Alfie Dobson (StA) and Hugh Ralli (Ldr) have each been awarded a much sought-after Arkwright Engineering Scholarship that identifies them amongst the country’s future leaders in engineering and related areas of design.  

The boys were selected for their potential as future engineering leaders during a rigorous assessment process which looked at their academic, practical and leadership skills in STEM. The criteria comprised: an assessed application form including a teacher’s supporting reference; a two-hour aptitude exam and a university-based interview. 1,594 students applied to be an Arkwright Engineering Scholar in 2017 and 425 students were presented with scholarships.

The scholarships consist of an annual financial award to each Scholar and to his/her school, as well as enrichment activities such as mentoring and industry visits that enhance a Scholar's experience of engineering in a real-world context. Arkwright Engineering Scholarships are highly regarded by university admission tutors and industry recruiters and are one of the most prestigious accolades that a sixth form student can receive.

Alfie, whose scholarship is funded by Bosh Thermotechnology Ltd, is currently restoring a 1977 Landrover series 3 and would like to study Mechanical Engineering at university.

Hugh, whose scholarship is funded by the Sir William Lyons Charitable trust fund, dedicated to Sir William Lyons who founded Jaguar, plans to study Mechanical Engineering at university, and hopes to work in this field as an automotive engineer. He has recently restored a 100cc dirt bike.

The scholarships were formally presented to the pupils at a ceremony in London supported by The Institution of Engineering and Technology.

Over the October Half Term a group of budding artists (historians included), travelled to Amsterdam, a city of many delights, art included.

The first of these was being treated to a tour of the old city from the comfort of a canal boat, after which we had hoped to see the grandeur of Amsterdam’s sunset-lit Royal Palace, only to be disappointed by a child’s fun-fair blocking the view.

The next morning, we were given time to go and sketch the beautiful Vondelpark, only to be impeded by hordes of MAMILs running the annual marathon through the park.

Later, we visited the home where Anne Frank took refuge, a somber experience. However another individual’s house raised our spirits: Rembrandt. A truly awesome place to see, and where we were able to understand, and dissect his works (ably assisted by audio-guides).

The final museum we visited, to whet our appetites for the Titan that was the Rijksmuseum, was the Van-Gogh museum; a wonderfully curated place. Unfortunately, we have no photographs to back up this claim as photography was unwelcome.

The final day of assimilating the art of Amsterdam art took place in the Rijksmuseum. Standing in the entrance, it seemed we’d bitten off more than we could chew. All 26 of the group scattered for six hours of artistic time travel, and came out the other end blown away; everyone had their stories to tell of artworks they’d discovered, from triptychs to Halo-esque canons (it’s a video game).

To conclude, it was epic. A thank you to the brave teachers that agreed to take us simply wouldn't do the trip justice… but thanks.

George Elborne (S) and Flora Kilpatrick (D)

In mid-November, twelve pupils took part in this year’s Lord Mayor’s Show, an event which dates back to the 16th century and is one of the most well-known annual events in London.

Alongside pupils from Mossbourne Academy, Oundle pupils were representing The Worshipful Company of Grocers.

Rehearsals on the Friday began with fittings for costumes that had been made specifically for the show the following day. The dance routine was to include waving umbrellas and flags and the pupils were involved in planning the choreography.

After spending time planning the choreography and in rehearsals, they were invited to dinner at Grocers’ Hall the night before the show.

Under their costumes the pupils wore layers of warm clothing to keep warm on what was an icy autumnal Saturday. With paint on their faces, hats on their heads and props in hand, they headed for the streets of London where they were positioned behind live camels, and performed before large crowds of half a million lining the streets of the three and a half mile long procession. The parade was also broadcast live in the BBC.

The Worshipful Company of Grocers is one of the 109 Livery Companies of the City of London and ranks second in their order of precedence. Established in 1345, it is one of the original Great Twelve City Livery Companies. The Lord Mayor's Show has floated, rolled, trotted, marched and occasionally fought its way through over 800 years of London history, surviving the Black Death and the blitz to arrive in the 21st century as one of the world’s best-loved pageants.

Thanks to the ancient and justified paranoia of King John, every newly-elected Lord Mayor of London has to leave the safety of the City of London and travel up the Thames to Westminster to swear loyalty to the Crown. Over the centuries the Mayor's journey became one of London's favourite rituals. It moved from river barges to horseback and then into the magnificent State Coach, and around it grew a splendidly rowdy and joyful mediæval festival known as the Lord Mayor's Show.

