The
Exonian
The Exeter School Magazine
2018
THE EXONIAN 2018
WELCOME
TO THE 2018 EDITION OF THE EXONIAN MAGAZINE
F
rom New York to Argentina, Shakespeare to Mozart, and kayaking to computer programming, the pupils of Exeter School have traversed and explored a compelling range of activities and challenges during the last academic year. The biggest challenge of all, of course, was fitting as many of these events and achievements as possible into the following 150 pages! Produced and compiled by pupils, staff and The Exonian editorial team, we hope this magazine delivers an engaging insight into our bustling, talented and inspiring community here at Exeter School.
MISS CURRIE EDITOR
EMILY MOUDIOTIS
FRANCESCA MATTHEWS
My first year as part of The Exonian team has helped me to develop my writing and editing skills, which I hope to use during my Upper Sixth year at school and later at university.
This year has been a busy but enjoyable one. Next year I plan to go to Exeter College for an Art Foundation course, after which I plan to study Psychology at university.
ROSIE CROMWELL
RUPERT HARRIS
I joined The Exonian team about two months into this school year, after the end of Silver Duke of Edinburgh routeplanning. Next year, I am planning to continue with both Duke of Edinburgh and The Exonian.
After leaving Exeter School, my plan is to study English Literature at Newcastle University. If, like me, you are interested in writing, being on The Exonian team gives you the chance to write in a journalistic way and diversify your writing.
4 | @ExeterSchoolUK
GEORGIA LING
I am the newest member of The Exonian team, joining in spring 2018. Highlights of my year include setting up the Economics Society and creating a company in the Young Enterprise scheme.
SAM SCOUGALLKNIGHT
I have very much enjoyed my 11 years here at Exeter School and have been lucky to enjoy many of the activities on offer. I plan to study Politics and International Relations after leaving school.
ALLEGRA LETTS
CATHERINE EYRE
Joining Exeter School at the start of Lower Sixth, I have enjoyed a lot of activities – my most memorable being the mock trial. Next year, I look forward to university applications and ESMUN 2019.
Two years with The Exonian have been rewarding and informative, and have also improved my skills as a writer. Next year I’m taking a gap year and will be doing inventory work at Taunton Museum to prepare me for an Ancient History degree.
JENNY MCDOWELLLANGFORD
LUCY ZHANG
After nine years at Exeter School, the last two on The Exonian team have allowed me to contribute greatly to the school, an experience that will stay with me as I go on to study Foundation Art and then Ancient History at Bristol University.
Upper Sixth has been a fantastic last year of school, being equal parts challenging and exciting. I hope to meet my offer to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford University next year.
WILL PIERCEY
ZANA BEKA
After leaving Exeter School, I hope to read Sociology at the University of Leeds. Whilst I have enjoyed my time here, I look forward to moving on to the next stage of my life.
Being part of The Exonian editorial team has allowed me to work creatively with friends each week, exploring different abilities and coming up with ideas, and has also helped me to develop my writing skills.
CONTENTS 006
New and Leaving Staff
026
Trips and Tours
048
Charity and Community Service
056
Alumni Links
067
Art - DT - Drama
094
Languages - Library
112
Science - Beyond the Classroom
018 Features
040
Outdoor Pursuits
050
Sixth Form
062
Commemorative Days
084
English - Geography - History
100
Maths - Music
126 Sport
THANKS
A big thank you must go to everyone who has assisted in the production of this issue. Mr Seaton-Burn and Mrs Dart were particularly crucial in this magazine’s assembly, as well as Mrs Brookes-Ferrari, Mr Davidson, Mrs Marks and Mr Wood.
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THE EXONIAN 2018
NICE TO MEET YOU EXETER SCHOOL’S NEW STAFF FOR 2018
ALAN CARTER
INFORMATION MANAGER WHAT WERE YOU DOING THIS TIME LAST YEAR?
We had just moved house so there was lots of unpacking, decorating, DIY and gardening.
WHAT MUSIC DO YOU ENJOY LISTENING TO? I enjoy a whole range of music, but particularly dance and pop music that is energising and uplifting.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING IN YOUR SPARE TIME? I enjoy running, cycling and exploring the hidden secrets of Cornwall.
YOUR SIGNATURE DISH?
My family particularly enjoy my chilli, which has slowly evolved over the years.
WHAT IS YOUR PET HATE?
I do not enjoy repetitive tasks.
WHERE WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO LIVE? Where I am now - Cornwall. I love the beaches, the countryside and the people.
ALICE BROOKES
BIOLOGY TEACHER WHAT WERE YOU DOING THIS TIME LAST YEAR?
Last summer, I made the most of the school holidays and travelled around Central America, making my way from Panama up to Guatemala. I bought a surf board and explored the best surfing spots, attempted to learn Spanish, hired a motorbike to get around in Nicaragua and climbed a volcano in Guatemala.
WHAT MUSIC DO YOU ENJOY LISTENING TO? My favourite artists at the moment are Bonobo, Lazy Habits and Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING IN YOUR SPARE TIME?
BELINDA JACKSON SCHOOL LIBRARIAN
WHAT WERE YOU DOING THIS TIME LAST YEAR?
I was working in the Exmouth Community College library. All my daughters were in the throes of GCSEs and A Levels, so I was trying to keep the stress levels down in our house.
WHAT MUSIC DO YOU ENJOY LISTENING TO? I rarely get to choose the music I listen to, as someone in my family usually gets in first. On long journeys, we alternate between Ed Sheeran, Adele, and a variety of musicals to try to keep everyone happy! At home I tend to listen to the radio.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING IN YOUR SPARE TIME?
YOUR SIGNATURE DISH?
My husband and I are trying to walk the South West Coast Path - only another 580 miles to go! I enjoy reading (unsurprisingly), cooking, hiking, and crafting.
WHAT’S YOUR PET HATE?
Tarka dhal with jeera rice.
I love surfing - so I’ll be up to the north coast whenever the swell is in. Chicken and chorizo paella.
YOUR SIGNATURE DISH?
Littering - there’s no need for it! Keep hold of it or chuck it in a bin.
WHAT’S YOUR PET HATE?
WHERE WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO LIVE?
WHAT IS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE SCHOOL YEAR FOR YOU?
I would really like to live somewhere in South America - I’m not picky, anywhere! It would be great to be able to travel around all those countries and finally learn Spanish. Plus, there’s lot of good surf spots and mountains for snowboarding!
I, like, literally don’t fink I have one...
I always look forward to the school Drama, Dance and Music performances. I think it’s really important for young people to have the opportunity to express themselves creatively.
WHERE WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO LIVE?
Definitely New Zealand. I went for four months in a gap year, many moons ago, and have dreamt of going back ever since.
IF YOU HAD A TIME MACHINE, WHEN WOULD YOU TRAVEL TO AND WHY? Tudor England, but I’d pack a toothbrush and toothpaste. I don’t think I could cope with twigs and charcoal.
6 | @ExeterSchoolUK
NEW STAFF
BEN POTE
JUNIOR SCHOOL TEACHING ASSISTANT WHAT WERE YOU DOING THIS TIME LAST YEAR?
BEN HALL
MATHS TEACHER WHAT WERE YOU DOING THIS TIME LAST YEAR?
I was working as a manager in the tourism industry.
My wife and I took my son, niece and nephew to Brittany for a busy, action-packed holiday.
WHAT MUSIC DO YOU ENJOY LISTENING TO?
WHAT MUSIC DO YOU ENJOY LISTENING TO?
My favourite band is Muse, but I love Biffy Clyro, Pink Floyd and Queen as well.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING IN YOUR SPARE TIME? I like to go walking with my fiancée, Jenny, and our dog Teddy. I also love playing rugby and guitar, though I think my chances of making it big are running out.
YOUR SIGNATURE DISH?
I’m a recent vegetarian and love making food filled with vegetables. I really enjoy a mango Caribbean curry.
WHAT IS YOUR PET HATE?
I really dislike a cluttered house. It’s a contrast, as Jenny enjoys collecting vintage knick-knacks - I’m starting to accept it!
WHAT IS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE SCHOOL YEAR FOR YOU? Getting to know the staff and pupils of Exeter Junior School. I’ve been made to feel incredibly welcome by such a lovely team.
WHERE WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO LIVE?
I would love to live in New Zealand. The mixture of scenery and sport appeals to me.
IF YOU HAD A TIME MACHINE, WHEN WOULD YOU TRAVEL TO AND WHY?
I would travel back to the Cretaceous period to see if raptors really did have feathers and were in fact the size of a turkey - Jurassic Park is in my top 10 films of all time, so I refuse to believe it!
I mostly listen to BBC Radio 6 Music, which tends to reflect my tastes. With my eight-year-old regularly in the car, I have had to learn to love Heart FM.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING IN YOUR SPARE TIME? Alongside my main hobby of rock climbing, I enjoy mountain biking, running and walking. I have recently taken up hockey again, which I used to play seriously years ago. I also enjoy crosswords and reading, especially about Maths.
YOUR SIGNATURE DISH?
My favourite dishes to cook are Italian-based, especially pasta. I’m happy to give anything a go though, usually using up every pot in the kitchen.
WHAT IS YOUR PET HATE? Litter gets my blood boiling.
WHERE WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO LIVE?
Of the places I’ve visited, I’d choose British Columbia for beautiful scenery and a laidback atmosphere. Closer to home, it would be Swansea to be near my cousins and the lovely Gower coast.
IF YOU HAD A TIME MACHINE, WHEN WOULD YOU TRAVEL TO AND WHY?
Having spent the last eight years learning about dinosaurs with my son, I would take the opportunity to see them in the flesh, providing scientists could set me up as Iron Man before they sent me back in time.
CHLOE MCILWRATH
PE TEACHER WHAT WERE YOU DOING THIS TIME LAST YEAR?
I was working as the Director of Sports and Aquatics at Camp Rim Rock in the USA. I’ve spent the last six summers there and absolutely loved it. Last summer, I came home from Camp early to start my PGCE at the University of Exeter.
CHRIS HARKNETT
DRAMA AND ENGLISH TEACHER WHAT WERE YOU DOING THIS TIME LAST YEAR?
Working as a vocal coach and actor, preparing for a transition into secondary education.
WHAT MUSIC DO YOU ENJOY LISTENING TO?
WHAT MUSIC DO YOU ENJOY LISTENING TO? I am a huge Ed Sheeran fan!
I always gravitate back to musical theatre soundtracks or rock/early heavy metal. Lately I’ve been listening to Florence and the Machine a lot.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING IN YOUR SPARE TIME?
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING IN YOUR SPARE TIME?
I love being active! I enjoy long walks along the beaches in Northern Ireland with my dog, Shaan. I also have a huge passion for sport, I enjoy both watching and playing, so I spend a lot of free time doing that.
YOUR SIGNATURE DISH?
Mashed avocado with poached eggs!
WHAT IS YOUR PET HATE?
Unkindness. I really hate seeing others treated poorly.
WHAT IS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE SCHOOL YEAR FOR YOU?
Playing piano, gardening, and cycling. I also love tabletop games like Ticket to Ride, or a bit of Dungeons and Dragons.
YOUR SIGNATURE DISH?
Homemade beef and ale pie, followed by jam turnovers made with the leftover pastry.
WHAT IS YOUR PET HATE?
The phrase ‘build to a crescendo’ - musically, it makes no sense!
WHAT IS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE SCHOOL YEAR FOR YOU?
Sports day! I love the fun competition and excitement that surround the whole event.
Most people would expect me to say the school shows, so I’ll say the end of the year - a chance to celebrate all that went well and look back on a job well done.
WHERE WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO LIVE?
WHERE WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO LIVE?
New Zealand - it is so beautiful! It actually reminds of my home in Northern Ireland.
IF YOU HAD A TIME MACHINE, WHEN WOULD YOU TRAVEL TO AND WHY?
I would travel 100 years into the future. Will we really have the advancements they say we will? Self-driving cars and planes?! I would be so interested to see the changes that technology brings to the world.
I love Exeter, but if I was to move anywhere else, I’d say New Zealand. It’s where Lord of the Rings was filmed, and they have some great skydiving.
IF YOU HAD A TIME MACHINE, WHEN WOULD YOU TRAVEL TO AND WHY?
I’d want to go back to Elizabethan England and take a selfie with William Shakespeare. Mostly just to prove that he did exist and stop the conspiracy theories.
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THE EXONIAN 2018
DOMINIC TUOHEY HEAD OF PHYSICS
WHAT WERE YOU DOING THIS TIME LAST YEAR?
I was Head of Physics at King Edward’s School in Birmingham and was coaching an U13A cricket team. The school’s chess 1st team had also just qualified for the National Schools Final.
WHAT MUSIC DO YOU ENJOY LISTENING TO? Rock, indie, classical – a range really. I enjoy going to concerts. Kings of Leon, Coldplay and Foo Fighters are very good live.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING IN YOUR SPARE TIME? Playing and watching sport, particularly cricket. It has been interesting to find out more about philosophy in recent years. I am also looking forward to exploring Devon again.
WHAT IS YOUR PET HATE? Equation triangles.
WHAT IS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE SCHOOL YEAR FOR YOU? The cricket season.
WHERE WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO LIVE? There are still a lot of places I would like to visit. At the moment, if not Devon, then probably Italy.
IF YOU HAD A TIME MACHINE, WHEN WOULD YOU TRAVEL TO AND WHY?
It would be interesting to see an ancient civilisation, for example the pyramids being built in Egypt. I would be even more interested in the time machine itself though!
GARETH MCGRATH COMPUTER SCIENCE TEACHER
WHAT WERE YOU DOING THIS TIME LAST YEAR?
I was preparing pupils for exams at Cotham School, looking forward to the Year 8 French trip and, most importantly, impatiently waiting to become a dad.
WHAT MUSIC DO YOU ENJOY LISTENING TO? I like a range of music genres. I’m currently listening to The Shins, Bruce Springsteen and ACDC quite a bit. I love going to live music events and have managed to see U2, Ash, Foo Fighters, Metallica, Rod Stewart, Robbie Williams, James and Britney Spears!
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING IN YOUR SPARE TIME? I like to spend time with my family, go for a saunter through the countryside, a bit of gardening, watching a good movie or reading.
YOUR SIGNATURE DISH?
My father-in-law owned a restaurant in Shanghai many years ago. When he visited last year, I was given the honour of the Christmas dinner, which got a much-relieved nod of approval. It may not be my signature dish but it’s the one I’m most proud of.
WHERE WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO LIVE?
I would love to live near the Black Forest outside Freiburg, it is just simply beautiful.
IF YOU HAD A TIME MACHINE, WHEN WOULD YOU TRAVEL TO AND WHY? I would love to go back and see the seven wonders of the ancient world when they were all at their finest.
8 | @ExeterSchoolUK
JULIE WREFORD-HYDE BURSARY OFFICE ASSISTANT
WHAT WERE YOU DOING THIS TIME LAST YEAR?
I got married last May, so I would have been preparing for the wedding!
WHAT MUSIC DO YOU ENJOY LISTENING TO? I saw the Stereophonics in March and the Foo Fighters in June - rock and roll!
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING IN YOUR SPARE TIME? I like to run and belong to the Women on the Run running group. I also like baking, as the Bursary staff now know!
KATE WRIGHT
JUNIOR SCHOOL WHAT WERE YOU DOING THIS TIME LAST YEAR?
Teaching PE at The King’s School, Ottery St Mary.
WHAT MUSIC DO YOU ENJOY LISTENING TO? Cheesy pop classics!
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING IN YOUR SPARE TIME? Playing hockey and cricket. Spending time with family and friends.
YOUR SIGNATURE DISH?
A cheeky lasagne (veggie or beef).
WHAT IS YOUR PET HATE?
YOUR SIGNATURE DISH?
Lack of planning (fail to prepare, prepare to fail!).
WHAT’S YOUR PET HATE?
WHAT IS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE SCHOOL YEAR FOR YOU?
Banana cake.
When people don’t replace empty toilet rolls!
WHAT’S THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE SCHOOL YEAR FOR YOU? I love the Junior School Spring Concert, it gives me goosebumps every year.
WHERE WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO LIVE? Italy.
IF YOU HAD A TIME MACHINE, WHEN WOULD YOU TRAVEL TO AND WHY?
My school years - I loved school.
School sports day, swimming gala and, of course, anything to do with hockey!
WHERE WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO LIVE?
Australia or New Zealand - they have everything: skiing, surfing and all things sport and the great outdoors.
IF YOU HAD A TIME MACHINE, WHEN WOULD YOU TRAVEL TO AND WHY?
The Middle Ages, although I am not sure I would survive long! I was fascinated as a pupil when studying about it in History. Dungeons, castles and knights what more could you ask for?!
NEW STAFF
KATIE MORLEY
CHEMISTRY TEACHER WHAT MUSIC DO YOU ENJOY LISTENING TO? Anything upbeat I can sing along to. You can always find chilled guitar/acoustic artists on my playlists, alongside the catchy songs from the charts.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING IN YOUR SPARE TIME? I like to take trips in my campervan and I spend a lot of time outdoors. Depending on where I end up and the weather conditions, surfing, climbing, paddle boarding, sailing and walking are all options. I also love skiing, and try to get at least one ski trip in each year.
YOUR SIGNATURE DISH? I love cooking and wish I had
more time for it during the week. I tend to cook properly on the weekends and my go-to Saturday morning breakfast is scrambled eggs with cherry tomatoes, spring onions, bacon, and avocado on thick toast with a splash of Tabasco sauce.
WHAT IS YOUR PET HATE?
Needless plastic on food. Why do I need bananas in a bag? They have their own wrappers!
WHAT IS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE SCHOOL YEAR FOR YOU?
The Ten Tors Challenge, and the training leading up to it. I enjoy seeing the development of the teams, and that sense of achievement they get when they cross the finish line is hard to beat.
WHERE WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO LIVE?
Somewhere I could ski in winter, sail, climb, and hill walk in the summer, and with a coast with good surf. In short - Devon, but with mountains!
MARIE GODFROY
PSYCHOLOGY TEACHER WHAT WERE YOU DOING THIS TIME LAST YEAR?
I was pregnant with my third child, who was born early September. I was also marking Psychology papers for AQA.
WHAT MUSIC DO YOU ENJOY LISTENING TO?
MILES MACEACHARN
BURSAR AND CLERK TO THE GOVERNORS WHAT WERE YOU DOING THIS TIME LAST YEAR?
I was the Director of Finance and Operations at King’s College and King’s Hall Prep School. A little different from here, but a similar role overall.
Having three children somewhat limits my opportunities to listen to much music, but I do love relaxing music, for instance JJ Cale. I also enjoy country music, such as Johnny Cash.
WHAT MUSIC DO YOU ENJOY LISTENING TO?
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING IN YOUR SPARE TIME?
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING IN YOUR SPARE TIME?
I enjoy spending time with my family, travelling and I like to exercise.
YOUR SIGNATURE DISH?
I am vegan and love to eat fresh fruit and vegetables. I eat quite a bit of rice so I have perfected the art of cooking that; however, where possible I like to eat raw maybe I am just a lazy cook!
WHAT IS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE SCHOOL YEAR FOR YOU? Getting a job at Exeter School was actually a really high point for me and I am excited to start this new chapter in my career.
WHERE WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO LIVE?
I grew up in Cornwall, so always feel drawn to this part of the country. Crackington Haven is a beach near my parent’s farm and will always hold a special place in my heart, as I have so many lovely memories there. Failing that - Maui, Hawaii looks like somewhere I could quite happily live with my family.
IF YOU HAD A TIME MACHINE, WHEN WOULD YOU TRAVEL TO AND WHY?
A time when there was no plastic! It breaks my heart seeing the damage we do, so a time when perhaps life was very simple would suit me fine!
A real range - I pick up lots of new music from my children and from listening to Discover Weekly playlists on Spotify.
A little golf, lots of walking - my wife and I are doing the South West Coast Path - and organising (and drinking) my wine cellar.
YOUR SIGNATURE DISH?
I love following tricky recipes, getting cross when something goes wrong but enjoying the results at the end. My current go-to weekly dish would be saffron chicken with red peppers, hummus and cashews.
WHAT IS YOUR PET HATE?
I’m not great with people being late and I can be a little uncharitable when stuck behind cyclists on the hills of Dartmoor.
WHAT IS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE SCHOOL YEAR FOR YOU?
I really enjoy the rhythm of school life and the difference between holidays and term time. It is hard to beat early summer though, when the grass gets cut and the cricket starts.
WHERE WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO LIVE?
Very happy where I am! Though if you forced me to live in Australia, I’d cope happily. And I would like a flat in New York…
MYLES BUCKINGHAM
JUNIOR SCHOOL TEACHING ASSISTANT WHAT WERE YOU DOING THIS TIME LAST YEAR?
This time last year I was finishing off the second year of my Geography degree at the University of Worcester.
WHAT MUSIC DO YOU ENJOY LISTENING TO? I like a bit of everything, I wouldn’t say I have a favourite type, just as long as it isn’t sad, depressing or slow.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING IN YOUR SPARE TIME? I mostly enjoy spending time with my friends and family and doing fun activities with them such as surfing.
YOUR SIGNATURE DISH?
Cooking is definitely not my strong point, though I have been told I whip up a good fajita mix!
WHAT IS YOUR PET HATE?
Dishonesty and being ignored.
WHAT IS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE SCHOOL YEAR FOR YOU? Summer term, as I love being outdoors and participating in sport, especially when the weather is nice.
WHERE WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO LIVE?
California, because it looks amazing! I’ve been to America a couple of times and have loved it every time, but I’ve never been to California.
IF YOU HAD A TIME MACHINE, WHEN WOULD YOU TRAVEL TO AND WHY? Ancient Egypt, I find that time period fascinating!
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THE EXONIAN 2018
RACHEL MILLER
REPROGRAPHICS AND LIBRARY ASSISTANT WHAT WERE YOU DOING THIS TIME LAST YEAR?
Preparing the end of year GCSE art exhibition at St James’ School, Exeter.
WHAT MUSIC DO YOU ENJOY LISTENING TO?
A range really - I’m a big fan of Alanis Morissette, London Grammar, Madonna and PJ Harvey, but I also enjoy listening to bands like Enter Shikari, Bring Me The Horizon and Underoath.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING IN YOUR SPARE TIME? I love to paint, I also read a lot and enjoy going to see live bands. I learnt to play the guitar 16 years ago and so I enjoy picking that up from time to time. I also love to watch the NFL and baseball.
YOUR SIGNATURE DISH? Steak.
WHAT IS YOUR PET HATE?
I can stand it when I see someone spit on the pavement. Another one would be lukewarm coffee!
WHAT IS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE SCHOOL YEAR FOR YOU? The few weeks leading up to Christmas, definitely.
WHERE WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO LIVE?
Jackson Hole, Wyoming, USA.
IF YOU HAD A TIME MACHINE, WHEN WOULD YOU TRAVEL TO AND WHY?
I’d like to go back to my university days, because it was great fun spending three years being creative, painting all day long.
10 | @ExeterSchoolUK
RICHARD DREW
MAINTENANCE HAND WHAT WERE YOU DOING THIS TIME LAST YEAR?
I had lots of different jobs. I was personal training, running my own fitness classes, training and assessing lifeguards and working as a telecoms engineer. I didn’t have a lot of spare time!
WHAT MUSIC DO YOU ENJOY LISTENING TO? I train a lot so anything high energy that motivates me. I also like Muse, Coldplay, Imagine Dragons and Pendulum.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING IN YOUR SPARE TIME? I love taking part in fitness challenges and a lot of my spare time is taken up by training. I also like to spend time with my wife, baby girl and dog Bear.
SOMIA ZERROUKAT BIOLOGY TECHNICIAN
WHAT WERE YOU DOING THIS TIME LAST YEAR?
Working as a science technician in King’s School, Ottery St Mary.
WHAT MUSIC DO YOU ENJOY LISTENING TO? I listen to all sorts of music, ranging from Western pop to classical Arabic. I like music from many Western artists like Rihanna and Taylor Swift, and when it comes to Arabic music I enjoy listening to Kadim Sahir.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING IN YOUR SPARE TIME?
Browsing the internet and Facebook catch-ups with friends and family. I also enjoy cooking and making cakes.
YOUR SIGNATURE DISH?
I can’t cook for toffee, it’s actually embarrassing. My wife loves to cook, so I guess you could say that my signature dish is the washing up!
I love making many traditional Algerian dishes, including cous cous, harira, mathawam and many more. I would say my signature dish is cous cous with lamb tajine, because it is a very special meal in our culture.
WHAT IS YOUR PET HATE?
WHAT IS YOUR PET HATE?
WHAT IS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE SCHOOL YEAR FOR YOU?
WHAT IS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE SCHOOL YEAR FOR YOU?
YOUR SIGNATURE DISH?
When people don’t put their weights back in the gym!
Training the new lifeguards from the Upper Fifth. I was really proud to receive such positive feedback from the assessors who commented on the high standard of the group.
WHERE WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO LIVE?
Canada. My mum’s side of the family live there and it would be nice to be closer to them.
IF YOU HAD A TIME MACHINE, WHEN WOULD YOU TRAVEL TO AND WHY?
Right in the middle of the Roman Era. I find that period of history fascinating and would love to have seen Rome when the empire was in its prime.
I like a clean and tidy house, so I really dislike messy spaces.
I really enjoy the friendly and social part of Cake Fridays!
WHERE WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO LIVE? The Mediterranean - I like the climate and the food.
IF YOU HAD A TIME MACHINE, WHEN WOULD YOU TRAVEL TO AND WHY?
I’d rather travel to the future than the past. I feel the past was not a great place to live, where life was extremely hard and cruel. I would like to travel to a time when the world is a much nicer environment with peace and prosperity for all people and diseases eradicated with the advancement of science.
WELCOME TO ALL NEW STAFF JOINING US THIS YEAR
LEAVING STAFF
GOODBYE AND GOOD LUCK We bid a fond farewell to several members of staff this year
John’s original New Staff entry in The Exonian 1976
to Ten Tors and our outdoor life. His lifesaving expertise enabled hundreds of pupils and staff to gain swimming pool qualifications. John and his wife Vicki were stalwart supporters of Drama, assisting backstage and in front of house roles. We were extremely fortunate that Vicki gave her time and expertise as DIR E CT O R O F A L U M N I R E L A TI ONS Wardrobe Mistress, creating and restyling costumes and SEPTEMBER 1976 - AUGUST 2018 advising on set design. We much enjoyed having their By MR GRIFFIN talented sons Jonny and Peter whose academic results as pupils at the school. punched well above their ohn Davidson retired at John joined the senior weight, regularly sending the end of the year after pupils to read the subject management team in 1998 42 years at the school. as Senior Teacher and then at leading universities. He After a Geography degree conceived a stimulating Director of Administration. from Christ Church, Oxford, His various responsibilities overseas trips programme an Exeter PGCE and an MSc and took advantage of many prepared him suitably for in Conservation from UCL, local sites to bring the subject the future: he was SMT John was appointed in 1976 link person on the Old to life. to teach Geography. He He also led the RAF Section Exonian Committee, he subsequently held numerous of the CCF for seven years edited Exeter School Life roles, each at the right time and oversaw the Oxbridge and ran adventure training for the school. His ability admissions programme. John eight times. A thoughtful to adapt and re-invent demonstrated a mastery and caring pastoral teacher, himself was key to him of detail when overseeing John founded and led always seeming so fresh and Townsend House for 16 years, staff training, the annual youthful. calendar and the assemblies, and was also the founder John was our enterprising trips and visits programme, and President of the SW Head of Geography for 19 Geographical Association. He often spotting clashes and years, leading a department logistical challenges months gave a great deal of support
JOHN DAVIDSON
J
ahead of anyone else. He was a constant source of wise counsel, always setting the current needs of the school in the context of its past and its traditions, whilst never fearing change or failing to embrace new opportunities. An experienced ISI inspector over 20 years, John was our lead for several inspections of the school. His knowledgeable construction of the School Evaluation Form and his intimate grasp of policy enabled the school to be seen in its best light. In his final five years at the school John successfully established our Alumni Office, bringing over 5,000 former pupils into active contact. John designed a programme of enjoyable events in Exeter and around the country, masterminded The 1633 magazine and oversaw our social media updates. He encouraged countless alumni to share their expertise with current pupils at careers and futures functions. We thank him most sincerely for all that he has done for Exeter School and wish him a long and happy retirement.
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THE EXONIAN 2018
ROSIE PARKIN
H EAD O F P . E. A N D G I R L S ’ G A M ES (JUN IO R S CH O O L ) SEPTEMBER 2001 - AUGUST 2018
By MRS MARKS
M
rs Rosie Parkin, Head of P.E. and Girls’ Games in the Junior School, joined in 2001 during the early years of co-education. When Rosie started there were just five girls in Lower Two and Upper Two and through her continued development of girls’ P.E. and Games, she has played a key part in helping the proportion of girls to swell to 44%, which is the case today. Rosie has played a most significant role in shaping the school’s provision for girls’ Games, taking it from an initial extension of the boys’ sports with girls wearing versions of the
boys’ kit, to the high quality bespoke provision we see for our girls today. Her part in the development of this cannot be overstated, forging links with other schools and extending the girls’ fixture cards to offer training and competitive games that ensured participation for all. She also provided our more able girls with the opportunity for excellence, preparing and encouraging many of them to represent the school at county, regional and national levels. Rosie has always been unselfishly generous with her time. As well as teaching P.E. and Games and coaching all the girls’ teams, Rosie has also run squash, tennis, athletics and swimming
practices and various matches and tournaments for boys and girls as well as teaching in class. Her kindness, hard work, expertise and passion for girls’ sport, and indeed sport in general, has been key in creating the outstanding provision and enviable reputation for the high quality and value placed on sport in our school. When you ask staff about Rosie, the comments received speak volumes: • Always ready to offer help. • A human dynamo! • Strict but well-loved.
• Always goes the extra mile. • Cares deeply about the children, genuinely enjoys their company and has fun. We will all miss Rosie very much indeed and wish her good health and much happiness as she embarks on her next adventure.
RUSSELL CULL
TEACHER OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND PRODUCTION MANAGER NOVEMBER 2001-JULY 2018
By MS PINCHES
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e were very sorry to say goodbye to Russell after 17 years’ service. She leaves us as an ICT, Computer Science and Maths teacher as well as Production Manager, but in her time here Russell has been fully involved in the whole life of the school. For some time she had been involved behind the scenes with school productions, making the transition to Production Manager in her last year. During performances she could be found with a headset on, controlling the movements of actors, stagehands and props backstage. Long before the curtain went up, she was involved in recruiting the crew and persuading them to attend rehearsals. Her imagination was tested by sourcing and, in some cases, making props. She helped to
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design and apply the stage make-up, devising a system along the way for keeping tabs on the epic quantities. While Russell is clear on her preference for staying out of the limelight, she has thoroughly enjoyed working with Mr Brough and his team to help bring ideas to life. As Deputy Head of Acland House from 2009-2015, Russell’s care and sensitivity enabled her to support the House’s younger pupils, and she witnessed the transformation of scores of pupils from the nerves of their first days at school to the joy of receiving their final exam results. In the classroom, Russell’s considerable intelligence and boundless curiosity have allowed her to adapt to the ever-changing curriculum and teach across a variety of subjects. She has taken the continuous developments
in ICT and the different programming languages in her stride. She enjoys the challenge of extending an able programmer just as much as coaxing a Third Former who lacks confidence in Maths. For Russell, teaching is still about helping each pupil to fulfil their potential, even after all these years. Many pupils will confirm she has demanded high standards of work and behaviour from her classes. While she has a reputation for being strict, they soon realise that Russell is very approachable and generous
with her time. Likewise, many members of staff have benefitted from her ICT support. No problem is too daunting for Russell and no question too obvious. Russell will be missed by the enormous number of pupils she has taught over the years, but also particularly by her colleagues. Popping in might be tricky as she is moving to Zambia to take up a position at a school in Lusaka, but hopefully we will see her again from time to time. We wish her every success in her next endeavour.
THE EXONIAN 2018
LIZ TAYLOR LIBRARIAN
JANUARY 2010 - DECEMBER 2017
By MR BONE
rightly be proud of her work in keeping it polished. here is so much that Liz’s impact on pupils could be said about stretches well beyond the Liz’s eight years with confines of the library. On us as our Librarian, but in numerous occasions she has honour of her renowned been a rock steady assistant efficiency let’s just focus on on field days and other trips, two areas: her library and her most recently demonstrating impact on our pupils. her skills on the Lower Fifth It’s very difficult to Battlefields trip, where remember our library ‘high-vis Liz’ (as she came pre-Liz. In many ways she to be known) demonstrated embodied the modern Exeter a particular skill with School library. During her the whistle – organising time with us, she worked pupils like the books on tirelessly, dedicated to the library shelves, making maintaining the library’s sure there was not one out status as a special place. of place. Liz has arranged Visitors and prospective countless author visits, led parents alike are often numerous different flavours amazed by our library - not of reading groups, designed just the space itself, but the and led many innovative sense of purpose you feel competitions, all providing whenever you walk in. It significant benefit to our was almost never devoid pupils. Throughout her time of pupils, and Liz and the with us she has had such a team always seemed to be deep and positive impact scurrying around keeping on so many them: fostering things in tip top condition. their initial curiosity into a Liz’s library is one of the lifelong love of literature. We many jewels in the Exeter wish her a most enjoyable School crown and she should retirement.
