our team spirit that we kept playing positive hockey when the going got tough. We look forward to next season! Most regular C team squad: GK: Sam Scott/Finlay Parson, CB: Tom Austin, Taylor Palmer, CM: Max Hill, RM: Jack Norton, LM: Sam Horsman and ST: George Charlton (Capt)

George Charlton The U12D team: The U12 D team had a bit of a mixed season results wise, although played in a spirited fashion. Some fantastic goals were scored in attack by Max Gumm and Oscar Weeks, while the defence was marshalled by Jake Griffiths and Daniel Hill (captain). The highlight of our season was a 3-3 draw away against Kingston Grammar School. It was an end to end game which could have gone either way. Perhaps the lowest moment for us came right at the end of the season, when we lost 9-0 away to a very strong St George’s College. However, we kept going until the final whistle in this game and learned valuable lessons from the experience. On behalf of the team I would like to thank our two main coaches Mr Johnson and Mr Harriot who we could not have done without. Daniel Hill U12 Players: George Whelan, Jonny Furniss, Dan Williams, Nick Waters, Matthew Cotterill, Nick Waters, Freddie Hares, Luca Williams, Dominic Roberts, Henry Gill, Taylor Palmer, Sam Horsman, Max Terry, Ted Drayson, Thomas Austin, George Charlton, Finley Spencer, Tom Coyle, Jo Bradley, Jamie Bradshaw, William Hickman, Oscar Weeks, Jude Hyatt, Archie Bennett, Jo Kooner-Evans, Joe Chadwick, Matt Cheung, Greg Littlehales, Tom Cracknell, Finlay Parson, Tom Coyle and Dan Hill.

‘The Boy’s U12 teams were a pleasure to coach this season.’ 85

Girls’ U16 Hockey ‘The attitude of the squad was always cheerful and optimistic.’ We started the year with enthusiasm and excitement after finishing last season on a high by winning the Hampshire Cup. Our first game was home against Seaford College; we were all feeling the pressure; many of the team had not played in 6 months. However, we had nothing to fear after Phoebe Shepherd scored several deflections on the post and Rosie Bell smashed the ball from the top of the D during a short corner; the end result was 12-0 to the home team. Next was local rivals KES Southampton; this is usually a tough game, however we dominated throughout. With Georgie Milward playing her solid role at centre back with help from Siena Hocking at forward sweeper, KES had no chance of breaking through the defence. In the opposition’s half, Holly Govey was striking the ball into their D and Gracie-May Jones was gently touching it into the back of the net. The final score was 5-0 to us; everyone was thrilled with our performance.

Girls’ 1st XI Hockey ‘Our determination as a team stood out in particular showing a true PGS fighting spirit in every match.’ This year hockey has proven to be a huge success for the 1st XI Girls’ team with significant improvements and outstanding performances from all players on the pitch. The season started with a fantastic turn out at training of 19 girls from the upper and lower Sixth Form committing themselves to the dark, cold and rainy evenings at Hilsea.

losing possession whilst attacking. Cranleigh’s star player then broke at real pace and eventually was stopped by Charlotte Plowman but at the expense of a Short Corner. Only their first of the game but Cranleigh ran a well practiced drill, to score the only goal of the game. Bitter disappointment for PGS, whose play on the day really deserved a place on South Finals Day.

At the start of the season this commitment started to pay off and our first excellent performance was the Hampshire Cup in which we finished a respectable second place. Our determination as a team stood out in particular showing a true PGS fighting spirit in every match we faced and after winning all five matches we went through to the finals to play King Edward’s, Southampton. Despite everyone’s best efforts and particularly strong performances from Katie Paxman, Charlotte Plowman and Alice Worsley, we were pipped at the post and lost 2-1 to King Edward’s. Yet this far from dampened our spirits or knocked our confidence and we came back stronger as a team. This was evident in the match against Chichester College with numerous goals from our top goal scorers of the season, Alice Worsley and Sophie Brigg, who led us to a 6-0 win.

The PGS girls’ season didn’t stop there and we finished with further triumphs against Frensham Heights, Peter Symonds College, City of London Freemen’s School and in particular our rivals, St George’s, with a 6-2 win due to a number of excellent saves by our goalkeeper Caitlin Abernethy. To finish the season on a good note, we excelled ourselves with a 10-1 win against Kingston Grammar School.

Having qualified for the South Tournament, hopes were high. Our first game was against St Edward’s Oxford where a confident performance resulted in a 2-1 victory. Next up was Eastbourne College who were a tough team to beat, defending resolutely and very quick on the break. PGS patience paid off after half time; we took the lead 1-0 and held this result till the end of the game. This left us needing only a draw with Cranleigh to go through to the South Finals Day. In a game where PGS dominated, it was a PGS error that became so costly,

We celebrated our excellent performances and commitment to PGS hockey at the hockey social with games, songs and a lot of food! This was also our chance to show our appreciation to our coaches Mr Rutherford and Miss Farmer for their dedication and support throughout the season. This year the squad was captained by Josie Blagbrough and Charlotte Plowman and included Caitlin Abernethy, Sophie Brigg, Madelaine Fletcher, Emily Ford, Hattie Gould, Jess Kissane, Chania Lambrinudi, Tammy Manuel, Annie Materna, Claire Monfared, Naomi Munns, Kate Murphy, Katie Paxman, Charlotte Stephenson and Alice Worsley.

Josie Blagbrough, Captain Girls’ 1st XI

In October we had the Hampshire Cup tournament to see if we could take the county trophy and qualify for the South Regional tournament. There were several tough schools in our pool including Churcher’s, Ballard and Hampshire Collegiate. We beat them all, 3-1, 3-0 and 1-0. This meant that in a few weeks, we’d be off to Charterhouse for the U16 South Regional qualifiers. After several friendly matches against City of London Freemen’s School, Hurstpierpoint and Canford, and some intense training with Mr Rutherford and Miss Farmer, we were ready for the trip up to Godalming to face the Southern county champions. We had to win all our matches to qualify for the Regional Finals and were playing St George’s, Wellington and Beaconsfield High, all extremely difficult teams to play against. We won our first two matches 2-0 and 2-1 but we still had St George’s to face. We started well with Rosie scoring an early goal from a short corner; however we couldn’t afford to become complacent. After half time St George’s hit us hard and they managed to find a gap in our defence, making the score 1-1. After their goal we gave it all we could in trying to restore the upper hand with some textbook passing into the D from all the midfield; however in their circle the opposition weren’t faulting. We stretched their keeper but she did not let in another goal; making the final result 1-1. We waited to see if we’d qualify; however St George’s went on to beat Beaconsfield High 4-0, meaning they would qualify for the Regional Finals. Overall we had an amazing day, with huge support and advice from Mr Rutherford, Miss Farmer and Mr Leach. We finished the season beating Ballard School 9-1, which left positive and happy memories for all of us and we all look forward to playing senior hockey next year. The attitude of the squad was always cheerful and optimistic; it consisted of: Sally Hall, Georgie Milward, Helen Jones, Emily Cheshire, Siena Hocking, Anna Reynolds, Rosie Bell, Holly Govey, Gracie-May Jones, Phoebe Shepherd, Jemima Lawson and Alice Bennett. In our cup team we also had the help of Alexi Paxman, Naomi Brigg and Ciara Dossett. I would like to say a big thank you to Mr Rutherford for his insightful coaching and to Sue, Bob and the Hilsea team for their support and hospitality.

Anna Reynolds

Girls’ U15 Hockey The U15s have had a successful hockey season this year. The girls worked really hard to improve their hockey skills and teamwork. This included their commitment to training on Friday evenings, not a time when everyone wanted to be on the hockey pitch but everyone worked hard during these sessions. We started off the season with a 5-1 win against Seaford College; this was a great improvement on last year’s score and greatly boosted our confidence. Unfortunately we suffered a disappointing defeat to King Edward’s, which Mrs Day suggested was down to a lack of energy. So, we went out against St George’s, the next game, sugared up and determined to play our best. We managed to draw 0-0, a fantastic score against one of the best hockey schools in the country, with some amazing saves from Naomi White keeping us in the game. We continued the season with many more successful wins, including a 1-0 win against Bryanston, even though we didn’t have any substitutes. This was a great example of the hard work the girls had put in during the season. In our last games session we took on the Boys’ B team; it was a tight game and definitely brought out our competitive sides. It ended in a 2-2 draw, showing that the girls can play as well as the boys! We finished the season on a massive high beating Kingston Grammar School 3-1. This was a brilliant win as Kingston Grammar managed to reach the National Finals last year. We have had such a great season and have definitely showed fantastic team spirit, especially with our jungle themed costumes to the hockey social! We would like to thank everyone who has helped us this year, especially Mrs Day for her support, coaching and supply of chocolate biscuits!

Cira Dossett

‘We have had such a great season and have definitely showed fantastic team spirit, especially with our jungle themed costumes to the hockey social!’ 87

Girls’ U14 Hockey Starting the season as Year 9 hockey players was a new experience for us as we not only had a new coach, but also new players to add to our team. I think we can say that the new additions played a massive role in making our team stronger and more skilful throughout the year. Getting into the season took some time; we were still getting used to our new roles within the team and as training got harder our commitment to the game began to show - our morale was lifted and so were our scores. However, throughout the season the attention was also greatly on the under 14Bs. They seemed to show as much improvement as the As had and with new players themselves, key standouts like Ellie Seebold and Abby Moss proved to guide the team to many victories. The highlight of the season was definitely when the under 14As managed to beat Lord Wandsworth in the Hampshire Semi Final and qualify for the South U14 Tournament. Even though the score was only 1-0, it proved how far our team had come and the effort put in by all the girls and especially our coach, Miss Farmer.

Ending the season with the social is always a great way to finish and a great time to celebrate our numerous achievements during the year. Our defence was now solid, our mid field ran rings round opposing players and with the help of the terrier (aka Gemma Webb) and our forwards were now constantly hassling the opposition. We all had fun this year and gained more than we would ever have imagined, including strong passion for hockey and many valuable skills taught by a fabulous coach. U14As: Ashleigh Dekker Co-Captain, Caitlin Hoddle Co-Captain, Lana Watts, Alice Cheshire, Megan Dennis, Louisa Palmer, Anna Thornell, Gemma Webb, Holly Baker, Jazz Nash, Georgie Grant, Lydia Carter, Dominique Warren, Cameron Mason. U14Bs: Georgia Henderson Captain, Liz Sherwood, Lillie Simons, Olivia Hooper, Ella Povey, Emma Dorricott, Abby Moss, Ellie Seebold, Elise Kings, Lily Cannon, Annabel Fuller, Grace Goodfellow.

Under 12 Hockey

Girls’ U13 Hockey

The Under 12 Hockey Teams have had a great season this year playing with great spirit, a great understanding of the strengths of individual players and gradually working towards winning our matches well. Players have developed new skills, played well together and we ended the season on a winning note.

Our U13 hockey teams have had a great season this year. The Bs and Cs had a good first match, both beating Westbourne House. The A team made a step up to full size pitch and won their first 11-a-side pitch game 4-1 against King Edward’s. Then we switched back to half pitch and won the West Hill Park tournament with an extremely close and exciting match against Twyford in the final.

In particular both A & B team goal keepers excelled, and it was a shame that we lost Emily towards the end of the season with an injury to her left arm, which required an operation. It was comforting to know we had such an excellent defence. We also enjoyed the Hockey Social at which we all arrived with the theme ‘Tinsels & Tutus’. Our Star Player was Milly Henderson, the Most Improved players were Charlie Dean and Alice Leonard, and the Coaches Player was Sabrina Choi. And finally we could not have played this fantastic season if it had not been for the excellent organisation and help we received from Miss Gardner, Miss Linnett and all the other coaches.

Ashleigh Dekker Charlotte Ross

In the South Tournament we drew 1-1 with Stowe School but lost by the odd goal to both Wellington College and Cranleigh. Despite our best efforts, the National Cup run was over.

‘We all had fun this year and gained more than we would ever have imagined, including strong passion for hockey and many valuable skills taught by a fabulous coach.’

‘We could not have played this fantastic season if it had not been for the excellent organisation and help we received from Miss Gardner, Miss Linnet and all the other coaches.’

The U13Bs had a great games against Kings, Winchester, winning 2-0 and also beating Hampshire Colligate College 6-0. In week seven we played in the first round of the National In2hockey Tournament, we had a fun and very exciting day with Miss Cox – we got the start times wrong resulting with us having to dash on to the pitch for our first match without a warm up! We ended the day champions by winning all the matches we played and we looked forwarded to competing in the regional rounds. We also must not forget the great weekend we spent over in Braunschweig, Germany to play indoor hockey. Although we didn’t win all our matches it was a very enjoyable time and we all thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The last matches for all teams were very successful matches, with the A, B and D squad all winning and a close game for the C team which ended a draw 6-6. But that was not the end - during the netball season we participated in the second round of the In2hockey tournament – the regionals. Unluckily we did not get through to the nationals but we worked well as a team and scored some excellent goals. We have had a few injuries throughout the course of the season but we have all had a brilliant season, bonded more as a team and most importantly of all have had lots of fun. We could not have done this without our brilliant coach, Miss Cox – thanks.

Eve Stainton, Lydia Buckeridge, Maria Buckeridge and Megan Dossett

‘We have al had a brilliant season, bonded more as a team and most importantly of all have had lots of fun.’

Fawcett Pavilion Hilsea

1st VII Rugby The start of our season was delayed by the unfortunate cancellation of our own South Coast Sevens Tournament. It did, however, give us a few more weeks of preparation before our first tournament at a bitterly cold Bryanston School. Despite the presence of some of the best Sevens teams in the country we were confident of kick-starting our season by winning a trophy. This confidence grew as we beat Canford School and St Edward’s Cheltenham comfortably with a points difference of +74. However, we could not continue the form against Wellington College or Truro School and found ourselves in the plate competition. By this stage we had lost the services of Max Hodell (man flu) and Leo Paterson (injury). After a narrow victory over Hampton School , we then defeated Marlborough College (DMC 1/4F) to secure a spot in the plate final against Exeter Chiefs ASSE Bicton College. We played some of our best Sevens of the tournament, but at 19-19, the match had to be decided by a golden try. The break from Ben Wilcockson was finished by Joe Moon and we won the game 24-19 to win the plate. Our next tournament was held at Reigate School and again, confident as ever, we didn’t want to leave empty handed. We finished second in our group once more after beating Shiplake College and Bishop’s Stortford High School, but losing to Brighton College. In the quarter final we narrowly beat Epsom College by a last minute try from Max Hodell and continued the day by beating KCS Wimbledon 19-15 to earn a place in the plate final. A well-fought game ended in a 27-10 victory against St John’s Leatherhead, leaving us once again to go home with

U16 VII Rugby the plate. An injury to Josh Gibbs Dean was the only negative on the day.

Our Sevens season, despite being cut short, can be viewed as very successful.

Having been invited to the Surrey Sevens, another high class tournament, our aim was to prepare ourselves for the forthcoming National Sevens. A tough group game against Hartpury College ended in defeat by 7 points and an injury to playmaker Tom Kershaw however we played well to win with ease against Christ’s Hospital and Mill Hill School. Making our way out of the group on points difference alone, we were unlucky not to progress further than the quarter final after a loss on golden try to Cranleigh School.

We had only had 4 hours of training when we arrived at Warwick School 7s to face Ellesmere in our first group game, which we lost 12-31. However we learnt lessons from this and brushed past Warwick School B team 21-7, and then RGS High Wycombe 26-12, which was an exceptional result for us. We were joint top of our group on points but got put in the plate due to points difference where we faced an average Kirkham Grammar School side and dominated them 31-5. In the final we faced the mild-mannered Millfield side whom we gave too much of a head start and lost 17-26, but a wise man, Mr Shepherd, said that we could have won if it were only slightly longer.

By far the most important tournament of the season, Rosslyn Park Sevens was greatly anticipated and we all hoped to reach the second day at least. The weather was not kind to us and we arrived to a pitch that resembled a cow field (minus the grass). In a very tough draw, we fought our way through group games against Oakham School 24-12, Blundell’s School 14-12, Dulwich College 14-7 and Kingswood School 28-17 to make our way to the second day. After making good use of all 12 players, we still arrived the next day still aching from the work put in the day before. This showed as a very strong King’s Taunton beat us comprehensively and with that our tournament and season ended. Looking back we earned two well-deserved plates and, perhaps most importantly, reached day 2 of the National Sevens concluding a season for all to be proud of.

Tom Kershaw

‘We earned two well-deserved plates and, perhaps most importantly, reached day 2 of the National Sevens.’

3 days later we were ready to go at Stowe 7s, our first 2 games were easy affairs against Royal Latin School and Bablake School and we won 40-5 and 45-28, respectively. After this though we had a significantly harder task against Wellington College; however we played some incredible 7s to beat them 17-12. Our last group game though was an extremely hard game against Bedford Modern and from the start their England representatives seemed keen to target Alex Taylor at kick offs, with or without the ball, in a game which ended 5-37 as Hugh Raymer scored a delightful effort. In the QF we played Bishop Wordsworth where we came from 15-0 down to win 24-15, and in the semi finals we were again too strong for RGS High Wycombe 21-17. However, our final was a rematch against Bedford Modern School which we lost. We should be immensely proud of our performance, being the first PGS to get to the Stowe final; as Mr Baker said, this was a day in his top 5 proudest moments. A big thank you to Mr Shepherd and Mr Baker, and a well done to Will Rostand, Ollie Brown and Will Dekker, with his play-making traits, for scoring 35 tries over the season combined.

Alex Taylor

‘We should be immensely proud of our performance, being the first PG to get to the Stowe final; as Mr Baker said, this was a day in his top 5 proudest moments.’

Changing Rooms, Hilsea plans

2nd XV Rugby

1st XV Rugby

We began the season with a shaky start, losing the first game badly to Canford. Thankfully under the frequent and ever-present guidance of Mr. Gallop we managed to recover to a 45.45% win rate however some minor defensive errors meant we finished the season with a 73 point deficit.

After a series of pre-season training sessions, and previous past experience of playing together in the development squad last year, this year’s 1st XV looked promising. However, the season did not start as we had hoped with a loss against Canford School in a game where we didn’t live up to our potential. We recovered well from this defeat, and went on to accomplish a comfortable win against Lords Wandsworth College, where the second row of combination of Leo Paterson and Jack Evans was instrumental in gaining fast ball both off the lineout and in the loose. The game against Churcher’s College was always going to be a memorable occasion as we played in front of the 1962/3 PGS First XV. The game was won comfortably in the first half with strong carries from Dylan Hyatt and James Holmes, resulting in a final score of 55-0. We then went on to defeat Christ’s Hospital before meeting Brockenhurst College in our first Daily Mail Cup game. This was a challenging match from the offset however Joshua Gibbs-Dean kept the game fast and open with some tremendous attacking flare. The match proved to be a hard fought win in which we won 22-9 with Barny Martin having a strong performance and scoring two tries. We followed this with a scrappy victory v Magdalen College School, Oxford. The run of result good results gave us good momentum as we approached the prestigious St. Josephs tournament. We always knew that this tournament would be a challenge, and unfortunately we did not achieve what we set out for. Despite this, we did show good displays of running rugby with a win over RGS Newcastle 11-10 orchestrated by Tucker and a narrow defeat to John Fisher School losing 14-5. Both games were of a very high standard, consisting of strong performances from Ben Wilcockson and Dimtri Selwood, in addition to the inspirational work rate of props Snowball and Holmes. The final game of the first day was never going to be easy as we lined up to face Millfield. Mr Baker chose to rest a number of key players in anticipation for day 2. The game was keenly tested and the combined total of 20 stiches to Evans, Snowball, Finch and Gibbs Dean. Although the score line of 5-31 to Millfield reflects badly upon us, the boys played some entertaining rugby. Alec Walker had the game of his life, with top performances from Perseus Wace and Jack Pullen.

One of our best performances was against Churcher’s College where we won 24-17. This was a great result and our first home game. It is worth noting that we were saved by some great last-minute tackling from Harry Harwood and Michael Robinson. The next week was against Christ’s Hospital and we were praying for a good result. This came true in a scrumptious game with the final score 21-0. Following this we had a streak of difficult matches in which we didn’t step up to the high standards set in training . RGS Guildford proved way too good beating us convincingly. Our final game of the term against King Edward VI Southampton allowed us to play some very entertaining rugby; we sealed a fine victory 33-5. This season had its fair share of standout performances. Defensively, Philip Belcher was the centre of attention with consistently huge tackles throughout; Tom McHale was also the fall back guy regularly making covering tackles for the team. There was also a debut performance from Sam Collings Wells who transfered from Hockey. His wish to not be tackled by boys often twice his size proved crucial as he scorched in for try after try. The scrum was well propped up by Dom Wood and Adam Filip, both breaking the front row mould making many impressive mazy runs. The world’s lightest second row combination of James Langrish and Will Hine spent most matches making total nuisances of themselves often resulting in a weekly telling off from the referee. Most memorable moments of the season were Freddie Bell getting knocked out in a tackle, and Alex Cranfield, who had forgotten his contact lenses, standing between the scrum-half and fly-half when we were trying to clear our lines because he couldn’t see where he was.

The second day did not give us the weather we had hoped for. However, this didn’t stop us from playing our wide, expansive game of rugby but it did stop us from advancing out of our group, narrowly losing our first game to Belfast Royal Academy 7-14 and the final

‘Although it has not been outstandingly successful season, a lot of fun has been had and it been a pleasure to captain a great bunch of lads.’ 92

and key game against RGS High Wycombe 13-5. We did however manage to defeat Stowe School 5-0. The results of the tournament enabled us to identify our strengths and weaknesses for our up and coming fixture against Millfield. The game took place at Newbury RFC on a Wednesday evening. Our confidence was high going into the game and we showed good intent from the outset with Henry Farrant flying through the line to score an early try. Soon after however, Millfield struck back showing their class by scoring three tries. The team showed strong character nevertheless, and we fought our way back into the game with the help of some superb darting runnings from Tom Kershaw. Dimitri Selwood was in good form and his smart lines of running came successful providing him with two fantastic tries. Again Millfield raised the tempo and came back at us, gaining the lead with 10 minutes to go. We battled the game out right up to the final whistle, and with only a minute left to play Dan Cotteral made an exceptional offload leading to a break which was finished off by Max Hodell, rewarding both him and the team for their handwork. The final score read 28-21 to PGS, a win that would become the team’s highlight of the season. Following on from this brilliant result, we went on to defeat Peter Symond’s College in the third round of the Daily Mail Cup in yet another tough fought game with a close score line of 22-16. Our next two fixtures were to be unsuccessful, losing to at home to Brighton College 8-20 (Brighton’s narrowest win of their season) and away at Stowe School 15-18 knocking us out of the Daily Mail Cup. The game against Stowe took place in horrendous conditions, preventing us from playing the rugby we desired, however the team still worked hard with players from the forwards such as Martin, Snowball, Holmes and Patterson being strong in the contact area. Due to bad weather meant our much anticipated fixture v Bryanston was cancelled. Our derby fixtures against St John’s College W 38-8 and King Edwards Southampton W 49-8 were played on unusually balmy December mornings, with Chen and Kershaw really coming in to form. In January, an outstanding Hampton School taught us a lesson in taking chances. We had 75% of the possession but kept on running in to preverbal brick walls. Games v Whitgift and Wimbledon College were again cancelled due to the British weather. The season was a great success and the development of the team, as well as some excellent results, shows just how hard the boys worked on and off the field. Max Hoddel, Dimitri Selwood and Tom Kershaw all opted to play for Hampshire. Ben Wilcockson played for London and The South East v The North and The South West. This resulted in him being asked to train with England U18 Clubs and Schools.

Tom Kershaw and Ben Wilcockson

Although it has not been an outstandingly successful season, a lot of fun has been had and it been a pleasure to captain (and vice-captain!) a great bunch of lads. A special thanks to Mr. Gallop for staying positive and giving up his Saturdays and Mr. Clayton-Shepherd for putting up with some daft questions in training.

James Langrish and Tom McHale

3rd XV Rugby

‘The season was a great success and the development of the team, as well as some excelent results, shows just how hard the boys worked on and off the field.’

The real success of the third team’s season came not from the results of our matches, but the number of hockey players that we managed to convince to donate their weekends. Considering that around a fifth of our team played rugby as a games option I full-heartedly believe that our season was a success. We have showed serious flair in stringing together good rugby despite often scrambling for players at break on a Friday morning. Our first game showed promise with two excellent tries against Canford in the first half, although this lead was lost in the second half to make the final 19-10 to our hosts. As many boys took various Games options other than rugby, fitness was poor among the ranks. We followed Canford with an 18 all draw v Lord Wandsworth College. We found our first victory against Christ’s Hospital; the game was superb. There were some good breaks from prop/winger James Christian resulting in a number of tries, the brute force from the forwards resulting in a frankly messy pushover try and diminutive Tristan Orchard securing his role as short range kicker (if you will pardon the pun) by converting 3 from 3 to make the game a storming 21-0 victory. This was followed by a grey streak of tight losses v Millfield and Brighton College and a red card, the recipient of which will remain anonymous. The light at the end of the tunnel appeared with a well earned victory against King Edward VI, Southampton. Notable performances were Rohan Ahlawat’s leg speed proving better than his hands, the herculean statures of the front row union of Patel, Orchard and McCue. Enforcers Sparkes and James in the second row ensured that scrum half Newman was always supplied with quality ball; unfortunately, he did not always supply his fly half Smitherman with the same quality ball!

‘We have showed serious flare in stringing together good rugby despite often scrambling for players at break on a Friday morning.’

‘One word comes to mind when describing the U16 rugby season.. epic.’

U15B Rugby Another season has been and gone and the team has yet again shown growth and development both as individuals and as a team, putting them in a fantastic position for next season.

U16A Rugby It was not as successful as it could have been; notable absences left many playing in positions they had only heard about in myths and legends. Full teams were as rare as Tom Nash attending training sessions. But these injuries only served to open the door to others who would normally find themselves playing FIFA on a Saturday morning with Harry ‘the step’ Purcell and Dom Baker putting in outstanding performances, while Jeevan ‘the big dog’ Athwal left his mark on the opposition and left India questioning their lack of a rugby team. The season began in the dramatic fashion where it continued, bodies on the line defending secured a famous win over RGS, and laid the groundwork for the fortress that Hilsea became for us. However, more injuries and maybe a touch of complacency caused us to be shown up against Oaklands, a team with a few talented individuals, who tore us apart. And with that our

U15A Rugby ‘We fought valiantly at times but were occasionaly beaten by a better team.’ This season has been a huge learning curve and great experience for everyone; all the boys improved massively as individuals and also as a collective unit. This was highlighted when we beat an impressive Oaklands side in the Hampshire Cup semi-final after previously losing to them earlier on in the season in the Daily Mail Cup. We started strongly with a 41-10 thrashing of an always competitive Canford side meaning we were the only team in the school to triumph. Our team consisted of some powerful and effective runners with Declan Monk, Ben Quera and Jevon Subramaniam setting the standard. These runners were always reliable to provide a breakthrough when needed, resulting in an impressive tally of over 140 points in the first 3 games. Tough teams such as Millfield and Brighton College awaited us which showed our true team spirit and determination. We fought

Hampshire cup run was over. This was a setback, silence in the place of chanting our feelings showed just how much we were reeling. But it simply made us stronger as a unit; passionate displays saw wins at Brighton and a total domination of the Hampshire Plate. Veterans of the team led from the front, with the creative genius of Rostand and Howard linking up with Dekker, Gorvin and Brown to create what can only be described as art in the form of rugby. Will ‘the silent assassin’ Evans became our rock at 7 while Alex Taylor combined the imagination and vision of Sonny Bill Williams with the co-ordination of a newly born giraffe to produce both effective and entertaining manoeuvres. Overall it was a great season and thanks to Mr Shepherd for all his work. We all learnt a lot: Fuller can run, that Mr Shepherd is always excited and Tom Nash learnt the hard way that the bigger they are, the harder they fall. Ben Webb valiantly at times but were occasionally beaten by a better team. Some great improvement by the forward pack this year was evident; our ‘guard defence’ has improved greatly and the big boarding schools, with the only tactic of ‘give it to the biggest boy and pick and go’, have struggled to break us down thanks to our “king of the ruck” Jude Corker and my most improved player, Frank Xu. We were looking forward to challenging the big schools later on in the season like Hampton and Whitgift but unfortunately the weather was not on anybody’s side! With 4 cancellations due to flooded pitches, the end to the 15’s season was not the greatest. The Sevens season was not too brilliant either with the weather; having two tournaments cancelled was disappointing as our age group is stronger at 7s than 15s. We did manage to play two competitions; in the Hampshire tournament we finished runners up to deserved winners Perins. In the prestigious Warwick School tournament we topped our group, beating RGS Newcastle, Bablake and King Edward’s School, Stratford before defeating Warwick School themselves by 1 point (Daily Mail Cup winners) to move into the semi-finals where we were beaten by a decent Wimbledon College side.

The season started in a slightly slow manner with a heavy 45-15 loss at home to Lord Wandsworth College. The next game was a slightly closer game away against RGS Guildford’s B team. It started slowly with the team finding themselves 10-0 down, however, Rob Weekes made a great break through the middle of the park to score under the post and Charlie Boyd added the conversion to finish off the first half. The second half started strongly and George Hawkins powered through a handful of tackles to score in the corner and Charlie Boyd got the conversion from the 15 metre line. RGS Guildford hit back and scored a converted try to take them back in front with 15 minutes to go. Alex Sligo scored a pick and drive try after lots of rucking and mauling from the team before RGS Guildford scored another try to put them 22-19 in front with 5 minutes to go. In the last phases of play Will Pearson was turned over on the halfway line and the opposition was clear through for a try but fantastic covering play from Rob Weekes and Charlie Boyd resulted in a turnover with 10 metres to go and the ball was put into touch for a thoroughly hard fought win. After a fantastic win at RGS Guildford, unfortunately the team were unable to follow that up with a win at Churcher’s. The following week away at Oxford was one of the most difficult games to watch as the team outplayed the opposition without finding the finishing touches. The first half was spent in the Oxford half and a try held up. The second half opened up and became an end to end game and a 5 minute period, with a couple of poor decisions, resulted in a wasted penalty and Oxford camped in the PGS 22. A needless penalty was punished by an accurate kick from Oxford to win the game in a mixed weather game, settling the fixture 3-0. The team responded to a disappointing previous fixture with a convincing 36-10 win against Millfield, making it two wins in a row against Millfield. The team started well and within the first few phases of play resulting in Boris running through a couple of tackles off of a good line and scoring, making the conversion easy for Charlie Boyd. Charlie then switched the play and made a great sidestep to score and then convert his own try. Rob Weekes then kept the momentum going with a quick break after good build up play from the forwards and again Charlie Boyd didn’t miss with his conversion. Millfield got one try back after a lack of composure and them allowed a quick break and a good couple of phases. Rob Weekes, George Hawkins and Will Pearson got the team back on track and wrapped up the game before Millfield got the last try of the game. After a great team game against Millfield, PGS were brushed aside by Brighton losing 50-7 at home. The following fixture against Bryanston was unfortunately cancelled due to poor weather but that just meant more preparation for the Ryde fixture. This paid off with a 43-34 win against Ryde but this was a result that PGS had to work hard for and the game only being killed off with 10 minutes to go. If it wasn’t for strong performances from Ben Caldera and Sam Gibb, the game could have been a lot different. Both players ran fantastic lines to try and keep PGS on the front foot throughout the game. The typical lack of composure in the contact area allowed Brighton to keep the game close and make the game a hard fought win.

‘The standard that the team played at over the course of the year puts them in a fantastic position for their final years at the school.’ The contact area was not a problem the following week against local rivals King Edward’s. Strength was in abundance against KES, with a log of force resulting in some excellent team tries, finished off twice by Tim Shannon and once by Harry Dutton. The skill came from the good footwork and excellent running lines of the backs with a typical sidestep and hand off from Charlie Boyd putting himself through for the try. While excellent running lines and speed sent Boris through for two tries. KES didn’t get much of a chance to put pressure on the PGS try line due to excellent tackling from the whole team and fantastic skills around the breakdown to stop any threat forming. A long break from fixtures then developed with the Christmas holidays and bad weather. The first fixture back was a combination of B and C team players against Sherfield. The C team players at no point looked out of place with several of the players scoring some fantastically worked tries, most notably a turn of pace from Ed on the wing and Alex Young’s break through the middle of the pitch and scoring under the posts. Yet more strong performances from Boris (3 tries and 1 conversion), Harry Dutton (2 tries and 1 conversion) and Rob Weekes (2 tries and 1 conversion) kept the team on the front foot. Ahrash also had a fantastic game and played for the team, setting up 4 tries, turning over several scrums and rucks as well as scoring 2 tries and a conversion. Other try scorers were Jude, George Hawkins, Tim Shannon and Alfie Parrack. Sherfield played well and were rewarded with 4 tries and two conversions, most notably worked from their stand out fly half who never let his head drop. The last game of the season against Millchase was a very different affair. The weather was cold and didn’t stop raining. Millchase were a team new to rugby this year but played with the passion that had been missing from PGS at some points through the season. PGS were made to work for their win with Millchase incredibly physical, albeit sometimes the wrong side of the rules. The rare occasion of a clean sheet looked unlikely until Millchase knocked on just metres from the line. PGS responded with physicality of their own and were rewarded from a set piece and try from Rob Weekes. That was then followed up with some brute force from Ahrash brushing off a couple of tackles to score and a final try from Elliott Ebert, converted by Boris at the end of the game. This hard fought victory was a fitting test to end a good season with its highs and lows. The standard that the team played at over the course of the year puts them in a fantastic position for their final years at the school. If they are able to play for each other rather than as individuals, and have faith both in attack and defence, there are few teams that will beat them. The team should take pride in developing a reputation of a hard team to beat and I look forward to hearing of more success in the coming years. A final thank you to all the boys that have played for the U15 ‘B’ team this year. The rewards for your hard work and determination have been great to see and I wish you all the best of luck with next season. Toby Hill

Ben Caldera

U13A Rugby ‘A key lesson to take from this year is the importance of playing cohesively and supporting each other in adversity as well as in the ease of dominance.’

U14A Rugby

U14B Rugby ‘Despite a difficult first term al players continued to work hard during training and there was great enthusiasm for playing fixtures.’

The season started on a warm and sunny afternoon in September against Canford School. Although spirits and enthusiasm were high, there were many cobwebs for the first game of the season; the team struggled to come to terms with a talented Canford XV and were defeated 62 – 0. The following week saw the same fine weather conditions but pleasingly a much more determined and improved PGS team ran on to the pitch, resulting in a 41 – 19 win against a strong Lord Wandsworth College. The next three matches resulted in three competitive and hard fought losses against RGS Guildford, Churcher’s College and Christ’s Hospital. The first half term ended with the team reaching the Hampshire 10s Final, a match they tied and unfortunately ended as runners-up, due to points difference throughout the competition.

The season started with a heavy loss to a very strong Canford side. It gave the boys an opportunity to assess key areas in defence and established the positions of many of the players for the rest of season.

A new fixture after half term saw us travel to Oxford to play Magdalen College School and in an entertaining and open game we narrowly lost 19 – 17. The following week saw another hard fought but encouraging defeat to a strong Millfield XV. The boys played with real aggression and commitment in defence and many onlookers felt that they were the better team but the result saw Millfield come out on top with a 19 – 12 victory. The season finished off in fine style with an impressive victory against King Edward VI Southampton 27 – 10. It all seemed to click in this match; the defence was well-organised and the boys played confident attacking rugby, clearly demonstrating the improvement they had made throughout the season with their handling, support play and decision making when in attack. Unfortunately the normal busy Spring term saw the weather intervene from week one through to the end of term with one XV match against Hampton School (defeat 46 – 0) and one Sevens tournament (Warwick) being the only matches able to be played.

The team improved through the next two fixtures against Lord Wandsworth College and the Royal Grammar School, Guildford. The next fixture was against Churcher’s College, and was the highlight of the season for the boys as they convincingly won 42-20, having lost heavily to the same side the previous year. The team earned team of the week and Henry Cresswell-Hogg scored a hat trick. From here the squad had an uphill struggle against some very strong opposition, such as Millfield, and as some the most able players began to push for the A-team, but showed great resilience, playing some excellent rugby, most notably against Brighton College: having conceded forty points in the first half, battled quite literally uphill and defended hard to only concede twelve points in the second half.

The U14A team was brilliantly led by three different captains throughout the season. They were Daniel Mugford, Joe Stirrup and Ezra Hind. They displayed strong leadership skills on and off the pitch and are three extremely talented Rugby players for the future. Other notable performers were James Lilley, Devlin Stigant, Oakley Murphy, Jake Ellard and Jim Derby. The new Year 9 boys (James Beattie, Bailey Barnes, Ned Renwick and Fin Carter) who joined PGS this season have greatly improved the depth and overall playing standard of the team. It has been a pleasure to watch them as they have progressed throughout the season and I look forward to their further improvement next season. My most improved player during the 2012/2013 season is awarded to two players, Rory Bell and Henry Cresswell-Hogg; both these players have improved considerably throughout the season and were major contributors as the season progressed.

Despite a difficult first term all players continued to work hard during training and there was great enthusiasm for playing fixtures. The tenacity of the team was demonstrated against Hampton School, in tough weather conditions, where some of the boys were injured during the fixture so people had to play out of position. Great leadership was shown by Sam Tucker. There was disappointment with the cancellation of a couple of fixtures in the Spring term due to the waterlogged pitches, but they continued to train hard and finished the season with two mid-week fixtures which were played by a combination of A and B teams, and these were greatly enjoyed by all.

‘The boys played with real aggression and commitment in defence.’

The season was one of mixed fortunes for the U13A team. A promising opening victory against Lord Wandsworth (22-7) was followed by a series of defeats against some strong opposition teams – RGS, Churcher’s, Christ’s Hospital and Oaklands. However, results improved just before Christmas with three victories against Magdalen College School (8-7), St John’s (10-5) and KES (32-10). In the Spring Term, much rugby was lost to the weather although an A/B team won a number of victories against local opposition (including 47-12 v Pilgrims’), and the 7s team earned good experience at both the Warwick and National 7s. The squad has a good deal of potential. In the front row, Henry Massey, Gordon Stone, Tom Leggett and Thomas Atkinson all gave excellent service, ably supported by the strong and mobile second row of Seb Ansell and Will Lewis. The back row was outstanding throughout the season: regardless of the overall result, they caused significant problems to all opposition teams through the leadership and dynamism in attack and defence of the captain, George Wilcockson, the strong-running of Sam Drayson and the quick-reaction skills in the loose of Joe Hunter. At half-back, Josh Ellard’s mercurial handling skills, allied to Tom Smith’s dancing feet, and running of the back line, gave an excellent platform for the other backs. In the centre, Fergus Gibson and Tom Ross were the most regular centre-pairing, with pace and agility shown on the wings from Harry Webb and Chris Weil. At full back, Harry Hoolahan had an excellent season, showing speed, skill and awareness. A key lesson to take from this year is the importance of playing cohesively and supporting each other in adversity as well as in the ease of dominance. This said, the squad has made good progress through the season, not least in handling ability, and shows much potential. Simon Taylor

U13B Rugby ‘There were positives amongst the defeats.’ There was much optimism prior to the first match of the season, and with good reason because after it was abandoned at 0-52 to our opponents, everyone agreed that the season could only get better. Over the next few weeks wherever we went we were roundly beaten and it was a challenge to find inspiration. However, there were positives amongst the defeats, with standout performances from James Taylor and the return of Julian Davis from injury. We finally got our reward for our perseverance when we got our first win on the board in the late Autumn Term. It came away at Christ’s Hospital, in a close affair that finished four tries to three, with tries from James Taylor, Luca Dellesite and Mark Docherty, as well as some solid place kicking from Jamie Mellor. The Spring Term showed on-going improvement, with wins now outnumbering our losses, again with positive aspects to the defeats. This time the most encouraging factors were the tough tackling of Jamie Mellor, Finley Bacon and Jake Austin as well as aggressive defence from Alex Dassow, sometimes a little too much so but all in the spirit of the game. The most successful part of the season was still to come when the B team absorbed some of the As squad due to their Sevens format. The last match in particular showed us at our best, as we ended up having to go easy on the opposition as we took them apart with cutting runs and consistent passing plays in an excessively onesided match, the perfect end to a mixed season. There were also a number of C team fixtures, the last of which away at Pilgrims’ Winchester ended with the grandest of finales of the season; stand in captain Benny Wong (known more for his tackling and apologising than his running), scooped up a loose ball 5 yards out after the last play had been called, bundling it over the line only to be mobbed by the entire PGS side.

Hector Watson (Coach)

U12A Rugby

U12B Rugby

Senior Netball

The Year Seven rugby team have had a fantastic season convincingly winning all our rugby union fixtures. The core of last year’s Year Six team was bolstered by new players joining the school such as Ted Drayson, Connor Jones, Cameron Barr, Jonny and Finlay Parson. Some of our most successful games were against Oaklands 76-0, Churcher’s College and St John’s, with our most satisfying win against RGS Guildford (45 – 26) our toughest game by far with Tom Coyle making some magnificent try – saving tackles on numerous occasions and Connor Jones and Jack Norton running us to victory!

The U12B team enjoyed a hugely successful season, winning the majority of their games across the year. Captained by the enigmatic Lorne Gibson and managed with the inspiration of Mr Johnson, the team played an exciting brand of running rugby that led to a few winning margins of over 60 points. It was not always plain sailing; in one match against Churcher’s College, we struggled to break down a resolute defence and had to dig deep to come away with a hard fought 12-12 draw. The lessons learned from this tough game, early on in the season, helped us to overcome opponents in similar situations and brought us together to be a stronger team.

The 2012/13 netball season can only be described as a journey and one that the senior girls should be very proud of.

Following our unbeaten 13 a-side matches, we entered a large National Sevens tournament at Warwick ; we lost our first game of the season in the semi-final of the main event against Bishop Vesey’s. On the way to the semis we had notable wins against Millfield and Monmouth, both big rugby schools. We were all exhausted by the time we got to the semi-final and although disappointed to lose we were proud of our achievement getting that far. Unfortunately this was our only Sevens tournament due to weather conditions throughout the Easter period. Despite our victorious season there are lots of areas that we need to work on. We are all looking forward to getting back together next season to try and continue where we left off. Thank you Mr Clayton-Shepherd and Mr Gibson for all of their coaching input as well as for putting up with us. Max Hill

‘The core of last year’s Year Six team was bolstered by new players joining the school.’

A number of players deserve mention for their contribution throughout the year. Daniel Williams, was a late arrival into the team, but showed his strength in smashing people off the ball and running forward. Harry Davis-Marks was effective at scrum-half and Archie Bennett’s kicking always cleared the bar! Henry Gill was a model of consistency in the centres, and Samuel Horsman broke at least one tackle every time he got the ball on the wing. Jonny Furniss and Cameron Barr, who both came down from the A team, showed us how to improve, with their excellent ‘jazz’ footwork and knowledge of the game. Overall our season was a great success, not just on the pitch, but at school where we all see each other and have become good friends. But without Mr Johnson’s help, and a big bag of rugby balls, we would not have triumphed as well as we have.

Lorne Gibson

‘The lessons learned from this tough game, early on in the season, helped us to overcome opponents in similar situations and brought us together to be a stronger team..’

Undoubtedly a talented year group coming through the school, I had looked forward to them representing PGS 1st VII netball. Captained superbly by Kirsten Hall, the team had a shock moving to senior netball and came away from the Hampshire tournament knowing how much work was needed to be playing at that level. With Georgina Gardner and Danni Masters available again for selection, the girls’ commitment and dedication to training began to improve. Some of the game play was outstanding as the season went on but the results still weren’t quite going our way. More rallying by the captain, and Tammy Manuel re-joining the squad, linking up well with Sammy Gibb and Lizzie Lewis, saw the turning point we were looking for. Superb victories against Wellington College and Hurstpierpoint saw a new energy in the squad; with Zoe Rundle and Kirsten beginning to click in the circle things looked great and we all looked forward to the end of season Hampshire tournament so we could see our improvements. The girls did not disappoint, overturning significant defeats against Taunton’s College, and with Katie Paxman and Hattie Gould working tirelessly in defence the pressure put on the other teams really started to show.

