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The Wycliffian Society
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Charities & Extra-Curricular
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Arts & Culture
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Subject Focus Feature: Maths
ENTER
2017
winter
Subject Focus Feature: Read more about Wycliffe’s Maths focus on page 4
BTEC pupils put skills to work The STEM day also provided Wycliffe pupils studying BTEC Digital Production the opportunity to find out what it is like to photograph an event.Wycliffe also offers BTEC Sport and BTEC Travel & Tourism courses.
Careers events such as these put forward-thinking companies in direct contact with the children, and that is the first step to engaging with them
It was a very interesting day and we learnt a lot. I really enjoyed hearing Marty Jopson and his experiments to describe electricity were brilliant.
The companies taking part included: Dyson, Renishaw, Rednock, Mantra, Avantis, Rolls Royce and Arc Energy Resources. It was an opportunity for Old Wycliffian Andrew Robinson, to return to Wycliffe with his company Arc Energy Resources. A specialist welding engineering company, Mr Robinson and his team developed an experiment around ‘welding with chocolate’ which allowed the pupils to see some welding and physics principles in action in a safe environment - and then eat the results.“ The STEM day was a well-planned event, and the pupils seemed to really engage. It’s critical for us that we get their attention at this young age while they’re still deciding what they want to do, and haven’t necessarily pigeon-holed themselves with their subject choices,” said Mr Robinson.“ Careers events such as these put forward-thinking companies in direct contact with the children, and that is the first step to engaging with them. They see the benefit of studying a broad subject like Maths or Science in terms of where it can take them. It’s also a great confidence builder for my staff.”
As well as making slime they studied micro-organisms through microscopes, created garage music in the technology studio, tried mind reading and magic, and discovered a whole new world using virtual reality headsets. They also enjoyed sessions with leading mathematician Ben Sparks and Marty Jopson from the One Show. Katie Nichols, from Year 5, said: “It was a very interesting day and we learnt a lot. I really enjoyed hearing Marty Jopson and his experiments to describe electricity were brilliant.”
I’m hoping to go to Medical school and being able to demonstrate what I know and can do will be important there. I’m grateful for the opportunity to do this in school, it has really helped with my confidence.” Alex agreed. “Being given the opportunity to show the laboratory skills that we have developed to younger children was wonderful. They seemed to really enjoy the demonstrations that we carried out and I enjoyed the day immensely.” For Sixth Former Charlie Leach the day provided him with an opportunity to find out more about the two career paths he is considering - apprenticeships and university. “Working with the representatives from Dyson gave me an insight into what being employed as an engineer for such a high profile organisation would be like,” he said. “It has made me think carefully about whether an apprenticeship route or a university route into engineering would be best for me.”
For the Sixth Formers it was an opportunity to lead sessions and to also network with the businesses taking part. Sixth Former, Annie Rees, who excels at Science and Maths and hopes to read Medicine next year, and Alex Bolton, who wants to read Biomedics, ran the interactive polymerising sessions where pupils made slime and bendy pens. Annie said: “The enthusiasm of the visiting pupils was infectious and I really enjoyed showing them how to make various polymers.
Wycliffe staged its annual STEM day to inspire young minds to discover the exciting career options in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. More than 450 primary school children, including those from Wycliffe Prep, enjoyed hands-on workshops and experiments. Wycliffe Sixth Formers led several of the sessions alongside others taken by leading Gloucestershire businesses. “It was a great opportunity for our pupils to experience some really exciting STEM lessons. They particularly loved the Virtual Reality headset sessions and they were talking about them all the way back to school,” said Mr Luca Knight, Year 6 Teacher, King’s Stanley Primary School. Mr Justin Clements, Head of Science at Wycliffe, said there was a shortage of children taking STEM subjects and this event gave them the chance to learn about the varied directions such studies could take them. “We hope to inspire the next generation of doctors and engineers through giving them the opportunity to engage in some stimulating and hands-on activities. At the same time many of our Sixth Form pupils are challenged to work with younger children in a way that they may never have done before,” he said.
STEM is thriving at Wycliffe
Stem Day
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Max Edgson (Year 13) organised a TEDx event at Wycliffe for fellow pupils and teachers. First introduced to TED talks in Year 7 Max has become an avid follower. “I came across plenty of TED talks happening all over the world and through this found out about the TEDx initiative, which grants licences to individuals and institutions to put on a TED-like event in their local community,” he said. “I knew straight away that I wanted to make it happen, and I carried it through all the way. It wouldn’t have happened, though, without the continued help of Mr Woolley and the PASS Committee, Mr Archer, Dr Rose. and the numerous other teachers who supported me through the endeavour.” Gig NightThe first half of the term concluded with Gig Night, one of the most popular events in the Wycliffe Music calendar.The evening took place in Sibly Hall, complete with candles and fairy lights, and the audience was treated to a host of high-quality performances from pupils across the school, including Year 8 pupil Lucy McKerrow. One of the highlights was an arrangement of ‘Radioactive’, put together by Year 10 pupils Aeden Cooper (Haywardsfield), Dominic Elliott-Jones and Gracie Welsh (Collingwood).
CAREERS ROUND-UP Year 11 and DY pupils had their mock interviews with visiting employers who gave some great verbal feedback. This is a valuable experience to develop both application form and interview skills. Thanks to GFutures for organising.On January 26 there will be an Enterprise & Options Day. In the morning there is a Young Enterprise event for Year 9 pupils and in the afternoon an Options Fair for Year 9 pupils and parents. Year 9 pupils took part in the Ambitions Careers event in Stroud. They took an active part in the wide-ranging career sectors on offer throughout the morning. As part of preparing pupils for higher education and future employment, all Year 12 pupils will undertake the six-week Aspire, Careers and Employability Skills Project in January and February. They will conduct careers research and produce a short presentation to deliver to pupils and visiting employers.
We were exceptionally lucky to have some of Gloucestershire’s leading and prestigious Engineering companies to attend and give talks on school leaver and graduate employment opportunities.
Wycliffe Futures Careers and Universities Fair featured a record-breaking 40 institutions ranging from USA Colleges to UK apprenticeship providers. They packed into Sibly using both the stage and wings with the Airbus Wind Tunnel in prime position centre stage. As pupils started to arrive, with Year 12 and visiting Archway School pupils first, the Hall became alive with chatter and conversations about entry requirements, course modules and accommodation types. Bags with leaflets, prospectuses, pens and keyrings were handed out and for those lucky few, Vogue magazine from Conde Nast. Years 9 and 10 also attended and were able to be part of the talks in the Drama studio on the National Citizenship Service, the National Apprenticeship Service and NHS careers - one of the largest employers in the world. Year 13 pupils attended during scheduled talks on apprenticeships and international hospitality courses (by Burnett Global Education). These opportunities have later application dates than UCAS.