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RICHARD HAWKINS
BURSAR AND CLERK TO THE GOVERNORS JUNE 2009 - FEBRUARY 2018
By MR GRIFFIN
alumni suite, an additional netball court, the art ommodore Richard studio expansion, a major Hawkins retired in redevelopment of the music February 2018, after school, a two-classroom eight and a half years as addition to the Daw building, Bursar and Clerk to the the kitchen refurbishment Governors. After a highly and dining hall extension, a successful career in the rifle range, a weights room, Royal Navy, he brought new girls’ and boys’ changing his organisational and rooms and, most memorably, financial expertise to the our beautiful swimming pool. school. He ensured that it He shared his wisdom ran well as a business and as with staff, parents and a safe site. He oversaw the governors, and the school finances, the operation of thrived through his careful the plant and the building planning and work behind programme, turning the the scenes. He supported governors’ plans into reality. school academic and creative Richard delivered numerous pursuits, Drama, Music buildings and refurbishments and sports teams; he was to make the school’s offering a member of the Ten Tors attractively fit for purpose. training team, assisted the These included projects such CCF and was a minibus driver as the new Junior School for the Land’s End to John classrooms, ICT suite and O’Groats cycle ride. We are atrium, the Andrews wing very much in his debt and stairwell, the enhanced Sixth wish Richard a long and Form common room, the happy retirement.
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THE EXONIAN 2018
LYNDSAY HILTON DEPUTY HEAD
SEPTEMBER 2011 - DECEMBER 2017
By MR HUGHES
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yndsay Hilton left Exeter School at the end of autumn term 2017 after six years and one term of service. A relatively short stay at the school, but in this time Lyndsay packed in contributions
to the academic, extracurricular, pastoral and leadership elements of the school. To mention a few, she was appointed as Head of Chemistry, Sixth Form Tutor and officer i/c RAF section. She became Deputy Head (Academic) in 2013, where she took
on the tasks of writing the whole school timetable and running the curriculum – itself a not inconsiderable logistical challenge. At the same time, Lyndsay was in charge of coordinating the termly school calendar and fitting this with the trips programme, Music,
Art, Drama rehearsals and performances, sporting fixtures and outdoor programmes, while still managing to find time to help out with CCF and Ten Tors. It is not the number or scale of senior roles that she took on that leaves us missing Lyndsay, but the manner in which she went about her work. Lyndsay was able to tread the difficult line of being a friend to the staff common room while being the line manager of its departmental heads as a member of the senior team. This is not easy. She was always positive in her approach, straightforward and fair, and never lost her sense of humour. In management meetings she was direct, open and honest – bringing new ideas and a fresh approach to the team. Getting the job done well was enormously important to Lyndsay and she never counted the hours spent. But she did not let the school work define her – still managing to travel and climb at every opportunity. We hear that an international school in Italy has secured her services for next year – lucky them!
ADRIAN ROWLAND CHEMISTRY TEACHER
SEPTEMBER 2014 - AUGUST 2018
By MR TEAR
on the school extracurricular life has to be the F1 in drian joined us in Schools competition, which the autumn of 2014 he led to great success. In after completing his the classroom he has become PhD in Physical Chemistry a real favourite with staff at Durham and his PGCE at and pupils alike, praised Exeter. He quickly adapted for his care, skill and wit. to the role of Chemistry His gentle, calm manner teacher at Exeter School. mixed with his irreverent, After an initial settling-in almost sardonic, approach period he threw himself do not, at first, seem like a into all aspects of school winning combination but as life such as Chess Club, the numerous pupils will attest, Pixie’s Holt trips, Abbot’s it works for Exeter School. It Way walk, Ten Tors training, has often been commented Model United Nations that he is a gentleman from conferences and numerous the Edwardian era, but he departmental trips, keeping has character and in an him busy over his four years age of standardisation and with us. However, the most automation, individuality prominent impact he has had stands out. He is moving on
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to teach Chemistry in the exotic far orient of China. We, left in the occident, will miss him professionally and personally but wish him well
in the future and are certain he is going on to achieve great things.
THE EXONIAN 2018
PIPPA MARRIOTT
JOSÉPHINE MATSAEFF
SEPTEMBER 2016 - AUGUST 2018
MAY 2016 - MAY 2018
By MR BROUGH
By MR LATIMER
DRAMA TEACHER
I
t is a great shame that Exeter School, and the Drama department in particular, is losing such a gifted and experienced teacher in Pippa Marriott. Pippa’s vast experience of both Drama and English has been a real asset to the department, offering pupils a wealth of knowledge to tap into. The pupils will miss her a great deal, and I know she will also miss them. She has developed a wonderful rapport with the pupils, earning their respect through her calm, measured and wise approach to all situations. She has inspired many of the Drama pupils in the two years she has been here, opening their eyes to many of the social, historical and political ideas which are relevant to
their generation – and it has been fantastic to see their subsequent engagement, passion and delight in what they have been able to achieve in their studies. We shall miss Pippa enormously and wish her an immense amount of happiness as she pursues her passion for writing, and we hope that she isn’t a complete stranger!
FRENCH ASSISTANT
H
ot-foot from the University of Brest, Joséphine joined us in 2016, managing a very smooth handover from her mighty predecessor, Emilie Girard. At home stretching Oxbridge candidates and native speakers, while gently encouraging the unsteadier members of the lower years, Joséphine brought energy and compassion to her interactions with all of her pupils. She coped valiantly and cheerfully with the demands of the assistant’s role, which can, at busy times, lead to conversation practice being undertaken in another building, on a landing, or in the departmental office, which resembles the Gare du Nord in the heures de pointe. She
returns to the four-seasonsin-one-day of her native Brittany to embark on the formidable CAPES teaching qualification, although she will doubtless find time to continue working with stray cats and wild monkeys as she did in her time in Devon. She leaves her successor with considerable shoes to fill, and we bid her a fond adieu with our best possible wishes for the future.
SOPHIE TOMBS SAMANTHA CURLESS
JUNIOR SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHER TEACHING ASSISTANT APRIL 2017 - FEBRUARY 2018 SEPTEMBER 2016 AUGUST 2018
By MRS MARKS
L
ast Easter, the Junior School said farewell to Miss Sophie Cullen, or rather Mrs Sophie Tombs as she became during the two years she spent with us. In her role as Teaching Assistant, she soon got to know the children very well and proved herself to be reliable, approaching everything with a calm, positive and cheerful attitude. She always had time to listen and help, wherever it was needed. We wish her every success with her new career in retail.
By MR EVANS
Club elicited outstanding examples of imaginative and descriptive work from amantha Curless joined Exeter those children involved. Furthermore, School on maternity cover from St Samantha involved herself in the Cuthbert Mayne in February 2017. running of rounders and netball teams, Greatly experienced in the teaching thoroughly enjoying participating in of both English Language, Literature training sessions and fixtures in the and History, Samantha dovetailed process. seamlessly into department life and proved popular with staff and pupils. She brought a great creative passion to her delivery of lower school lessons and frequently incorporated Drama activities to facilitate empathetic responses from her classes. Moreover, her varied pedagogical initiatives and diligent approach to the completion of coursework proved inspiring to those members of the Upper Fifth cohort under her tutelage. Samantha also involved herself enthusiastically in the extracurricular life of the school; her period at the helm of the Lower School Creative Writing
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THE EXONIAN 2018
PHIL GIBBONS
ANNA WOODBRIDGE
INFORMATION SYSTEMS MANAGER
JUNIOR SCHOOL ASSISTANT SECRETARY
By MR BONE
By MRS MARKS
NOVEMBER 2016 - NOVEMBER 2017
scenes to keep our complex IT systems up and running, n the short time Phil was and helped further improve with us as our Information our IT provision. Most Systems Manager he notably he was instrumental made a noticeable impact. in developing our security, He worked hard behind the implementing our new ID card system which further enhances the safety of our pupils on site. He also led the development of our intranet, working on its successful upgrade, further enriching our teaching and learning resources. We wish him luck as he moves into IT consultancy.
SEPTEMBER 2017 - AUGUST 2018
highly valued member of our team. Her approachable and rs Woodbridge joined capable manner endeared her the Junior School as to pupils, staff and parents Assistant Secretary alike; whatever the problem in September 2017. With her she would always offer a friendly and conscientious helping hand. We will all disposition she soon settled miss her and wish her every in and very quickly became a success in her new career.
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JIM SHEPHERD
FIN CONWAY O’BRIEN
SEPTEMBER 2017 - AUGUST 2018
SEPTEMBER 2017 - AUGUST 2018
straight from Upper Sixth last September, and from the minute he walked through the door has quietly and competently just got on with the job, whether it has been supporting in the playground, supervising changing or attending fixtures. He established By MRS MARKS caring and supportive his year, the Junior relationships with the School bids a fond children and very quickly farewell to Jim earned the respect of the Shepherd, our most capable staff. We will all miss him and adaptable School very much and wish him all Assistant. Jim joined us as our the very best next year at gap year student assistant university.
By MRS CARTWRIGHT
JUNIOR SCHOOL ASSISTANT
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MATHS TEACHER
M
r Conway joined the Maths department in September 2017 after completing his NQT year at Ivybridge Community College. The pupils he has taught during his time at Exeter School have appreciated his friendly and positive approach and he has always had a smile on his face. Outside of the Maths department, Mr Conway assisted both on the Games field and with CCF, which fitted in nicely with his love of the outdoors and keeping fit. We
wish him much success in his future endeavours beyond the classroom.
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THE EXONIAN 2018
BEHIND THE
SCENES
FEATURES
Delving into the working days of some of our vital support staff team
Mr Saunders DT TECHNICIAN
WHAT DID YOU DO AFTER YOU LEFT SCHOOL? Started a four-year engineering apprenticeship. WHAT ARE THE KEY FEATURES OF YOUR WORK AT EXETER SCHOOL? Assisting pupils with all aspects of design and overseeing use of machinery and tools. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN AT THE SCHOOL? Since July 2016. WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE AS A CHILD? A comedian. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT? Seeing my illustration work on packaging. WHAT IS THE HARDEST THING ABOUT YOUR JOB? I don’t think any part of my job is hard as I enjoy all challenges. WHAT IS THE WEIRDEST QUESTION YOU HAVE BEEN ASKED IN A JOB INTERVIEW? What size was the inflatable cow that you made? IF YOU WERE A BISCUIT, WHAT WOULD YOU BE? Malted Milk.
Ms Jokonya
CHIEF SCIENCE TECHNICIAN HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN AT EXETER SCHOOL? Since August 2014. WHAT IS THE TECHNICIAN’S ROLE? Science technicians are fundamental - without us, the quality of practical provision would be poor and teachers would struggle to provide practical elements of the syllabus. We carry out a variety of daily tasks, including preparation, provision, and clearing up, while acting as advisors, researchers, health and safety implementers, and administrators. As Chief Science Technician, I oversee the technical and administrative aspects of all four science disciplines, attending Heads of Department meetings to disseminate information to relevant parties.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT WORKING HERE? I have always found Exeter School to be friendly and welcoming. Our department is like no other I’ve worked in. We’re a big family who care a lot IF YOU COULD BE ANY OTHER MEMBER OF STAFF WHO WOULD YOU about each other and, hence, we are very supportive of one another. We are BE AND WHY? a very happy bunch of people and good Part of the catering team so that I can humour always prevails! eat more scampi! WHAT IS YOUR FUNNIEST MEMORY AT THIS SCHOOL? Trying to put an extra scampi on my plate and being caught.
WHAT ARE SOME CHALLENGES OF THE ROLE? Being creative and adaptable, thinking outside the box for new ideas and innovations in order to streamline current practice. Maintaining concentration on the task in-hand despite constant interruptions! WHAT’S YOUR FUNNIEST EXETER SCHOOL MEMORY? It would’ve been the day we got absolutely soaked on the field putting out rocket cars in torrential rain for Dr Houghton’s class, but that’s been superceded by Dr Rowland’s recent spectacle at an open evening, where his elephant’s toothpaste demonstration reacted a little more violently than we anticipated! WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES? Gym, swimming, zip lines (the bigger, the better), beach and coastal walks, camping, spa days, dabbling with my saxophone and guitar. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT? Probably relocating to Devon as a single parent and living apart from one of my
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THE EXONIAN 2018
three children in the process. It was a period of great anxiety and uncertainty, but I forged ahead and have never looked back! WHAT DID YOU DO AFTER YOU LEFT SCHOOL? I left my home village in South Yorkshire to attend the University of Sunderland. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE SUBJECT AT SCHOOL? Chemistry, mainly because I found it easy, but also because of Mr Hudson and Dr Williams, the two teachers who inspired me the most. I also enjoyed P.E. as I was a sporty pupil and I played tennis, netball, and hockey for my school. WHAT WAS YOUR DREAM JOB AS A CHILD? I never had a dream job. I had little idea of what I wanted to do for a living and, after 23 years as a Trainee/Senior/ Research/Chief Science Technician, I’m still not sure!
Dr Bawn
SIXTH FORM ADVISER WHAT IS YOUR ROLE IN SCHOOL? I’m predominantly involved in supervising Sixth Form pupils as they work in the Library. I also teach on the Futures Programme, help research resources for EPQs and with UCAS university searches, as well as some administrative tasks to help the Sixth Form and Careers programmes. WHAT UNIVERSITY DID YOU GO TO? I went to Swansea University, both for my undergraduate and PhD degrees, which were in Zoology. WHAT DID YOUR PHD FOCUS ON? I looked at the ways cellular immunity works and how we can learn from how mammalian immunity has evolved by looking at primitive invertebrate systems. Basically, I used an electron microscope and loads of other techniques to look at insect blood cells and how they mop up infections, helping to figure out how insects became such a successful class of animals. WHERE ARE YOU FROM? I grew up about 20 miles from Swansea in the countryside in a small village
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called Cwmrhydyceirw (which is Welsh for ‘valley of the running deer’!). I was a hospital radio DJ for four years, believe it or not! HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN AT EXETER SCHOOL? Three years. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE HOLIDAY DESTINATION? I think it’s France. It’s my default place, especially the area around Rocamadour, Lot, and the Dordogne, though I love anywhere where there’s some water - sea, river or lake - and a pace of life which enforces calm. So Cornwall and Croatia also come in close behind. WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING IN YOUR SPARE TIME? Music - singing both loudly and badly in the car and in choirs and acapella groups. My musical taste is pretty eclectic, though lots of it seems to involve piano. I also love baking and I make personalised celebration cakes in weird and wacky shapes, like bottles of wine, planes, campervans, cricket jumpers and credit cards!
FEATURES
It’s a massive family. Everyone is there for you if and when you need them. It has always been a place where I have felt safe and happy. Lilymay Girvin (Middle Fifth)
There’s a great community feel, everyone knows each other, which creates a very nice environment to be in. There are also an extremely large number of extra-curricular activities on offer, with staff giving up their own time to make things happen.
The positivity and cando attitude of the pupils, supported by the dedication and care of the staff, create an environment in which everyone can thrive. Headmaster Mr Griffin
Head Boy Ben Hayes (Upper Sixth)
EXETER SCHOOL NAMED SOUTH WEST INDEPENDENT SCHOOL OF THE YEAR The Sunday Times’ 25th edition of the annual Parent Power Schools’ Guide has proclaimed Exeter School to be their South West Independent Secondary School of the Year for 2018. Allegra Letts (Lower Sixth) asked staff and pupils to express what they feel makes the school such a success.
A defining moment for me was during the musical Guys and Dolls in 2017. It was one of the most inspiring, most enjoyable moments of my scholastic career.
While academic studies are obviously important, there is also a great range of extracurricular activities on offer, which provides a good balance. I personally have enjoyed activities such as CCF and working on the technical desk for school productions.
Ettejean Girvin (Lower Sixth)
Oliver Irons (Middle Fifth)
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THE EXONIAN 2018
Just keep
SWIMMING Looking back at the first year of our new swimming pool
By SAM SCOUGALL-KNIGHT
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UPPER SIXTH
ince Exeter School’s indoor swimming pool opened last summer, following a generous donation from an anonymous benefactor, it has become an integral part of Exeter School life. Pupils from both the Junior School and Senior School have enjoyed weekly swimming lessons, as have pupils from four local primary schools. Sixth Formers have been able to train as lifeguards to supervise the pool, enabling them to
participate in the school community. Swimmers have been able to join with more local swimming galas than ever before, with recent fixtures against The Maynard School and Wellington School. Other activities that take place in the new pool include galas, water polo, lifesaving and squad swimming. Director of Sport Mr Mason commented upon the pool’s benefit to the local community: “Four primary schools enjoy weekly sessions in the pool with transport, lifeguarding and 45-minute water time teaching provided by Exeter School.”
FEATURES
F O U R 340,000 local schools THE POOL HOLDS
use the pool
LITRES OF WATER
PUPILS TRAIN AS QUALIFIED LIFEGUARDS EACH YEAR
LIFEGUARD Q&A Sixth Former Jake Kilmartin lets us in on the lifeguarding experience.
WHAT ENCOURAGED YOU TO TRAIN AS A LIFEGUARD? With the construction of our new pool, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to fit work in around my studies. The fitness aspect also appealed to me, as did the first aid training, since I am hoping to study Medicine next year. HOW OFTEN DO YOU LIFEGUARD? I lifeguard for about two and a half hours a week. With lots of shift options, lifeguarding is easy to fit around studying. We also have regular training and fitness tests to ensure we stay upto-date with the latest protocols. ARE YOU PAID? Yes. We work a certain number of hours to pay back the cost of the course to the school, after which we are paid. WHAT IS THE MOST REWARDING PART OF BEING A LIFEGUARD? Learning skills and being accountable for everyone’s safety: whether it is explaining to a Third Former the dangers of running on poolside or asking Mr Ross not to bomb into the pool again!
THE EXONIAN 2018
Introducing DOWRICH HOUSE In September 2018, Exeter School will be modifying the House system and bringing another into the fold Tutor and Mr Hall the Sixth Form Tutor for Dowrich. This has also UPPER SIXTH provided an opportunity to create a new pastoral arrangement, as fter her father left a form groups will be aligned with significant legacy to create the new House system. With more what was to become Exeter Houses, there will be fewer pupils School, Elizabeth Dowrich became in each, which will allow staff to a benefactor in a bid to help the create stronger relationships within new school. A new House has been the members of their House. As a created in her honour, with Mrs Sail result, it is hoped an even greater as the new Head of House, while community spirit will be fostered Mr Seaton-Burn will be her Deputy, within the school. Mr Evans the new Upper School
By CATHERINE EYRE
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HOUSE STAFF Q&A New Deputy Head of House Mr Seaton-Burn gives an insight into his new role: WHAT WILL THE ETHOS OF THE NEW HOUSE BE? As the tenth House, we’re looking to continue the excellent pastoral care provided by the existing Houses, while really encouraging a highly inclusive, welcoming atmosphere where pupils of all ages will feel valued and comfortable.
WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO AS DEPUTY HEAD OF HOUSE? Personally, I’m looking forward to getting to know even more of our pupils outside of just teaching them about PEE paragraphs and embedded clauses… Winning the House Cup is also an obvious aim.
WHAT EFFECT WILL THE NEW PASTORAL SYSTEM HAVE ON THE SCHOOL? We really hope it will help deliver even greater individual care for the pupils, while also providing another platform for a range of pupils to step into leadership positions.
IF DOWRICH HOUSE WAS A BISCUIT, WHAT BISCUIT WOULD IT BE? A chocolate orange digestive: the crème de la crème of the biscuit world, obviously.
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FEATURES
exeterschool.org.uk | 25
REACHING NEW
HEIGHTS
By BETH PITTMAN LOWER SIXTH
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hat made this year’s Sports Tour so memorable was not only the time we spent on the playing fields, but all of the trips and excursions that we experienced as a group. We were incredibly lucky
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to have had such a full and exciting itinerary. During the trip we visited four main areas: Buenos Aires, Rosario, Mendoza and Iguaçu. These were all vibrant and interesting places with unique cultures. During our first stay in Buenos Aires we were taken on a guided tour of the city, which included a visit to the Recoleta Cemetery, where we visited the grave of Eva Peron. We
were also taken on a tour of the famous Boca Stadium, the ground of the Boca Juniors football club. In San Pedro, we were hosted by the rugby club and were able to present sports equipment bought through our fundraising money. After a gruelling 14-hour coach journey we arrived in Mendoza and had our first of two experiences being hosted by local families, which was a brilliant way to learn about their culture and community. After two days, we travelled into the Andes to go zip lining, including a 500m wire across a river. During our return to Buenos Aires, we were able to experience an Estancia Day, which involved horse riding and demonstrations from the gauchos. A major highlight of the tour was our visit to Iguaçu Falls National Park, where we walked around the largest waterfall system in the world and
TRIPS AND TOURS
GIRLS’ HOCKEY By ANNA STARLING LOWER SIXTH
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he 2018 sports tour to Argentina was filled with exciting but tough hockey matches for the girls. We came across a number of well-drilled, skillful teams, but held our own thanks to our consistent training leading up to the tour. The team had to adapt to a number of different pitches and even played on grass on two occasions, which was a first for many of the players. A highlight was definitely the fixture at the Jockey Club in Rosario, a venue where retired Argentine field hockey player Luciana Aymar - arguably the best female hockey player of all time has previously played. It was probably our toughest match, but everyone came together and played really well against such a strong team. The boys cheering on the sidelines and fast pace of the game led to everyone being in really high spirits, even though we just missed out on the win. Being hosted by the clubs for dinner gave us the chance to get to know our opposition more, which was a really rewarding part of the tour. After every match, a player from both sides was awarded ‘player of the match’ - Demelza May, Susie Benson, Beth
Pittman and Lorna Gebbie all received this award. Everyone in the team progressed and improved massively throughout the two weeks, which we will all take through to the next season. As a team, we nominated Daisy Smith as the ‘players’ player’ for her consistency and grit, while Izzy Bland and Anna Starling were joint top goal scorers.
NETBALL By LAUREN SAMPSON LOWER SIXTH
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s netball is not as well known a sport as hockey in Argentina, the girls only had one scheduled opposition to play. We arrived thinking we were to play an U18 first and second team, but we ended up playing their international ladies squad, who’d represented Argentina in the World Cup. The anticipation was huge considering, for many of the girls, this was going to be the biggest and most significant netball match they had and would ever play. Both teams gave a forceful, agile and precise performance and, because of various injuries, were able to show just how versatile a squad they are as many players subbed on and changed position within the two teams. The school’s
travelled up the river and through a waterfall in a speedboat. Another great day was spent with Hands in Action, a charity supporting Argentinean children and families in vulnerable situations. We spent the day playing games with the children and doing lots of face painting. We all worked together to build benches to provide them with an outdoor seating area, and also made chess boards for them to play with. It was a rewarding experience to be able to see how our fundraising could make such an impact. Our final day was very memorable, with the morning spent canoeing and exploring the Tigre Delta and a tango lesson in the evening. A fantastic experience, Sports Tour enabled us to work together, play sport and explore an incredible country. We really appreciate all of the hard work and organisation from the staff, which made it such an enjoyable trip.
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THE EXONIAN 2018 first team won a very competitive, aggressive game by 20-19 and the seconds displayed a phenomenal turnover as they went from 5-10 down in the second quarter to winning 1813. Caitlin Khan deservedly received the award for ‘players’ player’ and Lauren Sampson was awarded ‘player of the match’. We had no expectations of how the two games would go, but every player on the court performed exceptionally well and to the best of their ability, and should feel extremely proud that we came away with two victories against an international side. It was truly a highlight of the tour and an accomplishment that not a lot of people can say they have achieved. Well done to everyone who played.
RUGBY By FREDDIE HERRING LOWER SIXTH
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he rugby matches whilst touring Argentina were very challenging from beginning to end. The squad had to bond quickly to perform for our first game, having not played any matches together beforehand. We were grateful for the hard training led by Mr Ross in the summer term as all the matches we played were tough, with bigger impacts than we were used to. Overall, the standard of the competition in Argentina was high and sometimes we played in harsh conditions, which was excellent experience for the squad. The highlight win was against Cataratus Rugby Club (31-7, with man of the match going to Finlay Johnson), but perhaps the true highlight was a strong performance against The Belgrano Club. Although we narrowly lost the game in the closing minutes, the team can feel very proud of how they performed, especially in defence (man of the match went to Harry Emmett). After each of our matches we were hosted by our opponents and there was an exchange of various gifts. On two occasions we stayed at our host’s homes, and some even stayed in a boarding school! This was such an amazing experience, allowing us to really get to know the people and country of Argentina. Overall, the whole teams’ determination and drive on tour was outstanding, and has put the 1st and 2nd XVs in a really good position for the upcoming season. Top try scorer: Daichi Budiman Most improved: Tom Barlow
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A stunning weekend An adventurous time for the Third Form at Pixies Holt By ELIZABETH DOHERTY THIRD FORM
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ugging our bags onto the minibuses, we began our residential. We whiled away the journey chatting and singing all the way! Soon, we realised we were on Dartmoor. Ponies, sheep and cows dotted the surrounding fields. Some even strayed onto the road! After we arrived in the Pixies Holt car park, we excitedly dragged our bags up a gravel path. In the evening, we made balloon chairs for Mr Hyde to sit on. They all went pop except one! Outside, the moon had risen, but inside we were sitting in the cosy common room. On Saturday, climbing was amazing! Rocks had to be scrambled up whilst thinking about footing and where to put your hands. Weaselling involved trying to wiggle through holes in the rocks, followed by a lovely forest walk where we played pooh sticks. Tired, wet and muddy, we were given hot chocolates and ice cream before jumping into the minibuses. That evening we played the animal game, the newspaper fashion game, and the cereal box picking up game. This
involved not touching the floor with anything except our feet and mouths, and having to pick up tiny pieces of cereal boxes. Only three people were champions! Sunday came and we went for a long walk, which was made interesting by the teachers playing the two truths, one lie game, telling some very funny stories! Pixies Holt was a very muddy, exciting and wet experience. Everyone enjoyed the opportunities it gave us to deepen our new friendships, as well as getting to do fun activities. All in all, I think this trip will be a memory that will last forever.
The mountains are calling ICELAND By MEREDITH MARSH
UPPER SIXTH
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ctober saw 26 A Level geographers meet at 3.15am to embark on their trip to Iceland. After a short flight we arrived in Keflavik and met our incredibly knowledgeable guide. The trip included highlights such as ‘the bridge between two continents’ (at which we were corrected and ensured that the name was simply a novelty), travelling to the Blue Lagoon where we all enjoyed the relaxing spa experience in the lovely warm pool, despite the cold weather. Attractions on other days included Reykjavik, the Rift Valley, a glacier, stunning waterfalls and a swim in the Secret Lagoon. We also climbed an inactive volcano. The views from the top were absolutely incredible and we were shown how every geographical process we study is visible in Iceland. Our trip to Iceland was incredible, not just in terms of the scenery but also due to the ways in which it brought our syllabuses to life in a way no classroom can. We would all like to say a massive thank you to Mrs Sail, Mr Davidson, Miss Allen and particularly Mr Hyde for organising what was an amazing trip for us all.
TRIPS AND TOURS
SKI TRIP By FRAN MATTHEWS UPPER SIXTH
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uring the Easter holidays, pupils from Third Form to Middle Fifth travelled to Switzerland for the annual ski trip. They were lucky with outstanding snow conditions and breathtaking views. Pupils were assigned into groups with peers of similar skiing ability. The instructors were exceptional at improving the skiing of all members of the trip, which meant that everyone in group one, who had never skied before, were tackling reds by the end of the week. After finishing skiing for the day, pupils had some free time and later would all come together for that night’s activity. Everyday a ‘Star of the Day’ and a ‘Plonker of the Piste’ would be nominated, which was an opportunity for pupils to nominate a person who had a funny fall or moment during that day. There was a wide range of evening activities, such as film night, games night and even swimming.
SAAS GRUND By MR HYDE
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ower and Middle Fifth pupils set off on a 22-hour coach journey that took them to the picturesque Swiss alpine village of Saas Grund. Upon arrival a quick refuelling of tasty pasta bolognese was followed by a short bubble car ride and a chance to stretch our legs around the lake at Kreuzboden. Pupils took in panoramic views of Saas Grund’s mountainous landscape surroundings and tried out their first chance at marmot-spotting. The following days were filled with excursions to the Mattmark Dam, walking on snow at Felskinn, exploring the conspiracies of a mountaineering disaster on the Matterhorn and souvenir shopping in the chic alpine village of Zermatt. Three days in and still with plenty of enthusiasm, pupils spent time at the Eggishorn viewpoint (2,869 metres high) preparing a range of excellent fieldsketches of the Aletsch Glacier in its backdrop of Jungfrau, Monch and the Eiger, whilst enjoying a detailed brief from Mr Davidson on the local, national and international significance of Europe’s longest glacier. A trip to Brigerbad thermal pools then provided an opportunity to cool off. Highlights of the trip included hurtling down the Saas Fee Rodelbahn, an exhilarating summer luge; spotting marmots and chamois from a cable car to Hohsaas; a refreshing dip in the mountain lake Leisee; revitalising foot therapy at a Kneipp Wellness station; a plethora of evening games and fun led by Hugh Clark (OE 2006-2013) and Moana sing-alongs on the coach. A hugely successful trip owes thanks to the positive and enthusiastic nature of all the pupils, Peter Davidson (OE 2006-2008), Hugh Clark and Helen Clark (governor) as support staff, to Mr Davidson for his encyclopaedic knowledge of the geography of the Swiss Alps and especially to Mrs Sail for her thorough organisation and planning of the trip.
THE EXONIAN 2018
NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON DC
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n November 2017, Politics pupils travelled to New York and Washington DC for one week. Pupils were taken back by what the so-called ‘land of the free’ had on offer. From shopping malls to skyscrapers, grandiose parks to busy subways, pupils were immersed in the culture of two of the most dynamic cities in the world. Sam Scougall-Knight and Rupert Harris (Upper Sixth) give us ten reasons why they think you should experience them for yourself.
Visit New York to experience a city that is distinctly unique – bursting with diverse day-to-day life whilst being overshadowed by scintillating skyscrapers.
Washington: arguably the political capital of the world. Capitol Hill is not for the light-hearted.
Meet the world’s most infamous man: Donald J Trump – trust me, this ain’t fake news!
Shop until you drop in Macy’s.
Grace the resting-place of arguably America’s most celebrated family ever: the Kennedys.
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TRIPS AND TOURS
You will not find a more breathtaking view than the one atop the Empire State Building – bright lights, bigger city!
Explore the diverse cuisine: from $1 pizza slices to the doughy dream-world of Dunkin’ Donuts – whatever takes your fancy.
For the judgmental ones among you, pay a visit to the Supreme Court – order, order!
Immerse yourself in the cultural melting pot that is the Big Apple - just don’t lose yourself along the way…
Visit a trail of the world’s most famous sites, from The Statue of Liberty to The White House - there are many opportunities for landmark selfies.
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THE EXONIAN 2018
SPANISH SPECTACLES
By ROSIE CROMWELL UPPER FIFTH
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espite an exhausting 11pm departure from school, arriving at Gatwick Airport at the unholy time of 5.45am, the 2017 Spanish trip to Granada was enjoyed by all. Starting each day in the Plaza Nueva, the pupils were led on fantastic excursions, from a visit to the Alhambre, a place of rich history, palaces and fortresses, to watching live flamenco in an old cave lined with photos of generations of dancers. Everyone came away from the trip in awe of the spectacles they’d seen. We spent every afternoon at the Delengua language school, where we’d converse with native Spanish speakers as well as take part in more formal lessons. Our skills improved so much that one class performed a song they’d written entirely in Spanish! Granada is steeped in history, with stories of religious factions and cultural quirks hanging from every archway. I think I can speak for everyone when I give a huge thank you to Mrs Marsh, Mrs Alborough, Mr Latimer and every staff member involved in the trip. ¡Que viva Capitán España!
INSPIRED BY ST IVES By ROSIE CROMWELL
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n a brisk November morning, a group of around 30 GCSE artists and four teachers loaded up minibuses with suitcases and art supplies for the 2017 Art trip to St Ives. Over the course of the weekend, we visited three galleries, participated in two sculpture trails and witnessed the
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mystical beauty of the Tremenhere Aqua Obscura. Along the way, we collaborated with local artist Greg Humphries, who mentored us on a range of artistic techniques from ‘simplification to abstraction’ to ‘the push-pull effect’. We studied Barbara Hepworth and the techniques that have long since made her known as arguably the greatest female artist of her time. We created sculptures in her
style, in sand and clay, and produced multiple drawings based on her works. The weekend was both productive and enjoyable, with most of us almost filling our new sketchbooks with coursework. We would all like to issue a most heartfelt thank you to Miss White, Mrs Escott, and all the staff involved for organising and supervising us on a wonderful trip.
