Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Summer 2012<br />
a note from the head<br />
I am sure you will enjoy reading this latest edition of Hoc Age; it gives the reader a wonderful snapshot<br />
of all the various activities which go on in the school and combine to make BGS the exciting school<br />
it is. Our Jubilee celebrations were great fun; Clock House had a street party and a concert, and the<br />
Second and Third Years put on a ‘Diamond Decades’ variety show in the Hockney Theatre. The energy<br />
and enthusiasm of the pupils were infectious as was their ingenuity. It was good to see their take on the<br />
history of the last 60 years!<br />
BGS was a very different school in 1952 but the values which embody it remain the same: a commitment to<br />
excellence in all we do; a concern for others and the development of each individual pupil to their full potential.<br />
‘This do’ remains a potent reminder of the school’s willingness to embrace change and ‘do’ things; as you will<br />
read, BGS pupils are doing many things wonderfully well.<br />
jubilee celebrations<br />
The last day of school before half-term saw both the Junior and Senior <strong>School</strong>s celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee. A full fun-packed day was enjoyed by pupils and staff.<br />
The Junior <strong>School</strong> held a street party in the school gardens for all pupils, parents and grandparents. Pupils and staff dressed in the style of one of the decades of the Queen’s reign and<br />
Mr Riley made a very convincing Winston Churchill. This was followed by a Jubilee Concert in the Price Hall and performances included songs from each decade, poetry and an excerpt<br />
from the school’s forthcoming production Bugsy Malone. The afternoon concluded with renditions of Land of Hope and Glory and the National Anthem.<br />
The Senior <strong>School</strong> pupils and staff dressed in red, white and blue and enjoyed a traditional British Fayre Lunch of fish and chips or a full English breakfast followed by treacle sponge and custard.<br />
Different year groups planned a range of activities. The whole of the First Year walked from school to Ilkley dressed in red, white and blue and raised money for the Teenage Cancer Trust.<br />
Second and Third Form pupils entertained each other at a Jubilee Variety Show. The prize for the best performance went to 2DJM who acted out sketches relating to the Sixties such as the<br />
first heart transplant and England winning the World Cup. One hundred and sixteen Fourth Form pupils spent the day paintballing at the Delta Force Centre.<br />
The Stitch Club are producing a wall-hanging themed on the Diamond Jubilee which will be entered into the Bingley Show on Saturday 21 July. The girls have each designed and hand sewn<br />
their own block. All sixteen blocks will be joined together to make the hanging.<br />
spring fair<br />
The Parents’ Association organised yet another fantastic<br />
Spring Fair with an amazing array of stalls, games and<br />
activities. The weather was kind and meant that all the<br />
activities on the Governors’ Lawn were enjoyed to the<br />
full. New to the Fair this year were a large climbing wall,<br />
birds of prey and a full size inflatable table football game.<br />
Entertainment included Mr Mann’s magic show, flower<br />
arranging demonstrations and music performances.<br />
There was a delicious selection of food available<br />
from freshly made samosas to a burger<br />
from the barbeque or afternoon tea in<br />
the Dining Hall. It was a<br />
wonderful occasion filled<br />
with entertainment and<br />
fun for all. The day<br />
raised over £6,500<br />
and was sponsored<br />
by Farnell Land<br />
Rover.<br />
fairtrade<br />
The popular Fairtrade tuckshop runs every day at break<br />
and has made good sales this year. The members of the<br />
society have decided to donate £100 of their profits to<br />
the Mathare Outreach project which works in the slums<br />
of Nairobi, Kenya.<br />
Junior <strong>School</strong> teacher Miss Clucas will be working for the<br />
project this summer and plans to spend the money to<br />
buy a pair of shoes for each child in the school she will<br />
be visiting.<br />
classics<br />
In the first week of the Summer Term, a new Classics Lending Library<br />
was opened in room 27. This project was made possible by a generous<br />