Every result saw a significant improvement, some to victories, some draws but even the defeats were by the narrowest margin. The second team had few opportunities to play this year with the bad weather but Katie Campkin, Mini Smith, Annie Materna, Claire Bartholomew and Molly Cranston all made significant contributions to the 1st team and will no doubt be pushing for starting positions next year. The end of season social allowed the girls to reflect on their progression and awards were given to recognise this. Most improved player went to Tammy Manuel for her impact at centre in the first team, Star player to Sammy Gibb for her highly consistent play at Wing attack and for her dedication to PGS netball. The rest of the squad voted Lizzie Lewis as their player of the season to cap an excellent two years of senior netball. Coach’s player went to the outstanding Kirsten Hall who dominated many games throughout the season and carried out her captain’s duties with flair and endeavour. I would like to personally thank those who are leaving and wish them lots of luck for the future and I look forward to welcoming the new squad to PGS seniors 2013/14.

Suzanne Gardner

‘The squad voted Lizzie Lewis as their Player of the Season to cap an excellent two years of senior netball.’

U16 Netball

U15 Netball

The season started well for the U16 Netball team as we were Runners Up in our own PGS tournament. Here, we developed partnerships and unit work, gelling well with the U15s who were to join us for the National Squad. Training was solid with a good turnout each week as we prepared for our first aim of the season – the county rounds.

by 1 goal, then a 7 all draw with The Abbey - in both games we started poorly but made a spirited comeback. The final pool match against Brighton College was too much of a mountain to climb having again started badly. We finished 3rd in our pool but were not disheartened as we felt we had succeeded in our own personal aims and we played the best that we could.

We played extremely well and were beginning to form a wellrounded team, which made us the best team in Hampshire. Our next goal of the season was being successful at the Regional Rounds in January. With sub suits and woolly hats, we were ready to brave the cold and play; starting well, winning our first 3 group matches convincingly. In our next three pool games we faced tough opponents; firstly, Dr Challoner’s, where we lost

The second half of the season suffered due to the mix of mock exams and Year 11 studies, netball coming second place for our girls. However we still trained and played matches, winning three of the last five games. Overall, a good season for the U16s.

Flo Stow

‘We played extremely well and were beginning to form a well-rounded team, which made us the best team in Hampshire.’

U13 Netball Report

U12 Netball This year’s netball season has been fantastic! With over 20 girls turning up to training on a Friday evening, the effort and enthusiasm shown by all of the girls was great to see. This being our first netball season at senior school, we all had to learn to gel as a team. This is never easy, especially when you’re used to having different players around you. However, after a couple of training sessions we started playing really well together.

‘If success was rated on enthusiasm, we were definitely winners.’ Training at Mountbatten Centre had its tricky moments. We didn’t always have all the right equipment in the right place at the right time; in fact, there were some occasions, despite Miss Cox’s very best efforts, where we had no equipment at all. Confusion over bookings found us playing round some very determined badminton players, shooting into football goals and passing among baton twirlers. We were completely undaunted. In fact our numbers kept growing to an all-time high of 45 at training; all enthusiastic, determined and utterly committed, led by two brilliant captains, Amy Stokely and Serena Graham. It was a building year, trying new ideas, improving individual skills and developing team tactics. All four teams enjoyed huge success, with every girl representing the school. Special credit must go to our B team who settled so well together and showed an unprecedented passion to improve and were rewarded by winning every match. Everyone has poured so much energy into this season; we’ve played hard and learnt much, and next year we are going to come back stronger and faster – and hopefully a lot taller! Suzanne Gardner

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The B team have had an excellent season, winning the majority of their games. The B team was captained by Rebecca Arnold, GA. The C team also flourished, again winning most of their matches. The A team over all had a great season, the highlight being our victory over Westbourne House, a tough team to beat! Everyone who played gave it everything and it was a greatly deserved win. Our coach this season was Pete and I would like to thank him for being such a support to the team. He was a great coach and helped make the season a memorable one! By the end of season all teams showed a high level of game play, making next season look very encouraging. Suzanne Gardner

‘By the end of season all teams showed a high level of game play, making next season look very encouraging.’

The U15s have had the most amazing season. It all started at the first Tuesday night training, where we set targets, including ‘bring a hairband’ and ‘learn to do the splits.’ We had many ‘interesting’ sessions, some of which concluded in players lying on the floor (Filippa is your typical example of this!) or having a ‘special’ guest, which turned out to be Mr Dossett. We also had the basketball influence of Carly Storm, our resident American! She will be missed when she heads back to the USA. Our first match showed that the U15s are pretty awesome. We had motivational and instructive team talks from Ella Tusler, and many players moved position or team, making a huge impact (Ella Davis and Filippa Furniss challenged spots in the A team, and Sophie Clarke was the ‘versatile’ player of the squad!). Also, during the season Maisie Sharpe was selected to play for Team South and was asked to trial for the England U17 squad, which is incredible. As individuals the U15s worked on skills and fitness, with many players improving significantly prior to the school season starting because they play for clubs. This allowed our units, and thus teams, to work well together. The shooting pairings were particularly in sync, which meant almost everything the defence turned over was converted.

‘Our first match showed that the U15s are pretty awesome.’ Throughout this season, various matches were cancelled or rearranged due to weather, but for me, the two that stood out the most could not have occurred under more different conditions. Firstly, we had the beautifully sunny KES match. I seem to remember some people complaining it was “too hot to play”! If only that weather had held up… The other great match was the concluding one of the season, against Churcher’s College. It was raining hard and we played outside. However, both teams brought determination and aggression to the match (a key factor against Churcher’s,) and it was a fantastic, if a wet end to the season. Overall, the U15s would like to thank Miss Linnett for being such a brilliant coach all year; her enthusiasm has brought us together as a squad and introduced us to lots of new tactics. Bring on next season! Catriona Ellis

U14 Netball This netball season has been outstanding and very enjoyable for the U14s. On the 16th March, U14 A team made a long journey to Basildon sports village, Essex, to battle it out for the title of National Champions against 17 other schools all hoping for the same success. Previously we had won the South Region tournament to qualify for the finals. They were greeted by rain and strong winds but still managed to play at a high standard. It was also very sad that one of our strongest centre court players, Isobel Stancliffe, was injured 3 days before the tournament and was unable to play. Having been the 2nd team in PGS history to reach Nationals the pressure was on; after a long day of hard matches, it was announced that Portsmouth Grammar U14s were 9th best in the country. This is a massive achievement and all girls involved should be very proud. A huge congratulations to Isabel Boden, Meg Dennis, Alice Cheshire (captain), Isobel Stancliffe, Kira Walker, Ashleigh Dekker, Katarina Sillett, Holly Baker, Dominique Warren and Caitlin Hoddle. Also a huge thank you to Mrs Day who coached the U14s this year; she has worked so hard on all of the teams and has spent so much time on us so thank you very much. The B and C teams also had lots of success in their games. The B team (captained by Emma Dorricott) are a solid team and have shown commitment throughout the season. They have won

‘Having been the 2nd team in PGS history to reach Nationals the pressure was on; after a long day of hard matches, it was announced that Portsmouth Grammar U14s were 9th best in the country.’

numerous games and they continue to progress. Our C team have improved enormously. This was due to a keen interest in netball and a high level of commitment shown by many. With special thanks to Gemma Webb, Emma Dorricott, Charlotte Buchan-Hepburn, Katy Courtnell, Georgia Grant, Ellie Seebold, Phoebe Nisbet and Annabel Fuller for the commitment they have shown this season. However none of this would have been possible if we didn’t have fantastic and supportive coaches like Mrs Day, Miss Gardner and Pete Carter. A special thank you to them for all the time and effort they have put into the teams this year.

Alice Cheshire

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1st XI Cricket

U15A Cricket ‘This band of boys has bags of talent and potential, and hopefuly will one day be representing the school at 1st team level as young men.’

‘The season will however be noted for the emergence of the increasingly impressive Andy Gorvin whose skill at the crease was such to suggest a big future in the game.’ Following a first full winter training schedule, which saw the 1st XI cricketers developing both their skills and fitness, expectations were high going into a season always revolving around a strong fixture list on Saturdays combined with the excitement of the Twenty20 national cup. The season started however with a loss, as an understrength PGS side were turned over by Canford, a result which proved to be the reality check that was needed. From then on results and performances in the Saturday fixtures only went one way - winning all remaining Saturday fixtures, many of those by significant margins. Increasingly consistent performances at the top of the order came from Jack Marston and Sam CollingsWells both of whom regularly provided the platform for the middle order to up the rate, batting the opposition out of the game. The season will however be noted for the emergence of the increasingly impressive Andy Gorvin whose skill at the crease was such as to suggest a big future in the game. The batting line up was by no means restricted to the top 3 though, with regular contributions of 50 plus coming from no few than 7 batsman, including Joseph Brown, the ever-improving Will Smitherman and the two young additions to the side, Jadon Buckeridge and Ben Caldera, who together put on the show of the season against Kingston Grammar School when their 5th wicket partnership of over 100 helped PGS score 140 in the last 10 overs of the innings.

From a bowling perspective PGS showed strength in depth this year. The attack led by Rory Prentice and James Hammond posed a constant threat whilst creating pressure week-in weekout, more than ably supported by Andrew Gorvin’s medium pace. The spin attack, which has always been the strength of PGS, continued to dominate with captain Seth Jackson at the helm, alongside the bowler of the season Andrew Marston, whose continued ability to mix his pace and spin with immense control proved the downfall of more than 30 batsmen this year. As always the Twenty20 competition was the highlight of the year. The team faced a scare in the 1st round against St Edward’s School, Oxford, where they snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, thanks to the calm head and skill of Andrew Gorvin who took 3 wickets in the final over. In the next round they restricted Magdalen College School to 108 and reached the total for the loss of 4 wickets. They then moved comfortably through the next round fixture managing to crush the much fancied Bradfield College by 9 wickets with Sam Collings-Wells scoring a breathtaking 76. Making finals day this year however was a bridge too far for the young squad, disappointingly not being able to chase down a low total set by King’s Taunton on a slow pitch following a superb display in the field by the PGS side. With a strong group of under 17s in the pipeline and another full winter of development ahead, expectations will be high for the 2014 season at PGS, and following the success of 2013 there’s no reason to suggest that winning a first-ever national Twenty20 title is out of reach. Mr S Lavery

The U15s have had a strong team for this year with major contributions expected from every player.

U17 Cricket PGS U17s were much fancied to be a success in 2013 following their previous successes 2 years earlier in the U15 age group. Given that their only fixtures as an U17 unit came in the national cup competition, the pressure was on from the start after defeating Brockenhurst College in the first round. We were drawn against Whitgift, a school with a strong track record at national level. PGS however set out their stall early as a force to be reckoned with in the competition, cruising past Whitgift after restricting them to a meagre total of 165/5 before winning by 5 wickets with time to spare. The following weeks saw PGS U17s move equally comfortably though the rounds, including a 100 run victory over Shenfield, an up and coming state school who had knocked out the highly rated Dulwich College in their previous round. When the semi finals came around PGS were drawn away to King’s Taunton, a strong school who were having success in a number of age groups during the year. Batting first however the PGS line up proved too strong on a flat wicket, piling on 263 in their 40 overs, with significant contributions coming from Jack Marston and Andrew Gorvin, both of whom passed 50. While early signs suggested King’s were willing to put up a fight, the economical PGS bowling created ever-increasing pressure that forced regular wickets, including 2 leg side stumpings from gloveman James Christian. Unsurprisingly the spin of Andrew Marston proved too much for the opposition as he turned the screw taking 2/28 from his 8 overs, with support as always from Gorvin and on this occasion a superb spell of swing and control from Tom Kershaw. PGS subsequently ran out comfortable victors, setting up a final against Shrewsbury School to be played in September. With the prospect of a national final towards the end of the summer, practice will continue throughout the holidays and players will hone their skills in the local premier league with the dream of a second national title in 3 years clearly on the horizon.

Mr S Lavery

‘The pressure was on from the start after defeating Brockenhurst College in the first round.’ 102

Canford prevented a great start to the year. With an opening batsman missing, PGS got off to a great start but after being 108 from only 11 overs, failed to capitalise, posting a minimal 160. On a small ground this proved un-defendable. As the season progressed the wins came easily. Lord Wandsworth College were bowled out for under 100 runs, and Reigate Grammar were beaten by a hard hitting batting performance, including a 16 over 100 from Charlie Boyd as part of an impressive total breaking the 200 run threshold. The boys enjoyed a weekend tour to Oxford including competitive fixture against The Oratory School and St Edward’s School, Oxford. With a loss to Oratory, the boys were determined to have a positive result in their next match. They responded well and produced arguably their best team performance of the summer with a 60 from Ben Quera backed by a mature batting performance from Max Moore. Having failed to qualify for the Lord’s Taverners National Cup, the side were able to focus all their energy on the national T20 competition. The Hampshire Cup posed some challenges, with a strong Lord Wandsworth College side getting within 10 runs of a decent 163 innings by PGS. However some disciplined bowling and sharp in-fielding from PGS in the crucial last three overs ensured victory. The final was played against King Edward’s, Southampton. Although a side packed with good individuals, KES didn’t manage to construct a team performance. After PGS had scored 180, KES’s batting line up lacked conviction, just about passing 100 with the help of number 10 and 11. After winning the next rounds of the T20 cup at Parley CC against Thomas Hardy School and Sandown School, representing Dorset and the Isle of Wight, a day at the regional finals loomed. With expectations of strong competition, PGS became complacent in the semi-final against Exeter School, resulting in a disappointing loss in a game very much for the taking. Some pride was restored with a convincing win over Stowe School in the 3rd/4th play-off and we could only watch as Exeter School demolished Clifton College on the pitch adjacent leaving the boys wondering what could have been. Ben Caldera and Jadon Buckeridge were often representing the school at 1st team level and so the U15s had to dig deep without their natural leaders. Daniel Heyes at times found himself being captain as well as keeping wicket. Matthew Leung’s bowling talents were spotted early in the season during a B team fixture away to RGS Guildford and he soon found himself accelerated into the main bowling attack, showing much promise for the future. This last sentiment encapsulates the U15’s season that ebbed and flowed with promise of fruition but often stumbled. This band of boys has bags of talent and potential, and hopefully will one day be representing the school at 1st team level as young men. Mr A Leach

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U15B Cricket ‘After these defeats we clearly defined our goal for the season; to improve with every match we play.’ With a full fixture list lined up, the U15Bs took to training and Games with enthusiasm and vigour at the start of term. Unfortunately our first fixture was called off but the season soon got underway and we were competitive in our first few matches without getting a win on the board. After these defeats we clearly defined our goal for the season; to improve with every match we play. We lived up to this in our next match against RGS Guildford, the match going down to the wire, but with RGS just getting home. A couple of good performances came from Charlie Connaughton and Matt Leung. This was followed up with another good performance against Mayville High School, Boris Zaykof and Max Moore showing the others how things should be done. Reigate Grammar School was our next opponent and confidence was still high with the skipper, Elliot Ebert, leading the charge with the ball and Alex Young backing him up with the bat, a clinical victory. Another convincing performance against Meoncross School gave us a victory. Special mentions to Amir Thakrar and Matt Leung who scored 28 and 32 (retired), respectively. This time it was Alex Young’s turn to support the batting performance with the ball, taking 3 wickets for 8 runs. The boys got a bit of a shock from The Oratory School in a 25 over match as we were bowled out for 87, which they knocked off in 17 overs. Back to the drawing board, and balance was restored for our next fixture against Churcher’s College. A consistent performance from the bowlers meant we kept them to 89, which we managed to chase down in 14 overs. With special congratulations to Harry Dutton for his 28 not out. Hampton again brought us back down to earth with a solid performance but again the boys managed to regroup, came back stronger against a good Ryde School A XI and managed to come away with a very hard fought victory. Commendations to Ollie Wratten and Charlie on their stellar batting partnership, hitting 48 (not out) and 32 (not out), respectively. A total of 114 was backed up well in the field with Sam Shingles taking a hat trick in his first over; it was fair to say the boys were quite excited. Our final fixture of the season against King Edward VI Southampton resulted in a 5 wicket victory, with a man of the match performance coming from Alex McKirgan who scored 60. All-in-all a good season was had both on and off the pitch. It was a pleasure coaching these young men and I wish them all the best for their futures. Mr L Stone

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U13 Girls’ Cricket ‘The team was a mix of Year 8 and Year 7 girls with varying experience, and all with a passion to play cricket.’ The summer of 2013 was hugely important for sport at PGS as the first ever girls’ cricket team made its debut at Hilsea, and what a start they made. This was no experiment though; the team had much experience with Hampshire players and sisters, Loren and Charlie Dean, both having played for the U13 and U12 boys’ teams, respectively, lining up to lead the team. The team was a mix of Year 7 and 8 girls with varying experience, and all with a passion to play cricket. Charlie and Loren were joined in the Hampshire Cup team by Sabrina Choi, Millie Henderson, Abi Wood, Mugdha Godbole, Natasha Palfrey, Izzy Porter and Olivia Smitherman. The path to the final started with wins over Springfield and King’s Winchester. With the success of the cup run, friendlies were arranged with Hampshire Collegiate School and St John’s College and it was excellent to see new members Molly Down, Katrina Trim, Lily Godkin, Catherine Leung and Naeve Molho joining the squad as well as more experienced players from the U14s Liz Sherwood and Lana Watt. This really was a fantastic start to PGS girls’ cricket; here’s to next season! Suzanne Gardner

U14 B Cricket The team’s season has been relatively up and down both on and off the field. We have had a few positive results with good wins against Lord Wandsworth College, Churcher’s College and Kingston Grammar School as well as a very narrow loss to a strong Ryde A team and King Edward VI Southampton. Some key players who have offered regular contributions throughout the season have enabled some strong performances. Oakley Murphy hit a string of high scores at the beginning of the season with 65 not out against Lord Wandsworth College to help us win the game and he scored another 50 the week after. His exciting style of batting and confident persona helped him on his way to becoming one of the leading run scorers this year. James Harper, Jake Ellard and James Woodward also achieved an individual score of 40 plus runs throughout the season. Others who impressed with the bat were Joe Stirrup, James Lilley and Matt Horton.

U14A Cricket The U14As have had an outstanding season. They have only lost two matches throughout the season and that was when they were not at full strength. They also became Hampshire Champions with a convincing 125 run victory in the Final against Lord Wandsworth College. This result will mean that they will represent Hampshire in the National stages of the competition next year. Captain Marcus Horton led by example in the final by scoring an impressive 101. He also scored two other centuries throughout the season (127) in the Hampshire semi-final as well as 104 not out against King Edward VI Southampton in the final match of the season which the boys won by a massive 170 runs. These were not to be the only centuries from the U14As throughout the season. Sam Caldera scored 111 against St John’s College in the early stages of the Hampshire Cup and 104 not out in a convincing win against Kingston Grammar. Ezra Hind also scored an attacking 112 against RGS Guildford. He came to the crease at a difficult time when the team was struggling at 45 for 4 and with the help of William Futcher they put together an 120 run partnership to help secure an unachievable target for RGS Guildford to chase down; they crumbled under excellent bowling pressure to be 90 all-out. Other contributions with the bat during the season came from Daniel Mugford who scored 64 with the help also of Sam Caldera (82) in setting a total of 216 for 6 against Lancing College who in reply could only manage 117 all out. David Harris opened against Bryanston School and scored an attacking 69 sharing an excellent opening partnership with William Futcher (26). This positive start enabled us to achieve a score that Bryanston could not chase down. Ned Renwick has shown outstanding improvement with the bat and has scored many valuable runs in middle order showing real maturity with his batting. His highest score of 56 not out came against Oratory

School where he was able to work with middle to low order in ensuring we set a defendable target; thanks to Ned we did and they could not chase down our score of 198, being bowled out for 91. His glove work as wicket keeper has been a pleasure to watch and it has made such a difference to the overall performance of the team by having a first rate wicket keeper. The bowling department was extremely well led by Daniel Mugford who has grown and developed into one of the best opening bowlers on the U14 schools circuit. He would always put the opposition under early pressure taking valuable wickets and controlling their speed of scoring. Sam Caldera, Ezra Hind, John Brook and Fin Carter also offered valuable support on the fast bowling front. In the difficult art of leg spin bowling both David Harris and Cameron Bartlett are developing into fine bowlers. Cameron took 5 for 7 in the Hampshire Final and 4 for 22 against Churcher’s College. David achieved two three wicket hauls with best figures of 3 for 7. Joe Beard also must be mentioned for his fast improving all rounder capabilities. He has contributed with improved skill when batting in the lower order and bowled good spells when required. He is a fine team player and the boys have appreciated his support and positive encouragement throughout the season. The boys should be proud of all their individual and team performances throughout a busy season. They are a delightful group who are maturing and developing into a talented group of Cricketers. I look forward to working with them next year throughout the U15 National Competition and watching their continued progress towards 1st XI Cricketers. Mr S Curwood

‘The boys should be proud of al their individual and team performances throughout a busy season. They are a delightful group who are maturing and developing into a talented group of Cricketers.’

Joe Littlehales constantly impressed with the ball. He always took at least 2 wickets a game with his swing and accuracy causing all sorts of problems for the opposing batsman. He was the leading wicket-taker and also my player of the season. Sam Tucker produced an excellent performance against the Ryde A team taking 4 wickets. Alfie Perry-Ward and Jake Ellard also impressed with the ball bowling consistent line and length It was a shame that a lot of results didn’t go our way considering we had a lot of potential in the team but I enjoyed the season. I wish them luck for their cricket next year and any cricket they play in the future. Mr J Gibson

‘Some key players who have offered regular contributions throughout the season have enabled some strong performances.’ 105

U13A Report This year the Under 13A cricket team has performed well in winning 9 of their 12 fixtures and making it to the Hampshire Cup Final to be played in the final week of school. There have been some very important match performances during the season from all of the players. Harry Wratten, the Captain of the team, has proved a vital player with the bat and ball. He has hit 3 fifties this season with the highest coming against Lord Wandsworth College where he hit 85 not out to help win the game. His bowling has been very economical throughout the season and has taken 8 wickets. His opening partner when batting this season has been Joe Hunter who hit his maiden fifty against Romsey School in the 2nd round of the Hampshire cup. He has also taken 11 wickets with an average of 11. Vice Captain Harry Hoolahan has also developed well this year into a valuable all-rounder. He is our leading run scorer so far with 346 runs and also our leading wicket taker with 19, his best figures being 4-8 in a victory over Farleigh. Jai Thakrar is still developing his batting and bowling and he is also a very useful allrounder who will develop into a very important player for the team in the years to come. The U13s side has developed into a team with many options when bowling. Along with the 2 Harrys we have Sam Drayson who can bowl as fast as anyone on his day and hit it well out of the park if he gets a chance to demonstrate his batting skills. We also have been able to take the pace of the ball with our spin department. Along with Joe, and now Jai turning into a spinner, we also have the spin twins of Tom Baker and Gordon Stone who have both come on leaps and bounds this year. Tom is a very clever leg spinner who has taken 16 wickets and took 3-0 in the Hampshire cup quarter final against St John’s in 5 overs. Gordon is an ever-improving slow left arm bowler and has taken 8 wickets at an average of 14. Ethan Hoddle, Tom Smith and Josh Ellard have been the wicket keepers this year and have all shown promise behind the stumps. Josh played a pivotal innings in our first game of the season against Farleigh to get us past their score. Ethan stepped up as keeper when Josh broke his arm and missed a large part of the season, and he improved throughout with the gloves and the bat. He came in late when batting in the Hampshire Semi-Final and got a quick 10 not out to push us up to a decent total. Henry Doyle, AJ Patel and Henry Massie are the final 3 players to play for the A team his year. Henry has best figures of 2-9 when bowling and has taken the 2nd most catches in the team and AJ has best figures of 1-1 and has been involved in 2 vital run outs. It has been a good season for the Under 13A team and I would like to thank all the parents that have come to watch us, and wish the team good luck in the Hampshire Cup Final.

Mr W Gammon

‘The U13s side has developed into a team with many options when bowling.’ 106

U13B Cricket

U12B Cricket

Venimus, Vidimus, Paene Vicimus (we came, we saw, we almost won.. )

‘They have been enthusaiastic in their approach to Games sessions and afterschool training and I look forward to seeing continued good progress as U13 Cricketers next year.’

Monday 15th April will be a day that goes down in history at PGS. It was a sunny afternoon and the cricket staff were eagerly preparing for the forthcoming season. A select group of cricketing warriors, so skilful and mean, had been selected for the U13B cricket squad. These young men and one lady had dreams of conquering the cricketing ‘B’ team world, smashing anyone that stood in their way and scorching a path to cricket immortality! With our bravest foot, we stepped towards Farleigh with confidence and pride and we were successful. A very pleasing start to reaching immortality with George Wilcockson taking 5 wickets in the match. Unfortunately, the wheels came off after this 49 all out against Churcher’s College, 68 all out against Sherfield really hit our confidence. However the team kept the faith, led by our heroic captains Ed Donnelly, Mark Docherty and Henry Massie. Unfortunately, with another series of defeats against RGS Guildford and Reigate Grammar, and Captain Ed getting a Diamond duck v Ryde A XI, things were not going too well. This collapse continued through our season with more defeats coming our way. So, it came down to our last game of the season V Meoncross School to try to salvage some sort of pride in our season. We took to the field and elected to bat first, a brave decision, which has not worked to our favour in the past (actually no decision has worked to our favour in the past!). With Adam Watts (MVP) and Jamie Mellor taking to the crease, they got the runs on the board from the start. This was then backed up by George ‘I want a tree’ Wilcockson coming in and smashing 27 runs in a short amount of time, the PGS warriors got a seasons high of 116! Meoncross started their innings with a very high run rate and were looking very good; however with some accurate bowling by Adam Boxall (2 for 26) and Mark Docherty (2 for 2), PGS managed to decrease the run rate, leaving it to ‘Miss Consistency’ Loren Dean to bowl out her overs and bring the game home. What a great season we have had. It didn’t always go our way, but we have had fun and improved so much. Thanks for a very enjoyable season, men and Loren. Mr Clayton-Shepherd

U12A Cricket ‘The boys have shown real improvement and maturity throughout a long and busy season.’ The U12As should be extremely proud of the way they have played and improved throughout the season. They came so close to an undefeated season with their only loss of the season taking place in the last fixture. This may have been a result of them still being in a euphoric state of mind after their impressive victory in the Hampshire Final a couple of days earlier. They defeated Twyford in the final comfortably with PGS scoring 160 for 8 with a mature score of 60 from Captain Joe Kooner-Evans. Other valuable contributions in the final came from Max Hill, Sam Scott, Oliver Lilley and Harry Davis-Marks. Twyford in their reponse could only manage 80, with strong contributions from Ted Drayson taking 4 for 11 including a hat-trick and two crucial direct hit run-outs from William Donworth. En-route to the final PGS defeated Kings Winchester by 43 runs in the S/F with strong batting displays coming from Ted Drayson and Charlie Dean. In the Q/F they defeated Churcher’s College with Joe Kooner-Evans top scoring with 73 and our spinning duo of Greg Littlehales (5 for 26) and Jacob Gilbert (4 for 8) taking control when bowling which meant an easy victory. Our first round fixture in the tournament was a tough away fixture to King Edward VI Southampton. Kooner-Evans (56), Drayson (46) and Dean and Archie Bennett all helped in us scoring a total of 148 for 4. KES in reply could only manage 107 for 4 with tight bowling performances in the crucial middle overs coming from Kooner-Evans and Dean. Other achievements in regular fixtures were two early victories against Farleigh school by 9 wickets and Lord Wandsworth College by 33 runs with Ted Drayson scoring 46 not out. Joe KoonerEvans (96) and a run a ball 41 by Charlie Dean impressed in the victory against Reigate. Sam Scott produced a man of the match performance scoring 40 and taking 2 for 9 in the victory against RGS Guildford. Archie Bennett’s 51 in a strong victory against Kingston Grammar. St John’s College came up against strong batting displays from Oliver Lilley, Greg Littlehales and Jacob Gilbert all scoring 30 plus in setting up an unchaseable target for them. The boys have shown real improvement and maturity throughout a long and busy season. They deserve to be Hampshire champions and should enjoy the challenge of playing in the U13 National competition next season. Mr S Curwood

The season started very well with a huge victory of 97 runs over Farleigh School with Sam Scott taking 5 wickets and George Whelan scoring 54, both then moving up to the A team. A strong 7 wicket victory against Churcher’s College followed. The team lost in the last over to RGS Guildford; Max Hill did his best to try and secure a victory by taking 6 for 18. Munn Ajgaonkar scored 26 and Jonathan Furniss 24 in helping PGS achieve a 25 run victory against Reigate Grammar. An excellent victory was also achieved against Seaford College U12 As by 6 wickets. The team travelled to Oratory School and managed to score an impressive 203 for 5 with Tom Coyle top scoring with 42. Oratory were then bowled out for 145 with Fenton Murphy, Finley HoweWalsh and Tom Coyle each taking two wickets. Tom Coyle scored 49 in the 51 run victory against Kingston Grammar. Fenton Murphy has shown a great deal of improvement with the bat scoring an impressive 40 retired against Meoncross School, playing many attacking and strong shots; he has also impressed us with his athletic fielding. Other notable performers on the bowling front have come from Nick Ng (Mr Consistency), Freddie Hares and Thomas Robertson. Oscar Cannon and Max Gumm have impressed the team with their all-round capabilities with both bat and ball and have made valuable contributions to the team’s success throughout the season. William Hickman should be commended for his leadership and organisation of the team in the second half of the season; he is also developing into a talented all-rounder. Jonathan Furniss as captain for the first half of the term showed good skill with the bat and an improved standard with his wicket-keeping. Overall, a pleasing season for a maturing group of Cricketers. They have been enthusaiastic in their approach to Games sessions and after school training and I look forward to seeing continued good progress as U13 Cricketers next year.

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Boys’ Tennis This has been another term of success and enjoyment for all of our boys tennis players. There were some new developments: the Indoor Centre continues to host our winter coaching program but in newly-refurbished facilities. We put a further three courts on the Astroturf and were able to increase the number of home fixtures we could host and also introduced a ‘come and play’ club after school. The term even finished with some hot sunny weather and a British winner at Wimbledon, making it very different from so many summers recently! The seniors were very ably captained by Adam Filip who organised and played to a high standard. He was supported by a good group of Year 12 players who competed well within our strong fixtures against Canford, Bryanston Lord Wandsworth and KES Witley. To come out of these with wins and narrow defeats at 1st and 2nd team level is very encouraging. The boys also won their first round match at the National Championships against UCS before losing a close game to Merchant Taylors. The OP match was the closest for a number of years with the OPs winning the final rubber to win 5-4 overall.

Athletics 2013 Certainly, in terms of strength in depth, this was true with a dozen good players capable of making the team. In the Aegon leagues we won all our matches except one, against Kings’ Winchester who went on to represent the county in the national rounds. When we had our strongest team available we were capable of competing with some of the best teams in the area as shown with a close win over Winchester College. Both U15 A and B teams won their first round matches at Eton in the Independent Schools Nationals. It is the first year that all of our teams got through the first rounds here which, in such a strong competition, is a very creditable performance. In the younger year groups we were a bit more limited but had some success. Julian Standish held together the U14 team and played above his age group occasionally and in the U12 group there are a number of very good players. George Charlton in Year 7 reached the final of our U14 tournament, losing in the final to Julian. Overall, there have been increasing numbers of boys playing school tennis this term which is perhaps the most encouraging aspect of a very enjoyable summer term of tennis.

The U15 team were potentially the strongest in the school.

S D Hawkswell

‘The term even finished with some hot sunny weather and a British winner at Wimbledon making it very different from so many summers recently!’

‘The commitment and enthusiasm of the girls and boys in athletics has been exceptional.’ It is with great pride that I can report that we have once again had a hugely successful season not only in term of results, which have been outstanding, but in the under lying fundamentals of being involved in sport. The commitment and enthusiasm of the girls and boys in athletics has been exceptional. Pupils have been committed to train in all weathers and to be responsible for their own training: basically just getting to the track or even at home somewhere and putting in the hard work. Our greater participation from the boys has been extremely encouraging. The four boys that attended the Lanzarote warm weather training tour were definitely as asset to the week. This is the first time boys have been invited to come along and it proved a great success so thank you to Tom Miller, Sam Rush, Harry Tyacke and Travis Yung Hok for making it work! For all athletes the Lanzarote trip is a fantastic experience to build on their training and have fun!

Dossett 3rd in Discus and Ted Drayson 2nd in 600m. Many pupils broke school records throughout the season which again is testament to all their hard work. Sports Day moved back to HMS Temeraire and was a highlight of the school calendar. There was tremendous support from staff and pupils on the day to get through an overly full programme of track and field events. A huge thank you to all the athletes and staff for their enthusiasm and support throughout the year. Portsmouth Grammar School Athletics continues to be a prominent force in the county and nationally. Mandy Day

Our results have been excellent with the junior and intermediate girls qualifying through two tough rounds to reach the national final of the English Schools track and field cup. Year 7 girls and Year 8/9 boys winning the Hampshire Track knock out trophies with the Year 8/ 9 girls as runners up. We entered the Millfield Super 8 Competition at Millfield School for the first time and managed to win the overall competition for boys and girls. At the Portsmouth Schools Championships PGS won the Junior girls, Intermediate girls and Intermediate boys trophies. Individual results have also been excellent: Thomas Miller (80m Hurdles) and Joseph Brown (Javelin were selected) for Hampshire in the English Schools Championships. Unfortunately Joseph was unable to compete due to injury. Tom has had a fantastic season winning the Hampshire schools 80m hurdles, representing Hampshire at the English Schools Multi events Championships and achieving a string of personal bests in shot, high jump, long jump, 300m and 80m hurdles! Other individual achievements in the Hampshire championships were Natasha Palfrey 2nd in High jump, Abigail Wood 3rd in shot, Kira Walker 3rd in Javelin, Ciara Dossett 3rd in 100m, Helen Jones 1st in 2,000m steeplechase, Jessamie Waldon Day 2nd in shot. In the Hampshire Schools Championships the Portsmouth teams were dominated by PGS athletes. In the intermediate girls Helen Jones was 2nd in the 3,000m, Aisling Hicks 2nd in the Triple jump, and Jessamie Waldon Day 2nd in shot. In the intermediate boys Joseph Brown won the Javelin. In the junior girls’ Lana Watt was 2nd in the shot with Kira Walker 3rd place and Ashleigh Dekker was 3rd in Discus. In the Year 7 and 8 Hampshire Schools Championships Ameera Gyening was 3rd in high jump, Charlotte Amenta Lynch 3rd in shot , Megan

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‘With a healthy lead for PGS at halftime, the boys thought it would be appropriate to have a pitch-invasion, which even got a giggle from the hockey coach Mr Rutherford.’

Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia Sports Tour On Saturday 13th July around fifty PGS pupils and staff set off to Malaysia ready to experience what looked to be an incredible tour. In the twelve days ahead, we would experience what life was like in the Far East and play sport against local schools and clubs. We all set off in high spirits and despite one very close call regarding a passport arrived at Heathrow safely. After checking in and a quick mooch around the shops, it was time to board the plane and head for Doha (where we would stop for an hour or so before a further seven hour flight to Kuala Lumpur). As we arrived in Malaysia, we were greeted with nothing but happiness by the locals and were met by our tour guides, Julie and Shirley, as we walked through the arrivals gate. After experiencing the unbelievable humidity walking to the buses, everyone was relieved to find that they were air-conditioned as we travelled to pick up some lunch. Even although we were all extremely jetlagged, we stopped off at a Chinese temple en-route to the hotel (where we would spend four nights before going on to Singapore). Pupils and teachers were able to pick out a fortune card from the temple, which had outstanding views of the city. The tour party were also able to view sculptures of different animals and saw a large group of real-life tortoises swimming in a pond. As we arrived at our hotel, it was time to go for some supper before a much-needed early night. The next morning we were out of the hotel by 8am and undertook some local sightseeing around Kuala Lumpur. The main attraction was a war memorial which overlooked the city and was surrounded by fountains. Our tour guides gave us an insight into the memorial which read “dedicated to the heroic fighters in the cause of peace and freedom”. After we’d finished here, we went to the national palace which glistened in the blistering sunshine. The flag was up indicating that the royal family were home, so the tour party looked in from outside the gates and made the most of this photo opportunity. Both teachers and pupils took up the challenge of trying to make the security guards laugh, but unfortunately no-one was successful as every one of the latter stayed firm. The next part of our tour took us to the well-known location of Batu Caves where we encountered toothpaste-stealing monkeys and a seventy-foot Buddah. We climbed up all two-hundred-andseventy-two stairs before arriving in the cave and ensured we took on plenty of water. The scenery was phenomenal and no-one expected the view that greeted us from the top. The boys then went on to play their rugby match, which they comfortably won, while the girls triumphed in firstly a netball match, and then a hockey match.. The next day was one everyone had looked forward to since the tour was first announced. We were to visit an elephant sanctuary where we saw them being washed and doing various tricks pupils even got the chance to feed them! From here, we went on to visit “Deerland” where we encountered more animals in their everyday environment. We fed deer, stroked cats and some were even brave enough to hold a bright yellow snake! It was then off to have some food and we were welcomed by a Malaysian couple into their house. They fed us a selection of chicken, fish and rice and had cut up some fresh fruit for pudding. In the afternoon, the

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girls went on to play their second hockey match; this time they were supported by the boys. All twenty-seven of them stood and sung “God Save Our Queen” from the stands as the girls took to the pitch. With a healthy lead for PGS at half-time, the boys thought it would be appropriate to have a pitch-invasion, which even got a giggle from the hockey coach Mr Rutherford. The match ended with a win for PGS and in the evening we visited a haggling market much to the delight of the girls on tour. We were able to find useful items for the equivalent of 50p and enjoyed browsing around the variety of stalls open. The market was a great opportunity for us all to test our negotiation skills and we were able to get items such as bags, clothes and headphones for a great price. Our final day in Malaysia saw us visit a water park. When we arrived, we saw a number of rides as well as a swimming pool and some sand (creating a beach effect). The fact that the majority of Malaysians were either in school or at work certainly played into our hands as the resort was deserted. As well as this, there was a large selection of food available (which provided an alternative from the noodles and fish which we’d been eating every day). Pupils and teachers were also able to enjoy facilities such as quad-biking and a zip wire, which ran from one side of the park to another. We finished at the water park around 4pm and headed next door to a shopping centre. The boys enjoyed the massage chairs, while the girls continued on with the shopping. Everyone was astonished to find an ice rink at the bottom of the shopping centre and some struggled to find their way around this simply enormous complex. On the way back to our hotel, we felt that it was only right to stop off at the Petronas Twin Towers, which stood right in the middle of Kuala Lumpur. We were all staggered by the amazing architecture and were left wondering what it was like inside. The tour party returned to the hotel and got ready to go out in groups. It had been decided that each teacher should go out with their group of pupils for a meal. My group found themselves on a street which had been recommended by the tour guide Julie and we reminisced about the trip so far. We had a band come to play around our table and enjoyed a well-cooked meal from the local restaurant. We awoke bright and early the next morning and faced a gruelling six-hour drive to Singapore. The time was passed with films and games (which Mr Dossett entertained us with for ages) and it was soon time to say goodbye to Julie and Shirley, and hello to Joseph and Mavis, as we crossed the Singapore border. Despite one pupil strolling into customs oblivious to the fact his suitcase was still on the bus, we made it into Singapore. It had been a long day and

by the time we arrived at our hotel; all that was needed was some food and a sleep. The following day, it was time for some sightseeing of Singapore. We started off at an orchid garden where we saw several different flowers. We were able to visit certain areas of the garden such as the “Celebrity Garden” and the “Cool Room” (which was one of the main attractions on a boiling hot day). On our way out we witnessed some Tai-Chi in the national park, which some pupils joined in with, and then made our way to our next location. The tour party hopped off the buses and walked along part of the road used for the Grand Prix. Despite it being July, and the Formula One race not happening until September, we could see the barriers for the track already being laid out. We walked through to a location with skyscrapers on one side and water and the Singapore Eye on the other. It was a beautiful sight and summed-up the country of Singapore perfectly. We then ate lunch at a local seafood restaurant before heading off to our respective matches. Both the boys and the girls were successful, with the latter winning their netball match by over fifty goals. For the girls, there was some time after the game to socialise and get to know the opposition. We sang songs in their dining room, did a conga around the school and all sung happy birthday to Miss Linnett. In the evening we headed to the world-famous Raffles and, even although we came out with a rather large hole in our pockets, had a great time. The next morning we enjoyed some free time. We all had a lie-in and relaxed by the hotel pool. Some chose to do some shopping and were astonished by the number of high-profile shops all on one street. The likes of Gucci, Armani and Louis Vuitton all had outlets and Rutherbear (aka Mr Rutherford) took the opportunity to have his photo taken professionally with all the girls on tour. The girls then went on to play their final hockey match and ended up winning 2-1 despite the game having to be stopped due to the blistering heat. In the evening we headed out to a night safari. All chose to wear a humorous t-shirt and we looked quite the part when we turned up. While waiting in what seemed to be a neverending crew, the PGS pupils passed time by singing songs such as “Jerusalem” and the popular cricket song “Everywhere We Go”. After being moved to the front due to our rowdy nature among the conserved Singaporeans, we headed into the enclosure where we saw the likes of elephants, lions and tigers. The evening was topped off by pupil Alex Cranfield who was selected to be the participant in the night safari’s evening show. Despite this demonstration involving a certain amount of fire, and prompting questions from the teachers over whether this activity was written

in the tour risk assessment, Alex continued on to be the star of the show before we headed back to the hotel. The following day was also spent at leisure. Some headed off to the national museum, others went to do some more shopping and some simply stayed at the hotel and made the most of the facilities. In the evening, the girls played their final netball match before heading over to watch the boys play the Singapore national under-eighteen side. With a number of PGS parents now over in the Far East, there was further support for the lads. The girls ensured that chants were sung to encourage the fifteen boys, and it certainly paid off when we secured a win by over forty points. It was a particularly emotional day since it was Mr Baker’s final match as Head of Rugby at PGS who was to leave the school and start a new life in Abu Dhabi following the tour. Some of the “lads” were moved to tears and even Mr Baker showed a sensitive side. Man-of-the-match Ben Tucker lifted spirits after singing a song in public to commemorate his birthday. We headed off out for dinner and the evening finished with a game of basketball outside the shopping complex where we had dined. The following morning we were up and out of the hotel early as we travelled to Bintan Island in Indonesia. We caught the ferry and couldn’t keep our eyes off the breath-taking views that greeted us on either side. Some passed the time by writing postcards while others simply used it to catch up on sleep. Over the next two days, we were simply in paradise. The beaches were pristine and the swimming pools were like something from a dream. With the resort far from full, PGS pupils were able to burn off steam in the best possible way and make the most of the thirty-degree heat. The resort offered activities such as snorkelling and elephant rides, and it even had its own mini zoo. PGS pupils enjoyed spending the first night on the island at a local bar, which had a live band and karaoke. Since the resort wasn’t very full, we had the whole bar to ourselves and also enjoyed a free go at snooker thanks to those working there. We were out in force and all opted to wear “I heart SG” tops (which we’d brought in Singapore) in order to surprise teacher Miss Gardener who’s initials happened to be “SG”. The final night was one to treasure as the whole party ate together at a floating restaurant. Tour awards were given out and the evening was a great success. We headed home the following morning and, even although noone looked forward to the twenty-three-hour-long journey, there was the opportunity for fast food (and an alternative to fish) at the airport. We arrived back at the school extremely jet-lagged yet thrilled that we’d taken this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. All pupils would like to thank Mr Dossett, Miss Linnett, Miss Gardener and Rutherbear (Mr Rutherford) for their hard work and input into the tour. Finally, a special thanks should go to Mr Baker who organised the whole trip and put 100% effort into making it something that will be in our memories forever - we wish you all the best in Abu Dhabi! By Zoe Rundle

A breath-taking view in Singapore,

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SPORTS DAY 2013

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Gatehouse cross section

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The Producers: Cast and Crew Cast List Charlie Albuery

- Mr.Marks/Opening Night Workman/ Mel/ Prisoner Caleb Barron - Volfgang The Pigeon/Roosevelt Ella Beard - Lolly/Stormtrooper Joe Beard - Opening Nighter/Stage Hand/Jury/ Hitler Auditionee Samuel Betteridge - Accountant/Stormtrooper/Prisoner Georgina Buckle - Lolly/Stormtrooper Lily Cannon - Opening Nighter/Jury Finn Carter - Accountant/Stormtrooper/Prisoner/ Sailor Jemima Carter - Shirley/ Prisoner Phoebe Carter - No.1 Stormtrooper/Singing Captain/ Opening Nighter Sophie Clarke - Openingnighter/Stormtrooper/Hitler Auditionee Francesca Clayton - Opening Night Nun/Passer By/Jury Lucy Cole - No.1 Stormtrooper Rowan Dixon - Hitler Auditionee/Prisoner Emma Dorricott - Opening Nighter/Bavarian Peasant/ Jury Emily Duff - Gunter Tia Duggan - Opening Night Busker/Samba Player/ Roger’s House Servant Rebecca Emerton - Love Me Marry Me/Lolly/ Stormtrooper Eloise Flippance - Lolly/Stormtrooper Filippa Furniss - Officer O’rourke/Stormtrooper Alex Gibb - Opening Nighter/Bavarian Peasant/ Prisoner Meghan Grady - Opening Nighter/Bavarian Peasant/ Jury Rory Greenwood - Churchill/Opening Night Cop/Prison Guard/Otto The Pigeon Graihagh Guille - Usherette / Prisoner James Gulliford - Leo Harriet Hammans - Opening Night Nun/Passer By/Jury Tom Harper - Sergeant O’brien/Bailiff/Bavarian Peasant Pippa Harris - Chorus Girl/Valkyrie/Lolly/Prisoner Georgia Henderson - Bryony/Girl Prisoner/Opening Nighter Caitlin Hoddle - Usherette/ Prisoner Fergus Kaye - Officer O’riley/Prison Trustee/ Hitler Auditionee/ Jury/ Passing Cast & Crew/Opening Nighter Francesca Kooner-Evans - Hitler Auditionee/Jury/Red Indian Venetia Law - Opening Nighter/Stormtrooper/Jury Kathryn Lock - Samba Player/Passer By Helena Lucas - Samba Player/Passer By/Stormtrooper

Alice MacBain Tim MacBain Douglas Mileham

- Chorus Girl/Lolly/Pretzel - Max - Opening Nighter/Adolf Pigeon/ Donald/Bavarian Peasant/ Prisoner Declan Murphy - Scott/Accountant/Rolf/Prisoner Harry Norton - Lead Accountant/Prisoner/Opening Nighter Alix Nichols - Alvin’s Mother/Judge/Bavarian Peasant Shivani Patel - Clinch Me Pinch Me/Stormtrooper Anna Pembery - Chorus Girl/Lolly/Stormtrooper Alice Priory - Lolly/Stormtrooper Alex Quarrie-Jones - Accountant Emma Read - Ulla Cameron Roberts - Opening Nighter/Accountant/ Prisoner/Jason And Understudy Franz Ollie Saunders - Heinz The Pigeon/Hitler Auditionee (As Heinz) Ben Schofield - Roger De Bris /Accountant Eloise Selwood - Dance Captain/Lolly/Chorus Girl/ Stormtrooper / Prisoner Maddy Shand - Mummy De Bris Kelvin Shiu - Kevin/Officer O’houllihan/Jury/Hitler Auditionee/ Prisoner Hugh Summers - Opening Nighter/Jack/Accountant/ Stormtrooper/Prisoner Emily Tandy - Chorus Girl/Lolly/Beerstein/ Prisoner Melissa Talbot - Kiss Me Pat Me/Stormtrooper Katherine Tobin - Chorus Girl/Tapping Stormtrooper/ Prisoner Sophie Tobin - Chorus Girl/Tapping Stormtrooper/ Prisoner Katie Twist - Lolly/Stormtrooper Laura Verrecchia - Usherette/ Prisoner Jessamie Waldon-Day - Chorus Girl/Bratwurst/Lolly (Hold-Me, Tickle-Me)/Girl Prisoner Robert Weekes - Stalin/Opening Night Bum/ Prisoner Rebecca White - Usherette/ Prisoner Ben Willcocks - Franz/Accountant Understudy James Willcocks - Hitler Auditionee/ Opening Nighter Katie Wood - Opening Night Bag Lady/ Stormtrooper/ Jury Alex Woodall - Opening Night News Boy/Hitler Auditionee/Ticket Taker/Jury

The Producers: An Audience Perspective The adapted play by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan of The Producers may not have been so well-known as the works of Oliver and The Wizard of Oz however come Monday morning on the 3rd of December conversation refused to drift away from the subject following four emphatic performances over the weekend. It was the talk of the school and had soon earned the reputation as one the best that PGS had ever performed. Everything from the superlative performances of the actors to the excellent lighting effects and costumes made all came together and contributed to a performance to remember which generated multi-numerous laughs from the audience. The leading actors, playing the parts of producers Bialystock and Bloom, deserve a special mention for the hours of work they put in which was evident from their stage relationship and extraordinary American accents throughout. Tim MacBain and James Gulliford were nothing short of outstanding and left the audience amazed at the standard of performance at such a young age. It’s hard to know how either one of them kept a straight face while delivering such humorous lines. Another two notable performances came from Ben Schofield and Maddy Shand who portrayed the characters of flamboyant director Roger de Bris and his “mummy”. The comedy generated and stage presence of the two was simply superb. Ben was able to pull off a long turquoise dress (as well as heels) ever so elegantly and the performance of “Keep It Gay” accompanied by Maddy was something rather special. Franz, the writer of ‘Springtime for (Adolf Elizabeth) Hitler’, was portrayed in a magnificent manner by Ben Willcocks who performed the German accent with confidence and excellence.

