Oundle is delighted to announce that Nicholas Beasant will be joining the School as Director of Sport in September. Nick has been Director of Sport at Charterhouse for the last five years, where he is responsible for providing the strategic leadership and management of sport and associated activities. 

Previously he held a number of senior positions in the leadership of sport at the University of Exeter, including management of the university’s High Performance Programme. During his time at Exeter, Nick coached the University Men's Hockey 1st team in the England Men's Hockey League and in the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Championships. He was for nine years a Team Manager for England and Great Britain Hockey, and was manager to the England Men's Senior Indoor Hockey squad at both the European Championships and World Cup.

A Level 2 qualified hockey and cricket coach, Nick enjoys all sport, especially following Exeter Chiefs RFC.

Danny Grewcock leaves Oundle at the end of the academic year, returning to the South West as High Performance Rugby Director at Clifton College in a joint venture with the Bristol Bears.

At last week’s Quadivium Society Lecture, Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg MP came to School to talk to the Sixth Form. The Great Hall was packed with pupils who had no shortage of challenging questions to ask.

He began by outlining the historical, legal and constitutional basis for examining the differences between the United Kingdom and continental Europe, and how that historical context shaped his position on Brexit. He then outlined what conservatism means, contrasting a society built up from individuals, and the notion of the rulers being subject to the law, as against a society constructed from centralised principles downwards, or one where the ruler is himself the law. 

Opening the floor to questions from all political angles, Mr Rees-Mogg responded in detail, covering everything from the housing crisis to gay marriage, taxation and national security, to faith in the public domain, and his own schooldays. 

Earlier in the afternoon, he recorded an interview with Oundle’s radio station, OSCAR, covering a variety of topical political and ethical issues.

Between the two events, the Quadrivium department hosted him to a dinner with pupils to warm up for the main event. All pupils asked engaging questions and listened attentively and critically, including an informal session after the lecture where many pupils queued to continue their queries and take photos. We are grateful to Mr Rees-Mogg for being generous with his time, spending over four hours speaking with pupils over the course of his visit. 

Quadrivium looks to provoke interest and debate across a broad spectrum of topics, to encourage pupils to follow what fascinates them into deeper research, and to engage in matters of public ethics. This final Quad lecture for the academic year was exemplary, and we hope next year to host a guest of similar standing from a counterpoint political stance.

W Gunson

At last night’s French Society lecture, Professor John Keiger, a politics and international relations specialist at Corpus Christi, Cambridge, spoke superbly about the reasons why and occasions on which France has broken out in revolutionary fervour post 1789, and linked many of these uprisings with the current gilet jaune movement.  

He also spoke of the Newton-like law of action/reaction at play in France, where the revolutionary strand is met by a reactionary strand, and the points at which this regularly appears, perhaps even among a few of those current yellow-vest protestors. 

The CLR was packed with pupils from the Third Form to the Upper Sixth, and they distinguished themselves with some excellent questions. Highlights included Yifei Zheng (Sc) on ‘the fetishisation of socialism and revolutionary movements’ and Angus Mihell (Sc) on ways in which Macron could ‘quash’ the gilets jaunes, alongside Danila Mikhaylov (C) expertly quizzing the professor on the wider historical and political ramifications of France’s example to the world.  

It was a very scholarly evening, and even those pupils without a specific background in French politics, history and ideology were held by the clarity of Prof Keiger’s explanations.

W Gunson

Rugby is becoming a firm favourite for girls at Oundle. Introduced as a sports option in 2006, it is now played in the Fifth and Sixth Forms. The girls learn the same skills and techniques as the boys, with exactly the same teaching approach.

As with any sport, rugby teaches many softer skills such as creativity, resilience, courage, respect and discipline. Players must learn the ability to approach problems from different angles, stay calm and mentally agile under pressure. 

The contact element of the game is new in girls sport, and is challenging for those who are not used to it. But the pure physicality of the sport becomes a mental and physical release, and through tackling, players develop confidence, courage and grit. 

The highlight of the sporting calendar at Oundle is the annual Tommy Purbrook charity match, which sees the boys coaching the girls, and large numbers of enthusiastically supporting pupils on the sidelines.