The fair finished with Year 11 pupils and Wycliffe parents. Miranda Holden, Wycliffe Careers Manager, said: “We were exceptionally lucky to have some of Gloucestershire’s leading and prestigious Engineering companies (Renishaw, Dyson, Airbus, Rolls Royce, GE Aviation) to attend and give talks on school leaver and graduate employment opportunities. “We had Business covered by PWC and Pearson College London, legal careers by the University of Law and a wide array of UK university courses by the likes of Loughborough, Birmingham, SOAS and St Andrews universities. “I received positive feedback from our exhibitors on the engagement of Wycliffe pupils and I have since had many conversations with pupils about careers and course decisions, sparked by attendance at the Careers Fair. And that is what it is all about!”
Futures Careers fair sets new record
Max stages first TEDx conference
News
03
Wycliffe’s UKMT Senior Maths team
Maths workshop in Nursery
Counting pine cones in Lower Nursery
Year 3 pupils measuring a tree as part of their outdoor Maths day
Hugh Hunt talked about “Maths in a Spin”, detailing how Maths can be combined with engineering to find the perfect rollercoaster shape. Sammie Buzzard detailed how Math is used by scientists to predict effects of ice melting by global warming. Ben Sparks spoke about the chance and probability of card games such as poker and how a good understanding of statistics can help. Maths is one of the most popular subjects at A Level, with pupils regularly achieving As and A* at A Level and going on to study Maths-related subjects at university.
Mark Zheng, Head of House at Ward’s-Ivy Grove, said: “We are grateful to have such brilliant facilities. “Most of the boarders have single rooms and some double rooms. “The common room on the ground floor is our favourite place in the House, where we hold many House social events. “All the senior boys who lived in the old Ward’s House showed our newcomers what Ward’s was really about; it was not just a Boarding House, it was family. “We want our boys to feel this and pass it on to future Ward’s-Ivy Grove boys.”
Pupils returned in September to settle into Ward’s - Ivy Grove - Wycliffe’s exciting new accommodation. To ensure that the spirit of the former houses lives on, bricks from the original Ward’s were incorporated into the foundation.
Settling into our brilliant new home
Year 3 pupils took their Maths outdoors. Equipped with tape measures and clipboards, they measured and recorded the size of tree trunks. Some of trees were so large that they had to use their problem-solving skills to work out how they would measure the bottom of the larger trees with only one tape measure.
Wycliffe pupils begin to develop their Maths skills from the moment they start Nursery and it carries on until Sixth Form. It may look like child’s play but the activities at a Maths and Literacy workshop for Nursery children and parents had an important focus. Playdough, cupcakes and number birthday cards were used to help children learn to recognise numbers and shapes. In Lower Nursery children picked apples, plums and blackberries in the Nursery orchard and collected conkers and pine cones. They then set to work to sort, match by size and count their outdoor finds.
Wycliffe had a fantastic success with 16 pupils receiving Bronze, 20 receiving Silver and six achieving Gold. The six Gold award winners were: Jiankang Shen (Year 13), Ziru Wang (Year 12), Alan Cui (Year 12), Megan Davidson (Year 12), Bright Fang (Year 12) and Sebastian Clarke (Year 11). They all qualified to take the Senior Kangaroo test and all performed admirably. Wycliffe College hosted the Gloucestershire UKMT Senior Team Maths heat. Fifteen schools from across the county (including Wycliffe) competed with teams of four pupils across three time-pressured rounds. The Team Maths Challenge relies on strong teamwork as well as strong mathematical reasoning. Wycliffe’s team - Victoria Bogachenkova (Year 12), Brian Ng (Year 12), Janet Huang (Year 13) and Jiankang Shen (Year 13) - finished 3rd overall. That is the best result Wycliffe has achieved since the event started. Thirty-eight pupils from Years 11, Development Year and 12 attended the Maths Inspiration Lectures at the New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham. The talks were given by some very enthusiastic speakers on some fascinating applications of Maths.
Thirty-six Wycliffe pupils from Years 5 and 6 visited the Senior School to take part in the Primary Maths Challenge. The Challenge is designed to encourage enthusiasm, boost confidence in Mathematics and show the different way questions can be asked. Wycliffe believes in the importance of Problem Solving as a means of helping pupils develop their reasoning skills. Answering Primary Math Challenge questions does not depend on mathematical knowledge alone, but on the ability to think things through, be logical and find ways to solve problems. Pupils also need to read the questions carefully. The best in Year 5 prize was given to Lewis Crabb-La Hei and the best in Year 6 prize was shared between Abigail Opaleye and Eliza Moore. Eighty-five senior pupils took part in the Senior Maths Challenge in Sibly Hall. Certificates are awarded based on relative national results. The top 60% receive a Bronze or above, the top 30% receive a Silver or above and the top 10% receive a Gold award.
Maths - vital from age 2 to 18
Senior
ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE FOR FESTIVAL Twenty-two members of the Year 10 GCSE Drama groups took part in the Shakespeare Schools Festival at The Roses Theatre in Tewkesbury. It is the UK’s largest youth drama festival, involving more than 30,000 children and young people from 1,008 schools all over the UK. Schools perform half-hour abridged versions of Shakespeare’s plays in local, professional theatres. The pupils performed ‘Twelfth Night’ and the audience enjoyed the comedy so much that they joined in with the finale, singing the last verse of ‘The 12 Days of Christmas’. “We’d like to thank the PASS Committee for their generous contribution to funding the show, without it, we wouldn’t have been able to take part,” said Mr Andrew Golightly, Head of Drama.
TAKING POETRY BEYOND THE ENGLISH CLASS The Prep School enjoyed a whole school poetry week, with poetry finding its way into a broad range of subjects. One class learned about the topic of death in their Religious Studies lesson, which led to discussions of love, loss, consolation and life as themes surrounding death. Asked how she felt at the end of the lesson, a Year 6 pupil said: “I’m not too sad, because if these people didn’t write these poems, I wouldn’t understand so much about dying and death.”, which goes to show how valuable poetry can be beyond the English classroom. Four poetry competitions were run and, thanks to the generosity of the Parents’ Association, Years 3-6 were taken along to the Cheltenham Literature Festival to enjoy performance poetry from Joshua Seigal and Michael Rosen. MUSICIANS WOW THE COMMUNITY Several of Wycliffe’s top musicians have thoroughly enjoyed performing in the local community this term. VOX gave a superb concert to a large audience at the Stonehouse Baptist Church in November, singing to an extremely high standard. The concert featured several solo items, including a performance by Mary Evans (Year 12, Loosley Halls). The audience were particularly impressed by the programme, which featured a wide variety of music and displayed the versatility of our musicians. A week later, VOX performed to another appreciative local audience, this time the Stonehouse Friendly Circle. The concert once again featured several solo items by pupils including Emma Livingstone (Year 12, Ward’s-Ivy Grove) and Emily Riley (Year 13, Collingwood). PREP ENJOYS FRENCH PLAY Two talented actors from The Onatti Theatre Company - one French and one English - brought their imaginative set to the Prep School theatre. They performed ‘Le Château’, a hilarious tale, full of misunderstandings, slapstick humour and most importantly, in French at a level which was easy to understand. Henry VIII had sent a young English knight, William, to France in search of a wife for Henry. His knowledge of French was limited and the people he met along the way spoke no English. The willing audience helped out and some were even invited on stage. All the pupils in Years 3 to 6 enjoyed the performance. Everyone agreed that it was a highly entertaining way to learn French.
