Hoc Age - Bradford Grammar School

Spring 2013
a note from the head
This latest edition of Hoc Age reveals again the breadth of all that goes on at BGS and the amazing
achievements of our students. I am delighted to see us reaching out into our local communities, by hosting the
Model United Nations competition for local schools for example or inviting children from seven local primary
schools for a maths masterclass. It is also humbling to read of the work our Sixth Form pupils are doing with
Barnardo’s Bradford Young Carers. It is easy to take the wonderful opportunities at the school for granted but I
am delighted by the willingness of our students to help others reach their potential.
There is much to celebrate in this edition, from the Fashion Show through to our students’ success in the
languages Spelling Bee. What shines through for me is the willingness of students and teachers to participate
in a huge range of activities and the standards achieved in them. It reinforces our commitment to an all-round
education where academic excellence is complemented
by the co-curricular programme. There is no doubt that
this prepares students well for adult life.
brownlee visit
The Senior and Junior School staff and pupils were delighted to welcome back Olympic bronze medallist and current
World Triathlon Champion Jonny Brownlee. Jonny, now twenty-one, received a rapturous welcome as he entered
the Price Hall packed with the whole school. He took part in two question and answer sessions with pupils from both
schools. Junior School pupils asked a variety of questions including what superpower would he like? The answer was to
be able to fly. He spoke at length on his experiences at the London Olympics, his childhood and his training regime. The
pupils gained a huge insight into the dedication required to become a World Champion and Olympian.
The Bingley Harriers member, whose elder brother Alistair was training in Spain, said he had fond memories of the school.
He said: ‘I really enjoyed myself here. I learned to enjoy sport here. It is genuinely good to come back.’
cycling
Abby Parkinson won the U16 National Cyclo-Cross Championships
(successfully defending her title from 2012) in Peel Park, Bradford, in front
of an amazing home crowd.
This followed her victory in the Cyclo-Cross National Trophy which is a
series of six races around the country. At Christmas, Abby travelled to
Belgium to race with the top girls over there in three races and extremely
tough conditions. Abby won all three of her events, including a Super
Prestige Event.
Abby is training in Mallorca over Easter preparing for the start of the road
events, the first of which will be the three-day Isle of Man Youth Tour.
house
cross
country
The whole of the Junior School took part in the
annual House Cross Country run, in which every
pupil counted towards the final score for their
House. The races were close
and exciting. The individual
winners from each year group
were Olly Sunderland, Neesha
Khan, Amrit Sharma, Lizzie
Lucas, Alex Flaherty, Redford
Holdsworth and Daniel Grimmitt.
The winning House was
Founders with 406 points.
the lord
mayor
Lord Mayor, Councillor Dale Smith attended Bradford Grammar
School before going on to study at St Andrew’s University and
Bradford College. Councillor Smith holds a BSc Hons degree in
Chemistry. He is Chairman and Director of Manor Coating Systems
Ltd (Shipley Paint), a family business started by his father in 1938.
His elder son is now Managing Director of the firm. Councillor Smith is a member of several local boards including the
Bradford College Corporation, the Strategic Disability Partnership, several School Governing bodies and the Shipley
Glen Tramway.
Having served as a Bradford District Councillor for the Conservative group for over thirty years, he had the privilege of
being Deputy Leader of the Council and also Executive Member for both Children’s Services and Adult Services. He is
also a member of several local boards.
The school was delighted to welcome the Lord Mayor back to school on an official visit. During the visit he met with
staff, pupils and governors, toured the school and stayed for lunch.
japanese
club
A new Japanese Club started this term
which gives pupils the chance to discover
more about this fascinating Far Eastern
country. The Japanese Club has learnt
about the art of Japanese calligraphy,
origami, and how to write their names,
numbers and speak Japanese greetings.
Origami was very popular and pupils enjoyed
making boxes and crane birds. Future meetings will
involve a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, a girl/doll
festival (Hina Matsuri), celebrating Children’s Day (Tango
no Sekku), looking at Japanese Anime and playing
traditional Japanese games.
The club is held in room 13 on Monday lunchtimes
during week two from 12.45pm – 1.30pm.
ccf
Another busy three months albeit cold, wet and snowy! Recruits,
both Army and Air Force, have been involved with basic training
whilst the senior cadets have completed a Methods of Instruction
Course. Cpl Qureshi, L/Cpl Hill and Cadet Hill attended a gliding course
at RAF Linton-on-Ouse and Cpl Hill has been awarded a gliding scholarship
with the RAF. The outdoor range is now operational and small bore competition/
marksmanship shooting commenced at the beginning of March.