A group of eight Oundle Sixth Formers travelled to Thailand for a community service trip focused on working with disabled children and their families during the October Half Term holiday.

The community service took place under the guidance of the Christian Care Foundation for Children with Disabilities in Thailand (CCD). Oundle pupils spent several days working with the children alongside CCD staff and paid a visit to Baan Rajawadee Girls Home, run by the Thai government. They also visited one of the community-based rehab centres to experience life in rural Thailand.

At Rainbow House, Oundle pupils played games and did art projects with the children. The work with Rainbow House and CCD culminated with an outing for approximately twenty children on the Skytrain - Bangkok’s elevated subway - a remarkable event to help raise disability awareness and give the children an exciting new experience.

In addition to charity work, the ten day trip also included a visit to the beach town of Pattaya and a tour of Vajiravudh College and Harrow International-Bangkok. Pupils took a local Thai cooking class and visited a local market, where they tried their hand at traditional Thai dishes and tasted some unusual local fruit.

Finally, they learned about Thai history at Wat Pho temple, the Jim Thompson House, and the ancient capital city of Ayutthaya.

Prior to the trip, pupils organised a fundraiser for Rainbow House and CCD and returned with packs of Christmas cards designed by the children at Rainbow House to sell and continue to raise money to support this life-changing work.

Founded in 1986, CCD oversees a variety of projects to help local children and young adults with disabilities in Nonthaburi, north of Bangkok. The organization runs four centres providing day care for children from government care homes for disabled children. CCD also oversees Rainbow House, providing residential care and physical therapy to disabled children to give them a chance to live somewhat independently in group housing owned by CCD. The organization also works directly with families of disabled children through community-based rehabilitation centres to raise awareness of disabled children, create parent support groups, and to teach their families to provide physical therapy for their children.

Former pupil, Georgie Mason (W 10) has been artist-in-residence at Oundle School since the start of October. Georgie is an abstract landscape painter working mainly with oil and mixed media.

Georgie was an Art Scholar at Oundle and continued with art throughout her time at School, after which she went on to do a foundation course. She then studied English Literature and History of Art at Nottingham University, but continued exhibiting and, since graduating in 2015, she has worked as a full-time artist.

Previous exhibitions include the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, six solo shows in galleries in Suffolk and London, and innumerable mixed exhibitions. Her work was featured in a documentary by the acclaimed director Souleyman Messalti.

As artist-in-residence, Georgie has been provided with a working space and materials, and most importantly, time to think about her work and develop new ideas. Her background in literature has taken her to the school library where she has spent time researching and reading. Inspired by the writings of Edward Thomas and Robert Macfarlane, she has started a new project on paths and is working more with natural and found materials.

Her base is currently in Hackney Wick, London, but her interest in the natural world takes her on travels around the globe. Her next trip is scheduled for India, where her work will be exhibited at a show in Goa.

On Wednesday 29 November a group of Oundelians competed in the Cross Country district round in Wellingborough.

Twelve pupils were selected to represent the district team in the new year:  Matthew Brayshaw was selected for the U15 (he also competed in Essex the same week, coming first and securing a place in the Nationals); Rory Cronin for the U17; Dylan Page, Toby Learoyd and Patrick Fisher for the U19s.

Eleanor Macintosh, Olivia Mardon and Violet Barton will compete in the U17 girls and Miranda Joicey, Rose Asquith, Alice Gadbsy and Natalie Peckett will compete in the U19 group.

Both Dylan and Eleanor made it to the nationals last year.

Matilda Holland and Maddie Todd (U15) will join the team and run at Croyland Park on the morning of Saturday 20th January, along with Archie Parkinson (U17), who last year came 14th in the U15 ESSA Nationals.

On Friday 1 December, Oundle School CCF’s Marching Band had the honour of playing during the half time interval of the match between Northampton Saints and Newcastle Falcons at Franklin Gardens. The band, now 48 strong, is under the direction of Band Mistress and Head of Brass, Adele Hudson, Band Captain Juliette Carmichael (Sn), and Drum Major James Gaby (B).

The band performed a short marching display before halting in the centre of the pitch to play a special arrangement of ‘When the Saints Go Marching In’, much to the delight of the 13,000 spectators in the stadium. 

The marching routine included a new manoeuvre where the band counter marched as two separate divisions before reforming on the half way line – the product of WO2 Wayne Palmer’s hard work with the band during many Wednesday afternoon rehearsals. 

The evening was another high point in the band’s year, which has already included performances at the Menin Gate in Ypres and the Thiepval Memorial on the Somme. Their next performance will be at the Contingent’s Annual Inspection on the School’s parade ground in May.
 