legacy to the Classics Department by Kenneth Pollard (OB 1936-39),<br />
and the Library was opened by his daughter Mrs Louise Lee.<br />
Also present for the opening were the current Headmaster Mr Kevin Riley, the previous<br />
Headmaster Mr Stephen Davidson, Mr Richard Lee, all the Classics teaching staff and<br />
representatives from the Classics Society.<br />
Mrs Lee said a few words, recalling her father’s time at BGS and his enthusiasm for Latin,<br />
Greek and cross-country running. She had chosen a Latin inscription for the top of the<br />
handsome oak bookcase Dominus providebit (The Lord will provide), because she felt it<br />
summed up his lifelong trust in God to provide.<br />
The purpose of this library is to make books and films about the Classical World readily<br />
available to pupils. Members of the Classics Society marked the occasion by being the first<br />
to sign out books from the Library.<br />
Earlier this year the Classics Department were out and about with pupils from all year<br />
groups. A trip to the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, gave Lower Sixth pupils the chance<br />
to look at Greek vases and sculptures with Dr Thomas Mannack. Sixth Form Latinists<br />
travelled to Manchester University for an afternoon of lectures on their A level texts. The<br />
school fielded a team of seventeen pupils at the annual Classical Reading Competition<br />
at Leeds University, where they swept the board in the Junior Greek Section, with<br />
a First Prize for Lily MacTaggart, and Second Prizes for Christopher Silberberg and<br />
Matthew Hull. There was also a trip to Nottingham High <strong>School</strong> to see a production of<br />
Euripides’ Medea.<br />
radio<br />
presenter<br />
During the school run<br />
each morning Tegan<br />
Johnson listens to<br />
“Dixie and Gayle”<br />
on the Real Radio<br />
breakfast show. Tegan<br />
has participated in<br />
the show over the<br />
telephone, giving her<br />
views and entering<br />
their competitions.<br />
They have<br />
nicknamed her Tiny<br />
Tegan.<br />
Tegan was thrilled<br />
to be selected<br />
to be a guest<br />
presenter, replacing<br />
Gayle whilst she was on holiday.<br />
Despite the early start (having to arrive at the station<br />
for 5.45am) she loved the experience of being a real<br />
presenter on the 6am to 9am morning programme.<br />
junior<br />
triathlete<br />
First Year pupil Jessica Manning recently swam six races<br />
at the North East Regional Championships and won four<br />
golds, one silver and one bronze.<br />
She has also qualified for the British Gas National<br />
Championships due to take place the week before the<br />
Olympics. She will be swimming in the 400IM,<br />
the 200IM and the 200m breaststroke.<br />
Jess will be one of the younger swimmers<br />
in her group as she will still be eleven and it<br />
is a combined eleven and twelve year old<br />
category. She is currently ranked second<br />
in Great Britain for her age in the 200<br />
and 400 individual medleys.<br />
Jess is part way through the Yorkshire<br />
and Humberside Triathlon series and is<br />
currently at the top of the leader board<br />
with four triathlons to go. At the end<br />
of the series the top two girls will<br />
represent Yorkshire and Humberside<br />
at the GB Championships in<br />
September. Good Luck Jess!<br />
olympic<br />
gold<br />
medalist<br />
Former pupil Adrian Moorhouse won an Olympic<br />
Gold Medal in the 1988 Olympic Games. It<br />
seemed more than fitting that the school swimming<br />
pool should take his name during the London 2012<br />
Olympic year.<br />
The day itself consisted of a series of events<br />
starting with a family swim in the pool, followed by<br />
an Old <strong>Bradford</strong>ian Association v <strong>School</strong> swimming<br />
match and an Old <strong>Bradford</strong>ian Association v<br />
<strong>School</strong> water polo match. At the end of the day<br />
Adrian spoke about his time at school and unveiled<br />
a plaque. The guests, who included Adrian’s<br />
extended family, former pupils, former staff, current<br />
pupils and staff associated with swimming and<br />
water polo, enjoyed an afternoon tea in the Sixth<br />
Form Centre.<br />
Adrian took part in the swimming event and his<br />
brother Stephen, a former international water polo<br />
player, took part in the water polo match.