Rugby has also offered opportunities for girls to succeed on pitches away from Oundle. Recent successes include former captain of rugby Honor Murison (Sn 2016), who was picked to play for Oxford at the Varsity Match at Twickenham in December 2018, and current Fourth Form pupil, Lucy Ramskill (N) who has recently been selected for the U15 East Midlands Rugby Squad. 

(photo: Declan Lyttle)

Dr James MacKenzie, a forensic neuropathology consultant, spent Monday morning at Oundle working with the Academic Scholars from the Third to the Lower Sixth Forms, as well as aspiring medics from the Lower Sixth Form interested in the overlap between pathology and medicine. 

Following a compelling introductory lecture on serious head injuries, he brought his insights as an expert witness in criminal cases to an interactive workshop where pupils were led in groups through a real-life scenario of a murder trial, and were expected to deploy material from the lecture. 

Using deductive reasoning, the pupils were required to think logically, work out the next steps to take, and the right questions to ask, all the while wrestling with complex ethical questions, such as the point at which the victim is both medically and legally dead, and the ethics of organ donation. 

After each stage of the mock trial, the groups were invited to work together and present their findings. The pupils then fielded further questions from Dr MacKenzie, who cross-examined them, and suggested nuances that they might not have considered, but which were vital to the case. 

It was a challenging and thought-provoking morning, introducing pupils to how multiple disciplines overlap and collaborate in the work world.   

S Jessop

Mr Will Tyler QC (OO) came to speak to the Law Society about family law last Tuesday.  

Mr Tyler is a specialist children law barrister appearing in high-profile public and private law children cases and frequently appears in the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. He is also a Deputy High Court Judge in the Family Division.

The evening began with an engaging dinner with the Law Society Committee who heard about his schooldays in Fisher House (at that time named Laxton), and his path from Oundle School into the law.

At the Law Society lecture in the CLR, Mr Tyler took the pupils through family law cases of the most serious and sensitive nature, involving issues of life, death, alienation, abduction, and even a tale of the ethics of cryogenics, weighed against the quality of the last few months of life for a young girl.  

He fielded questions from a sharp selection of budding lawyers on the international aspects of family law, the duties of a QC, cross-examination of witnesses, and much else besides. 

It was a privilege to have this generous and distinguished Old Oundelian back to speak to the Law Society, and we look forward to welcoming him again soon.

Every year, travel scholarships are awarded to pupils in the Lower Sixth Form to encourage a spirit of adventure, exploration and physical challenge. In 2019, nine groups and 30 pupils competed for an award, and made it through to the final interview stage of the process where they presented their carefully researched plans with real enthusiasm to a committee of eight members of the teaching staff. 

The top award of £300, The Dudgeon, went to Louis de Gale (G), Adam Hutchinson (G) and Alice Hamilton-Charlton (L) for their trip to the Isle of Skye. The pupils plan to cycle round Skye and walk parts of the Cuillin Ridge, wild camping every night.  The Cuillins are one of the most beautiful, demanding and sought-after goals for climbers and walkers in the UK, and the committee felt that the pupils’ commitment and ambition captured the essence of the awards.

Runners-up awards went to trips visiting Georgia in the footsteps of Steinbeck, a Grand Tour of Europe, Florence on a Renaissance-inspired trail, and two awards for intellectual adventures to Athens. 

The history of these awards dates to the Second World War with an Old Oundelian called Patrick Dudgeon. He was detailed to be parachuted into Italy with orders to bomb a bridge. He was captured and tortured to betray his plans and companions, but refused to speak, and was executed. The fact that his German interrogator wrote to the British commander saying that Dudgeon was the bravest man he had ever met should give some idea of what he went through before he died. His family wanted to set up something in his memory, and gave money to the School for a travel scholarship to inspire pupils to create their own adventures. Other families have done the same, and the school now has several awards available for those pupils who want to plan and organise their own trips, which can be physically challenging or intellectually stimulating; the choice is entirely the pupils.

T Harris

The House flags were flying proudly on May 24, when Sir Howard Stringer (Ldr 1960) opened the School’s new athletics track for Sports Day.