Pupils see great works for themselves
Art pupils from Years 11, 12 and 13 made the journey to London with the mission of seeing art work in the flesh. First stop was the Royal Academy and the thrilling Jasper Johns exhibition. He worked with many materials and gave pupils different ideas of how they could work back in the studio. Drawing on to plastic was a particular technique which inspired the pupils. The group marched through the streets of London, stopping at the White Cube gallery to see an interesting contemporary exhibition of various artists that included Jean Michel Basquiat. This led to discussions about what is Art? Many pupils questioned the value of conceptual work that does not show much technical skill. Next stop was the Courtauld Gallery to view its permanent collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and Expressionist paintings. Year 11 had a workshop with a tutor from the gallery, looking in more depth at some of the portraits that related to their project this term.
The production was absolutely brilliant.
There were new experiences for everyone, including Lucy McKerrow, who had a challenging task of playing Marty the Zebra. “It will be a challenge to bring out the gangster-cool personality in Marty, but I think that I might be able to pull it off,” she said. During the performance, all the main characters lived up to the title, “Stars”, although without the chorus/background, there wouldn’t have been a production. They all say, ‘We put the ‘Mad’ in Madagascar’. Headmaster Mr Palmer was especially impressed by the performance. He said: “The production was absolutely brilliant. It was one of the most outstanding Year 8 productions because they all worked as a team.”
Poetry Slam champion adds punch to prose
During the workshop and recital, pupils were wowed by his razor sharp delivery, incredible verbal speed and a wide range of unusual topics, including the love shared between prime numbers. Librarian Sharon Hodgkins said: “Harry was engaging and personable and it was a pleasure to see Wycliffe’s Year 9 pupils embracing his work before being guided through a session to write some of their own. A superb moment for all concerned.”
Harry Baker, one of Britain’s most exciting new poets, visited Wycliffe to celebrate National Poetry Day. Harry’s debut collection of poems, entitled ‘The Sunshine Kid’, followed his triumphs at the Edinburgh Fringe festival and the success of his award-winning work Proper Pop-Up Purple Paper People which saw him crowned the youngest ever World Poetry Slam Champion in 2012, the 2010 London Slam Champion, the 2011 UK and European Slam Champion.
Year 8 pupils received a standing ovation for their performance of the play Madagascar, which also raised money for the Prep School’s chosen charity Pied Piper.For seven weeks the pupils rehearsed every Saturday morning, practising songs, dialogue and dances. Director Mrs Askew said: “I take different ideas from different performances, and the DVD, then I think of the ability of the children, and I then put it all together into a dance or a scene.” On the opening night of Madagascar, everyone did exceptionally well, especially the main characters: Alex (played by Jack Tawlks), Marty (Lucy McKerrow), Melman (Sohil Rai), Gloria (Catherine Lomer) and King Julian (Lia Trainor). Everybody lived up to the expectations of Year 8 and loved it. “It’s a chance to put yourself in someone else’s shoes,” said the character Gloria, played by Catherine Lomer. Questions were going around about which was the best song, and Year 8 thought it was, ‘Move It!’ and King Julian, played by Lia Trainor, agreed, saying: “Yes, 110% yes, my dance was probably the best dance and without it, everyone might as well have gone home!” Though it wasn’t all plain sailing for Lia. During one performance of ‘Move It!’ King Julian had to jive her way down to pick up her falling mic, which had made its way down the inside of her trousers.
By Alix Williams and Charlotte Mandefield (Year 8)
Year 8 actors put the ‘Mad’ back into Madagascar
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The most popular was the obstacle course. Pupil Molly-May said: “I ran through the foam pillars to get to the slide.” In the Wycliffe dining hall there were hot dogs with different toppings, followed by cookies that were the size of Frisbees. To drink there was mulled wine and coffee for the adults and hot chocolate. The fireworks display filled the sky with light and bright colours. We all thank the Parents’ Association for the wonderful night!
Fireworks night, which was ran by Wycliffe Parents’ Association, was a beautiful event and enjoyed by parents and children alike. There were three inflatables. The first was a huge bouncy slide that ended with a safety mat. Next was the bouncy castle, which was very entertaining for Lower Prep.
Ohh, ahhh. We love fireworks
Candles flickered as the choir sang their way down the Chapel aisle while Prep School parents and family members eagerly anticipated the Carol Service. The arrival of the choir and the warm welcome from Rev John set the scene for the next hour. Traditional carols were sung by the entire congregation, mixing hundreds of children’s voices with grown-up tones, and clear, relevant readings by selected pupils told the Christmas story. The Middle Prep choir sang Walking in the Air, all the pupils treated the adults to Gaudete and the Senior choir enhanced not only the descant in every carol but also delivered beautiful verisons of ‘In Dulci Jubilo’, ‘Myn Lyking’, ‘Carol of the Children’ and ‘The Shepherd’s Pip’.
Prep Carol Service
The Wycliffe Carol Services were again one of the highlights of the year enjoyed by guests, pupils, parents and staff. We were very fortunate to welcome a special guest, Lt Col Andrew Tabor JP, High Sheriff of Gloucestershire, who read one of the nine lessons.The pupils also read the lessons strongly and the whole service was very atmospheric, led by our Chaplain, Reverend McHale.
The Chapel Choir play a major role in the services, leading the carol singing complete with descants, as well as performing several pieces of their own between each lesson. The candlelit services began with ‘Once in Royal David’s City’, with the first verse beautifully sung by Saoirse Purkess (Year 12, Ivy Grove) and Rebecca Taphouse (Year 12, Collingwood).One of the highlights of the service was VOX’s superb performance of ‘And His Name Shall be Called Wonderful’ by Sally DeFord, featuring soloists Charlotte Greensmith (Year 13, Lampeter) and Charlie Asquith (Year 11, Robinson). However, it was the Choir’s stunning rendition of Howard Goodall’s ‘Love Divine’ that stuck in people’s memories as being something that really captured the true meaning of Christmas.
Christmas in the Chapel
House Song Evening is an annual event that is well-loved by pupils, staff and parents, and this year’s was no exception. Ivy Grove, last year’s winners, opened the competition with their rendition of Fun’s ‘We Are Young’, and the other seven Houses went on to perform their songs, complete with dance moves. Our adjudicator, Mr Swain, had a difficult job deciding on the winning House, but it was Lampeter who walked away with the trophy for their superb performance of the Jackson 5 classic ‘I Want You Back’. The evening concluded with the traditional staff song, with the pupils enjoying the staff’s version of ‘Best Day of My Life’. House Music, staged in November, was an entertaining evening of performances given by representatives from the Houses and adjudicated by our new visiting teacher of Guitar, Miss Holmes. Her highlights included the “characterful” and “emotionally convincing” solo piano performance of Edvard Greig’s ‘Wedding Day at Troldhaugen’ given by Tingen (Nicole) Xiao, and the “well-assured” delivery of Sara Bareilles’s ‘She Used to be Mine’ by Charlotte Greensmith (voice) and Beth Hiatt (piano). As the night brought to an end this year’s internal music competitions, overall winners were Ivy Grove-Haywardsfield with runners-up Lampeter-Ward’s and Loosley.
