The Caldicotian 2022 - 2023
THE CALDICOTIAN 2022/2023 | 1
CONTENTS 1 2 4 8
FROM THE HEADMASTER SPEECH DAY ADDRESS AFTER CALDICOTT CALDICOTT STORIES Caldicott Crowned Best School in UK for Supporting Junior Boarders The Introduction of a Five-Day Week for Lower School The Hitchin Scholarship Declamations 2022 ‘Full House’ of Scholarships Caldicott House Shout 2022 Mr and Mrs Williams Retire After a Combined 69 Years of Service Sports Day & House Athletics Finals
12 TRIPS 14 LOWER SCHOOL REVIEW 18 3rd FORM REVIEW 22 DEPARTMENT REVIEWS 38 THE LIBRARY 40 PERFORMING ARTS 48 SPORT 78 BOARDING 80 IN THE COMMUNITY 82 OLD CALDICOTIANS 84 DEVELOPMENT
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From the Headmaster
At Prize Giving there was a collective pat on the back because the school has enjoyed a year that has epitomised the ambitions that we have for all boys. With the academic culture, the achievements in sport, the performing arts and the creative arts alongside an ever more emotionally intelligent community, I offer every member of that community my heartiest congratulations. We are proud of each and every boy. As one senior school Headmaster said, 'the Caldicott brand is phenomenal, and boys are simply brilliant'. Caldicott has emerged in the last year feeling confident, relevant and robust. Thanks to hard working teaching and support staff, the boys have made this a year to remember, and I am delighted that you will have the opportunity now to read about it all.
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SPEECH DAY
Wednesday 5 July 2023 Address given by Headmaster, Mr Jeremy Banks @CaldicottHead
Good morning ladies and gentlemen and boys – welcome to Caldicott’s Prize Giving. It's usually so hot in here that we have literally decided to take the roof off. Maybe a slight fib, but thank you for your understanding today – this urgency simply means the boys will have access again in September. Two events of the last couple of days really stood out as being indicative of a school in really good health. Firstly, on Monday night simultaneously we held the brilliant Dads versus Lads cricket, whilst also hosting a flood of old boys who were desperate to return for a football tournament and, finally, we held the parents versus staff football. Recent success had gone to the staff, but the parents were determined… so determined in fact that a Caldi-godfather joined in too… and it turned out he had played for Nottingham Forest! It was a brilliant game, played in the right spirit and it certainly did ‘Top Field’ proud. In addition to this, a little shout out to Monique who broke down barriers by being the first mother to play on Top Field. Wonderful. Secondly, the boarders’ party was a wash out, but with a ‘can do’ Caldicott attitude the boarding team and the teaching staff made the most of it, with the inflatables all being set up in the Performing Arts Centre. It goes without saying that the boys were oblivious to the rain. Before I go any further, for those of you who were able to attend the Friends’ Summer Party – what a great night that was and I offer a huge thank you to Deemple Brain and the Friends’ Committee for a brilliant year. Deemple, please come forward. I’d like to add to the Chairman’s welcome he gave to Sir Anthony who, for many of us in headship, has been the pre-eminent headmaster of our generation. You will all have read the biography we have included in today’s programme and have been impressed, but I would like to highlight his recent appointment as the head of Epsom College (until a permanent successor to Emma Pattison is found), as being an inspiration to us all. Emma and her daughter, Lettie, were lost so cruelly and Sir Anthony has been doing an incredible job in trying to fill that void. Thank you.
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Today sadly marks the last day at Caldicott for a few of my colleagues and I’d like to say a few words.
There has been a notable uptick in how many boys view our creative and performing arts. On the back of the most impressive Music Concert at the Gareth Leggett has been the longest end of last term, this week we have serving of our leavers this term, and as been witness to the most impressive Head of Science and a Games teacher House Drama and House Music his impact has been memorable, equally in taking up the realms of looking after the ever. Radley’s Director of Drama was “blown away” during her adjudication ski trips, he’s also had a fantastic impact and St Edward’s Director of Music there and we’re very grateful. Claude shared that he thought they were the Cox has been a History teacher, he’s worked hard with those U11s in rugby and best prep school music performances he had ever attended. It doesn’t stop we wish him well with his plans. Fiona there as the creativity of the boys Cunliffe has only been here for one year, because Amélie Picard has returned from through opportunities in art has never been at the level we see it at the maternity leave and so my enormous moment. gratitude to Fiona for her contributions to the department in that time. Paul Snoddy All this and still our sports programme has been with us for a short amount of keeps the boys fit, happy and time and has seen the boys through successful. With a whitewash in Common Entrance, which we are grateful our favour against Wetherby and for. Amy Holyland who is a peripatetic Lambrook and a near whitewash singing teacher, the wife of Matt Holyland against Dragon School (backed up our Head of Geography, will be standing with wins against Summer Fields) our down to focus on her own professional elite and participatory sport is thriving career. And, we have a little shoutout to at every level thanks to the incredible two gappies, Zayaan Malik and George coaches. Coomber for being exemplar role models Of course, the most important group to our boys; we’re very grateful to them to think about today is the boys and I for that. Thank you to all those staff, I do would like to congratulate the leavers’ appreciate your contributions enormously. today for all their achievements – we Critical to our success in recent years has been a wave of fresh ideas that have strengthened our position and standing within the sector. Confidently achieving academic excellence at a level that is right for each boy alongside a rich array of opportunities that develop good character has been, and will continue to be, the magic of Caldicott that senior schools value so much. In recent weeks, boys have succeeded in an ever-wider range of experiences. In academics, several of the older boys have completed their journey towards an attempt at an academic scholarship. We are incredibly proud of the most recent group who tackled the King’s scholarship at Eton College and a boy who tackled the Winchester Election for Winchester College. It has been over ten years since we have hit these heights and two boys triumphed.
have a short video of their time here at Caldicott (bit.ly/2022Leavers). Please indulge me now as I wrap up the year with a nod to the incredible achievements of your children but first I would like to congratulate a number of old boys from early in my Caldicott career who have had phenomenal success at their senior schools and I’d like to add my thanks to Ma’am Duncan for her work with the OCs: At Eton: Freddie Bracken-Smith – President of the Eton Society Hunter Deane-Johns – Eton Society Luke Hope – Eton Society Finn Napier – Eton Society Lucas Pinsent – Sixth Form Select
At Harrow: Kepu Tuipulotu – Head of Druries, School Monitor, Head of Philathletic Club Filip Edstrom – Head of Bradbys and School Monitor At Radley: Sam Maynard – Co-Curricular Prefect At Abingdon: Sam Burland – Head of RAF Contingent On the subject of OCs, from 2023 the Hwyl Cup with be known as The Hwyl Cup in memory of Sam Noble OC. The explanation will be ‘for a boy who demonstrates an ability to inspire those around him – after the Welsh word ‘hwyl’ which encapsulates the life of Sam Noble OC. Sam was an old boy of Caldicott and fiercely proud of his prep school, so much so that Kate and he chose us for Charlie, their son. For the launch of this new chapter of a cup that is important to us, we have invited his son, Charlie, as well as his mum, Kate to join us and later in this Prize Giving, Charlie will take to the stage to say a little more and announce the winner. We now have a second short video for you about the wide range of enrichment opportunities and trips (page 13). Caldicott boys have the power to surprise us endlessly – even in the depths of Common Entrance. I would like to read an extract from an actual answer Elias gave to a CE English Paper II essay question about his reflections of his experience at school…
‘There are many highs to our Caldicott career, no matter your preference. For some, it was the House Drama Finals, where they managed to pull through and intricately memorised every line without prompts or cues, to the Rugby 10s competition, where we pushed ourselves hardest and came fifth in the competition, against teams with 6 ft wingers and 90 kg props, to the several tours throughout the year – the rugby tour to France, the ski trip to France, the cricket tour to South Africa, the ski tour to Italy, the Geography trip to Iceland and the residential to Cornwall last year and Wales this year. And that is just counting the trips tours and events that all happened this year, and at the end of last year. Personally, as a pupil who only spent three years at Caldicott, if I could change one thing, I would add another three years. And it is not just us that have an experience that we will cherish in our minds for decades; in the Easter holidays, I was in France skiing with my family, when a man and his daughter came up to me and asked if the t-shirt I was wearing was from Caldicott and explained he used to be a student at this school and it was unforgettable. I am pretty sure that the school puts something in the water that makes us remember all the good times we have had. I wish you all the absolute best, and may the odds be forever in your favour’. Well done Elias. The leavers had their fair share of academic success too, thanks to outstanding teaching and I proudly direct you to the future schools list and the exam success in your programme. Whilst we truly love the journey that Caldicott offers, these gold medals at the end do stand us apart. These outcomes do not happen by accident and I would like to express my sincerest thanks to the teachers, support staff and to the Board of Governors who all work tirelessly, sometimes publicly, sometimes behind the scenes, to ensure Caldicott is thriving. In times that may feel more uncertain than we would like, each of these three groups, alongside supportive parents, drives our school forward confidently.
Charity has always played a huge part in our efforts here at Caldicott and this year is no exception. From a colour clash mufti day, to Bake Offs, to a Royal Fun Run and the Marlborough Triathlon, the boys have had a great year of supporting good causes. Our primary focus has been the Sparrow Schools Foundation and we were thrilled to welcome their representatives to Caldicott twice in the course of this year. I would also like to pick out some particularly notable efforts, if I may: 1. A number of you have purchased a Duckworth Prestex Caldicott watch and proceedings have gone to the Friends of Caldicott. Thank you. 2. The second-hand clothes shop run by Michelle Lynch, Alanah Light, David Brain, Karlie Potter and Faye Gaugier raised £6,500. Incredible – thank you. 3. The boys’ independent efforts in such a wide variety of ways… so a huge shout out to Hugo Hutson, Thomas Leggett, Oscar Lu, Jayden Yang, Harry Haines, Alexander Wyatt, Freddie Doyle, Raqeen Gnanalingam, Edward Beurier, Maxim Beurier, Brian Lin, Yash Gupta, Rafe Gaugier and Will Mulqueen. The Charity Committee have galvanised everyone in all these efforts, thank you parents, thank you Ma’am Duncan, thank you everyone – you’ve managed to raise £39,689. We appreciate it. So, all in all, a pretty phenomenal year it has been, yet the sheer joy of it continues to be in the brilliant relationships that exist in our community. Your sons’ efforts combined with the talented people who work here will keep Caldicott doing what we enjoy doing most, which is a simple thing really: supporting and guiding boys to be their best selves and fulfilling their potential. Although I’m teased for it, I stand by the word I created which I think describes us best – blending traditional and relevant, we get tradelevant. Have a wonderful summer everyone. Many thanks for all you do and, for today’s event, many thanks to Ma’am Macleod and Ma’am Naidoo.
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AFTER CALDICOTT
Leavers' Destinations 13+ Alfred Allison
St Edward's, Oxford
Agastya Asnani
Harrow School
Cooper Atkinson
Marlborough College
Edward Beurier
Wellington College
Ned Bloomfield
Harrow School
Charlie Boardman Elias Brennan Montgomery Carter Shaw Clark Chen Josh Coetzer Maddox Colman
Stowe Cranleigh
Radley College Wellington College Radley College RGS
Alex Gao
Winchester College
James Gorton
Stowe
Otto Haddock
Dauntsey
Harry Howard
Radley College
Alwin Huang
Harrow School
Matthew Hughes
Harrow School
Aston Jenkins
Eton College
Noah John-Brown
Harrow School
Charles Kane
Bloxham
Leo Lane Fox
Eton College
Freddie Latief
Marlborough College
Kevin Li
Harrow School
Sydney Liu
Harrow School
Alex Lynch
Eton College
Stowe
Zuhair Malik
Harrow School
Benjamin Douglas
Marlborough College
Ludo Manley
Bradfield
Bertie Duckworth
Winchester College
Ian Mapanzure
Stowe
Eton College
Anand Nambiar
Eton College
Joe Coomber
Eton College
Rudra Debnath
Eton College
Alfonso Del Rio
Spain
Jonathan Dickinson
Taro Evans Melino Fakahau Anton Fischer
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Malvern Harrow School
Lev Pankov Freddy Parker Bowles
Sherborne School Marlborough College
Leopold Ridley
Oundle School
Wilfred Steward
Eton College
Elliot Tollgard
Winchester College
Rodrigo Urbano Roldan
Spain
Jacobo Uriarte Petrini
Spain
Nate Wei
Harrow School
Jeremy Yang
Eton College
Peter Yuan
Marlborough College
Chiyu Zhan
Radley College
Leavers' 11+ and 12+ Good luck to the below boys at their new schools: Jaime Baon Alvaro Castelo Arturo Garcia-Tizon Boullosa Jujhaar Grewal Saxon Grimsey Thomas Ignatov
Toby Pitcher James Rudge Eshar Sandhu Cassius Spiegelberg Alex Yang
Awards and Scholarships Montgomery Carter Shaw
Academic Scholarship & Sports Exhibition: Radley College
Rudra Debnath
King's Scholarship: Elliot Tollgard Eton College
Winchester College Election Scholarship: Winchester College
Melino Fakahau
Sports Scholarship: Nate Wei Malvern College
Academic Scholarship & Sports Scholarship: Harrow School
Anton Fischer
Drama Scholarship: Chiyu Zhan Harrow School
Academic Exhibition: Radley College THE CALDICOTIAN 2022/2023 | 7
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CALDICOTT STORIES There has been lots to get excited about at Caldicott over the last year, here are a few highlights...
Year 8s Show Their Academic Excellence Following another year in which our Year 8s collectively earnt a ‘full house’ of scholarships (awards across all disciplines: academia, sports and the arts), two boys received very prestigious awards to two of the top senior schools in the country. Following a challenging process, Rudra Debnath (below) is a King’s Scholar at Eton College and Elliot Tollgard (right) has passed the Winchester College Election. Striving for academic excellence, making sure we find the right school for the individual, and enabling every child to pursue their chosen passion continues to be at the forefront of Caldicott’s ethos.
Caldicott Goes Green The globally conscious boys that make up our sustainability committee have been working hard on a number of projects over the last academic year. One of their great feats has been working alongside the school Bursar, Robin Vickers, to ensure the school is now powered by 100% green energy! As a school we have always been committed to reducing our contribution to climate change, and after re-evaluating our goals a few years ago, sustainability is firmly on our agenda. So far, the school has achieved its ambitious commitment of reducing our contribution to climate change every single year. For the last two years, the sustainability committee (under the leadership of Mr Leggett) has worked hard to ensure Caldicott, in a school-wide and individual sense, is as sustainable as possible. The committee has wide reaching influence and authority, already enacting lots of very positive changes. Since 2021, the Headmaster also reports directly to the Board of Governors about this important work.
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CALDICOTT STORIES
Caldicott's Inaugural Summer Art Exhibition Our two new teachers who make up our Art department have brought fresh new ideas to Caldicott. One of those came in the form of our first Summer Art Exhibition which saw Mr Edwards and Ma’am King transform the library into a vibrant gallery, showcasing the artistic talents of boys across the school.
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Pupils Become Teachers to Celebrate Caldicott's Diversity Every week, boys have teamed up and taken turns to teach their own native language to their peers. While celebrating the diversity of our school community, this has also given boys the chance to share a part of their life, and for the other boys it’s a great opportunity to learn the basics of another language in a fun, informal setting! We’ve had a different language every half term, which has given everyone enough time to get to grips with some of the fundamentals; this year we’ve been treated to lessons in Russian, Spanish, Italian, German, and Hindi. When Mr Di Maso asked those boys who had attended any of these lessons to raise their hands in final assembly, it was encouraging to see that such a large number had been keen to get involved. Due to the success of this initiative, we are excited to welcome it back next year with our student-teachers delivering even more lessons to their peers.
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CALDICOTT STORIES
The Friends of Caldicott: Our Community Moves From Strength to Strength We are incredibly thankful to have such a strong, supportive community of families at Caldicott who are always keen to get involved in the many events that our parent body – the Friends of Caldicott (FoC) – organise each term. The work that the FoC do cannot be overstated; from helping Caldicott to raise funds for some truly noble causes, to providing our parents (and staff) with plenty of opportunities to come together and let their hair down – they play a pivotal role in a school where community is at our core.
The FoC Christmas Party this year was an outstanding success. Held at Savile Club, Mayfair, parents and staff came in their best Christmas cocktail attire to enjoy the delicious food, plentiful drinks, and unbeatable company! In the final term, the famed Friends of Caldicott Summer Party didn’t disappoint. This year the event was dubbed the Summer Fiesta and, as always, provided the perfect opportunity for parents and staff to let their hair down. Many fundraising events were held and supported by the FoC throughout the year, with proceedings going to causes including Sparrow Schools, the Syria and Turkey Earthquake Appeal, and SafeLives to name a few. One project that the FoC were able to finally see to completion was the new playground equipment which was built around the existing Adventure Playground in the Easter break! The pandemic may have slowed down the process, but that only built anticipation and the boys were delighted to jump on the zip wire and play in the wooden huts and on the Trim Trail.
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World Book Day 2023 A strong reading culture combined with a constant willingness to get involved meant no one was surprised to see so many boys and staff going all out for World Book Day! The author of Young Sherlock Holmes, Andrew Lane, gave a captivating talk to our 3rd – 6th Formers, which gave the boys a great insight into one of the most famed characters in literature as well as the creative process it takes to write a book and develop a character. The Lower School were similarly treated when they ‘drew with Rob’ in a unique workshop that saw Rob Biddulph, viral phenomenon through his ‘Draw With Rob’ YouTube videos. Rob holds the record for the largest online art class (with around 46,000 households taking part at once) and our boys revelled in the opportunity to learn from the master author and illustrator first-hand. It was a pleasure to welcome Rob to Caldicott, and very encouraging to hear what he had to say about our boys...
“I had an incredible time at Caldicott: your pupils are all so keen. Sometimes, I’ve noticed, there can be a tension in schools between discipline and allowing individuality to develop, but your school seems to have got it just right.”
Royal Charity Fun Run The whole school enjoyed the experience of celebrating King Charles III’s coronation in style as regal attire was donned, positions at the start line were taken and the pageantry commenced.
Celebrations for the coronation could be found all around the school, but it culminated into the Royal Fun Run, which raised money for a charity chosen by our pupil-led Charity Committee, SafeLives, whose patron is Queen Camilla. Over £3000 was raised, so credit to our boys and a massive thank you to our supportive parents! SafeLives are a UK-wide charity dedicated to ending domestic abuse, for everyone and for good. A special mention must go to the two boys who raised £1000 on their own, by staying committed to their two-person horse costume throughout the entirety of the run!