The programme for this year’s Sports Day followed a new format planned by James Ingle, Head of Athletics, and Danny Grewcock, Director of Sport. With each pupil only able to compete in one track, one field and two relays, team selection required tactical and technical skills. Fifty-six track events, including up to seven runners per relay, and 45 field events, engaged pupils from every year and from every House, giving pupils across the School the opportunity to exhibit their athletic prowess.

Refreshment carts with burgers and ice cream kept the competitors and keen spectators fuelled during the afternoon.

Awards were presented by Sir Howard and the Head, with the coveted House trophies for best overall performances being presented to Sanderson and Grafton.

One week later, one of the School’s most promising runners, Archie Parkinson (L) gave an outstanding individual performance at the British Milers Club PB Classic at Milton Keynes. His third place finish in the 1500 with a time of 3:55:62 has ranked him 2nd nationally in U17 events.

Following on from the JM Mills Cricket Pavilion, which opened in 2015, the athletics track, with its own pavilion hub, is one of the major projects to be completed in the School’s Sports MasterPlan. Other new developments include two Astros, eight tennis courts and six outdoor netball show courts which are all socketed.

For further information about the Sports MasterPlan, and to view videos about the projects under construction, click HERE.

As part of the School’s ongoing commitment to its Environmental Policy, the Catering department has introduced a number of initiatives to reduce waste and minimise its environmental impact.

The department has made it a priority to source supply chains with minimum packaging, and is now in the process of introducing biodegradable disposables, such as hot and cold drink cups and sugar stirrers. These new items are made from organic materials such as avocado pear skins, and they completely degrade in landfill without any mechanical process. 

While these items are generally more expensive, because of the volume that is used and the purchasing discounts that have been obtained by the team, introducing the items has proved to be cost neutral in the budget. 

This follows on from the School’s initiative to reduce the use of plastics, particularly plastic water bottles. 

The Catering department has reduced the use of plastic water bottles in pupils’ packed meals and hospitality refreshments. In the academic year 2015 to 2016 the number of bottles consumed totalled 25,844. By encouraging pupils to use reusable bottles, the use of plastic bottles has been reduced to 96 in the current school year.

This year’s Carnegie Medal Shadowing Scheme involved the entire Third Form, and culminated in a whole year assembly in the Great Hall featuring presentations about each of the eight shortlisted books.

Every English set read one of the shortlisted books and created a presentation that evaluated the literary qualities of the book, conveyed the impact on the reader, and aimed to make the case for their book to win the Carnegie Medal.

The author and illustrator Chris Priestley adjudicated each set’s presentation to determine who had made the most convincing case for their book to win the Medal. He made an assessment of the pupils’ literary analysis, enthusiasm and presentation style, and with three sets tied for top marks, he judged 3Sx winners for their presentation about Rebound by Kwame Alexander.

The Carnegie Medal is awarded to books of exceptional literary quality for young people. There is often great variety in the selected shortlist, spanning different continents, historical periods, genres, age ranges. As many of the pupils discovered, the books can be hard-hitting, mature, and controversial; the shortlist exposes pupils to cutting-edge contemporary fiction that provokes and inspires, and that may become the classics of the future.

Mr Chris Priestley is an award-winning author and illustrator, who illustrated one of the shortlisted books, Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds. He talked about his career as a writer and an illustrator, and showed pupils how the illustrations for Long Way Down evolved from pencil sketches to paintings in which he aimed to highlight details from key scenes as stills from a film. 

This year’s Oundle Lecture on “The Rules and Manners of Good Buildings” was presented by Professor Maxwell Hutchinson (D 1966) to an audience of Governors, staff, parents, Old Oundelians and Lower Sixth Form pupils.

Professor Hutchinson is a regular television and radio broadcaster, and is the best-known broadcasting architect in the UK, appreciated for his ability to effectively communicate both his erudition and enthusiasm for our built environment. 

He commented on how we are educated to appreciate music and literature, but not taught how to appreciate or understand buildings, which have such a profound aesthetic and practical impact on the everyday life of citizens. “We make our buildings, and our buildings make us,” he said.

