Hoc Age - Bradford Grammar School

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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.
Page 1: Spring 2013 a note from the head Th

Hoc Age - Bradford Grammar School

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