ace<br />
for life<br />
A team of over one hundred from <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>Grammar</strong><br />
<strong>School</strong> joined up to two and a half thousand other<br />
entrants at Lister Park’s Race for Life in June.<br />
BGS had a team of runners, joggers, walkers and<br />
supporters, consisting of pupils, former pupils, staff,<br />
parents, grandparents and the Headmaster’s wife.<br />
Many were supporting family and friends who have<br />
been touched by cancer, and raised over £1000<br />
towards cancer charities.<br />
This was the third time the school has entered this<br />
event and the numbers continue to grow each year.<br />
Fifth Form pupil Poppy Briggs was the first finisher<br />
for the school, closely followed by Katy Boden from<br />
the Third Form. Refreshments in the Dining Hall<br />
were a welcome end to this uplifting event and gave<br />
everyone chance to share the experience.<br />
300 bronze<br />
awards<br />
There are now over three hundred <strong>Bradford</strong><br />
<strong>Grammar</strong> <strong>School</strong> pupils who have achieved<br />
their Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award<br />
through the school’s scheme. A further fifty<br />
five have completed their Silver Award and<br />
over thirty have achieved the Gold Award.<br />
Last year ninety-eight pupils completed<br />
their Bronze Award assessed expedition<br />
and this year one hundred and seventeen<br />
Fourth Form pupils are working towards<br />
their Bronze Award. They completed their<br />
training expeditions over two weekends in<br />
May and the assessed expeditions took place<br />
in June.<br />
Gabi Swanepoel was officially the school’s<br />
three hundredth Bronze Award holder. As<br />
part of achieving her Bronze Award, Gabi<br />
helped in Ilkley’s British Heart Foundation<br />
shop for three months, reached Grade 4 at<br />
the flute and completed expeditions in Lower<br />
Wharfedale and Nidderdale.<br />
rsc<br />
chemistry<br />
olympiad<br />
The RSC Chemistry Olympiad is a national<br />
competition open to Upper Sixth Chemists. Five<br />
<strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>Grammar</strong> <strong>School</strong> students gained<br />
certificates. Well done to: Jen Bonson (Bronze),<br />
Jamie Davidson (Silver), Will Paget (Bronze) and<br />
Jamie Boden (Bronze). Ben Gaunt, a Lower Sixth<br />
student, achieved the highest mark in the school<br />
and was only four marks away from achieving gold.<br />
tae<br />
kwon<br />
do<br />
Adam Haq from the Second Form<br />
entered the 25th Traditional Tae<br />
Kwon Do Team Championships.<br />
Teams from all over the UK took<br />
part in this event and the entrants<br />
competed in individual fights.<br />
Adam successfully won many<br />
rounds to secure his place in the<br />
final of his belt category. In the<br />
final he came first and won gold.<br />
Adam trains with the Leeds TTA<br />
club who won a trophy for Best<br />
Team Spirit in the competition. He<br />
thoroughly enjoys Tae Kwon Do and will be taking his<br />
black belt grading in September.<br />
lady<br />
elizabeth<br />
kirk<br />
Lady Elizabeth Kirk, daughter of RB Graham, who<br />
was Headmaster of <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>Grammar</strong> <strong>School</strong> from<br />
January 1939 to December 1953, visited Clock<br />
House for the first time since leaving <strong>Bradford</strong>. Lady<br />
Elizabeth lived at Clock House from the age of ten.<br />
The Junior <strong>School</strong> was the Headmaster’s house with<br />
servants and gardeners. The children loved trying<br />
to work out which rooms were which from her story.<br />
By the time of her visit they all felt they knew her<br />
and were all so excited because it felt like actually<br />
meeting a fictional character from a book, but in<br />
real life. They were spellbound and asked question<br />
after question of Lady Kirk and her sister Margaret,<br />
who seem to have been typical children squabbling,<br />
getting up to mischief and thoroughly<br />
enjoying life in the forties and early fifties.<br />
She also mentioned the friendly ghost<br />
that lives in Clock House which sent<br />
the whole of Year Five on an afternoon<br />
ghost hunt.<br />
Lady Elizabeth returned to the school<br />
to present the prizes at the Junior<br />
<strong>School</strong> Prizegiving.<br />
rounders<br />
As always rounders has proved to be<br />
a popular choice of summer activity<br />