In a brief masterclass he outlined the features of a building and the criteria by which to judge it. A starting point is to consider how it meets the sky, how it meets the ground, and what happens in between. The three classical orders remain an enduring measure of the characteristics of design, while the timeless principles of the Roman architect, Vitruvius, are the foundations for the success of a building: strength, functionality, beauty.

While teasing pupils with necessary additions to their vocabulary, such as sciagraphy and entasis, he earnestly exhorted Oundle’s pupils to look up and down our streetscapes and appreciate the harmony, charm and complexity of the environment they are so fortunate to live amidst.

Congratulations to all our Upper Sixth Form.  Pupils have scored notable individual successes against a challenging background of changing A level curricula and assessment. One fifth of the year group secured the equivalent of straight A grades or better, with 19% of all grades at A* level significantly exceeding the national average. 46% were graded A* to A and five pupils achieved straight A*s.

Oundle prepares pupils for twenty-six different subjects, nine of which follow the Cambridge Pre-U programme. This year, 27% of Pre-U entries achieved D1 and D2 grades, the equivalent of A* at A level. D1, which identifies the highest-performing pupils, formed 10% of all Pre-U grades awarded.

Oundle School is delighted to celebrate pupils’ outstanding success in GCSE and IGCSE examinations this year. For the second year running there has been a rise in the proportion of top grades. Across the curriculum, subjects have been assessed using the new 9 to 1 system, with 59% of all grades awarded 9 or 8; 30% of all grades were awarded 9 (the equivalent to a top A*), a greater number than in any other band.

Seven pupils achieved a clean sweep of 9s, and 71 pupils (nearly 40% of the year group) received grades 9 to 7, the equivalent of A*/A.

English, Classical Greek and Religious Studies provided the headline results with over 70% of grades awarded 9 or 8. Over half of the English Language candidates secured grade 9, building upon the department’s superb performance in 2018. Overall, strong results were well distributed across the twenty-five subjects that constitute Oundle’s broad offering at GCSE/ICGSE.
 

Changemakers was a new holiday project between Oundle School and the Peterborough school, Gladstone Primary Academy, held at the Outward Bound Trust’s Ullswater Centre in the Lake District in late August. 

Twelve Lower Sixth Form pupils mentored twenty-four children aged nine and ten during a fun and challenging five-day residential camp. The project was made possible by fundraising from the Oundle community, and especially by the L6th pupils, raising £16,000 overall for 2019. 

The group was divided into three teams and undertook adventurous activities, including rowing across Ullswater to start their ascent of local peaks, and overnight expeditions to wild camp sites on the Lakeland Fells. Gorge walking in swollen mountain rivers, cliff jumping, tunnelling, camp fires and freezing swims in Ullswater enabled everyone to feel fulfilled and challenged in so many different ways. 

The relationships that developed between the mentors and the younger children was the highlight of the trip, and the shared experiences and personal achievements made it a very special time. 

Oundle played Northampton School for Boys in both the U14 and U15 Northamptonshire County Cup finals at the beginning of the Michaelmas term. 

The route to the finals for both teams saw them win comfortable victories last term over Prince William School, Kettering Buccleuch Academy, Bishop Stopford, Wollaston (U14 semi-final) and Moulton (U15 semi-final). 

With a place in the national cup competition for next season at stake, the U14s, captained by Will Park batted first. With Park and Olly Ford opening the batting, they went about their business maturely and with great skill forging an opening partnership of 177. Ford eventually fell for 85 in the final over, with Will Park carrying his bat for 81 not out. A strong score of 180-1 from our 20 overs put us in a good position at the half way point. 

NSB came out to bat with real purpose and determination and punished some loose bowling early on, easily going at the required rate through the first six overs. However, when captain Park brought himself on and took the first wicket to break a partnership of 74, Oundle really started to put the squeeze on. Then, when Archie Atkinson drew a big leading edge from the other opener to make the score 102-2, Oundle seized control and started taking wickets at regular intervals. Leg spinner and leading wicket taker for the season, Alex Spragg took two wickets with MacKay, Aubury and Liddy also taking a wicket each. NSB finished on 147-7, meaning Oundle won a keenly fought final by 33 runs. 