A particular scene involving Franz and four Nazi pigeons in a cage caused laugh after laugh from the audience and the introduction of Bialystock and Bloom into the set added to the comedy. Emma Read was chosen to play Ulla, a character whose appearance can be likened to Marilyn Monro. The year eleven pupil proved that she had a voice of an angel particularly when she performed “Hold me, Tickle me” alongside James Gulliford whose voice was immaculate too. The performance of Emma got the crowd going yet again and she deserves a special mention for being able to pronounce Ulla’s full name of “Ulla Inga tor Hansen Benson Yansen Tallen Hallen Svaden Swanson Bloom” with fluency and no hesitation. Finally, the efforts of Mr Gladstone and his orchestra added more drama and conveyed both comedy and romance at a flashing speed. Mrs Filho and her wonderful cast made sure there was not one weak link and the stage crew all did their jobs ensuring efficiency and precision. The play was quite an achievement considering Director in Residence, John-Paul McCrohon, and Head of Drama, Mrs Filho, had only joined the school in September. The future definitely looks bright for PGS’s budding actors and actresses and the bar has certainly been set high for next year. With The Producers being such a big hit, the target for next year is simply to better it, (if that’s possible). However, with such a great team in the drama and costumes department and with so much talent in the school, that is an aim well within reach and we all already look forward to what can be “produced” next year.

Zoe Rundle

Tim MacBain - the wind might change, Tim…

‘Tim MacBain and James Gul liford were nothing short of outstanding and left the audience amazed at the standard of performance at such a young age. It’s hard to know how either one of them kept a straight face while delivering such humorous lines.’

Student Crew Stage Manager: Ali Gray Assistant Stage Manager/Sound: Emily Duff Assistant Stage Manager/Sound: Will Forrest Costume Assistants: Freya Mileham Sophie Rose Zoe Dukoff-Gordon

Props: Jack O’Leary Props: Dodo Charles Props: Rob Bendell Props: Emily Hill

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Chorus Girls prepare themselves for the show

The Producers: On Stage The Producers, for me, was a particularly unique experience. After months of rehearsing in the DRT and Gatehouse, we moved into the King’s Theatre for production week on the 26th November. Well, the actors didn’t, the tech crew did. Technical rehearsals (which actually finished on time; a first in my experience) and dress rehearsals followed, during which we all became accustomed to the change in staging area and space; the joy at having proper, hidden wings tempered somewhat by the worry about the large amount of staging that had to be moved, be it from the wings or avoided as it came down on wires. Another huge bonus was having our own dressing rooms. These rooms became our little personal areas, albeit very messy ones!

The Producers: A View from Backstage Compared to last year’s musical, the requirements on the stage crew for The Producers were mammoth. It involved twice the number of mics, more than twice the props and set and four times as many items to be flown in. We had a chaise longue. We had a desk. We had a wardrobe. We had a door. We had double doors that had to be flown. We had two jury docks that broke nearly every performance. We had a pigeon cage. We had enormous sparkly stairs that I spent an hour stapling rope lights to, only to have them fall off. We even had a hat stand. We had to prime, paint and put together six flat pack filing cabinets. These turned out to be rather flimsy so we then had to brace them… and then two of the chorus girls told us they were claustrophobic so the backs had to be taken off to attach black material…and then the doors wouldn’t close so we had to attach magnets….and drill them onto trucks… and then re-drill them onto trucks in a straight line. We had an accountant’s desk and eight wooden chairs. We had a New York skyline. We had enormous double theatre doors. We had a metal dustbin. We had a tandem. We had sixteen Zimmer frames. We were rather cramped in the wings. By the end of the first night we had twelve broken pieces of set. I think every techie was on the verge of tears by this point! The rest of the performances went well. The techies wore Hitler moustaches and carried glo-tape SILENCE signs. Will Forrest did a sterling job running on stage to break trucks in danger of rolling. After initial panic, the mic rota was sorted out and even the pigeons were audible. I apologise now for the amount of neck hair I accidentally removed with mic tape. Ali Gray was fantastic at calling the show and arguably worked harder than anyone bar Emily Bustard, the school’s theatre technician who had maybe three hours’ sleep from the Auditions to the Get Out. There was one incredible moment when one of the old ladies’ Zimmer frames broke in the middle of a song. Without missing a beat, Emily Hall grabbed the spare and swapped it in as Katie Twist danced past. Most of the audience didn’t even notice. That’s the sign of a good techie. Similarly, when another Zimmer frame got carried up into the flies with the backdrop,

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‘By the end of the first night we had twelve broken pieces of set. I think every techie was on the verge of tears by this point!’ Sam Lake had it back down in the wings within fifteen seconds. That’s the sign of a good gapper. Probably the most stand-out moment for me in the rehearsal process was when Emily Bustard came up to me in the Quad and said, “Can you ride a bike?” Confused I scoffed, “Of course.” “Wonderful. You’re now Gunter, Franz’ German chauffeur, and you get to wear a Nazi uniform and ride a tandem. See you later.” It was surreal. You may not know this, but basic laws of physics state that riding a tandem is almost impossible. Actually, it’s fine if you are on your own. Then imagine you are in a school skirt and military trench coat, trying to cycle a tandem that is too tall for you to touch the ground, with someone on the back who is heavier than you and keeps throwing you off balance. It was a long and painful process and involved poor Tim and James having to do a lot of last minute jumping out of the way and poor Ben leaping from a collapsing tandem and my poor shins getting more and more bruised. When Ben hurt his ankle and we had to push off from the other foot we nearly cycled into the orchestra pit.

All too soon the night of the first performance was upon us. Nerves were, understandably, running very high, compounded by the fact that many of us were trying to ensure that our voices were still functioning properly; vast quantities of honey and lemon were required! As the curtain came up on Thursday evening, we were all rather excited, for having practised for so long, we were ready and raring to show everyone what we had worked so hard to put together. Despite completely hamstringing myself on my very first line, the performance went really rather well, with the audience responding to all the gags, and every part gelling nicely with the others. As the other performances came and went, any problems on stage were dealt with quickly and professionally; I am reliably informed that when one of the Old Ladies’ Zimmer frames broke on stage during their dance, it was exchanged for a new one, both thrown through the air and caught in a way that did not detract at all from the routine. Overall, being on stage in The Producers was a wonderful experience. The cast was great fun to work with, and the directorial team of Mr McCrohon, Mr Gladstone, Gemma, Mrs Filho, Emily Bustard and Ali Gray doing a fantastic job of bringing a musical that is difficult to pull off without a huge budget and professional cast to PGS. We all had an absolute blast, and it was predominantly down to the amazing organisation and vision of this team that enabled us to have such a brilliant time, so a huge thank you to them. Tim MacBain

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‘Nerves were, understandably, running very high, compounded by the fact that many of us were trying to ensure that our voices were still functioning properly; vast quantities of honey and lemon were required!’

My other favourite moment was definitely when we laid out the huge, sparkling swastika banners in the canteen to flame proof them. They were, if you didn’t see the play, spectacular, and a feat of incredible sewing ability. I have absolutely no idea what they will ever be used for now The Producers is over. I am wearing my black Producers hoodie even as I write this and, despite the inordinate amount of tea, chocolate, junk food and lack of sleep, taking part in The Producers was enormous fun and I have wonderful memories of rehearsals and production week (and of throwing those filing cabinets in a skip). Emily Duff Ben Schofield playing Roger de Bris playing Hitler

Oliver! The Middle School production this year was Oliver! It was definitely going to be a success the second we were told about it in Middle School Drama club with Mr Hampshire. The rehearsals seemed like they were never going to end on the Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays (my favourite when we got to put the finished production together)! But when the production had finished after 4 great nights we were wondering what we would do with all our seemingly free time! Mr Hampshire revealed that we would be performing Oliver! to us all in Middle School Drama club and it was a huge delight to all. It was announced in assembly and then auditions came round and call backs soon after that. Then it was revealed who landed what part. I looked down the notice and saw I was Mr Sowerberry (the undertaker) and my friend, Joe Brennan, had got the part of Mr Bumble so I would be working beside him quite a lot in this production. The rehearsals for chorus numbers were on Tuesdays and acting on a Wednesday and our sessions with the choreographer on a Sunday every so often. The week day rehearsals were from 4:00pm until 5:00pm or 5:30pm and Sundays started at 10:00am and finished at 5:00pm; the Sunday before production week we had the technical rehearsal which lasted until 6:00pm. A few weeks before the production the costumes arrived and we were all very excited waiting to know what costume is ours. I had a good costume which consisted of a frock coat, a tie, a shirt and a pair of black trousers.

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Julian Davis as Fagin

The production week was very busy with the Technical rehearsal and the Dress rehearsal. We had the band for the first time and they were all fantastic! Then the morning of the first performance I was heard on the Chris Evans breakfast show on BBC Radio 2. It went “school wide”. And I was also on the show the next morning and it was a superb moment telling Chris Evans about being in Oliver! and saying one of my lines on radio which was heard by thousands of people including Miss Heath’s mum in Scotland! The day of our first of four shows was quickly upon us. It was the first time we had used a professional set and the first time we were doing four shows. We had cast tea every night and then got in to our costumes and knew it was ever so nearly crunch-time. We the did a warm up using a song that went all around the school that Miss Heath introduced called “Singing is Good”. Overall it was a superb event and everyone loved it. The performance was full of wonderful acting and superb singing, solos and chorus numbers. Lots of people came and enjoyed the show and “Wizard” video company said “We love filming a musical. In the end it all came together”, thus proving another good musical choice by Mr Hampshire.

Daniel Hill

‘The morning of the first performance I was heard on the Chris Evans breakfast show on BBC Radio 2. It went “school wide”. And I was also on the show the next morning and it was a superb moment teling Chris Evans about being in Oliver! and saying one of my lines on radio which was heard by thousands of people including Miss Heath’s mum in Scotland!’ Alex Gibson as Oliver

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‘It shocked many and just showed how much our views have changed in such a short period so that these young mothers are no longer shunned but are given the help and support they need to learn to take care of their children in a more excepting society.’ At the start of the Year 9 and 10 play, sixties music blared at us immersing us in the past. The seating had been changed so that instead of the usual staggered seating, leaving the people at the back a considerable way from the actors, we were surrounding the stage on 3 sides. This worked effectively, letting the audience really feel as though they were present in the scenes rather than onlookers. As the lights died out there was an excited murmur. The play was set in a home for underage girls about to give birth. It started in the matron’s office with the arrival of a young girl called Mary, a child herself who was being left by her mother, her pregnancy unbeknown to her father. Although the play was often light-hearted, there was the constant fact that the girls were in the special care home because they could not be at their houses; they were embarrassments to their relations. At that time, being young, single and pregnant was the ultimate disgrace for respectable families. There was an attitude of disgust towards the girls, as shown in a sad scene where Mary attempts to obtain employment but is harshly turned down every time when her circumstances come to light. There is frustration between the girls who are too young to make the decision of whether to keep the child and struggle on, living as outcasts or give up their child and face the pain of separation from their own.

Be my baby by Amanda Whittington

Year 9 and 10 Play: Be My Baby

Both Mary and Queenie would often bury their troubles in music, Queenie, a tough rebellious girl, had secret dreams of being a singer. They would listen to the gramophone together to escape and then the live singers would appear - shimmering in red dresses and singing of the eternal love that all the girls so desperately wanted. The singers were the idols of the girls, beautiful, famous and most importantly, free of burdens. The light reflecting off of the sequined dresses gave them an ethereal look as if to say that they were not real and that the girls’ dreams of being like them were ludicrously impossible in their positions. The matron pulls the girls sharply back to their harsh reality, appearing cruelhearted in the girls’ eyes. The most horrific scene is when one girl arrives on stage after birth in a wild state, the pain of losing her child so soon after birth having driven her crazy. It was a heart-warming but distressing piece which was brilliantly and realistically acted out and excelled with the addition of the live singers and accompanying instruments. It shocked many and just showed how much our views have changed in such a short period so that these young mothers are no longer shunned but are given the help and support they need to learn to take care of their children in a more accepting society. Cicely Podmore

PGS Sixth Form Shakespeare 2013: Much Ado About Nothing I had known for a while that I wanted to be a part of the Sixth Form Shakespeare production, but I had no intention to direct it. My last acting experience being the Year 6 play, I thought it might be fun to have a small role. However, Mrs. Filho began to call for volunteers to direct the production and no one volunteered apart from my co-director, Alex Quarrie Jones, who then came to me and asked me to help him direct. Initially it was a little chaotic, as I believe is the tradition with Sixth Form Shakespeare, as both ourselves and the cast were undergoing examinations until only a few weeks before the actual performance. However, we had amassed a diversely talented cast, some with little or no acting experience, and it was on the strength of the talent and ability of our cast that this production came together. We repeatedly saw professionalism, passion and performance in rehearsals. Cast members also contributed ideas and were involved in discussions with Alex and myself. It took a lot of hard work in bringing different people all with different commitments and at times levels of commitment to the production but I’m glad to say Alex and I managed it. One of our aims was to make our Sixth Form Shakespeare a bit different so we chose a modern theme and setting, keeping the sumptuous original text but enlivening the setting from what some may see as a tired one, especially a non-literature-fanatic. Finally, our production came together on the 3rd and 4th of July 2013, with a bang (literally). To our delight it was met with equal praise from members of staff, the public, and pupils who made the effort to come along to support us. I would like to first thank my co-director Alex QuarrieJones, our wonderful cast without whose talent and work the production would not have been the success that it was, especially the main roles played by Rishi Soneji, Natasha Iliffe, Greg Walton Green, Aladdin Benali, Rob Bendell and Daisy Mellar. Last but not least thanks must go to the people who worked behind the scenes to help us pull this off and who played an integral part; the tech team led by Melissa Talbot and Jessica Miller (2013 leaver) who spent many hours putting together props and helping with costume. This has been a unique opportunity the like of which I am unlikely to be offered again considering the non dramatic or literary route I am planning to take. I would recommend any level of involvement possible to anyone in Year 12. Whether you are a well-versed thespian or someone planning to be a medic or an engineer, it can be one of the defining things during your time at PGS.

Daisy Mellar as Hero

‘One of our aims was to make our Sixth Form Shakespeare a bit different so we chose a modern theme and setting, keeping the sumptuous original text but enlivening the setting from what some may see as a tired one, especially a non- literature-fanatic.’ Directors: Alexander Quarrie Jones and Josh Rampton Major Roles: Rishi Soneji Natasha Iliffe Robert Bendell Daisy Mellar Aladdin Benali Gregory Walton Green

Minor roles: Becky Turner Mirabel Mwizerwa Josh Rampton Abigail Guy Natasha Morgan Extras: Lydia Brown Yasmin Caldera

Josh Rampton

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CCF Adventure Training Camp 2013 The adventure training camp for PGS CCF was in Cornwall this year. We were based at RAF St Mawgan which is a base used by all three armed forces for training. We as a cadet force were very privileged to be able to use their accommodation and catering facilities during the duration of our camp. We arrived at the base in the early afternoon of Saturday the 23rd of March, after a few hours’ minibus journey. When we arrived we were shown to our billets and as soon as we had unpacked our bags we reported to the briefing building to be told about what was planned for us over the next five days. A delicious dinner in the mess followed and we were then split into two groups to create route cards for the coastal walking that was planned for Sunday. We woke up on Sunday and went for a full English breakfast in the mess hall. After this we packed our bags ready for a full day of walking across the spectacular cliffs and bays of the North coast of Cornwall. The weather was looking worrying when we climbed off the bus in a car park just south of Newquay. We were prepared for the worst and wore waterproofs as we set off. Fortunately the rain held off and we had a great day walking along the cliffs, passing ancient mills, spectacular caves and scarily big drop-offs. The walking was fun and we worked together as teams to navigate the best routes along the coastal path. Both teams met for a packed lunch in a small bay half way along the route. The afternoon was harder and by the end our feet were beginning to ache and the minibus was a welcoming sight. When we got back to St Mawgan we wasted no time in packing away a huge dinner and drawing up the routes for the next day of walking. The groups were mixed around for the second day so that we could learn to work as a team with other people. The weather was much better on the Monday and we enjoyed walking along sunny beaches and dramatic cliffs. We met Mr Harris in the minibus just outside Newquay, we were all tired but couldn’t resist the temptation of a quick shopping trip in the coastal town. We returned to the camp and were told tomorrow’s activity would be climbing. After another filling mess dinner, we enjoyed the evening entertainment run by Mr Harris and Mrs Carter.

CCF Navy Report 2012/2013

Everyone was eager to get going on Tuesday morning. We drove out to Roche Rock, a large free-standing rock that has an ancient building on top of it that is assumed to be a chapel. We started with an introduction on the basics of climbing and then we all took part in the practice climb to get us used to working as a team to help our friends scale the rock faces. After everyone had climbed we moved onto the main rock face where a number of different climbs were set up that varied in difficulty. We all enjoyed both climbing and helping our friends to climb, and we felt a sense of achievement after scaling the highest and steepest climb at the end of the activity. On Wednesday, our last full day in Cornwall, we went kayaking in the sea off Newquay bay. It was very windy and the waves were great fun for exploring caves, following the local seals and surfing back up onto the beach. The water was very cold and we played ball games to keep us warm. In the afternoon we had the choice to either go back out on the kayaks or to play a game of beach rugby. The beach rugby was great fun and we dried off quickly and kept warm in the sheltered harbour. On the drive home we stopped for a much needed hot chocolate. Wednesday was our last evening on camp so the cadets had to host the evening entertainment for the teachers. I’ll say no more about that. Thursday morning was an early start so that we could get to the coasteering area before the tide went out. Coasteering was amazing, although the water was freezing and the cliffs were huge, the rush we got from jumping ten metres into the choppy water was unbeatable. We quickly got changed out of our soaked wet suits and helmets and got into the minibus to keep warm. We were all shattered on the journey home, and had time to think back on the amazing and unforgettable experiences we had had over the past five days. We all thoroughly enjoyed the camp and look forward to next year when we can relive some of the activities and experience some exciting new ones. All of the ten cadets are very grateful to Mr Harris, Mrs Carter and Mr Smith for making the camp possible.

Rob Weekes

‘We all enjoyed both climbing and helping our friends to climb, and we felt a sense of achievement after scaling the highest and steepest climb at the end of the activity.’

This year has been typically busy for the Royal Navy section, with multiple varied and exciting camps, supported by equally varied work back at school. The first camp of the year took place in the Brecon Beacons, on the Welsh border. The activities covered on the camp, such as caving and gorge walking, were a new experience for most involved; however all set about the challenges with enthusiasm and an intrepid attitude. Later in the term was the walking camp, a multi-day land based navigational exercise, in very variable conditions. This proved an excellent opportunity to not only test the orienteering skills within the section, but also the waterproofness of many bags. Despite the weather the camp was enjoyed by all, although a dry youth hostel to retreat to may have contributed. For the biennial inspection the Royal Navy section started the day on the water, sailing and driving motor launches, in

Taking a leap

In the summer term the focus of the land based activities shifted towards practical leadership tasks, designed to enhance effective intelligence and decision making, whilst leading a group. These transferable skills are essential to any career, but are especially useful in the potentially demanding conditions of the expeditions undertaken as part of CCF. The Royal Navy summer camp took the form of a trip on motor launches across the Solent to Cowes, and then up the River Medina to visit the Isle of Wight festival; from a distance. This summer the section is looking forward to a river expedition, in a return to the Brecon Beacons.

Sebastian McCue

Charlton Chase 2013 ‘It was only after a couple of hours sleep that we got the message that we had won the overall event, which seemed ludicrous having been lost in a smal enclosure for an hour last year.’

Christian Davison, Lewis Garland, James Hammond and Josh Gibbard

How to describe Charlton Chase? An overnight orienteering event in teams of four. Nineteen (for the premiere event) or thirteen miles (standard event), to be completed on the South Downs in less than eight hours. Or maybe an opportunity to do something you wouldn’t normally do. A competition against friends to prove yourself. And it’s not too much of an exaggeration to call it an adventure. There is an added level of complexity; the winner isn’t the first to cross the finishing line. You get points for finding optional vias (small flags tied to trees, making them somewhat difficult to find at night) and completing challenges (buzz wire games, logo quizzes, tying knots, throwing balls in a bucket etc) at the checkpoints. You lose a point for every minute you take over your end time. And you don’t want that to happen. Points mean prizes after all. Compared to last year’s foot of snow, it was perfect weather for early February. As a team, we opted to find every single OV on the premiere event – we meant business. Having found every one of these, gained the highest scores in many of the

activities to test both sailing skill and water-based navigation, whilst being visited by the inspecting officer. Senior Royal Navy Cadet Seb McCue led the contingent parade later in the afternoon, to round off a successful day of demonstrations.

challenges and arrived back well under the time limit, we knew we had done well. However, it was only after a couple of hours’ sleep that we got the message that we had won the overall event, which seemed ludicrous having been lost in a small enclosure for an hour last year. It was incredibly close; we scored 489, beating a fellow PGS team by a mere two points! Of course, I’m obliged to say it’s not the winning that counts, but the taking part. I’ve certainly come away with many fond memories; whether it be navigating immaculately the whole course, except for getting lost just once, going from the first to the second biggest tracks in the area; or pausing as a group in a field to look at the stars, free of light pollution, only to remember the clock was still rolling; or waiting for our start time and joking with the main organiser of the event, only for him to take our group’s suggestion of making a onesie a requirement for entry seriously! I would highly recommend taking part. And don’t worry, you won’t have us as competition next year – we won’t come back from university to defend our title! Christian Davison

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Acrylic painting by AS pupil Megan Wynne

RN-RAF CCF SUMMER CAMP Early on the Monday of the second week of the summer holidays, thirty cadets from the Navy and Air Force sections of PGS’ CCF, set off for the Brecon Beacons, in Wales. The main focus of the week would be on outdoor activities, with each cadet getting the opportunity to go caving, canoeing and gorge walking. We split up into three groups, with each doing a different activity on each of the three full days. My group’s first activity was caving in the heart of the Brecon Beacons. One of the first things you notice on entering a cave is the temperature difference between it and the outside (the temperature outside was almost 30°c, in the cave it was about 6°c). As we descended into the gloom of the cavern, slipping and sliding of the scree from the ceiling, our instructor explained how the limestone walls of the cave were eroded by acidic water over hundreds of millions of years. As we moved further into the cave the ceiling dropped until we were commando-crawling through a passage 30cm high and 100cm wide that was going steeply downwards. The passage then opened into a cavern almost 20 metres high, with stream running down the centre. On the walls and ceiling grew a lichen which reflected the light from our head torches, which gave the cave a surreal air. After exploring the cramped lower levels of the cave we split up into small groups to take part in an orienteering exercise. After two nights of comfort in the centre we loaded a minibus with camping kit for a night out on the banks of the river Wye. To get to our campsite we first had to canoe there, so we drove a short distance to the river Wye, with a trailer stacked with canoes and camping gear. Our route would take us through Hay-on-Wye and the surrounding farmland and finish, ten miles downstream, in Witney-on-Wye. Two to a canoe we set off down the river, negotiating ourselves around rapids and the occasional fisherman, and after a mid-way swimming break we arrived at our campsite six hours after setting off.

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Trewern Gorgewalk

‘After you jumped you were in free fall for more than a second, and hit the water at almost 40 km/h.’

On our last full day we drove for an hour through the Brecon Beacons to series of gorges at the base of one of the numerous barren mountains that dominated the area. After the short walk from the car park we slid down a steep bank we dropped into the stream. We stumbled down the stream for about five minutes before climbing up a tributary. Soon we reached our first jump, a couple of metres off the top a waterfall, into the plunge pool below. We quickly progressed on to the climax of the activity, a six metre jump off the ruins of an industrial revolution era water mill, into a 10 metre deep pool. After you

jumped you were in free fall for more than a second, and hit the water at almost 40 km/h. The trip was an extremely enjoyable experience, and gave all of us the opportunities to take part in activities that many hadn’t done before. Thanks must go to Mr Harris and Mrs Carter for organising such a fantastic trip, and to all the staff at Trewern OEC for their enthusiasm and expertise which made the trip unforgettable. Charlie Henderson

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Classics trip to Rome and Minori On Monday 15th July, forty-three pupils and five members of staff set off for Rome as part of the biennial Classics trip. Despite the plane running slightly late due to our luggage being “involved in a minor traffic collision”, we arrived safely at the Hotel Corona.

After a brief talk on timings and safety, we split into groups to discover the museum by ourselves. Rory Maclean and I wandered through the Assyrian, Persian and Egyptian galleries, astonished by the wealth of cultural artefacts that had survived from such ancient times, before proceeding through to the Greek and Roman exhibits, which offered both a fantastic overview of the history of these two cultures, the founding blocks of Western civilisation, and a real insight into the lives of the people who lived in those cultures. We also managed to explore the medieval galleries, with their intricate metalwork and plethora of religious decorations, and had a brief glance around the Africa section. Around midday, Mr Lister and Mr and Mrs Clifford offered two different guided tours of the Classical exhibits for the younger students, sharing their specialist knowledge, and Mr Lister

gave another tour solely for the Year 11 and 12s at 12:30, when he showed us the development of Classical sculpture from very schematic, small works to the magnificent frieze of the Parthenon and other later works. Not all the sculptures were perfect however: Mr Lister was quick to point out the varying quality of the Parthenon frieze, indicating the different artists who helped to carve it, and the conspicuous “tree trunks” attached to many marble statues. He explained that these were included to support the statues, which were Roman copies of earlier, mainly Greek, statues. These earlier statues were made of hollow bronze, and so could be fashioned into shapes that heavier marble could not support. When the Romans copied these statues in marble, which was cheaper than bronze, they had to include the “tree trunks” otherwise the limbs of the statue might fall off, and the statue would not be able to support itself. The bronze statues were often melted down in later years for use as weapons or ornaments, so that only the marble copies survive today. After we left the museum, we went for lunch in Covent Garden. Pupils browsed the shops, watched street performers, had lunch and avoided any pickpockets! Three pupils took the opportunity at four o’clock to see some of the paintings at the National Gallery, and then we all made our way back home. All in all, a very enjoyable and informative trip, one which I thoroughly recommend!

Gregory Walton-Green

‘I wandered through the Assyrian, Persian and Egyptian galleries, astonished by the wealth of cultural artefacts that had survived from such ancient times.’

British Museum reading room

On Wednesday, we were required to wear modest clothing to visit the Vatican museums. We followed the route through the ornately decorated corridors to the Sistine Chapel, and a few of us managed to see St Peter’s Basilica. In the afternoon we went to San Domitilla the largest of the Ancient Roman catacombs, and the only one with a church, built on the graves of two Roman soldiers who became Christian martyrs. Of 150,000 tombs only 2000 remain untouched, the others having been looted over the centuries. Since Christianity wasn’t legalised in Rome until 313 AD, the catacombs were a place of hope for the early Christians, where they could meet without fear of persecution. We set off early on Thursday for Minori, on the Amalfi coast. En route, we visited Monte Cassino, a monastery that the Allies demolished during WWII, mistakenly thinking German troops were encamped there. Amazingly, the monastery was perfectly reconstructed, even to the stunning mosaics of the Basilica, and the array of gleaming marble statues. From Monte Cassino we walked to a Polish war cemetery, and reflected on their sacrifice. We reached the Hotel Settebello with plenty of time before dinner, and so headed for the crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean for a swim. On Friday the highlight was visiting Herculaneum, an Ancient Roman fishing village, where wealthy Romans would come to enjoy the cool sea breeze. It was buried by a pyroclastic flow from Vesuvius at the same time as Pompeii was buried in ash, and remained hidden for 1500 years. Herculaneum was filled with shops, including both snack bars and jewellers, due to its touristic nature. The afternoon involved a boat ride to Amalfi, a popular modern tourist spot, where we spent the time buying souvenirs and ice-cream: not so different to the behaviour of the Roman tourists at Herculaneum!

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The Classics department took a group of pupils to London to see the British Museum on Saturday 9th March. After taking the train to Waterloo, rushing around on the Tube, and then a (relatively) short walk, we arrived at the Museum. We were immediately impressed by the imposing rows of columns at the entrance, and were not disappointed with the architecture inside either, which consisted of a colossal space under a glass dome, walls imitating the facades of Classical temples and a massive central cylindrical structure, with twin staircases winding around it in opposite directions.

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Classics trip to the British Museum

Our first stop on Tuesday was the Colosseum, which held gladiatorial fights, battle re-enactments and executions of criminals. Next was the Pantheon, in continual use since built by the consul Marcus Agrippa, converted into a church and even used to house the tomb of Vittorio Emmanuele II, the first king of a unified Italy. We also saw the Roman Forum and Senate House, the “Wedding Cake”, commemorating the unification of Italy, and opposite them Trajan’s column, the frieze of which has provided much of our knowledge about the Roman military. We then walked to the Piazza Navona, where we had lunch whilst watching the street performers and admiring the fabulous Fountain of the Four Rivers. Lastly, we visited the skilfully sculpted Trevi Fountain.

i Fountain

16th Trev

Saturday was mostly spent at Paestum, originally a Greek settlement called Poseidonia (named after Poseidon), founded in 600 BC. A Roman road bypassing Paestum took the trade away, leading to its eventual abandonment. Ironically, Paestum was rediscovered on the building of another road through the ancient site in 1700 AD. Sunday was our last full day in Italy, but still very eventful! We spent the day in the Naples area, first visiting Pompeii, buried by ash from an eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. After lunch, we climbed Vesuvius. Soon after we reached the caldera, the heavens opened and we were thoroughly drenched as we hurried back down the mountainside. We travelled home on Monday, reaching PGS just before 18:30. Many thanks to Mr Clifford, Miss Dyer, Mr Lister and Mr Taylor who gave up the first week of the holidays to look after us, and especially to Mrs Clifford for all the time she spent making sure this trip would run smoothly! I would thoroughly recommend similar Classics trips for PGS pupils.

Gregory Walton-Green

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19th Herculaneum

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History Trip 2013 On the first day of the Easter Holidays 18 historians set off from Portsmouth to catch a plane to Berlin, on what promised to be a unique experience. Unfortunately we arrived a little later than originally planned due to Gatwick airport’s inability to deal with a small amount of frozen water.

Croquet 2013 – with, you guessed it, Mr Elphick-Smith ‘Oh how close this came to appearing in the Sports Section’ On a breezy spring morn whilst the lambs were fresh in the fields and the first flowers were appearing in the meadows the equally inexperienced and youthful Portsmouth Grammar School croquet team embarked on their first fixture against the almighty Winchester College. Under the guidance of our esteemed coach Mr Elphick-Smith, we’d practised hard for this day; months of dieting, fitness and mental training meant we had the best possible preparation. This gave us confidence and we arrived full of spirit ready to face any adversary; however we were under no illusions. Winchester lives and breathes croquet: it is their raison d’être and this was certainly a David vs Goliath affair. Winchester College list croquet amongst their sports options, they have access to a croquet lawn and had gained valuable experience from fixtures against croquet giants Eton and Charterhouse. We were reliably informed they practise up to five hours every week, whilst our boys were grateful for the half hour practice before the opposition arrived. The Winchester boys arrived to a clamour from the home fans, and after the usual pleasantries the two captains stepped up for the coin toss and the order of play decided. Our First team, Captain James Woolas and Jack Evans, were to play on centre lawn, with the Second team of Lewis Garland and James Phillips and the Third team of Tristan Orchard and Seb McCue occupying peripheral courts. A bit of insight for those who have limited knowledge of Association Croquet: The game is played in pairs, each side with two balls apiece which alternating members of the each pair take turns in striking. Each turn occurs in three stages. First stage is the to attempt to ‘roquet’ by striking one ball with another, if this is successful then in the second stage the ball which has been struck becomes a ‘live ball’ and may be struck again. The third stage involves a continuation shot on the original ball first utilised by the player. The aim is to score twelve points by knocking the balls through an ordered arrangement of hoops. For more information on the rules of Association Croquet visit the website https://www.croquet.org. uk/association After a rousing team talk from Elphick-Smith, which planted the seed of belief, the boys started confidently. James Phillips, the sole player of true experience but lacking the charisma for

captaincy, was our secret weapon and played some fantastic strokes, aided by Lewis Garland who rolled back the years to score the first point of the afternoon. The third team battled equally as bravely, with Tristan Orchard and Seb McCue holding the opposition’s lead to only a matter of points in the early stages. However, the real action was with the first team where Jack Evans scored four hoops in rapid succession to keep PGS on equal terms with Winchester, prompting the Winchester coach to tip him for England in twenty years. As the evening wore on and time was called, Lewis and James succumbed to eventual 12-6 defeat, at the hands of possibly the best and keenest player any of us shall ever encounter. Tristan and Seb suffered a similar fate and were overwhelmed 12-2. However, after monumental performance from James Woolas(Cpt) and Jack Evans, as the final whistle sounded the score was poised at 8-8, with PGS still having one turn remaining. The stage was potentially set for one of the most unexpected victories of all time. The home crowd was stunned into silence as PGS manoeuvred their balls into a scoring position. The tension was unbearable as James Woolas stepped up to take the final shot from what was a tight angle a challenging three metres away. The ball seemingly crept towards the hoops with an excruciating low velocity; this was the chance to secure a first croquet victory in 281years of PGS history. The ball struck the post and bounced wide of the mark: the dream was over. Elphick-Smith collapsed in tears.

The next day we once again left the warmth of our hotel to explore Germany’s capital wrapped in scarfs and coats to ward off the sub-zero temperatures. We visited the spectacular Berlin Cathedral, and the Museum documenting life in the East German ‘puppet state’. The day’s highlight came next when we visited the 368m high Soviet built television tower that dominates the Berlin skyline. The tower has 986 steps up to the observation deck (we took the lift) and has spectacular views over the city. That afternoon we focused on the East German secret police, the STASI. First we had a guided tour of their opulent headquarters in the heart of East Berlin, followed by a visit to their less opulent prison built to hold political prisoners. Our guide had been detained in the prison after trying to enter West Berlin by climbing over the Berlin Wall. The next morning was our last in Berlin, first we visited the German Parliament building; The Reichstag. Most of the inside is not original, as the building was severely damaged in the

Battle of Berlin at the end of the Second World War. Our last stop in Berlin was the Holocaust Memorial (or The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe), just down the road from the Reichstag. Finished in 2005 it is made up from 2,700 concrete slabs of varying heights; due to the entire monument being covered in ice, quiet reflection was quite hard as we spent most of our time (usually unsuccessfully) trying to remain upright. We then boarded a train and five hours later we arrived in Nuremburg, site of the infamous Nazi annual rallies and the trials of leading Nazis after the war. The next day we visited both; unfortunately most of the rally ground has either been demolished or has fallen into disrepair, leading to a slightly underwhelming experience. The final stop of our trip was Munich right down in the south of Germany. Our first stop was the Nazi concentration camp of Dachau on the outskirts of Munich. Built just weeks after the Nazis came to power, Dachau was originally designed to house opponents of the Nazi regime, such as Communists and Social Democrats, but as the years progressed it housed not only Jews but prisoners of war from countries populated by what the Nazis considered Untermenschen (sub-humans). The time at the camp gave us an opportunity for quiet reflection in what was otherwise a packed schedule. That afternoon consisted of a fascinating visit to the Deutsches Museum (the German equivalent of the Science Museum) and a walking tour in the footsteps of the Munich Putsch (the failed Nazi coup in Munich of 1923). For the last evening of the trip we ate at Munich’s principal beer hall, where the Nazis held their first meetings in the early 1920s. All that is left to say is many thanks to Miss Rickard, Ms Bush, and last but most certainly not least Mr Lemieux for organising such a fantastic trip. Charlie Henderson

After this drama, the players retired for a delightful interlude of match tea, which did not comprise the scones and Pimms we had expected. The boys went out to play the second round of games but with several players carrying injuries were all defeated. To conclude, the day was thoroughly enjoyable and notable for the 8-8 draw obtained by Jack Evans and James Woolas, which remains the best result ever in the long history of PGS. Of course a huge thank you to Mr Elphick-Smith for organising the experience; I hope he continues to inspire future teams to get together because the day was genuinely interesting, fun and full of excitement. I hope we pioneering croquet players leave a legacy for others to embrace and in the future we can secure an actual PGS victory.

James Woolas (Captain)

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The next morning we took a train from the nearby station to visit a (relatively) recently uncovered air raid shelter from the Second World War. The labyrinthine network of tunnels was built in the early 20th century as part of an underground station. The station is still in use with the trains thundering overhead giving the group an eerie impression of what it would have been like inside during an air raid for the people sheltering there. Next we visited one of the few remaining sections of the Berlin Wall; a wall built by the Soviets after Germany was split between the victors of the Second World war to ensure that East German citizens did not escape to the much more prosperous Allied controlled West Germany. That afternoon we took a train to the outskirts of Berlin to visit the stadium built by the Nazis for the 1936 Olympics. After a tour of the Stadium and what remains of the Olympic park we took a train back into the centre of Berlin for a walking tour, taking in Checkpoint Charlie, the museum at the site of the Gestapo (The Nazi Secret Police) Headquarters, the spectacular Brandenburg Gate, and one of the few remaining examples of Nazi architecture, the Former Luftwaffe (Air Force) Headquarters (which is now the Finance Ministry).

‘We had a guided tour their opulent headquarters in the heart of East Berlin, followed by a visit to their less opulent prison built to hold political prisoners. Our guide was detained in the prison after trying to enter West Berlin by climbing over the Berlin Wall.’

The Group in Berlin

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Using different computer inputs

Lanzarote 2013 Warm weather athletics training in Lanzarote was even more appealing this year after the terrible weather we had leading up to the trip. I had numerous offers from staff and parents wanting to come along and escape the cold temperatures!

Bright Sparks Challenge 2013 ‘My personal favourite was a game called Cannon Conundrum.’