Recent promotions within the Army Section saw Sergeants Scowan and Mann promoted to Battery Sergeant
Major, which is the highest rank a cadet can reach within the Combined Cadet Force. Recent promotions within
the Royal Air Force section saw Cpls Wilcock and Qureshi promoted to Sergeant. Congratulations to them all, very
well deserved.
Dr Proctor, Head of Chemistry, has joined the CCF and brings a wealth of both army and navy experience, which
bodes well for the contingent.
The next tranche of recruiting will for the first time include Second Form as well as
Third Form pupils.
table
tennis
Bradford Grammar School is celebrating the success
of its table tennis teams. Three of the five teams
entered into the zone finals successfully went
through to the regional finals of the English Schools’
Team Table Tennis Championships matched only
by one other school in the country. This meant that
the teams were down to the final sixteen teams
nationally. The U11 girls were zone winners and
played some fantastic table tennis to secure their
place. Three of the girls will also qualify to play for
the U11s again next year. Well done to Melody
Seifzadeh, Aliza Khaliq, Anna Cooper and Mahum
Sheraz. The U13 girls were also zone winners
defeating Brookfield School, Derbyshire 6-2. A
notable achievement especially as Brookfield had
the England number 16 who was beaten by Hibah
Mahmood! Well done to Hibah, Maddy Silberberg,
Hannah Chaudry and Ava Hepworth-Wood. The
U19 boys finished an impressive second and also
qualified. Congratulations to Fraser Riley, Vishal
Dattani, Matthew Hull and Greg Cleland.
The next round was played at the end of February,
all teams played well. The U13 girls
just missing out on the finals
finishing in second place. The
U11 girls finished third and U19
boys fourth.

lower
school
drama
Lower School Drama performed two half-hour
Shakespeare plays: Much Ado about Nothing and
Romeo and Juliet on 7 and 20 February. Mr S
Stephens and his Early Music Group entertained
the audience during the interval playing The Honie
Suckle by Anthony Holborne.
The audience enjoyed the comic banter of Much
Ado, directed by Miss C Bruce, and they enjoyed
the fight scenes and the atmospheric ending in
Romeo and Juliet, directed by Dr D Mouat. The
audiences commented on how confident the
cast were and how they had made Shakespeare
understandable.
There were some super performances from the
cast of both plays; notable performances were by
William Robson as Benedick and Sarah Whitelaw
as Beatrice in Much Ado and Ewan Bagshaw as
Romeo and Bea Goddard as Juliet in Romeo and
Juliet. Well done to all, on stage and off.
music and
the deaf
Paul Whittaker OBE
from the charity Music
and the Deaf visited Clock
House in March. Paul has
been deaf all his life. He spoke to the children about his
deafness and how it affects his life. He explained how
he senses vibrations from certain musical instruments
and he spoke about his charity. He also performed a
piece of music on the piano and a signed song, during
which pupils sat spellbound. The children learnt a great
deal about Paul’s life experiences and career, asking a
variety of challenging questions! Throughout the day,
they developed an understanding of how deaf people can
access music. In the afternoon, Paul taught the children
several signed songs, one of which A Whole New World
was performed by all Clock House children in the Spring
Concert.
At the Spring Concert the winners of the House Music
Competition played their pieces with pride and enthusiasm.
quarry bank
The History department took the whole Second Form to Quarry Bank Mill on 7 March, as part of their study of the
industrial revolution. Quarry Bank Mill, in Styal, south of Manchester is a fantastically preserved example of one of the
first cotton mills, founded in 1784 by Samuel Greg. Our pupils were able to see demonstrations of machinery which
showed the transition from domestic to factory production, and see large mill machinery in operation. Quarry Bank has
a fully preserved Apprentice House, built by the Gregs to house the children, aged from nine to twenty-one, who were
apprenticed to the Mill. Our pupils had guided tours of the house, trying to imagine the lives of those children with their
twelve hour days in the mill, followed by two hours in the schoolroom, the dormitory of up to sixty girls, locked in at
night, medical treatment from leeches to fire and brimstone and the endless supplies of porridge to eat.