Sports Day & House Athletics Our Sports Day and House Athletics Finals blend into a single inclusive event that allows the most talented athletes a chance to compete with one another, but also gives every boy in the school the opportunity to contribute to their House’s success. That is what our Sports Day is all about – House camaraderie. No matter if a boy comes first in an event in the Athletics Finals, or the Sports Day competition, it counts for the same amount towards their House’s total. The day concluded with our awards ceremony which saw a day of tightly fought events finish with McArthur in first place! Congratulations boys.
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Trips
By being immersed in exciting experiences outside of the classroom, boys develop a real-world passion for a given subject, whilst also creating lifelong memories with their friends. From the 1st Form visiting the Battle of Britain Bunker, to our senior boys' adventures in Cornwall and Wales, there have been lots of opportunities for boys to go on some incredible trips with their friends and teachers this last year.
3rd Form Bletchely Park
Ski Trip Serre Chevalier, France
5th Form Cornwall
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5th Form Tate Modern
Iceland Trip
6th Form Wales THE CALDICOTIAN 2022/2023 | 15
LOWER SCHOOL Harriet Barratt, Head of 1st Form Vicki Riddell, Head of 2nd Form @CaldiLowerSch
As we near the end of another wonderful academic year, it's time to reflect on the incredible journey that the Lower School boys have undertaken. From new friendships to exciting discoveries, this year has been filled with countless opportunities for growth and learning. We were delighted to welcome Ma’am King as a new Tutor into the 2nd Form; her smiling face and artistic talents have been a fantastic addition to the Lower School team. With enthusiasm and curiosity, the boys embraced new concepts, expanded their knowledge, and developed critical thinking skills. From starting the year solving challenging Maths problems in the exciting House Maths competition to expanding their creative language through the stories of The Hoghedge, Matilda and Kensuke’s Kingdom. The boys have had plenty of opportunities to conduct exciting experiments in Science lessons and relished their time in the eTEC department creating magical mazes and terrific tugboats. World Book Day was an exciting day, and the Lower School boys certainly celebrated it in style with some wonderful costumes to portray their favourite characters. We were lucky enough to welcome Rob Biddulph, a renowned writer and illustrator, who many of the boys enjoyed drawing with during the long lockdowns! The Declamations competitions were incredible events where every boy had to learn and recite a poem or piece of prose by heart. The quality of their performances was outstanding and no one envied Mr Evans, Head of English, who had the daunting job of deciding the winners!
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LOWER SCHOOL
The Lower School boys have also had plenty of opportunities to display their creative spirits. Through Art, Music, and Drama, the boys have had the opportunity to express themselves, develop their talents, and discover new passions. Through the incredible Art Exhibition to the building of the unforgettable Trojan Horse, every boy has had an opportunity to showcase their creativity. From the vibrant lunchtime musical concerts and the excitement of the House Shout, our school has been a hub of creativity and selfexpression. The boys have also all had opportunities to perform on stage. We all enjoyed the Lower School Christmas Show, A Fireside Nativity, which had some memorable musical numbers to put us all in the festive mood! Dragon Days was another triumphant performance. It has been so wonderful to witness the confidence that radiates from the boys as they showcase their artistic talents. The Lower School boys have relished the opportunities to play a variety of sports this year, throwing themselves whole-heartedly into training sessions, matches and festivals. A highlight for many of the boys was to participate in Sports Day; everyone took part in several events and threw themselves energetically into the occasion. It was wonderful to see them cheering and supporting each other. Highlights included the much-anticipated tug of war House competition.
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LOWER SCHOOL
Beyond the classroom, the boys have embarked on a variety of engaging learning experiences that have enriched their education and broadened their horizons. The 1st Form enjoyed their visit to the Ashmolean and Pitts River Museums; it was a wonderful opportunity for them to gain a greater understanding of the past and how history has shaped our society today. A highlight for the 2nd Form was their theatre trip to see Matilda in London; the boys were spellbound by the intricate sets and memorable music score which brought this famous Roald Dahl story to life. The Lower School boys ended the year with some exciting activities down on Spens. The 1st Form took part in some stimulating teambuilding activities and a thrilling obstacle course. The 2nd Form had a memorable two-day activity camp. Activities included climbing, aeroball and the high energy laser tag! There wasn't much sleep overnight after the campfire and marshmallows, but nonetheless their stamina on the second day was admirable and life-long memories were made. It was wonderful to see so many of the boys overcoming fears and stepping outside their comfort zone. As we look back on the achievements of the boys, it's clear that they have reached great heights in both academic and personal growth. From academic competitions and sports events to public speaking engagements and artistic achievements, they have showcased their talents and skills. It has certainly been an unforgettable year in many ways. The boys must be congratulated for their perseverance and hard work right up to the end. We look forward to seeing them progress as they move forward into their new year groups in September.
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LOWER SCHOOL
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3RD FORM Ed Harper, Head of 3rd Form
I have greatly enjoyed seeing the boys take on the challenge of being a 3rd Form pupil this year. It is only when I look back am I able to see how far they have come. Since arriving rather fresh-faced back in September the boys have really tried their best, learnt new skills, developed their independence, and clearly enjoyed themselves in the process too. Moving towards the middle part of the school has meant that they have had to get used to a different routine: new teachers, a new timetable, and new classrooms to occupy. They have thoroughly enjoyed taking part in matches on a Wednesday and Saturday afternoon, have relished taking part in the wonderful array of after-school activities that is put on for them on a Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday afternoon - they have devoured everything that has been put in front of them. In the Autumn Term, we welcomed a couple of new additions to the year and soon started to enjoy the new timetable, though they were all a little surprised to see that the new timetable would mean even more lessons. For some of the boys who started in 1st Form, there was a welcome return to Saturday school and for those who were new this was a bit of a shock! A new year always brings about new challenges and the boys have been fastidious from the outset to adhere to the increased expectations with some boys requiring a bit more reinforcement than others! In the classroom, the boys enjoyed the added responsibility of moving around the school site a little more for their lessons and muscling in with the senior end of the school in the academic block to impress their new teachers. After a short rest over Christmas, the Spring Term allowed the boys to practise their beloved football skills. Initially, the weather was kind to us, though certain snapshots of the boys playing in driving rain, frosty mornings and cold weather that seemed to last for months were rather memorable. Despite the inclement weather, the boys worked hard in the classroom and studied WW1 in History, climate change in Geography, space in Science. In addition, all boys took it upon themselves to learn a declamation too, with five pupils being sent through to the Declamations Finals in front of about 200 people. Towards the end of term, the year group took in the spectacle that was Bletchley Park, once the top-secret location for WW2 codebreakers. The boys enjoyed a codebreaking workshop and then had the opportunity to use an Enigma Machine.
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3RD FORM
After a long winter, the sun decided to make an appearance in the Summer Term. The boys worked hard from the outset with boys playing in sports fixtures, House Drama Finals and alongside some boys doing their bit for charity in the form of the Marlborough Triathlon. Following on the theme of sport, many of the boys represented Caldicott on some lovely, manicured cricket pitches throughout the season – the U10 age group are getting a rather healthy reputation of being an excellent sporting year. The musicians also triumphed this year with some boys representing their Houses in the House Music Finals and the Middle School Choir singing in the newly formed Saturday Chapel service.
Finally, the year finished off with all of the 3rd Form heading off site to Green Park on a two-night residential trip, which was a lovely way to round off a very successful year. As tutors, it has never ceased to amaze us how wonderfully diverse the talents are in the 3rd Form. We have boys excelling across all facets of school life. They have worked extremely hard this year and it has been a pleasure to have shared their journey with them.
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“ONE WORD: EXCEPTIONAL”
“MOST FORWARD THINKING SCHOOL”
“THERE’S A RICH VEIN OF KINDNESS”
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ART AND DESIGN Daryl Edwards, Head of Art @CaldicottArt
From the Trojan Horse to abstract pumpkins and everything in between, the boys have created a wealth of art this year. With this being both my and Ma’am King’s first year at Caldicott, we have been amazed by how incredibly quickly the school year has passed and by how truly outstanding the boys have been in the creation of their artwork. We have thrown many different projects at them and introduced them to different artists and techniques. The result has been a plethora of wonderful pieces to adorn the school. With a new approach, the main emphasis of the Art Department this year has been to flood the school with colour, creativity, and artistic achievements. The boys have certainly fulfilled this ambition, as clearly evidenced in the end of year exhibition, where the library was transformed into a world of vibrant, emotion and thought-provoking paintings, drawings, and sculptures. A veritable showcase of all their hard work, perseverance and artistic abilities and a fitting final accolade for their talents to be sure. This year the Art Department has seen the whole school explode with colour: from still life by 5th Form, based on our visit to the Cezanne exhibition at Tate Modern to abstract expressionism. Our emphasis has been on brightening up our school. From a personal perspective, it has been wonderful to give the children the experience of learning new techniques, as well as having an inordinate amount of fun along the way.
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My overriding memories of the year have to be the 3rd Form (unexpectantly exploding) balloon dog project; the best laid plans, so they say! How could I forget Ma’am King’s magnificent Trojan Horse that she created with 2nd Form and how towards the end of term it managed to roam our grounds! Next term, I have exciting plans for the implementation of clay into the art curriculum, which has been made possible by the long-awaited arrival of the super new kiln, so kindly donated by the Friends of Caldicott. This is simply the beginning of some thrilling times for the department and especially the boys. I very much look forward to more innovative and inspirational creations. Great British Pottery Throwdown, watch this space!
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ART AND DESIGN
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ART AND DESIGN
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CLASSICS, LATIN & GREEK Jasmine Hellings, Head of Classics @CaldiClassics
The Classics Department has achieved several successes this year; with the introduction of a new competition and plans to take the 5th and 6th Form boys on the first Classics trip to Italy since 2019, there has been a real buzz around the place and the boys have been as enthusiastic as ever at getting involved in the opportunities they have been offered. This year, we have dealt with changes to the Latin and Greek syllabus from ISEB which have made the CE papers rather more challenging. An increased focus on English into Latin translation has meant candidates have had to have a thorough grasp of the more complex grammatical structures, especially boys sitting CE Level 3, who have had to grapple with rather demanding sentences which include tricky adjectival agreement. Another change to the paper has meant that boys have needed to be more secure than ever in their vocabulary knowledge. Despite this, the boys have risen to that challenge well, and I am pleased to say that a number of boys achieved very encouraging grades in their CE and scholarship exams. Sadly, we said goodbye to Mr Claude Cox at the end of the Summer Term, who has taught 4th Form Latin, alongside History, since he joined the school in 2020. The boys have greatly enjoyed his lessons and the enthusiasm with which he has taught them; he has a brilliant rapport with his pupils, and I know they will miss him a great deal. We wish him every success in his new role as Head of History and Classics at Stoke College. For boys in the 4th Form, it has been a successful introductory year to Latin, and I know they are looking forward to expanding their studies of Classics with Greek in the 5th Form. In the Summer Term, we held our inaugural Latin Declamations competition in which the finalists performed extracts from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Virgil’s Aeneid and Cicero’s in Verrem and pro Milone. Our guest judge, Mr Olly Murphy, who is an old boy of the school, was very impressed with the calibre of performance from these boys, and they all did incredibly well to learn their pieces by heart. There are many talented linguists in this year group so our expectations of them are high this year! It has also been another year of success for Ancient Greek. Boys in the 5th Form enjoyed their first year studying the language as well as spending time exploring topics of Greek theatre and the ancient Olympics. The Greek play for this year group was a tragedy, and each class performed scenes from Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex. The boys really enjoyed getting to grips with this dark story, and their performances of the scenes were well-executed and suitably woeful! This academic year promises to be full of excitement, and I know a highlight for many of the boys in the 5th and 6th Forms will be our Classics trip to Rome, Pompeii and Sorrento in April 2024. The boys, as always, are already working hard. I am really looking forward to seeing what they can achieve this year.
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ENGLISH
David Evans, Head of English @CaldiEnglish
Within his teachings, Confucius once stated, “You must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance”. Indeed, numerous academic studies have been conducted which demonstrate that not only can reading for pleasure increase academic potential across the curriculum, it also increases empathy: helping individuals to relate to experiences outside of their own. There is even evidence that reading for pleasure can temper the onslaught of the mental health crisis that many young people are currently facing. It is our duty as an English Department to promote reading whenever possible. This year we have had plenty of opportunities to do this, particularly thanks to the incredible author visits that have taken place. In September, the Historical Fiction writer and presenter of the hit podcast, The Rest is History, Dominic Sandbrook came to talk about his work and entertain the entire school with some fascinating facts. We were originally due to have the phenomenal author Marcus Sedgewick visit for World Book Day. Tragically, his sudden death in November of last year meant that that could not happen. Our thoughts are with his family. Ma’am Elson organised a double visit in his place; the Lower School were delighted to meet Rob Biddulph, author of the Peanut Jones novels and a YouTube star from his series Draw with Rob. His talk was energetic and hilarious and the boys have been devouring his novels since. The senior boys got to see Andrew Lane, author of the Young Sherlock Holmes series. He treated us to an in-depth exploration of the development of the character of Holmes and his continuing impact upon popular culture. As part of the 6th Form leavers’ programme, the boys were treated to a presentation by explorer and author Charlie Walker who always delivers exciting accounts of his globetrotting exploits. We are excited about our first author visit after the summer holidays: the rapper and poet Karl Nova will be joining us to share his work. Poetry remains a vital part of the curriculum, but more importantly, it is a vital tool for selfexpression. In the Summer Term, I set the school the challenge of submitting a poem on the topic of “Balance”. Responses varied from considering physical activity, to examining nature and ecological balance. It was an arduous task selecting the final winners. It was exciting to see that this year’s Common Entrance Paper focused upon an extract from a play script. For a long time, Ma’am Duncan and I have discussed working on a crosscurricular project to bring Drama studies into the 5th and 6th Forms. So many of our boys go on to study Drama for GCSE and beyond at their senior schools; I look forward to updating the curriculum to build in this exciting new element! THE CALDICOTIAN 2022/2023 | 29
eTEC
Simon Cooper, Head of eTEC @CaldicottETEC
This past year has been one of innovation and creativity at Caldicott as the Design Technology (DT) and Computing Departments merged into one integrated subject - Entrepreneurial Technology, Engineering, and Computing (eTEC). This dynamic new curriculum combines real-world design, testing, making and business skills to provide boys the tools they will need for the future. In 1st Form pupils started with basic design skills like colour theory and drawing before being launched into the world of computer-aided design (CAD). Their first mission was to create colourful cylindrical CAD pen pots that were 3D printed and assembled, allowing them to see their designs come to life. Next, they designed personalised CAD photo frames as Mother's Day gifts, iteratively creating paper models before finalising their designs. The CAD files were laser cut and assembled into fully customised frames. Algorithm creation preceded coding adventures in Scratch, where students learned programming fundamentals through creating games and animations. 2nd Form boys used their newfound CAD skills and laser cutters to transform creative designs into keychains and festive Christmas decorations. They became game developers using Scratch, learning about variables, conditionals, and loops by coding interactive games. The boys also crafted wooden tugboats in the workshop, further developing engineering drawing abilities and learning about the role of tugboats in transportation. 3rd Form trainees completed hands-on safety signage and clock projects, applying design principles and laser cutting skills. Microbits helped them code increasingly complex traffic light systems using inputs and outputs. Teams designed, built and raced electric gokarts, modifying their vehicles for optimal speed and handling on the track. 4th Form engineers honed CAD/CAM skills to design personalised laser-cut keyrings and decorations. Working cooperatively, they programmed Lego Spike robots using sensors and loops to complete tasks and solve problems. Teams continually adapted their robots to take on new challenges in the demanding Caldicott Lego League competition. 5th Form entrepreneurs designed paracord bracelets, manufactured them using knots and melting techniques and marketed their products. Additional Lego League competitions fostered teamwork, problem-solving and programming skills. Students also explored engineering drawing, 3D modelling with Tinkercad and Python programming. Special events included the Bebras Challenge, where computational thinking and problem decomposition were tested. The grand finale - designing, building, and launching water rocket designs nearly 50 meters into the sky!
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It's been an action-packed year filled with imagination, collaboration, and hands-on learning in the new subject of eTEC; the future looks bright for technology and innovation at Caldicott!
GEOGRAPHY Matt Holyland, Head of Geography @CaldiGeog
The Geography Department has enjoyed a very productive and successful academic year, with 89% of boys achieving a A*-B grade at Common Entrance and 50% achieving an A*-A grade. The department has also witnessed several noteworthy events and successes throughout the school year, showcasing the pupils’ enthusiasm and aptitude for the subject. The highlights include an Iceland trip in March 2023, academic scholarship success, 5th Form CE Geography fieldwork, participation in The Winton Cup at Stowe School, and success in the St Edward’s School Geography competition, not to mention the outstanding lessons taking place on a daily basis. In March 2023, we organised an extraordinary trip to Iceland, which proved to be an excellent opportunity for 52 boys to explore the diverse geographical features of this remarkable country. The trip exposed the boys to the awe-inspiring landscapes, including volcanoes, glaciers, geysers, and waterfalls. This hands-on experience provided invaluable insights into the natural processes shaping our planet and fostered a deeper understanding of Geography. Caldicott has achieved notable success in academic scholarships to prestigious institutions such as Eton, Harrow, Winchester, and Radley. The recognition of pupils’ exceptional academic abilities in Geography reflects the rigorous education and dedication of both the boys and their teachers. These scholarships not only validate the high standard of education at the school but also serve as a testament to the children’s passion for geography and their commitment to excellence. As part of the 5th Form CE (Common Entrance) curriculum, we conducted Geography fieldwork on microclimates around the school site, providing an opportunity for pupils to apply their theoretical knowledge in practical settings. Fieldwork exercises allow pupils to develop critical skills such as data collection, analysis, and interpretation. These hands-on experiences enhance their understanding of geographical concepts and nurture a deeper appreciation for the subject. Six boys in the 4th Form participated in The Winton Cup, a prestigious inter-school competition that celebrates Geography excellence. The competition challenges students to showcase their geographical knowledge and problem-solving skills. Caldicott's participation demonstrates the commitment of the school to foster healthy academic competition and encourage students to excel in Geography. The experience gained from this competition contributes significantly to the students' overall growth and development in the subject. The boys of Caldicott School also participated in the St Edward’s School Geography competition held in Oxford. Among the participants, Joshua Brain emerged victorious, winning the Sustainable Village competition with an excellent project. This accomplishment highlights the innovative thinking and dedication of Caldicott pupils towards finding sustainable solutions to real-world geographical challenges. Joshua's success serves as an inspiration to his peers and emphasises the school's emphasis on environmental awareness and sustainability. Finally, I would like to thank the teachers in my department for their constant passion, inspiration, and creative thinking. This has all enabled the boys to access such a diverse range of materials and has ignited a real dedication and excitement in each and every boy. We have enjoyed an extremely productive and successful academic year and these accomplishments reflect the dedication of both pupils and teachers and reinforce Caldicott’s reputation for delivering a high-quality Geography education.