On the 15th March 2013, as part of National Science and Engineering week, a team from PGS went to IBM headquarters in Hursley to compete in the “Bright Sparks” Challenge. Oscar Bird, Naeve Molho, Thomas Crundwell, Hector Bonnin, Hamilton Forbes-Lane and I (Benjamin Brooks) went with Mr Chalk to IBM, and what an experience it was. We were first taken into the IBM lecture theatre, where we were shown an introductory video about what IBM does and what it has done in the past. We all found it very inspiring for the rest of the day. We were then told that we would be participating in a series of computer challenges. Points would be scored in each of these challenges, counted up at the end of the day, and the school team with the highest amount of points at the end of the day would be the winner, and would be awarded a prize. Throughout the rest of the day, we played a series of online games, all of which had been programmed by IBMers or interns in their first year. My personal favourite was a game called Cannon Conundrum, in which each player took on a separate role in controlling the cannons, and the goal of the game was to destroy all of the targets; on each of the levels there were different types of ammunition for different jobs. Another of the games was called Big Blue Rover, where we had to program a series of events, questions, and answers into a rover destined for Mars. This program would later be entered into a competition against the other schools. Unfortunately, our rover worked itself into a corner and couldn’t get out. Just after lunch we were once again taken into the lecture theatre for a talk on a new project IBM has recently undertaken. IBM Watson is a computer that can answer questions posed to it in natural speech. Currently still in testing, Watson is hoped to be in medical use for 2015, but has already made an appearance on the US game show “JEOPARDY!”, where it beat two of the greatest human players of all time. Overall, PGS was placed 7th out of the 11 schools that entered the competition. Myself and the team enjoyed every moment and would definitely recommend this trip to any future Year 8 especially if you are interested in future technology. We all had a very good time and learnt a lot and we would all like to say thank you to Mr. Chalk for arranging that wonderful opportunity. Benjamin Brooks

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For the first time we invited four year 9 boys on to our trip - Travis Yung Hok, Sam Rush, Harry Tyacke and Tom Miller. They managed to cope with 30 girls ranging from Year 7 through to Year 10. Although initially reluctant to make this trip mixed, I am happy to report that the boys were excellent both in training and socially, really enhancing the trip with hard work, banter and slogans. They even featured in the Guest dance show which we participate in annually; our performance to Gangnam Style would not have been the same without them! Another first was a cross-curricular trip to visit the active volcano in the Timanfaya National Park. It was amazing to see how hot the ground is just below the surface of the earth. The scenery from the volcano was fantastic and vastly different from our green landscape. The camel park was also very popular with the pupils on the way home and a camel ride may be on the cards next time… Athletics training was as useful as ever with 9 intense athletics sessions; we focused on power and speed as well as technical aspects of running and field events. As preparation for the season, it is vitally important to take time in these warmer temperatures to go through each aspect of the athlete’s events. All the pupils also attended various aerobics and fitness classes, played beach volleyball and tennis and spent many hours in the pool. Year 9 and 10 also had the opportunity to relax in the Wellness Centre. We traditionally have one beach afternoon in the week, with pupils given the opportunity to learn to windsurf and Kayak. This year we were fortunate to have Mr and Mrs Hawdon on holiday in Lanzarote – two professional windsurfing instructors who kindly spent the afternoon helping to coach our pupils. We also host an annual evening treasure hunt, which was closely contested and produced a great variety of home made hats and interesting chants about PGS sport! Although I do look at other venues for this trip, Club La Santa in Lanzarote does seem the perfect venue, and not only provides excellent athletics training but a great week for the pupils and staff. My thanks to all involved for making this another fantastic trip. Mandy Day

‘Although initially reluctant to make this trip mixed, I am happy to report that the boys were excellent both in training and socially, really enhancing the trip with hard work, banter and slogans. They even featured in the Guest dance show which we participate in annually.’

Annual Latin and Greek Reading Competition 2013 ‘The competition was surprisingly fierce, with some categories attracting ten entries, seven different schools competing, and a high standard of reading overall.’ On Friday 8th March, an elite group of intrepid classicists dared to compete in a Latin and Greek Reading competition, held at Cantell School. PGS had a strong team of thirteen pupils from Years 7-12 competing in seven out of nine categories, including two team events. The competition was surprisingly fierce, with some categories attracting ten entries, seven different schools competing, and a high standard of reading overall. The pupils had prepared their pieces beforehand, and then were required to perform their pieces for one of the two judges, both professional Classicists, one from Queen’s College, Oxford.

Optics in Oxford On Wednesday 26th June, a group of budding Year 9 Artists were given the opportunity to participate in an exciting cross-curricular trip with the Physics Department. Pupils visited the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford for a taught session on ‘Perspective’ and also the Museum of the History of Science where they were able to apply Physical Optics to Art by sketching architecture using camerae obscurae. Head of Art and Design, Alison Dyer, said, “There are many parallels to be drawn between Science and Art and this trip helped to illustrate this. The pupils enjoyed applying their scientific knowledge and achieving creative results”.

Ali Dyer

‘The pupils enjoyed applying their scientific knowledge and achieving creative results.’

The judging criteria were quite expansive, including pronunciation, modulation, performance and clarity of speech. PGS did well, with Georgia Henderson winning first place with her reading of an adaptation of Livy for the junior Latin reading, the Year 9 Beginners’ Greek team of Caleb Barron, Grace Goodfellow, Ilana Berney, Sebastian Chapman and Raunak Mukherjee winning silver, and gaining the first prize for the Senior Latin class from my reading of an extract of Ovid’s Metamorphoses. These achievements were considerable considering the competition of Winchester College, who are usually very strong in this competition, and the very high standards the judges seemed to expect: indeed, one judge criticised our Year 7 team rather unfairly, because he did not consider them fluent enough in Latin – hardly surprising considering they have only been studying the subject for less than a year (they went on to win second place and receive silver)! One wonders whether their judge should have been judging children at all; he held back no criticism, labouring over every mispronunciation with barely any positive feedback: for example he wrote off the pronunciation of the entire Senior Greek class as not up to scratch, based on a few long vowels that were spoken as short vowels! How any of us could have failed to pronounce the alpha in γραψας, obviously a perfectly regular aorist participle, was far beyond his comprehension! The hosts from Cantell School were far more accommodating and hospitable on the other hand, and I agree with their assertions, which were somewhat undermined by the judges, that the evening’s readings were of a very high standard. Many thanks to all who took part, and to the Classics department, in particular Mr Lister, Mrs Clarke and Mrs Clifford, for accompanying us there and preparing us beforehand. I would certainly take part in the competition again, although perhaps only if I have been assured of different judges!

Year 9 pupils testing the camerae obscura

Gregory Walton-Green

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Year 7 Mini French Exchange 2013 ‘We travelled to a nougat factory where we learnt how to make nougat with old fashioned machines and then we got to try some. It was so nice and I bought a bag to take home.’ In Year Seven there is a chance to go on a mini French exchange to Lille and I would really recommend going on this trip if you get the chance. It is a great opportunity to practise your French and to meet French pupils and see what their school are like. We had a brilliant time and all the French pupils were really welcoming throughout our visit. We had to be at school early on Thursday morning as we were planning to leave school at about 6am. We went on a coach to Lille and our pen pals met us at a sports centre at about 1pm. We did lots of indoor activities like human table football and sumo wrestling. It was the first time I’d done these activities and it was funny to watch other people getting into the fat suits in sumo wrestling. We were in groups with our partners and it was great to get to know them better by communicating. After the games we got back on the coach and drove to their school at about 6pm. We were then met by their families and we got taken to their houses. Some people got taken out by their pen pals but we stayed in her apartment and I discovered that my pen pal, Shada, liked the same things as me. She had two really cute Chihuahuas as well as two younger brothers and two older sisters. The next day we met the other PGS pupils at their school and then travelled to a nougat factory where we learnt how to make

Year 7 ICT Trip Fareham Byte On the 21st of March 2013 Mr Chalk took 20 Year 7 students to Fareham College for a one day ICT festival called ‘Fareham Byte’. There were two parts to the festival: one, in which we planned out our own idea for a computer game; the second, in which we got time to play about with Fareham College’s computing facilities ranging from minecraft to software for designing digital music. We all greatly enjoyed ourselves at Fareham College. Many thanks to Mr Chalk for organising this fascinating and enjoyable trip – we would highly recommend it to Year 7 pupils next year. Joseph Bradley

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nougat with old fashioned machines and then we got to try some. It was so nice and I bought a bag to take home. We then had lunch at the French school and left on Friday, tired but happy and looking forward to seeing our pen pals in May. On the day they arrived, at the end of school, we walked over to the memorial garden where our French partners were eagerly waiting. I decided to take Shada (my French exchange partner) to the Blue Reef Aquarium. It was great to go to the aquarium as although it was small, we managed to hold a conversation; it really put my French to the test! We then went home and played on the Wii - Shada really enjoyed ‘Just Dance’. After this, we then had dinner and went to bed. In the morning, we drove Shada to school where she and her school went to The Spinnaker Tower. At break, we met up with Shada again. We walked down to Governors Green where we just about managed to teach them how to play rounders, except that they sometimes forgot to run! It was also funny to see the PE staff’s ‘French skills’ ! Overall we really enjoyed the trip and had a brilliant time; hopefully we will meet up again with our French partners in the summer holidays! Natasha Palfrey and Julia Martin

‘We planned out our own idea for a computer game!’

Year 7 History Day On the morning of Friday the 19th of October four different Year 7 history trips departed on their journeys to Norman castles cathedrals and monasteries. Lewes Castle: On Friday 19th Year 7 went out in groups to different historical places. We visited Lewes Castle in Sussex. We set off at 9:20 for over an hour coach journey. When we arrived at our destination it was pouring with rain. We split into three groups. We were in group 3. Our first activity was looking at artefacts that had been dug up in Sussex. Each table was given a different box and we had to work out what each item was and who they belonged to; we then had to tell the rest of the group what we had discovered. We passed the boxes around so that we could look closely at all of them. Next was Lunch. We had a chance to go to the shop where we got chocolate, swords, bookmarks and much more. We then had a guided tour of the castle and found out some very interesting facts, not only about Lewes Castle and its surroundings, but also facts about other castles. Our next session was a drama class where we had to re-enact medieval scenes including jousting, painting boats and slaughtering pigs! We were then put into groups of 5 and were given a choice of different themes for our performances such as: jobs in the palace, entertainment and hunting. One of the highlights of the session was when one person (no names mentioned) slipped over whilst jousting. Overall it was a very enjoyable day and we would recommend this trip to any future pupils. Arundel Castle: We met our guides at the gate house and we all took the long walk up to the castle. We had to walk up a hill to get to the castle; this is because all Norman castles are built on a hill to provide them with the best possible defensive position. The morning was taken up by a guided tour of the castle. We learned lots about the design and history of the castle. We headed back to one of the teaching rooms and had lunch. In the afternoon we got the opportunity to learn about and try on medieval weaponry. We also went to the gift shop and some of us purchased souvenirs. Winchester Cathedral: In the morning we met outside the Sixth Form Centre, to depart our journey to Winchester. First we arrived at St Cross Hospital to have a tour around their site. It was very interesting and all the children learnt a lot. Then we all took a short journey to Winchester Cathedral; there we ate our lunch in a building nearby. A guide showed us what people would be dressed like back in those days by letting us dress up in the costumes (this was really fun).Then she took us round for a tour of the Cathedral. It was a fascinating day and we learned a lot about the cathedral.

Year 8 Fisbourne Palace ‘We saw how the Romans had made their houses, and we were able to admire their handy craftsmanship as well as their imaginative and unique ideas.’ On the 3rd of July 2013 Year 8 pupils ventured to Fishbourne Roman Palace for an interactive Latin trip. After arrival we were taken to the museum to do an interactive worksheet taking pupils around the museum, and answering questions on the information about Fishbourne. Throughout the day we were able to add to our knowledge of Latin and the Roman way of life in a more hands-on manner. We saw how the Romans had made their houses, and we were able to admire their handy craftsmanship as well as their imaginative and unique ideas. After seeing the museum we went to see a short movie which showed us what Fishbourne Palace would have looked like and how they think it had been destroyed which is thought to have been a fire. We then went for a quick lunch in the gardens and carried on with our tour around the outside of the museum, admiring the array of different herbs and medicines which were thought to cure different diseases. Next we were shown the mosaics; these are an amazing part of the museum and allowed us immediately to become closer to their way of life. We were told how hard it had been for them to preserve the mosaics and what each mosaic symbolised and where it would have been. We also got to see their under floor heating system which even nowadays is still a luxury! We were next taken into the specially equipped room for schools where we explored their different outfit choices depending on class and gender as well as handling some of the 2000 year old artefacts! Lastly we all performed our group plays which had been rehearsed through the class and were based on true Roman stories e.g. The Ides of March.

Joseph Bradley and Ella Palethorpe

‘Our next session was a drama class where we had to re-enact medieval scenes including jousting, painting boats and slaughtering pigs!’

Overall, this trip was great for our knowledge of the history of Rome from their personal perspective to their more public outlook towards life, and everyone came away with a new piece of knowledge.

Naeve Molho

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Year 8 Hampton Court Palace

Year 8 Little Canada Trip

On Thursday 27th September, Year 8 went on a History trip to Hampton Court Palace. This was where Henry VIII held court. One of the main features of the palace is its magnificent kitchens. We visited these kitchens, and we were led on a tour with Tudor tour guides.

60 Year 8 pupils began the trek to Little Canada. As we clambered up the ferry we were all looking forward to the exciting activities that the PGL staff had to offer as well as their incredible facilities.

The kitchens were built in 1530 and were designed to feed Henry’s servants, and he had ordered that his 600 or so people get fed a roast dinner twice a day! This meant a lot of work for the kitchens, and a lot of meat to prepare the dinners. In a year, the kitchens would get through 1240 oxen, 8200 sheep, 2330 deer, 760 calves, 1870 pigs and 53 wild boar! There were a lot of different types of kitchen, including: The Spicery - where spices were kept; The Great Kitchen - where things were cooked in its 6 great fireplaces; The Confectionary - the sweet dishes; The Pastry House - where sweet and savoury pies were prepared; The Boiling house - where meat stock and boiled meat was boiled. There were various larders too: The Flesh Larder - where meat was hung; The Wet Larder - where fish were stored; The Dry Larder where pulses and nuts were kept. After enjoying our morning activities and lunch we headed over to the Great Hall. Although the name may sound extravagant, The Great Hall was the servants’ quarters! It is lavishly decorated with colourful tapestries depicting scenes from the Bible and an unusual ceiling. We learned that Henry VIII really tried to create a Palace that no other foreign kings could beat. Every inch of Hampton Court is spectacular and demonstrates Henry’s wealth. However it also shows the softer side of King Henry and his family. The next room that was visited was the Watching Chamber which was an interesting room. Unlike many of the other rooms we had seen, the Watching Chamber was quite unique in its bareness. Our eyes became transfixed upon the ceiling. There were gold petal shapes forming a band around a symbol, which symbolized one of many items that Henry VIII had used to remind everyone about his wealth and royalty. After visiting the gift shop we headed down to the coach to begin the journey back to Portsmouth. Overall we learnt how Henry VIII displayed his wealth and power. It was great to see the palace and get the feel of Henry VIII’s reign. Our experience at Hampton Court was educational and fun and a great interactive way to learn history!

After we arrived on the Isle of Wight, with the sun beaming, we began the half hour walk to Little Canada. Although we were tired when we finally arrived we were very excited and couldn’t wait for what the weekend would bring. We were first given a tour around the whole complex which is 11.65 km2, and shown the range of facilities that Little Canada has to offer. We were next shown to our cabins, which housed about six people in each; it gave us a great sense of freedom although the teachers were right opposite! After having a much-needed supper, we began our evening activity which had been a big game of hide and seek where the boundaries were the whole park! After playing this game we all settled down in our cabins and awaited the next day of activities. We all woke up at 7am and were ready by 7:30am and began tidying the room ready for our rooms inspections. We were graded on the tidiness of each room, and then we headed to a buffet of continental and cooked breakfast as well as vegetarian choices. We were then put into groups and all headed off to our different activities which included; sensory trail, abseiling, rock climbing (including learning how to belay!), archery, Jacob’s Ladder, zip wire, canoeing/kayaking. After abseiling down a 40 foot wall and doing the zip wire we were ready for a well-deserved lunch. We next headed to Kayaking and canoeing at the beach which was very nearby. We were taught the skills and technique and were given responsibility. We also played games like ‘it’ and ‘catch’ in our kayaks; if you like to get wet you’d enjoy this because there was a lot of capsizing! We then washed off and headed for our dinner in the canteen and the evening activities that awaited us. The next day we all took part in archery which was great fun and quite a skill. We also took part in the sensory trail, which really challenged the mind and body. You are blindfolded and told to hold onto a piece of rope and taken through an ‘assault course’ involving getting ‘down and dirty’ - although it was very enjoyable and funny. Overall the trip was very enjoyable and fun. It improved different aspects of our bodies and mind including our teamwork skills as well as our senses; it definitely helped people overcome their fears. If you are given the chance to participate in this trip I recommend you do; it’s a trip you will not forget! Naeve Molho

‘We were next shown to our cabins, which housed about six people in each; it gave us ‘Every inch of Hampton Court is a great sense of freedom although the spectacular and demonstrates Henry’s wealth.’ teachers were right opposite!’ Naeve Molho

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Year 8 Mary Rose Trip On the 5th of March 2013 Year 8 participated in a combined Science and History day at the Mary Rose situated within the Historic Dockyards. In the morning we all gathered in the DRT and had an introductory talk by Admiral John Lippiett. It was very interesting and we began to learn the hidden facts and figures behind the great Mary Rose and especially its surroundings, Portsmouth. After our introductory talk we were allocated into groups with half of Year 8 heading to the BCSC Lecture Theatre where we were greeted by marine archaeologist, Chris Dobbs. He discussed in detail the life on the ship for the crew and told some amazing facts. There had been about 415 men (not including officers) that had set sail on the Mary Rose however only a meagre 35 crew survived the tragic event. The ship’s men had varied from around 5 juveniles and one even as young as 10 to a few adolescents although the ship mainly consisted of men aged 18-30. It was ripe with infections and diseases such as Osteomalacia (due to lack of vitamin D and sun light), Scurvy, Rickets and many more infectious diseases, as well as 84% having dental cavities and missing teeth. After break we then took part in a quiz on Tudor warships allowing us to compare their features to the Mary Rose. We were then shown the Biology and Physical Chemistry side of The Mary Rose ship. We experimented with some of the wood from the Mary Rose and compared it to the non-rotting wood. We also tested different elements which would have affected the state of the ship when it had been recovered. After lunch, we went to the dockyard. At the dockyard, we did a number of different activities; unfortunately, however, we were unable to see the Mary Rose as it was yet to be opened to the public. First we went to a classroom where they told us about how certain objects survived and how others had completely eroded

away. We had a look at some artefacts such as bows, and then we went into two teams for a quiz. We were shown pictures of different microbes under the microscope and we had to work out what they were. After lots of conferring, we realised how hard it is to find out how things look magnified compared to normal. We then carried on our tour in another classroom. Each table was given a box of replicas of objects that have been found aboard the Mary Rose. We were set the challenge of figuring out what each of them was used for. Some of them had obvious uses, but others were far more complex and hard to see what they were made for. We swapped each box so we tried to get as many right answers from as many boxes as possible. Here, we realised how people lived aboard the Mary Rose and how simple things have changed so much in the modern day. We saw a wide range of objects from combs to medicine pots. Finally, we went around the Mary Rose museum. Armed with our clipboards full of questions, we went around the museum asking the staff at the information desks about each topic. We went around all different information tables such as the navigation table and the doctors and medical instruments table. We found out about all kinds of strange facts such as how all of the ship’s doctors were carpenters, how they used a board with holes around in a compass shape to navigate around the seas, and even how a gangrenous finger would have had to have been chiselled and hammered off! Overall the day was informative and fun. We learnt a lot about what actually happened to the Mary Rose and what life was like in the Tudor era. It definitely helped with our work about the Tudors. The Mary Rose is one of the only ships in the world to have been recovered, along with its age and its incredible history 468 years on we are still able to view this ship. The museum’s opening is hoped to be on the 30th of May and we invite you to take a look to see further into the lives of the crew aboard the Mary Rose Ship. Naeve Molho & Katie Sharp

‘We found out about all kinds of strange facts such as how all of the ship’s doctors were carpenters, how they used a board with holes around in a compass shape to navigate around the seas, and even how a gangrenous finger would have had to have been chiselled and hammered off!’

Year 9 First World War Trip to Belgium ‘There was a feeling of gloom that hung about the place but what struck me was the sense of equality as even deserters and the opposition received the same graves as the noblest of fighters from the British army.’ After an early start we set off in the dark towards the Eurotunnel. We arrived in France to grey skies and small clusters of snow by the side of the roads. It seemed like no time at all before Mr Lemieux was telling us all that we had arrived in Belgium. A short ride later and we were all at the second largest British cemetery in Belgium with soldiers from across the globe commemorated there. On arrival at Lijssenthoek, the scene appeared very bleak with the sea of white equally sized gravestones stretching out into the distance representing the 10, 785 valiant men (and one woman) who died for the war effort. Amongst the buried are 3 OPs of Portsmouth Grammar School. There was a feeling of gloom that hung about the place but what struck me was the sense of equality as even deserters and the opposition received the same graves as the noblest of fighters from the British army. It seemed to me that war had stripped away any class or racial differences and left just men fighting for the same cause. On a more cheerful note we journeyed to Poperinge and ‘Talbot House’ which had been a rest and recuperation home set up for the soldiers both on their way to and from the front line. We were shown a video demonstrating the type of entertainment that had been on offer to the soldiers including comedy, acting and much singing. We were told that Poperinge had been in itself a kind of holiday resort for the soldiers including bars and cafes, care and shops with everything that they could want. We were then shown some of the rooms that the soldiers had stayed in and also the peaceful chapel that had been built beneath the rafters for proximity to God. Downstairs we were greeted with tea in the comfortable and original living area where there was a piano that the soldiers had played.

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amongst the grassy mounds remained for us to look at. We then walked to the caterpillar crater which on appearance is a stunning, perfectly circular and innocent lake set in a dip but is actually the consequence of the explosion of a British mine beneath the Germans. Eerily, Andy Robertshaw told us that the land has never been excavated so the dead German bodies still remain beneath the surface in the exact same positions that they perished in.

Ben Ager discovers Ancestor’s Name on the Memorial

Next was the execution post. Although the actual execution post is no longer available to view, there is a monument commemorating the deserters. Around 350 men were sadly shot in the war for desertion including 8 at that particular post. Beside this were the cells where the brave-soldiers-turnedshamed-prisoners awaited their fate. The inscriptions on the walls made in the last few hours of these young men’s lives had been preserved behind glass and gave a very private element to the otherwise impersonal courtyard. Essex Farm, although humble to look at, played a vital part in the war and inspired a fine piece of British poetry. Lying 5 miles from the front line, Essex farm consists of concrete bunkers which acted as a dressing station for the wounded. A certain Canadian doctor, John McCrae, worked there and he created the famous poem in those very bunkers, in Essex Farm, ‘In Flanders Fields’. After throwing it away in the rubbish, a colleague saved it and urged him to publish it which he later did in a popular British paper of the time. Beside is another cemetery that holds the body of the youngest known soldier at the age of merely 15 – a person who had secretly joined the army not knowing the horrors that would turn him from boy to man and from alive to dead. We proceeded to the hostel where we were staying which was very comfortable and spacious. After a dinner of chicken and chips we were out again and standing beneath the towering and atmospheric Menin Gate where a huge crowd had gathered to reflect in the silence about the people who had given their lives to the Great War to the background of the ‘Last Post.’ On Friday we were joined by Mr. Andy Robertshaw who is the historical director of the stage production of ‘Warhorse’ and has also featured on ‘Time Team.’ First stop was the Bayernwald trench system which sits upon a small ridge overlooking the fields which were prettily dusted in snow and made it hard to imagine the destructed, bloody landscape which sat there 100 years ago. There is a trench system which has been recreated based on the archaeological evidence from remains of the actual trenches which visitors can walk around. An intricate metal model of the landscape during the war including representations of the front lines and cemeteries is both a beautiful piece of artwork and an interesting insight. The coach then took us to Hill 60 which is a 60ft hill made up of the spoils from the nearby railway. Even although it is not very high, months of fighting were undertaken to capture it because height, no matter how little, was a benefit. Two pillboxes sitting

The Passchendale Museum was next on our agenda and we all circled the fascinating exhibits and the reconstruction of a dugout tunnel with interest. Displays included original gas masks and soldiers uniforms. After a lovely walk through the countryside we entered Tyne Cot – the largest British Cemetery; pristinely kept and surrounded by beautiful stone walls and architectural domes. The German cemetery of Langenmark was our next trip. We were all shocked to see just how different the Germans memorial cemetery was to the British’s. Instead of the serene white headstones, small, squat, black squares within the ground were present here. On entering through a stone arch containing two rooms panelled in beautiful light wood with each comrade’s name engraved there, we emerged into a relatively small area. We were told that 4 times as many soldiers were buried there as in the British cemetery; the small size due to the German Government’s lack of money subsequent to the war and therefore their lack of being able to commemorate quite so honourably as the opposition. Silhouetted against the sun, a cluster of statues bowed their heads solemnly. This was the model creation inspired by a picture of five Germans, contemplating their losses, and was very atmospheric due to the realistic quality of it. There were also 3 bunkers in the cemetery and a large black wreath made of metal sitting in tribute. We proceeded to the ‘Trench of Death’ which is a huge trench system curving around the countryside which was occupied by the Belgians for a number of years. It was named the ‘Trench of Death’ due to the closeness (100 yards) to the German trenches and therefore the amount of casualties incurred. Today it is a happier place where you can explore the narrow pathways and even climb inside a bunker or two! The Ljzer tower, a monument of peace, stands surrounded by impressive structures including a huge gateway and an ornamental cross. Once the place of Nazi scheming, it burnt down but has been rebuilt as a symbol of harmony. Whilst most took the lift, a few climbed the 85m tower to be greeted by stunning panoramic but slightly nauseating views. On the descent, we explored the museum which has been built over all the different levels. We then made our way into Ypres for highly successful chocolate shopping and then another dinner of chicken in chips in a restaurant before embarking on the return journey to Portsmouth.

Cicely Podmore

Outside the Louvre Museum

Year 10 French Exchange Over the Easter break a group of Year 10 pupils travelled to Paris as part of an exchange that saw the French pupils visit PGS in June. We stayed in Paris for a week, from Saturday to Saturday. There were 22 PGS pupils who went on the exchange and also three members of staff led the trip – Mr Gamble, Mr Waters and Mlle Bréger. The exchange was with the ‘Institution SainteMarie’ in Antony, in the south of Paris. This French school is one of the largest private schools in France. As I had never been to France before, I found the exchange very interesting and exciting. The trip to Paris was fascinating because of the huge amount of museums and places of interest in the capital. Every weekday morning, our exchange partners would take us into the French school where all of the PGS students would meet up before leaving to go out for the day. The group visited many interesting places in and around Paris. My favourite place that we went to was a very famous musuem, The Louvre. This museum houses some of the world’s best artwork, including the ‘Mona Lisa’. As well as visiting The Louvre, some of the other memorable outings were when we went to the L’Avenue des Champs Elysées, The Château de Chambord and the palace at Versailles. In the palace, my favourite part was the Hall of Mirrors. The gardens were also magnificent. At the weekend, we spent our time at home, with the host families. This was a good experience and definitely helped our language skills. There was also a trip to Disneyland Paris on the Sunday which had been organised by the host families themselves. It was very fun and great to spend some time with our partners at the theme park. This exchange was such a success and I can safely say that everyone involved found it a unique and interesting experience. Jonathan Entwistle

‘As I had never been to France before, I found the exchange very interesting and exciting.’ 141

Poland Trip 2012 Barbed wire near the entrance to Auschwitz

On Saturday the 20th October a group of around 30 year ten pupils went to Poland to visit Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camps, on a PRS trip, for 3 nights. Saturday morning students gathered outside PGS at 3:30 am where we took a coach to Luton airport. We arrived in Katowice airport at around 11:30am, Polish time. We then went to the hotel were we would be staying for the trip. Here we met our tour guide for the trip, Dr Tony Dudd. He then took us for a guided tour around Krakow showing us some sights that played a huge role in World War Two such as the Jewish ghetto. Then we went to a local museum where we were privileged enough to receive a talk from a holocaust survivor; it was incredibly moving to hear about his experiences first hand and gave us a good insight into what we could expect on Monday. The next morning we woke up early and took a coach to Zakopane, a local town set beneath the Polish Tatra Mountains. It was a chance to see the views from the mountain tops and shop in the local markets and see the local culture. Monday was the main event of the trip. We drove to Auschwitz 1 where we received a tour around the barracks and the gas chambers. It was very moving and emotional but definitely worthwhile. Then we travelled to Birkenau Auschwitz 2 which was only a short trip away. Located here was the famous railway that was used to take the prisoners to and from the camp. The camp itself was huge but all the gas chambers had been destroyed by the SS Gestapo officers just before the liberation of the camps. We had time to reflect on what we’d seen whilst we took a coach journey to the salt mines. In the salt mines we went deep into the ground. Everything was made of salt including a large chapel and monuments. Next we went back to our hotel where we had about an hour to prepare for our meal. We took a short walk into the local Jewish quarter where we were treated to a lovely kosher meal and live Polish music.

Viva La España In the first week of the autumn half term break, 24 Year 9 and 10 pupils set out to sunny Spain with Mr Stone, Mrs Coward and Mrs McNamara. The trip took us to Barcelona, Spain’s second largest city and one brimming with culture. The five-day experience began with the warm welcome of horizontal rain. However, after this we proceeded to our comfortable hotel, just a few minutes from the metro. Once unpacked, we strolled down ‘Las Ramblas,’ a popular tourist area with stalls and street artists and visited the neighbouring port. A three course meal back at the hotel prepared us for the next day where we had our first encounter with Antonio Gaudi, Barcelona’s famous architect and one we were to see much more of. First of all, in a lovely old building down a private Street, was the language school which we visited every morning making the trip both educational and enjoyable. The teachers spoke little English and encouraged us to communicate entirely in Spanish throughout our hourly sessions. Here, we worked interactively, performing to the group and creating work such as posters and menus. On the first day, we made our way to ‘Parc Guell’, a stunning creation built by Gaudi for Count Guell as a place for people to stroll and relax. This sloping park is a truly magical place; a real insight into the imagination of the architect. Benches and sculptures are covered in vibrant mosaic pieces and towering covered spaces provide shade and also architectural beauty. Next we went on to the Gothic quarter and had a chance to admire the old church and the surrounding houses, each one a piece of history and a short walk from the beach. It was bliss eating ice cream by a beach covered in golden sand in the sunlight. The second full day, my favourite, was entirely taken up by Gaudi. Firstly, a trip to Casa Mila surprised us as we climbed to the top of this exclusive apartment

block and were greeted by a rooftop covered in an array of chimneys. Never simplistic or structured, Gaudi’s works were always inspired by nature. These unusual structures in the centre of the city could never have felt more out of place with their peculiar magnificance. After this, we journeyed to the ‘Sagrada Familia’, which is a gigantic church also by Gaudi and a project, although not yet completed, that he dedicated 43 years of his life to. On the outside, the facade appears to be melting like candle wax and the sandstone is full of intricate detailing. Inside, we had a guide who showed us around. The interior is supposed to appear like a forest, with the gigantic pillars acting as trunks and the ceiling, a canopy. The next day we entered into traditional Spanish life with a trip to the food market where stalls held stunning displays. Following on, we went to the Picasso museum where we saw his earlier works and really got a feel for all the different styles that he attempted in his lifetime including his famous, abstract portraits. We then took a second visit to the beach! We were all sad to arrive at Gatwick after five days of ice-cream, architecture, sun, culture, shopping and fun to, in comparison, freezing temperatures. We would all highly recommend this trip to future Spanish students!

Cicely Podmore

‘The teachers spoke little English and encouraged us to communicate entirely in Spanish throughout our hourly sessions.’

‘On the 22nd of October 2012, 11 pupils set out from PGS accompanied by Mr. Doyle and Ms. Gozalbez-Guerola (affectionately nicknamed “CAGG” for the duration of the trip and beyond). Despite Heathrow airport being beset with less than optimum flying weather and a roughly seven hour delay, we managed to arrive in Madrid and at the hotel around midnight, after a taxi ride with drivers who seemed content to text at the wheel and drive at breakneck speed simultaneously. Fortunately our schedule went unhindered and on our first day, although sadly deprived of the company of Mr Doyle and Dan Shlosberg due to illness, we visited the Museo Del Prado, Spain’s equivalent of the National Gallery in the morning and got a taste of the rich cultural history of Spain. After this we made a beeline for the Plaza Mayor where we sat and ate what was to be the first of many tapas meals on the trip. Unperturbed by the man who thought it a good idea to wrap himself in tinsel and wear the head of a dead ram to attract loose change from passersby, we pressed on under the leadership of the indomitable CAGG to the Palacio Real and a whirlwind tour in Spanish and to embark on a tour of Madrid atop a bus. For fear of being caught up in a mass demonstration, we disembarked and were navigated by the ever coolheaded CAGG back to the hotel. On our second day we travelled by train through a hunting park swarming with wild boar to the awe-inspiring edifice of El Escorial, a royal palace, a monastery, a cathedral and an ornate mausoleum all rolled into one. Again we were given a tour in Spanish from a very accommodating guide and picked up several interesting facts, that the wife of Carlos XIII of Spain had twenty two children and that the husband of Spain’s only Queen regnant in history infamously “carried a feather” (meaning he was a homosexual). After this we visited the La Reina Sofia modern art gallery, which was metres from our hotel and houses the famous Picasso masterpiece “Guernica” which depicts the Luftwaffe bombing of the Spanish town in the Basque region at the invitation of Franco during the civil war: one of the most infamous atrocities in Spain’s history. On the third and final full day we visited the Plaza De Toros where we were given yet another tour in Spanish and an insight into this controversial Spanish tradition. For the rest of the day we were left to our own devices and, in style true to the prediction of Mr Doyle at the beginning of the trip, we all headed to the shopping districts which boasted various labels such as Topshop and Vans at lesser prices than in the UK. After the spree of giftbuying we all retired in exhaustion laden with our purchases.

All In all it was an amazing trip and a once in a lifetime opportunity. I would definitely recommend it to anyone else who is offered the chance. I would like to thank Dr Richmond, Reverend Burtt, Mrs Carter and Dr Tony Dudd for organising and planning such an amazing and enjoyable trip. By Ella Tusler

On the last morning we paid our final visit to the El Retiro Park which contains the memorial garden for the victims of the 2004 train bombings which took place just across the road from our hotel at Atocha train station. Then, with sadness, we piled back into taxis to the airport and returned to PGS. I think it is safe to say that the trip was thoroughly enjoyed by the whole group through the constant banter and laughing across year groups across the tables in various restaurants throughout the trip. The purpose of the trip was undeniably and wonderfully fulfilled, sampling the culture of Spain, practising the language and thoroughly enjoying ourselves!

‘After we went to a local museum where we were privileged enough to receive a talk from a holocaust survivor, it was incredibly moving to hear about his experiences first hand.’ 142

Madrid Trip 2012

Josh Rampton La Sagrad

a Familia

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Year 13 Hardy Trip

recital drifting up through floorboards. The class had set up an impromptu reading of Hardy’s poetry with the brave reader sitting in a large wooden chair by the roaring fire and the class huddled round for warmth. It was simply divine, and Mr McCarthy blessed us all with his beautiful lyrical readings – if you have been taught by him you will know what I mean. I couldn’t resist and had to read the opening chapter of The Mayor of Casterbridge, apt after our lunch at the Dorchester Arms where the main character of this classic ‘lived’.

Imagine this: A damp, drizzly and cold October afternoon. A short hike up a muddy path through woods. Thick smoke billowing from the chimney of a chocolate-box cottage. Being welcomed into a smoke-filled room by a bearded Hardy expert who sits warming his hands by the roaring fire. Sit. Sit. Let me tell you all about Thomas Hardy … It has taken me nearly 13 years to get here and I am, at last, teaching Hardy. I promised to myself when I started teaching many moons ago that Hardy would be at the top of my list. For whatever reason, it has taken all this time to finally facilitate the love of this great novelist into the next generation of Literature students. Hardy wrote Tess of the D’Urbervilles (our set text) at Max Gate in Dorchester. A visit here was a must, especially as the house was only opened to the public this year. Standing in the room where he wrote this great novel was a bit odd. It is not a remarkable space and the view is similarly disappointing. How on earth did he find inspiration? It is not hard to answer this question when one travels a few miles out of Dorchester to Hardy’s birthplace where we were warmly greeted by the bearded Hardy expert. Surrounded by rolling hills, tucked into what Hardy would surely call the ‘bosom of the countryside’, the cottage is much as it was when he lived there. Surely this is where he drew his inspiration.

‘Whilst I was exploring the upstairs rooms, the house silent being deserted of al other visitors, I unexpectedly heard poetry recital drifting up through floorboards.’ The tales of death, disease, tragedy love, community and family recounted by our guide set the foundations for the tragic tale of Tess. Pupils then had the opportunity to explore the house alone, climbing almost vertical stairs and sitting at window seats to admire the beautiful country garden outside. Whilst I was exploring the upstairs rooms, the house silent, being deserted of all other visitors, I unexpectedly heard poetry

Year 12 Parliament Trip

‘We were surprised when led into the smallest of the three courtrooms because, to our consternation, it highly resembled a venue for a PGSMUN conference because of the assortment of flags that were on display identical to the ones used by the MUN.’ On Monday 12th of November, the entire cohort of Year 12 Government and Politics students plus a couple of hangers-on from History zipped to London and back by coach to visit the Palace of Westminster and the UK Supreme Court. Arriving fashionably early, we took a brief stroll down Whitehall past everyone’s favourite branch of government, HM Revenue and Customs, to gaze through the iron bars and fiercely armed police officers at the most iconic door in the world, No. 10 Downing Street. After this we had 35 minutes’ free time in which some continued walking to admire Horse Guards Parade, the Cenotaph and Trafalgar Square while others were thoroughly disturbed by disconcerting men selling souvenirs and accosted by tourists

who flung their smart phones into the hands of strangers saying “Picture! Picture!” After this brief interlude, we were ushered through the airportlike security and into Westminster Hall, the oldest part of the Palace of Westminster and the venue of many prestigious events including receptions for foreign dignitaries such as Barack Obama, Nelson Mandela (twice) and a Pope. Our guide then led us promptly through the Royal Gallery, with the frescos of the Battle of Trafalgar and the Battle of Waterloo that have notoriously left a bitter taste in the mouth of visiting French dignitaries in the years since. We were then shown the ornately adorned chamber of the House of Lords, with the Woolsack on which the speaker sits,

It was a wrench leaving the cottage and the pupils were sad to stop the readings but Dorchester traffic awaited us, as well as my terrible map-reading skills. We made our way to Stinsford Church, where Hardy’s heart is buried. If you read Claire Tomalin’s excellent Thomas Hardy: the Time-Torn Man, you can read all about the controversy surrounding Hardy’s burial, which led to his heart residing in a different place from his body. Whilst visiting, a local man stopped us to tell us the grisly history and that the local myth is that Hardy’s heart never actually made it to the grave because it was eaten by the vicar’s cat … And on that note, we headed back to PGS after a very enjoyable trip! Many thanks must go to Mrs Mitchell, who was our outstandingly calm driver (apologies again for getting us lost), to Mr McCarthy for always inspiring us with knowledge, and to my fabulous class who made this trip worth waiting 13 years for.

Bryony Hart which was described succinctly as a “glorified beanbag” by a child in one of the other groups. We then visited the House of Commons chamber where, we discovered, copies of not only the Bible but the Qur’an, the Talmud, oath cards for the non religious and assorted other Holy texts for new MPs to swear their allegiance to the crown on are kept. We were then led to (incidentally) the largest committee room in the Palace of Westminster for our quick-fire Q&A with Bob Russell, Liberal Democrat MP for Colchester. Then we were whisked off to the UK Supreme Court where we were given an interesting talk on the function and activities of the Supreme Court. We were surprised when led into the smallest of the three courtrooms because, to our consternation, it highly resembled a venue for a PGSMUN conference because of the assortment of flags that were on display identical to the ones used by the MUN which we discovered were the flags of the 27 commonwealth countries, overseas British territories and crown dependencies that have kept the UK supreme court as their highest court of appeal. After discovering that there weren’t enough seats for us to go in and sit in the public galleries of the two cases that were being heard at the time, and being put off by the overly sombre mood of the proceedings pointed out by Mr. Gallop, we headed out and back to our coach for the journey back to PGS. No more than a few minutes after Mr. Gallop requested we respect the ambience of the luxury Lucketts coach, William Wallace stole the limelight by thinking it was a good idea to eat yoghurt on a bus in London traffic and promptly ended up with yoghurt splashed in very unfortunate places. Thankfully this turned out to be the only mishap of the trip. This was a trip that, although brief, provided a fascinating insight into the world of government, an insight relevant not only to our course but to our national identity.

Lessons from Auschwitz On the 18th October Dan Breen and I arrived in Poland for our day visit to Auschwitz as part of the Lessons from Auschwitz project run by the Holocaust Educational Trust. We had attended an orientation seminar before the trip where we were honoured to hear from a Holocaust survivor and reflected on why it is important to learn about the history of the Holocaust. I knew before I arrived in Poland that visiting Auschwitz 1 and Auschwitz-Birkenau, the purpose built extermination camp, would be emotionally challenging. However nothing can prepare you for the experience of actually visiting the camps yourself. When you consider that 1.5 million people died at Auschwitz alone it is easy to get lost behind the vast numbers; statistics are impersonal, and it is too easy to overlook the fact that behind the death tolls are millions of individuals with lives, friends, and families of their own. Visiting the camp came with an awareness that all of the victims were human beings just like you and me. It must also be remembered that the perpetrators were also human beings, and during our follow-up seminar this was one of the many issues we considered. The Holocaust was an extremely complex series of events, and it is impossible to label all of those involved as ‘evil’ – it is likely that many of the perpetrators were just products of the society they lived in. That led us to think about the contemporary relevance of the Holocaust; how we should endeavour to challenge acts of prejudice and discrimination. My experience on the Lessons from Auschwitz project was not one that can be easily conveyed through words. I would encourage anybody to take part in the project, because although it certainly wasn’t easy, the lessons that I learned through the project were invaluable and something that cannot be taught in a classroom.

Grace Gawn

‘I knew before I arrived in Poland that visiting Auschwitz 1 and Auschwitz-Birkenau, the purpose built extermination camp, would be emotionally challenging. However nothing can prepare you for the experience of actually visiting the camps yourself.’

Josh Rampton

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A Da y in s Ba the nd T Life our to A 148 u st r ia Aho y! Re 148 C at h view e d r al BBC 149 Debu Yo u ng C t 150 hor i st e r Co n cert 151 Band 152 Lu n c E n co htim r e ! e Co 152 nce V i o la r t s s As Rem 153 cen emb den ran t ce C 153 onc ert 154 B r as

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A Day in the Life of the Music Department, as

PGS Brass Tour to Austria

seen by David Harris, Organ Scholar

‘Each concert had a far larger audience than we were expecting, which realy contributed to the atmosphere and enjoyment of our performances.’

As I walk along Penny Street towards the back gate of the school, I hear the sounds of numerous rehearsals, ensembles, and lessons already taking place, having all started bang on time at 08:00. Mrs Ingamells, Miss Robertson, and Miss Towner are all taking string ensembles, Mr Brown has a group of brass players, Mr Ingamells is providing a touch of variety, with Swing Band in full… well, swing; and from upstairs, melody lines from a selection of musical theatre songs are being rehearsed with Mrs Pegler. Walking into the department, though, there is a certain amount of chaos, with staff and pupils alike running around looking stressed, confused, and so on – until the music department administrator Mrs Fretwell, She Who Knows Everything, arrives to put everyone’s minds at rest. Her door remains open throughout the morning to provide answers to all who need them.

On 17th July 2013, 59 pupils from the Junior School Brass Band and PGS Brass started the 25 hour coach journey to Austria. Despite the French police’s firmest efforts, we made it to our wonderful hotel the next day, albeit a little tired from the journey. For the next week we had an absolute ball.

After I have played for morning assembly, collected the departmental milk to fuel the incredible amount of tea and coffee we consume, checked everyone’s pigeonholes in the staff common room, and photocopied to my heart’s content (which takes a surprisingly short time), I return to the department to find the teaching day well underway. Already there are groups of pupils spread throughout the department playing What Shall We Do with the Drunken Sailor, supervised by Mr Johnson. There’s also an A-Level group in Q2 with Mr Charles, and IB students going over essays with Miss Heath. Visiting music teachers occupy all the practice rooms upstairs and in the Junior School basement, giving individual tuition on every conceivable instrument.