House Song and House Music
Another busy year for PASS: thanks to subscriptions from parents, PASS has been able to allocate over £25,000: over 95% of it on pupil-led projects. PASS enables pupils to realise academic, sporting and pastoral ambitions: it provided funds for schemes ranging from trips to Sri Lanka, Spain and the Japanese embassy in London, to the International Fair to new sports kit for School and House teams. Individually, PASS funded Emma Livingstone in her successful Biathle and Triathle campaigns at national level, while George Hartson was awarded money to enable him to tour the USA and Canada with the Lambs Rugby squad, with notable success. The choice to fund individuals in elite events can be debated, but these are Wycliffe pupils achieving extraordinary levels of personal success, reflecting well both on themselves and the School:and donations from PASS can make the difference of individuals being able to take up these opportunities. As always, PASS has supported awards, the excellent Creative Writing anthology, the CCF and Duke of Edinburgh, as well as refreshments at School events. Two PASS-supported initiatives stand out. After considerable debate, PASS supported the purchase of three hare statues, supplementing the gift of five similar statues from a generous parent. With eight statues in total – one per House – there was a school-wide competition, overseen by the Art Department, to design and decorate the hares, with a theme of community. The result, judged by local artist, Tracy Spiers, saw Ivy Grove win the inaugural PASS Community Cup – a trophy that will be competed for each year. This October witnessed the first Wycliffe TEDx talks, an event that PASS was asked to support by Max Edgson (Year 13). A hugely ambitious event that PASS was delighted to support, the TEDx talks were the second iteration of the PASS Inspiring Initiative programme, following last year’s We See Hope presentation: Max’s initiative was truly inspired. Through projects such as these, through House and individual awards PASS is an integral part of Wycliffe life. The Parents’ Association is funded by Wycliffe parents for the benefit of their children; it is vital PASS demonstrates and communicates that the funding it receives is spent conscientiously and prudently, to the ultimate benefit of the maximum number of pupils. Simple yet effective measures like the noticeboard in School House and the portable display board that is regularly updated and travels to Parents’ Evenings and coffee mornings, illustrate PASS’s involvement in Wycliffe life, to pupils, parents and staff. The Wycliffe College Parents’ Group on Facebook has 85 members, generating a vibrancy and momentum of its own. Membership continues to grow: look for it on Facebook. All Awards and more are documented in PASS Minutes, on the College website. True to its founding tradition of free-thinking, self-sufficiency and a slightly left-field approach to education – beekeeping and newt nurturing, anyone? – Wycliffe remains a subtly quirky school; its constantly regenerating cohort of pupils is encouraged to remain true to many of the educational tenets established by the Siblys. PASS contributes to this spirit by the instigation and continuation of schemes like the Community Cup and Inspiring Initiative. Meanwhile, the pupils present PASS with ever more imaginative projects. With the support and contribution of parents, PASS’s various activities will continue to enrich the lives of Wycliffe’s community of pupils.
By Mr Charles Pierce, Chair of PASS
PASS enables pupils to realise their ambitions
Wycliffe Community
06
Wycliffe Middle Prep enjoyed a media-themed Exploration Day recently, which was probably the best day yet! Activities such as green screening, animating and even a tour of a cinema were undertaken. Mr Irwin, Director of Studies Learning at Prep, explained why this day is good for the pupils. “It’s a good way for them to think about future jobs and careers, and to give them a chance to try out things not usually on the curriculum,” he said. Exploration Days happen every term. Bella Williams, in Year 5, said: “My favourite day was the media-themed day (the most recent one) because I liked the trip to the cinema and I liked using iMovie, and at the cinema we got to watch Bigfoot. I would rate it a 9/10!” Middle Prep has had six Exploration Days in the past, each with their own unique themes, including a Music, Drama and Dance themed day, which united 91 pupils into a single orchestra, each playing an instrument. Another interesting day they had was a STEM day (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths). They studied the design of the Bloodhound SSE Rocket Car.
By Milo Hudson and Naomi Opaleye, Year 8
Exploration Day is a hit!
A fun day out was enjoyed by Year 9 in September supported by 20 staff on the annual visit to Miserden Park. The weather was kind enabling 10 different activities, organised by 20 staff, to take place. This included pupils fishing with nets for aquatic life in the stream, taking part in a drama activity in a woodland setting as well as finding out about the history of the area by exploring the churchyard and parts of the village. Others orienteered around the park, passing by the rocket launch site and nearby art printing activity. The day’s activities were recorded by pupils taking still photographs and video images.
Pupils net a day of challenges
Year 10 and Development Year Art pupils travelled to Oxford in search of new sources of inspiration for their project “Africa and the Moderns” and to make a series of drawings. They began in the Pitt Rivers Museum which has an amazing collection of objects and artefacts from all over the world. Due to the theme of their project the pupils concentrated on the African masks. They made some good observational studies which would later be added to their sketchbooks. Then it was to the Ashmolean Museum to look at and draw artefacts from other cultures which could also inspire their work.
In search of inspiration
Year 3 pupils enjoyed a fruitful visit to Copsegrove Farm. The day was linked to the Science topic of animals and living things. The children searched for mini beasts, made clay craft of a variety of creatures that call the woodland their habitat as well as sorting skulls from animals that lived on or near the wood. It rained for most of the day so the camp fire was welcomed. They sat around and enjoyed their picnic lunch and cooked homemade sweet wraps in the fire. The children learned how people might have lived without all the mod cons – and were quite adept at the end of the day at using the composting toilet.
Walking on the wild side
Year 8 improved their Geography fieldwork skills with a trip to Boscastle, to study the causes of the flood in 2004. Pupils jumped into the river Valency to gauge the depth, flow and width of the river in order to come up with conclusions for their cross-curricular Geography/Maths ILO (independent learning opportunity) on the Boscastle flood. It wasn’t all work though, as the year group were treated to body boarding lessons.
Applying lessons to life
Forty pupils and five Wycliffe staff embarked on a Geography trip to the Bay of Naples in Italy.On their first day in Sorrento they travelled to the base car park on Mount Vesuvius where they walked up to the crater. They took in some fantastic views of the Bay of Naples on the way, as well as some interesting geographical features, including lava flows. At the crater the group were met by their guide who took them through the Geography of the shape of the crater as it looks today – focusing particularly on the eruption in AD75 and 1944. They had a further walk around the crater, where they were able to see fumaroles, before heading on to the Lost City of Pompeii where they were guided around by Elena. Geography teacher Lisa Nicholls said their guide had an outstanding knowledge of the site. The Mount Vesuvius eruption of AD79 destroyed the city, the toxic gases from the eruption were responsible for the deaths of Pompeii’s inhabitants and the ash buried the town. The objects that lay beneath the city have been preserved for more than a millennium because of the long lack of air and moisture. Plaster was used to fill in the voids in the ash layers that once held human bodies. This allowed archaeologists to see the exact position the person was in when he or she died. The group also travelled to the island of Capri. There they took the funicular to the main town and visited the famous piazzas and gardens and viewed the stunning coastal landscapes and land forms. On their final full day the group travelled right through the Campi Flegrei, or Field of Flames, a volcanic caldera (groups of craters) to the west of Naples, which is one of the few super volcanoes in the world. While there they visited the Amphitheatre at Pozzuoli. This is the third largest Roman amphitheatre in Italy. They met up with their guide Elena at Herculaneum, an ancient Roman town destroyed by volcanic pyroclastic flows in AD 79 eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The deep pyroclastic material which covered it preserved wooden and other organic-based objects such as roofs, beds, doors, food and even some 300 skeletons which were discovered in recent years along the seashore, all of which they were able to see when they visited. “Thank you once again to all pupils who came to Sorrento. A big thank must also go to Mrs Russell, Mr Pender, Mr Larkman and Mr Woolley for helping to make the trip so successful,” said Mrs Nicholls.