TRIPS AND TOURS
COMMUNICATING ACROSS THE CHANNEL NORMANDY
of the time we were having to speak French to the instructors. The meals at the château By JOE PINNER-POUSTIE were another highlight of the THIRD FORM trip as on one of the nights he Third Form trip to Normandy we had a delightful taste of was one of the highlights of French cuisine, which included the school year and I would escargots - or, as we call them, recommend it to any of the Third snails. The food was delicious and never Formers joining the school this year. disappointed. We all tried the French The activities were all highly cheeses, which included the famous and enjoyable and ranged from rolling delicious brie. around in mud (parcours de santé) to On the site where we were staying climbing (escalade). One of my favourite there were many fun activities that parts of the trip was when we went the groups did. From playing Aeroball to St Malo, which was a brilliant way to conquering the climbing wall, to observe the French architecture, every group thoroughly enjoyed their but we also had the opportunity to activities. We all had to do chores, go shopping! The trip improved my however. The chores included sampling French a lot due to the fact that most cider and petting rabbits – not what I
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call the worst of chores. My personal highlights were swimming in the sea, rolling around in the mud and playing football at the end of the day. I think everyone enjoyed the trip as much as I did. The whole French adventure was fun and exciting and a great way to escape the realities of life. Any child our age would have highly enjoyed this and I hope they continue to do the trip in the years to come. C’était magnifique.
BORDEAUX By WILL PIERCEY UPPER SIXTH
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ine keen Francophile Upper Fifth Formers spent the first five days of their October half term in Bordeaux, France. They attended three hour-long lessons in the morning, and made the most of what the city had to offer in the afternoon. Whilst the pupils were initially anxious at the idea of staying with host families, they soon amazed themselves as their sense of understanding quickly improved and they were able to increasingly communicate more easily and fluently.
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Unforgettable
adventures
BEAM HOUSE
By MR PIDWELL
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fantastic time was had by all at this year’s Lower Two residential trip to Beam House in Torrington in September. With a mixture of nerves and excitement, the group of 57 Junior School pupils got stuck into a range of thrilling and challenging activities, such as archery, surfing and abseiling, making friends and gaining skills along the way. Well done, Lower Two!
“I liked jumping into space and whizzing down the wire.” JACK WILLS ON THE ZIP WIRE
“I managed to stand up and fall off! It was great fun.” “I really liked painting my face with mud and building my own shelter.”
DYLAN BONE ON SURFING
DULCIE MASON ON SURVIVAL ACTIVITIES
“It was extremely muddy and fun.” FREYA KOTTING ON THE CHALLENGE COURSE
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TRIPS AND TOURS
BUDE RESIDENTIAL By MR POTE
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n Friday 6 July, Upper Two departed for their residential weekend in Bude. Arriving at midday, pupils took part in surfing, climbing and canoeing, with beach games in the evening. On Saturday, abseiling and body boarding were also available. Of canoeing, Matthew Roberts said: “It was great fun playing loads of games in the canoes! One was called ‘shampoo’, which involved dunking your head in the water!” The evening then ended with a BBQ, team games and a cliff fire. Five of the pupils received awards for their attitude and behaviour during the trip. On the final day, more surfing, abseiling and body boarding were enjoyed. Upon leaving, the tired but happy faces of all that took part were a reflection of the fun had by all involved, with Darcy Beau Hedden remarking: “The instructors were great and really helped us out.” Staff were also pleased to comment that all pupils had exhibited a number of the core values we believe in at Exeter School. It was a truly memorable weekend and the perfect way to end a wonderful year.
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THE EXONIAN 2018
HAVEN BANKS By MISS TRIMMING
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n Monday 2 July, Lower Two and Upper Two visited Haven Banks for a fun-filled day of activities on the River Exe. On land there was the opportunity to try climbing, caving, teambuilding and archery, whilst in the water the pupils (and a couple of staff) enjoyed kayaking, canoeing, raft building, sailing and paddleboarding. The activities were enjoyed by all, with Mr Pidwell falling off his paddleboard a particular highlight for many! Angelica Fitt enjoyed her day, stating that: “It was fun jumping in the water – very refreshing on such a sunny day!” We were lucky to have such glorious weather. Tom Scott-Robbins said: “I had a sensational experience and loved being outdoors on such a lovely afternoon,” whilst Xari Keay explained: “Haven Banks was outstanding because we mixed year groups and got to do lots of different activities.” The day proved to be brilliant fun for all involved!
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l o o h c S days i l o H
At Haven Banks we offer exciting experiences outside of the classroom. We have a full and varied programme of outdoor and adventurous activity courses throughout half-term, Easter and Summer holidays!
Pay by
Childcare Voucher!
With so many activities to choose from, a party at Haven Banks will be an experience to remember forever. Room hire available for after-activity parties!
01392 400150 www.haven-banks.co.uk
Birthda y Parties
CCF
A RMY By CAPTAIN TRIM
AUTUMN TERM
SUMMER TERM
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t the start of the summer term the main focus was the CCF n the autumn, all 85 Middle Fifth inspection afternoon, held recruits completed the tri-service on 27 April, which encapsulated all common syllabus course, where that we do within CCF and was a trithey were given basic training in service event involving all CCF cadets. drill, first aid, navigation and military Activities for the day were planned and knowledge. Upper Sixth Nonrun by Upper Sixth NCOs and despite Commissioned Officers (NCOs) from far from ideal weather conditions all three sections played an important the day ran smoothly and the cadets part and helped to run training sessions enjoyed the range of activities and for the recruits. The culmination of challenges. In the closing parade Hope the recruit basic training phase was Evans was promoted to Senior Cadet the confirmation exercise, held at and Jolyon Rouse, Jake Kilmartin, Tom Woodbury Common in October, which Aldridge, Isaac Tudge, Amy Dixie and all recruits successfully completed. Robin Edbrooke were awarded medals The Upper Fifth started working for their outstanding contribution to towards their Advanced Army the Army section. Proficiency Certificate and visited the Summer field day saw all Middle Footsteps of Discovery site in Cornwall Fifth and Lower Sixth cadets complete for an overnight exercise. Here they an overnight tactical exercise on completed survival and bushcraft Woodbury Common. The cadets, split training and were able to practise those into two platoons, patrolled out to their skills in a remote, outdoor environment. harbour areas, where they enjoyed the Meanwhile, the Lower Sixth began their delights of a military ration pack for leadership course, completing tasks and evening meal before deploying on a studying different styles of leadership. number of recce patrols that lasted well They had an enjoyable day at Blackrock into the evening. On these patrols the Outdoors, participating in a high ropes cadets gathered intelligence about the confidence course and a range of team enemy location and their intentions building challenges. with the aim of setting an ambush for them the following morning. After a few hours of sleep the cadets were up SPRING TERM early to rehearse and receive orders. anuary saw the new intake of 37 Platoon Commanders Freddie Herring Middle Fifth cadets join the Army and Tom Barlow delivered clear and section. They commenced their concise orders to their platoons and the basic army training under the ambushes were successfully set. watchful eye of their Upper Sixth At the beginning of the summer NCOs and the directing staff led by Lt holidays a group of 19 cadets attended Hyde. All Middle Fifth cadets became the annual Army section summer proficient in the drills and completed camp. The camp consisted of a two their weapon handling tests. The day military exercise on Dartmoor, Upper Fifth cadets completed their live firing on the range and various Basic Signals Certificate with Sergeant adventure training activities, including Hodgkins from the Cadet Training kayaking, surfing, coasteering, Team and did so well that they went paddle boarding, wind surfing and a on to complete the advanced signals high ropes obstacle course. Evening course as well. The Lower Sixth NCOs activities included a barbecue and a completed their CFIT (Cadet Forces cinema trip. All the cadets equipped Instruction Training) course run by themselves very well and impressed Major Moon and Captain Murrin, their instructors with their military preparing them to conduct lessons and skills, attitude and conduct throughout training next academic year. the duration of the camp.
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OUTDOOR PURSUITS
CCF
R AF By FLIGHT LIEUTENANT SMALE
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ere are just a few of the highlights from an eventful year for the RAF section. Two field trips to Haven Banks included raft building, kayaking, paddleboarding and artificial caving. Visiting Boscombe Down for Air Experience Flying, where the cadets are able to fly Grob Tutors, was one of the highlights of the section. The annual nitex (night exercise) on Woodbury Common included training, camp cooking and an evasion exercise run by the Sixth Form for the Middle Fifth and Upper Fifth cadets, which was enjoyed by all involved. An important event in the RAF calendar is the Air Squadron Trophy Competition (ASTC). This includes several training sessions between November and January for the most dedicated cadets. The team of 13 then travel to Blandford Garrison in Dorset to compete in drill, first aid, leadership,
aircraft recognition, RAF knowledge, shooting and fitness. The team performed excellently and showed an improvement, ultimately finishing sixth in the South region. There have been numerous additional opportunities for cadets this year, with cadets Will Cockram, Oliver Clark, Daniel Wilcock and Jessica Wright successfully completing the Air Cadet Leadership Course, which has encouraged more to apply. The weeklong course is held at RAF Cranwell, the very highly regarded RAF Officer training establishment. Cadets Felicity Bagwell, Oliver Clark, Abby Holden and Jessica Wright travelled to RAF Troodos in Cyprus for a week of activities during the Easter holidays and returned with huge enthusiasm following a packed programme on an incredible camp. Daniel Wilcock was awarded the honour of being the Lord Lieutenant’s cadet for Devon and has been escorting the Lord Lieutenant on many duties around the county throughout the year.
A lot of planning and co-ordination went into the biennial inspection afternoon, which was deemed to be a great success. Credit must go to the Upper Sixth NCOs for their work in planning the activities and indeed their work through the year. Medals were awarded to Sergeant Will Cockram, Sergeant Laura Perring and Flight Sergeant Meredith Marsh for their contribution. Flight Sergeant Marsh was also awarded the Jack Sadler Award for most outstanding cadet in the CCF. 12 cadets attended Summer Camp at RAF Wittering in Cambridgeshire this year, which included flying, section visits, competitions, sports and social events. Staying in dormitories on an active RAF base, they all thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Many thanks to all staff involved in all of the activities and trips throughout the year, in particular to Petty Officer Alborough and Petty Officer Rose for their roles in the section.
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THE EXONIAN 2018
CCF
N AV Y By LIEUTENANT COMMANDER JAMES
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s the school year comes to a close, it is time to reflect back on another successful year in the Royal Navy (RN) section. Our Upper Sixth cadets took the helm of the section, led by Ben Smith, Kat Berggren and Charlie Williams, running many activities for the younger cadets. The new Middle Fifth cadets joined the Royal Navy section and have already completed their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award expeditions, on their way to completing the award. They have also all passed their Ordinary Cadet training, promoting them all to the rank of Ordinary Cadet. Isobel Tremlett and James Waddington achieved top marks out of the year group. They have also had a number of sessions learning to sail, kayak or advanced sailing. The Upper Fifth fresh off their Silver Duke of Edinburgh expeditions quickly worked their way through the leadership syllabus and were all promoted to the rank of Able Seaman 1 star. Activities included swim survival skills, lifesaving, climbing, self defence and power of command. The new Lower Sixth undertook the Leadership Cadre in preparation for running the new Middle Fifth training. Although a small year group, the Lower Sixth produced some exceptionally high quality lectures during the spring term and then organised a superb tri-section competition at the end of the spring term. As the Upper Sixth left for exams, Bella Allan was promoted to Head of Section, assisted by James Harris. Another very successful and exciting year has been achieved by all members of the RN section. The RN section spent a delightful week at Roadford Lake with the Middle Fifth in the summer, and although mainly looking to improve their sailing ability, also had the chance to windsurf, do the high ropes and take part in the traditional fun and games during the evenings; a wonderful way to round off a super year!
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OUTDOOR PURSUITS
Whatever the weather ABBOTS WAY WALK OCTOBER 2017
EMILY MOUDIOTIS LOWER SIXTH Grace: That you shouldn’t worry about TEN TORS? HOW HAS THE ABBOTS the weather, you just have to stay WAY WALK PREPARED YOU? interviews ELLA O’BRIEN, happy and work as a team. Ella: I am going to try to get into GRACE SAIL and ROSE SAIL MIDDLE FIFTH
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE ABBOTS WAY WALK? Ella: My favourite part was the end when I could take off my soggy boots! Grace: I loved being with my team and getting to know them. Rose: My favourite part was the pasty and hot chocolate at the end! WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED? Ella: I learnt that you always need to keep the group’s spirits up even when you are lost in fog.
Rose: We got lost in the fog, which meant most of us fell into a lot of bogs!
the Ten Tors team and I do think that it has helped me to understand how tough the conditions can be on Dartmoor. Grace: I would really like to do Ten Tors and I feel like the Abbots Way walk has definitely helped. Rose: Yes, I think the Abbots Way walk has helped to prepare me for Ten Tors because now I know what it is like to walk that distance even when it is very wet!
WAS IT A REWARDING EXPERIENCE? Ella: Yes it was, but it was also a difficult walk across some difficult terrain. Therefore, it took a lot of determination to keep going when, at Princetown, people started to pull out. Grace: Definitely! Rose: It was very rewarding to complete knowing how far we had walked, especially when we were given the certificate and pasty at the end. Ella, Grace and Rose all went on to tackle the Ten Tors Challenge in May. DO YOU PLAN ON TRAINING FOR
1633 CHALLENGE
MARCH 2018
Leaving at 7am the next morning after a hearty breakfast, nerves and excitement rippled around the start as each team anticipated the task MIDDLE FIFTH ahead. Over 100 participants from he annual 1633 Challenge aims many local schools set off up the to replicate Ten Tors, with a hill from the Dartmoor Training demanding two days of camping Centre. A wall of fog and intermittent and trekking across Dartmoor. The showers made negotiating between Middle Fifth teams arrived at camp on checkpoints tough and really tested Friday evening and erected the tents our orienteering skills. Determination, in wet conditions before having kit fitness and navigation were all integral scrutinised to ensure all were prepared to finishing, but no one could have for the ambitious task ahead. Delighted made it through without their team. to come in from the rain, we were We were all pleased to see clear skies, greeted by a warm meal and steaming great visibility and even sunshine apple pie for dessert! when we woke early on Sunday
By EMMA HALFORD, FLORA GRAY and HEATHER BROWN
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morning on a windy hillside. We left in good spirits after a final briefing from Colonel Sharpe, grateful for the more pleasant conditions. After an unbelievable event, the teams were proud to receive their certificate from the Headmaster upon arrival at the finish. The sight of friends and family put a smile on everyone’s faces and the warm welcome was much appreciated. Encountering waist-deep bogs, snow and a variety of beautiful scenery made the whole experience demanding but extraordinary. Thank you to everyone who made this incredible event a reality.
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THE EXONIAN 2018
TEN TORS parachuters jumping from a plane with smoke canisters attached to their feet, making pretty swirling patterns. Just then, the canon sounded - we were off! Our six 35-mile teams and one t 8.35am on a Friday in May 45-miler were ready for the climax we arrived at school with our of months of training. All the teams full Ten Tors gear for another powered through the first few miles, expedition - only this time it wasn’t a leaving the crowds of parents and practice. We set about route planning team managers far in the distance. A with our team manager, who helped us challenging trek lay ahead of us. carefully plot a route through the many The weather really helped as the bogs and hills to reach each checkpoint. visibility was extremely clear, with During the coach ride to Okehampton plenty of sun. After some of the weather camp, many of us were thinking about we had seen during the training the days ahead. Upon arrival, we headed weekends, this was a pleasant surprise! towards the mass of tents and were After each checkpoint we set our given our first glimpse of the sheer scale target of simply getting to the next of the event, as hundreds of people one and then see how we were feeling flocked past us. As per usual for a Ten before deciding what to consume, then Tors expedition, it was raining, and so walking on. It was raining when we we hurried to get our bags in the cover arrived exhausted at our overnight stop of the tents. We had a brief talk by at 7pm. Recalling our training we put Colonel Sharpe, before a not-quite-so up our tents, cooked our meals and then brief talk by an army officer. By now, soon curled up in our sleeping bags in the rain had partially stopped, and as preparation for the glorious finish to we walked back to our tents we looked come the next day. up at the army helicopters flying above. We woke around 4am for a 6am start. Socialising in a larger tent with the A bit of fog near the first checkpoint other school teams, we were served a soon cleared up and the weather very fine spaghetti bolognese by the was as good as on the Saturday. The staff. We then laid out our beds in our excitement grew as we got closer to tents, enjoyed a hot chocolate then the finish, with the reward of a nice quickly got into bed and fell asleep! hot bath and some decent food waiting, Awakened at 5am by the rousing tune but not before a particularly ominousof Chariots of Fire, we were soon up and looking hill! After conquering this, we packed, ready for a filling breakfast that knew the end would soon be in sight, prepared us for our long days ahead. By and a sense of joy and relief flooded 6.10am we were taking the relatively us all as we reached the finish and short walk up the hill to the start point, completed the challenge. All that work where we watched a fine display of over the last nine months had paid off!
By ELLA O’BRIEN, GEORGE DALDORPH AND BERTIE HAWKINS MIDDLE FIFTH
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DUKE OF EDINBURGH
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uke of Edinburgh participants saw solid sunshine and blue skies while completing their four-day Gold Qualifying Expedition in the Brecon Beacons in early July. The perfect weather for a holiday, but not necessarily the best for lugging 15kg packs up Pen-y-fan. All 11 pupils performed superbly, successfully completing their journey in tough conditions. One group managed to climb up the Pen-yFan ridge on three out of the four days. Well done to them all!
GOLD PRACTICE By TEGAN MURPHY LOWER SIXTH
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n Thursday 21 June, 19 brave members of the Lower Sixth set off to conquer 65km of a tough Dartmoor route over four days on the Gold Duke of Edinburgh practice expedition. Thankfully, the warm weather and clear skies made for a lovely view from the tors, although some members of the groups did get some sunburn! Despite some turns in the wrong direction, all groups safely reached their campsites in good time to enjoy warm evenings and the joys of rehydrated spaghetti bolognese. Following a long walk on Friday over several tors, the groups set off on Saturday morning for a scenic walk through Bellever forest to end at Nun’s Cross Farm, where an emergency airdrop of aftersun cream lifted spirits considerably! Determined to make it home in time for the England football game, it was an early morning for the walkers on Sunday, but an easily navigated route and the thought of a much-needed bath spurred everyone on to end at Ivybridge earlier than expected. Even with blistered feet, the weekend was enjoyed by all, and a great sense of satisfaction was felt at the finish line. Well done to everyone who completed the expedition!
SILVER PRACTICE minimal issues, excluding of course: getting lost, needing to re-create a MIDDLE FIFTH footpath, walking up a massive hill, getting swarmed by flies and the near he Silver Duke of Edinburgh loss of all my dirty clothes to the Teign. course involves six months However, none of these minor issues of voluntary service to the could compare to the great weekend community or a business, six months we had; even walking 45km didn’t faze of skills development, such as first us much as we had each other to get aid, six months of a physical activity, through it. I’m not saying there weren’t most likely a sport, and an assessed complaints (as there definitely were) expedition that requires spending three but we got through it and are glad to days walking and two nights sleeping. have completed our weekend happy Overall, our Silver Duke of Edinburgh and with a new found appreciation for practice walk went well. There were our own beds.
By TOM KINGSNORTH
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Scotland. After squeezing all our equipment and food into our kayaks, LOWER SIXTH we began our Gold Duke of Edinburgh qualifying expedition. FAL ESTUARY Most of us were novices when we started our weekly training sessions riday the 13th: unlucky for some, last September on the River Exe, but for the 15 Duke of Edinburgh but by the time we had finished our pupils in Lower Sixth boarding a practice expedition in the Fal estuary in minibus at 9.30am, this October Friday October we had all learnt the basics of was the start of an action-packed controlling a kayak. weekend in the Fal estuary. Our qualifying expedition was a After setting up camp near Mylor four-day journey, which involved quay, just north of Falmouth, we drove paddling along the Scottish coast just down to the open ocean for what was south of the Isle of Skye. Although we our first time kayaking on the sea as found it demoralising putting up tents a group. After this practice session in the rain and being accosted by ticks we were ready to take on two days of and midges, these hardships were paddling up the estuary. Although outweighed by many highlights. These we were sheltered from the included wild camping on pristine more choppy waters, the beaches surrounded by stunning wind and tide still had scenery, making friends with seals and a huge effect on the finishing our fourth and final day with SCOTLAND conditions several a well-earned pizza. A big thank you to n 11 July, 14 Lower Sixth pupils kilometres up Mr Schramm and the Haven Banks team made a 12-hour drive from Exeter for making Exeter School’s first ever the estuary, to Fort William in so planning DofE kayaking the Highlands of our expedition such a great success.
By JAMIE STEPHENSON
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routes with the tides was key. Saturday saw us split into three groups and take to the water equipped with maps, route cards and all the equipment we needed to wild camp that evening. Each group took a slightly different route, exploring the many creeks and inlets the estuary had to offer, but all passing three huge container ships at anchor some way up the river Fal. We made camp that night by an isolated beach on the estuary, complete with campfire and toasted marshmallows. We paddled back to our start point at Mylor quay on Sunday morning, completing a successful practice expedition. Thanks to the Haven Banks team, Tom, Harry, James and Suzie and also to Mr Schramm for organising such a great weekend.
O
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THE EXONIAN 2018
THI S YEAR WE’V E R A I SE D
£26,595.38
F OR C HAR I T Y (SO FA R ! ) CHARITIES WE HAVE SUPPORTED THIS YEAR INCLUDE: Age UK Altzheimer’s Society Beit Cure, Malawi Buburi Hospital Cancer Research Children In Need Dementia UK Ellen Tinkham School Exeter Cathedral Exmouth Hospice Hospiscare Janine Di Vincenzo Foundation Macmillan Marcus In Mind Mind Movember National Trust North Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team Poppy Appeal Sands Save The Children Sport Relief The Children’s Society The Mardon Centre The Mede, Topsham WaterAid YMCA
SENIOR SCHOOL
By CATHERINE EYRE
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his year Exeter School has caught charity fever! There was a close shave in November, with Mr Trelawny finishing off a month of moustaches with a public shaving on stage in the main hall. Mrs Taylor saved books from low shelf-esteem by selling them instead, and made money for charity in the process. We were struck with a blizzard of charitable initiatives during the Christmas season. From candy cane
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delivery (step aside Santa’s elves - Daw House is on the job!) to handmade Christmas cards made by Collins House to spread the joy, to a schoolwide Christmas jumper day, everyone managed to chip in to the charitable efforts. Revd Tom challenged the school to send shoeboxes to underprivileged children in Moldova, and he was met with a rush of enthusiasm. 4B managed to produce a ton of boxes, and Goff House threw together over 50 boxes! In total, we sent over 200 boxes to the charity, and many of us were reminded of the true meaning of Christmas. In May, a team from Raleigh House used the new swimming pool to tackle the length of the River Exe - a grand total of 63.3 miles, or 4032 lengths of the 25m pool - during seven lunch sessions, to raise money for Mind and Ellen Tinkham School. This year the Chaplain’s Charity was the YMCA Exeter, who work with vulnerable young people. At harvest we collected donations for them, which went to make up welcome packs for new residents. Over the year, £617.74 was raised for this cause. As always, bake sales and mufti days have been a firm favourite across the year. In the summer term, we have even enjoyed ice cream sales on lovely, sunny days. Revd Tom Carson said: “It’s so good to look back on another charitable year at Exeter School. I’m so impressed with the dedication and creativity of our pupils in raising money for such good causes.” In September a Sixth Form committee met to decide on which charities to support, consulting with their Houses. The three main charitable causes that Exeter School are proud to have aided this year are: AUTUMN TERM: Ellen Tinkham School and College (South Africa Expedition)
This is a local school for pupils with severe or profound learning
difficulties. The college was raising funds for a two-week expedition to South Africa. This expedition will offer a once-in-a-lifetime experience for their pupils, similar to that already offered to their peers in mainstream schools, colleges and higher education. SPRING TERM: Mind
A charity that provides advice and support to empower anyone experiencing mental health problems. They campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding. SUMMER TERM: Beit Cure (Malawi)
A 58-bed teaching hospital that specialises in treating the orthopaedic needs of children and adults.
JUNIOR SCHOOL By LUCY ZHANG UPPER SIXTH
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he Junior School was astir with charity events this year. In the spirit of Children in Need Day, pupils enjoyed a mufti day, a bountiful selection of cakes provided by pupils and parents, and the three friendly Pudsey Bears who took over the Junior School office, raising a total of £460.23 for the charity. In our annual community service tea party, the Junior Singers delighted the local senior citizens, providing sublime music. The term finished with a delicious Christmas lunch provided by our wonderful catering staff, enjoyed by the whole school. The festivities were added to by the Christmas jumpers and hats worn by the Junior School pupils. A mufti day in the spring term raised money for Mind, while another in the summer term was in aid of Mind and The Children’s Society. Well done to everyone!
CHARITY AND COMMUNITY SERVICE
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THE EXONIAN 2018
From being brilliant to defiant debating “believing in ourselves”. Other events included the Exeter School charity quiz night, which made ver the year, the Sixth Form a successful comeback after five have had the opportunity years, in support of Age UK Exeter to attend multiple events and Marcus in Mind. Another to prepare them for life outside of exciting occasion was The Great school and university. Highlights Debate, chaired by Jake Kilmartin include a talk by Jason Todd on ‘The and Lucy Zhang, with speakers Art of Being Brilliant’. Deputy Head delivering some thought-provoking Boy Daniel Wilcock described it as speeches and arguments about helpful in teaching pupils to strive the importance of feminism in for the top 2%, but most importantly modern society. Natasha Devon,
By ALLEGRA LETTS
O
writer for The Guardian and The Times Educational Supplement, gave a talk to the Upper Sixth on the transition from school to university, proving very useful as a researcher for the Education and Health Select Committees, representing the interests of teenagers and teachers. Finally, the Sixth Form Futures Week provided Lower Sixth with information and advice on UCAS, employability and other activities to aid transition to Upper Sixth.
INSPIRED A
By EMILY MOUDIOTIS s part of National Careers Week, Exeter School invited 15 alumni and friends of the school to take part in an ‘Inspiration Afternoon’, held for Lower Sixth pupils. The afternoon began with various speeches, the first given by Mr Davidson, titled ‘Getting The Elusive Job Interview And How To Ace It’, which focused on first impressions and identifying personal skills relevant to the job. Continuing with the theme of interviews, three guest speakers spoke about their different experiences and gave advice from the perspective of the interviewee and the interviewer. Past pupils Lucy James (2004-2011) and Annabel Clark (2003-2010) spoke about their encounters with different forms of interviews including face-to-face, telephone interviews and Skype calls. The third guest speaker was Steven Perring (OE 1978-1981), who gave an overview of what an employer looks for during the selection process. Pupils then attended various talks and discussion groups on two different career areas, specific to their interests. This ranged from a talk given by Jane Silver on physiotherapy to a talk from Mark Tyler (OE 1975-1982) on communications and public relations. Tom Wright, Lower Sixth pupil, said: “I learnt a lot about different possible careers paths and the afternoon extended my knowledge of the field I want to go into.”
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SIXTH FORM
AVA HILL MANAGING DIRECTOR OF RE/FLECT WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO JOIN YOUNG ENTERPRISE THIS YEAR? When I leave school, I would like to complete a Business and Management course at university. People suggested Young Enterprise would help me learn new skills and will impress future employers. HAS YE HELPED YOU TO DEVELOP YOUR SKILLS? I have developed my leadership, teamwork and organisational skills. I have also definitely improved my speaking skills. You have to pitch ideas and sell products to the public,
which was very daunting at first but over time it gets much easier. WHAT CHALLENGES DID YOU HAVE TO OVERCOME? Our main challenge was figuring out how to make our products because they are handmade. We had to use a trial and error method for around a month until we found the best way of producing them. WHAT PRODUCTS DID YOU SELL AND HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT SELLING THEM? We came up with the idea of using
CDs and DVDs from a recycling centre and moulding them with heat guns to create candleholders. At the start, we mainly sold them at school and local events but recently we have started selling online. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A FUTURE YE MANAGING DIRECTOR? If anyone is struggling to do their work because they are busy, assist them even if it is not your job because it will improve teamwork and will ensure things are done quicker.
Fledgling businesses Young Enterprise goes from strength to strength Young Enterprise is a national scheme that aims to empower young people to develop their business and personal skills by establishing and running their own company for a year. Sam Scougall-Knight interviewed the managing directors from each of this year’s two teams.
GEORGIA LING MANAGING DIRECTOR OF MINIM CAN YOU GIVE US A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF YOUR COMPANY AND WHAT IT SELLS? We decided to create minimalistic kitchenware. Our company MINIM sells rustic, wooden coasters with a minimalistic pattern. Currently, we are adding to our range of kitchenware, and we will soon be selling wine bottle holders and placemats.
out of my comfort zone and help me achieve new goals.
was reforming the company to create an entirely new product and brand, since initially we were going to design a fitness book. It meant that we had to be very quick and organised in order to sell our kitchenware at Princesshay in December.
HAS YE HELPED YOU TO DEVELOP YOUR SKILLS? Definitely! It has been a learning curve, but Young Enterprise has definitely improved my organisational WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU and leadership skills. GIVE TO A FUTURE YOUNG ENTERPRISE MANAGING HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT DIRECTOR? SELLING YOUR KITCHENWARE? WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO JOIN We sold our coasters at a trade stand Ensure that everyone who signs up to YOUNG ENTERPRISE THIS YEAR? in Princesshay and at school events. do Young Enterprise is fully aware of the commitment and time required. I wanted to develop the skillset Also, make sure everyone does their required to become an entrepreneur, WHAT CHALLENGES DID YOU job in the time they say they will! and I thought Young Enterprise would HAVE TO OVERCOME? be a good opportunity to push myself One of the biggest challenges we faced
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FUTURES WEEK By ALLEGRA LETTS, EMILY MOUDIOTIS and GEORGIA LING LOWER SIXTH
DAY 1
Teamwork, leadership and personal development activities from Paul Mattin (founder of Wilderness Solutions and former Royal Marines Officer) The Lower Sixth started Futures Week by developing their teamwork and leadership skills. Within a team, the pupils had to design and build a free-standing flag and catapult. After break, each team became a sub-team within a larger group. The change in group dynamics helped the pupils learn to work in larger teams to reach a common goal. ‘Sex, Likes and Social Media’ by Allison Havey Allison Havey, the co-founder of the RAP project, helped raise awareness for teenagers negotiating social media. They discussed normally taboo subjects, such as porn, rape and their ‘online tattoo’.
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DAY 2
The second day focused on developing interpersonal and interview skills as well as selling yourself effectively. The year split into three groups, each rotating around three different talks. Head of Sixth Form Mrs Marsh, Study Superviser Dr Bawn and Careers Adviser Mrs Cheesman explained how to prepare effectively for an interview, in advance of the interview scheme in October. The session mainly involved working in groups to practise responding to a range of interview questions. Judy Salmon, a local business coach and training consultant, explained the importance of body language in interviews as well as how to project confidence. Exeter School alumna and branding expert Joanna Murchie (19911993) discussed the ever-increasing significance of a consistent personal brand.
SIXTH FORM
DAY 3
Listening skills The third day of Futures Week was packed with activities and talks for students to reflect on. Revd Tom and Mrs Fairweather gave a compelling talk in the morning, discussing the importance of listening skills to aid those struggling with mental health. ‘Building Business’ with Giles Humphries Pupils also benefitted greatly from a talk by alumnus Giles Humphries (1997-2004), who set up the growing business Mindful Chef. Giles discussed the building of business and pupils had the chance to contribute in an informative question and answer session. Commonwealth games To end the day, pupils dressed up in stereotypical wear of various countries, and wore these to compete in a range of games involving egg and spoon races and sack races (with a twist!). Congratulations to Jamaica and Germany for winning Best Dressed, and Fiji and Italy for taking first and second place overall.
DAY 4
Business and enterprise day Pupils were put into teams to create a social enterprise that would benefit the homeless. During the day, they had to prepare a presentation, video and display boards, which were judged by a panel of highly-esteemed guests. A video documentary produced by alumnus Owain Astles (2010-2014) helped raise awareness of the circumstances in which you can become homeless.
DAY 5
The final day began with a talk from Mr Chitnavis on applying for Higher Education. We were then given our examination results and many began preparing for UCAS by writing personal statements. Mrs Marsh said: “They will now be fully supported and guided to make these plans, whether it be a gap year, university or apprenticeship application.”
The Futures Week was an inspiring week on preparation for life after school. The Sixth Form enjoyed a range of talks and activities designed to help pupils with their future careers as well as applying for university. Careers Adviser Mrs Cheesman said the week was designed to give pupils the opportunity to develop their skills and knowledge on many issues centred around careers, employment and higher education. She said: “Making the week as interactive and engaging as possible created a lively and purposeful atmosphere and equipped our young people with the necessary tools for their next steps after Exeter School.”