Over the course of the week, we played three concerts; two on bandstands (in Zell Am See and Schönau am Königsee, the latter in Bavaria), and one in the Mirabell Gardens in Salzburg, with a programme ranging from ‘classic’ brass band music such as Sharpe’s Fanfare and Soliloquy to the Junior School’s exciting rendition of the Final Countdown. Each concert got a far larger audience than was expecting, which really contributed to the atmosphere and enjoyment of our performances.

Mr Hancock, the School Organist, also flits in and out of the department, teaching Music Theory, offering extra help to exam and diploma candidates, and of course running Glee – in many ways the highlight of the week. Whatever he is doing, he leaves a trail of meticulous organisation in his wake. Miss Kingsley is putting together the weekly Lunchtime Concert in between accompanying rehearsals, concerts, and exams, all faultlessly. Meanwhile, our esteemed leader, Mr Gladstone, considers the morning wasted if we have not been involved with at least one world premiere of a new commission by lunchtime, and so the Chamber Choir gather to rehearse pieces by Tarik O’Reagan, Roxanna Panufnik, and Alexander L’Estrange, ahead of a concert in the evening.

In addition to these concerts, we had a great deal of time to do some fantastic sight-seeing. Highlights included a visit to the Kaprun Alpine Reservoir, where we travelled some 2040 metres up into the mountains past and onto some rather spectacular dams, and the bombing down of a 1.6 kilometre dry sledging slope at Saalfelden – enormous fun!

Needless to say, the concert is a tremendous success; also represented are the Senior School Orchestra, Intermediate Orchestra, Concert Band, Allegro Choir, Jazz FX, and a large variety of chamber groups – and not forgetting the Staff Choir, which, as Mr Charles assures us, is the best choir that has ever existed. As always, they perform spectacularly, which is testament to the enormous effort of Music department staff and the marvellous talent and dedication of the pupils.

David Harris

‘Mrs Fretwel, She Who Knows Everything, arrives to put everyone’s minds at rest.’ 148

We would all like to thank all the members of staff who came with us and put up with our excitability, and especially to Mr Brown for organising, running, conducting and directing, whilst still somehow managing to enjoy it himself!

Tim MacBain

Ahoy! To commemorate the opening of the new Mary Rose museum, composer Alexander L’Estrange was commissioned by the Portsmouth Festivities to compose a piece of music to be performed by a variety of people in the Portsmouth Community at the Portsmouth Guildhall on Monday 24th June. The performance consisted of over 400 people, including 250 junior school children. This included the PGS Chamber Choir, PGS Community Choir, the Portsmouth Festivities Choir and Choirs from PGS Junior School, St.Judes C of E Primary School, St George’s Beneficial C of E Primary School, Castle Primary School and the Mary Rose School. Ahoy! was written with the intent to bring together local schools and communities to perform together and to inspire the children to continue singing as they grow older.

Ahoy! is a piece of music encompassing a wide range of songs, from traditional sea shanties to haunting melodies of love and loss. Ahoy! was composed to depict the voyage of the Mary Rose, not just focusing on the tragic events of the day the Mary Rose sank. It includes traditional music and melodies believed to be written by Henry VIII himself. Being a part of the production from the first rehearsal to the final logistics was a rollercoaster ride. The official recording included a few members of the PGS Chamber Choir, which being a part of was an incredible opportunity; rehearsals had

been ongoing since April. Alexander L’Estrange was often seen attending rehearsals and working with the choirs to perfect the piece. Upon attending one of the rehearsals with one of the junior school choirs, the full scale of the event really began to sink in; watching and listening to the children increased our own excitement and anticipation for the premiere. The buzz of excitement and anticipation back stage was the result of a build up of months of rehearsals. The final rehearsal involved perfecting clapping and bobbing in time, naval salutes and how to get on and off the stage! The performance itself was full of energy and joy. The slower movements were magic and very moving, depicting the loss of lives during the terrible event. It was an amazing experience to be involved in such a prestigious event, which I am sure all will remember for a long time. Our thanks go out to all involved in the performance: to the Call me Al Quintet, our conductor Mr.Gladstone and ,of course, to the man behind the magic, our composer, Alexander L’Estrange who created a piece of music that remembered a historic event in Portsmouth’s History but also a piece to inspire future generations to be involved in music.

Abie Guy

‘Ahoy! was composed to depict the voyage of the Mary Rose, not just focusing on the tragic events of the day the Mary Rose sank. It includes traditional music and melodies believed to be written by Henry VIII himself.’

From terror to applause as I make my cathedral debut ‘The making of The Song of Names was one of the happiest collaborations of my life.’

Every consonant and crotchet was emitted as if it were a matter of life and death. And, when the big tune came into play for the first time, every hair in the cathedral must have stood on end. Afterwards, I asked the boy trebles which bit they liked best and they mobbed me with recapitulations. Parents came up to tell us their children had talked of little else for weeks. “Can we do it again?” chirped the altos. Nigel was speechless with emotion. “Such an intense evening,” texted one of the cellists next morning.

Norman Lebrecht congratulates composer Roxanna Panufnik after the performance in Portsmouth Cathedral. Photo:Peter Langdown

More pleasing still was the underlying motivation. James Priory, headmaster of Portsmouth Grammar School (established in 1732), explained that he wanted to broaden the Festival of Remembrance beyond the conventional agenda. This year, he was using it to explore historic connections between the school, the city and its Jews. He had commissioned an essay in the concert programme, which revealed that Portsmouth had five times petitioned Parliament in the 19th century to remove “the civil disabilities of the Jews”.

The city elected a Jewish mayor in 1867 and the school produced many Jewish graduates. One, Mike Barnard, played cricket for Hampshire (256 first-class matches) and soccer for Portsmouth FC (116 League games). James recorded the concert and filmed a conversation between Rox and me for use as teaching materials. Somehow, in the thick of recession, he had raised funds to commission a large-scale work of music around which the school could explore its own history, environment and multiple cultures. Music, he argued, is one of the most effective educational tools (Michael Gove, please note). He introduced us to a couple who were celebrating their 68th wedding anniversary that night. Walter and Herta Kammerling came to England on the 1938-9 Kindertransport; their families perished in Europe. Their story has become part of the school fabric. The act of remembrance continues. An oratorio is born. Norman Lebrecht is an award-winning novelist and cultural commentator

Norman Lebrecht, November 15, 2012 On the evening of Remembrance Sunday, I found myself sitting in the second row of Portsmouth Cathedral, paralysed with terror. This is not my usual pre-concert state. Unlike many unfortunate musicians, I am immune to performance anxiety. Ask me to talk about Mahler to 1,000 people and I’ll discourse for two hours without turning a hair or a page. Let me loose on Schoenberg’s Survivor from Warsaw, and I’ll be inside the orchestra declaiming Sprechgesang before the oboe can sound an A. Last Sunday, however, was something else. I took the train to the great port on a sombre November day for the world premiere of a work based on my novel, The Song of Names. As I set foot in the cathedral, I was poleaxed by a tempest of anomalies.

The Song of Names, published in 2002 is about two Jewish boys — Martin and Dovidl — who grow up in London during the Blitz. Dovidl is a violinist, whose family is wiped out in Poland. On the day of his concert debut, he disappears. It is an intensely Jewish story.

As I listened, I recognised affinities with meditative nigunim composed by Chasidic rebbes far away and many centuries later. Between us, Rox and I arrived at a musical language that was both richly sourced and altogether original. ‘‘Why on premiere night was I frozen with doubt and fear? So why, on premiere night, was I frozen by doubt and fear? Anomalies overwhelmed me. How could I, a practising Jew, write a choral work for a cathedral?’’ Writing a libretto flowed easily from these decisions. Matching my words to Rox’s music and feeding the results into the Sibelius computer program that composers use for fast scoring, we heard an approximate sound of what awaited us and agreed that it was not bad, not bad at all. So why, on premiere night, was I frozen by doubt and fear? Anomalies overwhelmed me. How could I, a practising Jew, write a choral work for a cathedral? Rabbinic ancestors were tugging at my inner ear.

Two years after the book was published, a composer I had known since she was in her teens asked if she could turn it into a work for chorus and orchestra. I made all sorts of excuses, reluctant to relinquish control of my creation.

And what of my composer? Roxanna, though maternally Jewish, is Roman Catholic by revelation and Polish by paternity. Had we each managed to be true to ourselves? I had swum far out of my depth, fearful that my faithful account of minority experience was about to be subsumed by the establishment church.

But Roxanna Panufnik is nothing if not persistent and, when she obtained a commission from Portsmouth Grammar School and the London Mozart Players to compose a 20-minute oratorio, I let her wear me down over lunch and we got smartly to work.

The concert opened with a set of Hebrew songs by Eric Whitacre, with words by his Israeli wife. Then came five Bagatelles by Gerald Finzi, a self-denying Jew from my neck of St John’s Wood who always tried to sound more English than custard.

The making of The Song of Names was one of the happiest collaborations of my life. I asked Rox to avoid anything that sounded like pastiche-Jewish. She raced off to consult Dr Alexander Knapp at the University of London and came back with the El Male Rachamim prayer, recited over Jewish graves.

Then it was The Song of Names. A last glance at my libretto. I had given the tenors a little Jewish joke: “We need a nigun, like the Besht’s: A nigun like the goy called Bach. A Goldberg nigun.” Let’s see what they make of that.

I countered with a melody that may be the oldest known Jewish tune. Chazan Ezra Misri, who conducts Iraqi High Holy Day services in Maida Vale, had sung me a mode for one of the Aramaic Selichot, dating back more than a millennium.

BBC Young Chorister of the Year Well, my year has been a musical dream. I came to PGS from Chichester where I was Head Chorister in the Cathedral, and had quite recently won the BBC Young Chorister of the Year 2012. Winning this competition has opened another door into the world of music for me. I have sung with brilliant orchestras such as the BBC concert orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic. The best part for me was singing in some of the venues including the Royal Albert Hall, Number 10 Downing Street, and the Royal Hospital Chelsea. When I sung at Hackney Empire, I met a personal hero, Jamie Cullum, and managed to see him perform. All of these places have given me experiences that will hopefully give me an advantage if I follow my dreams into the music industry.

Not only has winning the competition given me opportunities to sing at great places, but it has also given me the opportunity to sing with Choirs at school. I have sung a couple of solos in the Chamber Choir, and sung in the Cathedral on Remembrance Day. This included singing the treble solo in Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms with the London Mozart Players, conducted by Nicholas Cleobury. Unfortunately, the inevitable voice change is happening, and I can no longer sing as a treble. However I would like to carry on singing and pursue my love for Jazz and Funk piano.

Isaac Waddington

‘The best part for me was some of the venues I sung in including the Royal Albert Hall, Number 10 Downing Street, and the Royal Hospital Chelsea.’

Nothing prepared me for the shock of hearing my words set to music, or for the ferocious energy that the London Mozart Players, the two choirs, conductor Nicholas Cleobury, and the phenomenal Covent Garden baritone Nigel Cliffe, put into the work. Isaac Waddington, Aled Jones and Louisa Jane Stirland at the Awards Ceremony

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My First Year in Concert Band

Tuesdays@1:15pm

I have recently been given the position of the new drummer in the school’s concert band. Initially, this was a daunting idea because I was completely new to the concept of playing in such a large group, and I knew that a lot of responsibility rests on the shoulders of the drummer: they must keep the whole band in rhythm, and so I greatly feared that my lack of experience would result in me causing the entire rehearsal to slow down while they waited for me to learn my part.

I am very pleased to present and accompany our weekly lunchtime recital series, Tuesdays@1:15pm. These concerts provide an invaluable opportunity to try out a performance of a solo or ensemble, perhaps before a festival or examination, or a dry run by GCSE, A level and IB recordings. We have a modest yet supportive audience, which includes guests from outside of the school community. Performers even brave the ultimate challenge of playing to their peers!

As concert band involves regular performances, I was really nervous about joining the band; I didn’t feel I would be ready to perform my part flawlessly with the additional pressure of a large audience. What if I could not read this music correctly? What if I could not keep up with the rest of the band who are much more experienced than me? However, on going to my first rehearsal, I soon discovered that my fears were groundless. The hand-over of the old drummer to me had been carefully arranged so that we would overlap for several weeks before I was left on my own. This meant that, for the first few weeks, I was in a sort of apprenticeship. The drummer (Jordan), who would be leaving after his A2 exams, took me under his wing. He helped me brush up my sight-reading, readying me for when I would be performing solo. An additional drum kit was set up next to his, and so for the first few weeks I could simply copy what he was doing. Thus I was able to integrate myself with the band at a comfortably slow pace, allowing my confidence to grow by giving me a proper insight

Encore!

into the structure of a rehearsal before any pressure was put on me. As the weeks progressed, more and more of the drum parts were delegated to me, so that I could eventually play the part to a good standard alongside the Jordan. Finally, to fully establish my position within the band, I was put in a concert to play the theme from Gladiator. In this, again I played on my own kit while Jordan played on his so I was able to actually perform in a concert without any real pressure on me (as if I could not keep up, the other drummer could fill in for me). This gradual integration into concert band was truly essential to me and I am very grateful for it, as it has allowed me to gain confidence in my playing ability before anything is expected of me. In addition to this, the gradual entry process gave me a chance to get to know the band members and staff properly, which once again was a real confidence boost for when I would be the sole drummer.

Karen Kingsley

‘Recent innovations have included concerts of pupils’ own compositions and performances by visiting music teachers alongside their pupils.’

Now Jordan has left, I have finally adopted the full role of the concert band drummer. Due to the way in which I was introduced into the band, I am now comfortable with my ability to play and am already a fully integrated member of the band. Therefore I can fully enjoy the experience of being a part of concert band without any fears of not being up to the task.

Pippa MacClean

What a programme the Portsmouth Grammar School students gave us last night!

At the end of January a selection of our music scholars gave a fantastic recital to the Portsmouth Music Club, one of a series of solo recitals given by pupils during the year. The evening of music featured some of our most advanced performers, including James Gulliford, Fay Davies, Owen Jones, Finn Carter, Isabel Howson and Alice Tilbury.

A clarinettist with splendid youthful commitment, a promising young soprano who tackled a variety of styles, a born music theatre singer with tremendous verve and wonderfully clear words, an electric guitarist of astonishing virtuosity, a tuba player who added trombone to her list of intractable instruments from which she could produce both line and excitement to a composed, and a polished young violinist who extracted the most from her taxing Grieg sonata.

The review for the Portsmouth Music Club for the night’s festivities was certainly glowing. Sam Gladstone

I don’t think there are many schools in the country that could produce such an array of talent. Karen Kingsley accompanied idiomatically whatever the style. Rhythmically taut, supportive and unobtrusive, she ensured her young performers played their best.

(left to right) Finn Carter, Fay Davies, James Gulliford, Alice Tilbury and Owen Jones

‘I don’t think there are many schools in the country who could produce such an array of talent.’ 15

Our programmes cover every category of orchestral instrument, both classical and music theatre vocal genres, and piano and guitar playing. Recent innovations have included concerts of pupils’ own compositions and performances by visiting music

teachers alongside their pupils. It is gratifying to observe the increasing poise and composure evident as our musicians play more frequently, with sophisticated bowing on display too! My congratulations and thanks to all pupils who have contributed to the success of these concerts.

PGS Music Festival

Violas Ascendent On Friday 1st February 2013, PGS welcomed Violas Ascendant - an exciting ‘all viola’ chamber group. Organised by Mrs McGibben, the inspirational afternoon gave PGS string students the opportunity to play a new piece especially arranged for the day, benefitting from a master class session with a member of Violas Ascendant and with the afternoon culminating in an evening concert, listening to a vast array of viola music played by the professionals! The first workshop revolved around a new piece, ‘Pastime with Good Company’ by King Henry VIII conducted by Christopher Wellington. With string players from Year 7 up to Year 13 participating, it was great to see so many musicians! With useful advice on improving techniques and style, and a short sectional rehearsal, within an hour the piece sounded really good and we were able to perform it in the evening.

‘With string players from Year 7 up to Year 13 participating it was great to see so many musicians.’ The next workshop was a master class session. I am part of ‘PGS Senior String Quartet’ and we were able to perform our piece ‘Suite - Irish Sherry’ whilst receiving advice and tips to improve both our individual and group playing as well as the quality of our overall performance. It was really useful to receive a second opinion, and I also enjoyed listening to other groups during their master class sessions with the players of Violas Ascendant . The concert was really enjoyable, my favourite piece being ‘Three Songs’ by Jerome Kern arranged for three violas. It’s was nice to give special importance to violas and a great conclusion to a fantastic afternoon. Clare Bartholomew

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Stunning World Premiere Fills St Thomas’ Cathedral On Sunday 11 November a large and expectant audience gathered in St Thomas’ Cathedral for the annual Portsmouth Grammar School Remembrance Concert. The concert featured the PGS Chamber Choir alongside the school’s associate musicians, The London Mozart Players, and the Portsmouth Cathedral Choristers conducted by Nicholas Cleobury, one of Britain’s most experienced and respected conductors.

‘This was a moving and powerful concert that will live long in the memory, and many in the audience shared the view that a new level has been set in PGS musical performance.’

The centrepiece of the concert was the premiere of The Song of Names by Roxanna Panufnik, setting a libretto adapted by Norman Lebrecht from his acclaimed novel of the same title. A profoundly moving story, The Song of Names is a novel about Dovidl, a boy prodigy from Poland who loses his family in Hitler’s holocaust and finds redemption in a never-ending ‘The Song of Names’ which preserves the memory of the dead. Panufnik’s setting of the libretto combined inventive orchestration with ancient Jewish melodies to create a work of intense emotion and power. The role of Dovidl was taken by baritone Nigel Cliffe, who brought dramatic power and excitement to the performance, whilst the choristers took the role of the young Martin, Dovidl’s friend. The PGS Chamber Choir performed with élan, confidence and real feeling. This was the climax of many hours rehearsal and the choir more than rose to the challenge, producing a stunning performance, their warm tone matched by real commitment to the text and fantastic dramatic contrast.

On 11th November 2012 PGS performed its annual Remembrance Day Concert at St Thomas’ Cathedral. During rehearsals I was fortunate enough to grab a few moments with conductor of the London Mozart Players, Nicholas Cleobury.

it, much like singing or playing an instrument, it just goes from there.

Portmuthian: Thank you for taking the time to do this interview. First of all, what are your thoughts on the piece commissioned for this year’s Remembrance Concert?

Nicholas: I enjoy the experience of doing the best for the composer and audience. I suppose in a way we are like their servants, doing all we can to entertain them and it’s always very satisfying to know that you have done your best when conducting or performing a piece.

Nicholas: Yes, the School have been brilliantly prepared by Sam (Mr. Gladstone) and they have gone from “0-60” over the course of the rehearsals this afternoon after they gained their confidence; they will be very good tonight.

Portmuthian: What do you enjoy about conducting?

Portmuthian: Thank you very much. And finally a question that should be put to all great musicians: what is your favourite piece of music? Nicholas: Ah, well, I can’t answer that question, but I will give you a slightly different answer. I’d say that my favourite composer is Mozart, whose depth and beauty of psychology and understanding of the human condition through sound is second to none.

Portmuthian: How did you become involved in conducting?

Portmuthian: Thank you very much for taking the time out to answer our questions and we are looking forward to tonight with great anticipation!

Nicholas: Well, I was a cathedral chorister in Worcester then attended university where I began to conduct choirs and small chamber groups, and I suppose once you have the aptitude for

Nicholas: Thank you very much.

Interview by Ali Gray

An Interview with Phoebe Carter Portmuthian: So, Phoebe, you played Finzi’s ‘Five Bagatelles’ alongside the London Mozart Players, I suppose the first question is did you enjoy it?

the day of the concert. For about a month beforehand, I was doing up to forty five minutes of practise a day, every day! I also played them in recitals and concert in preparation.

Phoebe: Yes I did, it was a really enjoyable experience, and it was such an incredible opportunity to play alongside a professional orchestra with such a great reputation!

Portmuthian: So now that it’s all over, how would you summarise the experience?

Portmuthian: The pieces you played, ‘Five Bagatelles’, are they pieces that you enjoy playing generally?

I thoroughly enjoyed my all too brief time at PGS, and want to extend my thanks right across the board, for the vision to put on a concert of such musical and human importance and for all the hard work of organisation done by many beyond just the performers.

Phoebe: I really love the ‘Bagatelles’; they are a brilliant set of pieces, which have a variety of different moods and characters.

Working with living composers and writers is a tonic and for me essential, so that we connect with the creativity of our own time. The PGS work in this field is well documented and exemplary and linked to the relationship with the LMP, makes for a winning combination.

Ben Charles

‘I enjoy the experience of doing the best for the composer and audience. I suppose in a way we are like their servants, doing all we can to entertain them and it’s always very satisfying to know that you have done your best when conducting or performing a piece.’

Portmuthian: Have you enjoyed working with the London Mozart Players and the School for this concert?

This was a moving and powerful concert that will live long in the memory, and many in the audience shared the view that a new level has been set in PGS musical performance. The conductor, Nicholas Cleobury, wrote after the concert:

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An Interview with Nicolas Cleobury

Nicholas: I think the piece is brilliant as is the School’s tradition of commissioning a piece to be performed at this concert each year. It good to work with new music; it’s very enriching and it’s always a good experience to learn from.

The concert also featured two soloists. Firstly, Phoebe Carter (L6th) gave a professional and exciting performance of Finzi’s Five Bagatelles for Clarinet and String Orchestra, demonstrating her exceptional musicality. Secondly, Isaac Waddington (Year 9), newly crowned BBC Young Chorister of the Year, took the demanding treble solo in Bernstein’s glorious Chichester Psalms. This cornerstone of the twentieth-century choral repertoire again featured the Chamber Choir in exceptional form, more than matching the LMP in Bernstein’s dynamic and sparkling orchestration. Performing amongst the LMP were two PGS percussionists, Alastair Gray (L6th) and Jordan Banting (U6th) who clearly relished the opportunity to play amongst large, professional percussion section.

Thanks and congratulations for a wonderful concert.

Remembrance Day Concert:

Portmuthian: Did you practise a lot in preparation?

Phoebe: Exhausting, but so worth it! It was a fantastic experience to be a part of, and I will never forget it. It was so satisfying to know that everyone’s hard work had paid off, and that people enjoyed the concert so much! Portmuthian: Well, congratulations again on a terrific performance, and thank you for taking the time to talk to us about it. Phoebe: Thank you!

Phoebe: You could say that! I learnt the pieces at the beginning of the summer term, and practised right up until Phoebe Carter after finishing her proformance with the London Mozart Player

Interview by Ali Gray

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Ranch House

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Musical Responsibilities

Middle School Council

I do quite a lot of music, and have done since Year 9. Therefore, I have been given a range of responsibilities as I have worked my way up the school. As a holder of a Music Scholarship, I perform in at least one concert every term which is specifically dedicated to Scholars, ranging from Years 9 to 13, in addition to the various other concerts throughout the year. Being involved in a wide variety of ensembles, ranging from PGS Brass to Chamber Choir, means that at these other concerts, such as the Gala Concert at Easter, I will often perform twice or more! Entering the Upper Sixth in September, I was given two extra responsibilities in terms of music; the first was becoming Head of Chamber Choir. This position is given to a Tenor or Bass in the Upper Sixth, and is the conduit through which, should he require, Mr Gladstone ensures that all communications about rehearsals, concerts and special events are received by all members of Chamber Choir, should they forget to check their emails! The second responsibility was that of House Music Captain. This role has one predominant function; to organise House entries to the House Music Competition, in April. This means that I had to choose pupils to enter specific categories from Years 9 to 13, which wasn’t easy, especially when there are six pupils all vying for one place in the competition! I often joke that the Music Department is my second home, due to the fact that I seem to spend so much time rehearsing, performing, learning (for I took IB Higher Level Music) or, very seldom, watching concerts. It is from this that my responsibilities are rooted having been around Music at PGS so much.

Tim MacBain

‘I often joke that the Music Department is my second home, due to the fact that I seem to spend so much time rehearsing, performing, learning (for I took IB Higher Level Music) or, very seldomly, watching concerts.’

‘The middle school council is a very good opportunity for anyone and everyone. The pupils also have more of an input into the school as well as seeing big improvements! It enhances confidence and authority and the role allows the counsellor to help and be effective with their actions.’ Throughout the school there are many different positions of authority which pupils of any age may obtain from Captain of House to mentors and counsellors. The job of each position can vary and different years have different hierarchies. In the middle school (Year 7 – 8) an important role is Middle School Council; this is a council formed from pupils selected within their tutor (maximum 2) who are chosen to represent their tutor group. They can also raise any queries or questions which have been discussed within the tutor group and receive feedback. At council meetings some of the main discussions are events within the school, the outcome is based on the feedback that we have received from our tutor groups. The discussions can also vary from party themes to furniture, giving all pupils more freedom to make the school ‘home’. Overall, the Middle School Council is a very good opportunity for anyone and everyone. The pupils also have more of an input into the school as well as seeing big improvements! It enhances confidence and authority, and the role allows the counsellor to help and be effective with their actions. It’s a great role for anyone and allows you to convey your opinions within a mature crowd who will listen to and respect your ideas.

A House Captain’s Year I have really enjoyed being a House Captain and advising the Year 7s. In the summer term of Year 7, I was asked to be one of Eastwood’s House Captains for the following year. It was wonderful to be asked, if a little daunting. In the Middle School there are two captains and about 10 mentors for each house - a mixture of students who have come up from the Junior School and those new to PGS in Year 7. If you become one of the team then you may be apprehensive that you won’t know what to do, but have no fear - Mr Hampshire (Head of Middle School) and Mrs Jackson (Deputy Head of Middle School) run training sessions to get you up to speed. Your guide and mentor throughout the year is your Head of House, in my case Mrs Harris. The early training sessions helped us understand our roles and set us up for a year of interesting challenges. The first was New Year 7 afternoon in June - helping both new pupils and their parents get their bearings and then providing guided tours. Lots of questions, but you’d be surprised how many answers you already know! On the first day of the Autumn Term it’s an early start - ready at the Arch to welcome the new Year 7s. This is when a House Captain starts her (or his) time as a friendly ear. Then along comes Open Morning, that Saturday in September when the whole school is on show. The House Teams, along with hordes of enthusiastic Year 7s and 8s, conduct tours for visiting families, showing them areas such as science, music, tech and the library. I found it intriguing to see which aspects of the school interested the different families. Lots of them took the opportunity of the tour to ask questions of us guides when the staff weren’t listening! Then, at the end of Open Morning, we were rewarded with doughnuts and hot chocolate. This year there have been many more informal open afternoons, when parents get to see a working day. It is really fun showing prospective parents around the school; although you are still expected to catch up afterwards on the maths you missed! All through the year, House Captains and Mentors are also meant to be good role models for the Year 7s, so whatever you do, learn the uniform rules, don’t get a ‘tray-duty’ and remember that all the staff really are there to help. Our other responsibilities have included giving advice on everything from House Sports to Grades to Year 7s (during tutor sessions) and taking part in Middle School assemblies. Towards the end of my year, we were asked to help in the run-up to the Year 7 exams, since we had all survived the stress of our own summer exams the year before. We explained the format of the exams, calmed a few nerves and pointed out that we had all managed to escape without any scars, so there was hope for everyone!

Naeve Molho Since last summer, I have really enjoyed meeting new people and showing them what PGS has to offer. Everyone has been interested in hearing first-hand about the academic life and the extra-curricular opportunities. Having shown parents and potential pupils around, it’s been really rewarding to meet some of the same parents and children at the 11+ exam morning and know they’ve chosen PGS. I have really enjoyed being a House Captain and advising the Year 7s. If you are asked, go for it! Tim MacBain

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Daniella Masters

Peer Mentoring Team After coming across the peer mentoring role a few years ago, I decided that I wanted to become one when eventually I ascended into the Sixth Form. I am now privileged to be a part of a team of 14 current Year 12s who will train over the last half of the summer term of 2013 to become next year’s Peer Mentors. The role of the Peer Mentor at PGS is to provide the younger year groups, particularly those in Years 7 and 8, with support from a person who is, I daresay, closer to their age than those responsible for pastoral care on the teaching staff. Each Peer Mentor is assigned either a Year 7 or a Year 8 tutor group so that they can be a familiar face of support to pupils who are new to the school, someone they can come to for help or advice, or just someone to talk to about any problems or worries they may have. The service of the Peer Mentors is not restricted to the Middle School by any means; pupils in the older years can contact the team via the email address peer.mentors@pgs.org.uk and be assigned someone they can talk to or simply ask to be put in contact with one of us by their tutor, Head of House or Miss Linnett. The team have already attended the Year 7 Induction Afternoon to get acquainted with the tutor groups that we will be assigned to next year, and I’m sure I speak for all of us when I say that we are looking forward to fulfilling the responsibility we have been given next year.

Josh Rampton

Katy Paxman, Daisy Mellar, Yasmin Caldera, Rachel Boylin, Natasha Morgan, Josh Rampton, Isabel Mackay, James Scott, Richenda Gordon Pullar

‘The role of the Peer Mentor at PGS is to provide the younger year groups, particularly those in Years 7 and 8, with support from a person who is, I daresay, closer to their age than those responsible for pastoral care on the teaching staff.’ 159

Portsmouth Point ‘More and more pupils from al year groups are sending in articles, stories, poems, photographs, art work, audio and video.’ Since its launch in Spring 2012, Portsmouth Point blog has offered a forum for PGS pupils, staff, OPs and parents to share their interests, enthusiasms and opinions online every day of the week. To date, we have published over 750 articles and received nearly 120,000 page views, a testament to the dedication of our contributors and the consistently high quality of their writing. I am delighted that, this year, more and more pupils from all year groups are sending in articles, stories, poems, photographs, art work, audio and video. My thanks, also, to the many PGS staff who, despite being so busy, have taken the time and trouble to contribute articles on everything from the legacy of Margaret Thatcher to the significance of Jack Duckworth, from photographs of the moon’s surface to an explanation of why sugar lumps are like Russian roulette. Most of all, praise is due to our dedicated editors who every term, and even during the holidays, have entertained and informed us in equal measure with articles on a vertiginous range of subjects. I would like to pay particular tribute to those in Year 13, who are leaving us this summer and many of whom have been editors from the blog’s inception. The following barely begins to capture the extent of their contributions, but I hope it provides a flavour. Lucy Cole could write incisively and wittily about any subject you can think of: from how to keep sane during exams

to the Isle of Wight Festival and Andalusian culture. George Chapman was similarly versatile, ranging from a challenge to George Osborne’s economic policy to the launch of his music video, ‘Pictures’ and an explanation of why country music is bad for you. Fay Davies’ essays were erudite and stylish, whether investigating what prefaces reveal about authors’ anxieties, explaining the difficulties of adapting The Great Gatsby to the big screen or examining the nation’s emotional response to the 2012 Olympics. Billie Downer offered robust and convincing defences of Eric Hobshawm, Mao Zedong and Fifty Shades of Gray. Andrew Jones’ analysis of current affairs, from Afghanistan to the Euro crisis and climate change, was invariably illuminating and in-depth. I was always impressed that George Kimber-Sweatman and Ben Willcocks were able to respond to major sporting events so quickly while still writing with insight and panache that put many professional sports commentators to shame. Particularly memorable were: George’s pieces on Nigel Adkins, the challenges of refereeing and England’s 3-2 victory over Sweden; Ben’s articles on Mario Balotelli, football chants and his A-Z of football. Meanwhile, George Laver introduced readers to an impressive range of poetry, ranging from the fourteenth to the twentieth century, in a series of thoughtful and sensitive commentaries (including his own translations of Italian verse). Tim MacBain was authoritative and entertaining in equal measure, whether discussing cricket, music, politics, Star Wars or the stresses of

Portmuthian Editor and Writer travelling with his family. Eclectic in his taste while always deeply knowledgeable, George Neame wrote some of the most subtle and appreciative music reviews that I’ve ever read. Whether describing holidays with his family, exploring the world of the “Belieber” or considering at what stage a joke crosses the line, Oli Price was invariably sharp, observant and funny. Louisa Stark’s reviews of art exhibitions from Damien Hirst to Lucian Freud and Metamorphosis: Titian 2012 were elegant and penetrating. Ollie Velasco provided wonderfully impassioned reviews of films from Les Miserables to Skyfall and The Hobbit, as well as a memorable interview with Miriam Margolyes. And Bea Wilkinson was equally at home presenting complex articles on psychology or offering an enthusiastic review of Matilda: The Musical. We are, therefore, lucky that the next generation of Portsmouth Point editors, in Years 12, 11 and 10, are as knowledgeable and versatile as those departing. I have no doubt that the blog will continue to engage with cultural, political and sporting events of the day as insightfully and eloquently as ever over the next twelve months, and I invite you to continue to visit us daily at www.portsmouthpoint.blogspot.com. Furthermore, two new issues of Portsmouth Point magazine have allowed pupils and staff to explore a range of subjects in greater depth and detail this year. At Christmas, we published the ’Icon Issue’, in which contributors examined the iconic status of nightingales and X-boxes, Watergate and the world wide web, Elvis and Mrs Thatcher, Steve Jobs and Satan, and Higgs Boson and The Clash, to name but a few. The ‘Fight Club’ issue was launched at the end of the summer term, presenting a series of articles that took issue with each other in a spirit of civilised but vigorous debate. Writers sparred over the relative merits of French and German culture, Verdi and Wagner, Clement Attlee and Robert Peel; they disagreed politely but insistently over gay marriage, technology in football, the existence of God, bullfighting, abortion, drug legalisation and austerity. And we asked two of the most difficult questions of all: what is the greatest music album and what is your favourite film? Each issue revealed, once again, the awe-inspiring breadth of interests and depth of knowledge possessed by PGS pupils. I am also indebted to the Portsmouth Point think-tank (better known as Ms Godfree and Mr Sadden) whose ideas have been central to both the ‘Icon’ and ‘Fight Club’ issues. And my thanks, finally, to our gifted designer, Clara Feltham, who has produced two visually stunning editions of the magazine. It has been another exciting year for both magazine and blog.

James Burkinshaw

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The Portmuthian is an annual magazine which outlines the successes of the Portsmouth Grammar School. It’s published each year and is often used as a prospectus for parents of potential pupils as it provides an insight into PGS life. The unique aspect about the Portmuthian is that it is in fact written and edited by the pupils themselves. The team consists of around eight Year 12 students, as well as one representative from the remaining six year groups. Being a member of the Portmuthian team comes with a range of roles and responsibilities. For example, we meet every Monday break time in order to look through the weekly schedule and decide on what events to report on. We then discuss who is best advised to write the article, and allocate the reporting to the right individual to get it done. We end up with an accumulation of articles at the end of the year and must sort them into their respective categories; for example, some will relate to areas such as Drama while others may concern Music. In some cases, we may ask other individuals from around the school to write an article and it is our job to ensure they submit it on time. It can be extremely challenging around exam time so it is crucial that we chase up out standing articles before this period. Furthermore, we also meet on Thursday lunchtimes and it is a rather productive session since we have the best part of an hour to discuss important matters. Here, we look to see which articles are missing and often choose to focus on a particular area. One week, we may devise questions to ask the new staff (which will feature in the Portmuthian) and another we might discuss possible plans for the design of the magazine. There are a range of duties we must fulfil and it’s important that we make the most of our meetings since they only occur twice a week. As well as all of this, we must ensure that we check our emails on a regular basis and read through the minutes that have been typed up and sent to us. It is our job to read over who is set to write certain articles so we can ensure they are completed on time. We also attend special meetings, for example this year we met with the archivist and also with the Portmuthian’s designer where we discussed our plans for the magazine. It all contributes to the final image and all the hard work is rewarded in the final print when all the articles are put together. It’s an incredibly enjoyable experience being a part of the Portmuthian team and great to be associated with such a fantastic magazine. While there is a lot of responsibility, it is certainly worth it when the final product is produced after a year of hark work. If you are interested in being involved contact Ms Hart, Head Editor, for more details.

Zoe Rundle ‘While there is a lot of responsibil ity, it is certainly worth it when the final product is produced after a year of hark work.’

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Senior Prefect If you were to ask any veteran of the PGS Sixth Form which year in their school career was their most stressful, I imagine most would agree upon Year 13. Moreover (and somewhat more supportive of further education), I’d suggest that they also found the Upper Sixth to be their most exciting year, as this is the year during which PGS Leavers look towards University and subsequent careers. Last summer, Chloe Sellwood and I were incredibly fortunate to each receive an invitation from the Headmaster for the position of Senior Prefect; a position held this year for the duration of Year 13 by two prefects. As you might imagine, the opportunity to be a Senior Prefect amplified both the stress and excitement that Chloe and I experienced during the Upper Sixth. Luckily however, the latter of these feelings far outstripped the former. So what exactly does a Senior Prefect do that’s so exciting (and occasionally stressful)? To outline our role is relatively easy provided that you are already pretty familiar with the role of the 50-or-so School Prefects. As Mr Lockyer and Mr Harris often publicise, the day-to-day presence and involvement of Prefects is crucial for the normal function of the School. This is usually required for the quad responsibilities, lunch hall duties and tours for prospective teachers, pupils and parents that you may see us engaged in. Often understandably overlooked, however, are those comparatively ‘behind the scenes’ activities which the Prefects must also carry out. These may include preparing chairs in the Cathedral before the rest of the school arrive for a service, or helping to co-ordinate Open Mornings and the 11+ Examination Day, for instance. Quite simply, these are all aspects of life as a School Prefect which the Senior Prefects (and indeed Deputy Senior Prefects – a further four Prefects who join the Senior Prefects to comprise the ‘Senior Team’) must also carry out. All that said, there are actually a few differences between the roles of the Senior and School Prefects worth noting. Firstly, where the School Prefects will usually have between two and four routine duties to attend each week, the Senior and Deputy Senior Prefects get away lightly. Instead of actually doing such duties, it is usually our responsibility to simply ensure all duties between 8.10am and 3.50pm are covered on a designated day (whether or not this is by the rostered Prefect).

‘Last summer, Chloe Sellwood and I were incredibly fortunate to each receive an invitation from the Headmaster for the position of Senior Prefect; a position held this year for the duration of Year 13 by two prefects.’ Additionally, you’re more likely to see us liaising with the Senior Management Team on school matters, connecting Old Portmuthians with the current school environment (at events such as the OP Dinner and Prizegiving), and writing/delivering speeches in the Cathedral more often than the other Prefects. This all sounds rather serious so far, but I assure you that us Senior Prefects can (and do!) find more obvious ways to enjoy the year. A personal highlight was ‘PGS+10’ – the annual Prefect-organised and Senior Prefect-managed Cathedral service, which this year focused on the plethora of things PGS students could and actually have achieved in a decade. Although incredibly daunting at the time, I particularly enjoyed performing during the Prefects’ flash-mob rendition of ‘Time of My Life’ from Dirty Dancing that kicked-off the assembly. More recently, it was an absolute pleasure to say thank you and farewell to the 2013 team of Prefects at the annual Prefects’ Dinner in May whilst enjoying the wonderful buffet on offer and, of course, Mr Priory’s relentless banter. It’s incredibly hard to give an insight into the experiences of the ‘average’ Senior Prefect on one side of A4, not least because the team of Prefects (and, to some extent, teachers) with whom the Senior Team has the opportunity to work changes from year to year. Furthermore, the installation of two Senior Prefects this year has undoubtedly changed the leadership of the Prefect body, and the experiences of both Chloe and I. Instead, my words here are a brief summary of that which has been most memorable for me, personally, as I reach the end of my term as a Senior Prefect and a snapshot of some of the opportunities relished by this year’s Senior Team and the 2013 Prefect body more widely.

George Chapman

Prefect Training Day ‘We worked in groups through a series of scenario that might arise during our time as prefects. This provoked some interesting resolutions to problems.’

Sports Captain for Tennis Being a Sport’s Captain at Portsmouth Grammar School is a very demanding, yet thoroughly enjoyable, job. It involves numerous responsibilities and provides a great opportunity to develop leadership and organisational skills.

On Friday 21st June, the Year 12 Probationary Prefects headed off to Fort Purbrook for a morning of teambuilding activities.

As Tennis Captain, above all, it is important to be a good role model for those in the younger years. Most weeks, there will be several different age groups competing in their various matches, which mostly occur in afternoon sport sessions or on Saturdays. By setting a good example, it can give each individual something to aim for and encourage them to try their absolute best in order to achieve this. Little things, such as asking how they did following a match or pouring them a cup of water as they come off court, can provide a real boost and simply lift them meaning they feel a sense of satisfaction.

We were separated into six groups of around nine people and participated in a range of events, including archery, an assault course, a blindfolded walk and a puzzle-solving session. As well as developing our leadership and problem-solving skills it also provided the opportunity to get active, which unfortunately led to many of us getting thoroughly soaked when we fell off the rope swing into the pool. We proudly gained the title of “the wettest year ever”, and many pupils had to change their trousers and let them dry out in the sun.

Another important aspect of being a Sports Captain is to simply provide encouragement for those in the younger years and there are many ways in which this can be done. Right at the start of the summer term, a pre-season training session was held at Hilsea Playing Fields so that staff could get a good idea of where each team, and age group, stood. It was important to approach this event with a welcoming smile so that all years, in particular Year 7, felt happy and included. I found myself giving words of encouragement (which enabled the younger pupils to really get into the spirit of the game) and doing the odd bit of feeding the ball (so that the staff could have a good look at the talent on display).

We moved to Hilsea for a barbecue at one o’clock, and then worked in groups through a series of scenario that might arise during our time as prefects. This provoked some interesting resolutions to problems, such as my suggestion to pull the emergency break to prevent a group of Year Nines from annoying other passengers on a train but in the end we all arrived at reasonable solutions for the issues. We then had the opportunity to present our ideas on these scenarios to the rest of the prefects, which allowed for some unique displays of acting, although realism was lost in some cases. Finally we competed in a race to bring a rope with us inside through a gap in a fence, with ever-changing rules. My group broke the record for the longest ever time to complete this task!

On top of this, it is also crucial to display organisation in the week leading up to a match. The teacher will email out a team sheet and it is my responsibility to ensure that everyone is available and clear with the instructions for the match (timings, kit, etc.). If it turns out that an individual can’t play, then it is vital to alert a member of staff so that they can suggest a replacement. I must then approach the replacement to find out whether they can play and then brief them on the day’s events. It is important to be on top of this job since if a player cannot play, then the teacher must be told at the earliest possible time so that a substitute can be brought in.

All in all, everyone seemed to have enjoyed themselves and to have learnt a little in the way of becoming a good prefect. Gregory Walton-Green Zoe Rundle and Greg Walton-Green

Finally, it is important to also show a face at the training and matches of those in the younger years. In terms of matches, this will very occasionally just mean staying an extra twenty minutes following the completion of my game (as there is often more than one age group playing at the same location). This extra support provided can go such a long way and will ensure the girls that their tennis is heading in the right direction and encourage them to continue playing right through the year. By going along to their after-school training session on a Wednesday will help inspire them and hopefully bring the best out of them. Overall, it is an incredibly rewarding job to see the girls progress throughout the term. Their commitment is second-to-none and makes the role of being tennis captain a lot easier. The responsibilities are a great experience to develop several skills and the role of being a sports captain at PGS is an extremely beneficial and certainly a joy.

Zoe Rundle

‘It is an incredibly rewarding job to see the girls progress throughout the term. Their commitment is second-to-none and makes the role of being tennis captain a lot easier.’ 162

Mr Priory with Prefects

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PGS Debating Society

Amnesty International Club ‘Every week we meet up with different aims based on situations around the world and engage in activities aimed to help those whose rights are breached.’ Amnesty International is a worldwide organisation that campaigns for human rights, ensuring that people have their basic rights met by the society in which they live. Within our school Amnesty international club is a small body of individuals representing the aims of this organisation. Our aims are to raise awareness and we attempt to do as much as we can to support campaigns and human rights issues worldwide. Every week we meet up with different aims based on situations around the world and engage in activities aimed to help those whose rights are breached. Recently there has been a protest competition held nationally the aim was to create a song or a poem protesting about anything regarding human rights. There were a number of people who participated in this competition. We also managed to get the Middle School involved in writing postcards of hope and solidarity to people suffering from human rights abuses throughout the world. They were able to write to anyone they wanted to (Pussy Riot seemed a popular choice). The people who receive these

letters of hope are those who suffered from problems such as not having the right to a fair trial or being on death row. We have also sent a letter to local MP Mike Hancock regarding human rights issues, specifically asylum seekers. In his response he offered to visit Portsmouth Grammar School and talk about this - we look forward to hearing his views on asylum seekers. Amnesty International club meet every Fridays in room 3025 during lunch break, from 12.50-1.20pm.