The Head presented Sports Colours to pupils at an assembly marking the start of the Lent Term.

Sports Colours are awarded to pupils for excellent contribution to a recognised School sport. The awards are presented in the Sixth Form, although for exceptional performance they may be awarded to younger years. In order to qualify for an award, pupils must demonstrate qualities of good sportsmanship in addition to outstanding performance.

For performances in Rugby, Swimming, Small Bore Shooting and Hockey, the Head presented 15 full Colours. The full list of awards can be viewed below.

Sports Colours Lent Term 2018

In mid-December, 56 historians travelled to Berlin for a journey of exploration and discovery. Berlin is a city of bright lights and culture, rich with history; a city  that has and is still undergoing transformation. Across the city the history is evident from the Zeughaus, originally built in 1730 by Frederick III, which was later used by the Nazis as an army museum, to the modern Bundestag, which houses the German parliament.

One aspect of Berlin’s living history which is distinct from any other European city and that we all found thought-provoking is its memorialisation of the Holocaust. In the classroom, we have learned about the Nazi era, but the history did not have a personal impact until we went to Berlin and saw the evidence: the Holocaust Memorial, the Sachsenhausen concentration camp and the stepping-stones or “Stolpersteine” which are positioned around the city.

There are simply no words to describe the atmosphere at a Nazi concentration camp. On a cold bleak day, everyone in our group fell silent as we entered the gates of the camp - “arbeit macht frei” - and this disconcerting silence was maintained throughout our journey past all the memorials and the remains of the gas chambers.

The experience of visiting this concentration camp is one that will never be forgotten, and was the most significant part of the trip, along with the visit to the former Stasi prison on the penultimate day. The Stasi prison is located in a grey, remote area of East Berlin, matching the morbid ambiance inside the prison.

Walking through the giant tomb shapes of the city-centre Holocaust memorial at night was both frightening and bewildering. Walking along a normal street of cobbles and suddenly seeing a small bronze plaque positioned in the pavement with a name and date of the former Jewish resident, a victim of the Holocaust, made the city even more harrowing.

The historian Neil MacGregor wrote: “I know of no other country in the world that, at the heart of its own national capital, erects monuments to its own shame.” 

Most of the time we spent in Berlin was dedicated to visiting historical sites, museums and the occasional trip to a German Christmas market, but the trip also offered everyone a chance to experience some culture, such as a five hour opera on the Sunday night, which was a delight for those who attended it.

The trip is not for the faint-hearted, as every waking moment of the day (and night) our eyes feasted upon new experiences, and our knowledge was greatly expanded. We all returned exhilarated by the whole adventure. I believe that the main purpose of this trip was not solely to show and to reinforce the knowledge of the historical facts and characters that we have learned about in the classroom, but to emphasise the need to mould our opinions and ideas about the past through observation and investigation in order to guarantee for all mankind a safe and fulfilling future. We must continue to remember.

Harriet White (L)

Twenty pupils and six members of staff taking part in the India trip gathered at Heathrow airport on Boxing Day for the 10 hour flight to Bangalore. The pupils and staff had raised £12,000 for the charity Supporting Dalit Children, which helps the work of the Jesuits in Manvi and Mundgod, Karnataka, India.

The pupils raised the money through a variety of fundraising activities over the previous eight months, including sponsored walks, concerts and events. 

The group arrived at Bangalore in the morning and took a bus to visit the beautiful markets of Mysore. They then boarded the first 12 hour overnight train to Hampi, where they spent two days visiting the temples of the Unesco world heritage site.

They then travelled to Goa for three nights, spending New Year on the beautiful beach in Agonda. The group practised yoga on the beach and also went on a boat trip to see the dolphins.

They arrived at Loyola school for the start of its Lent term and were given a very special welcome worthy of rock stars at an introduction in which they were garlanded and cheered by all the children in the school.

They spent the next five days split into three different groups, rotating around different activities each day. Each group spent time building a playground at the hostel, playing with the children, teaching English through nursery rhymes and song at the school, painting murals on classroom walls and visiting the more remote hostels in rural villages.

The highlight for most of the group was the last day when they inaugurated the children’s playground that they had fundraised for. The excitement and joy of the children as they rushed to enjoy the new slides and swings was very special.

They enjoyed a cricket match against a select Indian XI, and got close to winning after having been soundly beaten on previous occasions.

The group returned to school just in time for the start of the new Term, weary but happy. Mr Charters hopes to run the trip for Sixth Formers in December 2019.  