french
exchange
This February half-term eighteen pupils from the Third and Fourth
Forms were privileged to take part in the eleventh French exchange
with the Collège Sancy-Artense in the small Auvergne village of
La Tour d’Auvergne in the Massif Central. The French hosts were
as generous in their hospitality as ever and this year the snow
was perfect; the group managed lots of tobogganing as well as
snowball fights and a glorious country walk through snow-laden
forests. Pupils enjoyed the sights and shops of the regional
capital, Clermont-Ferrand, and visited the museum of its
most famous employer, the Michelin Tyre Company, as
well as the Cathedral and other buildings of interest. The
exchange finished with a party at the school, complete with
delicious regional specialities and disco. Thanks to the school’s English
teacher Mme Valéry Bouyoux and the Headmistress Mme Emanuelle
Theil for all the hard work that they put in, to make this exchange the
resounding success that it was. This valuable link allows BGS pupils
to experience a little of French family life, see a French school in action
and speak as much French as possible. The next French exchange is
already planned for 2014.
theatre
visiting club
Theatre Visiting Club has had another fantastic year with
an abundance of Sixth Form pupils, an array of theatres
up and down the country, and an eclectic variety of plays!
Upper Sixth Literature students were treated to a very
rare performance of the highly controversial play Tis Pity
She’s a Whore by the internationally acclaimed Cheek
by Jowl Theatre Company while some lucky students
got to see stand-up
comic and presenter
Rufus Hound play
the lead role in One
Man, Two Guvnors
at the Leeds Grand.
Nearly eighty
students went to see
the world premiere
of Rats’ Tales – the
brand new play by
the poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy. The highlight for most,
however, was probably the January trip down to London,
when around twenty-five pupils from the Fourth Form
and up were treated to a backstage tour of the Dominion
Theatre and then a thunderous and thoroughly rocking
night watching one of the West End’s longest running
musicals, We Will Rock You! This got the cast and crew
all fired up and raring to tackle the show themselves for
this year’s whole school production.
junior
sports tour
Clock House U11 rugby, hockey and netball squads left
BGS for a three-day tour of the Midlands. The U11A
netball squad played in Leicester Grammar Schools’
Netball Tournament and after some superb matches
did amazingly well to reach the final and finish runners
up. The other squads travelled to Pitsford School who
provided challenging opposition at both rugby and
netball. The pupils were reunited at The Rock Centre for
tea and evening
activities. After a
mornings training
and afternoon
activities the
young sportsmen
and women
set off to
Wellingborough
School for rugby
and hockey
under floodlights,
despite appalling conditions both rugby teams played
extremely well. Over on the astroturf the U11 girls played
some of their best hockey of the season and the A team
were rewarded with a 2–1 win. The day ended with a trip
to Laser Quest. Ranby House were the hosts for the final
fixtures. The girls had a superb afternoon winning both
netball matches 5-3 and 7-1. Over on the rugby field
the A team faced stiff opposition eventually losing 35-7.
The B team rounded off the tour with their victory of the
season winning 29-0.
lower school
council
The Lower School Council meets every half-term during
lunchtime to discuss an agenda put together by the
pupils of the Second and Third Forms. Each form
sends along two representatives, who bring their fellow
pupils’ ideas, questions and issues to the meeting, then
report back to their forms. Topics which have been
raised this term include suggestions for lunch menus,
discussion about Wednesday afternoon activities and
GCSE options, ideas to enhance the commendations
system, suggestions for an improved locker room and
for an extended range of items in the tuck shop. They
have also pushed for a new Drama Club at lunchtimes,
discussed the new school uniform and are currently
deciding which charity the Lower School will support in
the summer with their annual Sports Day event.
rs trips
The RS department arranged two trips this term. The first
began with an orienteering exercise around the beautiful
grounds of Ingleborough Hall. The orienteering teams
did well to complete the course and answer clues and
questions. The physical (and spiritual) exercise was followed
by a rigorous day of GCSE revision activities and finished off
with a fantastic meal and karaoke on the coach ride home.
art
Saint Paul’s Church in
Manningham contacted
Bradford Grammar School for
some help in making a banner
to hang in the entrance to
the church and was delighted
with the incredible response
they received. The request to
the school was for something
colourful to brighten up the
entrance to the church where
the font is situated.
rowing
The Rowing Club has had a busy term attending many
events on rivers around the country. However, the
outstanding achievement of the term was at an indoor
event on an ergometer. The English Indoor Rowing
Championships were held in the Manchester Velodrome
at the end of January. All pupil competitors from BGS
achieved personal bests in their rows on the day. Fifth
Form pupil Matthew Chivers excelled himself winning the
Gold medal in the U16 event with a time of 6 minutes 38
seconds for a 2000 meter row.
Splits
Meters 500m 1,000m 1,500m 2,000m
Time 1:38.8 3:18.7 5:00.4 6:38.1
Average Pace 1:38.8 1:39.9 1:41.7 1:37.7
Stroke Rate 35 35 36 36
The second was to the Religious Conference in Manchester which was led by the charismatic philosopher, Peter Vardy.