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Preparing for the future
I gained some valuable insight into the interview process and I strongly believe this experience will help me in later life. By SAM SCOUGALL-KNIGHT
E
xeter School was delighted that over 35 professionals, including parents, alumni and friends of the school, voluntarily conducted almost 200 work-style interviews in one day for our Upper Sixth in October. Pupils had prepared a written questionnaire in advance that interviewers used to ask a series of challenging questions, upon which they provided oral and written feedback. Careers Adviser Mrs Cheesman said: “Whether interviews
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are for university, work experience or a career, it is something that can be daunting to all of us. We believe giving our pupils an opportunity to develop their skills in a safe environment is crucial in preparing them for their future.” We asked Head Boy Ben Hayes to reflect upon his interview experience. “The interview scheme was a brilliant opportunity to be put on the spot by people we had never met before and to be asked a wide variety of questions about your personal qualities and career aspirations. We had two different
interviews, lasting half an hour each, which gave plenty of time to discuss both some standard interview questions and perhaps some slightly more unexpected ones, which really forced you to think and come up with an innovative answer. I feel that I gained some valuable insight into the interview process and I strongly believe that this experience will help me in later life. It was very different from anything I would have done within the school environment and really made me think about life beyond school.”
HELPING PUPILS ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS Ashfords had the pleasure of hosting the Sixth Form interview scheme and wish all the talented pupils the best for the future. Ashfords is a national provider of legal, professional and regulatory services. We combine legal expertise, commercial experience and our wider network to help our clients achieve their goals, providing value for time and value for money. ashfords.co.uk
THE EXONIAN 2018
Five years of our ALUMNI COMMUNITY By JOHN DAVIDSON
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his has been another busy year for the Alumni Office that opened in 2013, with social events, careers events, talks and sports matches. Exonians from the 1940s to recent leavers joined current and former members of staff and school governors at the three formal dinners at Browns Covent Garden, Murray Edwards College Cambridge, and Christ Church Oxford. The inaugural London buffet lunch at Browns was also popular, with an illustrated talk by OE Peter Gorley (1953-1961) on ‘The Wines of LanguedocRoussillon’. Regional reunions for Exonians living, working or studying in the area included a pizza and pasta evening in Nottingham, plus buffet receptions in Cardiff and on the Tamesis barge in London. Over 80 leavers from 2016 and 2017 came to the September buffet reception held in the Pavilion. The careers events for alumni have also been popular. Over 40 OEs joined undergraduates and Sixth Formers at the 2017 Exeter Careers Networking event in September, which featured a talk on the South West business environment by Tim Jones, Chairman of Devon and Cornwall Business Council. A highlight of the London professionals networking evening in Bloomsbury was the talk by Giles Humphries (OE 19972004) and Myles Hopper (OE 1995-2006) on the launch of their successful Mindful Chef recipe box company. Many past pupils have returned to school to assist with careers events or provide presentations to the Medical Society, Sixth Form Futures Programme, and various academic departments. Exonians of all ages have also enjoyed a tour of the school and a chat in the Alumni Office. The Old Exonian Club’s annual OE Day in September included a tasty buffet lunch, tours around the school, the now traditional Chapel concert run by current pupils and a
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cream tea. In the evening, the OE Club dinner in the school dining hall featured a talk by Dr Todd Gray on the ‘Great Fire of Exeter’. In March, the OE Club ran a charity quiz night with the Sixth Form, raising nearly £1,400, split between the Marcus In Mind fund and the charity Age UK. The OE v school sports events included the OE v school girls’ hockey match, won by the school XI 1-0, the OE v school football match, won by OEs 2-0 in a thrilling game, and the OE v school boys’ hockey that ended with an honourable 3-3 draw. In May, on OE golf day at the Exeter Golf and Country Club, the young school team won for the second year in succession. The culmination of this year’s alumni events was the garden party to celebrate 20 years of full co-education held at school in June (discover more on this event on page 58). Over 200 past pupils, former staff, current staff and governors enjoyed a Prosecco cream tea and an opportunity to see around the school. It was a fitting end to the year to see so many of our alumni and their families meeting up with friends and teachers and enjoying a day back at school.
“He has all the skills we strive to have”
“I was lucky enough to be taught Geography by Mr Davidson for GCSE and A Level. He inspired me and many others to take the subject on to degree level. He has always been willing to help and offer advice, both as a pupil and alumna, and I am hugely grateful for his encouragement. Thank you, John, for the fond memories of Exeter School and making the climb to the top of Lower Corridor worth it!” Lally Sharman (OE 2003-2014)
By MRS SAIL
I
have been lucky enough to work with John Davidson during my two incarnations at Exeter School: firstly as a new teacher, when I joined his Geography department in 1989; and secondly when I returned in 2007 and took over from John as Head of Department. A highly successful teacher and an inspiring Head of Department, John is truly academic: his lessons are rich in detail, anecdotes and challenges that keep pupils on their toes. His interest in people and their lives was a key element of his work as Head of Geography, then as Director of Administration and most recently as Director of Alumni, all in addition
to being the first Head of Townsend House. His ability to network, and actually create new networks, was invaluable when we set up the Wellington Geographical Association together. He has overseen a whole series of Alumni talks, given invaluable careers advice, as well as mentored and given wise advice to countless colleagues and pupils both past and present. John’s constant energy, good humour and enthusiasm have been an inspiration in the classroom, on field trips, when running general studies in the 1990s and as an ISI school inspector. Even right up to his last lesson, he was experimenting with different styles of teaching and classroom management. He will be very much missed.
“John Davidson is the complete teacher. He has all the skills we strive to have: always professional, constantly pupil-centred, exceptionally enthusiastic and knowledgeable about his subject. Nothing is ever too much trouble for him. He exudes positivity and his love for Exeter School shrines through. He is admired, will be warmly remembered by colleagues and all the pupils, and greatly missed. He leaves difficult shoes to fill.” Mr Porter (Head of RS) “Mr Davidson has had such a positive impact on my education and that of the pupils lucky enough to have been taught by him. His passion for the subject and school, along with genuine joy at seeing us succeed, was what made his teaching so effective. He drove me to do well, which led me to my own passion for the subject, going on to study Geography at university. I wish him all the best in retirement, we all know he deserves it!” Kitty Howard (OE 2007-2014) “I was always hooked by John’s passion for all things Geography and can wholeheartedly attribute the direction my life has taken now to him. Always going above and beyond, he took a genuine interest in what I was doing, which continued well after I left. I thank John most for his help and support during my university application and thereafter the start of my teaching career. Always so upbeat, he could even make rural settlement theory seem exciting!” Will Blackshaw (OE 2003-2008)
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CELEBRATING
YEARS
OF CO-EDUCATION Sixth Form, as well as some of the first girls to go all the way through school from Form One to Upper Sixth. Several xeter School celebrated 20 teachers were fondly remembered, years of full co-education with a including Mr Šljivic, who retired in garden party in June. The school 2016. They also shared fond memories was boys-only from 1633 until 1981, of fun in lessons, drama and sport as when girls were first admitted to the well as some mischievous stories (see Sixth Form. In 1995, the whole school box on right). It is so sweet to see that became co-educational and so girls have so little has changed since our school joined every year of the school since became fully co-educational, and it was September 1997. This was quite a shift wonderful to celebrate those 20 years of for the school as it had been single sex co-education with over 200 alumni. for so long. Exonians had many opportunities to return to school to join in the celebration of this historic anniversary. The main event was a garden party, at which many of the current Sixth Form led tours, manned the bouncy castle, ran the face painting, photobooth and treasure hunts and provided live music. We chatted to past pupils from the first co-educational
By ROSIE CROMWELL
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Memories shared by past pupils at the summer garden party: “Appearing at the last whole school assembly of the year dressed as a duck and a chicken.” “Playing cat and mouse with security in order to jump in the outdoor pool after a school trip at 2am.” “Making money from the vending machine when it started spitting out 50ps instead of 20ps, returning to class with Smarties for everyone, including the teacher.” “Accidentally throwing a chocolate bar at Mr Griffin from the top of the Geography block in his first week.” “Televising Sixth Form pool competitions using a tiny video camera and the common room TV.” “Helicopter rides from the field.” “Sunbathing on the prefect’s lawn.” “The tuckshop!” “Staging a rock concert in the Chapel and raising £200 for charity.” “Watching Mr Foxall (a former music teacher) singing Billie Jean at his leaving assembly.” “Rounders matches under the trees on Lower Meadow.”
Alderman Thomas Walker left a significant legacy to create what was to become Exeter School in 1633. His daughter Elizabeth Dowrich donated the equivalent of over £100,000 at today’s prices to help develop the fledgling school.
Goff House took its name from Sir Charles Goff, OE, President of the Old Exonian Club and generous benefactor, whose philanthropy made the completion of the pavilion possible in 1953.
Records dating back to 1881 show School House was the first recorded House, hosting boarders for the following 119 years, until boarding ceased in 2000.
Junior School Houses Blake, Gilbert, Grenville and Scott replaced a colour-based system. The names are taken from Devonian sailors and explorers: Admiral Robert Blake, Sir Richard Grenville, Robert Falcon Scott, and Sir Humphrey Gilbert.
Day pupils were allocated by surname to two Houses - Drake and Raleigh, named after the Elizabethan seafaring explorers.
An increase in day pupils led to the formation of Buller House, which took its name from General Sir Redvers Buller, a famous British Army officer.
Crossing House was named after Lord Mayor of Exeter Hugh Crossing, whose portrait adorns the Butterfield Hall.
Daw House was named after Sir John Daw, OE, benefactor and Chair of Governors, and a pupil when the school opened on its present site in 1881.
Collins House was named after Revd Prebendary R.L. Collins, Chair of Governors.
Townsend commemorates the service of Wilfred Townsend, OE, President of the OE Club, Vice Chair of the Governors and a generous supporter of the School.
Acland House marked the long association of the Acland family with the school. From 1914 to 1937, Acland House, opposite the school on Victoria Park Road, provided accommodation for boarders. Dowrich House becomes the tenth current House, in honour of Elizabeth Dowrich.
1956 1954
With the introduction of a new House in September 2018, we take a look at the history of the Exeter School House system
2018 1993 1982 1969
1951 1948 1937 1919 1881 1629
HOUSE HISTORY
ALUMNI LINKS
THE EXONIAN 2018
THE FUTURE OF THE SOUTH WEST By LUCY ZHANG
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lumni were welcomed back to Exeter School in early September for a networking evening with Sixth Form pupils and teaching staff. Over food and drink, stories and advice were exchanged with alumni who had worked in and around Exeter for decades and those who are currently studying at university. The evening culminated with a thought-provoking talk on the future of the South West economy, given by Tim Jones, Chairman of Devon and Cornwall Business Council, exploring topics such as artificial intelligence and how different industries will be impacted by the rise of technology. Supporting the event were Westerly BMW, who provided the refreshments, and JLL, who kindly provided a bottle of champagne for the prize draw at the end of the evening.
SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE
O
ld Exonian Lucy James (2004-2011) developed her love of languages while studying French and Spanish alongside Drama and Politics in the Sixth Form. Eager to utilise these language skills, she volunteered with the development charity Street Child in Sierra Leone. Starting as an intern, Lucy is now their Running and Challenge Manager. Allegra Letts and Georgia Ling chatted to Lucy when she visited school to deliver a talk during the Lower Sixth inspiration afternoon.
The aim is to capture the enthusiasm of those taking part by linking them to projects where their money will make a big difference. What skills and knowledge from school have been the most useful to you in your current career? I was Deputy Head Girl, which taught me about quick decision-making, and being proactive. Developing organisational and leadership skills from a young age at school has benefitted me a lot in my work.
How useful have the languages you’ve studied been in your job? My language skills have been Describe a typical day at work. When immensely not abroad or hosting fundraisers, my useful. I write work includes meetings, producing articles, provide literature to encourage donations, and translations for collating information. Interpersonal publications, skills and co-ordination is the key! produce social media posts, and What has been your biggest challenge I use my French to date? Organising fun activities that on assignments appeal to mass participants and engage in Africa, and fundraisers, such as marathons in both particularly for the UK and Nepal, is a big challenge. supporting work in What led you to working for Street Child? My internship resulted in a job offer, and now I support several countries through educational projects aimed at reducing inequalities.
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the Democratic Republic of Congo. My strong foundation in linguistic skills has proved valuable in many places where I have needed to communicate with local people effectively. Do you get to travel much? Travel is a big part of the job! We need to immerse ourselves in the lifestyles of those we are trying to help, be proactive in the construction of infrastructure and support the services that donations have funded. It’s challenging, but very rewarding and never dull!
THE EXONIAN 2018
Speech Day By FRAN MATTHEWS
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his Speech Day, we had the honour of having Medical Director for Public Health and alumnus Professor Paul Cosford (19741981) as guest speaker. He leads many aspects of the country’s responses to public health emergencies, including the UK’s response to the 2014-16 Ebola outbreaks. Paul was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath in the New Year’s Honours List of 2016. Before the Speech Day ceremony, he spent the afternoon with the pupils of the Medical Society. Paul gave an interesting and informative speech about how we can learn from terrible situations such as the Ebola outbreak and apply these valuable lessons to our daily lives. Headmaster Bob Griffin gave a summary of the year’s achievements, praising the teachers and pupils upon the excellent public exam outcomes of summer 2017. During the ceremony, Professor Cosford awarded each prizewinner with the book of their choice. Exeter Junior School Headmistress Sue Marks celebrated a successful school year, recognising the team effort of the exceptional and dedicated pupils, staff, parents and governors.
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COMMEMORATIVE DAYS
The Exonian interviewed guest speaker alumnus Professor Paul Cosford following his talk at the Speech Day ceremony By SAM SCOUGALL-KNIGHT and EMILY MOUDIOTIS WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM SCHOOL THAT HAS HELPED IN YOUR CAREER? Outside of my academic studies, I learnt two very important lessons. Firstly, when someone offers you an opportunity - take it. The person offering it to you obviously thinks you can do it, so do not worry about it. Secondly, if you want to make a difference, influence those around you. COULD YOU GIVE US EXAMPLES OF THE PROGRAMMES YOU’VE BEEN INVOLVED IN FOR PUBLIC HEALTH? Recently, my office has been planning for flu vaccinations for the autumn and winter vaccination season. We track developments in the Southern hemisphere to predict the likely strains we will have to deal with. Also, we were involved with the response to the Grenfell Tower disaster to ensure that
the pollution levels were safe enough for people to return to their homes following the clean-up operation.
Within 24 hours, we found the source of the poison, isolated it and treated the infected babies.
WHAT IS THE MOST REWARDING ASPECT OF YOUR JOB? What drives and motivates me is seeing our longer-term strategies making a difference to society’s health. For example, by reducing smoking rates from 15% to 14% of the population, we stop 100,000 people smoking, which should prevent 50,000 smoking-related deaths. Although I have not dealt directly with patients for 25 years, I take great pride in knowing that the work we do is saving lives.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CAREER CHALLENGE TO DATE? Definitely the Ebola crisis. We had to consider the size and scientific aspects of the outbreak and ensure that the response was significant enough to maintain public and political confidence, without unduly alarming the public and causing panic.
WHAT EMERGENCIES HAVE YOU MANAGED AS THE DIRECTOR FOR HEALTH PROTECTION? We closely followed the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa and were responsible for managing the cases of the outbreak in Britain. We also had to deal with an outbreak of poisoning of premature babies in a maternity ward.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE MEDICINE? DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR PUPILS AIMING TO ENTER THE MEDICAL PROFESSION? I chose Medicine because I wanted to help others and make a positive contribution to society. I would advise pupils not to be too narrow-minded and to explore all the different avenues of the profession. Also, you don’t have to be in Medicine to make a positive contribution to society – many professions enable you to do this.
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FOUNDERS’ DAY
By LUCY ZHANG
E
xeter School’s Founders’ Day, held at Exeter Cathedral, is the only event in the school calendar where the Junior and Senior School are brought together, along with staff and governors. We gathered to enjoy a beautiful service conducted by our Chaplain, Revd Tom Carson, comprising readings by Headmaster
Mr Griffin, the Chairman of Governors Andrew King, Head Boy Ben Hayes, Head Girl Megan Stride and Junior School pupils. The Bishop of Exeter, the Right Reverend Robert Atwell, provided an insightful reflection on the stresses and anxieties we face in life, encouraging an attitude of bravery and gratitude. Punctuating the service was choral and orchestral music, provided by singers and musicians from both the Junior and Senior School.
Remembering to be brave By CATHERINE EYRE and FRAN MATTHEWS
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his year’s Remembrance Service was poignant and heartfelt, with a thought-provoking speech from guest speaker Revd Tim Wilkinson QHC RN. Revd Tim had a special connection to the day’s subject: he completed commando training at Lympstone before taking up his current position as Padre to the Royal Navy and Marines. With this in mind, he reminded us that Remembrance is not a day for passive
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actions. Instead, he encouraged us, with Remembrance in mind, to maintain an attitude of kindness, generosity, and courage in the future. The pupils of Exeter Junior School also took part in their service of Remembrance. Revd Tom reminded pupils that they were gathered to remember those who have lost their lives servicing their country. He discussed former pupils Trooper Jack Sadler, who gave his life in Afghanistan in 2007, and Second Lieutenant Stanley Hannaford, who was killed in the Battle of Passchendaele 100 years ago in October 1917. Contemplating this battle,
Revd Tom encouraged pupils to use the silence to reflect on the stories of the lives lost. The choir sang From a Distance, followed by a reading of the poem In Flanders Fields by pupils Wilfred Venn, Tahlia Hill and Seb Charlton-Anne. The Last Post was beautifully played by Will Toms. Freya Kotting read a poem she had written about Remembrance, concluding: “Our hearts tell us to remember those people, and we will do that forever and for the rest of our lives.”
Their name liveth forever more By BETH AND KATIE LEDGER LOWER FIFTH
W
e left school on the morning of Thursday 12 October, arriving quite late in the evening at our hotel, near the town of Ypres. The following morning, we visited Passchendaele Museum and were told about the kit of a WW1 British soldier. We also looked around the mockup trenches and dugouts. We then continued on to the British cemetery of Tyne Cot, the burial site of over 12,000 allies and a wall of the missing, which contained 35,000 names. We went on to one of only four German cemeteries in Belgium, Langemark. The site is not even one quarter of the size of Tyne Cot, but it contains over 40,000 dead and a mass grave of 24,917. We also went to Essex Farm Cemetery, the burial site of one of the youngest soldiers of WW1, and the workplace of Dr John McCrae, who wrote In Flanders Fields. We moved
on to the Railway Dugouts Burial Ground, where our great grandfather is buried, before going to see the huge crater at Hill 60. The day concluded at the majestic Menin Gate, before going to the town square for chocolate shopping. On the second day, we drove into France and visited the battlefields of the Somme and Arras sectors. We started at the Sunken Lane and Hawthorn ridge, the site of a massacre of British troops, the Lancaster Fusiliers, and the explosion of a huge mine that marked the beginning of the battle. We walked through the village of Beaumont Hamel to Newfoundland Memorial Park, dedicated to the Canadian
Newfoundland Regiment, who fought and died there. From there, we took the coaches to Thiepval memorial and cemetery, to the missing of the Somme. The memorial itself contains the names of 72,000 soldiers, whose bodies were never found. Finally, we held a small remembrance service at the Canadian memorial at Vimy Ridge before returning to the hotel for an early start the next morning. The trip was both enjoyable and thought provoking, especially on the 100th anniversary of Passchendaele.
They shall not grow old as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. We will remember them. For the Fallen by Robert Laurence Binyon
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Home visits throughout the South West with no fee or obligation
St. Edmund’s Court, Okehampton Street, Exeter. EX4 1DU T: 01392 413100 W: www.bhandl.co.uk E: enquiries@bhandl.co.uk 66 | @ExeterSchoolUK
Living Lines
ART
By CATHERINE EYRE
P
upils and staff once again participated in The Big Draw, taking inspiration from this year’s theme of ‘living lines’. Founded in 2000, The Big Draw is an arts education charity that promotes visual literacy and the universal language of drawing as a tool for learning, expression and invention. Mrs Escott’s idea for this year’s challenge was inspired by David Hockney, a British artist who recently produced a piece of artwork called 82 Portraits and 1 Still-life, which has been exhibited in a number of venues around the world. Pupils and staff were challenged to come up with their own portrait in Hockney’s famous chair that appeared in the original work. They surpassed the original target, with over 180 portraits submitted. Templates of a figure and a chair were provided, and the budding artists let their imaginations run riot. From selfportraits to famous pop stars, fairytale characters and footballers to a variety of brightly patterned figures, the portraits had a wide range of subjects, including current staff - the list was endless! A private viewing of the exhibition was enjoyed by many visitors. Junior School pupils had a chance to see their artwork as part of a whole school animation, which was met with encouraging cheering when their portrait was shown. One of our Form One pupils, Charlotte Wood, even managed to visit a Hockney exhibition and had her picture taken next to the famous chair!
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Awe-inspiring artists amaze and skill. Over 150 staff, pupils, parents and governors attended, alongside musical accompaniments for the n June the Art department hosted evening. The pupils were delighted the annual Summer Art Show, for their efforts to be recognised and giving pupils from the Third Form showcased for all to see. Acting Head to the Upper Sixth the opportunity of Art Miss White, said: “It is wonderful to exhibit their artwork. The work to be able to celebrate the pupils’ included sculptures, prints and textile achievements at the end of a busy pieces displaying a wide range of talent academic year.”
By EMILY MOUDIOTIS
A MULTISENSORY EXPERIENCE
I
By EMILY MOUDIOTIS
E
xeter School Art department had the pleasure of hosting the WESC Foundation’s annual art exhibition in June. It is a humbling experience for our school community to be able to engage with the creative work produced by students from WESC, an Exeterbased centre for the visually impaired. The exhibition was well attended by staff and pupils of both Exeter School and WESC. The pupils are incredibly proud of their achievements and this sense of excitement made for a very enjoyable evening. The exhibition showcased an array of multi-sensory work, which featured an assortment of tactile textured pieces and mixed media collages. Many thanks to the WESC Art By FRAN MATTHEWS teachers, Penny and Karolyn, as well as n the autumn term 16 members of Exeter School Art technician Mrs Taylor staff submitted impressive pieces for coordinating such a vibrant display of art that were displayed in the art of creative work.
Staff art on show
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I
gallery on Monday 11 December. There was a remarkable array of artwork, ranging from knitting to printmaking to altered shoes. Staff and pupils who viewed the show enjoyed the fun challenge of matching members of staff to the creative artworks present. Acting Head of Art, Miss White, said: “We were so pleased with the variety of entries from our talented colleagues and it was particularly encouraging that we had quite a few new members of staff contributing this year.”
ART
Artistic journeys
LONDON By JENNY MCDOWELLLANGFORD UPPER SIXTH
U
pper and Lower Sixth pupils visited London for their annual trip in October, with our first visit being to the Tate Britain. While at the gallery, the Lower Sixth saw exhibitions relevant to their project ‘Routine’, and the Upper Sixth independently sought out artists relevant to their chosen projects. We
then walked the route from the Tate Britain to the National Gallery, stopping on the way to see the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben and observe the mixed styles of historical architecture. Once we reached Trafalgar Square, we visited the National Gallery, taking inspiration from a wide range of iconic pieces of art, with the works of Van Gogh being a favourite of the group. The National Portrait Gallery was similarly interesting for everyone, as traditional portrait styles hung alongside modern pieces, many of which were painted in a more contemporary style, featuring some well-known faces.
STREATHAM CAMPUS TRAIL By EMILY MOUDIOTIS
T
wenty-five Middle Fifth Art pupils visited the Streatham Campus sculpture trail at Exeter University in order to gather first-hand evidence for their GCSE coursework project ‘Mechanical Paradise’ through the mediums of drawing and photography. The pupils were tasked with looking for sculptures that emulate mechanical forms, whether this was through the medium the sculpture was created in or through the subject matter. The sculptures, some of which were created by well-known artists such as Barbara
Hepworth or Peter Randall-Page, inspired an array of responses from the pupils, from soft tonal studies to simple line drawings in pencil and biro. Upon returning to the studios, the pupils developed their studies further, informing the progression of their coursework.
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ARTISTS OF THE MOMENT Throughout the year, individuals are recognised by the Art department in the naming of an ‘Artist of the Moment’. Covering a wide range of disciplines from drawing and painting to installation and sculpture, here are a selection of those pieces.
ANNA STARLING, LOWER SIXTH
FRANCESCA GIANNACHI-KAYE, UPPER FIFTH
MOLLIE TETTENBORN, UPPER SIXTH
IONA CAMPBELL, LOWER SIXTH
HELENA GLEDSTONE, THIRD FORM
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ART
BEN BRIAR, THIRD FORM
HARRY CLEASBY, MIDDLE FIFTH
EVELYN MCKEAGUE, LOWER SIXTH
JENNY MCDOWELL-LANGFORD, UPPER SIXTH
WILLIAM EGGLETON, LOWER SIXTH
JAMIE BODDINGTON, LOWER SIXTH
NELL WILLIS FLEMING, MIDDLE FIFTH
FRANCESCA MATTHEWS, UPPER SIXTH
ALEX JAMES, FOURTH FORM
RILEY-BLUE GRIFFITH, FOURTH FORM
DEVINA GANDHI, LOWER FIFTH
JESSICA BILLINGHAM, LOWER FIFTH
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CREATIVITY, COLOUR and CONTRAST demonstrated originality and good colour mixing skills. Their sketching course allowed them to achieve he Junior School’s end of year stunning and realistic self-portraits. Art Show burst out of the new Lower Two’s charcoal work was studio room with an abundance outstanding, alongside an array of Van of colour and talent! The high standards Gogh inspired pieces. Their fun and of creativity and sketching skills were creative modroc creatures raised many reflected across the entire school. smiles throughout the evening! The colour theory work from across Upper Two’s vibrant pop art Form One and Upper One inspired contrasted with their equally effective, a variety of pieces and produced a but more subtle, watercolour work. striking image when it was collectively Their stunning moth collagraph prints displayed. looked amazing and were the result of Form One’s clay creations and Roman- another successful masterclass they inspired mosaics were colourful and participated in at the Senior School. carefully constructed, showing great The Art teaching team is extremely potential for their art journey in the proud of the work produced and the Junior School. amazing standards achieved. Upper One’s colour wheels
By MRS HANDLEY
T
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DT EXHIBITION DAZZLES AGAIN By EMILY MOUDIOTIS
T
his summer term GCSE and A Level pupils were able to display a wide range of inventions and models in the annual Design and Technology show. The pupils demonstrated their talents through the use of traditional skills as well as laser cutting and 3D printing, resulting in an array of contemporary and innovative designs. Products ranged from lamps by Honour Budiman, Isabelle Olney, Will Sawyer and Eddie Lister to wallmounted storage from Fin Morgan and Magnus Threadingham. Congratulations to all the pupils for their hard work and thanks to the DT department staff for all of their effort in preparation for this show.
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Speeding to success at F1 in Schools By RUPERT HARRIS
U
nder the guidance of Mr Rose and Dr Rowland, three talented teams of engineers celebrated success after clinching three prizes at the South West Regional Finals of the F1 in Schools competition, qualifying for the National Finals. This event challenges pupils to design and construct a CO2 powered vehicle. Team Ignis brought home silverware by winning the Development Class, qualifying for the National Finals at Silverstone. Team Neptune won the Best Engineered Car and took second place, while Team Dynamic Motion won the Judges’ Recommendation prize with the fastest time of 1.2 seconds over the 20-metre course.
MIDDLE FIFTH FORMER TOBY BOWER OF TEAM IGNIS: “We hope to use what we have learnt from this project to help us with future jobs in finance and engineering.”
GREENPOWER CHALLENGE
Eye-opening car factories trip By EMILY MOUDIOTIS
T
wenty-three Middle Fifth Design and Technology pupils visited the Land Rover and Morgan factories as part of their GCSE studies. The beginning of the trip began with a group trip to indoor go karting which brought out everyone’s competitive side. This was contrasted with the visits to the two factories where pupils witnessed the traditional skills
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of Morgan, such as the creation of the ash frame, and the automated mass production of Land Rover. The Land Rover Discovery production line demonstrated huge investment and the level of automation, plus the complete lack of people in some areas was a great surprise to many. Louie Ferraro was amazed by how diverse the two company’s methods of making cars were. Lexi Jellard agreed it was incredible to see how Morgan produced their beautiful classic cars.
By MR ROSE
T
he Greenpower Challenge is a club where pupils design, make and race an electric endurance racing vehicle, combining many disciplines. This year, the team has designed and manufactured a new chassis from fibreglass, which they hope will prove beneficial to performance by lowering weight and improving aerodynamics. The team constructed the mould master and then from it created a fibreglass mould that splits into five pieces. The current steel spaceframe design weighs 71kg and the team hopes to be down to 50-55kg with this new design. Testing in January showed a 20kg driver difference affected performance of the electric single seater by 3kmh. With lower weight and better aerodynamics, we are hoping to see a 5kmh increase in top speed.
DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
BRINGING IDEAS
TO LIFE
By MRS MORGAN
M
oving into the new studio in the Junior School has provided a fantastic space for Design and Technology lessons. Food lessons have been a popular part of DT this year, with wraps, dips, cheese straws and soup all being served up by pupils. Upper One pupils enjoyed a visit to the Senior School DT department, where not only did they see the 3D printer and laser cutter in action but they were able to see the keyrings that they had designed on CAD software come to life. Sewing skills were put to the test in both Form One and Upper Two, with the younger pupils making finger puppets and the older pupils making an appliquĂŠ design in a joint project with Art. Lower Two pupils designed and built hedgehog homes and learnt how to use a range of new tools safely. Whilst Form One pupils learnt about pneumatics and built moving monsters, Lower Two pupils learnt about cams and Upper Two pupils looked at pulleys and gears before making a model fairground ride. DT Club members have built and tested prototypes for some exciting future projects including using copper wire to make paper circuits and an electronic night light.
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“It’s fantastic performing a traditionally masculine play with such a talented cast and a real sense of female resilience.” Lily Ridehalgh (Pindarus)
She came
she saw
she conquered which contrasted beautifully with the strong-willed Mark Anthony, played by Maddy King. Together, the cast LOWER SIXTH managed to turn what could have been ulius Caesar is one of Shakespeare’s a complicated story into something most famous plays. It’s a tense, that everyone could understand and detailed, political drama - a brilliant enjoy. The atmosphere created on choice for an all-female cast. Demelza stage was dark and dangerous thanks May as Cassius and Alisha Singleton as to our technical team. The costume Brutus effectively showed the danger department really came into their own of this political world in their plotting, when asked to create blood for Caesar’s
By BELLA ALLAN
J
(Lara Inglis-Jones) death. Cleaning the stage was quite a job afterwards though - it was sticky for a while! Thanks to our director, Mr Brough, and the fantastic casting, the characters in the script seemed to climb right out of the paper into the rehearsal room and lived among us at school until the end of the final performance. It was a shame to see them go but we all look forward to next year.
DRAMA
By ROSIE CROMWELL
D
ecember saw boys from Middle Fifth to Upper Sixth pick up shovels, sabres and rounders bats to join a 15th century war between England and France. Armed with a wedding dress, a bath tub, and a convenient French flag, the all-boys cast took on characters of all ages and genders to create a production of Shakespeare’s Henry V with great intensity and comedy. Laughter echoed around the hall as King Henry of England and the Dauphin of France exchanged
“My previous roles in school plays have been a donkey, a schoolboy, a gambler and now a king. At least I’m not being typecast!” Matthew Francis (Henry V)
less-than-polite words. The moving portrayals of bravery from soldiers of both sides had the audience on the edge of their seats, unsure of whom to root for, while the thwarting of cowardly retreats pulled chuckles from the thrilled crowd. Daniel Wilcock and Rory Shirazi were a hit as the French Princess Catherine and her maid, and the kiss between Catherine and Matt Francis’ King Henry brought laughter and cheers from everyone in front of the stage and behind it. Mr Brough and his cast did very well with this play and we look forward to what they’ll achieve in years to come.
BEHIND THE SCENES EMILY MOUDIOTIS interviews ROSIE CROMWELL and THEO COLLINS MIDDLE FIFTH What did you enjoy the most about being part of the production team? ROSIE: I especially enjoyed one part every show when we had to quickly crumple up metres of paper backstage. The timing had to be perfect so the audience didn’t hear. We stood anticipating the moment each night, then it was all over in five seconds. It was a lot of fun! THEO: I really like mixing sounds together, so working as Head Sound
Engineer was very enjoyable, especially when I played music over the PA system. How did you prepare for the production? R: I helped to design and produce the will of Julius Caesar, as well as ensure each person had a stick! T: A few weeks before the production, I turned up to some of the rehearsals so I could make notes on the sound script and work out what sort of sounds I needed to source. Why did you choose to join the production crew? R: Props and costumes are some of
my favourite parts of any show and I really enjoy art. I had no time to be part of the cast, but wanted to contribute in some way. T: Since I’m also doing Drama GCSE, it made sense to me to sign up because it looked fun - which it certainly was. What was the most challenging part of your role? R: Finding all the props during the interval, as part of the search was carried out in darkness! T: Getting the PA system to work as sometimes the mixer was on mute and other times, I unintentionally didn’t play the sound!