The team will now represent Northamptonshire in the national competition, playing in the U15s. 

The U15 final unfolded in a similar fashion in the Oundle, captained by Alex Dyer, who won the toss and batted first. Oundle started well again with Dyer and Hugo Halstead progressing the score to 47 before losing the first wicket, which brought Will De Capell Brooke to the crease. Halstead fell shortly after for a well-made 35. De Capell Brooke went about his business well, and when he was joined by Harry Boston these two formed a partnership of 86. De Capell Brooke was then caught at long on for a well-made 50 which left Boston to finish off the innings nicely with 64 not out. Oundle ended on 196-4 from 25 overs. 

Boston then came straight back out to open the bowling and took three early wickets in an impressive opening spell, narrowly missing out on a hattrick. Good spells from James Tobin (1 wicket), George Davies (2 wickets) and Ben Shirley (3 wickets) saw NSB collapse to 56-9. But NSB weren’t just going to roll over and give up. An impressive 10th wicket partnership of 60 frustrated Oundle, but ultimately they closed out the game and Oundle won by 80 runs. 

The Medical Society series of talks for 2019-20 began with a fascinating talk from thoracic surgeon Dr Joel Dunning. “Disruptive Technology in Modern Surgery” was a comprehensive look at how endoscopic surgery has changed the field of cardiothoracic surgery and improved patient recovery times from a matter of weeks to days.

It was incredible to see video footage of the procedures being carried out within the body. Surgeons no longer need to cut open a large hole in the middle of the chest resulting in great pain to the patient and weeks of recovery. Now, just three 5mm diameter holes in the chest is standard, while other surgeons are pioneering advances in robotics that only require a tiny incision. This has resulted in a faster and more painless recovery for the patient, who can now usually return home the same day.

Dr Dunning also looked ahead to robotics could further developments in laparoscopic surgery in different areas of the body. It is clear that there are many opportunities for bio-engineers to develop disruptive new technology at the cutting-edge of medicine. 

Timothy Leung (C)

The day after school broke up for the summer holidays, 18 pupils and 3 teachers travelled to Ecuador to conduct biological surveys in the Amazon, and to the Galapagos Islands to learn about evolution and the islands’ history as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

We left Heathrow on Sunday night and landed in Quito, positioned in the foothills of the Andes, the following morning.  At 4.30am the next day, we started our trip to the Amazon. The first coach journey took us through the twisty roads that traversed the Andes, and turned out to be five hours longer than planned, due to a mudslide taking out the main bridge. We arrived in Coca in the afternoon and began the three-hour longboat journey down the Napo River, followed by a two-hour canoe through the thick of the jungle in the dark, with the only light provided by the eyes of birds in the trees and caimans in the water.

On arrival at the camp we were advised to only walk on the raised wooden platforms to avoid anything dangerous. When one of our group spotted a Fer-de-lance at their feet, the most venomous snake in Ecuador, we knew then that we were in the Amazon.

For our first  surveys we went bird watching, climbing to a 35m high viewing platform to see above the canopy of the rainforest. The views were endless, and we managed to spot greater ani, hoatzin, and toucans, and discovered a hummingbird nest - the first sign that hummingbirds were found in that area. We also measured the carbon content in trees for carbon trading; did butterfly catching with nets; recorded birds that had been caught in mist-nets; went on mammal treks; and conducted hepatology night surveys. We also visited a local Sani community, where we received a tour of their medicinal garden, sampled local foods (including live beetles), and assisted with setting up a basic polythene tunnel.

After six days we returned to Quito, this time using a temporary bridge, which shortened the journey by several hours, but did make you feel as if you were in a Top Gear special. We flew out to the Galapagos immediately after arriving in Quito, and despite arriving at the airport late, and someone losing a passport, after pleading with airport staff in limited Spanish, they let us on the flight.