With topics regarding the Goodness of God, Kantian Ethics, Abortion and Business Ethics; the conference proved to be
a stimulating day. The Business Ethics debate was the highlight of the day. Peter Vardy (also a chartered accountant),
led the lecture on the worldwide economy and the role of ethics within the global recession. He emphasised that
without adopting an ethical basis, the economic practices of banks and businesses would act selfishly and from a point
of greed. But can greed also be a ‘good’? The ensuing student debate was fascinating.
The Vicar, Alistair Helm, said: ‘I made contact
with Bradford Grammar School who really
couldn’t have been more helpful. Mrs
Hepworth-Wood from the Art department
came along to church and drew up the
design. Students from the First Form, 1ET,
then got to work at school and produced this
wonderful colourful banner that will adorn
our entrance. We are really appreciative
of their help.’ The banner is made up of
squares, individually painted by the students
and then assembled to form an impressive
display.
charity
fundraiser
Last year Sixth Form pupil Toby
Mountain took part in the Great
North Run and raised over £700 for
Pancreatic Cancer UK. Toby finished
the race in 1 hour 38 minutes and
came 2688 out of over 40,000
entrants. He had previously taken part
in the Chevin Chase and a half ironman
before he decided to use his running to
raise money for charity.
This year Toby has set his challenge much
higher and will be running in the London
Marathon in April. He is hoping to raise
£2500 for the Starlight Childrens’ Charity. A
non-uniform day was held at school to give
Toby a good start to achieving his fundraising
target.
Over the winter months Toby has been training
hard, running seven miles most days and a
longer run at the weekends. Toby can be
sponsored online at www.virginmoneygiving/
tobymountain.

top gcse
results
League tables produced this term confirmed BGS as the top school in the Bradford and district area according to last
year’s GCSE results, with ninety-eight per cent of pupils getting at least five A* to C grades at GCSE, including English
and Maths, placing it in the top 200 of schools nationally. Headmaster Kevin Riley said: ‘We have bright, aspirational
children, hard-working, dedicated staff, and fantastic facilities at Bradford Grammar School. We have got these great
ingredients, and if you can’t bake a cake with that, you shouldn’t be in the kitchen!’
gala performance
The school celebrated its 350th Royal Charter Anniversary with a Gala Performance evening in the Price Hall. Over
250 guests enjoyed an evening of song and recital in a cabaret style setting. Stunning singing performances and
mesmerising music talent was punctuated with entertaining, enlightening and at times humorous readings on the history
of the school. The audience were highly entertained and amused in equal measures.
fashion
show
The annual BGS Netball Parents’ Association Fashion
Show was an outstanding and very professional show
supported by a number of local boutiques who had their
clothes expertly and enthusiastically modelled by pupils
from the Sixth Form, Fifth Form and the Junior School.
The models strutted on the catwalk to lively music
and performed carefully choreographed pieces, which
were mainly created by the pupils. The evening was
compered by ex-BBC presenter John Thirwell and his
daughter, former Head Prefect Emily Evans-Thirwell, who
works as an Assistant TV Producer. Both evenings had
a fantastic atmosphere and were superb for those taking
part and watching. The money raised exceeded £8,000
(a Fashion Show record) and will be split between
Candlelighters and supporting the Junior and
Senior School netball tours.
Candlelighters is a charity fighting children’s
cancer in Yorkshire. Established in 1976,
Candlelighters is a charity formed and
run by parents of children who have
or have had cancer, ex-patients
and the medical staff who treat
them. Based in Yorkshire,
Candlelighters provides
essential services and
support to children
with cancer and their
families.
we will
rock you
This year’s whole school production of We will rock
you was one of the most energetic and colourful yet.
Fabulous costumes, innovative set changes and vibrant
lighting gave the talented and enthusiastic performers
the back-drop they deserved. Back stage pupils
included directors Roisin Reynolds and Katie Shepherd,
choreographers, costume and make-up assistants as
well as many technical assistants. Pupils were supported
by staff from the Music and English/Drama departments.
Every single performer excelled themselves to create
an accomplished production. Ruby Hendry relished
the role of Killer Queen, Matt Boyle and Georgie Henley
were superb together as Galileo and Scaramouche and
other memorable scenes included Will Truby and Hannah
Mears-Young as Brit
and Meat.
dan
scarbrough
England rugby star Dan Scarbrough is returning to his
former school to coach the school rugby team which first
started his career. The former Bradford Salem and Leeds
Tykes winger has accepted a coaching and teaching
post at Bradford Grammar School from 1 August. Mr
Scarbrough, originally from Bingley, was a pupil at the
school until 1994 and began his rugby union career here
as a schoolboy. He will be moving back to Yorkshire
following a player/coach role at Lille Metropole Rugby
Club in Northern France.