Mamma mia! Geography pupils uncover Sorrento’s rich heritage
Learning outside the classroom
07
Lower Prep welcomed Mr and Mrs Crowther from the Helpahedgehog Hospital, to talk in the morning assembly. They were accompanied by a young hedgehog who had made a good recovery at the hospital and was soon to be re-released into the wild. The Helpahedgehog Hospital is run by volunteers and relies on donations to continue to operate. The children each brought a tin of cat food to donate to the hospital. Mr Crowther asked that the children choose ‘chicken in jelly’ cat food as hedgehogs do not like fish at all and chicken in jelly is their favourite!
by Cadet CSjt Archie Ronald Year 12
by Cadet CSM Alex Watson, Year 13
Assembly proves a prickly affair
They visited the Grand Hall, the library, the dining room, the nursery and even the bedroom reserved especially for when the Queen visited Lydiard House. Year 1 found out all about school life and toys children would have played with in the past.They all thoroughly enjoyed their visit and came away with lots of information for their topic work on Homes and Toys in the past.
Saoirse Purkess (Year 12), chair of the Charities’ Committee, said: “These three charities all provide something a little different around the same theme so sharing our proceeds between them seemed a good idea; they are local, national and international and suit Wycliffe’s culture.”
They met the housekeeper who gave them an introduction to the house and the members of the St John family. The pupils dressed as Victorian children with the girls wearing aprons and bonnets and the boys, waistcoats and caps and they learnt how to curtsey and bow.
Year 1 pupils visited Lydiard House near Swindon and discovered what life would have been like to live in the Victorian times.
Year 1 go back in time
Senior School pupils are urging people to “spend a penny to save a life”. They created a unique collection box - a loo - to raise money for their three chosen charities: Toilet Twinning, Rory’s Well and Water Aid. Visitors are being asked to ‘spend a penny’, or donate whatever loose change they can spare, to save lives by buying toilets and helping to provide good sanitation for people in developing countries.
Spend a penny to save a life
My work experience took place at Oakhampton Battle Camp, situated on the edge of Dartmoor National Park. This was a five-day insight into the way of life of the Army with some parts being specifically about the Rifles Regiment, with their equipment and routines being used throughout the week. Predictably the weather was not exactly warm, neither was it at all dry but sufficient clothing did what it could to help. We took part in various operations on the moorland over the time I was there, there was little time for rest as something was always happening. These ranged from operations where we would patrol across the moorland for an unknown amount of time, and then receive contact from an enemy position (this proved especially interesting at night). There was little way of knowing how far we had gone, as Dartmoor has few outstanding features. Other activities ranged from military Physical Training to obstacle courses and range firing. I knew none of the other participants when I arrived on the course, but it’s surprising how quickly you can bond together, even in the bleak weather of Dartmoor. I thoroughly enjoyed my time, and would recommend it to anyone wishing to join the Forces.
Alex learns about Army life firsthand
Millie Etherington (Year 2) had her tresses shorn to help children suffering with hair loss. She donated her locks to the Little Princess Trust and also raised £140 for the charity. Though she was just aged six, Millie was so moved about learning of children who lose their hair due to cancer treatment and other illnesses that she decided she wanted to help.
Hair she goes!
Wycliffe CCF took part in the Stonehouse Remembrance Parade. The day began with the leading Seniors Cadet CSM Alex Watson, Cadet CSjt Annabelle Pearce, Cadet Sjt Sergey Zaprudin, Cadet Sjt Mark Zheng, Cadet Cpl Wilf Hunt and myself as a Cadet CSjt taking part in the Wycliffe Chapel service. This involved the six of us marching up to the front of Chapel with Alex and I holding the Union Flag and the Colours of the CCF. We took further part in the service with Sergey, Alex and myself all doing readings and prayers. The service ended with us marching the Standards out of the Chapel. The day continued with the main event which was the parade up to the Stonehouse War Memorial. Around 10 community groups took part in the parade with 42 Cadets from Wycliffe CCF. Cadet CSM Alex Watson led our section with myself holding the Colour. When we reached the memorial, there was a short service and Alex Watson laid the wreath on behalf of Wycliffe.
Honouring the Fallen
Eleven Wycliffe pupils have completed and passed their Duke of Edinburgh Gold expedition section this term. The nine female and two male participants are mostly from Year 12 and this constitutes our youngest and largest group ever to achieve this level. The 11 participants are: Lowri Clarke (Year 12), Oliver Soanes (Year 12), Maisie Spiers (Year 12), Fennella Purkess (Year 12), Victoria Bogachenkova (Year 12), Isla Green (Year 12), Iona Lundie (Year 12), Emma Livingstone (Year 12), Tillie Graham (Year 12), Seun Somoye (Year 13) and Annabelle Pearce (Year 13).
Wycliffe Duke of Edinburgh Silver level international participants raised £60 for the school charity, Water Aid, by cooking and selling mince pies with mulled wine at the Stonehouse Goodwill event.
Expeditions took place in the Brecon Beacons in September and October; the second in atrocious conditions during storm ‘ Brian’; the name of which belies the ferocity of the wind and rain, particularly overnight when tents had to be very securely pegged down as the storm howled around. Pupils reacted to the testing conditions with immense cheeriness, good humour and determination, causing the assessor to remark that he found it the most rewarding and enjoyable expedition in his experience. Kate Elliott said: “The driving rain on the following day in which the teams were obliged either to wade thigh-high through rivers of water or slide down muddy torrents cascading from the hill tops, put doubts on their having the resolve to continue. Each individual should be proud of their performance, perseverance and positive attitude. Well done.”
DofE Gold pupils trek way into Wycliffe record books
Charities and Extra-Curricular
By Hannah Denning, Joseph Pier and Alex Salmon, Year 8
On Thursday afternoons Prep pupils have a wide variety of activities to choose from, with everything from Book Club to Gymnastics. Some clubs offer a chance to relax after a busy day, for example, Book Club. Year 8 pupil Steph Thomas said: “A lot of people don’t think the idea of sitting down and reading is very appealing, but it really is a good way to feel relaxed and calm at the end of the day.” There are clubs that stretch the mind and thinking strategically, such as Chess Club. Meanwhile, rather than stretching the mind, Gymnastics, an activity for Years 3-5, stretches the body. For the arty or creative and resilient there is Model World. You have complete reign over what you build, and a wide variety of resources to choose from.