We stayed on the main island of Santa Cruz, at one of the highest points of the island next to a volcanic crater with views down to the sea. The first night in camp we watched an Attenborough documentary on the Galapagos, learning about a few of Galapagos’ most famous animals: the diving blue-footed boobies, the sea lions, as well as the Galapagos penguin. I remember thinking that these events were so extraordinary that they would only happen once in a blue moon. The following morning, when we set out on the dive boat, the first thing we saw was a flock of 50 or so blue-footed boobies diving from 20m into the water, and the second thing was a colony of sea lions sunbathing. This is what I loved most about the Galapagos: the extraordinary became ordinary.

Throughout the week, we took part in several excursions to learn about the archipelago. One morning, we walked through the colossal lava tunnels, and on another morning we visited the Charles Darwin Research Station, where we learnt more about Darwin’s work, and saw marine iguanas, and the stuffed Lonesome George, an individual animal that became a universal symbol for conservation.

For me, the highlight of the trip was the snorkelling with sea lions. On the final morning before we headed home, we set out on a boat from Puerto Ayora to Santa Fe, the nearest island to Santa Cruz. We snorkelled in two locations, both times meeting rafts of sea lions. They were show-offs, swimming up to you and performing tricks, as well as occasionally nibbling at your fins or arms. The scuba diving was also incredible, and my group even saw a school of over 100 hammerhead sharks swimming beneath us.

From bird-spotting from above the canopy, to seeing hundreds of sharks deep below the pacific ocean’s surface, the trip was remarkable; an experience that will be impossible to replicate.

Evan Ball (G)

The Medical Society welcomed optometrist Chintu Patel, director of Peterborough Vision Plus, to talk about the profession, and the technology that is used to explore the workings of the eye. 

His interactive and entertaining talk on “Maintaining and Improving the Gift of Sight” was delivered in the manner of a university seminar with members of the audience asking questions about each new intriguing case study that was presented. 

Beginning with a review of the anatomy of the eye, he then discussed the new equipment that is available to treat his patients, and explained how a routine eye exam could detect the formation of a tumour. Images of damage to the lens and retina were used to show how vision would be impacted, and also what treatment would be required. 

It was fantastic to have parents and pupils join us from three local schools. We hope that they will spread word of our talks to their peers so that we can welcome more guests in the future.

The History Society’s first speaker was medieval specialist Dr Marc Morris who talked about the reign of King John (1199 – 1216), with particular focus upon the means by which he took power, and the first five years of his rule. He pointed out that it was surprising that John had even made it to the throne, given that he had three older brothers. However, following the death of their father Henry II in 1189, only Richard (Henry’s successor) and John remained. It would be during Richard I’s reign that John took his first major reputational hit, with his alliance with Philip Augustus against Richard labelled a “pact from hell”. 

Dr Morris detailed John’s ascendancy to the throne in 1199 with the defeat of Arthur, Duke of Brittany, following Richard’s death. Although this period was known for chivalry, John’s actions defied the accepted norms. In 1202 he took hostages from Brittany after Arthur’s sieged of Eleanor of Aquitaine at Mirebeau, and allegedly starved 22 knights to death and murdered Arthur, which was anything but acceptable practice.  

Cowardly actions of this type, in addition to the defeats John endured at the hands of French during the last ten years of his reign, and the bankruptcy of the monarchy resulted in the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215.

In closing, Dr Morris quoted thirteenth century chronicler Matthew Paris, who wrote “hell itself is made fouler by the death of King John”.

............

John has been criticised throughout history, and denounced for his “superhuman wickedness”. However, I had always viewed John in a more positive light because the documented narrative on John was written by chroniclers such as Roger Wendover, anti-royalists who relied on anecdotes without evidence.

Dr Morris challenged my views by contrasting the medieval and modern understanding of kingship. Dr Morris stressed that John’s reputation was sealed from the start of his reign. This intrigued me as I believed the damage to his reign stemmed from his military incompetence after the loss of French lands in 1204. I learned he was subject to “malevolentia” and was deeply suspicious of everyone, which is evident from his treatment of the prisoners of Mirebeau, which William Marshall said was a “disgrace to witness the cruelty”. This blackened John’s reputation and explained why Barlow describes him as “prowling about the kingdom”. Dr Morris helped me to understand why many historians believe John deserves his reputation as “Bad King John”.

George Crawley (L) 
Mya Onyett (K)