He said: ‘I have experienced rugby at the highest level
and am very keen to help enrich the future of the game
through my experiences.’
Director of Sport, Mr Lines, said: ‘It is a very exciting
prospect to have Dan return and I am sure his expertise
will be of great benefit to the school’s rugby. We are
much looking forward to working with him and learning
from a professional who is just leaving the game.’
skiing
The Senior Ski Trip is very popular and Tignes is one of the pupils’ favourite destinations. Tignes offers superlative
skiing conditions and this year didn’t disappoint. There was a great base layer of snow, regularly topped off with fresh
powder allowing students and staff to play in a variety of conditions, making for great skiing and boarding.
The après-ski pinnacle was the world famous Party on the Piste for New Year’s Eve. What better way to see in 2013
than at a piste party of 15,000 ski-monkeys and in the company of your friends and guest DJ Martin Solveig? Whilst the
staff pretended to have heard of the superstar DJ, their blank faces and embarrassing attempts at dancing betrayed
their ignorance. For those young and cool enough to appreciate something a little more raucous, his set will be long
remembered. The Ski Trip 2012/13 was memorable for all involved and for many their last BGS trip with friends who
have been together for over ten years.
Last year, Bradford Grammar School piloted a mentoring
project with children’s charity Barnardo’s. Barnardo’s
young carers are buddied up with Sixth Form pupils at
Bradford Grammar School who assist the young carers
with their studies. Following the huge success of the
pilot, Barnardo’s are hoping to roll out the model across
the country. This year the project has more than doubled
in size at BGS with twenty-one mentors from the Sixth
Form giving one to two hours a week to work one-to-one
with young carers. The carers are paired with students
who can specifically help in areas of need: writing
essays, assisting with general studies and preparing for
examinations. Many of the young carers have missed
time at school because they need to look after parents
or siblings. The pilot project highlighted that these
weekly sessions not only helped with school work, but
also helped increase confidence and aspirations. The
BGS pupils receive training from Barnardo’s in mentoring
and safeguarding, and take away a huge sense of
achievement as well as valuable life skills.
berlin
In the February half-term, nineteen members of the Sixth
Form took part in the annual trip to Berlin. After a very
early start from Liverpool airport on a cold Saturday
morning, they had a full day of visits which included
the History of Berlin Museum where students had the
opportunity to experience what life might have been like
in an underground bunker during a nuclear strike. Other
visits included the Reichstag, the Stasi Museum, and
Sachsenhausen, the notorious labour and death camp
set up by the Nazis. Fortunately, there were moments
of light relief at the Chameleon Theatre. Students
returned exhausted but satisfied that the trip had been an
excellent learning experience.
physics olympiad
The Physics Olympiad is a national competition designed to stretch and challenge
the top young physicists in the country. Over 1800 students from across the UK
participated. Ben Gaunt and Alfie Chapman did amazingly well and were awarded
Gold and Silver respectively. Ben Gaunt has also received an award for a top result
in the Cambridge Chemistry Challenge. This award acknowledges his outstanding
performance, achieving one of the highest marks in this new competition, which was
taken by 4300 students in 300 schools.
princes
trust
The regional final of the Prince’s Trust Enterprise Challenge
was hosted by Bradford Grammar School. Five schools
were represented: BGS, Ripon Grammar, Rastrick High,
Wakefield Girls and The Mount School, York. Each school
made presentations about their activities to raise money for
the trust and were judged by three Dragons on the amount of
money raised, presentation skills, risk taking and innovation.
The BGS group were represented by Jack Appleyard, Blair
and Libby Illingworth, Roma McNeil and Liza Nelson Laidler.
They presented on their activities such as the
Christmas Fair stalls, Christmas Pudding sales,
Take Me Out, Teacher Quiz and Staff v Sixth
Form Football. The BGS team raised the
most money, £1460, and earned praise
for Take Me Out but the overall
winners were Rastrick High.
new
governor
Lady Lynne Morrison, Chairman of Governors
at Bradford Grammar School and Kevin Riley,
Headmaster, are delighted to announce the
exciting appointment of Sir David Wootton to the
Governing Body.