amongst the BGS girls. In an<br />
unusual start to the season both the<br />
U13 and U14 A squads had finals<br />
to play (unfinished from last season<br />
due to the weather) against Ilkley <strong>Grammar</strong> and St<br />
Joseph’s College respectively. Both games proved<br />
to be high quality with outstanding fielding skills and<br />
tactical awareness demonstrated by all the BGS girls<br />
despite it being so early in the season. Both our<br />
teams came out victorious with the U14s beating St<br />
Joseph’s by an innings and two rounders and in a<br />
closer encounter the U13s coming out on top against<br />
Ilkley with a score of 13½ - 9.<br />
This season has produced some excellent teams at<br />
all ages including the U12s who have taken on board<br />
the tactical side of the game.<br />
school<br />
journeys<br />
The school has recently adopted Frizinghall Station.<br />
This will mean that the school has a great deal of<br />
input and control over the security, appearance and<br />
surroundings of the station. Initially there will be<br />
flower beds and boxes on display. The art work at<br />
the station will be BGS related. The school will be<br />
working with others<br />
in the community to<br />
further enhance the<br />
environment around<br />
the station.<br />
A number of Sixth<br />
Form pupils will<br />
be given free rail<br />
passes and asked<br />
Frizinghall<br />
to act as train<br />
wardens. It is<br />
hoped that this will<br />
enhance the pupils’ experience on their way to and<br />
from school. The majority of our pupils travel by train<br />
from either the Wharfe or Aire Valleys and many find it<br />
a very social end to the school day.<br />
BGS is delighted that due to an increased demand<br />
from surrounding areas school bus services are likely<br />
to be extended. Plans are being made to provide<br />
a new bus service running from Rawdon, the Ilkley<br />
service may be extended to start at Addingham<br />
and the Halifax bus route could be extended to<br />
commence at Hebden Bridge. Any pupils who wish<br />
to consider using the buses please contact Julie<br />
Smales on 01274 553750.<br />
paris<br />
Forty-one excited First and Second Form pupils and<br />
six of their teachers met at school to start a five-day<br />
visit to Paris. The first day started with the Eiffel Tower.<br />
Most of the group took the lift up to the top of the tower<br />
for the breathtaking views over the city. After lunch, a<br />
walking tour of Paris included the Ile de la Cité, Notre<br />
Dame Cathedral, the Hôtel des Invalides and the River<br />
Seine. A party of art-lovers made<br />
a detour to the Louvre museum.<br />
They managed to see some of the<br />
wonders of European art, such<br />
as Leonardo di Vinci’s Mona Lisa.<br />
Everybody enjoyed a leisurely cruise<br />
on a bateau-mouche on the River<br />
Seine.<br />
The second day in Paris began in<br />
Montmartre. <strong>Here</strong> the party saw the<br />
Sacré-Cœur and the Place du Tertre,<br />
admired the work of the street artists<br />
and enjoyed the quintessentially<br />
Parisian atmosphere. In the<br />
afternoon, a coach trip round the main<br />
sights of Paris took in the Champs<br />
Elysées and the Arc de Triomphe with<br />
its Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.<br />
The group was accompanied on both<br />
days by fantastic local animateurs who helped guide the<br />
pupils round Paris and who spoke to them in French<br />
throughout the day.<br />
The final day was spent at Disneyland. The pupils<br />
enjoyed all the attractions of this theme park enormously,<br />
and there were some scary tales from the thrilling roller<br />
coaster experiences. The following day the group<br />
returned to <strong>Bradford</strong>, having learned a great deal about<br />
Paris and lots of French too.<br />
first year walk<br />
On Friday 1 June, the First Year celebrated the end of exam week with a sponsored walk to Ilkley. They managed to<br />
avoid some rather excitable bullocks and enjoyed a leisurely picnic on top of Ilkley Moor. At White Wells Mr Richards,<br />
the Ilkley town crier, greeted them in full regalia and delivered an ode, specially written for the BGS walkers. Cool,<br />
cloudy but dry weather was perfect for the day and everyone enjoyed the chance to let off steam in good company.<br />
lifeguard<br />
awards<br />
The school regularly offers pupils the opportunity to<br />
complete lifeguard training awards. The following Third<br />