Spoiled for choice!
By Alessia Cottrell, Lia Trainor and Tommy Rowland (Year 8)
Year 8 pupils visited the Senior School for an activities morning to find out what Senior School would be like. Along with some of the Year 8 pupils from nearby schools they took part in many different lessons including Drama, Art, Music, English and Japanese.“ Drama was good fun, we got to show our creativity and think outside the box!” said Lucy McKerrow (Year 8). Pupils had an opportunity to learn Japanese including greetings, numbers and even writing their names in traditional and simplified Japanese. “I liked Japanese a lot, because when we were learning the numbers, we used fun movements to help us remember them better,” said Olivia Lundie (Year 8). We asked the organiser, Mrs Collinson, what the aim of the day was, and she answered: “It is an opportunity for the Year 8 pupils to experience some of the subjects that are on offer at the Senior School, and meet some of the staff.” It was a great opportunity to meet the teachers and have a taster day. “We can now prepare for the Senior School,” said Flora Lauchland (Year 8).
Prep School gets taste of Senior School
This is my first big achievement
What inspired you to write this book? It was a combination of things - the experience of illness, and returning to my childhood home in my early twenties, and discovering a book by Paul Gallico called ‘The Snow Goose’, and seeing the swifts and swallows come back to England after their spring migrations, and wondering how they knew when to set off, and where to fly to. All of these things that made me think about the nature of our relationship to “home”, they all flowed together and something in my head said, “This is a book!” When and how did you first figure out you wanted to become a writer? It was when I was at university - I wrote a short play for a drama competition, and then I found that I enjoyed writing essays. I started to think that my working life was going to involve writing in some form, but I didn’t really know what sort of writing that would be, or how I would find out. How do you approach the book writing process? Where do you begin?I’m not the best person to ask, because mostly I fail to begin - I get too frightened, or distracted, or disheartened. Most of us have something like an inner critic - a voice in our head going, “That’s rubbish! Everyone’s going to laugh at you!” I find the best way is to start with something small and concrete. Often the big themes live in the details. Click here for a full version of this interview.
Author William Fiennes (left) with Wycliffe Head of English Matt Kingscote
Wycliffe was one of the sponsors of Stroud Book Festival. Our Head of English, Mr Matt Kingscote, introduced top author William Fiennes. His book, entitled ‘The Snow Geese’ won several prizes including the 2003 Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award.
Author reveals his moments of self-doubt
During World War Two, the staff and pupils at Wycliffe College were relocated to St David’s College in Lampeter, Wales. Lampeter House is named after a place rather than a person, as this is a substantial part of the school’s history as the pupils and staff spent six years at Lampeter! While the entire Wycliffe College community spent that time at Lampeter, the Met Office evacuated to the grounds of Wycliffe in Stonehouse. Although this was a secret, then headmaster W.A.Sibly received a letter from the Met Office specifying that a check around the grounds would be made. Wycliffe’s Science block, house and hall became teeming with meteorological instruments, climatological record-keeping and the Navy’s mapping of sea currents and ice. An astonishing 167 telephones were installed. Due to the fact that Lampeter in Wales has played such an immense role in the school’s history, it was only fitting to have one of the Senior School’s Houses named after it.
The legend of Lampeter
We contacted our Head of School, Sergey Zaprudin, to ask what it was like to be the first non British Head of School, to share a little more about where he comes from and how his life was before he arrived at Wycliffe. Sergey hails from Yekaterinburg, which is the fourth biggest city in Russia and located on the edge of Siberia, near the Ural Mountains. Sergey said that his education there was very good but limited; it focused purely on the academic side of school life with little in the way of additional Extra-Curricular activities, no competitive Sport and with just one lesson of Physical Education a week. While Sergey studied at school, a teacher from America began to teach him the basics of English, long before Sergey had made any decision to come to England. Once he had a good grasp of the English language, Sergey decided to try a couple of summer camps around the UK, including one at Wycliffe. He loved his experience in Stonehouse so much that the following year he joined us. However, when he arrived he still had to get used to the accents (and the slang) that the locals used. Soon that improved massively and Sergey finally began to settle into English life. We asked Sergey what his favourite lessons are now and he replied that he had always tried to balance his commitments in school, without leaning towards one or another. Sergey modestly claimed that he is neither sporty nor academic. His top three favourite lessons are Politics, Drama and Economics. We asked Sergey about how he felt when he was first selected to be Head of School and if he ever feels nervous about the different tasks and roles that he has to perform. He said that his first reaction to being named Head of School was complete shock; he had never thought that he would actually be selected, so the first thought that came into his head was one of pride. “This is my first big achievement,” he decided. Sergey said that he feels a lot of pressure to be as good as the previous Heads of School, and that he does occasionally still get nervous and that mistakes happen. When speaking publicly he could mispronounce a word for example, but much of what he does as Head of School has become part of a normal daily routine. Sergey said his favourite responsibility is welcoming visitors to Wycliffe and sharing his experiences here with them.
This section has been written by the newly-formed Journalism Club at the Senior School. The reporters are: Maddy Palmer, Year 10, Natalie Hunt, Year 9, Sophia Levy, Year 9, Jasmine Smith, Year 9 and Alex Hannard, Year 11.
Interview with Sergey, our new Head of School
Wycliffe Pupil Reporters
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To read any obituaries visit: www.wycliffe.co.uk/wycliffian-obituaries
Dispatches:
This term we sadly said goodbye to: John A Cooksey (P J S 1952 - 1963) 03.06.2017 aged 72 John Barr (P H 1939 - 1946) 23.07.2017 aged 89 John R Allen (P H 1936 - 1946) 30.07.2017 aged 89 David W E Cooper (P J S 1946 - 1952) 08.17 aged 81 John Roberts-Jenkins (J S 1942 - 1949) 24.08.2017 aged 86 Patrick G Rees (H 1945 - 1949) 02.09.2017 aged 86 Kenneth A Fenn (J SH 1935 - 1939) 11.09.2017 aged 94 Michael L Blinkhorn (W 1945 - 1948) 16.09.2017 aged 85 David R Holloway (W 1966 - 1970) 23.10.2017 aged 64 Peter W Bateman (P J H 1945 - 1955) 07.11.2017 aged 79
Matches:
Alister (Ali) Sherwood (P 1994 – 1999) married Charlotte (Charlie) Fryer on 2nd September 2017 at Holkham Church in Norfolk. Ali and his two best men, Tom Messer and Alec Morris all started at Wycliffe in Year 3 in 1994. George Harding and James Hilton two of his ushers were also at Wycliffe. The Reverend Steve Gray who married them was school chaplain at Wycliffe from 1994 – 1998. What a reunion it was! Ali’s sister Helena is currently Acting Head of Girls Games and assistant housemistress in Lampeter at Wycliffe Senior School. Sarah Wicks (P C 2000 – 2008) married Darren Pugh on the 23rd September 2017, a number of OWs were present including her sister Jenny Wicks (P SH 1990 – 1998). Michael Gillett (P H 2001 – 2008) married Aimee Hardwick at Wycliffe Chapel on 4th November 2017, a number of OWs attended and a fantastic day on the school grounds was had by all.