On Friday 12 January Dr Guy Sutton visited Oundle to work with A level Psychology pupils. Dr Sutton is Director and Founder of Medical Biology Interactive and an Honorary Consultant Assistant Professor at the University of Nottingham Medical School.

An expert in neuroscience and genetics, he focused his sessions on brain biology, including contemporary research on a range of fascinating issues, such as the effects of drugs on the brain, mental illness and crime, all of which are related to the A level Psychology course that the pupils are currently studying.

During the day Dr Sutton performed two symposiums in which he dissected a sheep's brain, providing an opportunity for pupils to see the various structures of the brain. It was a unique and captivating experience for everyone.

In the evening, Dr Sutton delivered a talk on DNA, genetics and the brain. He explained some of the latest research findings on a range of topics, including the situational factors that can impact upon certain psychological disorders. Over 60 pupils and staff members thoroughly enjoyed the talk.
 

Twenty pupils have received offers this year to study at Oxford and Cambridge. Sixteen of these are conditional on A level and Pre-U results, with four former pupils receiving unconditional offers.

The offers received were for a cross-section of subjects, from English and Classics to Natural Sciences and Experimental Psychology. History and French were once again successful, and three pupils now hold offers to read Engineering at Cambridge.  

The full break-down of subjects reflects the wide-range of fields in which pupils impressed interviewers, and the success is a credit to the diligence of Oundle’s pupils and the dedication of their teachers.

Oxbridge Offers 2018

The first Lent Term meeting of the Economics Society was addressed by Gary Hoffman, a business executive with a distinguished career in the financial services industry. At the height of the 2008 financial crisis Mr Hoffman was asked to lead the rescue, stabilisation and restructuring of Northern Rock and is credited with turning around the bank. In 2012 Mr Hoffman joined Hastings Insurance as CEO, and was recently named as its new chairman.

His vast experience informed his talk to pupils, in which he outlined case studies about how he had overcome significant challenges in his career, including some of the most controversial years at Northern Rock when his decisions were under close public scrutiny. Other insights into the financial service world included case studies about Visa’s business model and insurance price comparison sites.

He also discussed how some of the theories that are being studied in the Economics course are applied in practice, such as elasticities of demand to calculate premiums.

For those pupils planning to use economics as a platform for their own future careers, Mr Hoffman’s talk was an insightful first-hand account of the cut and thrust of the high stakes financial sector.

Sienna Rushton (L) has proved her value to Netball England once again with her selection to the U17 squad for the second year running. Following trials on 21st January in Loughborough, she was selected to represent England U17s at the March 2018 Netball Europe Championships in Dublin.

Last year Sienna was capped three times as a member of the U17 England National Squad at the Netball Europe Championships, held in Belfast. Considerable victories against Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland saw the England team triumph as European Champions, with Sienna contributing to the 200 goals scored in just three games.

Sienna was also busy during the summer as a member of the England Netball U19 summer tour. One of the highlights of the tour saw the team compete in the 2017 Netball NZ U19 Championships in New Zealand.

Since joining Oundle as a Sports Scholar, Sienna has also been selected to represent East Midlands Regional Performance Squad and Netball Super League team Wasps at U21 level.

Sanderson House took to the stage of the Stahl Theatre with The Dream Collector by Finn Kennedy. Originally written as an ensemble play for young people, the Oundle production was directed by Phoebe Legard.

The story is about a Media Studies class that goes on an overnight school field trip to the isolated country house of a film-making pioneer, Charles Somna. Once there, they discover that Somna was not just a film-maker, but the inventor of the Somnagraph, the world’s first machine for screening a person’s dreams. Once the pupils step through the movie screen and enter the Dreamworld, each of the young friends meets their dream double, the sinister Neverborn.

Amidst the reveal of the sinister unknown, the wit and wisecracks of characters played by Ella Johnsrud and Anna Linton provided relief to the developing tension. The insane brilliance of the inventor Charles Somna was portrayed by Millie Bowser.

The effectiveness of the play depended on the ability to stage a parallel world of dreams. This was imaginatively achieved by shadow puppetry which evoked the eerie nightmares, while all the ‘Neverborns’ created an atmosphere that made the phantom world a possible reality.

In true ensemble style, most of the cast were rarely offstage, which is a demanding challenge for any actor. Phoebe’s direction combined everyone’s talents so that each actor was able to deliver a memorable performance. 