and Fourth Form pupils have successfully completed<br />
the Bronze Medallion: Hamzah Mushtaq, Jacob Flavell,<br />
Frankie Williams, Elise Starling, Pippa Mack, Zoe Holmes<br />
and Matthew Handy. The following Sixth Form pupils<br />
have gained the National Pool Lifeguard Qualification:<br />
Tom Holmes, Joe Allan, Sarah Ross, Luke Kopelciw,<br />
Jack Robinson, Jacob Ellison, George Pearson. Fifth<br />
Form pupils Eve Mannings, Ed Brownlee, Fergus<br />
Walden, Jamie Woods, William Truby, Jacob Birkenhead<br />
and Jeevan Khela have also successfully gained this<br />
qualification.<br />
sporting<br />
round-up<br />
Mark Scholefield continues to play wheelchair<br />
basketball in the Superleague and First Divisions<br />
for his club, Sheffield Steelers. He played for<br />
Yorkshire U19s in the Junior League Finals and the<br />
First Division League Final play-offs. He continues<br />
to be part of the GB U22 squad, is a TASS<br />
supported athlete (Talented Athlete Scholarship<br />
Scheme) and has recently taken part in the <strong>School</strong>s<br />
Games in London.<br />
Emile Cairess ran the London Mini Marathon on 22<br />
April: he came eighty-first out of one thousand six<br />
hundred runners and was the third British runner.<br />
Freddy Hoban has been selected to swim two<br />
events at the English <strong>School</strong>s National Swimming<br />
Championships (400 individual medley and the<br />
200 butterfly) and has also qualified to swim at<br />
the National Swimming Championships at Ponds<br />
Forge in Sheffield.<br />
shakespeare<br />
This year’s Great Shakespeare Debate kicked off with<br />
a first round based on the authorship debate. Lower<br />
Sixth Form pupils Matt Procter, Chris Casson and<br />
Georgie Henley were delighted to be one of the twelve<br />
teams who reached the final round, which meant two<br />
days in Stratford-upon-Avon. The students’ days<br />
were jam-packed with workshops, debates, lectures, a<br />
performance of Measure for Measure at the RSC New<br />
Theatre and a Q&A session with the actor who played<br />
the Duke. After four gruelling rounds of debate the two<br />
highest scoring teams were announced for the final;<br />
and <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>Grammar</strong> <strong>School</strong> was one of them! In a<br />
nail-biting final the team demonstrated their skill and<br />
flair for debating: Georgie, in her first national debating<br />
competition was confident and engaging, Chris was<br />
analytical and precise in his argumentation and Matt<br />
eloquently and powerfully summarised the debate as a<br />
whole. It was a very close call and BGS did amazingly<br />
well to finish second in this national competition!<br />
usa trip<br />
The Easter holidays saw the Geography department<br />
embark on their fifth visit to the south west United States<br />
of America. Forty-three students and six staff made up<br />
the party embarking on what promised to be the trip of<br />
a lifetime. They were not to be disappointed; as the trip<br />
proved to be one of the most successful the department<br />
has enjoyed.<br />
One of many highlights was the day spent at Bryce<br />
Canyon. The beautiful weather, the brilliantly clear light<br />
and the patches of snow capping the salmon pink rock<br />
hoodoos made it a spectacular experience. The students<br />
particularly relished the two days spent in Las Vegas.<br />
They were able to explore the many attractions that the<br />
city has to offer: the Stratosphere rides, the New York<br />
New York roller coaster, the view from the top of the Eiffel<br />
Tower, the Bellagio fountains and in the evening outdoor<br />
shows.<br />
The trip also included a visit to the awesome Grand<br />
Canyon, a memorable journey by boat from Glen Dam<br />
through Red Canyon, the vertigo inducing views from<br />
Horseshoe Overlook and the brilliant colours of the rock<br />
formations and spring vegetation in Zion.<br />
girls’ tennis<br />
This term has been the most successful term for girls’<br />
tennis since it was introduced. From U12 to U15 BGS<br />
has won all fixtures apart from two. The fixture calendar<br />
for girls’ tennis has been the busiest ever for all age<br />
groups. The girls have had two successful tours, to<br />
Stamford and Nottingham. To date we have held three<br />
invitational tournaments at BGS and have achieved<br />
the following results: 1st Senior IV won the plate<br />
competition, U15s came third, U14s IV came second,<br />
U13A came sixth, U13B came fifth and U12s came<br />