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HISTORY
Craig Legge, Head of History @CaldiHistory
This has been another tremendous year for the boys and staff in the History Department. I am immensely proud of the energy, commitment, and curiosity the boys have demonstrated in their History lessons. I also extend my thanks to the dynamic team of teachers who invest so much into continuing to make history at Caldicott accessible, engaging, and fun. We ended the year on a high, with excellent exam results: Zuhair Malik is particularly commended for achieving a top placement in the Harrow CE exam results, and Elliot Tollgard for obtaining his Winchester Scholarship, with a History mark in the highest percentile of boys who took the exam. Equally important, it is encouraging to see evidence of significant progression in the competencies of boys who are not as naturally gifted in the subject. This is a healthy indicator that our teaching methodology is enabling boys to build confidence and skills at all levels. It also shows that we have evolved our teaching appropriately to meet the new CE syllabus and exam requirements, which were implemented for the first time this year. Earlier this year I had the privilege of staying at Wherwell Priory in Hampshire. Wandering through the beautiful gardens, led by my generous and knowledgeable hosts, Mr and Mrs Dodd, I was shown the old foundation stones of Wherwell Abbey (founded 986), which was destroyed in the dissolution under King Henry VIII in 1539. Standing in the garden amongst the ruins, I was momentarily transported back in time, and saw the old abbey resurrected as of old. This is the power of a combination of historical knowledge, site visits and a dash of imagination; the past really does spring to life. For this reason, we continue to encourage historical trips to support our knowledge curriculum; this year our boys have enjoyed visits to the Pitt Rivers Museum, Bletchley Park, and Hampton Court Palace, to name a few. Using sources to teach History, and modelling the skills to analyse sources, continues to be a major focus in our approach. We utilise a broad range of historical periods to teach these skills, with deep dives into subject areas we know will interest the boys. We also continue to experiment with additional ways to improve our teaching methodology. For example, we have embraced the use of AI tools such as ChatGPT, and we are researching and experimenting with the best ways we can incorporate this powerful technology into our repertoire of teaching methods. Change is an inevitable product of History, and I want to thank Mr Cox for his friendship and professional, energetic approach to teaching History. He is moving on with his family and I wish him all the very best in his next role. Thanks also to Miss King for her enthusiastic and innovative teaching of 2nd Form History – she will always be remembered for the monstrous Trojan Horse that she helped the boys to create; they loved every minute of it. If anyone wants it, it is still obtrusively lurking in the Lower School somewhere. She is moving to a full-time role in the Art Department. Mrs Venter-Murray is joining the History Department, and I am confident that the boys will benefit from her experience and her energetic approach to teaching in the classroom. As much as History teaches us that life can be brutal and unfair, it also teaches us that we have a great capacity to persevere, to laugh and to hope. I trust that the way we teach History will help the boys to appreciate the reality of the former, and the necessity of the latter.
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MATHS
Hugh Watts, Head of Maths @CaldicottMaths
What a year it has been for The Mathematics Department. I am glad to say that the boys have continued to flourish in and outside the classroom and credit must go to the members of the department for making lessons engaging and for going above and beyond to make sure every single boy is making progress and enjoying their lessons. We have had a huge amount of success both in internal and external competitions and Public School exams. Shout-outs must be made to all the boys who took a scholarship exam this year as their results were something to be proud of. Teaching Mathematics here at Caldicott is something I have and always will consider an absolute privilege. This is down to the way the boys approach their lessons. Maths lends itself to boys in a way that other subjects may not. The immediate feedback, the will to be right, competitiveness with each other and themselves drives the boys forward. Competitions such as the House Mathematics give the boys a platform to be successful and this year’s competition was as tightly fought as ever. After every single boy contributed, Cooper House again came out on top, pushed hard by Wood, Jenkins and McArthur. This year we have also introduced our very own Mathematics and Science Olympiad where our Year 7s competed against three other prep schools. Many thanks to Mr Querstret here for all his hard work in organising a brilliant and challenging day for everyone involved. I am glad to say our boys performed well, narrowly missing out on first place to a team from Dragon School. One of the Mathematical highlights for the year is the UKMT junior maths challenge. At Caldicott we pride ourselves on both our academic culture and our competitive spirit. This challenge gives the boys a chance to compare themselves to the rest of the country and I am pleased to say the department continued to enjoy success. Every year we enter the challenge, where papers are designed to test not only mathematical skills but also ingenuity. This year we had 56 boys taking part and over half of which received a silver or gold certificate for their efforts. These competitions hugely support the philosophies we have as a department. Boys learn the best when they are engaged and challenged. Finding things difficult and pushing through the adversity is what makes our boys so good at Mathematics. Whilst it is not a natural disposition to enjoy being stuck, I would like to ask you: when was the last time you really learnt something without being stuck? If I can ask one thing of you as a parent, it is to promote the idea that being stuck is a good thing. Your son will always learn more from it and it will build more skills and satisfaction for him in the future.
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MFL
Lele Di Maso, Head of MFL @CaldicottMFL
What a fantastic year this has been for the MFL department. French is still our curriculum language, but this year we have continued to promote all languages and cultures here at Caldicott. The initiative “Languages club” saw once again pupils whose mother tongue is not English, teach their own language to other boys (and staff!). We had a different language each half term: Russian, Spanish, Italian, German, Hindi. This was an incredibly successful initiative and dozens of boys took part in these very special lessons! The MFL Twitter continued to play a big part in promoting the department with daily updates on what has been happening in the classroom but also with fun, engaging, educational posts about languages. How not to mention the weekly False Friends post, or the popular Word of the Week, or even the Weekly Italian post inviting everyone to learn conversational Italian every week. Highlights of the year came obviously from things that the boys have created. Agastya Asnani was defeated for the first time in three years in the French Poem Competition; this year’s winner was Chiyu Zhan with a very moving video. Other projects worth mentioning were the 3rd From winner Alex Rudge and the 4th Form winner Rafe Gauguier. I am glad to say that three boys entered a national competition, the “French Pop Video Competition”, the Morjaria brothers, Veer and Zain, as well as Ali Mian. We wish them good luck with the results in July! During the second term we also held a “Vocabulary Competition” for all boys from the 3rd to the 6th Form, well done to the winners in each year group! Our collection of foreign language books has increased and can be found in the library, and our 1st Form boys have been singing lovely songs and raps with Ma’am Cunliffe; you can see some of these on the MFL Twitter page. In terms of curriculum, the 1st and 2nd Forms have been learning French and having fun with Ma’am Cunliffe, often singing songs and playing games in French and even enjoying a delicious French goûter. In the 3rd Form, the boys have learnt a lot of new vocabulary and grammar. They learnt how to use the present tense of verbs as well as talk about their school, hobbies and describing themselves and others. The 4th Form boys have covered the topics of town, free time, media, friends and learnt to use the three major tenses (present, past, future) and they are now able to formulate great sentences in this beautiful language. In the 5th Form the boys have covered some very relevant topics (holidays, home, routine, school…) which will set them up for next year’s CE but also for travelling abroad and speak in French. The 6th Form boys have prepared for their final exams during a very intense and difficult year but in the end got some great and truly deserved results. Well done to all the boys for making languages an exciting part of our community.
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PSHEE Ed Harper, Head of PSHEE @CaldiLife
In the ever-evolving landscape of education, few things hold as much significance as a comprehensive Personal, Social, Health, and Economic Education (PSHEE) curriculum. It serves as a guiding beacon, equipping boys with essential life skills, knowledge, and values that extend far beyond the classroom. As we reflect upon this academic year, it becomes abundantly clear that the impact of a robust PSHEE curriculum resonates deeply in the hearts and minds of our boys, shaping them into compassionate, responsible, and empowered individuals ready to embrace the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. The Autumn Term was a new beginning for us all and for the first few weeks we learnt about the five fingers of support, knowing how to give support, as well as trying to understand and manage some of the pressures that we might be under over the course of this academic year. We also studied several inspirational figures during Black History Month ranging from Martin Luther King to Nelson Mandela. Towards the end of the term, we introduced our ‘PSHEE in the news’ topic looking at how the subject intertwines within the world in which we live. The boys took ownership of their learning in this particular topic, and we were able to cover many themes such as tolerance (Qatar World Cup 2022), helping one another (Children in Need and the Cost-of-Living Crisis) as well as the current issues surrounding the global landscape (Cop 27). This new topic proved very insightful and allowed the pupils to appreciate that PSHEE is not just taught in a classroom environment. In the Spring Term, the boys studied British Values and digital resilience. Studying British Values in PSHEE holds great significance. These values, which include democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect, and tolerance for different beliefs and cultures, form the foundation of a cohesive and inclusive society. By exploring British Values, boys develop a deeper understanding of their rights and responsibilities as citizens, foster an active participation in the democratic process. More so than ever, digital literacy plays a crucial role in PSHEE due to its increasing importance in our modern world. In today's digital age, it is essential for boys to develop a strong understanding of digital technology, online safety, and responsible digital citizenship. By incorporating digital literacy into the PSHEE curriculum, boys gain the skills and knowledge necessary to navigate the digital landscape effectively. Boys are empowered to make informed decisions, protect themselves and others in the digital world, and become responsible digital citizens who contribute positively to the digital society we live in. In the Summer Term, the topic of Careers Education is delivered. By integrating careers education into PSHEE, boys can acquire essential skills such as goal setting, self-reflection, and decision-making, which are crucial for career planning and development. Careers education equips boys with knowledge about the world of work, employability skills, and the requirements of different industries, preparing them for the ever-changing job market. In the latter stages of this term, the important RSE (Relationships and Sex Education) topic was taught. This is a wonderful opportunity for the boys to talk openly about their relationships. Of paramount importance, is for the teachers to facilitate discussion on about how their bodies will change whilst reinforcing the laws surrounding consent. The engaging and relevant PSHEE curriculum not only empowers pupils to make informed decisions but also fosters empathy, critical thinking, and resilience, ensuring their holistic development and preparing them for a successful and fulfilling future.
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SCIENCE Gareth Leggett, Head of Science @CaldiScience
This has been a fantastic year for Science at Caldicott, and it has been so pleasing to see the boys engage with lots of exciting activities and challenges. A practical approach to learning has been integral to the lessons we’ve led in the Science Department over the past year. Our boys have been able to ask difficult questions and face challenges that we would find difficult to fathom, yet by asking these questions they are developing the skills and knowledge needed to help answer those questions in the future. We encourage our young scientists at Caldicott to test their ideas by working scientifically, setting a hypothesis, and designing a method to examine them. British Science Week earlier in the year was a highlight for many. The department used the opportunity to celebrate this with some inspiring practical lessons with the pupils. In Biology, 5th Form investigated the growth of bacteria, looking at how to safely grow microorganisms without contamination and preparing their own bacterial agar plates – a close connection to how health and disease can affect the wider population. In Chemistry, 4th Form boys looked at states of matter by making slime and foam (in the form of elephant’s toothpaste!). In Physics, students explored how different forces affect the flight of a water rocket. Through the variety of topics taught, from engineering to climate change, we hope to encourage an awareness of the potential impact of scientific advances on society and on the welfare of the planet. Boys are becoming more open to the discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of scientific and technological developments. We also hope to make further connections with the school’s Sustainability Committee to allow the boys to apply their understanding and impact their school with real change. A passion for the subject runs throughout the department and we are so lucky to have teachers who are ready to share their ideas and interests with their students. It has been a pleasure to welcome Ma'am Stratton into the team and the boys have been amazed to hear so much about her time as a STEAM coordinator. Make sure to ask Mr Chamberlain about his visit to the rainforest or Ma’am Naidoo’s many weird and wonderful experiments. I would like to extend an enormous thank you to both staff and pupils for their hard work and efforts this year. It is with great pleasure we see our 6th Formers leave with an amazing set of Common Entrance results, scholarships and above all, a strong subject knowledge to take to their future schools. With the skills they have gained, I hope that many will go on to choose a career in Science.
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TPR Paul Snoddy, Head of TPR @Caldicott TPR
Over the past year we have undergone a considerable amount of change in the department, becoming one of the boys’ favourite subjects (said with much pride in this). We had a complete overhaul of schemes of works which has been completed and implemented within the teaching of the subject including a focus on debate skills, ethics, and the world in which we live. The strengthening of the boys' ethical and philosophical thinking, including in units such as ‘The Island’, has developed a more robust ability for the boys to think for themselves and discuss the issues of the world. Our world is too full of people who are misinformed and do not think for themsleves; it is positive to see that these boys contrast that. Our outgoing 6th Form had a successful year gaining highly respected comments from senior schools about their knowledge and answering of questions in their exams. They worked extremely hard, and it was a particular pleasure to take the scholars in a journey through deep ethical thinking and support them in developing well-rounded answers. However, they were not the only ones to put in effort and the other boys are to be commended as well. Learning about our own opinions can only really be done by sharing (with others) our thoughts. This way we get to hear what others think and how our own thoughts are received, which gives us the opportunity to formulate reasoning. This subject should never be reduced to a textbook only form of learning but one of free thought and learning.
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We believe that every child has immense potential that, in the right environment, can be uncovered, nurtured and realised. Old Caldicotians gather on South Front
TO ROCKETS From rocketry to bee-keeping and dozens of activities in between, every boy at Tonbridge can discover something that fires his interest beyond the classroom. In this way, not only are enthusiasms formed that can, and often do, last a lifetime, but the impetus to try something new is created, perhaps even something that demands the all-important step out of a comfort zone. That is a wonderful preparation for life after school.
FROM DRONES
Visit website
Arrange a visit: admissions@tonbridge-school.org tonbridge-school.co.uk In the Sunday Times Parent Power League Table 2023, Tonbridge was ranked 8th best independent senior school in the country
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THE LIBRARY Anna Elson, Librarian
This year the weekly sessions that I have been running with both 1st and 2nd Forms have been so much fun. I’ve explained to the boys how the library operates, have helped boys to choose books, listened to them read, discussed the different book genres and writing styles, have found ways to encourage them to read widely and have run fun educational activities. In September when we returned from the summer holiday, we judged my summer holiday library challenge which this year was ‘BookNic’ – to read a book whilst having a picnic. There were some great entries and funnily two boys were even captured in the background of my own picnic at a local stately home, whilst they were getting ready to capture their own photograph! The winners were captured reading picnicking in a field and on an inflatable in the middle of a swimming pool.
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Watching an author talk about their work is exciting and inspiring. In the Autumn Term I was delighted to host author, journalist and podcaster Dominic Sandbrook. He came to visit us to talk about his exciting series of books Adventures in Time. He brought to life the stories of characters from history such as Cleopatra and Henry VIII. Eager to find out more, the boys bombarded him with questions about his favourite period in history, what event he wishes he could change and how he researches his stories. I love helping boys to choose their own books and further their reading, and this year we have had two book fairs: one with publishing house Usborne and the other through our local team at the Gerrards Cross bookshop. On World Book Day the boys delighted in dressing up as their favourite book characters. I was visited by Harry Potter, Dobby, the Boy at the Back of the Class, James Bond and due to the subject of the author talk, very many Sherlock Holmeses! I was Flat Stanley - my costume meant that sitting down was rather a challenge so it’s a good job I was too busy to do so on the day! I even managed to convince the teachers to dress up and I hugely enjoyed watching them teach whilst dressed as dalmatians, Mr Men and even Edgar Allan Poe. We welcomed engaging author Andrew Lane who talked to the 3rd - 6th Form about the history of the character of Sherlock Holmes and inspirational author/illustrator Rob Biddulph who spoke to and held drawing workshops with our 1st and 2nd Forms. I’ve been so happy to host the Family Book Club in the library. We’ve had lots of fun reading and reviewing the books so far – although perhaps the boys were as excited by the biscuits as the books! In May, we held a preloved book sale with the boys and staff donating books that they themselves had read and enjoyed. We raised over £330 for the school charity, Sparrow Schools.
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PERFORMING ARTS Drama
Jo Duncan, Head of Drama @CaldicottStage
After months of rehearsals, as the end of the Autumn Term approached there felt like no better tale to tell than Charles Dickens’ classic, A Christmas Carol. The story of the cruel Ebenezer Scrooge, masterfully played in our production by Anton Fischer, facing up to the mistakes of his past, is one that has stood the test of time. Staged in traverse, our performers put on an incredible show alongside a well-oiled machine in the backstage crew who moved the set on and off stage seamlessly, and a special mention to Anand Nambiar who was in the lighting booth. Alfred Allison gave a powerful performance as Jacob Marley and what a pairing we had in Leo Lane Fox as Tiny Tim and Jonathan Dickinson as his father Bob Cratchit. But the whole cast was superb, and all rose to the occasion.
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Just days before we broke up for the holidays, our 1st Form, who were supported in song by 2nd Form, shared a cosy retelling of the traditional nativity story around the comfort of the campfire. Titled ‘A Fireside Nativity’, the story contained plenty of comedic moments with festive songs that got everyone into the Christmas spirit. The warm mince pies served beforehand were yummy and added to the occasion! Having studied a module on technical theatre complemented by a visit to see Life of Pi on the West End, our 4th Form decided to devise their own pieces of theatre in response to the title “Generation”. They sought to capture their age group’s perspective and demonstrate their creative talents as writers, physical theatre performers, singers, and actors. Inspired by the work of playwright and screenwriter, Alecky Blyth, 4T created a piece of Verbatim theatre, which drew upon recorded interviews about what life was like for them during lockdown. Delivering these anonymised viewpoints, the boys showed the full range of emotions they experienced during this unique period of history. They also staged The Last Flower by James Thurber. A parable in pictures published in 1939 and voiced in their production by Otto Clifton, was a graphic novel ahead of its day about the eternal cycles of war, peace, love, and the resilience of one little flower which is as relevant today as it was then. Delving into Physical Theatre, 4G was inspired by the recent World Cup final penalty shootout and the off-putting tactics opposing players use against one another. They created short movement sequences that they set to music and conveyed the tribal essence of supporting your favourite football team; they also created short scenes that displayed the joy and competitiveness that surrounded watching a match. Finally, 4R presented a range of comedy skits displaying the bizarre conventions and idiosyncrasies we have in British society, such as queuing and reluctance towards complaining about a particularly shoddy waiter! Interspersed with these projects was a series of songs arranged by Mr Paget that were delivered brilliantly by the cast. With a magical blend of creativity, dedication, talent, and the joyous addition of some very rosy cheeks, our 2nd and 3rd Form boys took to the stage at the end of the Summer Term and delivered the musical, Dragon Days. In the picturesque village of Stumbledorf, the overdramatic villagers desperately needed a hero to rescue them from a mysterious and terrifying mythical creature but all, as it often turns out to be, was not quite as it seemed. Among the standout performers on the day (of which there were many) were Alex Rudge as Tommy Rumble and Honza Hill as the Dragon Gawain who both delivered their solos with confidence.