Shahmin Aktar

The issues themselves can be contested by anyone, with both the proposition and opposition consisting of two members. Having set out their respective cases in two tense 5-minute-long speeches, the participants then proceed to mercilessly tear apart each other’s arguments and argue their own cases more furtively. Having then answered equally challenging responses from the audience it is the job of the chairperson to decide the victors (which frequently reveals to be a more difficult decision than initially perceived). Shahmin Aktar talking about Amnesty with Rev Burtt

‘This year the Committee aims to raise Cambodia Committee funds which will be used to employ teachers, Since the school was built in Chia Thom, Cambodia, each year the aim of the Cambodia Committee is to raise as much money as possible to maintain the school. The school is frequently gaining new students from the town and surrounding areas, and for this reason the conservation of the school is becoming all the more important.

The Cambodia Committee is led by Mr Ansell and Ms CasillasCross, with whom the pupils on the Committee meet with once a week to plan events and organise cake sales. Without them the fantastic work the Committee carries out each year would not be possible. The team comprises of fifteen year eleven and Lower Sixth pupils, each of whom is dedicated to helping the children of Chia Thom and other towns to improve, and benefit from, their full education. This year the Committee aims to raise funds which will be used to employ teachers, replenish resources, and build a new classroom which is needed due to the growing popularity of the school. In order to raise the funds necessary to carry out these tasks, we have created a number of schemes, as well as holding weekly cake sales which have raised £365, this year. Overall, we have made £720 so far. Our first fundraising scheme - ‘The Talkathon’ - occurred during The Model United Nations Conference (MUN) which involved people being sponsored to talk for as long as possible. This raised £152 in the three days over which the conference took place. On 5th July 2013 we held a ‘Netathon’ which involved games of netball being played between the male and female student teams,

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The gavel has struck, the clock has started and a silence permeates the room: the debate has begun. Ever since joining PGS Debate Society such an atmosphere has become the norm of many people’s Wednesday afternoons, with the blend of topical issues and lighthearted commentaries creating an altogether friendly whilst intellectually stimulating environment. Every week the polemics change and yet the passion remains potent, with pupils from a variety of years and ethical perspectives frequently contributing to the arguments. Whether it is the death penalty, synthetic superpowers or if all the king’s horses and all the king’s men could have indeed put Humpty together again, Debating Society always promises an enlightening experience.

replenish resources, and build a new classroom which is needed due to the growing popularity of the school.’

to begin with, and the winning student team then competed against a team compiled of teachers from various departments in the school. The boys’ team, made up mainly of the first XV rugby team, surprisingly beat the girls’ team, and went on to play the teachers. People paid 50p to watch the event held in the Sports Hall, and also bought snacks from the cake sale held nearby the Sports Hall, which dramatically increased takings, as people bought products from our stall as they passed on their way to and from the ‘Netathon’, which raised £205. Over forty staff members, and over sixty pupils, will be running The Great South Run later this year, and will all be sponsored to do so. All money raised will go to our Cambodia appeal, creating a huge opportunity for us to raise a substantial amount of funds for the school in Cambodia, which is essential for its survival. Our fundraising efforts are extremely important in relation to the school’s continuation, and in the continuous recruitment of talented teachers able to educate pupils of the school, in the remote village of Chia Thom and the surrounding area. The effort put in to raise funds for the school will ultimately culminate in the students hugely benefitting from the sustaining of the school and its staff and resources.

Surprisingly (but also disturbingly) such victories have entailed the banning of all religions and the execution of the monarchy, hence emphasising the strength of some of our debaters. PGS Debating Society not only teaches pupils to challenge the points of views of others but also encourages them to reconsider their own, with everyone emerging with a greater knowledge of the world of ethics than they entered with. However, the arguments are not only limited to the classroom, with teams participating in inter-school competitions to further demonstrate their debating prowess. Members such as Gregory Walton-Green and Andrew Jones have competed on behalf of the school showing zeal, insight and originality, when debating over highly controversial issues with opponents they had never met, but were intent on destroying their case in order to progress to further rounds. Debating society has had a successful year this year, and when the New Year begins, we hope to emulate their skill with further teams of keen young debaters, and to build a dynamic team of strong willed young debaters who will stand up and fight for what they believe in! Debating society has had a successful year this year, and we hope many more are to follow.

‘Every week the polemics change and yet the passion remains potent.’

Ali Gray

Forensic Entomology Club ‘In the future, we hope to breed larvae and flies.’ ‘Forensic entomology’ is the study of insects to aid criminal matters and, in particular, murder investigations. In January 2013, PGS formed a collaboration with The University of Portsmouth, in which students, lead by Dr Stephenson, would perform novel research to help develop the relatively unexplored field of ‘Forensic Entomology’. In the first session, Dr Katherine Brown visited from The University of Portsmouth to give us an introduction to the science behind ‘Forensic Entomology’ and her plan of the research we, in the future would undertake. She described the aim which was to extract DNA from insect artefacts to determine whom the insect has been feeding on through DNA fingerprinting techniques. These artefacts better known as ‘flyspecks’ are small red dots, which are often mistaken for blood, usually located on the walls or ceilings of a murder scene. This novel research, if successful, would allow the police to determine where and who has been killed even if the body was not present. I learnt that flies and beetles, in the right environment inhabit the body around orifices and remain there. As they feed, they grow and develop (known as ‘insect succession’) changing in appearance. With knowledge depending on their stage of development, scientists can tell how long they have been colonising in the body (known as PMI or post-mortem interval which is the estimated time of death by calculating the insects stage in its life cycle) and therefore the rough time of death. Our first task was to determine an accurate way of extracting DNA. After several attempts, results proved that the smaller mass of sample used produced more DNA. We extracted DNA from both liver and leaves and used dyes to stain them. In the future, we hope to breed larvae and flies to understand and recognise their species as well as to test the principle of ADH (accumulated degree hours) which is a universal measurement of thermal units required for growth and development of an arthropod based on hours. Because arthropods are cold blooded, their development is influenced by ambient temperature. Each species requires a specific temperature range for development to occur. A temperature too high or low will cause development to cease. This rare opportunity not only gives me the chance to take part in novel research which is extremely interesting, but also helps develop my experimental skills and knowledge of molecular biology. It’s exciting to think that at our research has the potential to create new data which could be published and one day used by the police in real murder investigations.

Verity Summers Clare Bartholomew Rob Bendell, Rory Maclean, Ali Gray, Tom Harper, Tim Bustin, Alex Quarrie-Jone, Will Wallace, Charlie Albuery, Ben Schofield, Greg Walton-Green

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Literary Society Mr Richardson launched the programme for the 2012-13 year through making the odd-seeming link between poetry and pigeons, which actually focused on the power of poetry and the way language could be used to focus on tiny details to reveal a whole world. Mr Burkinshaw presented twinned talks on “American Gothic” and “American Pastoral”, exploring ways in which American writers took these traditional European genres and adapted them to the culture and landscape of the New World. He presented both genres as “godchildren” of American Puritanism, the Pastoral infused by a millenarian sense of promise (later secularised as “the American Dream”) explored in works such as Walden and The Great Gatsby, the Gothic haunted by a preoccupation with sin and guilt manifest in works such as The House of the Seven Gables and Moby-Dick. Mr Burkinshaw also discussed a nowneglected writer, Edgar Brockden Brown, who wrote in a period of political crisis and cultural anxiety following the American Revolution, replacing the familiar European Gothic landscape of ruined castles with an American landscape that is not the paradise envisaged by early settlers but a place of danger, terror and psychic disintegration, mirrored in William Faulkner’s stylistic experimental novels a century later, in which the fallen Eden of the South becomes an existential Hell.

The theme of extending pupils’ knowledge on the Gothic was continued by Miss Burden, who gave a talk analysing Gothic motifs in Coleridge’s lengthy narrative poem Christabel, considering how far the two female protagonists conform to the genre’s stereotype. Mrs Kirby introduced the Gothic through a discussion of Dracula, with a particular focus on how gothic conventions tend to subvert, but then often restore, the status quo, and Mrs Bell explored Frankenstein under the title, “the absence of a parent”. Lucy Cole spoke on The Rise of the Novel. Mr Richardson gave us an overview of Pastoral and Anti-Pastoral, drawing upon contemporary cultural references in order to explore the nature of Pastoral and suggest ways in which it might be understood. Mr Burkinshaw also presented a talk on the poetry of Robert Frost, analysing the poet’s fascination with the ways in which we use art to give shape to experience in order to invest a world that seems random and mysterious with purpose and meaning, while understanding that, ultimately, much in our experience remains beyond explanation (and, therefore, narrative). Fay Davies gave a fascinating and well-attended talk on marriage in Sylvia Plath’s poetry and Katie Husselby spoke in detail on T.S. Eliot’s The Waste

Land.

‘The theme of extending pupils’ knowledge on the Gothic was continued by Miss Burden, who gave a talk analysing Gothic motifs in Coleridge’s lengthy narrative poem Christabel, considering how far the two female protagonists conform to the genre’s stereotype.’

Mrs Bell talked on Frankenstein. Numerous critics have pointed out the link between the themes of creation, birth, and death in Frankenstein and Mary Shelley ‘s real-life preoccupation with pregnancy, labour, maternity, and death. One of the most interesting ideas central to the novel is that of the absence of the parent: both female and male. In terms of Victor, who creates his ‘child’ in his ‘filthy laboratory’, the onset of his education into the mastery of human life coincides with the death of his own mother and the departure from home which is often characterised as a feminine space. Science is thus set in opposition to the female principles of maternity and a natural landscape. Victor’s transgression against the process of sexual reproduction and his unnatural creation of the monster is also an anti-maternal action. Jonathan Bate wrote: “…by going against the natural process of generation, by making a child of his own without submission to the fecundity of a woman’s womb, he symbolically kills mother nature.” Margaret Homans argues that while Frankenstein is creating the monster - a period of nine months - while he is pregnant with it, one might say - he is full of feverish excitement and anticipation; but as soon as it is ‘born’, he loathes and rejects his own creation, his own ‘child’. The creature thus becomes another of the novel’s motherless children – without even a name. The Creature’s ‘father’, Frankenstein, fails utterly to see the horror he has visited on the head of his creation, referring only to him as a “vile insect! abhorred monster! fiend! wretched devil!” Unlike his creation, who seeks only to develop life as best he can, until he is driven to wicked deeds, Frankenstein seeks to destroy that for which he is responsible: “you reproach me with your creation; come on, then, that I may extinguish the spark which I so negligently bestowed.” It is Frankenstein’s own desire for resemblance, the desire to create a being like oneself which is a central transgression of the novel – he takes the place of God, but without the paternal care imperative in that role. Victor moved away from Enlightenment to Darkness, and in doing so, created a ‘tabula rasa’ on which was written misery and suffering for all connected with the tale. In the summer term, the talks shifted towards critical readings as well as introducing year 12 pupils to texts and authors beyond the syllabus. Mr Richardson spoke on Keats’ “Ode to Autumn”, showing how a feminist reading of a canonical text could be made, even if at first sight the text seemed to have nothing to do with the presentation of the role of women in society; Miss Burden talked about poetry from the Great War as an introduction to the canon and Mrs Kirby explored the opening of The Bell Jar from two different critical perspectives.

Laura Burden

Fresher’s Fair During Fresher’s Fair the many club are open to the Middle School got together to advertise the extra opportunities on offer at PGS. It was an exciting opportunity to come and see what you could get involved in if you were in the Middle School, but also for teachers to get more members in their clubs. Some of these clubs were orchestra, allegro choir, fiddle group, history, cross talk, judo and many more; clubs are a great way of getting involved with the school community and learning new skills.

Joseph Bradley

‘Clubs are a great way of getting involved with the school community and learning new skills.’

Middle School Careers Fair

Politics Society On Tuesday 25th September all Sixth Form pupils studying AS and A level politics were treated to a talk by professional lobbyist Dave Roberts. The talk was titled ‘Political Campaigning and lobbying – a view from the inside’ and it proved very useful for all students, especially those in Year 12 who were currently studying the topic. Roberts talked about his past experiences and companies he had previously worked for as well as the benefits of professional lobbying. He mentioned how he’d got into the business and what values make a lobbyist successful in the professional world. Pupils were free to ask questions throughout giving them an insight into the areas that interested them the most and he was rewarded with a warm round-of-applause afterwards. Overall, I found the experience well worth-while and the opportunity to talk to someone who worked in the industry relevant to the topic I’m studying helped me understand the subject even more. Zoe Rundle

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PGS MODEL UNITED NATIONS The art of debate is one that takes a fair amount of time and practice before it can be mastered - with it comes the ability to speak confidently in front of a room of people. This is exactly what the pupils attending weekly Model United Nations Monday lunchtime meetings are doing. As well as becoming more informed on current affairs and international issues, MUNers develop these skills to speak with poise, debate with passion and be prepared for any future career that demands such talents. Junior Model UN has been meeting every Thursday, organised by Miss Rickard and with debates spanning across issues such as chemical weapons in Syria, prisoner voting rights, creating a ‘world army’, the use of capital punishment, equal rights and ethical treatment of animals. The contribution made by these JUNMUNers has been highly admirable and we can be sure that the future of the society will be in highly competent hands. For the first time, a JUNMUN leadership team will be formed next year to help promote the society in the Middle School. The JUNMUN Sec Gen and Policy Officer will be announced early in Autumn Term 2013. Weekly meetings of the Senior MUN have seen numerous issues put on the agenda - speakers have come from across the school, with Sixth Formers and Senior School pupils in turn presenting their ideas on how to solve global problems. To commemorate the 30th anniversary of Mrs. Thatcher’s re-election, MUN hosted a debate between Thatcher supporter, Mr. Doyle, and Thatcher sceptic, Will Wallace (me), as we debated whether her legacy is a burden on David Cameron and today’s Conservative Party. Speaking as a Thatcherite, Mr. Doyle noted how Britain was no longer the “sick man of Europe” because of her economic reform, and expressed his disappointment at the lack of conviction by today’s leaders. Describing myself as a “progressive, 21st Century Conservative”, I argued that, although her fiscal policies prevented complete economic collapse, they tore the country’s social fabric in two, as the gap between rich and poor widened, eroding social cohesion. The debate sparked a great deal of interest; the room was packed for the debate, and there were a myriad of questions from the floor. In addition to the weekly sessions, the society hosted the annual PGS MUN Conference, which involved PGS pupils joining forces with delegations from Springfield School. We were also joined by three MUN alumni: Aphra Luchesa Smith, Anna Bazley and Michael Roderick, who were made very welcome. For the second year, we invited 12 Year 6 pupils to take part, who enjoyed themselves immensely and, by the end of the conference, were taking an active part in the committee and assembly debates. The conference took place on the penultimate weekend of Spring Term. Friday consisted of meeting other delegates and competing for their support, with a dinner and quiz to conclude the day. Saturday commenced with a speech by the Secretary General in the Memorial Library, about the importance of determination and seeing one’s aspirations through to the end. This message was to remind everyone that every battle for social justice and equality has faced considerable opposition but through resolve, those battles have been won. And so with that in mind, delegates set off to their respective committees to fight their battles on matters they presented. The progress of each committee was kept up-to-date via Twitter (#PGSMUN), thanks to Conference co-ordinator Daniel Rollins, and a long line of resolutions were debated and passed or failed. Before lunch, a

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“I love argument, I love debate. I don’t expect anyone just to sit there and agree with me, that’s not their job.” Margaret Thatcher, speaking in 1980.

breaking news report beamed in, with Mr. Elphick-Smith shuffling his papers to inform the assembled delegates that a computer virus had attacked US nuclear power plants, which later led to a American attack on Pakistan. After prolonged debate about the legitimacy of such a strike, it was revealed by another report that India and Pakistan were mobilising along the border, exchanging shots. The pressure in the room was intensified by the intimate nature of the Memorial Library, as tensions ran high. Prizes were awarded to the best, most active and high commended delegates in each committee and overall, with Seb McCue being awarded Best Overall Delegate 2013. Summer Term saw two trips - the first to Haslemere Preparatory School, and the second to Portsmouth Guildhall. PGS pupils ran a workshop about MUN as part of Haslemere’s One World Week event, which aimed to help their boys learn and appreciate our culturally diverse world, and involved a debate about whether torture could ever be justified. At the Guildhall, 22 delegates from PGS attended the inaugural Springfield School MUN Conference. The afternoon culminated in an Emergency Debate in the Portsmouth City Council chamber - a fitting setting to an impressive conference organised by Springfield’s Year 10s. As Secretary General, I would like to pay tribute to Andy Jones, who stepped down as Secretary General at the beginning of 2013, as well as Daniel Rollins, who took up the role of Policy Director this year and organised an outstanding PGS MUN Conference. I would also like to thank Charlie Albuery and Hugh Summers (Press Officers) for producing the numerous videos that have kept the school so well informed about MUN events. However, above all, thanks should be given to Mr. Robinson, Miss Rickard and Mr. Burkinshaw for their sustained guidance and support in helping MUN to retain its position as the school’s most esteemed society.

Photography Club In Photography Club we have been exploring a range of disciplines and some of the pupils have produced images of a very high standard. We first studied compositional skills including the “rule of thirds” and then looked at how we could develop sound post-production techniques. Pupils were directed across the following skills over a number of weeks: portraiture; macro (close-up); landscape; nature; motion; texture and abstract. Mr Stone is particularly pleased with the standard of photography directed towards the Duke of Edinburgh award. Of particular note was Charlotte Pascoe and you will find a couple of her images here. I look forward to further developing the skills of our pupils next year. Mr O Stone

William Wallace, PGS MUN Secretary General

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The Spanish Film Club

Stock Market Club

‘During a hundred and forty minutes we have lived in another world and it is possible that we leave that world with a series of questions that we had not asked ourselves before.’

It all started when Miss Tab Tab approached me at Fresher’s Fair and asked if I was interested in making money and if I knew how to make money. My first answer was “yes” and the second was “no”. She responded to my answers with a very clever, “if you would like to learn then come along to stock market club on Tuesday lunchtime.”

It is nothing new to say that cinema is a universal language. Even if we don’t understand what is being said by the actors, we can follow the story. It is true that the images on their own would not usually be enough to reveal to us all the beauty, the horror, the surprise or the mystery of the plot, but there is no doubt that after a screening we have gained something that we didn’t have before. During a hundred and forty minutes we have lived in another world and it is possible that we leave that world with a series of questions that we had not asked ourselves before. Familiar as we are with Hollywood films, our Spanish Film Club is an excellent way to show us how people think, how they feel, suffer, laugh or fall in love, from El Paso to Patagonia, without forgetting Spain of course. And if Almodóvar can show us the influence of Hollywood melodramas, as we could see in Volver, his way of working differs a great deal from the grand productions from Hollywood. Volver is a criticism of the situation of Spanish women, but given the special twist of absurdness by Almodóvar. In También la lluvia (Even the Rain) we learn a little bit of history, but above all learn that the same conflicts are repeated time and time again. The Spanish invasion of South America in the XV century has disturbing parallels with the intrusion of the film crew in Bolivia which, while trying to tell the story of that colonisation, replicates the story of abuse and cruelty. María llena eres de gracia (Maria Full of Grace) closes in on the terrible drama that so many young girls suffer, forced to become ‘mulas’ in order to survive. They try to escape a world of poverty, only to find one of violence. It is a film full of symbolism, where the title on itself provides the opportunity for detailed analysis. With La Buena Nueva (The Good News) we learn of the role of the Catholic Church in Spain’s recent past. Through Miguel, a young priest and the lead character, we get to see what life was like in a small village in Navarre shortly before the Spanish civil war breaks out in July 1936. Miguel fights for his ideals in spite of everything, and love wins out. Comedy, tragedy, love and fear are the ingredients mixed with rhythm and artistry in Un cuento chino (Chinese Take Away).It is the story about the lack of communication at many different levels, imposed by fear in one case and language barriers in another. In the end it gives us a dialogue of mad silences, but a message of hope. And as life is not only/all about feeding the intellect, we have accompanied the screenings with chocolates, crisps and fruit juices.

So, I started going (with a host of other people) and our first ‘project’ was IFS STUDENT INVESTOR! This is a virtual shares game. You choose 10 companies to buy shares in including the FTSE 100. This was automatically entered into a national competition and another competition run by Miss Tab Tab. The national one was the most important. This game started off with a practice. This gave us the chance to try out and get to grips with the whole game. This lasted for a few months when then we went onto the proper game which was the main competition. This is where we could win a trip to America. Half way through the IFS STUDENT INVESTOR, all of my team had left so I ‘recruited’ two more members, Tom Groves and Henry Gill. Soon after this we started the Tenner Tycoon, where Miss Tab Tab gave us ten pounds to make a profit out of. We signed a contract to agree that we would give the ten pounds back at the end. Tom, Henry and I decided to sell a variety of objects starting off with cases for different apple products. This was the make and sell part. The first of three activities. These went down very well and we sold them and got a profit of £32.05. A total that we were very proud of. Then on to the buy and sell competition which was just before Valentine’s Day. So the obvious thing to sell was Valentine gifts! We took a trip

‘Our overall profit was £55 which is all going to Hannah’s Holiday Home, a local charity giving short breaks to very ill children and their families. This gives them the chance to have a family holiday while still being close to their hospital.’ to Poundland for some very good stock! We had everything from roses to teddies and our speciality ‘Love on a Stick’, a heart on the top of a stick! We made around £10 profit, not really our best sales but it made a difference to our end profit. After this it was do and sell. We chose to do a dart game with simple prizes by getting scores of over 30, 60, 100 or getting a bull’s-eye or triple 20. This was a game for 10p and you got three darts. Many people had a go more than 5 times. Some people only had 1 or 2 goes but I am sure they enjoyed it! Our overall profit was £55 which is all going to Hannah’s Holiday Home, a local charity giving short breaks to very ill children and their families. This gives them the chance to have a family holiday while still being close to their hospital. Hannah was a little girl I knew who developed cancer. Her father died at work in an accident few months before she passed away. I knew Hannah when I was very young and her mum, Pam, set up this charity in her memory. I am pleased to say that this money is going towards buying some outside games for the holiday homes. Daniel Hill On behalf of my team (Tom, Henry and me) and the other members of stock market this year I would like to say how good this club was and to wish Miss Tab Tab a happy retirement.

Weather Club: Interview with Mr Thomas Q, What inspired you to start this club? I used to work at met office and have always been interested in the weather. The Taylor weather station inspired me to start this club.

Q. What are you hoping that the members of the club will achieve? A. We hope to make weather information available to the PGS community via mypgs a website and a display board.

Q. What years is your club aimed at? A. At the moment Year 7-8.

Q. What is your favourite type of weather? A. Hot and sunny! Not really -I like snow too and I think clouds are fascinating as they remind us how lucky we are to have an atmosphere.

Q. What types of information and systems will members use to learn about the weather? A. The PGS weather station and met office forecasts. Q. Will the club be using any information from sources such as HMS Protector? A. We hope to start a link with HMS protector to get weather information from Antarctica. Q. Will there be any trips or guest speakers? A. Trips and guest speakers – yes, completely, especially if the members organise things.

Q. In your opinion what is the one biggest thing we students could do to help slow global warming? A. Assassinate Jeremy Clarkson!! Make sure that people understand that we ARE changing the climate though our actions. Q. And finally, can you teach us how to make it snow... .please? A. Well, the USA and the Russian have experimented with various rain making techniques. Jack Anson

Liliana Nogueira-Pache

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Mr Chalk: Looking

Chia Thom School, Cambodia

on from the London Marathon

Every year the aim of the Cambodia Committee is to raise as much money as possible for the school PGS built and created in Chia Thom, Cambodia. The school is becoming increasingly popular as students from neighbouring villages want to join. This rise in pupils wanting to learn is obviously good, however it is beginning to strain resources.

On the 21st April, Mr Chalk took part in the 33rd annual London Marathon, in which he raised money for Epilepsy Bereaved, a charity fighting to minimise deaths originating from epilepsy. After an incredible amount of effort in training that began back in the Christmas period, Mr Chalk raised over £2,500 for the charity and now looks forward to what the future holds for him in running. The intense training began in late December leading up to the London Marathon in April and it was during this period the Mr Chalk realised he had a great chance at beating his personal best of 2 hours 36 minutes from Amsterdam back in October. As the marathon grew closer, in March he ran a half-marathon in Reading where he finished two and a half minutes faster than he had ever before for this distance. This gave him the determination to strive to achieve a time at London in the area of 2 hours 30 minutes. This was a massive risk as that goal is at least three minutes faster than any other set for a full marathon. Bearing that in mind, Mr Chalk took on the challenge, as we are all aware how important it is to attempt to reach our full potential and strive for our next goal. However, on the day of the London Marathon everything did not go according to plan. Instead of finishing at the aimed time of 2 hours 30 minutes, he finished 7 minutes later resulting in finishing 109th in the race. It cannot be disputed that this is an excellent achievement, but Mr Chalk felt he had the potential to come in the top 50. Retrospectively, he has described a number of factors that added up to the cause of the seven- minute gap; it was an exceptionally hot day and combined with his sore feet due to the sheer amount of training for the race this led to discomfort. The third major factor was that Mr Chalk paced himself slightly faster than planned which meant he ran each mile 15 minutes faster than expected, which slowed him down in the later miles. Looking back on the race, Mr Chalk feels he has learnt a great deal which he can use to strengthen his future races and times. Making sure his training schedule is constantly varied whilst maintaining long, full runs is vital and remaining introspective whilst absorbing the crowd’s inspirational atmosphere will improve his running and concentration on his pace and awareness. Also, he concluded he will need to have pedicures – it may seem unusual but softening the feet can improve efficiency and reduce discomfort. “I spotted Mo Farah and I felt excited to run with professionals. The London crowd was like an animal; nothing prepared me for how that feeling of optimism was going to be.” Two weeks on from the race, Mr Chalk has had his pedicure and is back running, though the training is not as intense as it was for the marathon. He wants to recover and ease back into his high running standards but already the next race is in

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This will be crucial in ensuring the continuing recruitment and ability to keep talented teachers working in such remote villages, ultimately benefiting the students hugely.

Clare Bartholomew

This year the Committee aim to raise £10,000 which will pay for the teachers and also a new classroom. Our first fundraising scheme - ‘The Talkathon’ took place during The Model United Nations Conference (MUN) and people were sponsored to talk for as long as possible. We also held themed cake sales every week throughout the year.

sight. There are a few Hampshire fixtures coming up that he is hoping to win alongside some track events during the summer in which he will be competing against some of the best runners in the country. One of the most exciting races, which is coming up in the future, is the Great South Run round Portsmouth and Southsea in which around 30 other teachers are taking part including the headmaster himself, Mr Priory. Others involved include Mr Dossett, Miss Linnett and Mr Charles. The run is taking place at the end of the October half-term this year and pupils can also get involved in the race. The school will be raising money for another school in Cambodia which Portsmouth Grammar regularly fundraises for. This will be promoted in assemblies and with notices around the school as it edges closer so take note if you are interested in finding out more. It not only helps raise money for the Cambodian school but brings a sense of community to Portsmouth Grammar and a striving to achieve a shared goal. Much positivity can be drawn from team events and persevering towards a shared aim. Mr Chalk’s goal for finishing the Great South Run is 52 minutes and he is excited to get involved in others’ training as well as his own. This again creates a sense of community and helping each other reach the best potential they possibly can; there are substantially more advantages to running than just fitness. Not only this, but there is also more science to running than just the physically act itself, as it involves planning a diet,

‘Now Mr Chalk is looking to the future and, most specifically, the Great South Run, because running is more than a way of keeping fit; it encourages the sense of community, inspiration and striving to achieve what, at first, was thought to be unachievable.’

In the summer of 2013 held a ‘Netathon’: a day of continuous netball with the whole school, both teachers and students, participating. It was a great occasion, raising both money and awareness of our Cambodia Appeal. Many students and staff have signed up for the Great South Run, later on this year, in which they will be sponsored to run for Cambodia. With over a hundred people signed up, this is going to be another good opportunity to raise essential funds for the school. The Cambodia Committee is lead by Mr Ansell and Mrs Cross and without them the fantastic work the Committee carry out each year would not be possible. They are supported by a team of fiteen Year 11 and Lower Sixth Form pupils, who are all dedicated to improving the education of the children of Chia Thom. It’s a fantastic charity which I really enjoy being a part of and I really hope we reach our target of £10,000 this year!

achieving an inner focus and goal to achieve and all the other psychological factors such as structuring your life to commit to training and pushing through the feeling of wanting to stop because of the advantages achieved at the end. From running the London Marathon, Mr Chalk raised over £2,500 which will go an incredibly long way in helping Epilepsy Bereaved. The most fulfilling part of his journey of reaching and completing the marathon was seeing his friend and father of Rebecca, which was one of the major reasons for Mr Chalk taking part in the London Marathon to begin with, at the end of the race. Rebecca passed away due to epilepsy in June last year and so Mr Chalk decided to honour Rebecca and her family by raising money for the charity and Rebecca’s story. Reaching the end of the marathon and his emotional friend, Rebecca’s father, the feeling surfaced that he was proud of what he achieved and it was a worthwhile experience. Now Mr Chalk is looking to the future and, most specifically, the Great South Run, because running is more than a way of keeping fit; it encourages the sense of community, inspiration and striving to achieve what, at first, was thought to be unachievable. by Taylor Richardson This article first appeared on the Portsmouth Point Blog, Saturday 4th May 2013

Newly completed teacher and accommodation block at the Chia Thom school

‘Many students and staff have signed up for the Great South Run, later on this year, in which they wil be sponsored to run for Cambodia.’

PGS Has Talent This year’s Talent Show hosted by the Sixth Form was a fantastic evening of laughter, music, dance and comedy that raised the roof of the DRT on more than one occasion. To raise funds for Cancer Research UK, pupils from across the Senior School put their hearts into some stunning performances. Year 8 routines, such as the solo performances of Guy Billington and Sienna Bentley, as well as duet between Maisie Elliott and Caitlin Betteridge, demonstrated the strong stream of talent present in the Middle School. The Sixth Form Boys Rugby Team rendition of Uptown Girl showcased a hilariously different side to PGS musicians! In the hotly anticipated battle of the Girls vs. Boys Sports Teams performances, Uptown Girl was beaten by the girls dance routine to a medley of Beyoncé hits. Staff also had much to offer, with the spellbinding duet between Mr Priory and Mr Charles, and The Staff Choir singing That Lonesome Road. The evening’s festivities contributed to a total of over £2,000 already raised by various activities throughout the school for Cancer Research UK. Elisa Linley

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Old 6th Form Centre and science block - Painting by Hubert Pragnell of school buildings

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DESTINATIONS * IB Pupils

First Name

Surname

Destination

Course

Caitlin Abernethy Glasgow Politics Philippa Abernethy Glasgow Law Muzzammil Ahmed Warwick Mechanical Engineering Parisa Akhlaghi Kent Psychology Beth Albuery Bristol Law Sophie Andrews* Durham Combined Honours in Social Sciences Benjamin Arnold Liverpool Business Economics with a Year in Industry Thomas Arnold Gap Year Jamie Atkinson Salford Mechanical Engineering with Foundation Year Danyal Bajar Warwick Economics Jordan Banting Oxford (St Peter’s) Mathematics (3 or 4 years) Romy Barton Reading Economics and Econometrics Natasha Beeby Southampton Mathematics Philip Belcher Bristol Medicine Frederic Bell Newcastle Civil and Structural Engineering Gemma Bird Sussex Physics Josephine Blagbrough Leeds Sport and Exercise Sciences Alice Blois Cardiff Mechanical Engineering (Year in Industry) Georgina Boxall* South Downs College Art Foundation Buyant-Ukhaa Brouwer* Gap Year James Bullivant East Anglia English Literature Guy Butcher Reading Cybernetics (4 years) Isabelle Byrne* Gap Year Sophie Carver Bristol Politics and International Relations Megan Cassidy Bath Biology (With Professional Placement) George Chapman* Birmingham Medicine Robert Chen Cardiff Geography (Human) Patrick Clarke-Williams York Computer Science with a Year in Industry Johnathan Clayton Sussex Psychology Kiara Clement King’s College London Molecular Genetics (3 or 4 years) Lucy Cole University College London English James Collingwood Southampton Ship Science/Interdisciplinary Daniel Cotterall Durham Natural Sciences Alexander Cranfield Lincoln Games Computing William Crawford Gap Year Damon da Silva Leeds Politics Fay Davies Cambridge (St John’s) English Charlotte Davis St Andrew’s English and Philosophy Hugo Davis York Economics Christian Davison Oxford (Keble) Law Jamie Diamond Southampton Ship Science/Interdisciplinary Lucy Dobbs Edinburgh Medicine Billie Downer* University College London History Emily Duff York English/Linguistics Adam Duggan Southampton English Sophie East Cardiff English Literature/French (4 years) Amy Elliott Kent Criminology Thomas Farnworth Nottingham Economics and International Economics Thomas Finch Oxford Brookes Biological Sciences Benjamin Frei* Durham Geography Lewis Garland Sheffield Civil and Structural Engineering (4 years) Joshua Gibbard Nottingham Medicine Joshua Gibbs-Dean Kent Psychology Harry Gingell Sussex Engineering with Foundation Year Katherine Godfray Gap Year Bronte Graham Exeter Psychology Luke Granger-Brown Imperial Computing Sarah Gray* Warwick History

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First Name

Surname

Destination

Course

Katy Greenwood Birmingham History James Gulliford The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama Acting Nora Hadi Nottingham Modern Language Studies Kirsten Hall Bath Sport and Exercise Science (with study abroad/industry/combined) Robert Halliday Goldsmiths English James Hammond Warwick Engineering Edward Harding Cambridge (Clare) Mathematics Harry Harwood Liverpool Veterinary Science James Hicks Gap Year William Hine Gap Year Max Hodell University of the West of England, Bristol Business Management (Leadership, Change and Organisations) Olivia Howard Nottingham Business and Economiy of Contemporary China Katie Husselby Oxford (New) English Language and Literature Dylan Hyatt Newcastle Economics Eleanor Isted Cardiff Economics Seth Jackson Loughborough Innovative Manufacturing Engineering Kieran James Gap Year Andrew Jones Warwick Philosophy, Politics and Economics Owen Jones Nottingham German (Beginners) and Music Max Keegan East Anglia Politics (with a Foundation Year) George Kimber-Sweatman Southampton French and German (4 years) Emma Kissane* Warwick History Chania Lambrinudi Cardiff Medicine James Langrish Bangor Psychology George Laver* Durham Combined Honours in Arts Elizabeth Lewis Exeter Geography (Science) Katie Logan-Rose East Anglia Pharmacy Alexander Love Bournemouth Advertising Timothy MacBain* York History Fraser Mackenzie Sheffield Medicine

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First Name

Surname

Destination

Course

Barnaby Martin Gap Year Daniella Masters* Exeter International Relations with Study Abroad (4 years) Olivia Matimong Gap Year Tom McHale Durham General Engineering Charlotte McPherson Kent Politics and International Relations Max Medhurst Nottingham Management Studies with French Rosemary Mileham Plymouth Geography Jessica Miller Loughborough Art Foundation Jamie Mist Jacksonville State University, USA Golf Rosie Mist Birmingham Law Claire Monfared Leeds Criminal Justice and Criminology Lucy Moore* Durham Archaeology and Ancient Civilisations Xander Morrison Rotterdam, The Netherlands Business Studies/Economics Naomi Munns Manchester Geography with International Study Jonathan Munro Bristol Electrical and Electronic Engineering Kate Murphy York History of Art George Neame Nottingham English with Creative Writing Micha Oates Goldsmiths English with Creative Writing Emma O’Leary City University London Adult Nursing Leo Patterson Swansea Economics and Geography Anna Pembery Kent Drama and Theatre Thomas Pidden Nottingham Product Design and Manufacture Charlotte Plowman Royal Veterinary College Veterinary Medicine Oliver Price Kent English & American Literature and Creative Writing with a Year Abroad Georgina Prosser Newcastle Dentistry Emma Ralph York Writing, Directing and Performance Prashanth Ramaraj Imperial Medicine Eleanor Reynolds Lincoln Psychology Nikita Rider University of South Wales (formerly Glamorgan) Accounting and Finance Anya Roberts Warwick Politics and Sociology Michael Robinson Loughborough Civil Engineering Philip Rouse Bournemouth Computer Visualisation and Animation Charlotte Rowden Birmingham Music Henry Scanlon Cardiff Business Economics Catherine Schofield Cardiff Medicine Hannah Seal Kent Drama and Theatre Chloe Sellwood Warwick Philosophy, Politics and Economics Madelaine Shand Leeds English Literature and Theatre Studies Jack Shepherd Gap Year Courtney Spalding* Royal Holloway Drama and Theatre Studies Louisa Stark The Prince’s Drawing School, London Art Foundation Alice Tilbury Nottingham Music Sophie Tobin Falmouth Art Foundation Oliver Velasco* Bristol Drama Benjamin Wallis Oxford (University) Physics (4 years) Howard Wallis Exeter Physics with Professional Experience Abrhahim Warraich Gap Year Christopher Weekes Cambridge (Clare) Natural Sciences John Wiggins Bristol French and Spanish (4 years) Benjamin Wilcockson Gap Year Beatrice Wilkinson Sheffield Hallam Psychology Ben Willcocks Southampton English and French (4 years) Theodore Wing Sheffield Biomedical Science Thomas Wood Gap Year James Woolas Gap Year Alice Worsley St Mary’s Twickenham Psychology and Sport Science Huan Xie Cardiff Architecture David Yeung Yam Wah Bristol Psychology

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Grant House Leavers’ Speech 2013 ‘What makes a great house are the people within.’ When Owen and I sat down to devise These lines of farewell, our final goodbyes, We said to each other, now how do we say Enough about Grant, on this, our last day? The house that has always been so inclusive Despite our house base being so darn illusive And of course, Mr Gillies, we’ve had a ball! Your support and wise words have enlightened us all And if it weren’t for the help you so selflessly gave, We wouldn’t quite be where we all are today. But what makes a great house are the people within, So we decided to then try and begin And recognise all of the people we know That have been in Grant and reached this milestone. -James Hammond, the mighty Cambridge lad, The model friend we’re glad we’ve had. -Chania your brains and beauty are second to none, We’re extremely impressed with all that you’ve done. -Jamie Mist is a golfer and loves to hit balls, He’s so good in fact that he’s going abroad! -Emma sings and dances and dances and sings, But we’ll always remember the laughter she brings. -Ollie is so talented in so many ways, From cake day to drag, we’re all full of praise. -Rosie in a few years you’ll be looking into your career Hopefully by then you’ll be old enough to buy beer -Tom Wood gives great interviews as we all have heard He’s also played rugby A LOT – and has a way with the birds. -After 20 attempts of spelling his name, Buyant, we’re proud of you, please never change. -Clayton you’re so nice, and you’re so full of care, we’re hoping at uni they’ll still ask - dude, what’s up with your hair? -Georgie we’ll all need your calming ways, When we’re all frantic in our uni days. -Belcher I dreamt Prince Phillip you’d be, You’re so sturdy and strong, and built like a tree! -Natasha we’ll always know you as titch, Unless something happens and you grow by nine inch…es… -Rob has made us laugh with tears Have fun with your pal Britney Spears! -Anna we know you’ll chase your dream, You’ll always be our star drama queen.

-Rumour once spread that he had a girlfriend – on run escape! Oooohhh James Hicks… in the future this is banter which you still won’t escape. -George thank you so much for all that you’ve done, We’ll soon see your albums at number one! -Xander you’re Dutch and everyone knows it, You’re going to Dam! Please do not blow it! -Romy we once thought you were uncool, But then we discovered your house has a pool! -Ben Wallis surprisingly loves heavy metal, Odd considering his Nan would call him a petal. -Now for the leavers, we’ve said our first half, And now we’ll turn a few lines to the staff. Such as Dr Ruth Richmond whose tutees lives were at stake If they ever forgot to bring in their cake. Mrs Jones and Mrs Pye, amusing but scary, As they got quite competitive during Pictionary. Speaking of pye, did everyone know, Mr Robinson teaches maths….. nooooo!.... yep.. there you go… Mrs Clifford and Filho what a marvellous pair, Whenever you’ve needed them they’ve always been there. As had Miss Burden who is far too kind, But whose tutor group room is so hard to find. Mrs Kirby has been such a great leader, Always been there whenever you need her. -Now to those of you who you thought we forgot, Your moment has come! So please panic not! -Katy is there ever a time you’re not smiling? Perhaps at induction when you needed reviving… -If ever you think on whom your heart will be set, Ladies, don’t worry, Harry Harwood’s a vet! -Will, he’s a lad – there’s nothing he fears! After all, his body can take 32 beers. -Tim MacBain well you’re ahead of your time, But nowhere can we find a gentleman more fine. -“ego sum quintos ambulabat” Only Lucy Moore could have translated that. -Phil Rouse you are so mini and small, But what comes in small packages are always the best of all. -at least that’s what we’ve told Ellie Rey, The Swedish blonde beauty that brightens our day. -Ben Wilcockson the captain we all love to know, Thank you for giving us such a great show! -Alice you’ve got the voice of a lark, You’re kind and you’re loyal, and have such a great spark. -Jamie Diamond, well he just loves to sail! Always so tanned, when we’re all so pale.

-GERMANY, is a COUNTRY, in AFRICA, she thought, Billie, we’ll never forget the wise words that you brought. -Ed, we know that you’ll find your place, Probably not too far from Nora’s face! -what’s that? Is it a duck? Is it a crow? ..nope, it’s just Megan, playing her oboe. -there can never be too many guitars for Max Keegan, His blues and jazz chords are just so intriguin’. -Charlotte we’re sure you have nothing to fear, SURELY you’re not going to stay another year?? -Fraser, he’s the Scottish fellow, With sharpness of mind and mood that’s mellow. -Sophie East we know that you can go far, Whether its west, north or south, you can touch the stars!

-Owen, behind your back I’ve designed, this summary of you in these few short lines. Your talents on guitar are second to none, whenever I’ve needed de-stressing you’re the one I could rant to and you’d calm me down, I know your rock band will light up the town! -Well what can I say, except these few lines for Maddy? Not quite as improvised as every house assembly. Pupils walk in “top buttons!” and “ties!” Maddy says giggling, with a jokey spark in her eyes. And I can honestly say that I’m sad to be leaving, my worthy companion renowned for daydreaming. So thank you Madelaine, for going this extra mile, and your consistent ability to make everyone smile.

-All that remains is to say to you all, This isn’t goodbye, no not at all. You know what they say about doors closing, When one of them shuts, another’s just opening! We want you to know that whenever you find, That you can’t step through then just look behind. We all have these memories, all of them shared, With friends we have loved, and friends who have cared. We’ll always be there to cheer each other on, Like a cheesey Yank movie, with a slow motion song. So dry your eyes mate! And don’t look so sad, Be happy today for the times that we’ve had. We’re all moving on, but nothing is lost, For the times that we’ve shared, will not be forgotten.