third. Congratulations to Pascale Fisher for winning<br />
the school round of the National Competition Road To<br />
Wimbledon – twelve girls entered this and Pascale beat<br />
last year’s winner Alex Christian to go through to the<br />
qualifying round at South Leeds Tennis Centre. She<br />
is through to the final Yorkshire qualifying tournament,<br />
which means she is only one event away from going to<br />
Wimbledon. The following girls have been selected to<br />
represent BGS at the prestigious Independent <strong>School</strong>s<br />
Tennis Tournament at Eton in July: Megan Sadler, Chloe<br />
Pinkney, Courtenay Fisher, Charlotte Cottle, Libby<br />
Linfield, Krista Bennett, Lizzie Ayre, Emma Phillips,<br />
Emma Peacock, Izzy Austin, Hannah Chaudry and Amy<br />
Peacock. Good Luck Girls!<br />
royalty<br />
drops in<br />
Mr and Mrs Riley were pleased to welcome Princess<br />
Anne to <strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>Grammar</strong> <strong>School</strong> as she arrived<br />
here by helicopter during a visit to the county. It<br />
was the first time Mr Riley had greeted royalty<br />
after becoming Headmaster in January. Her Royal<br />
Highness The Princess Royal took time to speak to<br />
those waiting and waved to pupil and staff onlookers.<br />
art<br />
Junior and Senior <strong>School</strong> artists have taken part in a<br />
number of competitions and exhibitions this term. As<br />
part of the Lord Mayor’s Little Diamonds competition<br />
to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee, Junior <strong>School</strong> pupils<br />
eagerly thought of a variety of fun activities.<br />
The competition gave<br />
a selection of<br />
categories, but<br />
placed firmly<br />
on the<br />
agenda was<br />
a collaborative<br />
approach to the<br />
work. This work<br />
is on display in<br />
the Town Hall.<br />
Junior <strong>School</strong><br />
artwork was<br />
submitted to the<br />
Saltaire Arts Trail<br />
competition and<br />
accepted to be<br />
placed on display.<br />
The pupils created a selection of<br />
pieces in an imaginative variety of media on the theme<br />
of Fun at the Fair.<br />
A selection of Senior <strong>School</strong> pupils exhibited art work<br />
at The Bowery Best of British exhibition. The students<br />
were encouraged to create art inspired by what it<br />
means to be British and how they identify with the<br />
heritage of their home. The students at BGS worked<br />
on a theme of afternoon tea. BGS art students have<br />
provided the art work currently on display in the<br />
judges’ rooms at Leeds Crown<br />
Court.<br />
Amy Peacock, Kate<br />
Robertshaw and Jonty<br />
Casson from 1SMH were<br />
winners of the First Year<br />
Design a Headdress<br />
competition. Pupils based<br />
their headdresses on carnival<br />
designs. The masks were<br />
developed from mod roc into<br />
their final shapes and then<br />
decorated with coloured<br />
tissue paper, beads and glitter.<br />
The winners received art<br />
materials which were donated<br />
by the BGS Art Forum. BGS Art Forum’s aim is for<br />
parents and pupils to enjoy art together. For more<br />
details about the forthcoming BGS Art Forum trip and<br />
the group itself, please visit their website at www.<br />
bgsartforum.weebly.com/<br />
The term finished with the annual Art trip to Whitby.<br />
faiths<br />
in the city<br />
The Faiths in the City event in April was a day to remember for the Third<br />
Form. The all-day event involved a series of religious workshops from<br />
a variety of faiths. The Hindu and Classical Indian Dance workshop<br />
involved students learning about how important dance and music are<br />
within Hinduism as an expression of Hindu belief and practice. The<br />
students performed a variety of classical Hindu legends about particular<br />
gods and goddesses. The Islamic calligraphy and art workshop allowed<br />
students to creatively explore and produce Islamic art. The Buddhist<br />
workshop enabled students to practise meditation and learn about<br />
Buddhist practice and beliefs. The Christian workshop saw performances<br />
from the York based Riding Lights Theatre Company. In this workshop,<br />
students were challenged to think about Christian beliefs about Jesus and explore what it means for a young person to<br />
have a Christian faith in today’s world. The Sikh workshop focused on the music of Sikh worship. Students were able<br />