Sir David received his Knighthood in the New Year
Honours list following his very successful year
as 684th Lord Mayor of the City of London. His
Mayoral year, an exceptional one, was undertaken
during the Queen’s Jubilee Year and one in
which London hosted the London Olympics and
Paralympics.
Educated at Bradford Grammar School and
Cambridge University, where he read Classics
and Law, Sir David became a Partner at Allen &
Overy, the international law firm based in London.
Throughout his illustrious career he has been
generous with the time he has given to promote
business, education and sport in all communities.
He has pursued his interest in the sport of rowing
following his success as a pupil at Bradford
Grammar School and at Cambridge. He is also
a member of the world famous Leander Club.
During his year in office as Lord Mayor two of
the charities he supported were The Rowing
Foundation and London Youth Rowing. His
prestigious appointment as a Steward of Henley
Royal Regatta has just been announced.
Lady Morrison said: ‘We are thrilled that Sir David
has accepted the appointment, his experience
across the private and public sector offices he
has held together with his involvement with the
charitable sector across education and sport will
be invaluable. He is a man much in demand, but
his loyalty and affection for the school, coupled
with the opportunities we are able to give to our
bursary students, made our offer one he could not
refuse. We will enjoy working together.’
model united nations
An Inter-School Model United Nations Competition was held at Bradford Grammar School with over ninety pupils
taking part from nine schools throughout West Yorkshire which included Beckfoot Grammar, Batley Grammar,
Broughton Business College, Carlton Bolling, GSAL, Laisterdyke College, Queensbury and BGS.
This year’s competition was entitled The Post 2015 Global Agenda and had forty-eight countries
represented.
The debating competition mirrored a lot of what happens at a UN debating chamber General
Assembly. Each delegation carefully examined the draft resolution and produced an
amended resolution, reflecting the views of their countries. Each delegation presented a one
minute introduction outlining the main agreements as well as vital amendments that would
need to be made. On the day, the aim was to begin working towards a final resolution paper
for the post 2015 Millennium Development Goals. Every single pupil from all the schools played
an exceptional part in a very inspiring event. Judges from all the schools awarded the winners
as follows: Best Speaker representing Botswana was George Lofthus from Beckfoot School,
Best Amended Resolution Paper representing Greece was Emeka Okorie and Ibrahim Amin from
Bradford Grammar School, Best Delegation representing Niger was Ben Scantlebury and Oscar
Barber from Bradford Grammar School and Best Contribution representing Spain was Matt Procter
from Bradford Grammar School.

jitsu
Bradford Jitsu Club celebrated its tenth anniversary in the
Price Hall on 23 February. Instructors Raj Soren, Graham
Williams and Jyoti Soren hosted over one hundred guests
including Clock House Headmaster, Mr Gabriel.
The day started with a Ju Jitsu course and a bouncy slide
and castle plus sumo wrestling in foam suits. The party
included awards and recognitions for members of the
club, a meal sponsored by Bombay Stores and a disco.
Guests enjoyed reminiscing over photos and videos of
the last ten years.
The club is extremely proud of all its students and the
success they have achieved over the last ten years which
includes becoming UK and international champions on
numerous occasions. The club has visited Amsterdam,
USA, Canada and South Africa. Bradford Jitsu Club has
also raised thousands of pounds for the NSPCC and
local charities. A big thank you to Mr Boardman and
BGS for their support over the years.
Anyone interested in a class is invited to a free session
in the BGS Sports Hall on Saturday mornings between
9.30am and 10.30am.
parents’ association
The Parent’s Association has held the first two
Parents’ Coffee Mornings. At the first, parents heard
from the Headmaster on the subject of
Forthcoming changes in education and
were able to ask questions and seek
further information. At the second,
school nurse, Suzanne Lamb, spoke
on Stress – how to help your children
avoid it. All parents are welcome to
attend these events. The next will be
on 21 May at which James Hall of CSIT
will be speaking on Kids, Computers & The Internet –
New Technologies to help you Survive.
If any parents are unable to attend any coffee
mornings but would like further information on
the subject, please email parentsassociation@
bradfordgrammar.com and your enquiry will be
passed on to the speaker.
Most of the term has been spent preparing for the
Spring Fair on 11 May, which will celebrate the
350th Anniversary of the Charter, including our very
own Charles II (who could that be?), announced
by cannon fire and being borne by a flotilla of Clock
House children to present the Charter. To find out
more on this event and the Ceilidh in October follow
the Parents’ Association on Twitter @BGS_PA.
new uniform
Bradford Grammar School unveiled its new uniform to pupils, staff and parents live at the school’s charity Fashion Show
on 1 and 2 March. The new uniform had been awaited with bated breath by the pupils who will be wearing it from
September 2013.