Latter House Leavers’ Speech ‘This ending is just the beginning of the rest of our lives.’ Sophie, my fellow House Captain unfortunately cannot be here, as she decided that she would prefer the beaches of Mexico over England, which is understandable considering the lack of summer we have had. Well, what a year it has been for Latter. We have once again dominated House sports and the Senior School House points through unfailing dedication and House spirit. The Latter House farewell tea for the Year 13 leavers was another highlight of the school year which brought together both tutors and pupils in a leaving celebration to remember, and we all enjoyed the customised Latter M&Ms. Furthermore, Latter boasted an impressive Christmas display, with which, in our opinion, none of the other House bases could compete. On my first day as House Captain, I was most afraid of reading the notices, although not as nervous as Sophie who, as she said herself, could barely speak. I had some kind of irrational fear that everything would go wrong and that it would be a total disaster. However, after the first couple of weeks I had overcome that fear, and I began to enjoy my role as House Captain (apart from setting up for House assemblies and clearing away at the end, which remained tedious throughout). Of course Latter would not be the same without some very special people who really form the building blocks of the House. The tutors are not only responsible for helping create that fabled Latter House spirit, they are also there to help us get through school and to help us enjoy school life. Tutors and their groups have left us with many funny memories and House assemblies, such as the ice cream making assembly from Mr Goad’s tutor group, or the blind date assembly from Mr Burkinshaw’s group. So for all their help and support through VI Form, we would like to thank: Mr Burkinshaw; Mr Goad; Ms Stewart; Mr Richardson; and Ms Wood. But the pupils who are part of Latter also create a strong community feel within the House. Many of those in our year had joined PGS in reception, and may have been at this school for 14 years. Others, like me joined in Year 7, whereas some also joined in Year 9, and more still in the VI Form. Yet each individual has made their mark on Latter, be it through sporting, musical or other cocurricular achievements or through academic success, and each person has helped create and carry on the strong Latter identity. In sport, Kirsten Hall was Netball captain, and Latter had the number 1,2 and 3 seeds for squash. James Woolas managed to get a place

on the first PGS croquet team. In Music, Jordan Banting won the percussion section of the House music competition, as well as having a winning performance in the Portsmouth Music Festival. In drama we were well-represented in whole school productions by Hannah Seal and Lucy Cole, and Oli Price directed our House drama entry last year. And of course we were again very lucky to have the Senior Prefect, Chloe Sellwood, in our House. Lastly, but by no means least, Mr Doyle has been a guiding and supportive Head of House, and he is truly dedicated to ensuring that each Latter pupil is able to fulfil their potential. His presence in the Latter House Senior Common Room ensured that he was easily approachable and always up for a game of table football. Of course he never quite reached my level, although he would never admit this publically. We are incredibly grateful for all he has done for Latter, and for the opportunity to be House Captains. The other day as I was watching The Lord of the Rings, I came to the conclusion that the films resemble my progression through school. Joining in Year 7 and forming friendships was a bit like the formation of the Fellowship: the battle at Helm’s Deep at the end of the second film could be seen as a parallel to my GCSEs, which at the time seemed important, but in fact were only the beginning of something much bigger; the final battles at Minas Tirith and the desperate final stand at the gates of Moria more closely resemble my final IB exams.I soon realised, however, that it was not really possible to determine who in Latter would have played which character in the story, apart from Mr Doyle, who could be likened to Gandalf in some respects. Each person in Latter will have formed their own friendships, and been on their own journey, and so each ‘goodbye’ will also be different. Final goodbyes are always difficult, but, as Frodo puts it:

“We have so much to enjoy, to be and to do ... our part of the story will continue.” Although our time at PGS has come to an end which, for many of us, is both daunting and exciting at the same time, this ending is just the beginning of the rest of our lives. I would like to end by saying thank you to everybody in Latter and the school for so many memorable years, and we wish you all the best for the future and, in the words of Bilbo Baggins: “I think I’m quite ready for another adventure.”

Ben Frei Maddy Shand and Owen Jones

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Smith House Leavers’ Speech It has been another very successful year for Smith House, with many individual and collective successes worth celebrating. In boys’ rugby, Rob Chen and Ben Arnold have represented the 1st and 2nd fifteens respectively, with Rob Chen also playing for the school Sevens. The Sevens have had an excellent season and, according to Rob, most of this is due to his excellent kicking ability. Smith has also made up a large proportion of the 1st Hockey team, with Josh Gibbard, Seth Jackson, Tom Farnworth, Tom Arnold, Alex Love, Abrahim Warraich and Lewes Garland all representing the school. Special mention must go to Josh who, in addition to achieving a place at the Futures Cup (which is the last trial before making the England team), has also captained the side to their most successful season yet. Tom Farnworth has been incredibly influential this season, scoring a record 17 goals, which includes 4 hatricks. His enormous contribution to hockey was recognised by the team when he deservedly won players’ player at the end of the season. In addition to playing hockey, Seth Jackson is also captain of the school cricket team, even playing with a broken thumb on occasions, and has also played county level cricket for seven years. Girls’ sport has been equally successful with Charlotte Plowman being chosen as Vice Hockey Captain. Alice Worsley has also been a key member of the 1st XI. And, of course, we cannot forget the outstanding goal keeping skills of Caitlin Abernethy, whose determination and commitment to the Smith House team earned her the nickname of Caitlin ‘No Goals’ Abernethy. Charlotte Plowman, Kate Murphy, Beth Albuery and Danni Masters represented the 1st and 2nd Netball teams on various occasions. Whilst not officially a school team yet, John Wiggins and Theo Wing were part of a group of six from PGS who completed the Isle of Wight Triathlon this year. Both of these also competed in the Charlton Chase, along with Emma Kissane, Rosie Mileham and Danni Masters. However, it was the team Debbie’s Boys which consisted of Lewis Garland, Christian Davison and Josh Gibbard which won the event, beating the Latter House team into second place. Gemma Bird, who has spent much time on the water, has shown that the hard work pays off, ranking in the top ten at national women’s 470 events. While Jess Miller showed her stamina and technique in the Swimming Gala. Rosie Mileham has helped to set up the school’s first equestrian team. George Kimber-Sweatman is rumoured to become the next big referee and Jamie Atkinson is exceeding at kayaking travelling to different parts of the country to test the waters. As far as House sport is concerned, there have always been those ready to compete, with Rob Chen, Theo Wing, John Wiggins, Tom

Farnsworth, Henry Scanlon, Tom Arnold, Ben Arnold, Kate Murphy, James Gulliford and Alice Worsley all stepping up well over the years. Academically, Smith has put in a strong performance this year, and congratulations go to Christian Davison and Fay Davies who hope to go off to read Law at Oxford and English at Cambridge. In terms of Prefects this year, Smith did fantastically well with 12 members of the House stepping up to the roles as well as Emily Duff and Emma Kissane who have helped lead the prefect body as part of the senior prefect team. This year our 6th form council representatives, Anya Roberts and Amy Elliot, have helped to organize the sixth-form events such as the fabulous leavers’ ball, and not forgetting perhaps the most memorable induction party ever. Sophie Carver has shown us how the study room should be used, after not leaving the room for nearly a year. In terms of music and drama, Faye Davies has been a key member of the Music Department, leading the Orchestra, and James Gulliford has been a larger than life member of the Drama Department, performing in every school musical, playing a role in various House Drama productions and performing in the West End as a member of the National Youth Theatre. He is going on to study drama at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London. As House Captains, we have had great fun, be it putting up Christmas decorations which could not be matched, despite Mr Doyle’s best efforts, and buying cushions for the House base. We have loved every moment spent as part of Smith House and would like to thank all of the teachers who are part of the House for their support over the last seven years, in particular our Head of House Mr Elphick-Smith, his deputy, Mrs Casillas-Cross, and our tutors: Miss Cox, Miss Dyer, Dr Howson, Mr Lemieux and Mr Rees. Overall, it has been a fantastic year. It has presented us with many challenges, but together we have overcome them. So many memories and friendships have been made over our time here at PGS, be it two years or fourteen, and hopefully these will be friendships for life! Thank you to everyone who has made our time so special: teachers, Heads of Houses and most importantly friends. We wish everyone the best of luck for whatever the future holds, whether they are off to university or taking a gap year.

Lewis Garland and Danni Masters

‘So many memories and friendships have been made over our time here at PGS, be it two years or fourteen, and hopefully these wil be friendships for life!’ 184

Whitcombe House Leavers’ Speech Whitcombe House. It’s what we’ve called home for the past 5 years at PGS, complete with its own diverse, distinctive, if a little dysfunctional, family. Mrs Bush’s title should really read Head of Household, as her calm and conscientious attitude has held everyone together throughout the various challenges of school life, her office door always open and a smile always on her face. Whitcombe really is more of a home than a house. Though not known for our sporting success, over the years we have certainly excelled in exceptions. Committed to turning up and giving our all, Whitcombe’s determined attitude to House sports has been exemplified by Leo Patterson, who has played in every House competition since Year 9! Led by our excellent Sports Captain, James Langrish, everyone has rallied around in a sometimes chaotic but always enthusiastic effort to compete in House sports, most notably House volleyball, in which were victorious in Year 10. Our star volleyball players, Max and Finch, even came back for tug of war at Sports Day! Not only within House sport, but representing the school as a whole, players such as Naomi Munns for hockey and Lizzie Lewis for netball have spurred on the other members of the House to enjoy competing in House tournaments. Patrick and Harry Gingell have been a persistent force at House rugby, Freddie Bell has been our squash superstar, and James Collingwood has not lost a single badminton game for House sports! One of our greatest achievements has been our House swimming victory with a fantastic team of Lucy, Ellie, Naomi, Nik, Leo, Barney, Prash and Max. And these are just a few of the exceptional exceptions to Whitcombe’s assumed underdog status when it comes to sport. Through everyone’s spirited contributions during our time here at PGS, we have definitely earned our position as the dark horse of House sports. Whitcombe may be a shadowy threat out in the floodlights, but we certainly shine under the spotlight. Our efforts on the stage in school productions running all the way back to Year 9 have proved Whitcombe’s flair and ability in Drama. Special mentions go to Isabelle Byrne for Sweet Charity and Wizard of Oz, and of course Ben Willcock’s incredible and hilarious performance in the Producers. To round off an amazing few years of achievements in drama, our very own Phillipa Abernethy, along with a great cast, pulled off a fantastic win at the House competition. Picking up both best director and best play with the sitcom Miranda, this decisive and hard-earned victory summed up Whitcombe’s creative and spirited approach to all that we do. Cramming into the Rotunda each week, music is at the forefront of Whitcombe’s character as a house. It’s small wonder then that we have such successful individuals who have continued to provide talent and enthusiasm in their performances for the school and House alike. Luke Granger-Brown has been an asset to House music, as an excellent violinist, and Alice Blois, our House Music Captain, has been a finalist three years running. Miss Hall’s influence has had much to do with this, most memorably co-ordinating our version of ‘With a little help from my friends’ by the Beatles for the House song contest. We couldn’t mention music without remembering Ben Willcock’s various performances on the guitar, during our Year 11 House song ‘We are Green/A Guy like ours’ and more recently his collaboration for ‘The most beautiful girl in the room’! Not to be outdone in the category of musical comedy, Mr Lister also made

‘Whitcombe really is more of a home than a House.’

a lasting impression with his rendition of ‘Bring Back Bells’ last Christmas. Overall, music has demonstrated that Whitcombe can succeed, but also have a lot of fun as a House that has the ability to laugh at itself. This spirit of humour and fun is I think most strongly reflected by the Whitcombe House video, in which our very own Kieran James starred. With some editing by Luke Granger-Brown, it won not only first place, but more importantly lots of laughter. Another joker of the House, willing to take one for the team and sacrifice a little dignity for a good cause, is Barny Martin, for shaving his hair off in Year 9 for the Cambodia Appeal, wearing his infamous fish shirt to pretty much every mufti day, and presenting his impromptu assemblies about Marwell zoo. Speaking of good causes, Whitcombe has been heavily involved in many charitable events over the past few years, from fantastic cake sales by Mrs Gozablerze’s tutor group, to committed fundraising for Piam Brown headed by Mrs Mitchell. Many individual pupils in Whitcombe have played their part in contributing to the wider community, as well as of course the school community. Our Sixth form councillors Olivia Howard, Ellie Isted, Max Medhurst and Bea Wilkinson have been essential in making Sixth form as enjoyable and interesting as it has been. Also contributing to helping other pupils have been our great team of peer councillors Sarah Gray, Katie Logan-Rose and Charlotte McPherson. Furthermore, Alice Blois and James Langrish have been brilliant helping out the younger cadets at CCF summer camps, and Prash’s dedicated contributions to CCF have even earned him the Lord Mayor’s cadet, carrying on a Whitcombe tradition! Whitcombe’s contributions to the school have also been creative as well as charitable. Mischa, Ben and Bea have all brought interesting and inspiring features to the Portsmouth Point Blog, and Louisa Stark’s incredible art project made her a finalist for the PGS extend Icarus prize. Mentioning Icarus, we end really on a new beginning, as everyone sets off to new adventures at University and beyond. Hopefully fond memories of your time here at PGS as a member of Whitcombe House will stand you in good stead for the future, as we look to the coming transition more as leaving home than moving house. After all, you will always be a member of Whitcombe House.

Sophie Andrews and Max Hodell

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Bart

on 188 wo o d 188 H aw key 189 Sum mer s 190 Gra nt 191 L at t er 192 Smit h Wh i t 194 co m be Hou se D 195 ram a Hou 196 se M usic 199 E ast

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Barton: House Report

EAStwood:

‘It has become a tradition for Barton to lead the recognitions totals and we have al become used to seeing the thin blue line towering above the others in the Middle School Common Room.’

House Report

This has been another exceptional year for Barton. There has been the usual balance of participation, enjoyment and success. It is hard to cover the range of activities that Barton pupils have influenced in so many positive ways this year. It has become a tradition for Barton to lead the recognitions totals and we have all become used to seeing the thin blue line towering above the others in the Middle School Common Room. This year has been no exception reflecting another year of diligence and hard work by so many Barton pupils in both year groups. This academic excellence was further exhibited in the Middle School quiz where the final was a play off between Mrs Sparkes Year 7 tutor group and Miss Gardner’s Year 8s, with age finally winning out. Next year’s homework diary cover competition was won by Nicholas Ng and we look forward to seeing, if not using, these next year. One of our major events this year was the Barton Bake-Off. This took place over a number of weeks in the Easter term with different themes but outstanding entries each week. The entries were sampled and judged, then sold to raise money for charity. We raised in excess of £220 and the overall winner was George Charlton. It was very impressive to see so many Barton pupils taking prominent roles in Oliver! and in a variety of musical events. On the sports fields Barton continued to lead and excel. Winning netball, rugby and dominating the cross country was only a flavour of the range of talents on show and we approach sports day with confidence. All of this is only made possible by the quality and character of Barton pupils and the support of the House staff who have once again been outstanding. Mrs Sparkes led the baking, Miss Gardner the hanging basket competition and Mr Williamson the dodgy music on the iPod competition. He moves on to the tutor in the senior school next year and we thank him for all he has done for Barton pupils. S D Hawkswell

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This year has been another successful one for Eastwood, especially in sport. Our Sports Captains, George Wilcockson and Sophie Forrest, have done a great job organizing teams for the year’s challenges. The combined Year 7/8 boys won the House cricket and the Year 8 boys came a close second in rugby. We tried very hard in dodge ball, coming third after a lot of effort put in by everyone who participated. The girls also did well in netball, winning the A section. Combined with the Bs, we came second overall, only very narrowly missing out on first place. Sadly the girls house hockey didn’t go as well, since most of Eastwood’s Year 8 hockey girls were away at an indoor tournament in Braunschweig, Germany, where they even helped PGS beat Berlin! On a blistering hot day in July, Eastwood came second on Sports Day. Apart from the major sports, Eastwood members have shown great enthusiasm and prowess in table tennis, badminton, squash, and basketball. We have even had a member of the successful PGS ski team. At the end of the summer term numerous of Year 7 and 8 pupils were awarded sports colours - a wonderful achievement. In the Middle School everyone is encouraged to pursue an interest outside the curriculum - there are endless opportunities from Science to Stock Market club. Encouraged by Mrs Helen Harris, our Head of House, students in Eastwood have taken full advantage of these opportunities. House members have participated in everything from singing in the Cathedral Choir (boys) and Cantate (girls) to being Portmuthian editors. Eastwood have also excelled in the arts with musicians performing in the

‘Teamwork really brings Eastwood together as a house and gets everyone involved.’ orchestra, brass band and many of the ensembles and actors giving stunning performances in “PGS has talent” and the Middle School production of Oliver! And let us not forget the jolly, uplifting Christmas Song contest, with Eastwood singing ‘Rocking Around the Christmas Tree’. Everyone had a great time singing, even if they didn’t think of themselves as singers. Teamwork really brings Eastwood together as a house and gets everyone involved. House assemblies have really demonstrated the range of talents in the House. We’ve been taught everything from martial arts to origami, via card tricks and counting in Chinese! Eastwood also got a “highly commended” in PGS in Bloom for an outstanding floral arrangement overseen by two of the Year 7s. Academically, Eastwood pupils have done well too. While we didn’t win the awards for the most recognitions, a number of students won subject prizes. We’re all waiting patiently to hear who has won what, once the announcements are finally made public. Finally we would like to say a massive congratulations to Miss Crockford who was married at Easter and is now Mrs Williams and a very fond farewell to Mr Price one of our Year 7 tutors - we wish him luck for the future. We have had a super year as House Captains and wish Eastwood every success next year.

Patrick Caldwell and Serena Graham

HAWKEY: House Report ‘We sadly bid farewel at the end of this year to Miss Tabtab who has been Head of Hawkey for the last seven years.’ In Drama many members of Hawkey played leading roles in the Middle School Production of Oliver!, including Freddie Hares as Oliver and Loren Dean, Jean-Mikael Hopkinson, Rebecca Arnold and Nina Watson as well as many others in the supporting choruses. In Sport, Hawkey performed well in the Athletics this year (perhaps cheered on by the Red Panda) Hawkey has yet to shine in the Recognitions totals though we did extremely well in the first half of the Summer Term. Hawkey won the House Music Competition with a comfortable lead – thanks to our talented House musicians. Individual achievements in the House this year include Nicholas Cook and James Bradley who won awards at the Cycle Challenge at Mountbatten Centre against other Portsmouth schools. For their contribution to the House in a variety of roles, House Colours were awarded to Kitty Herlihy who did a fantastic job as a member of the Middle School Council. We sadly bid farewell at the end of this year to Miss Tabtab who has been Head of Hawkey for the last seven years, feeding us with sticky doughnuts and leading us through activities involving marshmallows, Maypole dancing and mayhem; she leaves the School after 23 years in the Economics and Business Studies Department and we wish her a long and healthy retirement. We also say a fond farewell to Dr Ronaldson, stalwart of the Chess Club and an excellent tutor in the House for 7 years; he leaves us to teach Mathematics at Winchester College. We wish both of them, and those Year 8s who leave to join Year 9 in Smith House, a very happy future.

Christine Giles

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GRANT: House Report

Report

the Summer Term and with temperatures soaring into the 30s, it is time to look back on another amazing year. This year’s House Captains – Maddy Shand and Owen Jones – have led by example throughout. This was exemplified at the Leavers’ Service in the Cathedral on Sat 22 June. Maddy was not feeling at all well but struggled through the “March Through The Arch” and arrived at the Cathedral just in time to be sick (she made it to the toilet). I could see Owen nervously wondering if he was going have to deliver their carefully crafted speech (elsewhere in this publication) as the moment arrived for them to come up to the front to speak. Owen arrived on his own – a few minutes in to the speech, and between bouts of throwing up, Maddy arrived on stage as if it was all part of the plan – no one at the time was any the wiser! That is what I call dedication. They have now passed on the baton to our new House Captains, Zoe Rundle and Dimitri Selwood – they know what big shoes they have to fill!

What an amazing year for Summers! Pupils in both Year 7 and 8 have taken part in a huge variety of individual and group events. From personal achievements such as recognitions to the Christmas House Song, every member of Summers House has contributed to our experiences and victories. The Sports Captains Ethan Hoddle and Izzy Sambles have been role models for the Year 7s (and some Year 8s too!), leading the House to victory in girls hockey, basketball and badminton; second place in boys hockey and netball; and a close third place in cricket. Sports Day went well, with victories in many events. Despite not winning, everyone had an amazing time, giving an almost textbook ending to another brilliant sporting year for Summers.

House Drama was again a highlight for me – led by Rob Bendell (ably supported by Rohan Bungaroo) Yes, Minister included many regulars but a number of new faces featured – Seb McCue received Best Actor and Charlie Henderson was an excellent Bernard (Permanent Private Secretary). Once again House Drama is so popular in the House that I already have directors lined up for the next 2 years!! It continues to be a joy to be a part of and I am already looking forward to Charlie Albuery’s directorial debut.

The House competitions are not just about sport and, along with a strong sporting team, we have a fantastic blend of musicians, artists, actors, and more. Despite being told there would be no winner in the Christmas House Song, we shed blood, sweat and tears in our attempt to do justice to our chosen Christmas song. On the day we all wore hats, tinsel, and bells; had a Santa and a chimney; and with the aid of a hardcore group of singers leading the rest of the House, we gave an award worthy rendition of “All I want for Christmas is You”. Summers was extremely well-represented in the solo House Music Competition, with Malitha Patabendi and Kirsten Goves making it to the final, and Kirsten taking second place overall. Many pupils from the House took part in the Middle School production of Oliver!, with special mention going to Alex Sidnell, Tom Ross and Guy Billington for their fantastic performances. More recently the House Captains Tom and Shree ran Summers Got Talent - our own take on a wellknown TV show, which showed just how varied the talent in Summers really is. From nursery rhymes and singing, to jokes and ventriloquism, our House has really outdone itself yet again.

By Tom Ross and Shree Patel

‘The House competitions are not just about sport and, along with a strong sporting team, we have a fantastic blend of musicians, artists, actors, and more.’ 190

Our Sports Captains this year, especially in Years 9 and 10 (Ashleigh Dekker, Henry Cresswell-Hogg, Naomi Brigg and Evie

After a number of years in the wilderness, House Music was firmly gripped by Tim MacBain resulting in domination of the Senior Music Competition – Owen Jones was 1st and Tim MacBain 2nd in the Sixth Form Competition; Phoebe Pexton was 1st and Gemma Liu was 3rd in the Yrs 9 – 11 Competition. Owen and George Chapman also won the Sixth Form Ensemble and Hugh Summers was also a worthy finalist – well done to you all. Once again, under the careful guidance of Ms Hart, we collected shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child – 164 boxes were carefully packed and wrapped – a fantastic achievement. I am hoping to nudge the 200 barrier next year! An evening to celebrate PGS Extend saw three members of the House take centre-stage: Phil Belcher ensured that there was not a dry eye in the theatre when he delivered his very moving “4 amazing stories”; Billie Downer’s “Cult of Gloriana” was fascinating and we were all impressed with Max Keegan’s hand-built guitar. It is with a fond farewell that we say goodbye to both Chloe Shaw and Josh Storm as they head across the Atlantic to continue their education in the US. We also said goodbye to Mrs Jones who has moved to Lavant House School and Mrs Cross who has moved into her new role in Careers and UCAS. I am already looking to twists and turns of the next academic year! Jules Gillies

‘Once again House Drama is so popular in the House that I already have directors lined up for the next 2 years!!’ Lost Hour painting by Year 7 pupil Codey Simmons

This year has been thoroughly enjoyable for the pupils and staff of Summers. The Year 8s, and in particular the mentors, have been exceptional role models for the Year 7s, many of them forming close bonds. Knowing the new intake of mentors, House Captains, Sports Captains and the rest of the current Year 7s as we do now, we hope that they too will set an example to next year’s Year 7s, and lead them to even more victories in the future!

Chess was a close run affair but Grant, once again rose to the top under the careful eye of Seb McCue – in fact it was Tim Bustin who sealed victory in the final game.

Howarth) ensured that we always had a team for each event and they all worked hard to fill the last-minute gaps for Sports Day.

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LATTER: House

were only beaten by another PGS team has to be some consolation! Chris also joined Mike Robinson in a team coming second in the Aldenham swimming cup final at Crystal Palace. The team had never trained together before so this was a fantastic achievement. PGS Extend again had some wonderful individual performances again this year. Our House Captain, Sophie Tobin, led the way with her amazing art project which she presented to the audience on the night. Fergus Kaye again was highly commended and asked to present his work on the night. Alice Cornier was accepted for a three week summer residential course at the University of California Berkeley as part of the Internationally Gifted Student Programme.

Report This has certainly been a year of highs and lows in Latter. The greatest high was winning back House Sport for the first time in 5 years, losing only one game since Christmas in any of the events was certainly something to celebrate and the spirit of the House came through strongly on Mondays. We were delighted to welcome back in the final term two important names from our history. Peter Barclay, Master from 1970-80 came back to meet pupils at a lunch in his honour and had a great time meeting us and seeing Latter, as well as imparting some sound advice for our future. The tutors are always seeking ways of congratulating pupils for their work and twice a year we will not award a small prize to those pupils who have achieved success over a two-term period. Peter was there to give out the award of a voucher and certificate.

However, the best fun of the year was the Leavers’ Tea! We were delighted that Mr Doyle decided to have an occasion just for the leavers and we gathered in May for smoked salmon and egg and cress sandwiches and homemade cakes. It was a wonderful occasion to be together and go over some of the best memories of the last 2 or 5 years in Latter. Of course, we were not only helped by the cakes, we had ‘L’ shaped cookies with yellow icing and then the highlight Latter House M&Ms – yellow, of course, and all with either the words “Latter Leavers 2013” or a picture of the front of the House. It was certainly a memorable occasion, sealed with the Captains cutting the leavers’ cake.

Later in the year, we were also delighted to welcome back the daughter of another Master, Captain E Stansfield (194647). Mrs Stansfield had not been in the school herself since her father retired in 1947, on the occasion of her wedding reception in the Memorial library. Now in her 90s, she wanted to see the school again and was delighted to see a photo of her father in the entrance to Latter House along with all the other Masters. She shared stories and even met one of the new Captains on his first day in the role!

For their contribution to the House, we awarded House Colours to: Jordan Banting; Josie Blagbrough; Hannah Cole; Ben Frei; Josh Gibbs-Dean; Andy Gorvin; Kirsten Hall; Lottie Kent; Roshun Laly; George Laver; Claire Monfared; George Neame; Rory Prentice; Hugh Raymer; Anna Reynolds; Flo Stow; Sophie Tobin; Alec Walker; Chris Weekes; Huan Xie.

In competition, chess was again popular, mirroring the increase in numbers taking part over the past few years. We eventually lost to Grant by 2 points, though, leading until the penultimate game, at least made it exciting for the supporters. Music was a disaster this year. Jordan Banting saved us from total humiliation by winning the percussion section but we wow to be better organised next year! House drama proved again to be a wonderful occasion, full of hilarity and fantastic performances by individuals. A fuller review appears independently but we record our thanks to Guy and Melissa who directed so well and all the performers, in particular Zoe Pallant-Sidaway who won best supporting actress and the Tech boys who won a prize for smashing the photo frame!

As we end the year, we bid farewell to Mr Burkinshaw who is taking on the role of Head of Careers and UCAS so is, sadly, giving up his role as Tutor. We also say goodbye to Mr Baker who is leaving to take up the post of Director of Sport at Brighton College Abu Dhabi. Both have been an integral part of Latter and we wish them well in their new posts.

Ben Frei and Sophie Tobin

‘The greatest high was winning back House Sport for the first time in 5 years, losing only one game since Christmas in any of the events was certainly something to celebrate and the spirit of the House came through strongly on Mondays.’

Individual achievements were as ever notable this year. Tom Horner was part of a youth team from the Langstone Cutters Rowing Club who took part in the Great River Race, rowing 21 miles up the Thames from Millwall Dock to Ham House in Richmond, completing the row in 3 hours 30 minutes. Andrew Jones and Chris Weekes took part in the Isle of Wight Triathlon. Chris came second in the swim and 28th overall out of 138 who took part. Jemima Lawson was selected for the 2012/13 420 National Youth Squad (consisting of 5 boy boats & 5 Girl boats). Harry Dry was in a team that came eighth in the Charlton Chase; Jonny Munro in a team which came ninth Jack Breen in a team which came tenth and Alec Walker in a team which came thirteenth. However, the main success was three Latterites of the four man team who came second overall in the Chase: Ben Frei, Chris Weekes and Andy Jones. That they

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Mr Doyle cutting the cake with Sophie Tobin and Ben Frei

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SMITH: House Report In Music this year, Isabel Howson has led the field in attaining the JRAM Senior Brass Prize and gaining a place in the National Youth Brass Band. She was also joint Brass winner in the House Music Competition, with the Smith ensemble taking second place and Jessamie Waldon-Day coming second overall in her age category. Ayesha Gyening and Will Futcher were highly commended. Fay Davies has excelled on the violin. This has been a good year for essay writers. Fay Davies won the Ithaca Prize for PGS Extend projects with her insightful essay on the translation of Dante, whilst Alec Webb was a finalist in the Hispanic and Luso Brazilian Council Spanish writing competition. Rohan Ahlawat and Dom Northey were also finalists in the annual Baillie Gifford Economics competition.

‘Nowhere was the spirit of the House collectively more evident than on Sports Day in July.’ Founder’s Day has just passed, and with it the school year of 2012 to 2013. It is a day to remember the legacy of William Smith, especially in the House which bears his name. Foundation is an architectural act: it must inevitably have its foundations, but there must also be development and a topping out. It is apt, therefore, that the Day follows rapidly on the heels of Sixth Form Leavers’ Day and the recent occasion when the current Year 8 in Hawkey joined me in Smith to think about the future in the Senior School. The defining co-ordinates of the academic architecture were marked. The theme of the Founder’s Day speaker comes readily to mind: the future is behind us. We make our way ahead, but, like rowers, we make our way towards it with our faces to the past, surveying the ground we have covered and drawing strength from it. The Upper Sixth move on past the finishing line, and we wish them well with the fulfilment of their aspirations, whether they be in International Studies, Veterinary Science, Cybernetics, Oxbridge Law and English or any of the myriad other options favoured by the 2013 cohort. They row confidently into the future, great achievers and contributors to the life of the House. They have set an example, looking back, which will inspire those who follow to row hard and target success. The year began, indeed, on an inspiring sporting note, as Hattie Gould brought into Assembly the Olympic torch which she had carried on its progress to London for the 2012 Games. At that time, we also learned the uplifting news of former Smith pupil Ross Morrison’s representation of Great Britain in the Paralympics. Especial thanks for inspiration and contribution within the House should go to Captains, Lewis Garland and Danni Masters, who have led from the luxury of the sofa in House Assembly, regaling us with sporting triumphs, putting teams together and contributing more than ever before to the structure of our collective lives. They have embodied the spirit of the Founder’s House in their personal example and in their hard work on

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behalf of all. Commendation is also due to our eleven prefects and two Deputy Senior Prefects, Emma Kissane and Emily Duff, all of whom have played an exemplary role around the school, contributing to the smooth running and reputation of PGS as well as its caring culture and invigorating ethos. The fruits of House and team spirit have been evident across Smith and across a range of disciplines. In drama, James Gulliford acquired letters after his name and became, along with Jessamie Waldon-Day, a member of the National Youth Theatre. House Drama saw a hardworking performance from Tom Harper as both star and director of an episode of Black Books which was given second place in the competition. Gregory Walton-Green, Natasha Iliffe and Rishi Soneji performed in the Sixth Form Shakespeare, whilst Ben Schofield took a leading role in The Producers and The Exonerated which tours to France. In sport, Gemma Bird and Niall Houston are members of the Royal Yachting Association national squad, whilst Tommy Miller holds high national ranking in the Pentathlon. Smith is especially talented in hockey and no fewer than seven members of the House made their way into the county boys’ squad this year. We have strong players amongst the girls, too, with many spirited performances from Charlotte Plowman, Kate Murphy and Caitlin Abernethy, our stalwart goalkeeper who will forever keep the epithet ‘No Goals’. The netballers proved themselves well once again, winning the House competition for the second year running: Redwash! George Kimber-Sweatman referees and umpires and was appointed as the youngest ever member of the RAFA Youth Council. Seth Jackson is a notable skier. Theo Wing, Lewis Garland and John Wiggins are all strong triathletes, and Christian Davison, Lewis Garland and Joshua Gibbard came first in the Premier event at Charlton Chase. We took second place in swimming behind Whitcombe.

Particular individual recognition should be given to James Phillips who, in small space, has risen to become Lord Mayor’s Cadet; to James Beattie who won the Year 9 level of the Leonardo Poetry Competition; to Jessica Miller who designed the Dickensian House Christmas card; and to Anya Roberts and Amy Elliott who represented their peers’ interests so effectively on the Sixth Form Council. This is not to forget the three, now traditional rugby players, Guy Snowball, Ben Tucker and Oliver Appelboam-Meadows, whose ‘hanging basket’ entry, in spite of a temporarily lost ornamental frog, earned a highly commended rosette. Since the installation of the House fireplace, developments in the fabric of the Smith have been low key. There has been more of an emphasis on building the body of the House through its people. This has happened through the development of the House Council, Year Sports Captains and the advent of House Prefects. In all of our activities, endeavours and successes, we have been able to rally round the splendid new House crest and banner, images which come directly from the Founder’s coat of arms, placing us, like the red in our ties, at the heart of the school. Nowhere was the spirit of the House collectively more evident than on Sports Day in July. Smith came top for the second time in four contested occasions and did so with the help of our strong School and national athletes, competing vigorously in their areas of expertise, but also with the preparedness of those with less prowess to come last and take a single point for the team. That is the meaning of House and a fine example for us all to view as we row into the future.

J J Elphick-Smith, Head of Smith House

whitcombe: House Report The year has been a seamless mixture of old and new with OPs/ former Whitcomites making welcome visits or featuring in the life of the House this year. And three Whitcomites featuring in the National press; Isaac Waddington Chorister of the Year, Luke Granger Brown won a national competition for computer programming and Jemmia Hodgkson [an OP] appeared on University Challenge as part of Pembroke College team that reached the quarter finals. The year started with a request form an OP Charlotte Salvetti, for the current members of Whitcombe to aid her fund rising for MAC, a charity devoted to supporting children living with blindness. In true Green House spirit we launched four days of cake sales with each year group taking turns to bring/bake and sell cakes. The final total was £400 over four break times meaning £100 in 25 minutes of sales. Year 11 raised the most and Miss Rickard’s tutor group staying after school to bake their cakes. Bennet Ager, William Hall and Lily Cannon [Year 9] were responsible for the publicity. While Sam Betterage and Ed Smith’s ‘one pound’ chant drew in the crowds. Under the leadership of Reuben MacArdle and his deputy James Christian we made a gallant fight back in House Chess only to be defeated by a very strong Grant team. The annual House Swimming gala can be an unpredictable competition but to the credit of all the Houses it was a strong competition this year with every year group participating. So our victory under the stewardship of James Langrish was a tremendous credit to the contribution of some seasoned swimmers, Leo Patterson, Prash Ramaraj, Brandon Choi, Ellie Isted, Lucy Dobbs, Naomi Munns and new comers Tristan Orchard, Lily Cannon and Sally Hall. We had been the underdogs in House Drama last year so with the largest cast, and the most modern sitcom Miranda, Philippa Abernethy’s direction bought out so hilarious cameo moments from Alice Blois, Omar Farook and Alexander Quarrie-Jones. The judges rightly recognised Sophie Parekh as the Best Actor, Philippa as Best Director and Whitcome as overall best play. Academically we continue to send the brightest and the best to top universities and Nora Harding has been offered a place at Cambridge to Study Modern languages, Sophie Andrews secured her place at UCL after achieving 40 points in the IB Diploma and Prash Ramaraj gaining three offers to study medicine at Kings College, Birmingham and Imperial College. Sam Gardner continues to cycle competitively and Katie Paxman [hockey] , Sally Hall and Maisie Sharpe [netball] have all been selected in their respective sports for National training camps this year. The year finished with a final flurry of success with Whitcombe achieving an honourable second place, one point behind Smith, on Sports Day but more importantly winning the Tug of War competition for the third year running with Barnaby Martin in Year 13 returning to lead the team. Thanks to all those members of Whitcombe House, staff and students, who continue to contribute in House Music, House Sports and give inspiring assembles.

Fran Bush

‘Academically we continue to send the brightest and the best to top universities.’ 195

The History of the PGS House Drama Competition

My step by step guide to House Drama

There have now been a total of 23 House Drama Competitions since 1988. There was a gap between 2005-2007 which happened when there was building work to relocate the DRT. The work didn’t take three years, but the competition seems to have been dropped. It was revived in 2008 by Rebecca Baxter (2006-08, OP and Director in Residence). Roger Harris (Steve Harris’s late father, OP, who taught at the school 1958-93) was described as “the driving force” behind the competition in its early days.

1. Pick a T.V show people have heard of and preferably find funny.

The idea of a House Drama Competition was met with some scepticism in the 1980s: “Let the pupils choose and direct the plays without help from the staff? …It’s doomed from the start….”. Such concern was soon put to rest in a review of the first competition in The Portmuthian of 1987/88. “It turned out better than anyone had dared to hope. The pupils on and behind stage showed what an educational place a school can be as long as adults are kept out of the way”. The first competition saw Grant’s “hilarious abridgement of Hamlet” pitted against Smith’s Mother Figure (Alan Ayckbourn), Whitcombe’s The Thwarting of Baron Bolligrew (Robert Bolt) and Latter’s I am a Dustbin. Smith House’s Ayckbourn adaptation was the winner.

Alan Ayckbourn’s work was to prove a regular feature of the competition over the years, along with John Godber and Tom Stoppard. The audience and judges of one Stoppard production were shocked by “scatological remarks” in the script, and the star of another production in the early 1990s was “a conspicuous codpiece”. Among the more curious contributions have been Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamgoat (not a typo) and, perhaps the most ambitious, a “condensed version of Wagner’s Ring Cycle”. Another challenging production was James Saunder’s Barnstable, which was reported to have “created difficulties as there was no clear plot and the characters had no clear definition.” It didn’t help that one member of the Grant House cast arrived on stage two pages too soon. More traditional offerings have been shortened versions or scenes from My Fair Lady and Bugsy Malone. Popular television since the 1970s has provided inspiration and has included adaptations of Victoria Wood’s Acorn Antiques, Michael Palin’s Ripping Yarns and more recently, Fawlty Towers, Blackadder and

Dad’s Army. John Sadden

Last year Whitcombe did Hi-de-Hi. Big mistake as no one under the age of 50 has heard of it, and if you have, you probably don’t find it funny at all. The directors had to resort to creepy leg stroking to get laughs.

1. Get good directors, who put the effort in to make sure it’s well-rehearsed. Whitcombe had two awesome directors this year, Pip and Alex. They put the time in and it really showed. They also put their own spin on things, to make it even funnier and to make sure it belongs to them. 1. Stick to the 15 minute time limit.

Last year we made the audience sit through 45 minutes of THE most boring ‘comedy’ ever written. Never again.

1. Actors, never take it too seriously. If you do this, the play will crash and burn; people will think it is supposed to be serious. If you look like you’re having a laugh then the audience will laugh with you and at you, respectively. 1. People who can’t act should do it anyway. They make it even more funny. Once it is established that they are terrible, the audience will laugh at every word they say. Guaranteed comedy gold. 1. Embarrassment. If you feel embarrassed the first time you rehearse it, it’s probably hilarious. My advice is to keep going like you couldn’t care less. Also, when you’re on stage, you won’t have time to be embarrassed. The audience will laugh and you shall internally laugh with them. And that is my guide to House Drama. If you follow the simple steps, then you too can win House Drama. This article first appeared in The Portsmouth Point’s blog

Grant House Drama Grant opened the 2013 House Drama Competition with an episode from the 1980s political comedy Yes Minister, following the exploits of the ministers and civil servants in the fictional Governmental Department for Administrative Affairs. Co-directors Robert Bendell and Rohan Bungaroo opted for an inexperienced cast, adding to the task that lay ahead of them, in a production famous for the long and complicated speeches, followed by sharp, cutting sarcasm and whit. However, the hours of agonising over every detail of the play paid off on the night, with an excellent performance enjoyed by the audience and cast alike. The three leads, Alice McBain, Charlie Henderson and Seb McCue managed to recite all of their intricate lines to perfection, for which Grant was awarded the newly created ‘Wow-Factor Prize’. Also commended were the support cast of Charlie Albuery, Katie Wood, Eloise Flippance and William Wallace, for their ability to bring otherwise static scenes to life, and making the production a more watchable experience. Alice McBain’s ability to appear to be in control, whilst simultaneously being clueless took real skill, and Charlie Henderson’s relentless movement and transition between the conversation, and taking a role in the background of a scene brought the play together. Seb McCue’s performance as Sir Humphrey won the ‘Best Leading Actor Award’, however many argued that a role as a slightly sarcastic senior civil servant involved very little acting for him. The entire cast immensely enjoyed the whole production, from the first script meeting to the final performance, and would like to thank our co-directors for their tireless efforts throughout. It goes without saying that we were robbed of the title Best Play, however that had no effect on the enjoyment of the night as whole.

Seb McCue - Sir Humphrey Appleby Charlie Henderson - Bernard Woolley

‘Grant was awarded the newly created ‘Wow-Factor Prize’.’

Past Winners In 2000, the judge could not decide, and made Smith and Grant joint winners. Grant House are currently top of the table:

Grant 7.5

• Whitcombe 6 • Smith 5.5 • Latter 4

1988 S 1989 W 1990 W 1991 S 1992 L 1993 L

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1994 L 1995 W 1996 S 1997 G 1998 G 1999 G

2000 S&G 2001 G 2002 S 2003 L 2004 W 2005 -

2006 2007 2008 G 2009 W 2010 G 2011 S

2012 G 2013 W

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Latter House Drama During the preparation period of the Latter House production this year, it would be fair to say that both my co-director, Melissa Smith, and I were living, breathing and sleeping all things Vicar of Dibley. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to deliver a long-awaited victory to the House but it was a production that I remain proud of to this day. The episode was “The Window and the Weather”, in which a nasty storm destroys the Church’s prized stained-glass window. The Parish Council were set the task of fundraising for the installation of the new window. In spite of the mundane sound of the episode, I can assure you that hilarity did ensue! Our main aim as directors was to emulate the episode as much as possible and in my opinion, the performance was perfect, with some very believable roles, most notably George Cunningham as Jim and Harry Norton as Owen. Let us not forget the smashing team effort of the Tech team who later went on to pick up the award for Best Technical Support. With an outstanding portrayal of Alice, Zoe Pallant-Sidaway dominated the best-supporting actress category and she made the whole House proud as she collected her certificate. In addition, my and Melissa’s main concern on the night was the ‘big unveil’ of the new church window. Having spent many a lunch time in the Art Department alongside Georgia Henderson & co. the window looked fantastic and really showed how much all of Latter’s cast and crew put into preparing for what turned out to be a memorable evening.

Guy Cripps

‘Let us not forget the smashing team effort of the Tech team who later went on to pick up the award for Best Technical Support.’

Smith House Drama In reporting on Smith House’s performance of Black Books for this year’s House Drama Competition, much credit must be given to Thomas Harper. Tom, a Year 12 Student, not only directed Smith House’s adaptation of the episode, offering much valued advice to the performers, but also chose the piece, edited the script, organised rehearsals and even took up the leading role of Bernard at the last minute after Ben Schofield dropped out of the production due to illness.

Black Books was probably the least known of all the sitcoms, so Smith House were able to present the audience with a host of comic situations they had never seen before from the “spiritual awakening” of Manny, to Will Sparkes and James Gulliford as utterly hopeless yet hilarious Jehovah’s Witnesses. Tom Harper managed to embody the character of Bernard exactly as in the T.V. series in his portrayal, and Gina Buckle as Fran showed a lighter side of obsession with her mysterious object. Smith House only received Best Supporting Actor for Gregory Walton-Green who played Manny, its only award, despite Tom’s excellent acting and directing, innovative staging and lighting such as blue washes and Gregory breaking the fourth wall by molesting the audience with maxims of calmness, and the wide range of uproarious cameo performances. In the days after the performance, many (including teachers of other Houses) commented that Smith was “robbed” of their rightful awards, however I believe that the judging was fair and most of the awards could have justifiably been given to any of the Houses, considering the high standards on the night. Many thanks to the cast and crew for creating a brilliantly funny and fluent performance on the night.