Hatches:
Hatches, Matches and Dispatches
Ali & Charlie
Michael & Aimee
Sarah & Darren
Evie Blanche Cooper
Oliver (H 2006 – 2012) and Sarah Cooper; married in 2014 and now have a wonderful new addition to their family; the beautiful Evie Blanche Cooper born in August 2017.
A big welcome to Victoria (Vicks) Vicary who joined The Wycliffian Society in August. Vicks comes with a wealth of local knowledge, marketing and event planning experience. Her official title is Alumni and Development Officer and she is called Victoria at Wycliffe on Facebook, just in case you were wondering who that friend request was from!
James Ewart Wingrove (W 1989 – 1991) was asked to represent RFA Mounts Bay and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary as part of the Op Ruman group nomination at the recent Sun Military Awards following his work in the Caribbean - post hurricane Irma and Maria which were both category 5 hurricanes that devastated the islands. Op Ruman was a UK military operation providing relief to UK overseas territories. The ship was on the scene within 12 hours of the hurricane hitting the Islands and James’ role on-board was as Executive Officer (2nd in command) title, Chief Officer Wingrove. The award was ‘Judges Special Award’ presented by the Prime Minister Theresa May, to a group representing those involved. Congratulations James.
Office News
Wycliffians in the Military
In September, Jamie Hill (P S 1984 - 1992) got in touch to tell us he was planning to run his first marathon in October at the Birmingham Marathon in support of the amazing charity Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy (ICP). Three days post run, Jamie wrote: “I’m still broken. I have aches in parts of my body that I didn’t know I even had and my biggest enemy is stairs. I’m like a very tired dalek.” He raised over £2,000 for ICP and at the time of going to print his just giving page is still open. www.justgiving.com/fundraising/james-hill36 The School raised £324.21 by way of non-uniform day for Dig Deep, Rachel Kimble’s (H 2003 – 2008) chosen charity – she climbed Mt Kilimanjaro in the summer. Well done!
Wycliffians in Charity
We plan to hold drinks in Bristol in 2018, likely September and would appreciate knowing if you are a member of a club or know a good venue and are willing to make an introduction.
Event Plans
We have moved within LinkedIn from the profile page we had to a group called The Wycliffians, please re- join and remember to amend your own profile and re-choose Wycliffe College, now with logo.
LinkedIn
Facebook
Social media update
We have created a number of groups within The Wycliffian Society Facebook page, please join any that are of interest to you. These include and are not limited to Golf, Cricket and Football. We have created a new group called Wycliffe College 1960s for those of you who attended in the 60s and a 1970s group exists, not currently linked – so you will need to search within Facebook to join.
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Gloucestershire and we raised a whopping £911, of which half will go to The High Sheriff of Gloucestershire Fund. This fund aims to support activities for young people that divert them away from crime, help to raise confidence and self-esteem, provide informal learning and development opportunities and improve the health and wellbeing of young people.
Drinks at The Old Lodge, Minchinhampton
Drinks reception at RAF Club
This year’s carol service was a huge success with a ‘full house’ and narrowly missing the heavy snow fall, luckily!Our guest was Lt Col Andrew Tabor JP, High Sheriff of
In November, we hosted drinks at The Old Lodge, Minchinhampton. A more local, informal gathering of over 30 OWs - many of whom had not joined us for a reunion before and were keen to reconnect nearer home. Going forward, we are looking to find other venues in the South West and London, so if you’re a member of a club or can introduce us to a good venue, please contact TWS@Wycliffe.co.uk, we’d love to hear from you.
As our social media gathers pace and word of mouth spreads, our TWS reunions go from strength to strength with growing numbers of people reconnecting. The October drinks reception was kindly hosted by Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Graydon (SH 1950 – 1956) at the fabulous RAF Club and following on from the success of our Queen’s Club Drinks, there was a fantastic turnout of over 100 OWs. It was super to see so many OW decades covered; from recent 2017 leavers studying in London to a 1943 leaver. We enjoyed a delicious selection of canapés and wines to help break the ice and everyone chatted away and caught up with old friends. Photographs were posted on Facebook and our website afterwards and there was plenty of chatter on social media.
Carol Service
Reunions and events
Wycliffe riders competed in the annual Cheltenham Ladies’ College Show Jumping competition and qualifier held at Rectory Farm. Clara Skelston, who is only nine years old, rode at her first big event and finished a fantastic 4th individually in her class which was judged on style as well as going clear. Lucy McKerrow rode in two classes jumping clear in the 70/75cms and just having two poles in the 80/85cms class. Lucy rode with great determination and was unlucky just to miss out on placings in the 70/75cms class. The Senior team - Isla Green (Year 12), Rachel Hatherell (Year 10), Harriet Thompson (Year 10) and Kally Goring (Year 10) - competed in two classes: the 90/95cms and the 1m/1.05m class. They all rode brilliantly to finish team 5th in both classes and qualifying for the Championships at Keysoe. Harriet Thompson also finished an impressive 8th individually out of over 80 individual competitors with a double clear and a fast time in the 1m/1.05m class.
Ben Simmonds (Year 10) has been selected to represent England at Under 15 level in the Boys Foil event in Poland next year. The Challenge Wratislavia competition is held over four days between 22 and 26 March 2018. Ben will be part of a 12-strong England team competing on 24 March. His selection was confirmed after the final ranking tournament results were published recently. Despite coming 9th at that final event, other good performances gave him enough points to secure his place on the team. With two third places and a win at the Newham event, Ben was hopeful that he had done enough and this was confirmed when the selection was announced a few days ago.
Team ride to top positions
Ben chosen for England Fencing competition
RECORD HOLDER APPOINTED COACH The man who currently holds the record for the most tries in the Welsh Rugby League has been appointed Rugby coach at Wycliffe. Former Welsh International player Wayne Proctor’s mission is to get all the boys smiling as they play and having confidence in themselves as members of the team. “I want the children here to enjoy their rugby, to feel happy and safe when they play and not to fear failure,” he said. Mr Proctor, who studied Sports Science at Pembrokeshire College and was the record try scorer for Llanelli RFC, moved to Wycliffe after spending time in Namibia during the World Cup. “It’s important that all players learn how to look after themselves and that I teach them to try to be self-reliant so they don’t get into a situation when they need help to overcome injury,” he said. His long-term goal is to make the boys better skilled, develop their competitiveness, and retain a life-long love of the game.
By Freddie Searle and Montgomery Stokes, Year 8
Team shines in first Rugby 7s Tournament
Wycliffe Prep’s Rugby 7s team beat two tough competitors in their first Rugby 7s tournament. Captain Myles Marklove said: “The communication could be improved on the whole, but there were a few individuals who were good at it. A few players need to commit to more tackles but generally the defending was very good!” The tournament was staged at Dean Close School. The Wycliffe team beat Cheltenham College (20-15) and Tockington Manor (15-10). Tries were scored by Myles Marklove (3), Freddie Searle (7) and Tommy Rowland (1). The team faced two defeats: Dean Close (10-25) and St John’s (10-15). Mr Proctor said: “The team lacked a little bit of experience given that they hadn’t done a Rugby 7s tournament before, but considering that it was their first tournament they did extremely well!”