On Tuesday 23rd January a cross-curricular society event gathered the History of Art, Spanish and History departments for a riveting masterclass on ‘The Legacy of the Spanish Civil War: Propaganda and Picasso’s Guernica’  by Dr Stuart Davis, a senior lecturer in Spanish at Girton College, Cambridge.

Dr Davis introduced the session with an overview of the Spanish Civil War: the causes, main players and outcome.

Then, with a portfolio of a variety of propaganda posters from the war era, the audience had the opportunity to analyse the significance and impact of their use.

We then looked in depth at Picasso’s Guernica, and broke into groups to discuss questions about propaganda and political statements.

The talk concluded with a consideration of what the war means for Spain today, and pupils were very interested to learn that it is still very much a current, continuing problem for many Spanish families.

Tilda Rock (D)

The highly-anticipated, inaugural (Pre)-University Challenge, adapted from the BBC’s much-loved quiz show, was held at the Stahl Theatre on 20th January.

The event was conceived and organised by Ralph Johnston (B), Danila Mikhaylov (C) and Thomas Riegels (S) as part of the Oundle Charity Venture scheme. The team solicited the generosity of a range of supporters to make the evening a success: the Physics department built a brilliant, fully-functioning buzzer rig; the Salami Trio performed live music, and Hambleton Bakery and Belvoir Fruit Farms donated interval refreshments for the team to sell on the night.

Eight houses competed in a series of heats with challenging questions presented by quiz master, the literary critic and author Adam Begley. After a close final between Grafton and Crosby, it was Crosby that took the title of the cleverest house for 2018.

Alongside the fun and challenge of a quiz evening, the main purpose of the event was to raise money for EducAid Sierra Leone, a charity that runs an educational network of schools and teacher training that aims to contribute to the elimination of poverty and the stable development of Sierra Leone. After the recent floods which hit the capital last August, Sierra Leone needs our support more than ever. The OCV event has raised £2,000, which means that eight pupils will be able attend residential school for a year.

It is hoped that (Pre)-University Challenge will become an annual event as part of the OCV scheme, with future Lower Sixth pupils using the format of this inaugural evening to raise money for charity.

Ralph Johnston (B)

To coincide with the Fifth Form parents’ reception on Sunday 21st January, the Careers department hosted its eleventh annual ‘Ask the Experts’ event with pupils from the Fifth and Sixth Forms at Oundle and Prince William School invited to attend.

This event gives pupils an opportunity to talk to a large number of highly successful professionals representing a range of industry sectors and careers, including an Egyptologist, QC, MP, speech and language therapist, fine art curator, musician, film director, psychologist, F1 engineer, property consultant, chief information officer, management consultant and finance director.

This year’s event was particularly well attended by pupils and parents, and the School is extremely grateful to our experts for volunteering their time on a Sunday afternoon.

For the first time in 462 years, Oundle fielded a girls football team in an inaugural fixture against Stamford High School for Girls on Saturday 3 February. The team were thrilled when the final whistle blew, 4-1 to Oundle.

The team were introduced to the game in practice sessions last summer. At the start of the football season this year, the girls reconvened in early January to hone their skills and improve their match readiness for their first fixture.

Midfielder Alex Barker (N) opened the scoring after three minutes, prodding home from just inside the box after relentless early pressure. Stamford started to come back into the game and were rewarded with a penalty kick after 15 minutes. Clara Goodman (W) did her very best to keep it out. Oundle began to turn the screw as they headed towards half time and deservedly regained the lead when striker Faridah Sarumi (W) raced clear of the home defence to slot home Oundle’s second goal.

The second half was one-way traffic and Oundle continued to dominate proceedings. The right-hand flank of Rosie Marks (D) and Thalia Garnett (D) proved to be Oundle’s best form of attack. The pressure finally told when Faridah Sarumi grabbed Oundle’s third and fourth goals to secure an historic debut hat trick, and a win for Oundle.

The next fixture is at home against Rugby School on Saturday 10 February, the first ever girls football fixture to be held at Oundle.

The Rugby Fives Association held its National U25s Championship over two days at the weekend. Oundle has hosted the national tournament for the past seven years.

Old Oundelians Jeremy Manger (L 2016) and George Marshall (Sc 2016) returned to Oundle from Cambridge and Durham to compete in a field of 20 players from universities across the country.

The tournament’s Singles title was won by Ed Kay who was defending three previous title wins. He then joined partner Matt Shaw to win their fourth Doubles title in as many years.

Opened in 2007, the Pickard courts were built to Rugby Fives Association specifications to provide the best environment for players and spectators, and named after Sir Michael Pickard, former Chairman of Governors.