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WE’RE ALL
MAD HERE
By GEORGIA LING LOWER SIXTH
P
upils from the Third Form to the Lower Fifth came together to produce this year’s Lower School production of Alice in Wonderland, putting on two evening performances on 26 and 27 April. Director Mr Brough said it had been a joy to work with the young cast and crew. “The cast rose to the occasion, filling the space and delivering two committed and engaging performances on the fantastic set built by the maintenance team and designed by the Art department,” he said. “Special mention must go to the wonderful portrayal of Alice by Summer Hill. In every scene it is a demanding role and so many people have spoken about how impressive she was for such a young performer.” The extremely talented cast entrapped the audience in
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the wickedly wacky world of Wonderland. From the Hatter to the Mock Turtle, from Humpty Dumpty to the Caterpillar, all members of the cast were strong in their performances. Rosie Hobbs, who played the demanding Queen of Hearts, said that the “buzzing and exciting atmosphere” made her experience unforgettable. For some, it was not their first time acting. In the case of Louis Sadeghi, the nervous White Rabbit, his previous exposure to Drama encouraged him to participate in the production of Alice in Wonderland. Whilst the prospect of performing in a play for the first time may be daunting, the large cast family provided an inclusive atmosphere. Special thanks must go to the costume, technical and backstage crew, as the production would not have been possible without their endless dedication. Finally, thanks to all the teachers and pupils involved, especially the director Mr Brough.
FRANTIC WORKSHOP By FRAN MATTHEWS
T
heatre group Frantic Assembly visited school to run a workshop about dynamic energy and thinking through movement, challenging and bringing actors to an optimum performance level. Frantic Assembly are in high demand and are influencing major theatre productions all over the world. Most notably, their credits include the movement for The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Nighttime, the musical Once, as well as their own productions such as Lovesong, Beautiful Burnout and Othello. Matt Francis, in the Upper Sixth, commented: “I thought it was really fun, we attempted a lift called the Jay-Z lift. This workshop gave us lots of ideas and inspiration for our own devising.�
The extremely talented cast entrapped the audience in the wickedly wacky world of Wonderland
Fighting for centre stage By LUCY ZHANG
P
ast pupil Phil Symes (1991-1998), now a professional actor, returned to school with his business partners from The Four of Swords Theatre Company to run a drama workshop for the Junior School. 37 members of the Junior School Drama Club delighted in the experience, learning new techniques in order to stage the fight scene in Romeo and Juliet. A technique of particular interest was ‘napping’, where you make a sound while pretending to hit your opponent. Participants commented that “learning how to portray a fight was really fun” and found great value in how they had to “build trust between each other so that we could perform the fight scene”.
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THE EXONIAN 2018
By MRS GOLDSWORTHY
SHERIFF ARTHUR
AND HIS DEPUTIES
OF THE R O U N D T A B L E
T
his fabulous show is a retelling of the famous Arthurian legends - firm favourites with everyone, and certainly of Upper Two. In our version though, there is no Excalibur sword. Under the stern eyes of Merlin and the Lady of the Lake, it magically turns into a golden, jewelled rifle. And the story begins… Wild West style! Mr Pettet, Musical Director, and Mrs Pettet, Director and Choreographer, along with the fantastic Upper Two company, gave us a real treat, with toe-tapping songs and choreography of the highest standard. It was impossible not to clap and sing along. Our children kept Rollin’, Rollin’, Rollin and Whip Cracked Away with gusto. Every one of them was A Wild West Hero. An original script and original musical arrangements written by our talented duo Didn’t Fence In the children, who loved every moment of preparing for their show, which ended with a rip roaring rendition of The Tennessee Wig Walk. The audience were compelled to get to their feet to show appreciation for this talented group of children.
THE EXONIAN 2018 “A highlight for me was being in a cast with my peers, gaining a stronger working relationship with them. We worked diligently together, hopefully achieving an engaging performance. It was a unique experience.” Sophie Gledstone (Antigone)
The power of love or the love of power? An intense and profound first production from the Middle Fifth
“Antigone was a challenging experience because it was difficult subject matter and we had limited props to aid us. It was great fun working in a small group - a good opportunity to get to know each other well.” Emma Bates (Ismene)
By FRAN MATTHEWS
T
his year saw the inaugural Middle Fifth production. The Greek tragedy Antigone was chosen as an exciting challenge for the cast and because there are themes that are still relevant today. Antigone
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is the story of a strong-willed girl who learns that both of her brothers are dead. Eteokles had been given a proper burial but Kreon, Antigone’s uncle who inherited the throne, issued a royal edict banning the burial of Polyneikes, who he believed was a traitor. Antigone defies the law, buries her brother, and is caught. She is prepared
to take on the government and risk her life for what she believes in. Through song, speech and movement, the Middle Fifth intensified the action and provided a tense environment for the events of the play. They also gave us a sense of the people of Thebes and an awareness of their relationship with fate.
DRAMA
The world is a stage whether Phileas Fogg would win his bet - and his bride. In November, members of the Junior heatre fans in the Junior School School Drama Club took part in the have enjoyed a host of dramatic world’s largest drama festival – The activities this year. The whole Shakespeare Schools Festival. Working of the Junior School visited Northcott on a shortened version of Julius Caesar, Theatre in autumn term to see Around 25 pupils attended a workshop in the World in Eighty Days. This innovative a professional theatre, guided by production used puppetry, slight-ofa professional director. They then hand, acrobats, song and dance to performed the play alongside two portray the story. The children were senior schools in front of a full house. on the edge of their seats wondering Some thoughts on the workshop and
By MRS PETTET
T
performance from pupils included: “It was so much fun – it just went too fast,” and: “The workshop was inspiring and gave us some excellent tips”. The spring term saw the Drama Club perform a second Shakespeare play, Romeo and Juliet, to a packed audience of family and friends in the Drama Studio. Set in modern day, the play split the children into two gangs and opened with a rap competition!
A land of magic
By EMILY MOUDIOTIS
T
his May the Junior School Drama Club, made up of 32 Form One and Upper One pupils, performed Scenes from Alice in Wonderland. The play was very inclusive as all the children involved were on stage at all times as each child had something to do and something to say. English and Drama Coordinator Mrs Pettet said she was incredibly proud of the whole cast, mentioning that: “They achieved a very high level of performance and most importantly, kept their audience entertained throughout”. She also added: “It was wonderful to watch them grow in confidence and they were a joy to work with throughout.”
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CREATIVE CRAMMING By ROSIE CROMWELL
T
he day was 16 September 2017, the place was the Masonic Hall in Budleigh Salterton during the Budleigh Literary Festival, and the time was almost too early in the morning for a Saturday. Within the hall, a creative writing workshop was beginning. Of the 15 people seated there, eight were Exeter School pupils and all were well-equipped with pens, notebooks and deep imaginations. This crack creative squad were a mix of folk from everywhere from Budleigh to Dartmoor and of all ages from 12-18. Leading them was Christopher Wakling, writer of six books (including What I Did, The Devil’s Mask and Escape and Evasion,) and regular teacher for the Arvon Foundation. Christopher took us through a series of writing tasks that focused our minds so that we were able to
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write a complete short story by the end of the day, along with notes on what makes a story a story. Each and every piece came from the imagination of the pupils with advice
and guidance from Christopher Wakling. They were all great stories of characters and catastrophes. Thank you to Mr Dobson for organising our visit to the festival.
ENGLISH
E
nglish pupils explore many different writing styles throughout the year. Here is an atmospheric excerpt from Middle Fifth Former Alexia Costache’s GCSE creative writing coursework:
Isolated and decrepit, covered in moss, having fought off years of bad weather,
the lonely shepherd’s hut stood
abandoned.
The deserted bungalow stood skeletal,
shuddering on the hill, a crumbled beauty of an era long past.
Even her walls no longer kept her safe, no longer repelling storms of rain or snow.
STRIPPED of her splendour, she slumped under the spell of gravity,
dying slowly,
creaking in the gusting winds and wishing the morning light would come all the sooner
to
warm
its weary walls.
It felt so alone,
Inspiring workshops and riveting productions By ROSIE CROMWELL
T
he English department hosted two creative writing workshops during the autumn term. Tanya Landman, who won the Carnegie Medal in 2015 for Buffalo Soldier and attempted to make Aztecs likeable in The Goldsmith’s Daughter, and Jonathan L. Howard, who wrote Johannes Cabal and The Russalka Chronicles, as well as working on some of the Broken Sword video games, both kindly visited the school to run sessions. Tanya and Jonathan started with a talk on their writing history and how they got published, followed by a short question and answer session. Tanya Landman showed us how to structure the opening of a novel and helped us draw spider-diagrams in order to plan the plot of a murder mystery effectively. This was to aid us in ensuring that our murder had an MMO (means, motive and opportunity) as well as a plethora of other suspects to draw suspicion. Suspects chosen across the group ranged from Justin Bieber to Kim Kardashian. Jonathan L. Howard explained to us how to structure and plan the bare bones of a whole novel, using various diagrams to explain the correlation between a protagonist’s happiness and progress in various well-known stories that ranged from the more traditional (such as Cinderella) to the more fantastical (Kafka’s Metamorphosis). He
then led the pupils in planning their own novels, alongside Mr Evans’ plea for no teachers to star in the books! Both afternoons were a resounding success - a huge thanks to the English department for making this happen. In the spring term, we took a trip to see one of the world’s most famous texts on stage. The Royal Shakespeare Company were performing Hamlet to riveted audiences across the country as part of their national tour. On 8 February, their audience included members of the Sixth Form, Upper and Lower Fifth year groups.
Suspects chosen across the group ranged from Justin Bieber to Kim Kardashian. They watched a contemporary take on the centuries-old classic, which included Hamlet with a skateboard, cans of spray paint and a boom box, as well as two talented drummers who received a standing ovation for their efforts. The cast, led by Paapa Essiedu, were decked out in vibrant colours and their performance was loved by all. Thank you to the English department.
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WORLD POETRY WINNERS By MRS PETTET
O
n World Poetry Day in March the children in the Junior School took part in a competition to write a poem exploring the theme of freedom. There were 20 winners overall and here are two of the winning entries.
Four Hooves Deep breath empty mind Lists of jobs I leave behind Four hooves drumming fast Deadlines left in the past Face turned to the sun or rain Pushes away thoughts of pain Loaned strength borrowed speed No restrictions I’ve been freed by CAITLIN AMPLEFORD (L2) On riding her horse.
Hang in There! My heart was beating fast As I climbed the highest mast Caught spider’s web of straps It felt like I’d fallen for their traps They shouted, “Hold tight!” Which I did with all my might With fright I looked down Before one big leap with a frown First a breeze then a wind As I took flight like a kite Arms outstretched like a shooting star I was going far Free like a bird flying Soaring through the sky Released – Freedom! by ALEX LEAVER (L2) An account of his experience of the zip wire during a residential trip.
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From Roman myths to natureinspired poety and a performance in the Roman amphitheatre. In Upper Two, the children continue to enjoy studying he children have enjoyed a varied Shakespeare and, using the oxymoronic English curriculum this year, language in Romeo and Juliet as a which began with an exciting stimulus, produced some very thoughtwhole school visit to see Around the provoking poetry. In Upper One, the World in Eighty Days at the Northcott children also worked on some poetry, Theatre. The book was read in class this time to describe the nature around to all the children prior to the visit them during their visit to the beautiful and a discussion took place as to Stover Country Park. Keeping on the how we thought the exciting scenes theme of poetry, Lower Two children could be translated to stage. New to studied the poem The Lady of Shalott the curriculum this year has been and in Computer Science designed Roman myths in Form One, which animations based on the story of the culminated in a wonderful Roman doomed Lady. day with storytelling, a Roman feast
By MRS PETTET
T
A day full of character By MRS HARDY
O
n Thursday 1 March, over 100 pupils celebrated World Book Day by arriving to school dressed in laugh-out-loud costumes, despite the snow! Our much-loved parade was a huge tribute to the world of literature, clearly demonstrating how reading books can bring a smile to any face. We were treated to a whole array of characters from Mr Stink to The Cheshire Cat, the Tin Man to Veruca Salt and we were reminded about how much fun book characters bring to us every day. Those pupils that were kept away by the snow were able to email in photos of themselves dressed up for the occasion at home, enabling us to cyber-smile together! World Book Day also included: a fun, whole school craft activity; creating pop-up versions of ourselves holding our favourite books; the challenge of a bookworm quiz; a visit from our School Library Service Advisor, Nicola Cowling; the librarians attended a ‘reading roundabout’ session to pick out 50 new books for our library and finally marshmallows-topped hot chocolates and really good books. Our theme for World Book Day 2018 was ‘characters that make us smile’ and the day was indeed full of smileinducing celebrations. Over the course of the week many children created potato characters, emphasising the personality and features of their favourite characters. In February, our
librarians introduced us to author John Townsend. Each year group was delighted to attend his hilarious workshops, dipping into all manner of bizarre facts, mysteries and the unexplained. Our librarians were given the chance to have a question time with him over lunch and learnt lots of “incredible information” with a little action and adventure thrown in.
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From farms to fields! By MISS ROBINSON
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t has been a productive year for the Exeter Junior School Geography department, with a number of successful trips taking place. Form One went on a walk around St Leonard’s, examining and recording the different types of housing that surround Exeter School. The children used their developing knowledge and understanding to compare and contrast the housing here with that in Kampong Ayer, Brunei. Upper One enjoyed the fantastic opportunity to visit the Farmwise event at Westpoint to gain first-hand experience of what it is like to be a farmer! They took part in various workshops and displays, allowing them to develop their understanding of where meat comes from. Lower Two pupils went for their Geography walk to Exeter city centre to observe land use in Exeter as well as to
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consolidate their learning of physical and human features and the advantages and disadvantages of living in a city. To complement their work on coasts, Upper Two pupils spent a day at Lulworth Heritage Centre, where the rangers talked to the children about the threats to the Jurassic Coast before taking the group on a guided walk to view Stair Hole, Lulworth Cove and finally Durdle Door. Many thanks to the staff who organised these trips and for bringing the pupils’ classroom knowledge to life!
GEOGRAPHY
NATURE’S CLASSROOM
By EMILY MOUDIOTIS
T
his year, Geography pupils have been on various trips to give them hands-on experience and opportunities outside of class. From Third to Sixth Form, all years have benefitted from the activities. In the autumn term, Lower Fifth pupils were introduced to fieldwork techniques at Seaton Wetlands as part of their GCSE learning. They learned about pollution indicators and how to measure velocity and channel characteristics in a river. To develop their research further, pupils gathered data on how the different features found at the Axe wetlands produce their own microclimate, whilst just about managing to navigate themselves around the site! Middle Fifth pupils visited Dawlish Warren to focus on the Environment Agency’s latest coastal management work, including beach replenishment. Working hard on the beach all day, Head of Geography Mrs Sail praised the “excellent team work”. The Third Form travelled to Beer to explore the caves and enjoy a walk along the Jurassic Coastline. The pupils were captivated with tales of the caves, which included a hidden priest and a covered-up murder. The afternoon was spent following the cliffs across to Beer where pupils were able to see the Hooken Cliffs, which had collapsed in 1790. On arrival in Beer, pupils and staff enjoyed an ice cream before returning to school. As part of their A Level work, Lower Sixth Geographers spent a day investigating rural issues and flood management in the local area of the Exe Valley. Some exploration of the meanders and floodplains in Stoke
Bishop was followed by an investigation of the change that has taken place in the nearby village of Brampford Speke. The afternoon took a pleasant walk along the River Exe from Exwick Flood Relief Channel to Trews Weir, with two excellent talks from the Environment Agency on the management of 1-in-100-year floods. The pupils showed a really inquisitive approach and enjoyed putting the work they had done in the classroom into context. Thanks to all of the Geography teachers, including Head of Geography Mrs Sail, for giving up their time to organise and take pupils on numerous trips and residentials throughout the academic year.
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ANCIENT CIVILISATIONS By MR BLAND
F
orm One spent an exciting day studying the lives of the Ancient Egyptians. It proved to be an informative and fun day and, as wouldbe archaeologists, the children learnt to piece together the evidence about life and death in Ancient Egypt. The workshop focused on Howard Carter and Tutankhamun with diversions into mummification, stories and dance, as well as a mini murder mystery - ‘Who Killed Tutankhamun?’. Later in the year, Form One experienced being transported back in time again, this time to Ancient Rome. Dressed in an array of fabulous costumes, they began the day as Roman soldiers, experiencing battle
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manoeuvres, marching with shields and defending against barbarian attack. Pupils learnt how civilised the Romans were and had fun constructing model villas, as well as making a beautiful brooch or helmet. The enjoyment continued with an amazing storytelling session, with the children spellbound by the tales and myths about the Roman Gods. An authentic feast proved a firm favourite to conclude proceedings, including delicious chocolate dormice, whilst the children provided the entertainment, set within their own outdoor amphitheatre.
Travelling back in time of application for a job at the mill, before grilling a few unfortunates and instructing the group on tasks to be pper Two experienced what it completed under close supervision. was like to be a worker during Connor Simpson felt it was like Victorian times with a visit being transported back in time and was to Coldharbour textile mill. The day surprised how little rights the workers included a detailed tour of the machines had, particularly the women. Emily and different processes involved in Ahmad said: “I really enjoyed the role transforming wool in to a range of play with Mr Robson, the foreman, and manufactured products. They also met Annie, the factory worker.” Mr Robson, a rather scary and strict “I enjoyed the opportunity to dress as factory foreman! He read their letters a Victorian and to experience the harsh
By MR BLAND
U
life as a child working in a factory,” enthused Jasmine Hardy. Connie Croft said: “It was exhilarating pretending to be a worker, especially as Mr Robson was very realistic, but really nice at the end.” It was pleasing that both actors and our guide expressed their appreciation as to how well the children had immersed themselves in to the whole experience, with excellent behaviour, thoughtful questions and a wonderful array of costumes.
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Hands-on History Form were visited by Michelle and Lance Keay, who brought with them an impressive array of medieval arms, hroughout the year, Exeter School armour and costumes. Several pupils has offered various historical talks were dressed up in period costume to pupils. Experts on the subjects whilst Michelle and Lance explained have visited the school and offered the context and construction of the some fascinating insight into their clothing and armour being worn. This research. helpfully complemented their History As part of the History Association course on the medieval world. talks, Dr Vivienne Guo of Exeter To enhance their understanding University spoke to pupils about the of their History course on Indian development of the Chinese nation Nationalism from 1914-1948, Lower state from 1911-49. She argued that Sixth Historians listened to a fascinating historians have traditionally focused on talk by Dr Gajendra Singh from Exeter revolutions, wars and chaos rather than University. He explained that the exploring the alternative possibilities traditional focus of this period was the for government that existed in China, no-violence campaign of Gandhi. Dr such as constitutional reform and Singh pointed out the recurrence of federalism. This fascinating exposition extreme violence both by the British at inspired over 20 minutes of questioning events such as the Amritsar Massacre after the lecture, furthering the and the increasing radicalisation of understanding of all present of the Indian nationalists as they vied for complexities and subtleties of modern power. We look forward to seeing more Chinese history. interesting talks from experts and On another exciting day, the Third specialists outside of Exeter School.
By ALLEGRA LETTS
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By MR BLAND
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arious vibrant displays helped to brighten the school over the course of the year. Alongside a number of visitors and visits, crosscurricular links, particularly in Art and Design, looked to bring the subject to life. Elaborate Tudor ship displays, Anglo-Saxon warrior cut-outs, Viking clay brooches and torcs, as well as gory Aztec temples, all helped to enthuse the children. In the summer term, Upper Two used their time to produce a compilation of fascinating facts taken from the modern era, spotlighting key events, fads and important figures from British history during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. To add further importance to their studies, the folders were judged by school governors, who kindly spent a morning assessing and discussing the pupils’ work with them.
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Joyeux Noël By RUPERT HARRIS
B
ack in December, all of Form One took part in a nativity play with a twist, performing their roles entirely in French! The pupils were able to use words and phrases learned in French lessons prior to the production
while enacting the Christmas story in a wonderful array of colourful costumes. The pupils also sang two songs in French, alongside the traditional Away in a Manger and We Three Kings in English. Music teacher Mrs Guthrie said everybody was involved in both speaking and singing and both of the performances were superb.
D R AMA TIC LAN GUAGE from Lower Two told us what they thought of the production: “Energetic characters and it was he Onatti Theatre company really funny for the little ones. They visited Exeter Junior School in July used actions to make sure the audience to perform a witty and beguiling knew what they were talking about. It play about an English painter travelling was also really good that they included to France to seek a wife for Henry VIII. the audience to make it more lively.” It was thoroughly enjoyed by pupils, “The costumes and props were super who, from the actions and props, were and it was amazing how they talked to able to successfully understand an hour the audience in French to help them long play that was half in French, half in learn. It was amazing and very funny English. for adults and children. They were Lucy Netherton, Millie Traylor, Noor really talented. It was brilliant that they Shariff and Maria Turnbull-Pomares included History, French and humorous
By MRS WILSON
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acting all in one play. It was very exciting to be part of the play and cool to see the brilliant actors around you.” “I learnt lots of French. It was very entertaining and I enjoyed it very much. Everybody was laughing and it was great when a pupil went on stage. It was awesome.” “It was very interesting. The actors were very talented. The sound effects and music made it more realistic. The facial expressions of the actors helped us to understand their emotions.”
LANGUAGES By WILL FURNISS UPPER FIFTH
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THE HILDESHEIM EXCHANGE partners, with English lessons being a highlight as we all found we were UPPER FIFTH quite good! Some days the lessons were punctuated with organised trips to he Hildesheim German exchange local attractions such as a nearby mine, is a long-established part of Exeter glass-blowing demonstration, a candleSchool’s programme, aiming to making workshop, and most notably, a improve our fluency and confidence chocolate factory! when speaking German. Each pupil After a full day of lessons on a stayed with a host family and a pupil Thursday afternoon, we said goodbye from the Scharnhorst Gymnasium until we would meet again in March. School in Hildesheim. For a week, Most people found the trip demanding we stayed in their houses, watched because of the concentration necessary their activities, and sat in on their to understand the rapid speech of fluent lessons, learning all we could about the speakers, but I think that everyone who language. took part benefitted massively from Over the weekend, we all participated the experience. Constant exposure to in a large number of varied activities, the language for 12 hours a day has from visiting castles to going to theme certainly increased my confidence and parks, from horse riding to go-karting. ability when speaking German. Thanks One family even took their student to must go particularly to Mrs Wilson for Berlin for a couple of days! All in all, all the time and effort she has spent to everyone had fun, and it was a fully organise the trip, as well as to everyone packed weekend for all of us. else who have made this fantastic During the following week, we sat experience possible! in on several lessons with our German
By ED O’CONNOR
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e welcomed pupils from Scharnhorst Gymnasium, Hildesheim for the return half of the annual German exchange in March. During their stay, they enjoyed a trip to Bath, a boat trip, a tour of Exeter and a visit to the museum, while improving their speaking and comprehension skills. Wednesday: The German pupils arrived at school at 5.45pm and we all met up with our partners. After heading home, many of our partners felt so tired after the day’s travel that they went straight to bed. Thursday: We took our German partners into school for the morning’s lessons. In German, we made a video in small groups describing our school. In the afternoon our partners and some Middle Fifth pupils went into Exeter for a guided tour and a visit to the museum. Friday: School in the morning, followed by our partners heading off to spend the day in Bath, visiting the Roman Baths. Later at home my partner and I played table tennis for an hour then watched TV and went to bed. Saturday: After getting up at about 10am, we watched TV then headed into Exeter and met up with some friends and their partners. We had lunch in McDonald’s, then went to the cinema. Despite not understanding much of the film, our partners enjoyed it. That evening, our family went into Crediton and had dinner out. Sunday: We went to watch Exeter Chiefs play Newcastle - Chiefs won, and after the game we returned home and watched cricket, as my partner had never seen it before. Monday: We went into school for morning lessons and then our partners went to Exmouth for a boat trip on the estuary and a walk around town. We spent the evening watching TV and YouTube. Tuesday: On our last full day with our partners, we spent the morning together in school and at lunch our partners went into Exeter for the afternoon to buy some last-minute souvenirs and presents. In the evening we went to a local pub for a meal to celebrate the week. Wednesday: We went into school for the final time with our partners and at 8.30am we gathered on the quad and said our final goodbyes. Huge thanks to Mrs Wilson, Mrs Shrubb, Dr Bawn, Mrs Francis, the host families, the teachers for welcoming pupils into their lessons, as well as the German teachers, exchange partners and everyone involved with the trip.
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CARNEGIE shadowing “Full of tension and a story that slowly pans out to reveal more of the truth, this book drives you on whilst opening your eyes to the cruelty that exists in the world today.” MARK PUGH LOWER FIFTH
Review by PETER MOFFAT FOURTH FORM
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fter the Fire was a compelling book about a girl called Moonbeam; it followed her life as part of a religious cult before the ‘fire’ and in a rehabilitation centre after the ‘fire’. I really enjoyed letting the story unfold as I, the reader,
learned more about her situation. It made you think about what it would be like if you were actually in her position and provoked a sense of emotion throughout the book, as you learned the difference between the truth and the lies. It showed how one person can completely control a group of people - a very scary thought.
By FREDDIE BENNETT and PETER MOFFAT FOURTH FORM
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n early summer 2018, a group of pupils from Third Form through to Lower Fifth got together to shadow the CILIP Carnegie medal, which is the oldest and most prestigious award for children’s literature. On the shortlist were seven books that we were encouraged to read and review on the shadowing website. We met once a week to discuss aspects of the books that the judges would be looking at, such as setting, plot and characterisation. The whole event was rounded off with a cream tea celebration in the library, with some very impressive book-themed cakes, made by some of the pupils in the group. All of the books on the shortlist were championed by pupils in a series of short presentations. The winner of the overall medal was announced, which turned out to be Where the World Ends by Geraldine McCaughrean, as well as the Exeter School winner, the heartwrenching After the Fire by Will Hill. Overall, we really enjoyed shadowing the Carnegie medal and we would recommend it to everyone.
LIBRARY
SENIOR SCHOOL
LIBRARY CLUB
By AMÉLIE WOOD THIRD FORM
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ibrary Club is a wonderful time to make friends and test your book knowledge. Every Friday lunch, the library staff prepare a game, quiz, craft or some origami for the Third Formers to enjoy. Also, as a group we have read a number of books that have been recommended at World Book Day or just have very good reviews. These include:
Pax by Sara Pennypacker, Fly By Night by Frances Hardinge, I Have No Secrets by Penny Joelson, An Abundance Of Katherines by John Green and Gangsta Rap by Benjamin Zephaniah. Once we had read these books we discussed what we liked and disliked about them. This is particularly good because it means that we often read books that we otherwise might not have chosen. Both pupils and staff are always eager to participate in the activities and always have lots of fun.
“I love Library Club because it uses my creativity, imagination and fun knowledge.”
A
competition was opened to staff and pupils in which they had to write a short story in the form of a tweet. These are short entries that are 280 characters long, including spaces and punctuation. They were then all displayed as tweets and there were winners for both the staff and pupil categories. The entries ranged from spinechilling, funny, quirky or simply thought-provoking.
Tilly Collins THIRD FORM
Staff winn er R evd Tom
ghi Sade Louis r e n win Pupil
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Building OUTSTANDING READING
CELEBRATING READING
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his year has seen a real buzz about reading across the Junior School; our reading culture has been enhanced by widening book choices and providing book suggestion posters for each year group to extend and enrich reading. Newly acquired books are talked about with great enthusiasm and pupils are given the opportunity to recommend great books to their peers. Special events such as World Book Day, National Poetry Day and Puffin Live events give pupils the opportunity to celebrate the books they have enjoyed. Our librarians attended a ‘book talk’ workshop in the autumn term and, acting as ‘book ambassadors’, gave tips to their own classes. Many pupils across the school have written to their favourite author and over the course of the year many replies have been received! Max Simpson in Form One was extremely pleased to have his photograph signed by Julian Clary.
DEVELOPING THE READING CURRICULUM
I
n September our revised reading system was presented by our librarians in assembly, explaining how and when book borrowing can take place and introducing the concept of having a ‘personal reader’ available throughout the day to aid continuity and enjoyment of reading. Extra library slots have been introduced in form times and Mrs Hardy is available to help each day after school to advise on book selection and to ensure pupils are challenging themselves with appropriate book choices. Sixth Form prefects help supervise the library at lunchtime, overseeing the issuing and returning of books, aiding book selection and undertaking library activities with the younger children.
TARGETING RESOURCES
T
opic boxes containing a selection of books for termly topics across the whole curriculum have been displayed in every Junior School classroom containing an array of new and exciting books, thus enriching reading across all areas of the curriculum. Pupils have spent time learning about the Dewey system and useful research skills, in order to make great use of the information books available to them and their termly topic boxes.
LAUGHTER IN THE LIBRARY
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ibrary Club has been thriving throughout the year with pupil librarians taking centre stage in the management, care and circulation of books, often leading assemblies and presenting new books, competitions and initiatives. Over 30 librarians have contributed to the management of the library this year. Milly Traylor in Lower Two said: “Library club has been great fun. We have made book vlogs, prepared ‘Read Me’ labels, voted for Book of the Month and set up illustrating activities for the rest of the school. My favourite part was selecting new books for our library with our Scholastic book vouchers from the Book Fair.”
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By MRS HARDY
LIBRARY
SUMMER CAMPS
FOR 3-14 YEAR OLDS
ACTIVITIES INCLUDE...
EASTER, MAY HALF TERM & SUMMER HOLIDAYS
IT’S A NUMBERS GAME SENIOR SCHOOL By LUCY ZHANG
D
uring November, 113 pupils from the Sixth Form and the Upper Fifth took part in the Senior Mathematical Challenge run by the United Kingdom Mathematics Trust (UKMT), a charity that aims to encourage mathematical problem solving in pupils from 11-18. Pupils are given 90 minutes to attempt 25 problems of varying difficulty, each requiring unique approaches, without the aid of a calculator or any measuring equipment. The group accomplished a fantastic set of results, with 32 Bronze, 17 Silver and 12 Gold certificates achieved. From those who achieved a Gold award, five went on to participate in the notoriously difficult British Mathematical Olympiad Round 1: three and a half hours to tackle six highly complex questions. Exclusive invitations to take part are only given to around 1,000 in the entire country. Louis Withers impressively achieved a Certificate of Distinction, awarded to only the top 25% of participants. Joshua Grier also attained a Merit in the Kangaroo, a follow-up round, placing in the top 25%.
By MR PARRY
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he UKMT Mathematical Challenges are tests of problem solving: a skill that underpins the development of human scientific, creative and technological development. For centuries, senior
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UKMT SENIOR MATHEMATICAL CHALLENGE GOLD CERTIFICATES Upper Sixth: Louis Withers Charlie Austin Zeb Cobb
Ben Crocker Tommy Doane William Pearce Mollie Tettenborn Evan Usher Lucy Zhang
Lower Sixth: Edward Frankpitt Upper Fifth: Joel Seaward Joshua Grier
JUNIOR On 22 June all Third and Fourth Formers sat the one hour long UKMT Junior Mathematics Challenge. A Gold INTERMEDIATE certificate places them in the top 12% or On 1 February, all Lower Fifth, Middle so nationally, so congratulations go to Fifth and the top two sets of Upper Fifth Fred Croft, Olivia White, Ethan Hwang, took on the Intermediate Challenge. Oliwia Czaja, Zachary Brown, Joshua Joel Seaward recorded the best score Potts, William Waddington and Grace in the school and was awarded a Gold Gillingham from the Fourth Form. We certificate along with Josh Grier, had some excellent problem solving Edward Lister and Francesca Vercoe in the Third Form and with the best from Upper Fifth, placing them in the score in the school coming from this top 10% of pupils nationally. Achieving year we clearly have some determined a Gold certificate from Middle or Lower mathematicians coming through the Fifth is a real achievement at this level, ranks. Well done to Albert Hughes so hats off to the following pupils: Max (Best in School), Tom Bracey, Jack Cockram, Charlie Hill (both Middle Wreford, Daniel Fifth) and Mark Pugh, Billy Palmer and Oliver Bennett (all Lower Fifth). These m pupils, along with Olalla rm fro to the o w Capdevila, h t in ar qualified for , an e ve wriggled ound r a e y f a the follow-on Last med D the largest long a n Kangaroo rounds n a s Wig and did very ooks a e was 40cm at was b d r o h av rec well. Joel scored UK . D s of 26g. W h? e h the best result in t in a mas unit lengt the school closely d a h d an s per followed by Josh s a m s and Olalla. Dave’ mathematicians have been setting problems for pupils and these papers continue that tradition.
MATHS
Hammond and Benjamin PalmerChallen for their Gold certificates. Tom, Albert, Daniel and Jack in the Third Form along with Oliwia, Fred, Olivia and Ethan from the Fourth Form qualified for the follow-on Kangaroo round. Fred Croft achieved the best score in the school, closely followed by Albert Hughes, Tom Bracey and Oliwia Czaja. These four achieved a Merit, which places them in the top 25% of the best performing pupils in the country.