Gregory Walton-Green

‘Black Books was probably the least known of al the sitcoms, so Smith House were able to present the audience with a host of comic situations they had never seen before.’ 198

George Cunningham

Whitcombe House Drama When faced with the dilemma of which sit com to produce for House drama, Philippa Abernathy made it very clear that she would only undertake the role of director as long as she could select the sitcom – Miranda. To some, this was a brave choice because it was very current, could be interpreted by a less able director as just slap stick humour and any actor playing Miranda would have to not fall into the trap of just mimicking Miranda Hart. With the script printed and auditions under way, the next challenge for Philippa was marshalling a large cast and reducing a 30 minute programme to 15 minutes of slick performances. She immediately cast Alice Blois as Stevie; on the night Alice was the glue that held the performance together and her rendition of ‘You making me Feel’ was certainly a highlight. Miranda was played by a veteran of House Drama, Sophie Parekh, who certainly made the character her own and opened the show as a lonely miserable singleton lacking direction that then succeed in getting herself into numerous impossible situations even becoming a bed sales woman at one point. Those of you unaware of the sitcom, it is the tension between Miranda and her mother [Penny] that captures the audiences’ attention due to Penny’s expectations for her daughter and inability to communicate without using nonsensical sayings or expressions. Therefore the clever casting of Charlotte Randall, Sophie’s best friend, was inspired as she did not over-shadow Miranda but played the bossy mother to perfection. Finally, the love interest Gary was played by Ben Stirrup who was also the Technical Director shooting an introductory footage of film and providing a range of sound effects that gave the production a rich texture. About half way through the rehearsals Philippa had to recast a new love interest and Omar Farrok took up the challenge [thanks to Sally Hall and Miss Bush] and his southern drawl was not only realistic but unexpected. Philippa’s clever cherry-picking of key moments in the episode meant that there were a number of cameo roles and the supporting cast had to make their brief moments on stage memorable and believable, including Harry Stately as Gary the camp waiter. Two notable performances were Alexander Quarrie Jones as the bed showroom manager and Rebecca Turner as Miranda’s irritating old school friend, Tilly. Overall, it was an amusing, slick and professional production which deserved the three prizes it was awarded – best actress to Sophie Parekh, Best Director for Philippa Abernthy and Best play. And the cast enjoyed themselves – roll on next year.

Fran Bush

‘It was an amusing, slick and professional production which deserved the three prizes it was awarded.’

House Music Competition ‘With the introduction of the new ‘Ensemble’ category, where any performance featuring two or more pupils was allowed, a wider range of talent was able to shine through, making this year’s House Music competition the best yet.’ This year, House Music changed. Almost imperceptibly. Although the format was broadly the same, there was a greater enthusiasm surrounding the entries and competition itself, with a crescendo in House rivalry peaking at the overall final. With the introduction of the new ‘Ensemble’ category, where any performance featuring two or more pupils was allowed, a wider range of talent was able to shine through, making this year’s House Music competition the best yet. Split into age groups of Middle School, Years 9-11 and Sixth Form, and into different categories (Brass, Woodwind, Strings, Piano, Voice, Ensemble), the winners of each category in each age group progressed to the overall final, held in the Rotunda. Then, in the overall final, these winners performed to a large audience, with First, Second and Third prizes awarded within the age groups. With judging in the heats from Mr Gladstone, and in the overall final by Colin Jagger, Director of Music at Portsmouth University, we were all very excited to take part in what turned out to be a wonderful and very enjoyable evening. Our huge thanks go to Mr Gladstone for organising the whole competition, our Heads of Houses, for organising entries, and of course to our accompanist Miss Kingsley, who, in all accompanied over 50 performances, and managed to do so whilst always smiling and being encouraging – a feat within itself!

Tim MacBain

House Music Results Middle School: 1st place – William Lewis (Hawkey) 2nd place – Liam Buchan (Eastwood) 3rd place – Kirsten Goves (Summers) Year 9-11: 1st place – Phoebe Pexton (Grant) 2nd place – Jessamie Waldon-Day (Smith) 3rd place – Gemma Liu (Grant) Sixth Form: 1st place – Owen Jones (Grant) 2nd place – Tim MacBain (Grant) 3rd place – Phoebe Carter (Whitcombe) Winners of the ensemble competition were Summers (Middle School), Whitcombe (9-11) and Grant (6th form).

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Simon Baker:

Josh Brown

2008-2013 Simon Baker made an immediate impact on the performances of our rugby teams with his no nonsense approach and incredible work ethic. The senior boys have benefitted from hours and hours of extra training in the gym and on the rugby field. Weights sessions at 0700, lunchtimes and in the holidays are now the norm; there is no doubt our boys have improved massively under his dedicated approach. Simon Baker’s teams always look to play attacking rugby and defend vigorously. Whilst opposition schools often look to the “brute strength and ignorance” approach PGS teams have opted to run the ball from all corners of the pitch with great skill and guile. This approach was epitomised in our first ever victory over a Millfield 1st XV under the lights at Newbury Rugby Club. Trailing by 14 points PGS scored three magnificent tries from deep inside their twenty two-I do not think there are many teams who have the skill or willingness to adopt this approach. Under his leadership we have been invited to the annual St. Joseph’s School Festival with fifteen other top schools from the United Kingdom; we can now compete with the big boys of school rugby. Rugby Sevens is another area where PGS excels after Bakes’ time at school-all our teams play in a variety of big tournaments all over the South of England and our own PGS Sevens and developed into one of the top tournaments for U18 teams in the country. Bakes has been on three overseas sports tours, two to South Africa and one to Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia as well as the annual ski trip; as self-appointed “fines master” no pupil, or member of staff, dared to be late for a meeting or turn up in incorrect kit. At the end of each tour Bakes would ensure that every pupil received an award to reflect their various contributions to tour. Extra touches like this demonstrated that despite the sometimes hard exterior he cared deeply for all his pupils. As well as rugby Bakes ran lots of other “dream teams”-every team he takes is a dream team according to him! This included the 2nd XI cricket team, boys’ athletics teams and girls’ rounders teams. Despite his rubbish banter his pupils always enjoyed playing and would always give their all for him. Bakes leaves a big pair of shoes to fill and we will all miss his humour, loyalty and huge will to win. We wish him, his wife Helen, daughter Amelia and dog Maddy all the best for their adventure to Brighton College, Abu Dhabi. Chris Dossett

‘Bakes leaves a big pair of shoes to fill and we will all miss his humour, loyalty and huge will to win.’ 2

‘He is a quietly spoken man with great charisma who in a stealthlike manner imports knowledge, enthusiasm and self-confidence into all of the pupils who are lucky enough to have him as their teacher.’

Sarah Black: 2011-2013 ‘She has proved a very thorough and well-prepared teacher, creative in the classroom and keen to ensure the best outcomes for al her pupils.’ We are sorry to be saying farewell this year to Sarah Black who has taught History across the year groups on a part time basis over the last two years. Having stepped in and most admirably covered Mrs Hammal’s maternity leave, the PGS made the wise step of recruiting her on a more permanent basis this year. As a recently qualified History teacher with excellent academic credentials and a Royal Navy career behind her, Sarah quickly fitted into the ranks of the History and Politics Department. She has proved a very thorough and well-prepared teacher, creative in the classroom and keen to ensure the best outcomes for all her pupils. She has proved adept at teaching a range of topics across the age groups and has worked especially hard to bring her knowledge of Russian history up to speed for A2 lessons. She also set up a Middle School History Club for Y7-8 which attracted a dedicated following. She has also been a very willing volunteer on the annual schedule of history trips including braving the mud (and snow!) of Flanders, and viewing the delights of the Battle of Hastings reenactment at Battle Abbey. As the wife of a serving naval officer we feared her time with us might be limited, but have been very grateful for all she has been able to contribute during her relatively brief time at PGS. She has been a very loyal and valued member of the History crew, and we wish Sarah, her husband Ed and their family all the very best as they depart for a new posting in Oman this summer. Simon Lemieux

On an initial meeting with Richard Dolan, the then head of the Business Studies and Economics Department, Josh was described simply as ‘fantastic’. I was told that he knows the A Level Business Studies specification inside-out, was super organised and could get a mountain goat a good grade in A Level Business Studies. Straight after my meeting with Richard I met individually with the department staff; it was in this meeting that Josh informed me of his plans to retire at the end of the academic year. Ouch! Fortunately we do not have many mountain goats at PGS; however if we did I am confident that Josh could get them through their A Level. He is a quietly spoken man with great charisma who in a stealthlike manner imports knowledge, enthusiasm and self-confidence into all of the pupils who are lucky enough to have him as their teacher. Josh’s lessons are creatively designed and simply oose quality. The kind of quality that allows pupils to maximise their learning, makes school inspectors purr with delight and turn his colleagues green with envy. Before arriving at PGS Josh had worked at, amongst others schools, South Downs College and latterly Havant College. It was at these institutions where Josh ran an incredibly successful Business Studies Department of his own and inspired many young teachers when he was responsible for new teacher training at Havant College. PGS have certainly been very fortunate to have a professional with such skill and experience over the last three years. Josh has an eclectic mix of interests outside the classroom. He is a keen rugby fan and we both celebrated Wales’ dominance in the Six Nations Championship with pride. His true passion however lies in the arts. Josh works tirelessly as a trustee for the New Theatre Royal in Portsmouth. He has overseen a huge regeneration project over the last couple of years and he is now using all of his business and marketing wisdom as he strategizes the promotional campaign for the reopening of one of the most spectacular of Portsmouth’s treasures. No amount of pleading has persuaded Josh to change his mind and postpone his retirement plans. We are therefore resigned to wishing him a very happy retirement. Luke Rees

Andrew Hogg: 1986-2013 ‘On one occasion, when in those days the senior management team was somewhat smaller than it is today, he was left in charge of the entire school. Happy days!’ Andrew came to PGS in 1986 after nine years as Head of Modern Languages at Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland, Australia. I can think of no remotely convincing reason why anyone would wish to leave an idyllic resort town for the streets of Old Portsmouth but Andrew assures me it was his choice (although it has to be said that motivating Australian teenagers to abandon sun and sand for remote European languages must have been a challenge). In any case the change must have suited him as he remained here until his retirement this summer (2013). It is the way of the world to see people only as they are presented to you. They rarely have the chance to carry their past achievements like war medals on their chests. So it will, I have no doubt, be a surprise to many reading this article to discover the range of activities and roles that Andrew has fulfilled over the years. To begin with, a teacher of German – yes, but a teacher of French and Spanish, too, when required. Andrew played his part both in the long-standing German exchange (since 1989) and also in the very successful French exchange to Caen for many years. A larger number of PGS pupils and staff may also know him as Head of Careers, one of those bits and pieces jobs, rarely in the public eye and generally taken for granted (until something goes wrong , of course!), but involving a huge amount of ‘behind the scenes’ coordination and hard work. But wait! This is only the beginning. Andrew played a very significant role in the pastoral life of the school. He was Head of Summers House from 1988, then Head of Whitcombe from 1991 and Senior Housemaster from 1997-2003. On one occasion, when in those days the senior management team was somewhat smaller than it is today, he was left in charge of the entire school. Happy days! As if that were not enough, one should add, in no particular order of merit, Charities co-ordinator, a singer for many years in the Chamber Choir, organizer of the Mandarin Club, in charge of the RAF Section of the CCF from 1997-2002, Navy Camp chef and driver. I could go on. For the thousands of pupils who have passed through PGS in his time, therefore, Andrew has touched their lives in so many different ways that it is impossible to summarize adequately his huge contribution to the life of the school. So it is left for us, his colleagues, to bid farewell to a kind and generous man, sometimes vexed by the bureaucratic minutiae of modern education, but always a good friend and an excellent companion in arms. And I almost forgot. He plays a cool Flamenco guitar.

Ben Lister

Jess Howlett: 2008-2011

Clare Jones:

Peter Jordan:

‘Since joining PGS Geography department Jess approached al of her Geography teaching whether it was a Year 7 class or a Sixth Form group with the same level of enthusiasm and meticulous preparation.’

2012-2013

2011-2013

Mrs Jessica Howlett, or Miss Watson as she was when she joined PGS in 2008, was also known as “Watdog” to her sixth form in her first year at PGS. She studied Environmental Science at the University of East Anglia, and spent an extra year at university in New York as part of her degree course. She graduated in 2001 and then worked as a Field Studies Tutor at various field centres around the UK, teaching Geography, Biology and Environmental Studies to primary and secondary school groups. In 2004, she completed her PGCE at the University of Exeter and then worked for four years at Millfield School in Somerset before moving to Portsmouth Grammar School in 2008. Upon joining PGS Geography department Jess approached all of her Geography teaching whether it was a Year 7 class or a sixth form group with the same level of enthusiasm and meticulous preparation. She showed considerable innovation in her teaching – her use of jelly babies to demonstrate population growth, Mars Bars to demonstrate glacial movement and play dough for modeling the rainforest are just some examples of this. She also produced many teaching materials which are still used by colleagues in the department, frequently drawing upon and incorporating her fieldwork experience from her time spent as a Field Studies Tutor. In her brief time at PGS, Jess accompanied two overseas Geography field trips - the first to Iceland in April 2009 with 30 excited Year 9 and 10 pupils, where they enjoyed the wild, explosive and ever changing nature of this dramatic country. The second trip, which Jess accompanied in October 2009, developed a drama of its very own when, on the first day of the trip whilst returning from a stunning view of a glacier near the Swiss/French border, Jess slipped on the snowy path and broke her ankle. There ensued the famous rescue event which included a fireman’s carry by four fantastically willing sixth form boys who will remember their efforts for a long time to come. Jess reacted to this traumatic turn of events with her usual resilience and pragmatism and travelled home on her own since there was only one other staff member on the trip. On her return from her recuperation following this incident it wasn’t long before she was whisked off to be married and before long gave birth to her daughter, Imogen. Having fallen in love with motherhood she decided not to return to teaching after embarking on her maternity leave in October 2011. Even so, in the latter two years of her time at PGS, she managed to develop a new fieldwork day for Year 9 – collecting data to decide which site was the preferred location for a new wind turbine as well as to prepare her GCSE and A level teaching groups for a carefully orchestrated, smooth handover to her maternity cover. Jess was also PGS’ first International Baccalaureate CAS coordinator – Creativity, Action and Service (CAS) is an integral part of the IB and Jess worked very hard to set up this key aspect of the Diploma Programme. She brought back many ideas from her IB training and successfully introduced these into the PGS experience with her trademark thoroughness,

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efficiency and good humour. As part of this CAS role, she also successfully set up a “peer mentoring” initiative for PGS sixth formers to help GCSE pupils from local schools to improve their attainment in Maths and English. Jess was also a much respected sixth form tutor, well known for her approachable nature and careful monitoring and shepherding of those in need of support with their academic studies.

Sarah Stuart

When Clare joined PGS in January 2012 she could hardly have guessed what she was letting herself in for. Having been a full-time mother for some years she was now teaching a full timetable, part way through the year with IB pupils on the brink of exams and an A Level syllabus that was completely new to her. Any weaker mortal would have collapsed under the strain but Clare soldiered on and the exam results never faltered. She did so well that we asked her to extend her contract for another year but even she realised that she couldn’t be super-mum forever and sensibly opted for a part-time position. She moves on to be a science teacher at Lavant House School. She is looking forward to the beautiful location (and the smaller class sizes) and we wish her the very best in her new position.

Ben Goad

‘Peter’s lessons came alive with tales from the board room in the city and peppered with his sharp wit.’ Peter joined PGS in September 2011 as a newly qualified teacher, having gained his PGCE from the University of Portsmouth; he completed his teaching practice in a secondary school in Winchester and latterly in the ever expanding South Downs College. His limited experience in the classroom was certainly outweighed by his vast and hugely impressive industrial CV, his most notable role was as marking director of Scottish Widows. In the classroom he was able to call upon these experiences and provide our pupils with a privileged insight into the workings of the financial services sector. Peter’s lessons came alive with tales from the board room in the city and peppered with his sharp wit. Peter’s personable demeanour meant he developed strong professional relationships with the pupils he taught. Peter’s legacy to the Business Studies and Economics Department will undoubtedly be his meticulous and creative lesson planning and teaching resources. He would always be in school by 7 am often not leaving until 7 pm planning and creating wonderful bespoke PowerPoint presentations, educational games and detailed resources to help our pupils prepare and in most instances achieve first-rate examination results. Fortunately for all involved we have a very strong department ethos of resource sharing! Outside of the classroom he was fully involved in the cocurricular life of our school. Peter assumed responsibility for the considerable numbers in the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award group. He also led a crack team of Year 13 economists and they prepared for and competed in the Bank of England’s Target 2.0 Inflation Rate Challenge. Unfortunately this team did not bring back the spoils; however this was a hugely valuable learning experience for all involved. This work ethic and dedicated approach is also strongly reflected in Peter’s life outside PGS. He is a keen triathlete having successfully completed 4 Iron Men, for those of you who are unfamiliar with this event it involves a 2.4 mile swim followed by a 112 mile cycle rounded off nicely with a 26.2 mile run! We wish Peter every success as he heads back into the ‘dog eat dog’ world of financial services and are grateful for all his considerable contributions to PGS.

Luke Rees

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VOICES, MANY VOICES VOICES OLD AND NOW

Interlude: Mary’s Sabbatical and in her own words:

for

Mrs Mary Mitchell “Let not many of you become teachers, for you know that we who teach shall be judged with greater strictness”, (Epistle of St James, Ch 3, v 1)

and with such wonderful seminar preparation. I look back on those classes with such fond memories, whether it was trying to master an Irish accent for Translations, or coming to terms with linguistics for the first time. Mrs Mitchell introduced us to a world outside literature, a world that continues to fascinate me. My studies at University would have been harder had Mrs Mitchell not taught us how to plan, organise and write literary essays. I consequently found myself teaching my uni colleagues the Mitchell Way when they struggled to express themselves.

Typical Mary Mitchell, laughing till the end!

“Mary excelled in many areas of the school. She had been Deputy Head of the Middle School and a temporary co-ordinator of Learning Support. After she was made Senior Teacher, she worked as Head of Admissions and Outreach. She was at times acting Second in the English Department and as acting Head of Department she worked assiduously to promote the Department and good practice within it”. (EEB) “We each have a teacher we remember from our school days, one who is essential to our being the kind of person we are today. For me, it’s Mary Mitchell. I don’t know whether it was her passion for her subject or her eternal patience, something rubbed off. You always got the feeling, when you walked into the classroom, of a kind of intimacy with the text you studied; that is the reason why I studied English at University. Knowing her and having the pleasure of being taught by her was a truly invaluable experience. I know PGS will lament her going”. (Ruth Ingamells, 1996-2010) “Mary’s qualities as a teacher are exceptional. She was interested in getting the best out of all her pupils, pushing each one onwards and cheering them when they exceeded their aspirations or when they received their excellent exam results and won their university places”. (EEB) “Mrs Mitchell made it easy for Years 12 and 13 in her Tutor Group to mix. On our very first day, she partnered pupils from Year 12 with those in Year 13. So on our very first day in September we had already become integrated. She also encouraged us to have Tutor Group meals which we all enjoyed. She encouraged us to organise Secret Santa over a Christmas breakfast. Mrs Mitchell, always happy, always made us smile”. ( Tutor Group). “As a colleague, she was supportive and caring for each one in the Department. We shall all be the poorer for no longer having her down-to-earth advice, at times that very direct advice! She was a trusted friend, someone to moan to, and someone with whom to share a laugh. We missed her in the summer of 2007 when she went on sabbatical to study the poetry of John Milton”. (EEB)

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At Friday Break in the English Office with Mary’s home-made cakes, she was often indiscreet, always amusing, though never personal or uncharitable. We were surmising recently that if she ever wrote her autobiography it would have to be called Oh Gawd! What Have I Just Said? (EEB) “Although I always enjoyed reading, Mrs Mitchell’s passion for literature encouraged me to explore books and authors that I had never previously considered. She clearly loved her subject. Her lessons were always fun and engaging; her enthusiasm was particularly infectious. I remember her telling me once that Meade Faulkner’s Moonfleet, which I was reading at the time, was one of her favourite books. I am not sure if my memory is absolutely correct or if this was true. Yet it was a book I was enjoying as I read it and was encouraged and reassured to hear that a teacher liked the same books that I did. I benefitted from my time under her easy guidance and am now still extremely grateful to her”. (Robert Price, 2002-2007) “Some years ago Mary became Theory of Knowledge Coordinator for the IB and has done so much to promote that new part of the curriculum. She leaves us to spend more time travelling with Paul and with Alex, their daughter”. (EEB) “Mary is a wonderful, larger than life personality. It has been great working with her and I am really going to miss her smile and laughter”. (HD, IB Secretary) “I first met Mrs Mitchell at the start of the Sixth Form. My clearest memories of her was to arrive in her classroom and find her pushing aside tables and chairs to create a circle; for the rest of the lesson, and for many more, we sat and discussed our authors, our texts, our books. Everyone spoke. No one was shy. We all thrived from the passion Mrs Mitchell gave our classes. When three years ago I went to University and joined a seminar, all my uni classmates were baffled how to react. It was at this point that I realised how privileged I had been to have a teacher like her

Another key memory is Henry James’s Washington Square. I hated it. I was openly belligerent about it. Now as my teacher Mrs Mitchell could have responded with frustration at me. She did not because she understood that my belligerence was through a lack of confidence in myself to tackle the text. She continued to support me and in quiet ways that support restored my confidence. Now some three or four years later I see Washington Square as a beautiful piece of writing and I have used it to inspire a piece I have myself written”. (Tobie Robinson, 2002-2010). An overheard Year 10 conversation: “...the best English teacher I have ever had. ...when she is teaching, she is natural; she does not have to strain ...always relaxed yet always in control ... even the quietest pupils are encouraged to take part and the noisy ones are kept in their place by quiet and direct engagement, yet does not patronise. She goes beyond. She’s fun but with an underlying seriousness. Incomparable.” (Evie, Katie, Georgie, Eloise). “I was horrified two years ago when I heard Mrs Mitchell was to be our GCSE teacher. Rumours of fearsome discipline and of essays longer that I believed could ever be written loomed on the horizon. I am dyslexic and English was not my cup of tea anyway; it would take some kind of miracle to get me an acceptable grade at GCSE. So the year started with an air of nervousness, but as the weeks drew on we all began to relax and to enjoy English – something I never thought I would say! She really warmed to my class and we to her, often joining in the class banter and giving regular high fives for good work. Yet she ruled the class with a firm hand and, as a result, only a daring few risked not doing homework. This suited me very well because I respected her authority. I really had time to listen to what she had to teach me and as a result I became very successful in English. Towards the end of Year 11 I think we all came to the conclusion that she was actually a big softie.

Once upon a summer in the dim and distant six years ago, I set off on my sabbatical, not knowing how it would go. In those days, Tim Hands had the principle that you “just do what you will enjoy for your own enrichment – whatever that will be”. So I arrived in Cambridge, at New Hall, to find myself in a sunny room overlooking lovely gardens, a ‘prospect of flowers’, as Andrew Marvell once said. This place was now my oyster just for a while. All I knew for sure was that I wanted the time and the facilities to study Milton’s Paradise Lost at an ancient university that had historical links with the man himself. For two weeks, I trawled the shelves in the Library, looking for texts that would inspire me, that would enlighten me about John Milton and about his great Christian epic of 1667. Like a detective I followed trails and clues to understand the man, the context of his time and, of course, the powerful work itself. I booked time to go to the closed section of the Library where I could study rare manuscripts. I remember once I got so excited because I was handling a first edition... only it was a first edition about Milton and not the work itself. Nonetheless I worked like a demon, (though not one of Milton’s), searching, asking and answering my own questions. I spent the evenings in Cambridge tea-shops, browsing, and walking along the Cam. I moved to Oxford, to Christ Church, and was thrilled to find I had a room overlooking the Meadows. (Did I see Nicole Kidman sunbathing during a break in the making of Amber Spyglass?) I spent my days discovering the riches of the Bodleian, my early evenings mooching around the bookshops. I marvelled at this rarefied life I had stumbled into, at which one or two members of my family might smile and call me pretentious. Dining at the high table in Christ Church was a highlight; I sat next to a history professor who helped me especially as he was Italian. I had to pinch myself.

I read at least three books during my two years with Mrs Mitchell and that is worthy of some sort of school prize in my eyes! These were really the first books I persevered with.

I read and read all the books of Paradise Lost. I heavily annotated my own text ,( though not to the height of Milton’s high Heaven). I learned that I preferred Satan to the good guys – he is far more interesting.

Mrs Mitchell is one of the few teachers who still says “Hi!” to me around the school and asks how I am. This is a credit to her wonderful personality and to her resilience in putting up with me for two years and she still has the will to speak to me. I wish her a very happy, bookfilled and completely sober new life. Goodbye old sport”. (Ted Ellis, Year 11)

My sabbatical was an experience I never dreamed I would have. I had the taste of a life that until then I could only dream about and I loved being a student of Paradise Lost. Lost Paradise? Not a jot! I wouldn’t change the experience for anything and I will carry it with me always.

St James,”the brother of the Lord” would be proud of Mary Mitchell.

Compiled by T.M.

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Richard Puchades

Abigail Pounds 2007-2012 ‘Abigail was a great colleague to work with, quietly efficient, engaging and sensitive to the needs of colleagues and pupils alike.’ Abigail Pounds arrived at PGS in September 2007 after a year at Winchester College and two years at Oundle School. With a first class honours degree in French and Spanish from Oxford and an MPhil in European Literature from Cambridge, her academic qualifications were exceptional. When she first arrived she taught more French than Spanish but was always equally adept at both and when Mr. Page decided to go part-time she was a natural choice to take over as Head of Spanish in 2009 despite her relative inexperience. She was a very successful Head of Department during that academic year but after maternity leave and the birth of her son Noah she decided to relinquish her role as Head of Department

and go part-time. Following the birth of her daughter Freya in March 2012, she decided to give all her attention to bringing up her children in their early years. Abigail was a great colleague to work with, quietly efficient, engaging and sensitive to the needs of colleagues and pupils alike. She took over a department full of experienced teachers but was both ready to listen and able to develop her own approach with tact and a clear sense of direction. She was very popular with pupils and will be much missed. I know that she intends to return to teaching at least part-time at some stage in the future. It will be a lucky school that gets her!

Ben Lister

Stuart Price: 2012-2013 Stuart started his time at PGS as a pupil. He was actually taught by Mr Puchades and has many fond memories of his Maths lessons here. He has a real love of Mathematics and will be a big loss to the Maths department at PGS. He was forever trying to think up new ways of making Maths exciting and accessible so everyone could understand it. He shared some of his early research with the Maths department and will be fondly remembered talking about fractals whilst holding a cauliflower. This is still available to download from the internet and shows a very young looking Stuart. He had an indefatigable patience with pupils when explaining new concepts and was always willing to help anyone with a

tricky problem. He also enjoyed running programming club with keen pupils during lunch time. Stuart was a very caring tutor and built up a good relationship with his tutees; this was reflected in the number of presents he received when he was leaving. Stuart truly inspired many of the high performing mathematicians at PGS and spent hours helping pupils plough their way through STEP papers in preparation for studying Maths at University. He leaves PGS to go to a Sixth Form boarding College in leafy Surrey. He will, no doubt, be a valued member of their team and will rise to his next challenge.

Sharon Smith

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You always know when you are in the presence of a great teacher. Pupils start to coin catch phrases and OPs line up to pay their respects at the start of their summer break. I was left in no doubt of the importance of Richard’s teaching when I first joined PGS. “Our success in producing top class engineering undergraduates”, Bill Taylor told me, “is in no small part down to Richard’s influence”. As one OP, Jess Lavery, put it “You always looked forward to his lessons. He was a great teacher who always helped you to achieve as high as you could”. And the achievements were indeed legendary. Nick Weaver liked to plot a graph showing each department’s A Level results as a sort of bubble (the larger the bubble the larger the cohort). It was a sort of academic name and shame but I used to bask in some of the reflected glory as the bubble that was electronics, although small, always floated to the very top. While pupils were achieving Bs and Cs in their other A Levels they would regularly gain As and A*s for Richard. These extraordinary results were recognised nationally with awards from the Good Schools Guide for the best AS results in the country won four times in five years. So what is the secret to his success? You won’t find a Prezi zooming in and out at the front of his lab. Pupils aren’t exposed to the latest in cutting edge teaching strategies in his presence. All they will get is Mr Puchades, calmly, carefully and unhurriedly explaining the workings of a non-inverting Schmitt trigger in such a way that they could never imagine not understanding. He will model the taking of notes in his small,

neat hand on to the transparency of an old OHP and at the end of two years his pupils’ files were a joy to behold. Above all he was hugely generous with his time. His lab was always open for some last minute checking of the wiring on some hugely complicated A2 practical piece and if you needed help he would always be there, patiently waiting for you to catch on. On top of all this he also ran an increasingly busy examinations team. With the advent of modular A-Levels, IGCSEs and the IB there was hardly a moment when someone, somewhere wasn’t sitting an exam. At these times you could find Richard at the heart of the school in his impeccably organised strong room which he was very proud to say “would survive a direct hit”. Time and again the school would pass the random inspections, sometimes twice in as many weeks. While pupils did their best to forget the day of the week or simply overslept, Richard would calmly get on the phone and sort it all out. We are saying goodbye to a very modest man who didn’t want anyone to give him a leaving speech. His contributions to the school have always been unsung and in the background. I hadn’t realised just how long he had run the school chess team for example, or even that he played chess at county level. I hope that this piece has not made too much of a fuss over him, the last thing he would have wanted, but that it goes some way in explaining why we owe him our thanks and why he has the respect of so many people who have passed through the school. Ben Goad

‘So what is the secret to his success? You won’t find a Prezi zooming in and out at the front of his lab. Pupils aren’t exposed to the latest in cutting edge teaching strategies in his presence. All they will get is Mr Puchades, calmly, carefully and unhurriedly explaining the workings of a non-inverting Schmitt trigger in such a way that they could never imagine not understanding.’

Daisy Tabtab:

Luke ronaldson

1990-2013

2007-2013 Luke Ronaldson joined the mathematics department of PGS in September 2007, having carried out part of his teacher training in the school during the previous year. He had completed a first class degree in mathematics, followed by a doctorate in the field of gravitation and black holes at the University of Southampton. Luke met his future wife at Southampton, whilst she too was completing a PhD in an area of pure mathematics. Since joining the school the family has grown to four and Luke is a devoted and caring father. At PGS he proved to be a well prepared and very conscientious member of the department, following instructions to the letter and his own programme of work, from which he did not like to deviate. This sometimes led to a bit of leg-pulling from his colleagues which he took in good spirit. Luke taught at all levels throughout the school, but found a regular spot teaching Further Mathematics and he therefore helped to coach our Oxbridge candidates in STEP preparation. He was very generous with his time, often giving extra sessions before and after school and his pupils were always appreciative of his patience and genuine interest in their progress. Luke has a real interest in mathematics and thinks deeply about what he is doing, always ready to look for something he had not seen before. Although not a chess player by inclination, Luke did much of the organisational work in the Chess Club, a popular Thursday lunchtime activity. He organised the chess league and the House Chess Tournament as well as arranging matches with other schools, which was an innovation. Somehow

Luke also found time to be an active member of the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme and along with other colleagues in the department; he regularly managed to fill room 2008 with ordnance survey maps. Once again, weekend walking was not among his regular activities and unusually for a hill walker, he would take an umbrella with him onto the Downs. Luke was very easy to work with; modest, always cooperative, expressing his views in a professional manner and assisting wherever possible in the department. He was always positive and in many way the ideal colleague. He now starts a new chapter in his life, taking up a position as a mathematics teacher at Winchester College. His ability to teach well at the highest academic levels will serve him in good stead, as will his firm but civilized approach to teaching. His colleagues in the mathematics department will miss him and wish him well in the next stage of his career.

P J Robinson

“Miss Tabtab is a legend” was a phrase used by many a PGS pupil who had experienced her unique blend of enthusiasm and cheerfulness either as a teacher or tutor. Daisy left her native Philippines after an academic career at the University there to come to England and, fortunately for us, decided to teach at the Portsmouth Grammar School. This was 23 years ago and Daisy retired this summer after a very full career. Daisy joined the Economics and Business Studies Department under Clive Ford and subsequently helped Richard Dolan and then Luke Rees to settle in as Head of Department. Her academic background made her a very popular teacher with her A level pupils sending many of them on to careers in the subject. She helped to set up the Enterprise course for Year 9 and also inspired younger pupils by running a stock market club. This generally involved getting them to find ways of selling items as diverse as spinning tops, cards, rulers and even the opportunity for staff to have their cars cleaned. Many a budding Lord Sugar has participated in and thoroughly enjoyed this activity. Daisy also entered wholeheartedly into the full life of the School starting the Strictly School Dancing competition. For this she used her charm and winning smile to persuade an unlikely group of staff and pupils to spend hours learning to dance and then performing in front of a packed audience. This became a popular part of the PGS ‘season’ and raised large amounts of money for charity. Middle School pupils came across Daisy during her seven years as Head of Hawkey House. She was a very caring tutor guiding many pupils during their first important years at the School. She encouraged the shy and guided the wayward in the right direction. She also enjoyed putting on treats for the whole House. Many of these produced a great deal of mess! One involved putting marshmallows on sticks but unfortunately due to a shortage large ones had to be cut up into smaller ones and this created lots of sticky fingers. Another involved introducing the House to the tradition of the maypole by dragging in a netball post which left a huge pile of rust on the dance studios floor. Some of her activities involved rules so complicated that no one quite knew what was going on. Time keeping was not always Daisy’s strong point. One of her House assemblies involved a well-researched presentation on a traditional lantern festival from her native Philippines complete with lantern props. Her tutors recount that at one point all seemed to be running to time and the assembly might even finish a little early. This optimism was thwarted when Daisy got out scissors, card and glue and tried to get the pupils to make their own lanterns. Her tutors had to politely interrupt to get everyone along to Period 1 on time. My own personal recollection is the Piñata incident in the Middle School Common Room. As part of a Wednesday lunch

‘PGS wil be less of a place without Daisy. We wil miss her academic excelence, her winning smile, her enthusiasm and the occasional afternoon nap in her car.’ time activity she produced a paper donkey stuffed with treats which blindfolded pupils had to try to break open with a stick. All was going well until the piñata fell down and it seemed the entire Middle School descended eagerly on this. A glance around the room revealed that Daisy was missing and found to be under this seething mass. She took it all in her usual good humour and in honour of the occasion we reconstructed the event at the recent Middle School activity weekend on the Isle of Wight. PGS will be less of a place without Daisy. We will miss her academic excellence, her winning smile, her enthusiasm and the occasional afternoon nap in her car. We all wish her well for a long and fulfilling retirement.

David Hampshire

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Mike Taylor: 1975-2013 ‘This is truly the end of an era! Mike Taylor joined PGS as a teacher in the summer of 1975. He arrived via Chichester High School for Boys, Hull University and Goldsmiths College, London. The world was very different then. Petrol was 75p a gallon, a house was £12,000 and the IBM 5100 was introduced which was to become the first portable computer. However, the most obvious difference was that PGS was a boys’ school. In those days new teachers had no induction so armed with a copy of the ‘O’ and A ‘ ’ Level specifications and classes across the age spectrum he embarked on his career at PGS. His philosophy was to challenge the methods used routinely in education at that time and to encourage pupil communication and engagement. Dialogue was the order of the day and pupils were encouraged to ask questions and were offered help and support when needed. It was a strategy that he has steadfastly adopted throughout his career in the classroom and resulted in academic success for generations of PGS pupils. However, Mike’s contribution to PGS was much wider than this. In 1981 he joined Grant House where he contributed as Deputy House Master in Grant until being promoted to Head of Chemistry in 1985. In the same year the House System was introduced and he continued with his pastoral role as form tutor in Grant House to form groups containing a mix of pupils from Year 9 to Year 13 – only much later were the Sixth Form separated and even later divided into Year groups. Mike also ran the CCF RAF section from 1978 until 1988. During this period the CCF was compulsory so large groups of pupils enjoyed camps twice a year (3 weeks in total) at one or two of the UK’s RAF stations. During this time, Mike visited every operational RAF base in the UK - an impressive feat. In addition, he also, for a couple of years, ran the school stationery store.

katie winship: 2012-2013 Katie joined PGS from a sixth form college in September 2012. She undertook the role of Second in Department, and very quickly proved to be a very helpful and key member of the department. She has been particularly helpful in reshaping the Year 8 curriculum. As a sixth form tutor, she showed great dedication and did much to help her students in all sorts of ways. Katie had looked forward to teaching younger pupils but found that her true vocation was in sixth form teaching, and when the opportunity arose to join Peter Symonds College she decided to return to that sector.

Mixed media painting completed in the 10 hour GCSE examination by Tom Horner

We shall miss her and wish her well in her new job.

P J Robinson

Mixed media drawing by Year 13 A Level pupil Huan Xie

While leading the Chemistry department Mike was arguably one of the principal creators of the school we see today. His first task was the introduction of the new GCSEs that included coursework for the first time and which changed how departments organised the delivery of the specification and how teachers cooperated in departments. He wrote the first PGS department handbook to assist in this aim. The first revision classes were introduced at PGS in Chemistry to support student learning and for the first time photographs of pupils appeared on the walls of the school. It was not until 2001 that he retired from leadership to refocus on his role as teacher and form tutor. The department continues to benefit from his patient and generous support of new teachers, encyclopedic knowledge of school experimental chemistry and his industrial production of creative teaching resources for all the age groups. This is truly the end of an era!

Mark Howson

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Head Editor’s Report 2013 This year’s Portmuthian Team began working in the second half of the Autumn term, so we had a considerable backlog to work through from the first half-term. Despite this setback, our team has always been brimming with creative energy, ever ready to suggest new ideas and to voice strong, individual opinions. Hopefully, I have managed to distil some of that quirkiness into the minutes, which I took on this year, trying to present the essential information efficiently (colour coding!) whilst still retaining the “banter” so beloved of the team. Any poorly worded request, hypocrisy or absence was leapt upon with unrestrained vigour. We started with a rather large team, both in Year 12 and below, but, over time we have been left with only the most dedicated members, a delightful, close-knit group. I would like to thank Naeve Molho, Cicely Podmore and Charlie Henderson for sticking by the team in their roles as Year 8, 9 and 10 correspondents, respectively. This last half-term has been particularly challenging as Ms Hart has been on an exciting sabbatical, researching early women’s fiction at Chawton House Library. This was the former home of Jane Austen’s brother and is now a haven for women’s literature. Because of her absence, as well as the plethora of end of term events and the incredible amount of work left to do in a short space of time, meetings were replaced by a frenzy of emails, Facebook messages and individual conversations, trying to pin down anyone we could to write an article. Now for a confession. My title for this year’s magazine is, in fact, Deputy Head Editor, not Head Editor. That title belongs to Georgina Boxall, who due to her very demanding IB workload has been unable to attend meetings for the summer term. IB results were the best ever for PGS so congratulations, Georgie!

Next year, I am delighted to be sharing the Head Editorship with Zoe Rundle. Zoe has really taken up the baton over the past term by chairing meetings, emailing left, right and centre, and generally organising everyone, and I’m sure that we will have a great time running the Portmuthian team (with Ms Hart’s guidance, of course!). Usually, the main body of the Portmuthian team changes each year, being composed of successive Year 12 groups, but for the 2014 edition, Ms Hart has decided to keep on all our current members to build on the experience we gained this academic year. Furthermore, we hope to gain some additional faces to bring in innovative and fresh ideas. I would like to thank Ms Hart for all the hours she has spent organising the team, and guiding our youthful energy into productive output! Thanks must also go to Ali Gray for tackling the Music section, and I think we’ll have to provide him with some support next year if he is to survive Portmuthian 2014! Thanks also to Ellie Burr-Lonnon, Ali Gray and Dan Rollins and Ms Hart who have sacrificed the first week of the summer holiday to edit all the articles, whilst I leave for the Classics trip to Rome and Minori, which I will be reporting on (you may have already read it)! Hopefully my holiday diary won’t need any editing, as I will return after the theoretical deadline for sending articles to the designer! I would like to take this opportunity to thank the whole team for all their work over the year, for coming up with some ingenious design ideas (Ellie’s map of string!), for finding obliging teachers and students who were willing to write for us, and of course for producing some wonderful articles which are well worth your perusal.

Gregory Walton-Green

The Portmuthian Team 2013 Ms Bryony Hart – The Boss (and she ate the wedges … but they were good) Gregory Walton-Green – Head Editor (minute-maker guru) Zoe Rundle – Writer (Queen-Awesome and makes jolly good cakes) Charlie Henderson – Writer (future Portmuthian Head Editor) Daniel Rollins – Photography Consultant (champion pizza-scoffer – and you ate the edges) Ellie Burr-Lonnon – Editor and Interviewer (156.5cms tall and all-time OCD organiser) Sampad Sengupta – Writer and Interviewer (all-round awesome) Sebastian McCue – Writer (PGS’ resident Basil Fawlty) Joshua Rampton – Writer (late-comer but reliable!) Alastair Gray – Editor and Music Correspondent (obsessed by pizza) Benjamin Schofield – Interviewer (looks good in a dress) Thomas Harper – Writer and Interviewer (please do the Native American dance for us again!) Verity Summers – Writer (tight-borrower) Melissa Smith – ‘The Elusive Contributor’ Cicely Podmore – Writer (comes to meetings without fail and completely awesome) Naeve Molho – Writer (awesome … and last-minute articles) Joseph Bradley – Writer and regular With special thanks to Georgina Boxall who contributed valuable knowledge in our early meetings. Editorial Team 2013

Old school headmaster’s office

The Final Word It is the 29th July. Work has started on the new Sixth Form Centre … well, at least there is some very loud banging going on from that direction so I am hoping that is what it is. Even now, articles are being sent in, the designer is awaiting the large files to start work on this year’s edition and I am frantically editing to meet today’s (extended) deadline.

Portmuthian 2013. What can I say? We started with the largest group of editors that we have ever seen in September but as the year has unfolded only the truly dedicated, slightly mad and OCD-inflicted amongst us stuck with it. And a formidable team it has been. Our Head Editor Georgie Boxall imparted sound advice and calm words of experience at the beginning of the year, when time permitted her to take part in the publication. However, studies called and the reins of Georgie’s leadership were taken up by Gregory Walton-Green who has done a sterling job from start to finish (in fact, he is still emailing me captions for photos). His weekly minutes always make me weep with laughter – they are a publication in their own right and they capture the true spirit of the Portmuthian team (and all its madness). The organisation of who is doing what and by when has been outstanding, and Zoe Rundle has supported Gregory with this especially in the final term. As a result, Zoe will be joining Gregory as Head Editor next year, a role that has certainly been well-earned and I look forward to working with this exceptional duo next year. The team has been supported by an excellent range of writers, contributors and ‘ideas’ people. Naeve Molho, Cicely Podmore and Charlie Henderson still commit to the weekly meetings, take the responsibility of writing articles for the publication

seriously. The fact that they have been on the team for two years, and continue to be a part of next year’s team, shows their true dedication – they are our future Head Editors inthe-making. Ellie Burr-Lonnon, Daniel Rollins, Verity Summers, Ben Schofield and Tom Harper, amongst writing articles and undertaking interviews, have definitely been our ‘ideas’ people and have been instrumental in the design and layout of this year’s edition. Sampad Sengupta, Seb McCue and Josh Rampton have produced the goods – always reliable, do what they say they are going to do (and a bit extra), these are the type of people that make the magazine come together – without the articles we would be a bit stuck! Ali Gray, despite being caught up in music during most of our meetings, has done his very best to cover the huge range of events that the music department have on offer (with the assistance of Mr Gladstone). Special thanks must go to Ellie Burr-Lonnon, Daniel Rollins and Ali Gray who very generously sacrificed the first week of their summer break to help edit, find photos and organise the final stages of the magazine. They worked very hard and ate an enormous amount of pizza. And to the pupils and staff at PGS, thank you for supplying us with articles and images, and for making PGS such a vibrant community to report on. It has been yet again another bumper year. Lastly, to Nikki our designer – a big thank you for your continued support, guidance and reassurance that we will meet our deadline. Bryony Hart

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Special thanks must go to PGS pupils and staff who have kindly contributed articles, photographs and ideas

Jo Godfrey – Librarian for her marvelous last minute proof reading

John Sadden – archivist – for producing an intriguing history of the buildings at PGS

Chris Reed and Peter Langdown for photography

Graphic Design House for printing

And lastly, but by no means least, Nikki Francis of Duo Creative Media - for being calm, professional, interpreting our abstract design ideas and constructing them into a Portmuthian reality.

High Street Portsmouth Hampshire, PO1 2LN 023 9236 0036 www.pgs.org.uk