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PERFORMING ARTS DRAMA
At the start of the Summer Term, our annual House Drama Competition kicked off with boys entering either a solo or pairing up with a friend on a duologue. I had the pleasure of watching the performances and awarding 10 points to each entry. It was rather challenging to narrow it down but after much contemplation, by the second round I was able to announce the 27 finalists. The quality of the performances was outstanding, and certainly up there with the very best we’ve seen in some time. The boys performed a wide range of pieces, taking the audience on a rollercoaster ride of emotions, and were very clearly relishing the opportunity to perform on the big stage. A special mention to our compere for the evening, Tom Fenston, and Lighting Operator, Jeremy Yang. Victoria Buse, Director of Drama at Radley, had the unenviable job of adjudicator for the evening and selected the winners below. This year I was particularly impressed with the number of boys who put themselves forward, who wouldn’t necessarily have done so in the past, pushing themselves out of their comfort zones and getting into the House spirit. The 3rd & 4th Form Competition winner was Alex Rudge, with Joshua Stevens-Graham in second place. In the Duologue Competition, Edward Beurier and Anton Fischer were the winners. The 5th & 6th Form Competition winner was Adam Dickinson, followed by runner up, Freddie Martin-Jenkins. Lastly, special prizes were awarded to Axi Field-Marsham and Toby Aspinall. The Lower School did an equally fantastic job in their competition which took place later in the term and was adjudicated by Caroline Goodall, Head of Music at Beaconsfield High School. The winner of the Solo Competition was Maxim Beurier and the winners of the Duologue Competition were Kourosh Sodeyfi and Kris Padwal. At the end of the competition, House Standings were McArthur in first, Wood in second, Jenkins third and Cooper fourth.
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PERFORMING ARTS DRAMA
It was an incredibly busy year for both Ma’am Ash and Ma’am Ferdenzi, our LAMDA teachers. Across the academic year, 137 LAMDA exams were sat with grades ranging from Entry Level all the way up to Grade 7. A special mention must go to Aston Jenkins who earned a Distinction in his Grade 7 Verse and Prose which is equivalent to A Level study and in doing so gained himself 16 UCAS points! A number of boys were able to share their work in the termly lunchtime LAMDA Showcases to an invited audience and we have had a record number of distinctions.
End of Term Drama Prizes: Ritblat Award for Acting - Anton Fischer Audience Choice Award - Edward Beurier 5th & 6th Form Award - Charlie Boardman 3rd & 4th Form Award - Alex Rudge 1st & 2nd Form Award - Maxim Beurier Baker Cup for backstage contribution - Anand Nambiar A special prize was given to Andrei Shen for his efforts in Drama outside of school. He took on the role of Eric in the Netflix film version of Matilda and spent the year starring in the West End production. Drama Awards: Anton Fischer - Drama Scholarship to Harrow Joshua Stevens-Graham - Drama Scholarship to Berkhamsted
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Music
James Paget, Director of Music @CaldicottStage
It was with great sadness that I took a t’phone call in early September from Pauline Hayward telling me of the sudden passing of Martyn. Martyn Hayward was quite simply, a legend. He taught saxophone and clarinet here for 26 years. Indeed, when I turned up in 2000, he was already a very well-established member of the teaching staff here. His calm approach, down to earth honesty, support of his pupils and general goodwill are so much missed. Not a week goes past that he is not remembered with such fondness here. His funeral was full of music, and it was clear that his love and passion for supporting music making amongst the young spread far wider than Caldicott. For all he did for us here, thank you Martyn. During the course of this year, we were blessed with having Amy Holyland join the department as a singing teacher. Her dedicated teaching and wonderful approach have been a huge asset. She leaves us as her operatic career has taken off and her schedule sees her away singing in opera houses here and abroad. We wish her all the very best and much look forward to hearing her voice belting out a descant at full throttle with the choir when she is able.
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The Scholaris has gone from strength to strength this year. They have been dedicated and provided the school with some fine music both in the Chapel and in various concerts. This year we reintroduced the position of Head Chorister. It was too hard to choose between two boys and so I took the unusual step of promoting them both to a joint position. Alex Lynch and Bertie Duckworth were fabulous and lead their boys with dignity and aplomb. They will be hugely missed. The choir cassocks and surplices have got very ragged indeed over the years. They were always a bit of a mismatch of hues and over the years various Housekeepers and Matrons have done sterling service to alter and mend them. It is time for them to retire and we very much hope to have a fine new choir uniform made for us. The Middle School Choir has performed in several concerts and with the change in public Chapel services, they have also sung at Mattins. The Junior Choir sang at the Carol Service and joined us at the Summer Concert. I am so grateful to the parents for supporting this and it was just great to have the younger boys there singing so joyfully.
PERFORMING ARTS MUSIC
Instrumental music has always been great at Caldicott and this year we have seen that tradition continue. Our string department has grown wonderfully as well as the brass, and it is great that we now have a budding trombone pupil once again. Even the woodwind numbers are on the up, it would be wonderful to have more clarinet and saxophone players in the school and we will continue to work on this. The annual examinations have continued where they have been of benefit to specific pupils. It has long been my belief that music examinations do not make better musicians, they must only be used as an aid to help pupils progress rather than a matter of course. As we have such talented musicians at the moment, we are in the position to have rather a decent orchestra.
They worked hard and have taken it upon themselves, which sincere ‘guidance’ to listen critically to themselves. Over the course of the year, they have rehearsed and performed the wonderful Mozart Sleigh Ride, complete with sleigh bells, Mendelssohn’s War March of the Priests (which we did at two concerts as the first time was not as good as it could have been) and a most charming Allegro by Mozart. All formal concerts start with the National Anthem and the ensemble performs in bow ties. Lincoln Liu was the Leader, and upon his departure from Caldicott, Stanley Xu took up the first position. Both boys did a sterling job and really got to grips with dealing with the group and ensuring good discipline. Other ensembles this year have included the ever-popular percussion groups, both of whom have performed regularly as well as our various guitar groups. Collaboration between the 6th Form percussionists and their guitarist counterparts has been great to witness and brought a most welcome addition to our evening concerts. Our House Music Competition took place in late May and, as I am so mean, every boy in the school took part. The first round, which was completed in class, saw performances of concerto movements alongside renditions of ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star’ played upon a variety of gin and rum bottles! The boys were all terribly behind this and things got rather competitive, which was fun. The final saw an evening full of exceptionally talented musicians battling it out for the much-coveted Macfarlane Bowl. Alex Tester Esq very generously came down from St Edward’s, Oxford to adjudicate and was highly impressed by the boys. The House points changed so rapidly that it was hard to keep up, or rather remember where one had put the piece of paper, but in the end Wood was triumphant. The overall winner was Bertie Duckworth. THE CALDICOTIAN 2022/2023 | 47
PERFORMING ARTS MUSIC
The boys in the Lower School had their Music Competition Final on the last Monday of term, such a great idea at the time of publishing the calendar, rather a lot to organise after Enrichment week! However, they all did marvellously, and one was very pleased with their efforts. Caroline Goodall from Beaconsfield High School was delighted to judge for us, and Ivan Xu gave such a fantastic performance on the piano that he won most convincingly. I simply must take this opportunity to thank all in the department, without whose support very little would be achieved. Alison Higham was undertaken far more than simply the paperwork and has been a great and valued support both to me and all the instrumental teachers. We have another extremely crowded year looming and there are several new and rather ambitious projects to get to grips with, but we will have oodles of fun along the way.
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PERFORMING ARTS MUSIC
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SPORT
Matt Hutchings, Director of Sport @CaldicottSport
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Rugby U13 A G Williams It has been a solid year for the U13A rugby team. They are a side that embody the Caldicott spirit. They have the desire to be the best side possible and their work rate both in training and on the pitch has shown that throughout the season. The team has made huge strides across the season both in their rugby skill level and game understanding coupled with their desire to work together as a team. The culmination of the season in their fixture against Moulsford played at Wellington College showcased their improvements. There is, of course, still work to be done in both skill development and game understanding for all the boys, but their desire to learn and play the game will undoubtedly continue to drive their individual improvement. There were some really pleasing performances along the way, most notably against Dulwich Prep, RGS High Wycombe and the Dragon. There were stern tests along the way, in the form of St Paul’s Juniors, Pinewood, and Bedford. However, the game of the season was undoubtedly the fixture against Moulsford at Wellington College. The passion and sheer willingness to keep working hard and to stay in the game after going 0-10 down, alongside the belief that they were doing the right things in attack and defence and that would ultimately pay off was excellent. Putting together a full 50-minute performance and not giving up when they went behind will hold them in good stead for whatever may lie ahead. While the side had some big wins, some very close games and a couple of heavy defeats with a record of playing 19, winning 9, drawing 1 and losing 9, the true success of the side is how hard they have worked as a team and as individuals and the enjoyment they have taken from the season. Every single one of them has played their part.
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U13 B M Holyland
U12 A M Hutchings & I Fyffe
The U13 Bs have enjoyed a combative season of many highs and lows. With a playing record of 16 played, 5 won, 3 drawn and 8 lost, it would be easy to view the season as a negative. However, as the boys walked off top field having defeated Moulsford 25-15, and come from 10-0 down early on, the feeling amongst the group was anything but. They showed a great deal of courage and desire throughout the season, with some memorable performances against the Dragon, Moulsford, Northampton School for Boys and Northcote Lodge, to name but a few. Each member of the squad bringing their own unique qualities to the collective; J Gorton with some destructive and dynamic carries, W Steward and J Yang with their fast feed and awareness for space, M Colman and B Douglas brought their passion for contact, while F Parker-Bowles, C Boardman and L Pankov were always on hand in support and rarely shirked their duties in defence. The team leaders of B Duckworth and N Allison did an excellent job throughout the season, always providing encouragement and supportive words no matter what the score. The boys always looked to play a fast and attacking brand of running rugby, with off-loads and footwork they looked to exploit the space available. Such rugby was highly entertaining to spectate and even better to coach. It has been a pleasure to work with a group of boys with such passion for the game and continued desire to improve.
What a journey this team has been on this season as they have developed and progressed over time. Last season as 4th Formers, they played 8-a-side U10 rules due to Covid, which meant that they had a huge amount of readjustment to do as they progressed to the 12-a-side game.
U13 C J Blagden & C Legge It has been a difficult season in terms of results in fixtures. The boys have enjoyed the feeling of winning on a few occasions and have worked hard all season in training. This squad has been attentive and have shown a willingness to improve, right up until the final game of the season. This is testament to the good nature and character of many of the boys within the group. The players’ handling skills has improved enormously as the season has progressed. Given that the team is comparatively small against most of our opponents, emphasis has been placed on moving the ball quickly and using the pace within the team. C Kane has been a threat in attack, whilst Z Malik has been a creative scrum half and captain. J Dickinson has enjoyed playing at outside centre and has improved his tactical understanding. Outside of him, K Li with his dancing feet has been the team’s top try scorer behind A Gao. Gao has been the team’s focal point in attack when crash ball has been required. Behind him, C Zhan and H Howard have been the kings of rucking and tackling, respectively. Well done on hanging in there, even in difficult times and bringing positivity to every Games session!
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This was very evident in the early parts of the season as the team started to understand how to play within a framework and gel as units, and as a result the boys were not getting the net benefit in their results, even though they were gaining huge amounts of new learning. The mini tour to Barnard Castle to play in the 10s was a great event, with the boys playing great rugby and finishing as runners-up to QEGS Wakefield. This was a springboard for the team with one of the performances of the season against the Dragon, winning 10-5 which was a great result for the team and undoubtedly one of the highlights of the season. Post-half term, the team played nine fixtures, winning six and losing three, showing the development and progress that they made. This was best typified by the game against Northampton School for Boys in late November which the team lost narrowly 20-10, but earlier in the season had lost easily. They really were improving and the four-game winning streak at the end of the season was testament to that fact, with a superb final fixture away at Moulsford wining 20-10, the boys demonstrated a full team performance. The hallmarks of this side have been their approach to the contact area, their energy and their teamwork, and as a result, both coaches are very proud of the boys’ efforts.
U12 B T Zengerink
U11 A C Cox
It has been a season of growth and development for this squad throughout this term. Upon reflection it is pleasing to note that this group has played eight matches since half term and lost just two, which is testament to the progress and resilience shown from each boy who represented the U12B rugby team.
The U11A team have had a fantastic season. They have improved as rugby players and learnt how to play as a team, rather than a group of talented individuals. As a squad, we have focused on core skills and the boys' technical ability to catch and pass under pressure. As the season progressed, the boys began to add layers to their attack, introducing a shape and pattern that allowed them to exploit the space they were able to create in the wide channels. As a team, the boys need to work on their ability to scan and organise themselves quicker off the ball; this will allow them to make better decisions on the ball. The hallmark of this team is their dynamism in defence. At the start of the season, they had excellent tackle technique and a desire to get off the line, but lacked the connectivity and awareness necessary to be effective. I have been very impressed by their willingness to take on board feedback, which has led to them becoming a formidable defensive unit. The boys' game understanding has certainly improved, and I look forward to seeing them progress as rugby players.
Despite a disappointing narrow loss in the final fixture of the season to Moulsford there were several highlights throughout season, most notably impressive wins against Dulwich Prep, St Paul’s Juniors, Shrewsbury House, and a thrilling 10-10 draw against RGS High Wycombe. As ever I was immensely proud of seeing several players represent the U12A team on a number of occasions which was just reward for the hard work they displayed in training. Going forward, this group should continue to focus on their defensive alignment as well as their general handling skills. They have been an enjoyable group to coach, and I wish them all the best next season when they look to break into the U13A team.
U12 C H Watts Overall, it has been quite a successful season for the U12C team this term. The term started with all boys being introduced to what seemed like a completely new game. As the boys now having full access to the ruck and maul, and being introduced to contested 5-man scrums, there was a lot to learn. Equally, it was some boys’ first ever taste of rugby. However, by the end of term all boys looked comfortable on the rugby field and able to fill in with most jobs on the pitch. We have had some amazing fixtures, with 7 games being won by no more than 2 tries. I am glad to say that when the game got tight the boys always fought right to the final whistle, giving it their all. The standout performance for me was the penultimate game of the season where Caldicott beat Shrewsbury House 60-55, winning in the final play. It was a game that ebbed and flowed, but the boys showed a massive competitive spirit to get the winning score. Special mentions must be made to: A Sathish who, completely new to the game, was one of the top team performers throughout the term; G Dodd, the Captain for the start of the season whose performances got the attention of the B team coach; and F Martin-Jenkins who was the team’s most consistent performer and ended up U12C team player of the year. Well done all on a great season!
SPORT
U11 B G Leggett The U11B team have had a great season and their rugby has really progressed. They have started to develop a style of play that focuses on moving the ball quickly away from contact, offloading in the tackle, and supporting with hard lines of running. In defence they have begun to stay connected more, whilst remembering to accelerate into the tackle. Although this still requires work, they should be pleased with the very few tries they have conceded over the season. The highlight of the term was their unbeaten run at Lambrook School Festival, where they beat Hoebridge, Lambrook and St George's Weybridge convincingly. I was pleased to see them come together as a team and show great resilience against some tough opposition. A number of boys will move up into the A team next year as the squad sizes largen. They should be confident stepping up knowing that their core skills are well refined and their understanding of the game is good. I hope they always enjoy rugby and support each other on the journey as they improve year after year.
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SPORT
U11 C T Chapman
U10 A J Robinson
The U11C had a largely successful season, winning 7 and drawing 2 of the 12 fixtures played. The highlight was a 45-45 draw at the Dragon after having been behind by 25 points at half time. The boys finished the term strongly with a comfortable victory against Moulsford.
Overall, it has been a fantastic season for the boys. They have learnt so much about the game of rugby and with the introduction to rucking this term, it adds a whole new dimension to the sport. They have always shown full commitment and willingness to learn, which from a coaching point of view is fantastic. From start to finish the effort from all the boys has been commendable. At the beginning of term, they set the tone with good tackles and strong running at The Oratory Festival. As the term went on the skills slowly started to improve and by the time Pinewood turned up, the boys were ready to show what they had learnt. Although off to a slow start, the boys rallied together and applied a lot of pressure to a well drilled Pinewood side. Caldicott eventually ending up winners with a stunning finish from A Rudge in the corner after some wonderful passing.
In general, the team grew into games and performed better in the second half. Tackling and all-round defensive play was impressive with most players enjoying the physical side of the game. Body position at the ruck and speed of thought (doing something before the opposition rather than waiting to see what they do) are two areas which will need to be improved in the future. Plenty of players displayed a keen attacking instinct with much pace, flair and elusiveness. The boys showed great team spirit throughout and it was a pleasure to witness their progress.
U11 D R Di Maso & J Pickles Overall, it has been a good season for the U11Ds. Out of the 10 matches played, the boys won 4, drew 1 and lost 5. Although it may be disappointing to lose 50% of the matches, the team have shown a huge improvement in skill development and tactical understanding over the course of the season. The main strength of the team this season has been the boys’ intelligent and positive attacking play, which is shown in the statistics and allowed Jason X to become the school’s top try scorer for the season with 35 tries. The team scored 445 points in total which equates to 89 tries, with the ruthless top scorer Jason X scoring 25 of them. Many of these tries have often been set up by excellent ball carrying and offloading by Raqeen G. In defence, the team showed real grit and determination which has often been down to the aggressive and committed tackling of James A. The team conceded 395 points or 79 tries meaning that more points were scored than conceded which is a huge positive for the boys. The main highlight of the season was the 60-0 demolition of Berkhamsted in which the boys showed excellent attacking flair but also maintained discipline and awareness in defence resulting in a clean sheet. A close second was the 90-20 thrashing of Claires Court, in which many of the team managed to get on the scoresheet. It has been a pleasure to work with such talented team this season and it has been even more of a pleasure to see them enjoying rugby with a smile on their face. Overall, a fantastic season, well done!