JUNIOR SCHOOL By MS BARNES
M
athematical problem solving not only thrives in the Senior School but also in the Junior School; 98 pupils took part in the National Primary Maths Challenge. Pupils from Upper Two, Lower Two and a small group from Upper One enjoyed the challenge of solving a variety of interesting problems! 12 pupils achieved an outstanding Gold certificate. Congratulations go to Emily Ahmad, Toby Capps, Henry Cann, Connie Croft, Amy Dennis, Patrick Eveling, Sidney Gentle, Toby Page, Alex Raichura, Phoebe Redfern, Matthew Roberts and Connor Simpson. Our top
four scorers were invited to take part in the Bonus Round Final in February 2018. 32 pupils achieved a super Silver certificate and 23 pupils achieved a brilliant Bronze certificate. This was also very much about taking part in a national challenge and looking at Maths from a different angle, so all pupils who took part but did not achieve a Gold, Silver or Bronze were presented with a Taking Part certificate. The summer term saw more mathematical success, with 39 Upper Two pupils taking part in the UK Mathematics Trust (UKMT) Junior Maths Challenge, which involved answering 25 multiple choice questions in one hour under exam conditions. 16 of our pupils achieved either Bronze, Silver or Gold certificates. Our Gold certificate winner, Phoebe Redfern, was then invited to sit the Junior Kangaroo paper alongside other high-scoring
pupils across the country. Phoebe performed brilliantly and received a Certificate of Qualification. Well done to all of our pupils who took part. In June, two teams from Lower Two took part in the UKMT Primary Schools Team Mathematics Challenge, hosted by The Maynard School. Our teams of four came a very impressive first and sixth out of 22 other teams. Both teams displayed excellent teamwork and communication throughout the day. Congratulations and well done to team members Eva Levell, Alex Raichura, Andrew Reynolds and Noor Shariff and winning team Henry Batty, Rosie Batchelor, Freya Kotting and Todd Rook.
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HOW FAR CAN YOU GROW? By MS BARNES
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n March, our seven shortlisted Virgin Money ‘Make Your Money Grow’ Maths teams from Upper Two pitched their products at our ‘Dragons’ Den’, which was a culmination of the Virgin Money Independent Mathematics Project for all Upper Two pupils. Our Dragons, Mr Mackintosh, Mrs Marks, Mrs Hooper and Mrs Clark, one of our school governors, were hugely impressed by the way pupils created, designed, marketed and sold their products, handled money, managed costs and worked successfully as a team to make a profit on their original £5. With no cakes or sweets in their products, the level of creativity was definitely stepped up this year! Our Dragons felt every team had excelled in using their mathematical skills, smart business thinking and particularly impressive creativity, while also considering the longevity and environmental impact of their products. They were struck by how our pupils were driven by knowing they were donating their profits to four worthwhile charities, to which some pupils have personal connections. They also admired the pupils’ fantastic energy and teamwork, which enabled them all to achieve amazing results. Certificates awarded to our teams were as follows - Best Teamwork: The All 4 Store; Best Profit: KLDC Lovely Kingdom; Best Poster Summary of Work: Waving Cats; Most Creative Product: Chicktailz, and Most Investible Product: Trico, who were also our Overall Winners. Trico were complimented for their incredible range of products and enthusiasm. Overall, Upper Two has made an outstanding profit of £2062.26, which was divided between Sport Relief, Cancer Research UK, Dementia UK, The Mardon Rehabilitation Centre in Exeter and the Junior School Maths department, which purchased brilliant Maths resources for all pupils to enjoy and gain even more confidence in Maths. The project made it into local newspapers and radio stations, spreading the word that mathematics can enable such a wide range of positive and potentially transformational experiences.
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A tasty trip
By MS BARNES
I
n March 2018, Upper One pupils experienced a very different and rather delicious mathematics lesson when they visited Wagamama, the Japanese noodle restaurant in Exeter. Amongst the different tasks, pupils tasted and weighed different types of food, created and drank delicious juices, placed food orders using tablets, selected items on the main till and rose to the chopstick challenge! Throughout all activities, the pupils listened really carefully, took detailed notes and asked excellent questions. All pupils were
very happy to finish off the trip with a scrumptious bowl of noodles for which they had very carefully and accurately weighed out the ingredients! “We used lots of maths on our trip, like number bonds, weighing, working out change from £10 and £20 and plenty of adding. I enjoyed making the smoothies most of all. I used apple and mint in mine,” said Daisy Brough. “Weighing the red pepper was not easy because we had to snap pieces off in order to make it exactly the correct weight for the recipe, along with accurately weighing the mangetout and sweetcorn,” said Toby Donegan and Jacob Hardy.
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ETERNALLY IMPRESSIVE By EMILY MOUDIOTIS
F
rom the beginning of the spring term pupils, staff and guests came together every week to rehearse four impressive pieces of music, resulting in an outstanding performance for the annual Choral Society concert. This year the concert featured music by Mozart and Howard Goodall, son of former Headmaster Geoffrey Goodall. Middle School Choir opened the concert with a moving performance of Howard Goodall’s famous The Lord is my Shepherd. The full chorus and the professional orchestra, which included many of our peripatetic music teachers, followed this with Goodall’s Eternal Light. Eight Sixth Form pupils took on solo roles: Emily Bairstow, Katy Armstrong and Zeb Cobb sang with experience after returning for their second year as soloists. Oran Friar, who performed a violin solo last year, returned with an emotive vocal solo along with three other Lower Sixth soloists: Ettejean Girvin, Beth Pittman and Emily Moudiotis. Will Partridge performed with confidence in both the Goodall and the Mozart. The second half of the concert began with Chamber Choir’s performance of Ave Verum, followed by Mozart’s Mass in C Minor sung by the whole chorus. For this piece, the school welcomed back three past pupils, Elle Williams
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(1999-2001), Ellie Partridge (2008-2013) and Jon Schranz (2005-2012) for the solo roles. Sixth Form pupil William Partridge joined them singing bass within the solo quartet. The Mass was an impressive end to a notable concert. “Choral Society members worked very hard all term and all left rehearsals elated with the progress made each week. The performance itself was a magical time, when ambition, determination and adrenaline all came together. I was particularly proud of the many talented pupil soloists who sang with such confidence,” said Mr Tamblyn, Director of Music.
THE POWER OF MUSIC By CHARLIE AUSTIN
A
UPPER SIXTH
s always, the musicality and standard of music at the National Trust Concert this year matched the brilliance and magnificence of the venue. After the opening hymn was sung heartily by all, the exhilarating Ride of the Valkyries took us on a vivid journey of excitement. Then, to the audience’s intrigue, five harps were wheeled onto the stage and Harpstrings proceeded to mesmerizingly play Noel Nouvelet. After a beautiful reading of
a Lawrence Sail poem by Head Girl Megan Stride, the Vocal Ensemble delivered a wonderful performance of It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas, arousing festivity in all. We then heard more great pieces from the Senior Brass Ensemble and the Middle School Choir, who transported us to the West End with pieces from Wicked. Ending the first half was Senior Choir who performed Power People Prepare by Mr Daldorph. In the second half, we heard Chamber Orchestra play The Unanswered Question with assistance from Wind Ensemble and Matt Francis,
who showed unparalleled rhythmic ability. They also played movements from Corelli’s suitable Christmas Concerto, with concertino players delivering convincing solo parts. Belles Canto followed with their moving arrangements of All I Have To Do Is Dream and Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas conducted by Mrs Guthrie. After a final reading, Chamber Choir finished the concert with another atmospheric performance of Stars, incorporating unusual but hypnotic wine glasses to create a luscious wash of sound for the audience to bathe in.
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IN JOYFUL CELEBRATION By WILLIAM PIERCEY UPPER SIXTH
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he annual Junior School Carol Service served as a very special start to the Christmas season for our Junior School pupils and their families. All the children from Form
One to Upper Two were involved, singing carols and Christmas songs learned in Music classes. After much hard work and preparation towards the production, everybody gave their best and the performances were greatly enjoyed by all who were present. The service included a number of readings, which
pupils delivered with great poise and clarity, while Revd Tom’s Christmas reflection, on the theme of bells, was aptly followed by a performance of Jingle Bells. The retiring collection from the service went towards the Exeter YMCA, the Chaplain’s chosen charity for the year.
A Christmas-crammed concert By CHARLIE AUSTIN
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he Christmas Concert was an absolute treat, with everybody getting involved in the festive spirit. Mrs Guthrie’s Junior Orchestra opened, playing the seasonal favourite Frosty the Snowman, setting the mood for the evening. We heard Jazz Band 2 play Cantina Band from Star Wars, which was atypical of Christmas, but still of the same jolly tone. Following this were more wonderful pieces from the original Harpstrings, Blue Note, Maxi Brass and Swunkette, all playing from a huge range of genres. Finishing off the first third was Senior Choir with their memorable rendition of Singin’ in the Rain, complete with umbrella choreography. In the second third, we heard from the African Drumming Group who took us on a spiritual journey. Rock School brought the house down with an original song. Opening the final third, Swunk played their innovative take on the standard Caravan, complete with excellent solos from all. We then heard from Belles Canto, Birdland, and Sax Quartet before Symphony Orchestra finished off the evening with the Downton Abbey theme alongside a video of the Earl of Grantham… or was it Mr Griffin?
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MUSIC
A mesmerising collection of concerts
CHAMBER CONCERT
by MATT FRANCIS UPPER SIXTH
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who took part and the charity, as the money raised will go towards helping millions around the world who live without access to clean water. Mr Brimelow’s Concert Orchestra began the evening with Mazurka from Swan Lake. Many groups then followed, ranging from the Barbershop Quartet to the Sixth Form group Belles Canto. Highlights of the concert included two soloist performances: Oran Friar performed Mendelssohn’s impressive Violin Concerto and William Pearce played Vaughan Williams’ Tuba Concerto. Incredible musical talent was shown in both well-received performances.
s the first concert of the year, the autumn Chamber Concert needs to demonstrate the depth and range of music at Exeter School, and this year’s programme did not disappoint. Senior Brass opened with two alternative harmonisations of Bach’s O Mensch Bewein, followed by the complex vocal arrangements of Belles Canto. Boys’ Barbershop gave enthusiastic renditions of Lollipop and Sh Boom, while Upper Sixth Formers Charlie Austin and Matt Francis played JAZZ CONCERT impressive solos on cello and trumpet respectively. Chamber Choir sang four by MATT FRANCIS contrasting pieces, covering nearly 500 he 2018 Jazz Concert started years from the 1550s to the present day, with Ešenvalds’ Stars being a particular with a bang as Jazz Band 2 kicked highlight, before Chamber Orchestra things off with Sweet Charity’s rounded off the evening with Corelli’s Big Spender followed by an exhilarating Christmas Concerto. rendition of the Mission Impossible theme. Next up were Blue Note, taking WATERAID CONCERT on Zawinul’s Mercy, Mercy, Mercy with impressive solos from each member. by EMILY MOUDIOTIS As Rock School took to the stage a hush his year, Exeter School held its fell over the room as Jess Billingham 17th annual concert in support and Rachel Honeyball showed off their of WaterAid. The concert was a exquisite vocal harmonies with their great success both for the many pupils versions of Only Human and I’m Not The
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THE EXONIAN 2018 Only One. Swunk tackled a range of styles in their first set of the evening ranging from the hiphop flavoured groove of Caravan to the manic bebop of Charlie Parker’s Anthropology. The first half of the evening was concluded by Jazz Band 1 who entered to the sound of Mr Moore’s Mambo before diving into a set ranging from the wild funk of Thad Jones’ Us to the smooth vocal number I Love You, effortlessly crooned by Will Pearce. The second half of the evening commenced with Swunkette’s renditions of Lake Street Drive’s Bad Self Portraits and Corrine Bailey Rae’s Like A Star, with Beth Pittman and Tabi Evans’ powerful harmonies really bringing the songs to life. Directed by Mr Tamblyn, the five-piece Birdland showed off talent beyond their years as they fluidly shifted between the various grooves of Cannonball Adderley’s Sack O Woe before each offering memorable solos, with Theo Collins on piano and Tom HarrisDeans on trumpet being notable standouts. Jazz Band 1’s second set further showed off the diverse range of styles
across the evening, with classic big band style swing in the form of Shiny Stockings as well as the bossa nova groove of A Day In The Life Of A Fool featuring Jamie Stevenson on trumpet. Swunk’s second set began with a hushed, intimate piano solo from Charlie Austin before the rest of the band gradually entered one by one until Miles Davis and Bill Evans’ stunning classic Blue In Green was fully realised. The reflective and sombre mood of the piece was further intensified through the beautiful solos of Will Pearce, Evan Usher and Matthew Francis. Not wishing to send the
audience home in a melancholy mood, Swunk then reignited the atmosphere once more with the funky swagger of Mr Clean, the reggae swing of Tea For Two and the fierce energy of Coltrane’s Impressions before finishing the evening with the riotous percussion-led explosion of Sudden Samba. It only remains to thank everyone involved in putting this most memorable evening together, with particular thanks to Mr Tamblyn, Mr Bowen, Mr Moore and Mr Painter for their hard work throughout the year in rehearsing all of the groups.
JAZZ SKILLS SHOWCASE By ZANA BEKA UPPER SIXTH
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eachers and pupils from the Leeds College of Music (LCM) visited Exeter School for the department’s first Jazz Day. There were
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four workshop sessions followed by a performance in the evening. Around 55 pupils from Exeter School were joined by 30 others from surrounding local schools. All pupils were given the opportunity to play songs, scales and learn more about improvised solos. The concert let the LCM musicians
show off their skills and allowed pupils to put what they’d learnt into practice and play with professional jazz players. Pupils and teachers alike thought that the day was a great success and allowed pupils to see more about the theory behind jazz music.
A spring in their steps! By SAM SCOUGALL-KNIGHT
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xeter Junior School was transported back to the Jazz Age in this year’s joyful Spring Concert. The concert opened with the African Drumming Group under the direction of Mr Crossen. Other highlights included the Junior Orchestra with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and American Patrol. Form One and Upper One’s Lazy Sunday Afternoon Blues provided a relaxing interlude within the programme, as did the delicate sound of the Guitar Group, directed by Mrs Stanley. Sizzling Strings introduced a Latin feel to proceedings, giving a stylish rendition of Cha-Cha-Cha! The whole school took part singing a sequence of lively songs including Spread a Little Happiness, The Charleston and Chattanooga Choo-Choo, with solo roles and dancing provided by Upper Two pupils. The concert had great exuberance, with impressive and highly enjoyable performances from start to finish.
AN OPERATIC FELINE TREAT By MRS GUTHRIE
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n 24 May 2018, members of the English Touring Opera came to the music hall and gave a
performance of an opera composed for children, entitled Shackleton’s Cat. The opera told the story of Ernest Shackleton and his voyage to Antarctica in 1914. One of the central
characters is the carpenter, and he has a special bond with his cat Mrs Chippy, represented by a brilliant puppet. All of our Lower Two and Upper Two pupils watched the opera, along with Year 6 pupils from St. Michael’s School, Heavitree. The performance was very enjoyable, with superb effects and scenery, and wonderful singing by the five characters. They were accompanied by a small instrumental group featuring piano, percussion and French horn and included a theremin (an electronic instrument used to create eerie spacelike sounds). Pupils participated in the performance, joining in with three of the songs, and helping the characters to try to break the ice. They also enjoyed the opportunity to meet the singers, ask them questions, and try out the theremin!
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THE JOY OF MUSIC A MUSICAL CELEBRATION AND MORE By MRS GUTHRIE
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ne of the main musical events of the year in the Junior School was a musical celebration afternoon in the summer, which highlighted the wide range of musical activities enjoyed by our younger pupils. Performances were given by the Junior Orchestra, the Junior Singers, the wind and brass group, the harp duo and a number of soloists on wind, brass, stringed and keyboard instruments. In addition to these, all of Form One demonstrated their violin skills while all of Upper One played recorders and everybody participated in some singing. Such an event was possible due to the high proportion (approximately 70%) of children currently learning instruments in individual lessons as well as pupils having first-hand experience of a variety of instruments in their classroom music lessons. All children learn violin in Form One, then play the recorder and have a taste of the trumpet in Upper One, learn the ukulele in Lower Two and explore a range of percussion instruments, including Samba Band, in Upper Two. Pupils also work regularly at developing their keyboard playing, alongside their singing, listening and composing skills. Other musical highlights have included the Christmas Carol Service, in which the telling of the Christmas story was punctuated by songs performed by the whole school, the separate year groups and the two choirs. The Junior Choir also had a leading role in the Advent Carol Service, and gave a lovely performance to residents at Jack Simpson House just before Christmas. Some of the Junior Singers also delighted their audience with carol singing at the annual Pensioners
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Christmas Party organised by the school Community Service group. The spring term, however, is the busiest for Junior School music, as we present our biggest musical event of the year, the Spring Concert. This year, the title of the concert was All That Jazz and featured pieces from the 1920’s to the 1940’s. The whole event was greatly enjoyed by pupils and audience alike.
The following extra-curricular groups continue to thrive in the Junior School: Junior Wind and Brass Group: run by Mrs Goldsworthy and welcoming wind and brass players. Junior Orchestra: directed by Mrs Guthrie with Mrs Goldsworthy and open to all levels of orchestral instrumentalists. Sizzling Strings: directed by Mr Gillett, one of our string specialists, and giving string players an opportunity to shine. Junior African Drummers: a vibrant group run by Mr Crossen, one of our percussion specialists, open to all. Junior Singers: a choir for any pupils in Form One or Upper One, directed by Mrs Guthrie. Junior Choir: a choir for pupils in Lower Two and Upper Two. This group is divided into two sections, decani and cantoris, and sings an anthem in chapel every week, as well as performing in concerts throughout the year. In addition to these established groups, there are other exciting smaller groups springing up, including a delightful harp ensemble and a guitar group.
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THE EXONIAN 2018
By MRS GOODDY
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his year has been an exciting start to the new Psychology A Level. A class of 14 spent many of the early lessons involved in experiments linked to the course and undertook a range of interactive learning activities. The class embraced the ideas quickly and soon became very good at spotting when I was covertly doing an experiment with them. This led to a few interesting results! One of the highlights of the year was the attachment egg project, where every pupil had to take a hard boiled egg home, give it a name and birth certificate and then care for it in the same way as you would a baby. From that came some excellent and rather entertaining Psychology projects based on attachment theories, including those of Bowlby and Ainsworth. The group has been keen to engage with all the interactive learning tasks and activities and have grown in knowledge as a result. One thing they have realised is the huge content of the new A Level specification, including some detailed Maths, which at times has been a challenge. Despite this they have maintained a positive and enthusiastic outlook towards the subject. A really positive result is that several of the group have decided to apply to study Psychology at university. We are looking forward to year two and all that may bring with our first ever external exams in 2019. We are also fortunate to have Mrs Godfroy, an experienced A Level examiner, joining the department in September.
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SCIENCE
Brilliant BIOLOGY
Formers learnt a range of mind-blowing facts about digestion. Meanwhile, the Sixth Form received a talk on cellular organelles. They discussed a range of topics, including the ethical issues of using and manipulating cells in genetic engineering and cloning techniques. This dome provides a unique and engaging experience, where pupils can further visualise theories learnt in class. Upper Sixth biologists participated By GEORGIA LING in a DNA technology workshop run by scientists from Exeter University. t’s been another productive year in They learnt about using restriction the Senior School Biology department. endonuclease enzymes to digest and The Biology Olympiad, a popular segment DNA. After mastering the online competition organised by the micropipettes, they loaded DNA samples Royal Society of Biology, confronted 14 into gel electrophoresis kits, which Upper Sixth pupils with two rigorous showed the result of DNA digestion. All papers that tested their comprehension the practical work provided an invaluable of A Level topics as well as knowledge insight into genetic research, while from beyond the syllabus. All participants complementing the A Level syllabus. were recognised for their achievements – Many of the Sixth Form biologists congratulations to all. The Intermediate went to the Corn Exchange to listen Biology Challenge, also organised by the to Professor Alice Roberts’ talk on ‘10 Royal Society of Biology, saw Middle Fifth Species That Changed Our World.’ They pupils tackle an online test along with were able to unravel the history of Homo 43,000 other pupils across the country. Sapiens using information about the Well done to all of the 77 pupils who took domestication of 10 species. Professor the test, with particular congratulations Roberts informed the audience that to Theo Collins, Emma Halford, Rachel interbreeding between different species Hammond, Ollie Jackson and Oscar Cobb has enabled the production of fertile for achieving Gold Awards. offspring in the past, amazing the Upper The interactive Explorer Dome returned Sixth biologists. to Exeter School. The dome brought The Men in White Coats event was to life the functions of organs in the thoroughly enjoyed by 14 Lower Fifth digestive system, where some Fourth biologists. This event involved obtaining
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yeast samples from three super villains who have been known to use genetic technology in their evil schemes. The pupils used their scientific and detective skills to identify the perpetrator of the crime: bread not rising at the Bideford Bake Off. To solve the crime, pupils learnt about extracting and amplifying DNA using high quality microscopy techniques in order to identify the yeast. Many thanks to the dedicated Biology staff for arranging all these activities.
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Cool CHEMISTRY By GEORGIA LING
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his year, the Chemistry department has been saturated with interesting events. Here are some highlights. A group of Upper Fifth chemists visited Bristol University’s undergraduate laboratories where they caught an insight into studying science at a Russell Group university. Sixteen Lower Sixth chemists also travelled to Bristol University where they compared the structural composition of Paracetamol and Aspirin, and synthesised Benzocaine using stateof-the-art laboratory apparatus. In the afternoon, a PhD student explained the applications of a Chemistry degree, while Tim Harrison gave a captivating lecture on the Earth’s atmosphere. Well done to Lower Sixth pupils Jamie Stephenson, Thomas Wright and Roisin McCarthy for successfully representing the school at this year’s Royal Society of Chemistry Analytical Competition in Bristol. They achieved a very respectable third place after undertaking a range of practical group tasks. The 50th Chemistry Olympiad also took place this year, which saw many Silver awards achieved by Upper Sixth pupils and even a rare Gold – awarded to Louis Withers. Congratulations to everyone! Professor David Reed, a Professorial Fellow in Chemical Education at the University of Southampton, gave a talk to the Upper Sixth on the future of fuels. He also gave a lecture to the Upper Fifth on the impact of Chemistry on society, and the influencing role of chemists in many multidisciplinary teams.
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A group of post-graduate research students from Bath University, Jamie Courtenay, Lois Wayment and Daniel Rixson, gave the Upper Sixth chemists a masterclass on analytical equipment and their applications. Our chemists learnt how to analyse the structure and purity of chemicals produced from previous experiments. At the annual Top of the Bench Chemistry competition, Tabitha Macpherson-Jorgensen, Lydia Khan, Oscar Cobbs and Aidan Robins travelled to Bristol University, where they undertook various practical experiments and written assessments, competing against schools across the South West. This competition tested them on teamwork, Chemistry knowledge and practical skills. Our team finished an impressive third place. Outreach programmes aim to introduce pupils to Chemistry and develop stronger links to the local community. School representatives Fred Tear, Jessica Wright, Harry Hayter and Charlie Mayall assisted Year 5 pupils at St Michael’s Academy in Heavitree, while Phoebe Day, Bethany Reynolds, Isobel Stylianedes, Fred Tear, Oliver Bates and Charles Mayall visited Ladysmith Primary School to deliver a range of exciting demonstrations. Both days were a huge success. Pupils Edward Ahmad, Fred Croft, Phoebe Jerreat and Amber Moeller travelled to Bristol University’s School of Chemistry to take part in the Salters Festival of Chemistry, which included solving a forensic mystery and a quantitative challenge. Many thanks to the Chemistry department for their commitment throughout the year.
SCIENCE
Powerful PHYSICS By GEORGIA LING
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rom fascinating talks to tough challenges, the Physics department have delivered an inspiring year. Mr Darren Kenny from EDF Energy ran workshops for the Upper Fifth and Upper Sixth on the inner workings of fission nuclear power stations. Professor Steve Cowley, a leading world expert on nuclear fusion, gave a talk to Sixth Form pupils on the sun’s evolution and some of the main Physics processes involved. Pupils were given a taste of the potential of Nuclear Physics: harnessing the theoretical energy released when just one kilogram of hydrogen is turned into helium would meet the energy demands for the average person for 10,000 years! The talk briefly mentioned the tireless work of the engineering and chemical scientific communities in their search for a clean alternative to fossil fuel. It was awe-inspiring to anyone at all interested in the future of scientific research. Other fascinating talks came from OE Signe Hulbert (1999-2008), who ran a seminar on the joys and challenges of studying Phyics or Engineering at university, and Elisabeth Matthews, a PhD student who
spoke on how she uses data from the Very Large Telescope in Chile to hunt for new planets outside of our Solar System. Some impressive work was achieved by our physicists this year. Lower Sixth Formers Eleanor Loughlin, Daniella Monger, Abby Holden, Anna Starling and Mia Kasperaviciute carried out an impressive research project into earthquake-resistant housing in developing countries, while Upper Sixth Formers Evan Usher, Oran Friar, Will Pearce and Louis Withers borrowed equipment from Exeter University to carry out Millikan’s famous experiment to find the charge on an electron. Well done to Honour Budiman, Jamie Campbell, Henry Coleman and Magnus Threadingham for taking part in the inaugural GCSE Physics Challenge, run by the Exeter and East Devon Ogden Trust Physics Partnership. They pitted their wits against 14 other Devon teams to achieve a very commendable sixth place. Congratulations also must go to Evan Usher and Louis Withers, who achieved Silver awards in
this year’s Physics Olympiad, as well as to Will Pearce who received a Bronze I and Tommy Doane for his Bronze II. Pupils took several informative trips this year, including Sixth Formers attending the Institute of Physics’ South West Festival of Physics at Bristol University and visiting the Diamond synchrotron research facility in Oxford, while a group of Third Formers attended the Ogden Year 7 Space Day at Exeter College. This included an inflatable planetarium show as well as two workshops on rockets and the physics of space travel, and exoplanets.
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Learning to
EXPLORE By MR PIDWELL EXPERT DEMONSTRATIONS
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he pupils of Exeter Junior School were lucky enough to watch a special Science demonstration from the celebrated scientist and educationalist, Professor Tim Harrison, who put on an amazing show alongside Doctor Jonny. There were huge bangs, vile smells and combusting fireballs for the pupils to awe and wonder at. The children learned a huge amount and left massively enthused about Science. Charlotte Greenwood said: “It was fantastic fun, especially the liquid nitrogen.” Benjamin Cooling said: “I really enjoyed learning about all the different gases in our atmosphere.” Huge thanks to both Tim and Jonny for such a great show. In the summer term, our Lower Two pupils were treated to even more exciting Science demonstrations by our very own Senior School Science team, as part of Primary Science Day. The children had a fantastic, inspiring time.
EDEN PROJECT
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n April, Upper Two pupils travelled to The Eden Project, arriving to brilliant sunshine and fantastic views. The pupils were quickly put in different tribes and assigned the task of how best to survive and prosper in the rainforest. Pupils decided on their tribal markings then entered the Rainforest Biome. Each tribe looked for plants to help with shelter, water, food and medicine. The pupils did very well indeed and had the exciting surprise of meeting Tim Smit, The Eden Project founder, and Sir Kenneth Robinson, a pioneer in creative-led education. After more exploration, the pupils travelled home - tired but wiser, with a far greater understanding of plants and their importance.
STOVER COUNTRY PARK
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pper One had the opportunity to visit The Ted Hughes Poetry trail set in the beautiful grounds of Stover Country Park. It proved to be an
ideal location for the children to further their scientific studies, with some pond dipping and species classification work, as well as studying a variety of habitats. On their nature ramble, they searched for various wooden animal clues and listened to poems by Ted Hughes, while exploring and appreciating the use of figurative language. Harry Hubble and Alice Brauer both said they really enjoyed the pond dipping. “Looking at the broadleaved woodland was my favourite part of the day,” enthused Freddie Cann, while Bea Hughes most enjoyed looking for the wooden sculptures - her favourite and most inspiring was the swan.
SCIENCE
Coding creations JUNIOR SCHOOL By MRS MORGAN
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his has been a fun and exciting year for Computer Science, with a greater focus on programming and a number of clubs inspiring a love of the subject. All pupils have used Kodu to create computer games. Form One pupils made games based on The Gruffalo and then programmed them to use a micro:bit as a game controller. Lower Two and Upper Two pupils learnt about decomposing a game to work out how it works, with them looking at Frogger and Super Mario Land before making their own versions. With fake news being a popular topic on TV, pupils were delighted to learn they could create their own fake news by remixing the HTML on a website. Form One and Upper One used Crumble controllers with Form One creating some excellent disco light patterns, while Upper One learnt about ciphers and Morse code before programming LEDs to flash messages. Popular clubs this year have included Digital Pioneers, Game Design, and Robot Wars. Lower Two Digital Pioneers had the chance to explore, using
Makey Makeys, how Play-Doh and foil could be used to control a game on the computer. Game Design Club saw Mario Kart-inspired games being created, and Robot Wars resulted in eight groups of Upper Two pupils building a robot, armed with a shoe box, a screwdriver and a micro:bit before racing them around the computer room!
SENIOR SCHOOL By MS PINCHES
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his year has seen the start of a gradual change for the department in line with the National Curriculum change from ICT to Computing, a broader subject which covers theory of Computer Science and practical programming tasks as well as some elements of ICT skills. Exeter School has offered Computer Science A Level for many years, teaching programming in Pascal/Delphi and exploring a free choice of coursework projects. However, this year’s Upper Fifth class were the last to complete IGCSE ICT with the Middle Fifth embarking on IGCSE Computer Science and learning to program in Python. Amongst the changes for younger pupils this year, Third Form have
learnt about key developments in the history of Computer Science as well as designing and programming games with micro:bits. Fourth Form have worked jointly with Electronics to build a small games console based around an Arduino programmed in C/C++. Lower Fifth have learnt some of the theory behind the internet and the world wide web before creating a small website in HTML, as well as programming their own mathematical designs in LOGO. Alongside lessons, there have been a number of opportunities to take part in national events and competitions. These have included the Bebras Challenge and the follow-on Oxford Computing Challenge to the Perse Coding Team Challenge, the UK Linguistics Olympiad, the CyberDiscovery and CyberFirst Girls Competitions, the Cipher Challenge and the Alan Turing Cryptography Competition. It has been a treat to see so many pupils getting involved and being so successful in their first year. Special mention must go to Tom Bracey and Albert Hughes for reaching the Bebras National Final, which saw only the best 60 competitors in each age group invited to Oxford University for the day in February.
CATALYST CLUB By MRS GOODDY
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ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT CROSSING CLUB By DR SMALE
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osting regular events throughout the year, Crossing Club is an academic society open to all pupils from Middle Fifth to Upper Sixth. Professor Andrew Shaw from the University of Exeter gave a talk on ‘Physics, Chemistry and Biology: Partners in Crime’. The talk linked the sciences to crime scene analysis, and included a rather explosive demonstration of ballistics. The InspEXE series of talks included quick fiveminute presentations from pupils and staff on their achievements or subjects they found particularly interesting. The varied topics included: behavioural neuroscience, how singing affects mood, a 100km charity walk, and the Happy Bags project. This year’s speakers were Cosmo Coish, Dr Bawn, Sevy Baker, Jess Wright, Mr Latimer, Daisy Hawkins and Meredith Marsh. More details on these talks can be read on page 122. An additional session was held later
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in the year, for the second time in collaboration with the Medical Society. MedEXE involved pupils giving talks on areas of medicine which particularly interest them. The Craftily Confusing Crossing Club Quiz was a success with staff teams competing against and with pupils. The Israeli Youth Delegation visited School with two pupils who gave a frank and eye-opening talk about life in Israel and the difficulties they face - particularly relevant considering the current political climate. Past pupil Tom Pearson (2005-2012), who is now a Physics teacher, visited school to give a talk on his experience at Space Camp USA. The case for this year’s annual Mock Trial was related to a stolen car. The barristers were Allegra Letts, Ettejean Girvin, Alex Solomides and Fred Tear, while Bella Allan played the accused. A particularly difficult case to prove beyond reasonable doubt and, despite a well-contested trial, the final verdict was not guilty. A great range of presentations and events through the year and many thanks to all who have been involved.
successful year for Catalyst Club, we have had a really enthusiastic group of Third and Fourth Formers regularly attending. Starting with the Art department teaching pupils about building with negative space, where they each created their own 3D structure. Professor John Bryant delivered talks on God and the big bang theory for the Religious Studies department. We ended the autumn term with a Christmas quiz organised by Dr Cortese. In the spring term we had talks from the Economics and English departments, where Mr Mackintosh explained how we all affect the economy, and Mrs Ridler-Murray talked about increasing tension and suspense in our writing. We ended the term with a session from the DT department, using Photoshop to design layers on pictures. The year finished with Mrs Shrubb taking us on an archaeological discovery into the eruption of Vesuvius. All the pupils have been stretched and challenged and have had some fun activities to engage in. A huge thank you to all the teachers and speakers who gave up their time to help make it a success.