A working party involving pupils, staff and parents was set up to plan the new uniform. The suppliers, style and colours
have been selected. The whole school uniform including all sports kits have had a complete redesign.
The school has chosen a Yorkshire supplier and part of the uniform will be made using a Bradford cloth. The supplier,
Perry Uniform, was established in 1946 as a manufacturer of school uniforms. Today they combine the traditional
manufacturing excellence on which the business was founded with a 21 st century internet based retail service. They are
based at Armley in Leeds, where their factory is co-located with a distribution and customer contact centre.
Perry’s said: ‘Our aim is to make every aspect of school uniform as easy as possible for our partner schools and their
parents to whom we deliver. We pride ourselves on the very personal service we offer which puts convenience at its core.’
hockey
All the hockey teams have
improved greatly throughout
the season. The teams won a
lot more games than they lost
and battled through some hard
fought matches. A highlight
was a very exciting and close
game against Ashville College
for the U13s. A final BGS goal
in the last thirty seconds saw
them win 3-2! Congratulations
to Imogen Allan, Bessie Allan
and Libby Linfield who have
been playing for Leeds Hockey
Club Senior Team in the
Yorkshire Ladies Premier League and will be playing in
the Yorkshire Cup Final at Easter.
forthcoming
events
calendar
Apr 10
Apr 12
Recent Leavers’ Reunion - Pavilion
Tennis Parents’ Association
Race Night
13 Boat Club Quiz Night
maths
masterclass
Following a visit to Copthorne Primary School by
Headmaster Kevin Riley, pupils from a number
of Bradford schools were invited to Bradford
Grammar School for a Maths Masterclass.
Four pupils from each of the following schools:
Copthorne Primary, Horton Grange, St Oswalds,
Lidget Green, Farnham, Princeville and Crossley
Hall visited Bradford Grammar School for a Maths
Masterclass led by Maths teacher Mr Crabtree,
assisted by Sixth Form A level Further Maths
pupils: Chloe Ramsden, Alfie Chapman, Harry
Petyt, Piers Fisher, Zoe Andrews, Liza Nelson
Laidler, Jacqueline Li and Jason Collins. The
afternoon was fun-packed with games, lessons
and quizzes with the aim of making maths easier
to learn. It is hoped that this will be the first in a
number of joint ventures.
Christabel Shepherd, Headmistress at Copthorne
Primary School, said: ‘The Maths Masterclass is a
fabulous opportunity for the twenty-eight children
involved from the Excede Alliance of Schools and
will help to further raise their aspirations.’
This was a marvellous example of young and old,
state and independent sector working together for
the benefit of Bradford’s younger generation.
rugby
The highlights of the rugby season have included the
U15s achievements. Following their successful Daily Mail
Cup run last term; this term they have won two sevens
tournaments.
The first was at Durham School, where they beat the
hosts in the final, and the second was at BGS in glorious
sunshine, Bradford Grammar defeated Sedbergh School
in the final. Sedbergh went into a 14-0 lead in the final;
BGS scored an unconverted try just before half-time.
In the second half, a tenacious BGS defence kept out
Sedbergh at one end while they scored three tries at the
other to build a 24-14 lead, Sedbergh finished the game
with a converted try.
The winning squad was James Pinder, Harry Sagar,
Isaac Greene and Adam Waring, Alfie Blackhall, David
Cobb, Sachin Ahir and James Lord, Will Heard, Matt
Bulmer, George Cockcroft and Callum Manchester. Well
done to James Pinder, Isaac Green, Callum Manchester
and Harry Sagar who have also been selected for the
Yorkshire U15 rugby squad.
Congratulations to Rory Macnab, Zander MacFarlane
and Barney Vaughan who represented the Northern
Independent Schools. The Northern U13 Lambs won
the National Tournament at Rugby School, defeating the
Midlands, South-West and drawing with the South-East.
Rory Macnab was Captain for the South-East match.
spelling bee
Since December some of the First Form have been
participating in the national Routes into Languages
Spelling Bee. This is designed to encourage an interest
in languages and increase pupils’ spelling skills. Pupils
have to spell as many words in the foreign language
as they can in one minute using the French
or German alphabet. They also have to
pronounce the words so it really does test
their language ability!
There are four rounds – class, school,
regional and national. Having found
eight winners at the class stage, the
school stage took place before halfterm
and four pupils won through to
the regional stage which takes place
at the University of Hull on the 18
April where they will compete against
schools from across Yorkshire.