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Unfortunately, as with the way of sport form can be temporary but once again the boys never gave up. A festival at Stowe and St Edward’s, Oxford gave more boys the chance to learn the game and understand a bit more about how to structure themselves and those around them. A final festival at Marlborough and the boys were starting to click and enjoy their rugby even more. Big tackles, strong runs and great passing saw them beat some tough opposition. Frustratingly, narrowly losing to what seemed to be their bogey team this year, St Hugh’s. However, another victory against the Dragon and an impressive win against Beaudesert were great to watch. The last game of the term and the boys were up against a well-drilled Moulsford. Often a tough team to play against as they like to play with a similar expansive style. From the start you could tell every boy was up for it and wanted to put in a good performance. It must be said the try of season was scored this game, where the ball got passed from width to width, all running onto the ball with pace and a fantastic finish in the corner by S Zhang. A convincing win that made a good team look very average, showing the fantastic work all the boys put in throughout the term. So, well done to all the boys that have played in the U10A team!
SPORT
U10 B T Gloster
U10 C J Currie
U10 D E Harper & L Querstret
The U10Bs, as a team, have had a focus on teamwork this term. As a result of this I have been exceptionally proud of the boys. To see the progress they have made from the beginning of term has been fantastic. They are now looking for their teammates when they have the ball, running with it in two hands looking for that incisive pass to help create the try rather than score it. In the majority of games, they have dominated the rucks and mauls; T Lian, H Hill and F Vasilyev being our main ball winners, giving our speedy boys the opportunity to find space and score the tries. N Roscoe, Z Greenhill and B von Hurter have shown off their potential with ball in hand, weaving around the opposition players with ease on occasion! However, without our tackling machines in J Casarotto and M Colman we might have lost more games. All of this said, the boys have never given up and always worked as a team, nothing else could be asked for.
It has been a great season coaching the U10 Cs, with huge progress and success which was testament to the hard work and dedication the boys possessed. The start of the season saw the boys being tentative in defence and outstanding on attack. This came to balance out when the boys started putting their bodies on the line, putting in some serious hits as the season progressed. With a good start to see the season and a convincing win at the Dragon, X von Hurter stood out, showing his speed across the turf and scoring 6 tries.
The U10Ds have had a rollercoaster of a season with many highs and lows. The boys have been tenacious in Games sessions, developing their skills and improving tenfold as the season has progressed. Unfortunately, this level of improvement hasn’t always been apparent on a match day and despite there being moments of brilliance in some of the matches they have played, they haven’t quite been able to sustain their efforts during their matches to ensure they come out on top. Thankfully, the last match against Moulsford was an excellent opportunity for the stars to align and the boys were able to achieve a much-needed win. I am proud of how the boys have developed and look forward to charting their progress.
We narrowly lost to Chesham by 1 try, where our defence unfortunately let us down. We also recorded good wins against Winchester and Beachborough where we showed improvement in our all-round game. M Phillips stood out with his bursting runs, showing confidence on attack and earning him a game playing for the B team. Furthermore, a narrow loss to a strong Papplewick B team took us to the last game of the season, where the boys ran out against Moulsford. This led to playing a triangular and after combining both games left us winning by just 1 try, where the boys never gave up and gave their all! After playing 10 competitive fixtures throughout the season, I am proud to announce that we won 6, lost 3 and drew 1. X von Hurter led from the front securing 20 tries in the season, with L Zheng close behind with 16 tries and R Xu with 14 tries. It has been a very enjoyable season and the boys' commitment and improvement will benefit them hugely.
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SPORT
Junior Rugby It has been really pleasing to see both the U8s and U9s rugby progress across the last term and a half. In both age groups the Caldicott boys have had the opportunity to develop their rugby skills outside of their Games sessions in a number of stand-alone fixtures and in extremely valuable mini festivals. It is incredibly important that all the values of the game are instilled in all the boys at this age, while the biggest emphasis is on enjoyment. Despite these identical core values, along with the boys being so close in age, the challenges for each year group on the rugby pitch are quite different. The U8s have a real focus on basic catch and pass core skill development alongside developing their game understanding specifically related to space and how best to attack and defend the space all in a touch rugby environment. Our U8s have grasped this brilliantly well and I have been really impressed with their skill level and increased game understanding. The U9s continue with this theme of core skill development, but for the first time have to negotiate the concept of tackling or being tackled by an opponent. This changes the game dramatically both from a coaching and playing perspective. A lot of time initially is spent on developing sound safe tackle technique for all the boys and then allowing them to explore how they need to adapt their skill set now this element has been introduced. Across the board the improvement in these skills has been good and while it has taken some a little longer to transfer the skills to the game understanding I have no doubt that the year group will go on to sound rugby success over the coming years.
Rugby Sevens After a full return to the normal 7s circuit last year it was exciting, as always, to have a full calendar of 7s tournaments for this U13 side to participate in; five 7s Festivals and the second Caldicott National Schools 10s Festival. The season made a traditionally soggy start as the weather always challenges The Port Regis Festival. However, they managed to keep it on this year despite typically wet conditions and the Caldicott U13 side performed very well, coming runners-up in the cup competition. Confirmation that this side when on song could compete with any side nationally. Next up was The Downs Festival in Bristol and still a little wet under foot, the competition went ahead. A couple of injuries and unavailability of a few players due to the exeat weekend made this a tougher challenge for the side but the boys gave a good account of themselves on the day. The much-anticipated Caldicott 7s came next but unfortunately some unseasonal cold weather and snow meant the festival had to be cancelled. The following week, it was down to Millfield. After three very close games in the group, the U13 side went into the second place group and had three more incredibly close games. Across the day they only lost one game by one try but ended up coming 6th overall – a testament to how competitive the circuit is but also reconfirmation that the side was capable of competing with the best. On the last Thursday of term, the boys headed off to the famous Rosslyn Park National Schools 7s. Caldicott were placed in a strong group of schools and had five tough matches, but still competed well in all of them and were by no means out of their depth. The regular term ended, but the rugby season continued.
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With just a day’s rest, the Saturday saw the second Caldicott National Schools 10s. With nine of the top teams from around the country invited, the boys were looking forward to testing themselves against some schools they had never played before. The side had saved their best until last – they started the day in incredible form beating an excellent Warwick side 10-0. They played some of the best rugby of their Caldicott careers across the day finishing fifth overall.
What a great rugby sevens season the U12 team had, playing in three festivals and winning two overall. But what was most pleasing was the development and progress that the team made through the condensed 7s season. The first festival at Port Regis saw the team still learning the game of 7s in tough conditions but nonetheless some pleasing results came through, meaning that they went through into the main knock out cup, wining both games to be crowned winners for the day.
It was pleasing to see the boys The festival at The Downs was a much continually rise to the challenges that tougher experience, and the boys struggled were put in front of them and despite at the start of the day but eventually found battling with injuries and unavailability their feet as they started to play some across the term, come out a better, more better rugby as the day progressed. This experienced team than they were before. was an important learning experience for They have been a pleasure to coach, them, and made them more determined and I can only congratulate each one of to improve, moving forward. Due to the them on a very good 7s season. I will cancellation of the Caldicott 7s due to the watch how each of their rugby continues snow, the last festival of the season was at to develop with great interest as these Millfield, and the boys certainly saved their boys go off to their senior schools. best until last, in a quite brilliant day which culminated in beating Millfield in a winners take all ‘final’ 15-10.
It was a pleasing season, and the boys should look forward to next year. Well done.
An elephant never forgets ... and neither will they We don’t just plan holidays, we plan inspirational journeys. Come and see us in Beaconsfield for brilliant family holiday ideas, from the Greek Islands to the African Plains, Sri Lanka, Outback Australia and beyond.
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Football Josh Blagden
The season got underway to a fantastic start, with over 40 boys from 3rd-6th Form attending the three-day pre-season football camp. We considered ourselves extremely fortunate for the sunshine and mild weather – rare for early January! This stood them in good stead to hit the ground running, with fixtures right from the U13A team to the U10E team coming in thick and fast from the beginning of term. However, unseasonable amounts of rainfall, followed up by snow resulted in fixture cancellations early on. You will be able to read each team’s season review in the next section. Often, House Football produces some of the most hard-fought and dramatic matches. This season was no exception. In the seniors, the round robin competition is split into an A and B division, with a collective overall league table. It is a great opportunity for the 5th Form boys to showcase their skills against the 6th Formers. McArthur won again in the seniors, in addition to finishing second to Cooper in the 3rd Form competition, whilst Wood won in the 4th Form. The Charity Football Tournament was a great success, with fundraising efforts raising over £2,000, all of which went towards the school charity for this year, Sparrow Schools. Attention turned to the Soccer 6s tournament towards the end of the season for many in the 5th and 6th Form. After a hotly contested group stage and semi-final knockouts, the two teams that made it to the final were Wexham Raiders and Taplow Tigers. Rodrigo Urbano Roldan captained the Raiders to a 2-0 win in a game that saw him fire a screamer into the top corner, followed up by getting a red card! This season, Football Colours were awarded to Taro Evans, Leo Ridley, and Ned Bloomfield. In addition, I would like to mention the following boys for their successful selection in the Prep School Lions Development Squads; Ned Bloomfield, Leo Slade Jones, Wilbur Ridley, Leo Ridley, Barney Webb, George Casey, Louis Morris, George Drewett, Will Mulqueen and Dash von Hurter.
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U13 A J Blagden
U13 B T Zengerink
It has been a pleasing season for the U13A team overall, in what has been a difficult season weather wise. The season got off to a slow start with an opening day loss against Shiplake and The Oratory Prep, in heavy rain and a sodden pitch. The weather did not cease, meaning that matches against Reading Blue Coat and Davenies both got cancelled the following week. This meant that our next fixture was the reverse leg against The Oratory Prep. The boys’ hard work in training paid off. This time round we kept a clean sheet to secure a wellearned 2-0 win.
The 2023 season has certainly been a season to remember for the U13B team for a number of reasons. Firstly, they have had an extremely successful season as far as results go, winning the majority of their matches. Secondly, the improvements made, not just individually but with the team as whole, has been a highlight. The style of football the boys have played has been exciting to watch and led to countless goals that will linger long in the memory bank. A testament to this fact is the way the team bounced back from a 1-0 defeat to Shiplake College in the first game of the season and then go on to beat them 4-0 in the return fixture later in the term. It has also been pleasing to see a number of boys promoted to the A team throughout the season which is testament to the success of the team as a whole. Even when the going got tough, the team stuck to the plan of passing the ball around looking to break down the opposition defence and find a way to win. It has been a pleasure to coach this group and I hope they all go on to their future schools with positive memories of their last season of football at Caldicott.
The match of the season was undoubtedly the 7-3 away win against Belmont Mill Hill. This was a game that certainly tested the players’ resilience and desire to win. Trailing 2-0 at halftime, the boys came into the half-time team talk having played reasonably, albeit too passive and not hungry enough to win the ball. They came out all guns blazing in the second half and took the fight to Belmont, scoring seven second half goals to complete a momentous win and one that I am sure will live long in their memory. The team set up to play 4-3-3, with the focus on getting the ball wide in attack to feed L Ridley on the left, or M Carter Shaw on the right. Both players have great ability in beating opponents in 1 v 1 situations with fox in the box, L Manley, often waiting to get on the end of chances. Manley has been excellent playing as a number nine and finished the season as top scorer with 12 goals. Back-to-back victories against the Dragon and St John’s Leatherhead instilled much confidence in the team before defeat against St John’s Beaumont. The team spirit was again on show with a last-minute winner from Manley to win 3-2 against Shiplake, the same team that they lost 5-1 to earlier in the season. It has been a pleasure coaching the boys this season and it is evident how much they all love playing the game. Whilst the front three have been potent in attack, this is built on the solid foundation at the back. We have been fortunate to have an excellent goalkeeper in N Bloomfield. Bloomfield has a good footballing IQ and has been one of the best performers this season. The defence has chopped and changed somewhat, although J Gorton and B Duckworth have been regular starters at the back. The midfield has been built on the energy of T Evans in centre midfield, ably supported by J Coomber and J Uriarte Petrini on either side. Evans has improved week on week, and his performances were rewarded with the Player of the Season accolade. Ridley has led the team with aplomb as captain, ably supported by Bloomfield as vice-captain. Both players and Evans received football colours, whilst Manley received the Creativity Award and Uriarte Petrini the Resilience Award.
U13 C I Fyffe We had a very successful season this year, which is remarkable considering that almost every team we played against had better ball control and a more developed passing game. Despite that, sheer will and determination prevented our opposition from getting the upper hand on us. This incredible team spirit was epitomised with our first victory, where we were down 4-0 at half-time against Shiplake College, only to end up winning 5-4 by the end. During the season, our goal scorers were pleasantly varied, with many players being successful here. Though it was on defence, where our energy levels and dominant physical presence were too much for our opponents, that we really shone. Attackers rarely had the time or space to capitalise, and our superb defence cleared the ball with relative ease. Our passing game developed nicely through the season, as did our control over the ball. N Wei captained the team, and he was supported by many determined players, including the reliable J Yang, and the ever-determined R Urbano Roldan, amongst others. Much character was developed this season. Well done, lads!
U13 D I Fyffe It has been a scintillating season of Football for the U13D team. I have been incredibly impressed with their desire to play ‘good football’ throughout the term. Their ability to mirror what the boys in the higher up teams are looking to do on the pitch has been excellent. They have looked to build play from the back through a short, sharp, succinct passing game. The middle of the park has been controlled by L Lane Fox, C Zhan, O Haddock and A Asnani. At times, their shooting power has let them down, but this hasn’t marred their ability to score goals while A Fischer and A Nambiar have worked themselves into the right position to score plenty of goals from close range. A Gao, E Beurier, S Liu and C Chen have been the iron wall at the back, operating a slick off-side trap making it nigh on impossible for the oppositions attack. J Dickinson has been a standout performer, excellent in goal while also offering brilliantly on the wing at times. All in all, this side have been a pleasure to coach and have shown real development in both their core skills and game understanding as the season has gone on. THE CALDICOTIAN 2022/2023 | 59
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U12 A H Watts The start of the Spring Term was filled with optimism that this football term would be a more successful season for this group of boys. The season started strongly, although with a very narrow defeat against local rivals Thorpe House, but the boys were able to show off some competitive spirit and there was hope that there were positive results to come. Thanks to the unpredictable British weather, the boys had a little wait for their next fixture, but it was worth it as the boys won emphatically 8-1 against The Oratory. This gave the boys a huge boost moving into the busy part of the season. The boys had some tough match ups and were brought down to earth when playing against two very good sides in Abingdon Prep and Belmont Mill Hill. However, the highlight of the term was a double fixture against Shiplake and Pinewood; the boys were back at home playing on their favourite pitch and put in two very good performances. The boys scored seven goals in what was a very good attacking display. Credit must go to J Baon scoring an impressive hat-trick and this was capped off by a wonder-goal from captain G Drewett which will live long in the memory. The boys have had a tough season but there have been some moments of brilliance in there too. Lots of progress has definitely been made and I look forward to seeing how they get on next season.
U12 B M Holyland The U12Bs played with great heart and desire throughout the football season. With a playing record of 10 play, 4 won and 6 lost, it would be easy to judge the season as a failure. However, the levels of development both in their individual skillset and teamwork, resulted in a number of impressive performances. Notably, their victories against St John's Beaumont and St John's Northwood, and even though it ended in defeat their resilience and courage displayed against a strong Belmont Mill Hill side, all demonstrated how far they had come in a relatively short period of time. What was most impressive was the style of football the team developed throughout the season. They consistently played attractive attacking football. Passing the ball out from the back and remaining composed in possession. 60 | THE CALDICOTIAN 2022/2023
U12 C C Legge
U11 A G Leggett
The boys’ commitment and enthusiasm has been magnificent throughout the season. They fought with heart, and to the very end, in every game. We struggled with speed and strike-power up front, but some excellent goals were scored by D Bracken, A Castello, F Martin-Jenkins and M Salami. Our backs, anchored by a consistently solid I Dudakov, and assisted by the brave defence of our goalie, R Hyams, were able to hold off some sustained assaults by our opposition. S Xu, S Jiang, A Sathish were our regular utility players and midfielders, and they grew in confidence and in skill as the season unfolded. Although our win rate was not what we desired, it has been a thoroughly enjoyable season to coach, because the boys have shown such good cheer, determination, and spirit.
The U11As worked hard this season and recognised the importance of staying together as a team whilst facing tough opposition. Our aim was to keep possession better and create more goal scoring opportunities, which certainly improved towards the end of the year. The boys suffered several narrow defeats before securing a final day 1-0 win to end on a high. Looking ahead to next season, I would like to see them all continue to play with confidence and not be disheartened by their string of defeats. They have a lot of potential. Once they develop more team cohesion, they will hopefully see results go their way.
U11 B R Di Maso
This has been a really good season for the U11B team; a season which saw U12 D some really big wins, a hard-fought M Hutchings draw and a couple of narrow defeats; This has been a team that has along the way, plenty of learning demonstrated a lot of hard work and opportunities. The boys have quickly desire to improve and develop over realised that there is nothing to be afraid of on the pitch; they fought hard the season, and I have been pleased for every single ball from the first to with their all-round contributions. This the last minute. What they need to do is perhaps best highlighted by losing next season, is to be quicker in the to the Dragon early in the season 0-5 opposition box; too often we did not but playing them in the second half of score because our strikers took too the term and only narrowly losing 3-4, which was a superb effort with all things long to make that final touch. Some considered. This game also included us boys deserve a mention for the way missing a last-minute penalty that hit the they applied themselves on the pitch, crossbar! What drama! The performance both during matches and training: L Slade-Jones’ left foot is simply of the season was probably the 3-1 outstanding and B Allison’s grit has set victory away at St John's Beaumont the best example for his teammates. having gone down 0-1 early on in the Their determination on every ball has game to eventually turn it around 3-1; been commendable throughout the it was a delight to watch, and the boys season, well done boys! battled particularly hard in this game. We have had a fluid movement of boys in the side throughout the season, but we have also had a mainstay of players which has included R Anand, E Dong, A Dickinson, T Pitcher, C Light, Y Gupta and C Speigelberg, all of whom have developed nicely over time. A special mention also to T Aspinall, as it has been great to see him back playing competitive sport and making a real difference to the team.
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U11 C J Currie
U11 D T Chapman
The U11C team had a successful season led by captain, W Newall. With a team of plenty skill and discipline, we finally got to play our first fixture after a couple of matches being called off due to the bad weather. Our first fixture against Pinewood definitely set the tone for the season, winning convincingly 5-0 at home. This was where Newall contributed two goals as well as a goal apiece coming from H Hutson, G Burnett and S Grimsey, who have all been instrumental this season. We then welcomed the Dragon the following week, where we continued our good run, winning 4-1 in an exciting match of football. This then took us to our most emphatic win of the season, beating The Oratory Prep, 14-1. A special mention must go to T Leggett, who has been fearless in goals all season and got a chance to play striker in the second half and managed to secure two goals in quick succession. Newall and Hutson starred in the performance where Newall scored four and Hugo two. Our last two games of the season saw us losing 1-0 to a well-drilled Moulsford side and a final victory beating Berkhamsted 2-0. This saw the U11C team coming out playing five matches, winning four and only losing one. Well done on a great season and good luck for the upcoming seasons in your career.