COMETS CLUB
By MISS ROBINSON
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his year has delivered an array of Comets Club events for Lower Two and Upper Two children, both in the Junior and Senior School. Events have covered skills in creative writing, philosophy, thinking skills, Art, Physics, Computer Science and Drama. Comets Club provides fun and challenging events that aim to stretch thinking and fire the imagination in academic subjects. During the spring term, Mrs Morgan led a very popular Computer Science session. Pupils were challenged to build, wire and then programme a robot that would move around the room. Miss Booth and Mrs Johnson helped the children focus on their thinking skills during the ‘Mindset Heroes’ session, in which the pupils considered what it means to have a growth mindset. Groups were challenged to construct an ‘egg-achute’ in order to safely transport a real egg to the playground from a first floor window. They worked together to select the best materials to create their preferred design and much excitement was evident as we counted down to each launch. A very exciting and eventful year for Comets Club.
BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
Budding friendships By MRS GOLDSWORTHY
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pper Two pupils love looking after our newest children and enjoy taking on the responsibilities of being a buddy to the new Form One children. Our children remember what it was like to be new to the school and they love helping the younger children and encouraging them as they start their new school. It helps Exeter Junior School feel like a big family. It is always a special time in House meetings when the new children meet their buddies for the first time. They immediately seem to bond and chat away, sharing thoughts and fun. The buddies lunch together several times during the year. We also plan other activities so the children can get to know each other better. It is a privilege watching Form One develop their relationships with their buddies. Experience has shown us that this special relationship often carries on into Senior School as past buddies connect again with each other.
A TRIAL WITH TECHNOLOGY By MRS CHEESMAN
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he Lower Two Careers Morning had an ICT and Computer Science theme, with pupils experiencing activities including encryption and stop-motion filming. We welcomed Emma Hupertz, Paul Turner and Emma Stannard from Cosmic to learn about stop-motion filming. Head of Computer
Science Ms Pinches worked with pupils on encryption and Mrs Goldsworthy ran a careers quiz that looked at which skills are useful for what jobs. This fun event is part of Exeter School’s wider strategy for preparing pupils for their next steps. The event showcased the importance of technology in today’s world of work and the need for transferrable skills, beyond just the academic.
LIFE SKILLS EVENT are reminded about internet safety and they guess how much sugar there is in some of the staples of our diet. Upper his special PSHE event highlights Two really enjoyed the afternoon this the work of the police and fire year, and it reminded them of so many services, and schools are invited things they have learnt in school this to participate. We always go with Upper year. Two, because there is a wonderful The highlight of the tour is usually series of workshops that enhance the when the fire brigade show how PSHE programme of our school. The hot a chip pan fire can get and they children understand what happens demonstrate the effects of putting when someone makes pranks calls, they water on top of it. Unfortunately, it was have a talk by the coast guard, they look too windy this year for this eye-opening at electrical safety in the home, they event.
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TEN MEDICAL OFFERS FOR MEDSOC By MR BODDINGTON
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edSoc has had another busy and successful year. 10 pupils have secured offers at their chosen university for either Medicine or Veterinary Science. This is the result of thorough preparation, hard work and a genuine interest in the profession over many years. Regular volunteering, work experience and a commitment to researching and understanding Medicine as a career is essential for success. MedSoc has had a very busy year with numerous speakers, including alumna Eline Caine (2001-2008), an MMI
practice morning with local medics and skills building exercises. The MedEXE event was a particular highlight in which pupils volunteer to present on a chosen area of interest to a large
audience. We look forward to another busy year next year with a large cohort of Lower Sixth pupils pursuing an application for Medicine.
MODEL BEHAVIOUR By SAM SCOUGALL-KNIGHT
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odel United Nations enables pupils to develop public speaking confidence and introduces them to politics and world development. Exeter School sends delegates to conferences across the South West and beyond, as well as welcoming participants from other schools by hosting its own conference in February. We interviewed delegate Yasmin Western from the Lower Sixth to get her take on the experience. What inspired you to get involved with Model United Nations? I have always enjoyed finding out
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about politics and current affairs, and so taking part in MUN seemed like a natural choice. What is the most rewarding aspect? Meeting new people and working with a wide variety of people is great, and standing up in front of 100 delegates to speak really boosts your confidence and public speaking skills. It is great when a resolution you have submitted is passed, it gives you a great sense of achievement! Which country have you represented and what topics did you debate? This year I represented Russia at the Exeter College Conference, and we debated the question of the use of child
soldiers in war zones and cyber warfare. I had to deny that Russia was involved in attacks relating to the US election! In terms of solutions to issues, what resolutions were passed? We passed a resolution calling for more thorough monitoring of the child soldier situation in Africa, and called upon international partners to help rehabilitate former child soldiers. Why would you recommend pupils get involved in MUN? MUN is such a great opportunity to develop research skills, communications skills and, above all, confidence, all of which really helps to give you the edge in the jobs market.
BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
BRINGING THE HOUSE DOWN By MRS GOLDSWORTHY
T
he House Talent Show is a biannual event that promotes good feeling across the four Houses and an entertaining afternoon for the whole school to watch. It was judged by Mr Wood and Mrs Guthrie. Prior to the competition afternoon, which was very enjoyable and a great success, the House Captains and Mrs Goldsworthy judged the children to ensure that the best acts of each House went through. We were delighted to see so many varied acts. The chosen performers then went on to participate in two very entertaining shows. The finalists for Blake were Pietro Smith, dancing to Dynamite, and there was an unusual video entry from Amy Cornfield, who demonstrated her incredible ice skating skills. Performing for Gilbert were Jasmine Hardy, dancing a graceful ballet routine, while Benji Cooling, Abe Tamblyn and Seb CharltonAnne delighted us with an original performance based on Shackleton. Joshua Hwang displayed a fiery ‘pirate’ ability on the piano for Grenville, and Megan and Matthew Roberts stole the show dancing to The Charleston. Darcy Beau Heddon beautifully performed I am what I am for Scott House and her song was accompanied by a wonderful Powerpoint of Junior School photos. Toby Page, accompanying his lovely singing on the guitar, also performed for Scott House. During the interval, Katie McMurray performed a beautiful ballet routine, Emily Ahmad sang and played the piano wonderfully, Fran Jenner displayed her spectacular harp skills and Tom O’Connor entertained us on the cornet. The overall winners were Megan and Matthew Roberts, who were awarded the House talent cup for Grenville, as well as some Amazon vouchers. Darcy Beau Hedden was highly commended and also received an Amazon voucher.
It is clear that it’s now more important than ever to give pupils a voice By ALLEGRA LETTS
T
his year, Exeter School launched The Wellbeing Ambassadors’ Scheme, with a focus on addressing the maintenance of our pupils’ mental health. Advised by Deputy Head Mrs Fairweather, The Wellbeing Ambassadors meet every month or so to express any pressing matters, and discuss ways the school can help to improve the wellbeing of pupils. The aim is to let no child’s voice go unheard and take steps to prevent any challenges. We chatted to Mrs Fairweather to find out more. WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO SET UP THE WELLBEING AMBASSADORS’ SCHEME? “It is clear that it’s now more important than ever to give pupils a voice. All years of the Senior School have their own wellbeing student body, each with a different purpose. This has given the pupils the representation necessary to allow for the most impact on teachers and the school to facilitate their needs.”
The media has played a major part in the decrease in wellbeing universally, setting unrealistically high standards for pupils today that don’t reflect real life. Also, financial pressure from universities is on the rise, resulting in more overwhelmed pupils.” WHAT HAS THE SCHEME ACHIEVED SO FAR, AND WHAT ARE THE HOPES FOR ITS FUTURE? “The Wellbeing Ambassadors group of Middle Fifth pupils have focused on the importance of continuing the school’s PSHE programme throughout the Senior School. We have succeeded in our main aim to continue a PSHE programme onto Upper Fifth, a major achievement for the body. The scheme is also looking into training Upper Sixth as wellbeing mentors for lower years. Surveys by The Wellbeing Ambassadors’ Scheme have also brought about a stronger incentive for teachers to adapt their strategies in the classroom to improve pupils’ wellbeing.”
DO YOU THINK THE WELLBEING OF PUPILS HAS IMPROVED OR WORSENED OVER TIME? “I don’t think there’s been a huge change, but there is certainly an increase in awareness and information about mental health being circulated. This exposure has allowed pupils a greater understanding of their own mental health, and the causes have been evident in a survey composed by the Wellbeing Ambassadors recently. Of the Lower Sixth, 91% agreed that high expectations have meant more pressure, stress, and thus a decline in their own wellbeing. Still, other results have shown that pupils are more focused and optimistic about their exams than in previous years.
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INSPIRATIONAL TALKS outlook on inspiration, in that it connects the past and the future, handful of pupils and teachers becoming an arguably faced the challenge of writing and underappreciated presenting their own speeches, aspect of the human following the theme of inspiration condition in the process. for InspEXE 2017. There was a range On the brain by of different topics all discussing each presenter’s thoughts on inspiration, JESS WRIGHT from Daisy Hawkins’ talk on the Happy LOWER SIXTH Bags project to Mr Latimer reminiscing spoke about the about his singing career. Two pupils brain and associated have outlined their speeches for us. disorders, starting What is inspiration? with a horrific story by COSMO COISH LOWER SIXTH about a normal man called Charles Whitman. On 1 August 1960, Charles decided to discuss the qualities of Whitman shot 16 people dead and an inspirational individual, and how injured 31 at the University of Texas. these same qualities can be used Whitman was shot dead during the negatively, giving examples of Churchill incident and the following investigation and Hitler. Following this, I displayed found his wife and mother deceased in a survey which showed the extent to his apartment, whom he’d killed the which modern cultural figures such as night before. An autopsy found a small Mark Zuckerberg and Jeremy Corbyn tumour pressing against his amygdala, inspired our own Sixth Form pupils. a part of the brain controlling emotion It hopefully presented an insight into in Whitman’s case, aggression. each of their staying power, or lack On a different topic, I spoke about thereof. I concluded with a statement how autism affects approximately 1 in expressing a rather philosophical 68 children across the world. During a
By ALLEGRA LETTS
A
I
I
healthy infant’s first two years of life, 2 million new synapses per second are formed in an infant’s brain. After the age of two, up to 50% of these synapses are paired back and only the synapses that the child uses often remain. Recent brain studies show that in a child with autism, this pairing back of synapses does not occur as much and the child has an excess of synapses. This often leads to a larger than average sized brain. Some of the ongoing research includes using computer imaging to help people with autism learn to interpret different facial expressions.
Junior School public speaking competition By MRS PETTET
I
n December, Upper Two prepared a topic for our annual Exeter Junior School Public Speaking Competition. A winning team is picked from each Upper Two class and they present their arguments to a panel of judges consisting of Mr Griffin, Headmaster of the Senior School, Mrs Marks, Headmistress of the Junior School and Mr Brough, Head of Drama in the Senior School. The winning team went forward to represent the school in the Rotary Club’s Youth Speaks. Our team this year were Amy Cornfield, Chair, Lydia Brookes-Ferrari, Speaker, and Charlie Dicker, Vote of Thanks. “This has been one of the best things I have ever done,” said Amy. “It’s been a fantastic experience and I have grown so much in confidence.”
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BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
GIRLS INTO STEM DAY
By MRS METCALF
O
n Tuesday 14 November, four girls from Middle Fifth went to The Maynard School for a ‘Girls Into STEM Day.’ In the morning, we had a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) challenge to design an eco-home, that was swiftly followed by a talk by Dr Juliette Jackson about her role as an ambassador for Science and Engineering. We then had to be cyber detectives for the second challenge, cracking codes and using our maths and logic skills. After lunch, there was a talk by another STEM ambassador, Kate Purver, on her career as a structural engineer. We learnt about some amazing structures and buildings she has been involved in creating. We then completed our final challenge, to make a Trebuchet. Unfortunately, although our paper projectile made it over the wall, it did not go very far! At the end of the day, we were pleased to have won a prize for the best ‘Eco-Maths’ question sheet. We all had a really enjoyable day and would like to thank The Maynard School for organising and hosting the event. “My favourite part of the day was the challenge of building an eco friendly house using basic materials,” said Lexi Jellard. “I enjoyed learning new and interesting ways to build eco-friendly and sustainable houses to try to prevent global warming,” said Flora Gray. “I particularly enjoyed the challenge of the code breaking task,” said Eva Casey.
An important lesson Oświęcim was the first stop of the day after arriving in Poland. We observed the town, looking at the buildings and the square in which trading, n Tuesday 27 February 2018, entertainment and, above all, normal Daniel Wilcock and James Harris life took place. The two major parts had the unique opportunity to of Auschwitz concentration camp take part in the Holocaust Education followed; the first being what many Trust’s ‘Lessons from Auschwitz’ course. associate the Holocaust with – the This included two seminars, and a day’s containers of Zyklon B gas, and the visit to three sites in Poland – Oświęcim, mounds of shoes and suitcases. The final Auschwitz I and II. stop was in the second sector of the The first seminar was vital to break camp, where many of the victims were down the figures and to humanise killed. A potent sermon by a Jewish the Holocaust – this was done in Rabbi concluded the visit. The final small groups, with discussions about seminar wrapped up loose ends from stimulus cards of photos of normal the visit and provided advice on how life, and as a whole tour party. The to convey and spread the lessons from focal point of this tutorial was Mala what we’d experienced. Tribich. She recounted her personal We cannot stress the importance story of living through the genocide, of this trip, as it changed our view on having experienced two different what humanity is able to do. We would concentration camps, and her thoughts highly recommend the ‘Lessons from and reflections on it. Auschwitz’ project to everyone in the The thought-provoking visit to Poland Lower Sixth, an opportunity everyone made us change our preconceived must grasp if they are willing to delve ideas about what the Holocaust was. deeper than the history books.
By DANIEL WILCOCK and JAMES HARRIS LOWER SIXTH
O
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Shortlisted for national award beetles, to coyotes and giraffes. “Prizes were presented internally but we also encouraged pupils to he artwork of two Exeter School submit their entries into the national pupils has received recognition in competition. a prestigious national award. “We are delighted to hear that William and Lydia were shortlisted for William Dean and Lydia Brookeslast year’s competition. Well done to Ferrari’s biological specimen drawings everyone who took part.” made the shortlist of the Nancy 12-year-old William sketched a black Rothwell Competition. and yellow beetle. The national competition is an He said Art and Science were two of opportunity for pupils to combine his favourite subjects their artistic talents with detailed so the competition observations and anatomical was too good to miss. knowledge. “Drawing has Exeter School’s Art and Biology departments encouraged pupils to enter always been something I’ve the national competition run by the enjoyed in my spare Royal Society of Biology. time. I can’t resist Head of Biology Mrs Metcalf drawing animals said the Junior and Senior School when I have the combined to run an in-house version chance, especially of the competition with the same age if there’s an award categories: 7-11, 12-14 and 15-18. “We had a number of entries, which spanned involved!” said from pupils in Form One to Lower William. “One of Fifth, with a lovely variety of specimen my dream jobs is to drawings: from flower structures and be a famous artist
By MRS HARDY
T
that can draw landscapes or animals perfectly and to be known around the world!” 10-year-old Lydia made a watercolour study of a corn snake after looking after the school’s corn snake over the holidays. “I really enjoyed combining my love of Art and Science and researching the anatomy of a snake,” she said. “I hope to be a vet when I am older and this was an ideal opportunity to study an animal up close.”
WE THE CURIOUS
By MRS HARDY
F
orm One and Upper One were tantalised by the marvels at ‘We The Curious’ in Bristol on Monday 2 July. Our pupils conducted themselves admirably and asked many questions. They thought creatively and tested out the many experiments and stations they visited. Our focus for the day was exploring the creative and technical aspects of animation. From storyboarding to sound effects and music, our pupils enjoyed writing,
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directing and premiering their own short stop-motion animation and gained an understanding of the skills involved. William Ogilvie from Form One said: “I really enjoyed bringing my storyboard to life with the props and camera. It was such good fun!” For those pupils who developed a taste for animation, you can download the free app Stop Motion Studio to create your own animations. Many pupils plan to do so over the summer holidays to share with us in school in September.
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THE EXONIAN 2018
SENIOR SCHOOL RUGBY RESULTS P
W
L
D
1st XV
14
10
3
1
2nd XV
11
6
5
0
U16A
9
5
4
0
U15A
14
10
4
0
U15B
5
1
3
1
U14A
12
2
10
0
U13A
13
6
7
0
U13B
7
2
4
1
U12A
13
9
4
0
U12B
7
5
1
1
1st XV report by TOM HUBBLE (team captain)
T
he 1st XV rugby season started on a high note with a number of training sessions before our first annual match against Crediton RFC. Standards were set from the start with a convincing 48-8 win, which gave us good momentum into our run of fixtures in the first half of term.
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After some fluid “Despite having a smaller team opposition saw a than most, we managed to play in the first 24-12 loss, with set of games, discipline the overcome the disadvantage by claiming notable using our fitness, speed and skill.” deciding factor. The wins against end of the season’s Wellington first half was TOM KILMARTIN, U15A School and positive however, QEH Bristol, we came across a tough with seven wins from eight and a great opposition in Plymouth College. start in the National Cup, setting a This hard-fought fixture displayed high standard for the team to follow. some characteristically excellent The third round of the NatWest Cup defence from Exeter, denying followed against Ivybridge College. Plymouth for long passages of the Some inspirational defence was game. Unfortunately, a well-drilled displayed in this physical fixture and
SPORT
HEADLINES OF THE SEASON 1st XV reach the last 32 of the National Cup U15A XV make the Regional Final of the County Cup, losing out to Uffculme School Alfie Raynor, Oscar Stewart and Harry Emmett (all Upper Fifth) make the Devon U16 Squad Tom Kilmartin, Joe Sampson (U15) and Woody Powderley Turner (U14) make the Exeter Chiefs DPP (Devon Developing Player Programme) squads Plenty of players represented East Devon at U15 and U14
DESCRIBE THE TEAM IN 3 WORDS: “Determined, strong, courageous.”
GEORGE HOBBS, U15B
DESCRIBE THE TEAM IN 3 WORDS: “Strong, confident, tactical.”
JOE PINNER-POUSTIE, U12B
all players stepped up to the mark two out of the three. For many of the boys our final home game against for a tight game, which ended with King’s College was a major highlight. A a 12-0 loss. Despite the score, this hard-hitting game with some graceful fixture stood out as one of our best passages of play ended in a 21-7 performances of the season due to victory. This successful season ended the high standard of rugby played. In with 10 wins and our final stages a draw out of 14 of the season, we “The highlight of our season was games. came across three during a match against Queen Some younger different Taunton Elizabeth’s School. Our team sides. We saw showed great resilience, managing members of the team really great character in to achieve a great comeback.” progressed, and it these games, home was great to see and away, winning HUGO HEPBURN, U12A
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THE EXONIAN 2018 Tom Watkinson and Alfie Raynor make excellent contributions to the side. I hope their performances in later years inspire other squad “Despite a tough encounter against King’s Ottery in the semi-final of the cup, the team managed a comeback, achieving a win in the end.”
TOM KILMARTIN, U15A members to follow suit. For the older players, many excelled in their final season for Exeter School: Jacob MacLellan, Rory Haddow, Isaac Tudge and Robin Edbrooke (all Upper Sixth) all displayed their fine ability throughout the season. However, the success of the 1st XV cannot only be down to the players, but also the coaching staff. A special mention and thanks must go to Mr Willson and Mr Ross, who both worked tirelessly throughout the season, on both training and match days, maintaining our high standards in rugby.
Rugby Sevens By MR ROSS
T
his year has seen the next step of progression in Rugby Sevens at Exeter School, with three different age groups playing in tournaments from January to March. Unfortunately, we lost two tournaments to the weather the Exeter Festival and Colston’s - but hope to play them next year. The 1st VII saw 20 different players represent the school, developing their individual skills and gaining experience in a different game. Each competition was very tough, playing against the top schools in the country, including Millfield, Blundell’s
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and Bryanston. Although the results didn’t go our way, the chance to build as a school was invaluable and will only benefit our teams next year, proven by the team winning the bowl at the West of England tournament. The U16s were only able to play one of their three tournaments in the end due to the weather and a clash with club fixtures, but learnt quickly and finished against Plymouth College with a polished performance to run in several tries. They will bring a good energy to the senior side next year when they make the step up. The U15s took part in the East Devon tournament, where a gruelling schedule
saw them play six games in the space of a few hours. They battled their way through the group, showing glimpses of what they were capable of when they played proper sevens, but struggled to stay consistent in this regard, making the matches more difficult than they could’ve been. However, good wins against Cullompton, Clyst Vale, The King’s School and Axe Valley saw them come second in the group and reach the semi-final of the tournament. Unfortunately, fatigue and a dwindling squad played its role and this was the end of the road. Looking ahead, they will reap the benefits of this practice and will be ready to push on further.
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JUNIOR SCHOOL RUGBY RESULTS P
W
L
D
U11A
13
9
3
1
U11B
4
2
1
1
U11C
1
0
1
0
U10A
13
9
2
2
U10B
3
1
0
2
U9A
18
6
10
2
U9B
4
2
2
0
U11A report by MR PIDWELL
T
he U11A team got off to a very good start with a strong performance at the Plymouth U11A tournament. Exeter won three out of their four matches and only narrowly lost by one try to the eventual tournament winners. Comprehensive wins against Cathedral and Wellington were then followed by a hard fought win against a very well drilled and skilful Queen’s College Taunton side. In rain and wind, the boys then had another win against a
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FUN “Some NIEST MOME b NT? pitch w ody running onto t ithout h put th rememberin e eir boo g to ts on!” R
ORY CL ARKE, U brave 10A West Buckland side. Next came the big block fixture against the touring King Edward’s School, Bath. Over the years, this has been one of the most competitive fixtures, with KESB always providing excellent competition. The boys played hard, but were narrowly defeated by a side that was just too good for them on the day. Exeter then fought extremely hard in another very physical encounter with local opposition Bramdean. Both teams played with great enthusiasm and
gusto. The match was a draw, but rugby was the winner – an extremely exciting match to watch. A slightly understrength Exeter then played Plymouth College and were beaten despite equalising at half time. The boys picked themselves up, despite missing their talisman-like captain, fought hard, and achieved a very memorable win over Blundell’s. This was an excellent team performance. Finally, a strong win against a very good Stover side meant that the boys finished their season in winning style. Throughout the season, the whole team played extremely well and it was
SPORT
HEADLINES OF THE SEASON U8s had an enjoyable year with 5 games Colours: Oliver Adams, Jamie McMurray, Dominic Neagle, Beau Piggott Gill, Matthew Roberts and Lenny Tucker Winners of House Competition: Gilbert
“W but e fall ou w and e for t som g pas mov ive e etim es t to e on ach bet fro othe JAC m ter r OB thi the ngs HA RDY .”
, U9
A
Player of the Year, Kilmartin Cup: Beau Piggott Gill
very rewarding to watch the many hours of practice, both in school and out, reap rewards. The team passed and moved well, fought hard at the breakdown and made intelligent choices. I was also hugely impressed with the team’s DESCRIBE TH E TEAM IN 3 W ORDS: “Strong, con fident, nice.”
tackling and rock solid defence. All the boys can be very proud of themselves. They have trained and played hard, had a great season, and with the full starting line-up, the team was excellent. While injury or sickness made one or two key games difficult, all the boys played up and this competitive spirit was no more evident than in the great win against Blundell’s.
“We were su pportive and congratulate d each other after each m atch.”
GUS LOVELL,
U10B
I am extremely proud of the dedication, skill and enthusiasm this year’s U11 players have brought to their season. Well done to each and every one of them.
OLLIE JOHNSO
N, U9B
un ear d a mm ing, r tea of the w le u o f o e ho “One n the sid st the w ” dow ng almo re a try. i 1B runn ch to sco S, U1 N I t i B p B
T-RO
T
COT OM S
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SENIOR SCHOOL GIRLS’ HOCKEY RESULTS P
W
L
D
1st XI
15
4
11
0
2nd XI
12
3
7
2
3rd XI
10
5
4
1
U15A
9
2
6
1
U15B
3
1
2
0
U14A
12
10
2
0
U14B
8
7
0
1
Lauren Hughes has been selected to play for the UK Lions
U13A
12
3
2
7
U13B
11
4
4
3
Indoor competition in December with both the U18 team and U16 team representing Devon at the West Finals
U12A
9
5
1
3
U12B
8
6
2
0
Girls’ 1st XI report by OLIVIA ZIEGLER-EVANS (team captain)
T
he 1st XI were in for a big surprise with two preseason training sessions, two competitive matches and a tournament in the first week back after the summer holidays. After realising fitness levels were at an all-time low and we actually wanted to win a game this season, we had to turn ourselves around. Our first win was against Plymouth College,
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HEADLINES OF THE SEASON - GIRLS 17 teams played over 112 fixtures U16 XI played in the county competition U18 XI girls represented Devon in the West Preliminary Finals
Individual success in the England Hockey pathway includes: Emily Tudge, Emma Corney, Lauren Hughes, Issy Rutter, Grace Jury and Amelia Richards which boosted team confidence and showed a greater connection within the team. A narrow win against West “Throughout the season, we became increasingly supportive of one another, which helped us to improve as a team.”
EMILY GOODISON, U13 Buckland followed, which showed some stronger players, including Sophie Walker in defence and Anna Johannson upfront. The Devon Finals in October were the highlight of the
season, as we progressed through our group stage without conceding a goal, thanks to Mollie Tettenborn’s exceptional play as goalie. This placed us in good standing for the semi-finals, allowing a win, putting us through to the finals. A competitive game against Exeter College left the score on 0-0 at full-time, leading to penalty flicks, which Exeter College narrowly won, placing us second in Devon. Top goal scorer of the tournament was Harriet Milner, with five goals. The team went on to the West Preliminary round in Canford, losing three matches. Overall the 1st XI had a positive season with
SPORT lots of progress, development of skills and strong teamwork across three year groups.
Girls’ 2nd XI report by SOPHIE GIBBINS (team captain)
T
he 2nd XI have shown great team spirit during a tough but enjoyable season, with a large squad consisting of players from Upper Fifth to Upper Sixth. After a couple of unfortunate losses the team managed to secure a comfortable 3-0 win against West Buckland with Tilly Thomas scoring two goals. It was an exciting game and the players showed great determination, working together skilfully. With a couple of draws and narrow losses, where the score line perhaps didn’t reflect the level of play, the team was keen for a win. After losing 1-0 to Queen’s College, with
“Our greatest achievement was when we came 2nd in the Devon Hockey Finals and qualified for the West Finals. Our minibus singing will not be forgotten!”
LAUREN HUGHES, U14
“Great turnout to Thursday training ensured we grew stronger as a team and allowed us to practise key skills that we all needed to work on.”
JESS WRIGHT, 3RD XI CAPTAIN the goal being scored in the last 30 seconds of play, everyone was fired up and ready to give it their all at our penultimate match away at Plymouth College. Our enthusiasm paid off, managing a 4-1 win and we carried our energy through to our final match against a strong Wellington side. Unfortunately we were unable to finish on a win but ended the season working cohesively as a team and showing great improvement from the start of the season. Our goalie Tegan Murphy has had a fantastic season, showing great consistency and some outstanding saves. With several strong young players I believe this team has great potential and will only continue to improve. The girls would like to thank Mr Jones for his unfaltering enthusiasm in coaching us and commitment to the team. There is no doubt that he has made this a memorable season for everyone.
“With the help of Miss Lunn keeping us energised, we managed to dig deep when we were tired and play our best.”
LILYMAY GIRVIN, U15
DESCRIBE THE TEAM IN 3 WORDS: “Determined, supportive and courageous.”
EMILY GOODISON, U13
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“The move to full pitch was great fun – loads of new positions to play in. The B team had a difficult year but Mr Lowles helped to keep our spirits up!”
U14s
DESCRIBE THE TEAM IN 3 WORDS:
“Fun, buzzing, legends!”
U12s
HEADLINES OF THE SEASON - BOYS U18 National Plate – last 32 nationally U16 Devon Champions U14 Devon Runners Up U13 Devon finished 4th Ben Crocker and Will Silver (Upper Sixth) played in the National Hockey League for Isca Hockey Club
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By MR JONES
T
his season has been hard to manage with weather affecting some of our fixtures. We still managed to ensure large numbers of boys participated in competitive fixtures throughout all of the age groups. We take great pride in being able to give pupils exposure to team sport and have the philosophy that we will continue to build our participation base in order to give us the biggest pool of talent to choose from at the top end. Our aim in the Games sessions has been to develop the hand-eye coordination of our lower ability players. The after
school sessions are aimed at those looking to take their skills further, aiming at more elite level sport. Our Upper Sixth Sports Leaders have contributed to the coaching group, often being asked to lead the Under 12s sessions under the guidance of staff.
T
1ST AND 2ND XI he 1st XI’s season was disrupted somewhat by the wintery conditions! Through nine fixtures, they managed to win 4, draw 1 and lose 4. It was a great achievement to reach the last 32 of the National Plate after victories against Monkton Combe and Clayesmore. Couple this with some pleasing victories on the weekends against Blundell’s, Charterhouse and
SPORT
HOW HAS THE TEAM WORKED WELL TOGETHER?
“We grew from playing in the Third Form together and have developed a much more powerful style. Training was great fun!”
U13s SENIOR SCHOOL BOYS’ HOCKEY RESULTS
West Buckland, and the season starts to look particularly impressive. The fixture against King’s College was a great highlight of the calendar, played in blizzard conditions – it will certainly live long in the memory, if only for the frozen fingers! We say goodbye to six pupils that have played in their Upper Sixth year, with several having played three full seasons of 1st XI hockey. They have been integral in bringing the younger players through, helping to guide them through a very challenging fixture card. The 1st and 2nd XI have had some great success this season with some very mature and thoughtful players filling the squads. They have surpassed our expectations with the way they
approach their fixtures, especially in the cup competitions. It has highlighted the importance of the whole team, rather than several talented players – everyone has played a part in the success. Ben Crocker and Will Silver, two of our Upper Sixth pupils, have played in the National Hockey League for Isca Hockey Club – this is one level below the top league in the country.
T U16
he U16 Devon Tournament saw our teams fly through the group stage – winning their matches. The final saw a confident performance from the boys, seeing off Blundell’s with flair.
P
W
L
D
1st XI
9
4
4
1
2nd XI
6
0
5
1
U15A
6
4
1
1
U15B
3
2
0
1
U14A
10
1
7
2
U14B
5
1
4
0
U13A
8
3
4
1
U13B
8
4
2
2
U12A
7
5
1
1
U12B
7
3
3
1
IF YOU COULD REPEAT THE SEASON, WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY?
“Play more games! With the crazy weather and other things, we struggled to get the matches in! Smash the opposition – we were better than other teams but didn’t quite manage to show it enough.”
U15s
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“We communicated well and worked very well in defence.” ALEX FREEMANTLE U9B
DESCRIBE THE TEAM IN 3 WORDS: “Funny,
enthusiastic, kind.” BEATRICE HUGHES U9A
“A defining moment was definitely when we came third in the tournament!” YASMIN BROWN U10A
JUNIOR SCHOOL
JUNIOR SCHOOL GIRLS’ HOCKEY RESULTS P
W
D
L
U11A
23
14
4
5
U11B
10
4
4
2
U11C
3
2
1
0
U10A
17
10
3
4
U10B
9
5
3
1
U9A
17
6
3
8
U9B
7
3
0
4
U8A
2
1
1
0
U8B
1
0
0
1
U11A report by MRS GIMBER
T
he U11A team has had a really pleasing season. Despite a shaky start against Queen’s College, the girls showed great determination and resilience to improve their skills, patterns of play and strength in tackling and defence, and frequently created goal scoring opportunities, converting many of these to fantastic goals. The team scored a total of 49 goals in matches and tournaments,
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HEADLINES OF THE SEASON - GIRLS Colours: Katy Farmer, Sophie Brennan and Amy Cornfield U11A won the EJS U11 Tournament and were runners-up in the Devon U11 Tournament The U8 girls played in many of the U9 matches only conceding 13! Three tournaments saw three outstanding performances. The team played very confidently to reach the semi-finals of the Queen’s Tournament, only losing by one goal to a strong Surrey side. In our Exeter Junior School Tournament, the team won all their matches to win the tournament and were delighted with their gold medals. Captain Katy Farmer takes up the story of the Devon Tournament: “All of our team played amazingly well in the Devon Tournament. We won
“We sing songs on the bus to matches, which makes everyone laugh.” AMY DENNIS U11B
all of our group games convincingly, including Mount Kelly in the semi-final 2-0. Although we lost 0-1 to Plymouth in the final, we were excited to go on to represent Devon in the West Finals!” Despite showing brilliant passing and possession skills at the West Finals in March, it was just one of those days when not many goals were scored. The girls have been a delight to coach and I am very proud of their performance this season.