All the pupils involved have shown
impressive dedication, enthusiasm and
commitment to learning and practising
the spelling of the words. They now
have a list of 150 words on which they
could be tested in Hull. The speed at
which some can spell is truly mindblowing!
The four pupils through are: Aditya Anand and Zain
Hussain for French, and Maryam Nisa and Katie Elmore
for German.
cross
country
This has been another highly successful term for the
Cross Country Club. Individual highlights from the
Bradford Schools’ Championships include first
place in the inter boys for Emile Cairess,
who continues to go from strength to
strength, as well as top five finishes for
Izzy Austin and Emma Peacock in the
junior girls, Sarah Dewhirst in the inter
girls, Ben Moon in the Year Seven
boys and Oliver Daffern in the junior
boys. In the team competitions
the performance of the day was
undoubtedly from the junior girls who
won their event, beating a very strong
Ilkley Grammar team. The inter boys
were also the first team, and there
were runner-up places in the team
events for the inter girls, junior boys and
First Form boys. Following
this competition seventeen
athletes were selected
to represent the City of
Bradford at the West
Yorkshire Schools’
Championships. Emile, despite
suffering from a heavy cold,
came in second, Jessica Manning
(who is also a quintuple Yorkshire gold
medallist in swimming this season)
finished seventh in the junior race and
Oliver came twelfth in his age category.
As a result, Emile and Jess will travel to
the English Schools’ Championships
later this year, with Oliver acting as travelling
reserve.
chinese
new year
A weekend school which teaches Mandarin to children has big plans for the Year of the Snake. Bradford Chinese School
held a party to celebrate the Chinese New Year and its new home at Bradford Grammar School. The celebration saw
pupils perform traditional Chinese songs and poems as well as musical recitals. Guests included the Lord Mayor of
Bradford, Councillor Dale Smith and BGS Deputy Head, Dr Sharpe.
Chinese School Headmaster, Jeff Zhao, said: ‘It is apt that we are entering the Year of the Snake. A snake is seen as
a little dragon, it is not as terrible as a big dragon but it is still very, very clever and very agile. It can move quickly and
change quickly. That’s what we want in our small school. We want to change, adapt and keep improving. We welcome
all children who are interested in learning Chinese.’
The Chinese School was formed in 2011 and has moved to new premises with the hope that it will be able to expand from
September 2013. It teaches Chinese language, art and culture lessons to children each weekend, and many of the staff
are volunteers. Headmaster Kevin Riley said he had been only too pleased to offer a new home to the Chinese school.
Mr Riley, whose previous post was at an international school in Bangkok, said: ‘It is a very inspiring group. I have worked
in the Far East and Chinese families place an enormous value in education.’
May 1
16 7.00pm Fifth Form Music & Poetry Evening
Auditorium
20 OBA 1940s Reunion
20 Swimming & Water Polo, OBA v BGS
23 7.00pm Sixth Form Music & Poetry Evening
Auditorium
Golf OBA v BGS
9 7.00pm Leavers’ Concert - Price Hall
11 Spring Fair
14 7.00pm First Form Music and Poetry Evening
Auditorium
17 Leavers’ Lunch, U6 & OBA
18 May Ball – Price Hall
21 7.00pm Second Form Music and Poetry
Evening - Auditorium
Jun 4 7.00pm Third Form Music & Poetry Evening
Auditorium
Jul
9 Race for Life - Lister Park
11 7.00pm Fourth Form Music & Poetry Evening
Auditorium
26 Junior School Speech Day
Price Hall
28 Cricket OBA v BGS
4 2.30pm Senior School Speech Day
Price Hall
4 7.15pm Folk Group Concert
Hockney Theatre
netball
Netball has been badly affected by the neverending
frosty weather this season.
However, three teams won their
Bradford Schools Tournament;
congratulations to the U13s, U15s
and U16s. Good luck to the
U12s and U14s who will play at a
later date. It has been particularly
pleasing to see so many of our
players selected to train at county
and district level. Well done to
Pascale Fisher and Corrie Jackson-
Levrier who were both selected for
and represented at regional level.
The netball staff are also delighted to
announce that Superleague player and
trainee teacher, Danni Bloomfield, will be assisting with
netball coaching next season.
world
book
day
To celebrate World Book Day, Junior School pupils
wore non-uniform or dressed up as a book character
in exchange for a £1 donation. Over £166 was raised
and donated to Book Aid International, a charity which
provides books to schools in Africa. During the day the
pupils had the opportunity to share their favourite books
and take part in fun, book-related activities.
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