Going into the last match of the season on the penultimate Wednesday of term, the U11 D team was unbeaten, having defeated Pinewood, The Oratory and Berkhamsted and drawing with the Dragon and Moulsford. Unfortunately, Chesham Prep scored early and despite creating well over a dozen good chances to score, the equalising goal proved elusive as shots flew high, wide and straight at the goalkeeper. Nevertheless, the boys enjoyed their football this term, tried their hardest and with a little more appreciation of tactical elements of football, they should be able to make progress next year.
U11 E C Cox It has been an enjoyable season with the team. The dynamic duo of J Leung and A Shen have been solid at the back. B Lin has led from the front and has been excellent as a focal point for the attack. A Faissola and E Sandhu have given us width and have impressed with their creativity. W Astor has been excellent in front of the sticks and has really improved his skills as a goalkeeper. A Sharma and J Amasov have been very reliable and can always be counted on to give their best. I wish the boys success for their future footballing endeavours.
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U10 A J Pickles It has been a solid season for the U10A team this season. The team managed to record three draws out of four matches, only losing one match by a single goal. We were leading in all three of the matches that we drew and have been very unfortunate not to record a win. We were particularly unlucky in the 1-1 draw against Chesham prep to concede a sloppy late goal after playing most of the match in the opposition half. Excellent saves from H Hill and stoic defending by A Mian and M Bain have helped us to weather opposition storms, and in the other half, excellent creativity from B von Hurter, N Roscoe and S Zhang accompanied by tireless running from F Jayasuriya and X von Hurter have helped us to get us on the scoresheet in every match. The boys have shown a sound improvement in their technical skills and their tactical understanding. Their understanding of defensive shape and their willingness to work hard off the ball has been particularly impressive in recent weeks. It has been a pleasure to coach a talented group of players and it will be interesting to see how they develop in the future.
U10 C E Harper Albeit short, the U10C team have had a great season with the players seamlessly developing each week to improve their skills. Each player has made the position his own and I've been so impressed with their developing comradery and teamwork in matches. A Obhrai has been a brick wall in goal and has communicated effectively with his defence, J Bruinette and M Phillips. Both of the players in defence have been able to secure possession and have easily linked up play with the midfield so that T Lian and L Westermann can create scoring opportunities. Our best find this season has been the superstar striker J Casarotto; more often than not, he has found himself on the scoresheet in matches and opened the scoring which, in some cases, have allowed the flood gates to open. All in all, there is much to be proud of and the U10C team players can hold their heads up high.
U10 D T Gloster The U10Ds have had a positive season, despite the frustration at the beginning of the season due to the weather. The boys have all trained hard and looked to improve their skills, whether their focus was on controlling the ball or looking to get the ball out of their feet for a shot. Z Morjaria has worked tirelessly all season in midfield and so he has given confidence to the whole team to show what they can do. R Perren has been terrier like, never allowing the opposition a chance to take time on the ball. Also, our defence of F Shin and L Zheng, ably supported by Y Khangura, has been brilliant; only four goals have been conceded throughout the season. I hope that the boys are very proud of their achievements and look to improve even more next season. Well done!
U10 B J Robinson
U10 E L Querstret
The U10B team had what might seem to be a disappointing season with one win, three losses and a draw. However, the opening game against Pinewood showed there was a lot of potential within the team. With F Vasilyev and H Haines up front leading the charge, later joined by M Colman and H Howard and Alex Rudge at the back doing all they can to get in the way of attackers from scoring. On the wings, R WaleyCohen and E Carter Shaw, the two double-barrelled shooters from either side of the pitch showed some real promise, with Carter Shaw getting his chance in the A team later in the season. Overall, a successful and learning year for all boys and they should take great pride in their achievements this term.
A difficult start to the season with some disappointing defeats could easily have knocked the spirits of the team, but their perseverance and team spirit allowed them to turn a corner. An excellent win against a tough Chesham Prep team really gave the boys the confidence that they did know how to play as a team and perhaps had some more ability than they had been giving themselves credit for. This then led on to a strong end to the season with much improved performances all round. Every man played his part but particular mentions should go to; G Amosov for his high pressure style of attacking which regained possession for the team high up the pitch; J Spalton for not just his stubborn defending but also for his forays into the opposition half resulting in several assists; and J Brain for his wise leadership, in particular with keeping spirits high and not allowing morale to drop on occasions when trailing in a game.
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Junior Football The Junior School boys have enjoyed a terrific start to their football journey at Caldicott. We were blessed with warm autumnal weather in every Games session and school match. There was an excellent turnout of boys that attended the pre-season Junior Football Camp before term started which was a great opportunity for boys to develop their technical skills and enjoy forging new friendships. There were many new boys in the 1st and 2nd Form who made their debuts for Caldicott. The first school fixture of the season at home to Papplewick was a success, with over thirty different boys all getting on the scoresheet. The following block fixture against Summer Fields was again well-contested across the board, with an equal split of victories, draws and losses. Later in the week, the U8A and U8B teams travelled to Summer Fields to compete in their 6-a-side football festival. It was a very worthwhile experience, although both teams lost in the first round of the knockout stages. We are proud to offer sport for all at Caldicott and this was highlighted in being able to field teams from the U8As – U8Ds and U9As – U9Fs for every single block fixture against our traditional opponents, including Ludgrove, Wetherby Prep and Wetherby Pre-Prep. The enthusiasm for football amongst the boys in the Junior School is fantastic and there is lots of potential. This enthusiasm often peaks during House Matches and again this year this proved to be the case. With the combined results of the 1st and 2nd Form, Jenkins were clear winners, with Wood second, followed by McArthur and Cooper.
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Cricket
Terrence Zengerink
Despite the 2023 season getting off to a wet and chilly start for our first couple of fixtures against Ludgrove and Bedford, it was nothing short of a miracle that we managed to keep these fixtures on, without a single cancellation due to the weather. A massive thank you to the Grounds Department for making it possible, as well as the character shown by the boys, all who just got on with it and gave it 100%. The cricket season came to a fitting end in glorious sunshine with a 1st XI festival, after we had broken up for the holidays. Cornwall Hill and Trinity House touring from South Africa, as well as Primrose Hill CC from London made up the teams for a quadrangular format. On the final Monday evening of term there were fixtures between the fathers of the 6th Form leavers as well as the fathers of 1st XI. These fixtures were played in fantastic spirit, and it summed up what cricket means to so many millions of people around the world. It was the perfect way to say goodbye to some of our leaving cricketers, as well as rounding off what has been an extremely enjoyable and action-packed season. Sport is so important in forging friendships, and it was excellent to see Caldicott boys mixing with boys from South Africa during the BBQ, and it is a great reminder that results don’t mean everything when it comes to team sport participation. It has been another excellent season for the Caldicott CC with some outstanding team and individual performances. What makes Caldicott so successful isn’t necessarily the fact that we have strong A teams, but the fact that we have an incredible depth of talent and competition for places in the lower teams, which is as fierce as it is for places in the top teams. As you will read in the individual season reviews for each team, the coaches here at Caldicott take great pride in the boys’ performances, both individually as well as the whole team’s effort. There has certainly been a great deal of progress made throughout the term, and as I told the boys in assembly a few weeks back, success to me isn’t necessarily down to results, but I see the cricket season as a success when I look around the school and see countless games of courtyard cricket being played and almost every boy with a ball in his pocket eager for the next break time to arrive so they can resume their battle!
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Cricket is, however, very stats based and therefore if would be unkind not to mention the following boys and teams who performed well throughout the season, and received awards at the final assembly for some outstanding individual performances throughout the season… The following boys scored half centuries: Lev Pankov 52* - 3rd XI v Bedford Joe Coomber 50* - 1st XI v Dragon Joe Coomber 71* - 1st XI v St Martin's Joe Coomber 63 - 1st XI v Summer Fields Josh Coetzer 54 - 2nd XI v Dragon Josh Coetzer 60 - 1st XI v Cothill House Rory Hughes 51* - 1st XI v The Beacon Rory Hughes 53* - 1st XI v Great Walstead George Hampel 59* - 2nd XI v Cothill House Kevin Li 60* - 6th XI v Lambrook Freddie Latief 53 - 2nd XI v Moulsford Rex Nixon 51* - 6th XI v Moulsford Benjamin Allison 85 - U11A v Moulsford
SPORT The following bowlers captured 5 wicket hauls: Matthew Hughes 5-22 - 1st XI v Dragon Alfred Allison 5-12 - 2nd XI v Cothill House James Gorton 5-11 - 1st XI v The Beacon Notable team performances: 1st XI - P18, W14, L4 2nd XI – P9, W7, L2 U11B – P11, W8, L3 U11C – P10, W7, L3 U10B – P11, W9, L2 U9A – P6, W5, L1 U9C – P4, W4 It is perhaps fair to say that the highlight of the cricketing calendar would have to be the Final of the Caldicott Premier League between the Beaconsfield Barbarians and the Slough Sledgehammers which went down to the final over. The match was played in front of a packed crowd all cheering their chosen team on. It was a fitting end to a highly successful tournament which has run throughout the term. A special thank you to Mr Currie and Mr Pickles for organising the tournament and for capturing what makes this tournament such a success.
The following boys were awarded prizes in the Final assembly: CPL Champions 2023: Beaconsfield Barbarians Runners Up: Slough Sledgehammers CPL Most Valuable Player: Agastya Asnani CPL Leading Run Scorer: Kevin Li CPL Leading Wicket taker: Agastya Asnani The highly competitive House Matches were as exciting and as hotly contested as ever. The difference between 1st and 2nd place was just 4 points, with McArthur just edging out Jenkins and winning the House Cricket Trophy for 2023. Junior cricket is very important to us here at Caldicott and we have been working hard on the basic skills required to play the game, as well as fostering a cricketing culture amongst the boys. We have an exciting young crop of cricketers coming through the ranks and together with some very pleasing seasons for the U10 and U11 age groups we are excited about the future of cricket. Cricket is evidently alive and well here at Caldicott, and with over 200 fixtures across all teams competing against some of the best cricketing schools in the country, we can be extremely proud of our achievements this season. We are constantly striving to make the cricketing provision for all boys at Caldicott better and it has been pleasing to see more boys representing the school in competitive matches than ever before.
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1st XI T Zengerink Having toured to Cape Town in February there were high hopes that this preparation would stand the boys in good going into the summer, but unfortunately things didn’t get of to a good start with a couple of below par performances with the bat against Ludgrove on a very wet wicket and then the following game against Bedford where we were bowled out extremely cheaply having had them on the ropes with some good bowling and fielding. Despite these two early losses we were confident that once the weather improved and the wickets firmed up that we would start to reap some rewards for the hard work put in over the winter. The tough fixtures just kept coming with fixtures against a strong Summer Fields and the Dragon the following week. Both games were tense affairs with either side in a position to win the game, but fortunately we managed to get over the line in both, with a brilliant bowling and fielding display against Summer Fields securing us a 3-run victory in our first home game of the season. This success kickstarted what would turn out to be a fantastic set of results for the 1st XI, winning the next 12 games in a row against the likes of Cothill House, St Martin's, Lambrook, Merchant Taylor’s, The Beacon, Moulsford, Aysgarth, Parkside and Summer Fields away. Throughout the season our bowling and fielding was our strength, and we had the belief that we could defend any total making use of our consistent seamers and incredible spinners. The runs also started to flow, and the team grew in confidence week after week. We also managed to win our way through to IAPS finals day in York where we ended up finishing 3rd in the national competition after losing in the semi-final. This was a fantastic effort from the boys and summed up how far they had come as a group throughout the season. It was a cohesive group which was well led by our captain, Joe Coomber. At the end of term after we had broken up for the holidays, we hosted a cricket festival over two days which included fixtures against two South African teams, Trinityhouse and Cornwall Hill from Johannesburg, as well as Primrose Hill CC from London. It was a fantastic way to round of what was an immensely successful season and one I am sure the players, parents and of course myself will look back on fondly for many years to come. Many thanks to George Coomber who helped with the fixtures and ensuring the boys were in the right frame of mind when taking to the field. Thank you also to all the parents for their continued support throughout the season. The following boys were all awarded their colours cap for scoring more than 200 runs or talking more than 20 wickets for the 1st XI: Joe Coomber Josh Coetzer Rory Hughes Matthew Hughes Cooper Atkinson Zuhair Malik Aston Jenkins
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2nd XI T Chapman & M Hutchings
4th XI H Watts
This has been an enjoyable season for the 2nd XI who have had some successful results, but more importantly have grown and developed over the course of the season.
It has been thoroughly enjoyable coaching the 4th XI cricket team this year. It has been without a doubt one of the most competitive and fiercely fought seasons I have had at Caldicott as the majority of the games went right down to the wire. This started early in the season when we dropped a catch of the final ball to draw the game against Bedford, followed by a 1 run loss against Summer Fields; these results really could have gone either way. I am pleased to say that they did seem to kick start a run of positive results. The boys recorded good wins against Cothill, Moulsford, The Beacon and finally beating Bedford in the return fixture at the end of the season. All the boys should be really proud of the progress they made throughout the term and the performances they gave on the pitch this year.
The aim of a 2nd XI is to push players for selection to the 1st XI whilst also developing and preparing younger boys for playing 1st XI cricket the following season. With this in mind, the team has been a blend of 6th Form boys who have been unlucky to miss out playing for the 1st XI along with 5th Form boys who are working hard on their game. The team suffered only two defeats this term and it was pleasing to beat Summer Fields having lost to them earlier in the season. The other loss, against Moulsford, must go down as one of the highest scoring defeats, having batted first and scored 201-5 only to be beaten by a Moulsford side that finished on 203-6. The bowling was far too short, and lessons were not learned during the match. It is to be hoped that the penny has now dropped. Probably the most pleasing aspect of the season was beating Bedford both home and away. Games against Bedford are always a good yardstick for a team and beating them twice should be seen as a great return. In conclusion, the boys should be proud of their efforts this season, and they have been a pleasure to coach.
3rd XI M Holyland A team built around enjoyment, competitiveness and togetherness. The 3rd XI showed that when on form, they could play to a very high standard of cricket. Having played 10 fixtures throughout the season, a playing record of 3 won and 7 lost does not reflect the potential the group had, with 5 of those loses going down to the last few balls. Some of the highlights of the season include the batting displays against the Dragon and Summer Fields both home and away, where the boys showed great patience and technique in difficult batting conditions, and our bowling display against Moulsford. As a team they developed throughout the season, growing more confident and competitive as the season wore on. The bowling attack of Yuan, Kane, Wei, John-Brown and Duckworth, proved to be very dangerous at this level, with a good mixture of pace, consistency and guile. They were well supported by a batting line up of Duckworth, Urinate-Petrini, Dhami, and Debnath, all of whom brought a unique approach to their batting, but all looked to be positive and play with good intent and enthusiasm. Special mention to Colman (wicket-keeper batsman) and Ridley who filled the role of all-rounders admirably.
5th XI G Williams The return of the competitive cricket season was an exciting prospect for both boys and staff alike as we entered the start of the Summer Term 2023. The Caldicott 5th XI are infamous on the circuit for their commitment to the game and their highly competitive nature cultured over a decade ago by CPL creator Andy Baker. I am pleased to report that this year saw no deviation from what has become the norm in the 5th XI. The culture within the team sees every boy (except for the wicket keeper) bowl and more often than not, most of the team bat, although the latter is through the good-natured team spirit of ‘giving everyone a go’ than a collection of poorly timed cross bat slogs! The team was ably captained by R Nixon. Tactically, Nixon’s, along with all the boys’, game understanding developed immeasurably across the season. Comparatively, the boys all worked hard at improving their line and length bowling and playing with a straight bat while at the crease. The bowling attack was led by W Steward, G Dodd and S Liu while wicket keeper R Nixon, D Bracken and A Asnani gave us a steady batting base, Y Zhao, J Baon, and E Tollgard were on hand to push the run rate when needed. Despite often impressive individual batting and bowling performances, a number of games were won in the field. The boys developed a desire to put pressure on opposition batsmen and an understanding of how to do so to keep run rates low. E Tollgard’s numerous acrobatic fielding approach took batsmen by surprise as they were forced out of a run or couldn’t believe their eyes as he took some incredible catches. This ferocity and nous in the field became a hallmark of the side. The standout game of the term came in the home fixture against old rivals the Dragon, where G Dodd took 2 for 6 and Asnani scored an impressive 40 not out. All in all, it was a good cricket season and despite losing some closely fought games, the Caldicott 5th XI’s reputation was left untarnished.
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6th XI J Blagden
8th XI C Legge
It has been a pleasing season for the 6th XI. After some traditional wet weather in the first couple of weeks of the Summer Term having an impact on fixtures, the boys found a good rhythm and dynamic within the group. The team had a tricky start to the season, losing two on the bounce before a comprehensive victory against the Dragon. The boys found some cohesion and their performances were much improved after half term. Victories over Lambrook, Summer Fields and The Beacon instilled great confidence in the team.
The mighty 8th team had an enjoyable season because the boys made an effort and played with enthusiasm. This is important because at this level, where interest and skill levels can be quite diverse, it is important that we still maintain high expectations in our training and matches. C Chen and I Mapanzure grew in confidence and in skill on the bowling front, while E Beurier and A Fischer made pleasing progress in their batting skills, to name just a few. I was particularly proud of T Aspinall, who was a constant source of encouragement, despite still recovering from his hip operation. We won just over 60 percent of our games, with the 10-run win over Cothill being a particular highlight. Overall, it has been a fun season with some commendable skills progression from a number of boys.
O Haddock has captained the side this year, deputised by J Dickinson, with A Huang always in vocal support as wicket keeper. In addition, K Li has chipped in with some big scores with the bat and his versatility with the ball has been key. His match winning innings of 60* away at Lambrook really cemented his place into 6th XI folklore. At the top of the order, S Jiang and Y Gupta have been solid, whilst M Fakahau and R Urbano Roldan have provided a touch of attacking flair. Well done on a pleasing season after a somewhat slow start. At the top of the order, R Lian has trademarked the tip and run approach to batting. His philispohy of running every ball has been useful in helping the team earn cheap runs from singles and byes which are crucial in building a decent foundation before the likes of N Wei come in with their aggressive free hitting approach. Nate has been the player of the season for the 6th XI. He has produced several match winning cameos with the bat, including 33 versus Dragon and 25* against Summer Fields. As the season has progressed, the boys have started to specialise a little more between batting and bowling. It has been pleasing to see that the number of extras conceded has improved with time. K Li, H Howard, W Steward and O Herring have demonstrated sound medium pace seam bowling, whilst A Asnani has been the most economical. Well done on a great season!