Seven students did Wycliffe proud in the Target Sprint National Finals held in Yate. All athletes had qualified from previous Target Sprint events so all were competing at the final where the best from around the country. The event consists of running 400 metres, then shooting down five targets which are 10 metres away from the shooting stand. You then run again, shoot another five down once more then it is one final 400 metres to the finish. In the Youth Men Tom Rowland ran and shot well to finish 5th overall from three heats to qualify for the final. Lewis Livingstone shot brilliantly but unfortunately had to pull out with an injury. Jamie Davies also put everything into his heat but overall just missed out on making the final. In the Junior Female section three athletes - Izzy Naish, Verity Butler and Emma Livingstone - all ran and shot superbly to qualify for the final. In the Junior Male section Tom Bury ran well to finish first in his heat and to come first overall from the two Junior Male heats to qualify for the final. In the final for Youth Men Tom Rowland ran superbly to finish a brilliant 3rd. In the Juniors Female final Izzy Naish’s brilliant quick shooting and her good fitness helped her to finish in 3rd position. Emma Livingstone finished 4th and Verity came in 8th. In the final for the Junior Men’s race Tom Bury finished clinched gold, beating three GB members. His time was the fastest of the day and faster than the winning time for the senior males, the age group above his.
Tom brings home the gold
Success at the double for running teamsThe Inter Girls’ and Inter Boys’ Cross-Country teams achieved a Wycliffe first at the National Cup finals staged in Sevenoaks. Both the Inter Girls’ and Inter Boys’ teams secured a place in the finals, the first time Wycliffe has achieved this. This is a team event with six runners in each team. The Inter Girls’ team of Millie Porter, Evie Green, Holly Lovell, Madeleine Stokes, Maddy Palmer and Rachel Hatherell had previously qualified through the County Rounds and Regional rounds to make the finals. On a cold and demanding course there were some wonderful performances from the whole squad with most notably Evie Green finishing in 16th place and Millie Porter 27th. With the remaining Wycliffe runners not far behind and all of them finishing inside the top 80 out of a field of 151 runners, the team secured a magnificent 4th place, which was a wonderful performance. The Boys’ team of Tom Rowland, Charlie Hosking, James Hulme, Joseph McCoubrie, Sam Davenport and Will Naish had also performed brilliantly in the earlier rounds to secure their place for the finals. In their race Tom Rowland led the way to finish in a deserved 43rd place. However, in a strong field and despite some determined running, the team could not mount a significant challenge. The three Year 9 boys taking part can definitely look forward to next year and hopefully qualifying again and finishing higher. Well done to all involved and a massive congratulations for a brilliant 4th place to the Girls’ Team.
Success at the double for running teams
Sport
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Charlie Hosking
Charlie clinches Gloucestershire’s top honour
performances, with the highlight being Charlie Hosking winning the Junior Boys race to become County Champion. Millie Porter produced a brilliant run to finish in second place in the Inter Girls, with Evie Green only a couple of places behind in fourth. Holly Lovell was the third Wycliffe runner to achieve a top ten finish in this race, as she crossed the line in ninth place. Tom Bury was fourth in the Senior Boys, which was the longest run of the day with Emma Livingstone finishing fifth in the Senior Girls. There were other good performances from Maddy Stokes in the Junior Girls and James Hulme in the Junior Boys. Well done to all runners on their performances.
Twelve Senior School pupils competed in the County Cross-Country Championships at Newent. These runners had all been selected to represent the South Cotswolds. There were some outstanding individual
Sebastian Forrest and James Hulme competed for Great Britain in the Biathle World Championships in Viveiro, Spain. Sebastian, who is in Year 6, finished 7th in the Under 11 mixed pairs and 16th in the individual race. This made him the fourth Great Britain boy to finish. Sebastian learned a lot in the open water swim. Having entered the swim in about 8th it was a mass free-for-all at the start. But Sebastian managed to find some clear water but unfortunately swam a little further as a result. However, he fought back, didn’t give up and on the second run ran brilliantly to gain back about six or seven places to finish mid-field. Eight nations competed in his race and Sebastian managed to swap swim caps with the South African winner.James, who is in Year 9, competed in the Under 15 mixed relay, finishing in 6th place. However, it was in the individual triathle where James swam, shot and ran brilliantly to finish in 12th place in the individual triathle and, as one of the top three Great Britain athletes to finish, won a Team Gold medal.
Wycliffe biathle pair fly the GB flag
Under 16 Girls’ team named County Hockey Champions
The Under 16 Hockey team started their West Hockey Finals journey by winning the Gloucestershire County round of the Investec Schools Championships. This qualified them for the Regional Preliminary rounds for the second year in a row. They played with confidence and strength to beat Kings Gloucester 2-0, Cheltenham Ladies’ College 2-0 and Dean Close 1-0. This gained them maximum points making them County Champions; a first for Wycliffe. The Regional Preliminary tournament was an awful day with the rain pouring and with mixed results as the girls had a dip in confidence. However, they worked hard to secure their runner-up spot and a place in the West Finals. The West Regional Hockey Finals saw Wycliffe face some of the best Hockey schools in the South West. First up was Canford, a school who had dominated in their region winning games by double figures to nil. This was not to deter our girls however and with a very strong start Wycliffe gained several short corners and shots on target only to be saved by their impressive goal keeper. However, Canford converted their chances to secure a 3-0 victory. Despite this loss the girls were proud of their performance and the pressure they exerted in the attacking D. Millfield were next, a team Wycliffe used to be intimidated by but now seen as great competition. By overloading the midfield in the first half, their key players were marked out of the match. This frustrated Millfield and caused them to make mistakes. However, the second half saw Millfield begin to dominate the game and pick out tiny holes to eventually score and win 4-0. This was another end-to-end game of Hockey. Redmaids was the final game of the day and despite still giving it their all and having yet more shots at goal the team just didn’t have luck on their side. They took control of the game, linked their play, made solid confident tackles, but after an hour and a half of high intensity Hockey and a few injuries, they began to tire. The final result was a disappointing 1-2 loss. However, this was a hugely positive day for the Under 16 squad. They produced some of the best Hockey to date with a great team performance at the County Champs and West Finals. The scores do not reflect the end-to-end Hockey that was played in all three games and we are all immensely proud of how well they played. Squad: Amy Cook (Captain) Frey Petersen (GK), Olivia Garrard, Jenny Howorth, Paula Lotze, Louise Stanley, Daniella Cruickshank, Evie Evans, Kally Goring, Evie Green, Rachel Hatherell, Aimee Jones, Francesca Lundie, Maddy Palmer, Millie Porter, Harriet Thompson.
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Wycliffe College, Bath Road, Stonehouse, Gloucestershire GL10 2JQ Tel: 01453 822432