SPORT
“Our team was very interactive, supportive and responded well to each other.” SIDNEY GENTLE U11B
By MR BLAND
T
HEADLINES OF THE SEASON - BOYS
he U11A team had a reasonable measure of Colours: Matthew Roberts and Oliver Gribble success, with some DESCRIBE THE very good hockey played TEAM IN 3 WORDS: Boys’ House Hockey winners: Grenville at times. Unfortunately, “Amazing, inconsistency and outstanding, not moving the ball awesome!” JUNIOR SCHOOL BOYS’ quickly or hard enough year, with their forthright OLIVER often proved to be and attacking style of play HOCKEY RESULTS ROCHESTER, their undoing against bringing much success. U10A P W D the stronger sides. This More work will be required said, Matthew Roberts was on improving and refining 14 6 3 an excellent captain, working close ball skills next year, but their U11A purposefully to keep things moving impressive win stats and huge goal 6 2 1 down the right channel and he deserved differences were very encouraging. U11B more success for his endeavours and Hockey captain Matthew Roberts’ skills shown. Oliver Gribble provided 1 0 0 thoughts: “I really enjoyed our matches U11C much of the drive in attack, with over the season, particularly our Freddie Cockram, brought in part impressive 8–2 win against close rivals 7 6 0 U10A way through the season, adding extra St Peter’s, Lympstone. stability and support on the left. Beau We played really 6 3 3 U10B Piggott Gill had a busy season in goal well as a team “Our team and deserves credit for keeping us in and also saw an 2 0 0 U9A worked really the game on a number of occasions. army helicopter well together.” U10A were the stand-out team this land!” 2 0 2 U9B JAKE DUNSTAN, U10B
L 5 3 1 1 0 2 0
“The funniest moment: when an opposition player thought he had a goal, but the ball was taken and he didn’t notice!” JAMES O’CONNELL U9A
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THE EXONIAN 2018
Football
SENIOR SCHOOL FOOTBALL RESULTS P
W
D
L
1st XI
9
3
1
5
2nd XI
2
2
0
0
Coming off with a 3-2 victory against King’s Taunton meant we ended the first half of the season on a high. Next saw the school’s first home he football season started away football match in as long as anyone at Colyton. Despite a 5-2 loss, by can remember. The team, and Mr the second half it was clear to Ashman especially, were very excited see that we had started to mould into a about this opportunity! Additions to team. Teignmouth Community College the team in Charlie Pullen and Angus was next; this game was one of those we Harris aided the team to a 3-1 victory really should have put to bed within the first half. Yet missed opportunities (and DESCRIBE THE TEAM IN 3 WORDS: a George Halse missed penalty!) meant “Barcelona-esque, we only managed to draw 1-1. Our dominant, inspired.” following game against Woodroffe is always very challenging. We dominated PAUL ROBERTS almost all of the game and going into 2ND XI CAPTAIN the final 10 minutes 1-0 up, it looked like we had the win. However, two quick goals by the opposition denied us of the against Shebbear. King’s Ottery was a first win of the season. Our last game game played on astro, posing a different before the Christmas break was hardset of challenges. This did not stop fought and the boys showed real grit. Charlie Pullen, however, who bagged a hat-trick. Unfortunately this was not enough, as we lost 4-3. Now we entered “In almost all games we were the business end of the season, our ISCA able to string passes together League matches. Due to a cancelled and control play. There was Taunton game, Blundell’s at home great chemistry within the was our first game of the campaign. team. Football is a game where Winning 5-0, the team really did put this is very important, and I together the complete performance and believe we succeeded at this.” it was certainly the high point of the season. The win could not be replicated GEORGE HALSE against Wellington though where, on a 1ST XI CAPTAIN waterlogged pitch, we lost 2-0. Another game against King’s Taunton had to be
Boys’ 1st XI and 2nd XI reports by GEORGE HALSE (1st XI captain)
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DESCRIBE THE TEAM IN 3 WORDS:
“Classy, committed, unlucky.”
GEORGE HALSE
1ST XI CAPTAIN
cancelled due to the snow. We ended up finishing second in the league. The 1st XI could not rival the 2nd XI’s success as they gained a 100% win ratio, thereby winning the Isca Combination Shield for the first time. Led by their captain Paul Roberts, the 2nd XI had no trouble scoring goals and winning matches! Although the season was plagued with losses, often the 1st XI did not deserve to lose. Despite lacking the ability to put the game to bed, we were often the team controlling possession, and playing the fluent football. Thanks goes to our coaches Mr Ashman and Mr Charters for their commitment and good humour over the course of the season! “The team managed some nice tiki-taka play in the build up to most of our goals, but also performed a very tight defensive unit when under pressure from the opposition.”
PAUL ROBERTS 2ND XI CAPTAIN
SPORT
JUNIOR SCHOOL
Football
DESCRIBE THE TEAM IN 3 WORDS:
By MR ASHMAN
T
he U11A team had a busy season: 22 matches were played, including those in tournaments. The bulk of the coaching was done before Christmas and the group worked hard at individual and collective skill development. As ever, the tournaments were the focal point of the season. The highlight was a very impressive set of performances in the Exeter and East Devon round of the Danone Cup at the end of November. The boys won all five matches against local primary schools and didn’t concede a goal. Captain Lenny Tucker discusses some of the more notable features of the season: “The tournament at West Exe was the highlight of the season, as we worked really well as a team. We also really enjoyed the Exeter Junior School Tournament, as we played five matches without a break. If we lost a match, we soon had the chance to put things right in the next match!” JUNIOR SCHOOL FOOTBALL RESULTS P
W
D
L
U11A
22
9
3
10
U11B
7
3
0
4
U10A
3
1
0
2
U10B
4
0
0
4
U9A
10
4
2
4
U9B
3
2
1
0
U8A
5
3
0
2
“Hard-working, humble, strong.” TOM BYRNE, U10A
DESCRIBE THE TEAM IN 3 WORDS:
“Talented, enthusiastic, motivated.”
CHARLIE BRAUER, U11B
“I think we should work on our cross passing and making our passes longer and more powerful.” ALEX WREFORD, U10B
HEADLINES OF THE SEASON - JUNIOR
“We scored a few good goals, managed excellent assists and passing.” EUAN JONES, U9B
Win %: 22 out of 54 = 41% Participation %: 88 out of 113 boys in school = 78% Winners of ESFA Primary Schools Cup (Exeter & East Devon) Colours = Lenny Tucker, Oliver Gribble Winners of House Competition = Gilbert
exeterschool.org.uk | 139
THE EXONIAN 2018
Netball
“We worked well together because we knew our strengths and weaknesses, and worked together to improve these.”
IZZY TRELAWNY U13A
DESCRIBE THE TEAM IN 3 WORDS:
“Competitive, excitable, energetic. ”
BETSY HALE U12A
SENIOR SCHOOL NETBALL RESULTS
“Despite losses we kept positivity as its highest and encouraged each other throughout.”
KAREENA PANDIT U14B
By MISS CARTER
C
ongratulations to all the girls that have played this year. Our successful year is reflected in the results, despite the weather’s best attempts to halt play. Only the U12 end of season tournament took place, as the other age groups were cancelled due to the snow - well done to the U12 team for winning its tournament. Mahala Prince-Jones continues to train with the U16 County Academy and has been selected to train with the Team Bath Netball Futures programme, while Lauren Hughes and Sophie Maund train with the U14 Satellite Academy. The senior girls have had a successful season and we have been able to field
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four strong teams. The shooters have scored an impressive 470 goals and defence have only let in 298. I would like to thank Harriet Milner and Amy Dixie for their support captaining the first team and to all the leavers for their hard work over the years. My thanks go to all the girls for their commitment and dedication to training and fixtures. Thank you also to all the netball staff for their continued efforts and to Mrs Stewart, Mrs Culley and Mrs Marsh for their involvement in coaching the senior teams. “We’ve communicated well and been supportive as a team.”
JESS MASON U15B
P
W
L
D
1st VII
7
4
2
1
2nd VII
8
8
0
0
3rd VII
4
0
3
1
4th VII
3
1
2
0
U15A
5
4
1
0
U15B
3
0
3
0
U14A
10
7
3
0
U14B
7
4
3
0
U13A
8
3
5
0
U13B
6
4
2
0
U12A
8
3
5
0
U12B
5
5
0
0
SPORT
JUNIOR SCHOOL
Netball
determination, was the 13-10 victory against Plymouth College. Our team was 2-5 down after the first quarter but he U11A netball team performed showed great composure to gradually extremely well this season, turn the game around. winning nine and only losing two Unfortunately, our own Exeter Junior out of 11 normal matches. One loss was School U11 Netball Tournament had to a narrow one to Taunton in the first be cancelled due to very wet weather, match and the other to Queen’s, who but perhaps the highlight of the season were exceptionally strong this year. was the success of the U11A team at the Our players were very athletic, Millfield Tournament. Our U11 netball dedicated, enthusiastic and trained captain Sophie Brennan tells the story: very hard to improve their skills and “Our team played brilliantly in our teamwork. Special credit must go to group matches, beating The Downs our shooters, Sophie Brennan and 5-2, Port Regis 4-3 and drawing with Phoebe Redfern, who practised Millfield 4-4. This earned us a place in with great dedication to become the semi-final against Taunton School. very consistent. Nell Smith We were worried as we had lost to showed great agility at them in our first match but we knew Centre. how they played now and we played There were many fantastically to win 7-0! In the final, we convincing wins, did lose to Queen’s 2-6, but we were so including The Maynard pleased to be runners up. Amy Dennis School 22-2 and Exeter shone at Goal Defence and played so Cathedral 20-4. One well. She started off in the B team but very memorable was so good she went up to the A team.” match, which The U11A team players were demonstrated delighted to receive their silver medals. the players’ The players were a joy to coach and resilience and show much promise for the future.
By MRS GIMBER
T
JUNIOR SCHOOL NETBALL RESULTS P
W
L
D
U11A
16
12
3
1
U11B
11
8
3
0
U11C
3
3
0
0
U10A
12
11
0
1
U10B
5
5
0
0
U10C
1
1
0
0
U9A
9
4
5
0
U9B
5
1
4
0
U8A
2
1
1
0
U8B
1
1
0
0
exeterschool.org.uk | 141
THE EXONIAN 2018
Cricket
SENIOR SCHOOL CRICKET RESULTS
A thank you has to go to Ben Abrahams, Ben Hayes and George Halse, who leave the school having been first espite losing the first week to team stalwarts for three years. Captain downpours, the majority of the Jamie Khan, who worked tirelessly on season has seen play on sunbaked and off the pitch, has made an even wickets and fast outfields. The school bigger contribution. His good humour has played 71 fixtures, winning 47 – a and inclusive captaincy enabled the win percentage of 66%. squad to not only perform well, but also The first XI played either side of the enjoy each other’s company. exam period and in early matches the In the county cup campaign the U15 side struggled to get fluency with the team reached the semifinal stage, while bat and consistency with the ball. A the U14 and U12 teams played well to nailbiting run chase against the Devon get to the county final, but were edged Dumplings saw them fall only two runs out in tense matches. The U13 team led the way winning the County Cup after short of the Dumplings’ 205. a dominant performance in the final A match against Queen’s saw one of against Torquay Boys’ Grammar School. the best performances of the season. It has been particularly pleasing this Against a strong Queen’s batting lineup, the bowlers bowled with discipline and season to see girls’ cricket teams at U12, U13 and U14 age groups. The girls forced false shots from the Queen’s have worked hard on improving their batsmen. Ben Abrahams and James Horler put up gritty resistance with the understanding of the game and wins bat against some pacey bowling to guide against Wellington, Plymouth College and Blundell’s have shown real promise the side to victory. for the future. Post-exams, the team switched between formats with good T20 wins against West Buckland, Mount Kelly and the Old Exonians, as well as some longer format games against Haberdashers Askes and the MCC, in which the team chased an imposing 243 runs, finishing the game with a well-earnt draw. The game of the season was undoubtedly against Haberdashers, who tour the South West annually with a well-drilled and disciplined team. Ben Hayes and Sam Corney proved unplayable with the ball, bowling Haberdashers out for 98 runs. In his last home game on the first team, three years on from becoming a regular first team player, Ben Hayes secured his best bowling figures of 5 for 26.
By MR MASON
D
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P
W
L
D
1st
10
5
4
1
2nd
2
1
1
0
U15A
9
5
4
0
U15/ 14B
1
0
1
0
U14A
10
6
4
0
U13A
11
10
1
0
U13/ U12B
5
4
1
0
U12A
9
6
3
0
U12B
2
2
0
0
Girls U14
2
1
1
0
Girls U13
7
4
3
0
Girls U12
3
3
0
0
SPORT
Cricket JUNIOR SCHOOL BOYS
JUNIOR SCHOOL BOYS’ CRICKET RESULTS P
W
L
D
U11A
13
12
1
0
U11B
4
3
1
0
U10A
7
5
2
0
U10B
4
2
2
0
U9A
6
3
3
0
U9B
5
2
3
0
U8A
2
1
1
0
HEADLINES OF THE SEASON - JUNIOR CRICKET BOYS
years. The West Region Finals took place at King’s College, Taunton. Played By MR ASHMAN in a similar round-robin format, we fell just short of gaining a place in the ne of the driest summers in recent National Finals with a defeat against times made for a busy, eventful a very accomplished Taunton Prep. and enjoyable season. We won However, the boys can take great credit all of our regular fixtures, although for three excellent wins against the the cancelled fixture against Blundell’s other regional qualifiers. meant that we missed out on an early For the first time, we rounded off the season challenge, which the boys would season with a match against a touring have benefitted from. However, as side, Magdalen College Junior School. A has been the case so often in the past, fantastic game ensued and it ended up the true quality of the side was seen being the highlight of the season. in its performances in the Saracens Our captain Oliver Gribble takes up Cup, a national hardball competition, the story: “A 25 over game against conducted in a pairs format. the touring side meant that there was With qualification for the Devon no retiring on 30, so it gave people Hardball Finals assured by means of a chance to get higher totals while a victory against West Buckland, we batting. It also meant players would be were delighted to host the county able to bowl more than the usual four finals once again. The boys performed overs. We sealed the win with three with great skill to comfortably beat overs to go, with Ben West hitting the Blackpool Primary, Mount Kelly, West winning runs and Jamie McMurray at Buckland and Trinity to become Devon the non-striker’s end.” A memorable champions for the fourth time in five end to another very productive season!
O
Winners of U11 Devon Hardball Finals • Runners-up of U11 West Region Hardball Finals Colours: Oliver Gribble, Lenny Tucker, Freddie Cockram, Matthew Roberts Batting Cup: Freddie Cockram Bowling Cup: Oliver Gribble Winners of House Competition: Grenville Representative Honours (Devon U11): Oliver Gribble, Beau Piggott Gill
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THE EXONIAN 2018 JUNIOR SCHOOL GIRLS’ CRICKET RESULTS P
W
L
U11A
3
2
1
U11B
3
2
1
JUNIOR SCHOOL GIRLS By MRS PARKIN
T
he girls have worked really hard at their cricket skills this term. I am pleased that a regular group of 30 girls practise on Tuesday evenings. It has been a pleasure for Mrs Morgan and I to see both Lower Two and Upper Two girls work on improving their bowling and learn to work with a batting partner and run between the wickets. We held a festival at Exeter School in June. Queen’s College and Wellington School came for a very enjoyable afternoon of pairs cricket. We played a round robin format with Exeter A winning two matches and Exeter B winning one. Further matches followed against
Millfield Prep, St Peter’s Prep and Mount Kelly. In the final two matches of the term, both teams bowled with confidence and some excellent running between the wickets ensured that they scored a lot of runs and secured superb wins to complete the cricket season. I am delighted that several girls are playing club cricket regularly. Letty Lovell has attended area and county training and played for East Devon and Devon. Cricket captain Nell Smith reports: “The highlight of the season was our
first fixture, the festival on our home ground. Although we did not get the results I had hoped for I know it was a great experience. The things we learnt at the festival set us up for the great results in the rest of our matches.”
Rounders season being a 34.5 – 5 win! Overall, both teams played really well while playing with great year of sport ended with good team spirit and a an unbeaten season of rounders determination to win. for both the A and B team, with Thanks to Miss Lunn for many solid wins. We have many strong helping to improve our hitters such as Poppy Parker, who is also team this year. a tight and consistent fielder. Catches and bowling by Lauren Brown and Izzy U14/U15 • By FREYA MUNSON Cortizo have been excellent this term. A brilliant win for both teams against and ISOBEL Uffculme, with the A team scoring an RUTTER amazing 30.5 - 6 and the B team having he U14 and U15 rounders teams a great win of 19.5 - 9.5. We have really have had considerable success improved in batting and fielding this this term. The U14s finished the year. Many thanks to the coaches and season unbeaten and the U15s had a staff. great win against Uffculme. Well done U13A/B • By ELUSHA GRIBBLE to everyone that has played and thank you to all the staff for taking fixtures and SUMMER HILL and training. he A team has played really well and was unbeaten, winning four ENGLAND U14 his year, two Lower Fifth Formers matches and drawing two. We had were selected to be a part of the a strong batting side with many big hits U14 England Rounders team. to score us rounders and our fielding Freya Munson and Issy Rutter were was tight and mostly accurate. The B team have also done well, winning five also selected as captains for the season and only losing one. A highlight of the and led the team to an unbeaten
U12A/B • By SERENA LING and SOPHIA RIDEHALGH
A
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season. The season consisted of a few training sessions and many matches, including one in Guernsey. We had a few weekends away where we worked on improving our fielding and batting, which came in useful for matches. The weekend in Guernsey was most definitely the highlight. The team had an amazing time playing against Guernsey International and had an incredible few days. The experience of playing in the competitive environment was very intimidating but we made friends for life and had an unforgettable experience. We look forward to training again in September.
SPORT
SENIOR SCHOOL ROUNDERS RESULTS
JUNIOR SCHOOL ROUNDERS RESULTS
P
W
L
D
U15A
3
1
2
0
U15B
3
2
1
0
U14A
2
2
0
0
U14B
2
2
0
0
U13A
6
4
0
2
U13B
6
5
1
0
U12A
6
6
0
0
U12B
4
4
0
0
JUNIOR SCHOOL By MRS GIMBER
T
he U11A rounders team has had a fantastic season, starting with a friendly practice match against the Third Form. The team then won all four of their matches against other schools. The Upper Two girls were very talented and there was fierce competition for the ‘A’ team. Fifteen players in total were selected to represent the A team in at least one match. The batting was very consistent and had pace and good placement and our fielding showed great skills, reactions, teamwork and understanding.
HEADLINES OF THE SEASON - JUNIOR SCHOOL ROUNDERS
P
W
L
D
U11A
4
4
0
0
U11B
3
3
0
0
House Winners: Grenville
U11C
1
1
0
0
Colours: Elle Golsworthy, Nell Smith, Amy Cornfield, Sophie Brennan, Letty Lovell
U10A
5
5
0
0
U10B
3
3
0
0
U11A and B played fun matches against the Third Form, and their mums!
U9A
10
4
6
0
U9B
9
3
5
1
U8A
3
0
1
2
All the wins were very convincing: 15.5 - 9.5 v West Buckland 22.5 - 10.5 v St Peter’s, Lympstone 20.5 - 15 v Queen’s College, Taunton 28 - 16 v Exeter Cathedral The most rewarding result was against Queen’s College as they were strong, and commented that they had not come across batters as powerful as ours this season. Many different players scored so many rounders. Elle Golsworthy was particularly effective with her accurate placement as a left handed batter. Captain Elle commented: “The U11A team has had an amazing season. Our fielding was very tight, with Katy Farmer and Phoebe Redfern bowling well and Sophie Brennan and Amy Cornfield, in particular, made some
superb catches. All of us Upper Two girls in both the A and B teams enjoyed playing against our mums in our very last match. We were all so surprised how good our mums were!” The girls deserved their great results and have been great fun to teach.
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THE EXONIAN 2018
Athletics and Cross Country SENIOR SCHOOL By MR MASON
I
n the Exeter Area Trials, 13 pupils secured top three finishes in track and field events with five of these being 1st places: Intermediate Boys 100m – 1st Harry Emmett (10.9 secs) Junior Boys 1500m – 1st Oliver Capps (4.39.9 secs) Junior Girls Javelin – 1st Emma Corney (30.36m) Year 7 Boys 100m – 1st Hugo Hepburn (13.1 secs) Year 7 Boys 200m – 1st Hugo Hepburn (27.5 secs) Later in the summer term, Third, Fourth and Lower Fifth boys’ and girls’ teams competed against other Exeter area schools in the annual championships. There were many individual winners and runners-up on the day at this team event, with athletes scoring points on their finish position. Huge congratulations to the Third Form boys who won the Division 1 title, the Lower Fifth girls who won the Division 2 title and the Third Form girls who were runners-up in Division 1. The season finished with House athletics where Townsend took the overall victory.
By GEORGIA LING
A
ll age groups took part in the annual Cross Country event. Pupils ran a new two-lap course of just over 4km. Mr Ross said: “It was pleasing to see most running hard and there was some great support at the finish line for all year groups, as they took on the new course this year.” All runners scored for the final House positions, with Crossing coming first. The cheering of the Junior School House Cross Country competition could be heard from all around the school. Mrs Parkin commented: “Every one of
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JUNIOR SCHOOL By MRS PARKIN
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JUNIOR SCHOOL ATHLETICS HOUSE STANDARDS CUP
F1/U1
Blake
Gilbert
Grenville
Scott
30
34
35
26
20
19
24
28
23
28
82
77
79
20 L2 e took part in 19 U2 the Cross Country events 69 Total at Blundell’s and Stover. At Stover, our most outstanding individual placings were in the Under 11 boys race with Toby Capps second and Matthew Roberts third. At the Blundell’s cross country races, in very muddy conditions, the placings were reversed with Matthew coming home ahead of Toby. In the U9 boys races, Olly Johnson ran superbly. Our most consistent girls are: U11 - Sophie Brennan and Phoebe Redfern, U9 - Thea Rochester, Rose Batty and Zoe Carson. At these cross country events there are over 80 runners from eight different schools in each race so the Exeter Junior School performances are most pleasing. At the Arena Athletics Competition, hosted by Exeter Cathedral School, our individual winning performances came from:
our runners is to be congratulated for completing the course successfully in front of many parents and supporters.” Congratulations to the winning House, Grenville.
Under 11s 1st 200m sprint and 2nd 800m Sophie Brennan 1st 100m sprint Amy Dennis 1st long jump Nell Smith 2nd 200m sprint and 2nd 800m Toby Capps Under 9s 1st 200m sprint and 1st 800m Ollie Johnson 1st 800m Thea Rochester Relays U11 Girls 1st - U11 Boys 2nd Overall result: 2nd place, scoring 119 points
SPORT and came second in the 90-95cm. Following Bicton’s National Schools’ Equestrian Association (NSEA) Eventers Challenge qualifier, two teams and two individuals qualified for the NSEA Summer Eventers Challenge finals at Hickstead. The team comprised Megan Bailey, Alice Bailey, Olivia Eden and Max Harrison, who kindly stepped in for Ruby at the last minute. Teams from all corners of the nation had finished By MISS CARTER either first or second in their regional qualifiers to compete. The standard he equestrian team has had was therefore very high and the team another sensational year. Team performed exceptionally well. In the success has included Royal 85 Arena Eventing Championships the Windsor Horse Show qualification by team finished on four faults. There were Megan Bailey, Alice Bailey, Olivia Eden approximately 50 teams taking part and and Ruby Scott. To qualify to compete, we came a very respectable ninth. The the team took part in the Championship 90-95 Arena Eventing Championship Competition in Keysoe, Bedfordshire produced equally impressive results.
Equestrian
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Squash SENIOR SCHOOL By MRS COE
S
quash at Exeter School has enjoyed many successes this year. We have delighted in playing against a number of local schools in friendly matches both home and away. Our National Schools Championships matches presented a challenge with the U15 team knocked out in stage one. However, the U17 team successfully made it through to stage two only to be knocked out by Kenilworth School. We have seen a huge participation in Squash Club of both boys and girls this year. Squash Club and teams continue to go from strength to strength with excellent coaching from George Aplin and Mike Harris (OE 2000-2005).
JUNIOR SCHOOL By MRS GIMBER
C
ontinuing to be popular at Exeter Junior School, squash is played regularly by our experienced players, plus around 30 enthusiastic boys and girls have learned for the first time this year. Mr Aplin’s excellent
coaching and regular clubs have led to encouraging improvements in play. Playing St Peter’s Lympstone regularly throughout the year has given all of our players the chance at competitive play. William Ahmad and Grace Golsworthy, both Form One, represented the school for the first time in a squash match. Our elite players, Oliver Gribble and Freddie Cockram, along with Rory Clarke, Elle Golsworthy and Yasmin Brown, competed in the IAPS National Squash Tournament in March. Rory won two matches, Freddie three and Oliver all five matches. Oliver finished a respectable joint fifth overall. Elle and Yasmin played in the U13 girls’ tournament and competed well against older players. Elle finished as plate runner-up with three wins. In the doubles event, Yasmin and Elle took a game off an U13 boys’ pair and Rory reached the semi-final of the plate with a boy from another school as his partner. All our players did incredibly well. Rory Clarke was our most improved boy this year. Elle Golsworthy, Grace
There were approximately 40 teams competing in this and we came eighth on four faults. Olivia Eden was also jumping as an individual and came eighth individually out of around 180 riders in total. At the Blundell’s One Day Event in the 90cm competition, Olivia Eden came third, Max Harrison came ninth and the team came fifth overall. In the 80cm, the team came fourth overall, with Tilly Thomas coming first individually.
Individual success
U
pper Sixth Former Anna Johannson has been selected for the South West regional team at the National Championships at Frickley Park, Yorkshire at CCI 1*. She has also been selected for the National U18 Development Squad to compete at Millstreet, Ireland at CIC 1* finishing a credible 16th out of 65, being the third best U18 British rider with a double clear. She then finished the season with a successful first U21 Intermediate Event and 3rd in a U18 Novice at Aldon. Anna was also invited to ride a former European team medal dressage horse at ‘Your Horse Live’ as part of Carl Hester’s 50th celebration in front of 5,000 spectators.
Golsworthy and Yasmin Brown train with the Devon county girls, with the plan to compete in England Squash Tournaments next year. Freddie Cockram came second in the Devon U11 Tournament and third in the South West. Oliver Gribble, currently ranked 19th in the England Squash U11 rankings, won the South West Championships. Oliver, who is currently training on the England Squash Aspire programme, gave his best performance this year at the English Open in Hull, achieving 13th place. The annual Exeter Junior School Squash Tournament, kindly organised by Mrs Parkin, saw Oliver Gribble win the main tournament and Yasmin Brown win the plate tournament. I would like to wish all our squash players good luck for next season.
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Swimming SENIOR SCHOOL By DR ROBB
I
t has been an exciting first year in the swimming pool. The pupils have embraced the facility and all squads have worked hard on improving their technique. A special mention should go to the U13 girls team who have
been undefeated in the last six galas. Swimmers from both Exeter and visiting schools have enjoyed the challenge of trying to beat the new pool records. All pupils have had an opportunity to use the pool through P.E. lessons, Games and free swim at lunch times. In addition, pupils from four local primary schools have enjoyed the use of the pool and a water polo club has trained on Thursday afternoons. Swimmers for the school have competed in two long distance events. In the first of these, a team of Fourth Form pupils travelled to Wiveliscombe for the South West Channel Relay Challenge. The team swam the length of the Channel (22 miles) overnight in 1 hour relay legs in a very impressive time of 10 hours 13 minutes. Recently, a team of Sixth Formers competed in one of the classic races on the open water calendar, namely the 2.1 km upstream swim at the Henley Classic.
HEADLINES OF THE SEASON - JUNIOR SWIMMING House Swimming Gala Winner 2018: Gilbert Colours: Connie Croft, Grace Hughes, Fran Jenner, Mattie Thomas, Patrick Eveling, Dominic Neagle, Matthew Roberts
JUNIOR SCHOOL By MRS GIMBER
I
t is now over a year since the fantastic new swimming pool opened and all of our Junior School pupils have been so fortunate to use this great facility regularly. Form One and Upper One pupils have had weekly swimming lessons all year and Lower Two and Upper Two pupils have had modules in Games lessons, as well as lunchtime swimming clubs. 30 Lower Two and Upper Two boys and girls were selected on their times to attend squad training during the year on Tuesdays after school. They have trained hard and
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performed brilliantly in matches. All Junior School pupils had the opportunity to swim in the House Swimming Galas at the end of the summer term, showing their parents how much they had improved. All pupils can swim a length (25 metres) in all three main strokes - front crawl, breaststroke and backstroke, an amazing achievement of which they should be proud. Many thanks to Mrs Parkin for organising these galas so efficiently for many years. We’ve had several swimming matches against other schools and have hosted St Peter’s Lympstone, The Maynard School and Exeter Cathedral and visited Queen’s College, Taunton for an away match. Our U10 girls have been
PRIMARY SCHOOLS GALA FINAL RESULTS: Gold medals: Ollie Johnson, Rosie Batchelor, Fran Jenner, Patrick Eveling Silver medals: George Gillingham, Gus Lovell, JoJo Yang Bronze medals: Sam Benzimra, Yasmin Brown, Connie Croft, Patrick Eveling, Matthew Roberts Gold medals Boys’ Relay: Sam Benzimra, George Gillingham, Patrick Eveling, Matthew Roberts Gold Medals Girls’ Relay: Rosie Batchelor, Yasmin Brown, Fran Jenner, Mattie Thomas
SPORT
outstanding, winning convincingly in the galas against both Queen’s College and The Maynard School. The U9, U10 and U11 boys and girls lost narrowly overall to Queen’s, but beat St Peter’s and Exeter Cathedral School. The highlight of the swimming season for the team swimmers was our outstanding performance at the Exeter Primary Schools Gala when we reached the finals in nearly all events. We won the Girls’ Relay Cup, the Boys’ Relay Cup and the overall shield for the winning school scoring 215 points. Girls’ captain Fran Jenner said, “I enjoyed the gala because it was a chance for our team to show how hard we had trained. I liked swimming against some friends I knew and some swimmers from other schools who I didn’t know.” Boys’ Captain Patrick Eveling said: “It was amazing to win the boys’ relay race for the second year running as we were lucky to win it when I was in Lower Two as well. Both the boys’ and girls’ team swam brilliantly.” Congratulations to all swimmers for the high standard of achievements this year.
Lifesaving By DR ROBB
T
he main body of the lifeguard provision is currently provided by a team of 17 lifeguards from the Sixth Form, who have gained their National Pool Lifeguard Qualification through the school. These pupils
lifeguard a range of activities, from visiting primary schools to water polo. This team will be refreshed by 12 lifeguards from the Lower Sixth every year. The first batch of lifeguards to leave the pool have recently requalified and will take their qualification with them. 16 Middle
Fifth pupils have taken part in the Lifesaving Club this year, in which they learnt basic tows, CPR, and first aid and water safety. They have achieved their Survive and Save Silver Medallion, which is a great building block if they wish to become a lifeguard in the future.
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THE EXONIAN 2018
Tennis SENIOR SCHOOL By MISS CARTER
T
ennis has continued to grow this term and we have had a successful season in the AEGON Team Tennis Competition and inter-school matches.
The girls U15 team played well this term and made it through to the semifinals of the competition. They played Blundell’s and lost in a close game.
JUNIOR SCHOOL By MRS PARKIN
T
ennis is very popular, with 45 pupils attending lunchtime tennis coaching throughout the year. The Monday club, where pupils have a chance to develop their skills through U13 AEGON League practices and matches, has been well he U13 boys Division 2 team has attended during the summer term. been very successful and are During half term, Exeter Junior currently unbeaten; they progress School took part in the IAPS Under through to the next stage of the league 11 championships at Millfield, which as Devon winners of Division 2. this year was run as a team event. The U13 girls played competitive Our team of Elle Golsworthy, Nell fixtures against Sidmouth and The Smith, Toby Page and Alex Wreford Maynard School and narrowly lost both. played singles and doubles matches against each of their opponents. The new format ensured all players were U15 AEGON League either playing or supporting their team e entered Division 1 and 2 of members throughout the two days. the boys U15 competition. Despite extremely hot weather and The Division 1 team made some lengthy and tense matches, our it through to the County finals and team performed very well. They lost to narrowly lost to Ilfracombe. The Framlingham, Castle Court and King’s Division 2 boys beat Tiverton and then Hawford (2 - 4) and beat St Neots 4 - 2. played Stover in the semi-finals. They We also arranged for the girls to play lost in a close match in a shoot out. The Maynard School at home. Ten girls
T
W
JUNIOR SCHOOL SPORTS DAY
played, giving them the chance to play both singles and doubles matches. It was a most enjoyable match with Exeter School winning 11 matches to four. Elle Golsworthy and Toby Page have been competing in tennis tournaments around the South West.
By MR BLAND
S
ports Day delivered its usual excitement and close House rivalry. The weather was perfect and the pupils’ efforts, inter-House bonding with buddies and good behaviour resulted in two closely contested competitions, with Grenville emerging worthy overall winners. Very well done to all competitors.
JUNIOR SCHOOL SPORTS DAY RESULTS
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Blake
Gilbert
Grenville
Scott
L2/U2
105
98
92
96
U2/F1
69
103
146
94
Total
174
201
238 - 1st
190
www.exeterschool.org.uk @ExeterSchoolUK Headmaster/Admissions: 01392 273679 Junior School: 01392 258738
Exeter School Victoria Park Road Exeter EX2 4NS 01392 258712