7th XI I Fyffe While the season was a challenging one with few results going our way, there was a clearly observable improvement in the core cricketing skills. Our batsmen originally struggled with their footwork towards the ball and boundaries seemed much too far away. Bowlers struggled for consistency in both line and length and failed to take any meaningful number of wickets. However, it wasn't long before the consistent nature of our Games practices allowed us to build routine into our footwork and bowling actions and we ended the season with a large number of players able to attack with both ball and bat. Boundaries were scored, wickets were shattered and catches eventually stuck as well. Moreover, the positive nature that the team played the final games of the season showed that they are all clearly enjoyed the gentleman's game. Well done, gentlemen.
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U11A J Currie This has been a progressive season for the U11A cricket team, and they have learnt a lot. Batting has been the most notable improvement, with individuals learning to value their wicket and the team batting for longer periods of time. Bowling good areas and fielding tightly is still the most effective way to create scoreboard pressure and bring plenty of wickets. The improvement over the season was phenomenal and this was evident through the great results. Beating Summer Fields by 66 runs on the return fixture was definitely a highlight of the season, where the boys bowled to their plans and were remarkable in the field. The IAPS Bishops Stortford festival was a great opportunity to play a pairs format of the game where the boys had to adjust but responded well. They won their first game after a nervous start. The second game was extremely tight where we managed to win off the last ball putting us through to the playoffs. We bowled extremely well in the game leading to the final. It was pleasing to see them work well as a team and come away undefeated, leaving as overall winners on the day. A standout performance of the season must go to B Allison scoring 85 (64 balls) against Moulsford where he played some brilliant shots. As the boys move onto senior cricket, they will note that 5th and 6th Form boys combine to create teams, so some work will be needed over the winter months as individuals, to sharpen up technique. It has been a pleasure to coach the team this season and we have enjoyed watching their skill set grow.
U11B S Brown The U11Bs had an immensely successful season, both in terms of individual performances and as a cohesive team. Camaraderie, respect and humour were evident to any spectator of their matches. As well as having a strong set of results, the boys really enjoyed their cricket. The number of exciting matches, because of many close 20th-over wins or losses, made coaching and umpiring this team a real pleasure.
U11C C Cox The U11C team have made tremendous progress this season. At the start of the term, the boys were on a steep learning curve, appreciating very quickly the necessity of a forward defence and clear calling when batting. As the season has progressed, the boys have been far more resolute and resilient when batting and this has led to excellent results, winning all but three of their 10 matches. In the field, the boys still have a lot of work to do on catching, but I’m pleased to report that our success rate has improved dramatically since the opening game (a match that saw us drop every catch!). The boys have been a pleasure to coach, and I look forward to seeing their development throughout their Caldicott cricketing career.
U11D R Di Maso This has been a really exciting season for the U11D team, with some new boys joining the squad. The skill level was already pretty high, but with the addition of players such as J Xu and A Faissola, it meant that the team became even stronger. Some very convincing wins against some of our strongest opponents, but also some narrow defeats to help us reflect that we can’t always win matches confiding solely on the individuals (B Lin and V Gens for example); fantastic bowling from Faissola and incredible batting from Xu, Gens, Lin, A Shen and A Sharma. Overall, a fantastic season, well done!
U10A T Gloster
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The wet start to the season meant that the boys could not prepare as we would have hoped as we went to Ludgrove; we bowled first, and the Ludgrove boys managed to take advantage of the slow wicket and scored a healthy 150 off their 20 overs. The Ludgrove boys bowled with accuracy as a result we were never in the game. The boys took this result hard but, back at school, during our training sessions they worked hard on their game awareness and this progress was shown as we took on Bedford. Despite losing, the boys showed great progress with R Waley-Cohen showing some potential with the bat, smashing three boundaries towards the end of our innings. After the first two matches, the team turned a corner and it was fantastic to see the growth in confidence, as we beat Summer Fields and the Dragon convincingly. We went to the Stowe festival buoyant; M Bain showing his potential with the bat and Y Khangura showing his skills with the ball (five wickets in one over!). Unfortunately, due to the run rate, we did not progress to the game the boys had hoped for, but I was so proud of their efforts and the way they represented Caldicott. With a newfound confidence, we travelled to Lambrook, who we knew were strong due to them beating us at Stowe. The boys were not overawed by the Lambrook team, and we produced our best performance of the season; Bain and Carter-Shaw batting excellently when the team needed them to. When the boys went into the field, Lambrook crumbled as our fielders managed three run outs in the first four overs, all with direct hits! We were always on top after that, despite a couple of partnerships the victory was sealed with a superb catch by Khangura! We moved onto The Beacon next and beat them with ease, A Mian batting with patience to help us set a strong target that, due to some brilliantly accurate bowling, The Beacon did not get close to our total and we won at a canter. The boys continued to show great progress, but we came up against a couple of strong batters from Cheam next and, despite scoring our highest score of the season 131 they chased it with only two wickets lost. We went into our last game against Summer Fields knowing that they wanted revenge. Unfortunately, their leg spinner bowled brilliantly, the only resistance coming from B von Hurter at the end of the innings. The boys battled hard in the field, and they picked a couple of wickets, but Summer Fields managed to have their revenge. All that were involved wished there was another match against each other! Despite not winning all our matches, the boys finished with enthusiasm and excitement for their cricketing future at Caldicott! It has been a pleasure to coach these boys and I look forward to hearing of their progress and success in the future.
U10B J Robinson The U10B cricket season got off to a slow start with a lot of natural talent, but lack of game understanding. As the season went on the squad’s confidence grew as did their win record. Not losing after a single loss against Ludgrove showed the teams resolve and drive to be better. The aim of the season was to be the better team in the field. Every boy put full effort in training session and really showed in the highlight of the season when the boys played a return leg against a strong Summer Fields team. After not having the strongest innings with the bat, all the boys rallied together to show how much their efforts in the nets bowling and time spent in the field and practicing their skills really came to the forefront. With four run outs and three catches in the field, it really hammered home the importance of being a team and staying focused. Each and every boy put in the effort and supported one another throughout, a great way to end the season. Special mention must go to J Casarotto for taking the keeping gloves for the first time, four games into the season and managing to take three catches behind the stumps from edges and keeping the team positive throughout. THE CALDICOTIAN 2022/2023 | 69
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U10C E Harper Each player has worked hard to develop this season and work on their batting and bowling technique. For many of the players, cricket was a game they had heard about but not necessarily played and this was certainly the case in our opening match against Ludgrove. Thankfully, despite the heavy defeat, the boys rallied together and were able to produce wins against Lambrook, Summer Fields, Cothill and Cheam this season. Their understanding of how the game should be played has developed enormously throughout the season though calling between the wickets and stepping towards the ball remain targets for all boys going forward.
Junior Cricket U9 It has been a most successful cricket season for the 2nd Form this Summer with several impressive individual performances as well as some thrilling fixtures against the likes of Ludgrove, The Beacon, Wetherby Prep and St John’s Beaumont. There is a genuine love for the game of cricket within this year group and it certainly bodes well for the future. Our philosophy as far as junior cricket goes here at Caldicott is to foster a cricketing culture amongst the boys whereby they begin to understand the game of cricket and take a genuine interest in why different scenarios require a different approach. We don’t want the coaches to set fields and manage the game, although they should give advice, it is down to the players to think and come up with their own solutions as this is where they learn and develop on the job. Although winning is important, we prefer boys to develop the necessary skills to help them enjoy playing the game for many years to come. There is often an obsession at this age for boys to play hard ball cricket and, although we do train with a hard ball with those boys we deem safe to do so, it is not the be all and end all. Most other schools have moved away from hard ball cricket at U9, but we believe that it is important to prepare the boys for a lifetime of hard ball cricket ahead of them. I have been immensely impressed with the year group as a whole and I am looking forward to following their progress next season when they when they begin to play a more traditional style of cricket.
U8 The 1st Form have had an excellent Summer Term of cricket. Their primary focus has predominantly been on skill acquisition through various skill-based carousel type activities and of course having fun and falling in love with the game as well as fostering a cricketing culture. Rather than just playing matches, which at this age can lead to a lot of standing around, we prefer to place particular emphasis on the skills required to play the game as this is far more beneficial in the long run. The key focus is getting the boys to catch, throw, bowl, and hit more balls than they would in any other coaching or match environment. We have also held 3 internal festivals which included some coaching as well as a taste of what a pairs game feels like. In these games we make use of batting tees and bonus scoring zones, so if a bowler is unable to execute a legal delivery the batsman can still score runs by hitting the ball off the tee. In the 2nd Form the boys will be introduced to some hard ball cricket after the first half of term and although there won’t be many hard ball matches, we will begin to prepare them for many hard ball cricketing years ahead of them. The standard across the board within this group is most pleasing and I am excited to see what they achieve going forward in the years to come. It is evident that the cricketing culture amongst these junior boys is alive and well and the future is certainly in good hands.
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Athletics
Gareth Williams It has been an exciting year for the Athletics Programme for all boys at Caldicott this Summer Term. The 1st-4th Form boys learnt about all the athletic disciplines relevant to their age group in their PE lessons while the 5th and 6th Form boys have an athletics session once a week after their Games Sessions. Performance in these sessions dictates selection for the school Athletics Team. It has been fantastic to be able to once again attend a full fixture list of athletics meetings this Summer Term, as we did last year. This consisted of meetings at Caldicott, Merchant Taylors’, Stowe and Tonbridge with boys who ran qualifying times competing in the London Area Regionals and then Nationals. The season culminated with the full day, allinclusive Caldicott Sports Day which sees every boy in the school compete in track and field events, running relays or the highly regarded tug of war and was won once again by McArthur! All the boys involved in the team represented the school admirably and the boys’ stand out team performance came at the final team meeting of the term at Tonbridge School where they came 1st out of 11 schools, with the U14 side putting in a very dominant performance across the board. Notably, based on their season's performances, M CarterShaw, S Liu, W Cooper, M Salami, Y Javed, B Dai, G Burnett, E Carter Shaw, F Vasilyev, G Hampel, N Wei, R Hughes and B Allison qualified for the London Area Regional Competition, with the last three progressing to represent the London Area District at Nationals. Through his dedication to the Athletics Programme and performance throughout this term and his time at Caldicott colours for athletics were awarded to M Carter Shaw.
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Basketball
John Currie & Joe Pickles The U11 and U13 basketball teams have had a great term on the court. There were some exceptional team performances and individual brilliance which led to some great results. The season started with the Inter-House Basketball Competition, which was extremely competitive and entertaining. In the U10 competition, McArthur ended up victorious which put their House into the pot for a good start. Cooper then managed to win the U11 and senior competition which led to the mighty yellows winning overall comfortably. The U11 team, managed by Mr Pickles, played three matches where they came across strong competition. A special mention to their thumping win of 26-4 against Lambrook at home, where L Morris scored 9 points in an impressive display. A Hutchings and G Filippi scored four points apiece and an excellent J Xu three-pointer capped off an excellent all round team performance. We lost two close fixtures against strong opposition, where our slow starts rattled us. However, we managed to claw our way back in both games to create exciting finishes where against Papplewick we only conceded 1 point in the second half. The U13 team, managed by Mr Currie, went through ups and downs in the season. The first fixture against St John's Beaumont, proved to be tough but the determination to fight back from a 12-0 deficit to finish losing 15-8 was impressive. After missing a chunk of our team in the second fixture, we fought hard against Lambrook, where the majority of the team was representing the 5th Form. This was a great experience building for next season. It then came to the last game of the season where we came out all guns blazing, becoming victorious against Papplewick, where P Yuan managed to basket three, three-pointers in an impressive display, winning 15-8. Overall, it's been a great season with great individual and team performances with matches played in great spirit. We are looking forward to the next upcoming season.
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Cross Country Terrence Zengerink
As is always the case at the start of the Spring Term, the cross country season gets underway with the House Competition seeing all boys running and scoring points for their respective Houses. From this event the fastest four boys from each House in each year were selected to run in a relay-style race. The results from this event were then added to those of the whole school race and these results would determine the House Cross Country champions for 2023. The competition across both events was fierce and it was excellent to see every single boy give his best for his House despite his individual position in the pack. After collating all the scores, the results were as follows: 1st – Cooper 2nd – Wood 3rd = Jenkins 3rd = McArthur The cross country season didn’t end there as we had external events taking place at Woodbridge School, Horris Hill, Ludgrove and St John’s Northwood where boys from all year groups took part. Cross country is a sport that requires participants to show a great deal of character and I was proud to see so many boys display the type of guts and determination we expect from a Caldicott boy. Well done to all those that took part in one form or another. Stand out performances came from the U11 team who won gold at the St John’s Northwood event with B Allison winning the race and R Hughes finishing second. Please see below the individual winners from each year group in the whole school cross country event: 1st Form – A Ridley 2nd Form – J Stewart 3rd Form – E Carter Shaw 4th Form – B Allison 5th Form – W Cooper 6th Form – M Carter Shaw
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Golf
Jaryd Robinson This year, golf at Caldicott has gone from strength to strength. The numbers of boys participating in after school activities has risen and all boys are finding enjoyment in learning the skill of the sport. It is great to see golf grow and being mentioned in the school committee with the younger boys wanting to be able to play, even asking if we can get on site facilities to practice!
A quick mention for N Bloomfield, the captain of golf, although he has only managed two events this term, he has been excellent as captain and really been a positive effect within the school. Special mentions go to G Hampel and R Hughes who have both competed in all events this year and shown their quality. With a tough line up at the IAPS both boys still finished high in the rankings. Following this, both boys, along with Bloomfield and others, competed in the Stowe putter. Hampel narrowly missing out on the top prize, but it was Hughes that stole the show and won (for the second year running) the Junior Jigger. This also meant with their scores combined with Bloomfield’s the team shield was also won by Caldicott by an impressive margin. Next year will see the return of the House Golf Competition and I am looking forward to seeing the sport grow further with more boys finding enjoyment in golf. 74 | THE CALDICOTIAN 2022/2023
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IAPS Judo Tournament Basil Dawkins
The IAPS 2023 event was the first under a new system and places all competitors into small groups of up to 5. The groups were further divided by age, weight and then by a ratings system. All the Caldicott boys were competing in the 10-13 year age groups. A Obhrai was first up for Caldicott. He was in great form and won his first two contests with excellent fighting spirit. He was very unlucky to lose the next two contests, but due to his superior win points in his victories, Arnav was awarded the silver medal. J Brain and J Casarotto put up battling performances and will have taken a lot of experience from this event as they ended the day with bronze medals. J Grewal and B Webb, were both returning after experiencing the event last year and after initial losses, both boys produced excellent winning performances to secure bronze medals in their groups. Both J Dhami and A Hutchings produced very combative performances on their way to their finals, with commanding victories. However, after a gruelling battle Hutchings suffered defeat in the very last second and had to settle for a silver. Dhami was also in an epic battle and was pinned very late in the contest, also claiming silver. B Dai was in great form, his energy and enthusiasm in the class sessions was more than enough as he won his contests with great ability to win a first gold for Caldicott. H Hill lost his very first contest after a slight misjudgement, he then went on to win his next three contests convincingly to claim the silver medal. Hill was also invited to compete in an extra group by the organiser in which he was paired with the same boy who beat him in his first contest. This time a more determined Hill defeated his opponent and went on to claim a well-deserved gold medal. A final medal tally of two golds, four silvers and four bronzes represent the best performance for Caldicott at the IAPS tournament, so a massive congratulations to all the boys involved!
Squash
J Coomber & B Duckworth The squash season this term has been very successful with the U13 team only losing twice. J Coomber and B Duckworth were announced co-captains for the year. The U13 season kicked off with a 4-1 victory against Winchester House, at home. Our next match was against local rivals, Farnham Common. The U11 and U13s both lost narrowly 3-2 to them. Then we went away to Summer Fields with the U11 team losing narrowly again 3-2. The U13 team however turned it around and got a strong 4-1 victory against a strong Summer Fields team. Next, Farnham Common returned the favour of a fixture; the U11s lost 4-1 but fought well. However, the U13s came back from our last defeat to beat them 4-1. Finally, U13s finished the season off with a difficult match against Eton College. We all fought well, losing 5-1 with R Anand winning the only match. Overall, the season was a great success with everyone trying their hardest to win.
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Swimming Matt Hutchings
What a fantastic academic year it has been for swimming at Caldicott. The sport continues to thrive and improve, and we are very lucky to have the services of our well established and highly experienced swimming coaches Helen Dickinson and Sharon Hill, both of whom we could simply not do without. Boys can access swimming lessons through breakfast, lunchtime and middle school clubs, with a whole host of clubs that cater for stroke developers and performance related swimmers. Further to this, we have swam in nine galas against other schools, winning eight and losing only one, which is a great return. We also entered the Division 10 swimming league which comprises of termly meetings and a final in the Summer Term. This is just for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Forms, and I am delighted to report that our 2nd Form squad were crowned winners overall for this year. It has also been our best return for the IAPS National Swimming Finals, with the below boys all qualifying from the regionals to the finals which were held at the London Aquatic Centre. Lastly, it has been a bumper return for boys breaking swimming records this year, with the details also listed below. I look forward to more swimming success next year. Div 10 Individual Winners
IAPS National Swimming Finals Qualifiers
Year 4, 25m Back: J Stewart
U12 Freestyle: W Cooper
Year 6, 50m Breast: H Hutson
U12 Fly: A Dickinson
Year 6, 50m F/S: W Mulqueen
U13 Fly: N Wei
Year 4, 4x1 Medley: J Comfort, H Pammenter, H Cuatrecasas, J Comfort
U13 Freestyle & Medley Relay Team: M Colman, E Tollgard, N Wei, M Carter Shaw
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U12 Freestyle & Medley Relay Team: A Fang, W Cooper, A Dickinson, Y Dudakov
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Tennis
Josh Blagden It has been another great season of tennis during the Summer Term. Participation in the Middle School tennis activity has been at full capacity, in addition to the sign up for the internal tennis championships at all ages. The U11 team had tough losses in their opening fixtures against Gayhurst and The Beacon. Yet again, the U11 Bradfield College Tennis Coaching Masterclass was an opportunity for some of the 3rd Form players to get an opportunity to be coached in the art of doubles play, and embrace the opportunity to play matches on the clay. The U11 season was wrapped up with the IAPS National Championships at Rugby School. B Allison, G Filippi, T Ignatov and L Pammenter made up the team of four. After suffering open round defeats, both the A and B team bounced back well, with a plate runner-up finish for Allison/Filippi, and a third-place plate finish for Ignatov/Pammenter. The U13 team had a successful season, winning two out of their three fixtures. A Jenkins and G Hampel made up the first pair and faced off against each other in the Senior Final at the end of term. Jenkins lived up to his billing as top seed and tennis captain, winning the final against Hampel. The U11 final was a repeat of last year’s U10 final, with R Hughes getting the better of B Allison again. H Hill and L Westermann was an interesting battle of styles in the U10 final, with Hill securing his first title.
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BOARDING
Tom Gloster, Head of Boarding @CaldiBoarding
It is hard to believe that my first year at Caldicott has come to an end! I still remember meeting the boys in September as if it was yesterday! The first night of term was fantastic, with the boys catching up about their amazing holidays and just enjoying each other’s company. That is one of the main reasons I love boarding, seeing the boys interacting and creating lifelong memories. We have had a core group of boys staying during the weekends this year and they have visited a variety of places; Jump In, Legoland and Bray Lake to name just a few. Their main highlight being their trips to Beaconsfield services (some say the best in the country!) for their Sunday lunch. However, I understand from the boys their most enjoyable weekend was Eurovision; they slept in the PAC, ate pizza and cheered on the performers. I must say a big thank you to all the Houseparents for organising these great trips and making weekends special for the boys that do stay in. With that in mind, it has been great to see a number of boys wanting to stay in at weekends to be with their friends and to enjoy the amazing grounds and facilities at school whether in the pool, sports hall, PAC or the nets, in the summer. Our flexi boarding, thanks to the hard work and commitment of Mr Cooper, has continued to grow and we have had nearly 100 boys spend at least one evening in the boarding house this year. The 1st Formers were also given a chance to come in and see what boarding is like for a night; 16 joined us the other week and I am not sure how much sleep they got!?
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It has been great to see the link between the ‘upstairs’ and ‘downstairs’ as the year has gone on and the tireless effort that is put in by all the teachers. We are all involved with boarding and the wellbeing of the boys, but there has to be specific recognition of Ma’am Quinn, Ma’am Mahmood and Ma’am Crossley for all their efforts behind the scenes, making sure the boys are dressed appropriately and clean! There has been a fantastic contest this year when it has come to the nominations for the boarding prizes. There have been many boys who have been considerate, helpful, kind and caring towards each other and the staff on duty. There were many discussions within the boarding team about who should be awarded these coveted prizes. Autumn Term: Jonathan Dickinson (6th Form), Jaime Baon (5th Form) and Barney Webb (Junior) Spring Term: Rodrigo Urbano (6th Form), Hamish Laing (5th Form) and Pekko Pfundstein (Junior) Boarders of the Year: Joshua Coetzer (6th Form), Cassius Spiegelberg (5th Form) and Ned Allison/Fourth Rhodes (Junior) The Boarder of the Year award recognizes individuals who not only exhibit an attitude towards boarding and their peers which is exemplary, but they also embrace all that boarding has to offer with enthusiasm and highlight the school values by showing integrity, perseverance, courage, compassion and humour.
BOARDING
Finally, I would like to say thank you to all the boys for making this year great and I hope that the 6th Formers will all reflect on their final year in boarding at Caldicott with affection and they should be proud of what they have achieved; overcoming missing home, building resilience, learning to interact positively with their peers and passing CE. The list goes on, but they should all be proud and I hope to see them all in the future, I know my son, Sebby, will want to see them all again! We are already looking forward to having last year’s 4th Form joining the boarding house this year.
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IN THE COMMUNITY Jo Duncan, Head of Charity Committee
It’s been another busy and hugely successful year for the Caldicott Community in terms of our charitable efforts. We continued our support of Sparrow Schools Foundation and were privileged to have two visits by representatives of the South African charity over the course of the year. Their Operations Manager, Melanie Malema, visited in December and delivered an insightful presentation, then their Founder and General Manager, Jackie Gallagher, flew all the way from South Africa in May to thank us in person. The personal connections we make with charities are hugely valuable and allow us to understand how best we can offer our support. We kicked off our fundraising in October with a Mufti Day which the Charity Committee themed ‘Colour Clash Day’. Boys and staff got fully behind the theme and the school was awash with bright colours, raising a marvellous £1,036. In addition to our main charity for the year, we continued to support our local community during the festive season when the cost-of-living crisis hit many families hard. Our annual Christmas present appeal donated over 200 presents to Home Start and we also donated numerous food items and toiletries to Slough Foodbank, in addition to holding a warm clothing collection for Slough Homeless Our Concern and the Salvation Army. It was lovely to meet some of the people who were being supported by these donations when I did the final drop off in the lead up to Christmas. Charity collections at the productions of A Christmas Carol and Fireside Nativity raised £383 and the beautiful Carol Service at Marylebone Church raised £1,354, with a further £2,097.98 being raised by the chapel this year. We ended the term with our annual Christmas Jumper Day enabling us to gift £1,454 to Save the Children. In the Spring Term, the Friends of Caldicott organised a fantastic Quiz and for the second year running ‘Quizzy Rascals’, a team made up of 2nd Form parents, won. Incredibly via the online auction, raffle, Headmaster for the day raffle, and quiz night puddings auction they raised £6,700 for Sparrow Schools (£4,500) and the Turkey and Syria Earthquake Appeal (£2,200). One of the most highly anticipated charity events of the year returned in February. With the support of Mr Blagden, our Charity Football tournament saw all boys take part in thrilling matches across a week, raising an incredible £2,161.25, of which Lucas Zammit raised £275 by solving several Rubik's Cube puzzles and posting his videos online, smashing his entry fee total! Our annual charity bake sale challenged the boys in our 4th Form to get into the kitchen and create delicious edible delights. This was an Inter-House Challenge, with four tables of tasty treats to choose from. The boys did brilliantly to bake some incredible cakes, cookies and brownies, which were adorned on their displays beautifully. By the end of the busy and rather hectic sale they raised £606.39. As we entered the summer, in celebration of King Charles III’s coronation the community got together for a Royal Fun Run. With some wonderful costumes, bucket loads of comradery and humour, we raised money for an important cause selected by our Charity Committee. SafeLives are a UK-wide charity dedicated to ending domestic abuse, with Queen Camilla as their patron. The total raised by the boys and the Friends of Caldicott drinks stall was £3,353.75. Special mentions for ‘best costume’ went to Archie Ridley, Dexter Dunsterville, Yuvraj Khangura, Hugo Hutson, Rex Wood, and an extra special shoutout to Wilfred Steward and Leo Lane Fox who raised £1,000 by staying committed to their two-person horse costume throughout the entirety of the race. In May, our annual effort at the Marlborough Schools Triathlon raised a staggering £10,236.82! The fundraising mainly went to Restless Development, with a percentage going to Sparrow. We had a record number of boys enter. Alexander Whyatt, Wenty Beaumont, Freddie Doyle and Nicolas Carew Pole were among the top fundraisers for the event, raising over £2,000 on their own!
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It has been an incredible THE COMMUNITY fundraisingINyear! We have raised an amazing
£39,688
Restless Development is a global charity that supports the collective power of young leaders to create a better world. Earlier in the year I was delighted to attend a Restless Development reception at the House of Lords with Rehaan and Kabir Phull, and Waldorf Astor. The Co-CEO of Restless Development, Alex Kent, delivered a wonderful speech which provided us all with a good insight into their work. Ma’am Elson’s Pre-Loved Charity Book Sale found boys of all ages excitedly browsing through their possible next read. Thank you to the parents and staff who contributed to an even higher total than last year of £327. Our final community fundraising event of the year was our summer fete. ‘Fete of Our Planet’ was the chosen theme and embracing the theme, our boys were environmentally conscious with their stalls, which managed to raise an incredible £2,388! On top of this, the Friends of Caldicott stalls raised a very generous sum, bringing our total raised for Sparrow at the event to £3,122. We are also hugely grateful to the parents who run our Second-Hand Uniform Shop. I was astounded and in awe that they had raised £6,500 for charity over the course of the year which is being split between Sparrow and SafeLives. Nothing fills us with more pride than seeing our boys carry out their own charitable work. Here are just some of the efforts that we have heard about this year: Hugo Hutson and Thomas Leggett sold baking on the streets of Gerrards Cross raising £111 for Bernardo's and baked for a local care home where they entertained residents with magic tricks. Oscar Lu and Jayden Yang gave a musical performance in the centre of London raising £376 for the Syria and Turkey Earthquake appeal. Saxon Grimsey ran 100k (not all at once!) raising £2,000 for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Harry Haines took part in a cycle for the charity set up in memory of his late uncle and raised an impressive £1,400. Alexander Whyatt and Freddie Doyle decided that instead of birthday presents, they would rather donate money to charity and gave £1,000 to UNICEF. Raqeen Gnanalingam volunteered at a safe house in Malaysia. Edward and Maxim Beurier held a tea party for Re-Engage, a charity that supports the elderly. Brian Lin volunteered for Tzuchi UK. Yash Gupta spent time volunteering at a school in India where his family was able to donate several computers. Rafe Gauguier baked for Samaritan of Hope. Will Mulqueen volunteered at London Community Kitchen. Thank you to our Charity Committee: Charlie Boardman, Daniel Bracken, Cosmo Clifton, Wulfie Cooper, Dexter Dunsterville, Hugo Hutson, Anton Fischer, Horatio Howard, Reuven Hyams, Leo Lane Fox, Thomas Leggett, Ian Mapanzure and Nate Wei.
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OLD CALDICOTIANS
Jo Duncan, Senior Master
It has been superb to witness and hear about the successes that many OCs have had this year. As always, we’ve warmly welcomed a number of them back to Caldicott for a variety of events and special occasions. One that I thought was delightful was inviting Harrow’s Head Boy, Barimah Adomakoh (OC 2012-18) and Toby Fernyhough (OC 2012-18) to deliver a talk to our leavers on what they could expect at senior school. They were both incredibly helpful, confident and engaging when answering the numerous questions posed, putting many minds at rest and filling our leavers with confidence. Back in December, we held the 70th Caldicott RFC Dinner with our guest of honour, Saracens and England player Alex Lazowski. We were joined by several OCs who were in their final year at senior schools, OCs who celebrated their Invicta season 20 years ago, and some whose glory years on top field were even further back. Always a great event to reminisce about past sporting achievements, we also held our annual OC Touch Rugby event out on the top field. Open to all, we had quite a spread of ages, but my goodness the level of fitness and competition was high. It made for a wonderful Sunday afternoon spectating alongside the OC family members in the sunshine. Also on the rugby front, it was quite something to be in the boarding house back in February with all our 6th Form boarders and Matron, Ma’am Quinn, watching Greg Fisilau (OC 2014-16) and Rekeiti Ma’asi White (OC 2015-16) play for England U21 against Scotland in the Six Nations. Many OCs had an excellent season on the rugby pitch, and I know how much it has meant to their former Caldicott coaches to receive messages of thanks for all the support they were given when they were just starting out. A thank you must go to Alex Wright (OC 2002-08) who hosted us at Pryford Lakes Golf Course in May for the first of our annual OC, Parents and Staff Golf Event. Another glorious day (we seem to be quite fortunate with the weather this year), much fun was had by all, and we were very pleased that some current Caldicotians were also able to join in the fun. Having quite the adventure this year was Bryn Williams (OC 1999-2006) who, as Director of Photography, set sail to document Cam Cameron’s attempt to break the record of occupying Rockall, a sheer-sided chunk of granite 230 miles west of North Uist! Bryn was part of the production crew on the Oscar-winning movie The Silent Child a few years ago. Quite literally reaching for the stars, Richard Dinan (OC 1994-2000) has been making headlines with his nuclear fusion company, Pulsar Fusion. Looking to nuclear fusion to make interstellar space travel a reality, they have started construction on a large nuclear fusion chamber in England, as it races to become the first firm to fire a nuclear fusion-powered propulsion system in space. On the stage, Sam Maynard (OC 2013-2019) put in a stellar performance as Miss Trunchbull to win Radley’s Milligan Cup which is named after Tom Milligan. Tom (OC 1999-2005) was sorry he had to turn down our invitation to judge our House Drama competition this summer, but he was in rehearsals for the RSC production of The Empress which played in Stratford before transferring to the Lyric Hammersmith. On the small screen, William Ellis (OC 1989-1994) joined the cast of Eastenders playing the part of teacher, Mr Theo Hawthorne. Not only did we hold our inaugural Latin Declamation Finals in June, but we were thrilled to welcome back, Olly Murphy (OC 1997-2003), to adjudicate the event. Olly left Caldicott in 2003 with a King's Scholarship to Eton. Ma'am Hellings (Head of Classics): ‘It was a real pleasure to welcome back Olly Murphy to adjudicate the Latin Declamations this year. The boys thoroughly enjoyed getting some valuable feedback from such a passionate Classicist, and it was a real pleasure for them to perform in front of someone with a real love of the subject.’ Our annual OC Charity Football Tournament, held on the last Monday evening of term, proved very popular once again. We were delighted to welcome over 40 OCs back to enjoy matches in their former Houses, and cheering on from the sidelines we welcomed back former Caldicott parents who brought with them much exciting news about OC successes at a range of senior schools and beyond. As it was a House event it would be remiss of me not to mention that it was a well-deserved win for Jenkins.
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OLD CALDICOTIANS
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As the Summer Term drew to a close, we heard about a host of OC appointments at a range of senior schools. Four OCs have been elected to Pop or the Eton Society. Freddie Bracken Smith (President), Hunter Dean-Johns, Luke Hope, and Finn Napier. Also, Lucas Pinsent into Eton’s Sixth Form Select (academic elite group). At Harrow, Kepu Tuipulotu (OC 2017-19) was made Head of Druries House, School Monitor and Head of Philathletic Club and Filip Edstrom (OC 2013-19) Head of Bradbys House. Kepu also made an appearance playing for England U18s rugby. At Radley, Sam Maynard has been made a Co-Curricular Prefect and at Abingdon, Sam Burland (OC 2013-19) is Head of the RAF contingent with Eric Fung elected to School Council. Luca Stevens (OC 2016-18), who was made Keeper of Jazz and Contemporary Music last year, was awarded a full music scholarship after initially achieving an exhibition. I was delighted to attend a superb evening of Jazz with Mr Cooper and Mr Paget that Luca hosted at Eton in November, where we were treated to a performance of his mesmerising composition Blue. He took home the much-coveted Jazz Award and is now heading to McGill in Canada. Daniel Shen (OC 2019-22) was awarded the Locker Prize for Junior Piano. George Morgan (OC 2018-22) won an academic scholarship at Wellington and Eric Pan (OC 2018-21) an honorary academic scholarship at Harrow. We have also been hugely impressed with updates from OCs who are now moving onto a range of incredible universities both UK-based and overseas. I was thrilled to catch up with former tutee Henry Ridley (OC 2012-18) over the Easter break who is heading off to Chicago University to study History (which will come as no surprise to those of you who knew him when he was at Caldicott). On Speech Day we said goodbye to the leavers of 2023 and were delighted to welcome special guests Charlie Noble (OC 2015-21) and his mother Kate to the event. Charlie’s father, Sam Noble (OC 1985-88), passed away last year after a long and incredibly brave battle with cancer. Sam remains an inspiration to us all and personally I will never forget the inspiring way in which he lived his final years, and the generosity of spirit he showed to me and everyone he knew. It was truly an honour to know him. In his memory, one of the main prizes given on this day has been renamed. The Hwyl Cup - in memory of Sam Noble is ‘for a boy who demonstrates an ability to inspire those around him’. This year it was awarded to Alfred Allison. We wish all our 2023 Leavers and new Old Caldicotians all the very best! Out of 27 schools, Caldicott won the team Stowe Putter shield with an aggregate of 62 Stableford points. In the individual competition, they scored 15, 24 and 23 respectively, with Stalder and Cotton finishing in joint 2nd place. Stowe Putter 2023 RH U11 won the "Junior Jigger" second year in a row with 35 stableford points. NB (36 points) and GH competed in the Stowe Putter and won the Team Shield with 85 points combined. GH narrowly finished 2nd with 49 stableford points, missing out by 2 points on first. 1982: Mark Neill (OC 1977-83), Dominic Cotton (OC 1978-83), Dominic Stalder (OC 1980-82)
2023: GH, NB, RH
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FROM THE OFFICE OF THE
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT Dear Caldicott Community,
It is with immense pleasure that I introduce myself as the Director of Development for the Caldicott Foundation. Having been in post for just over six months now, it has been a joy to work alongside such dedicated colleagues to establish the first Foundation Office. The parents and alumni that I have met thus far have been shining examples of kindness and generosity – I thank you for that! I am looking forward to meeting more of you in the months ahead. For over a century, Caldicott has stood as a beacon of excellence in education, nurturing the minds and spirits of young boys and preparing them for the world. As we look to the future, we aim to balance the pride of our rich history alongside our ambitions to be more forward thinking and innovative. The formation of the Caldicott Foundation in 2020 by Mr Banks, was a first step in making more tangible this aim to realise a more noble ambition for the future of Caldicott. At Caldicott, we believe that every boy, regardless of their background, should have the opportunity to benefit from our exceptional educational offerings. In the last decade alone, over 100 bursaries have been awarded. We take pride in continuing this important work to foster an environment where every talented student has the opportunity to thrive, regardless of their financial circumstances. In the coming years, the Foundation is committed to making an even bigger impact in our community. In addition to bursaries, the Foundation is actively engaged in creating a Masterplan that sensitively reimagines our school site. We recognise the importance of state-of-the-art facilities in enhancing the educational experience, and these projects are geared towards ensuring that we are equipped to meet the evolving needs of our students and faculty. The aims, and ultimately, the impact of the Caldicott Foundation stretch far beyond the school gates. Our ambitions are an extension of the values we hold dear. As we strive to make a difference in the lives of young boys, we strive to play our part in shaping a better future. We invite you to join us on this inspiring journey. To learn more about how you can get involved, make a donation, or discuss potential partnership opportunities, please do get in touch via email at foundation@caldicott.com.
Warm regards,
Terra Goulden of Development 86 Director | THE CALDICOTIAN 2022/2023 Caldicott Foundation
Noah John-Brown wrote the below poem on the topic of ‘perspective’. First read it normally and then read it from the bottom line up.
Perspective I hate the man in the mirror, I can never say that I am worthy But I always say I am useless and unwanted. I don’t even think of saying I am talented. I wake up and think I’m ugly and don’t belong. Instead of thinking I am cool and loved. I believe I am stupid I know I shouldn’t think that I am intelligent.
Noah John-Brown
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