to listen to the harmonium and tabla (as well as other drums) and learn about the significance of music for the Sikh faith.<br />
At the end of the day students presented what they had learned from the workshops. There were notable dance and<br />
music performances as well as interesting presentations.<br />
national<br />
record<br />
Abby Parkinson rode in the National Junior 10 mile time<br />
trial in Sawtry. This competition is open to girls and<br />
boys who are under eighteen; therefore at fourteen Abby<br />
was one of the younger competitors. Abby put in an<br />
impressive performance to finish in second place.<br />
The <strong>School</strong> Games was<br />
a massive success for<br />
the Yorkshire Cycling<br />
Team when they became<br />
overall Inter-Regional<br />
Road Champions. Abby<br />
scored points for the<br />
team in every race, the<br />
girls got Bronze in the<br />
Team Time Trial and<br />
Abby achieved three<br />
fourth places individually.<br />
Abby found riding on the<br />
Olympic Velodrome in<br />
London an exhilerating<br />
experience.<br />
In June Abby broke the CTT National Championship<br />
Record for the U16 10 mile Time Trial taking a staggering<br />
fifty-nine seconds off the previous time. She recorded a<br />
time of 21 minutes 44 seconds which was recorded on<br />
the V718 course at South Cave, Hull.<br />
biathlon<br />
This year’s Junior <strong>School</strong> Biathlon was a great competition. It was organised in conjunction with Pentathlon GB. The pupils<br />
enjoyed swimming, running, fencing and Olympic team games including throwing, sprinting and a penalty shoot-out.<br />
Winners of each year group and budding Brownlees were: J6 Ben Moon and Milly Fewlass-Jones, J5 George Moran<br />
and Eve Wellings, J4 Eve Atkinson and Jaime Berry, J3 Naina Krishna and Ben Grimmitt, J2 Ruby Qureshi and Oliver<br />
Scales. Congratulations to all who took part and appreciated a day out in the sunshine.<br />
george<br />
galloway mp<br />
One Friday evening in May, <strong>Bradford</strong> West’s new MP, George Galloway,<br />
came to speak in school at the invitation of a number of school societies.<br />
This was an initiative by the Sixth Form, and Upper Sixth student Rowan<br />
Arthur deserves huge credit for all the work he put in to organising this<br />
successful event. Mr Galloway entertained a packed Hockney Theatre for over<br />
an hour and a half.<br />
It was excellent for our students to see such a politician at first hand and to engage with<br />
him. Their questions were intelligent and testing, often demanding a nuanced response.<br />
amsterdam<br />
This term the History Department organised a new trip to Amsterdam. Thirty pupils from the Second to Fourth Form<br />
travelled overnight on the Hull to Rotterdam ferry. The centrepiece of the trip was a visit to Anne Frank’s house. The<br />
house had a great impact on the pupils. They particularly enjoyed a very informative study session there, as well as<br />
walking round the family’s secret hideaway.<br />
Other highlights included a boat tour of Amsterdam’s canals and a visit to the Jewish Quarter. The destination proved<br />
to be a successful initiative and will be repeated in following years.<br />
peace jam<br />
PeaceJam UK is part of an international youth<br />
movement led by Nobel Peace Prize winners. This<br />
year the BGS PeaceJam Society learned about<br />
the Nobel Peace Laureate Desmond Tutu. They<br />
delivered an assembly in January to raise awareness<br />
of the conflict between Israel and Palestine, and<br />
sold wristbands around school to raise money for<br />
the charity Children of Peace.<br />
In April the PeaceJam Society went to the annual<br />
PeaceJam weekend conference at <strong>Bradford</strong><br />
University. The students took part in a variety of<br />
workshops and activities ranging from discussion<br />
tasks and drama activities to learning the tango<br />
in a dance workshop! All workshops were based<br />
around different ways of resolving conflict. The<br />
students also had an amazing opportunity to listen<br />
to inspirational speeches given by Adolfo Esquivel, a<br />
leading Nobel Peace Laureate, as well as presenting<br />
their own projects and ideas for working for peace.<br />
They were so inspired by Adolfo Esquivel and his<br />
experiences that they came back to school and<br />
delivered an assembly to the whole school about<br />
what they had learned from the weekend.<br />
bgs at the<br />
olympics<br />
<strong>Bradford</strong> <strong>Grammar</strong> <strong>School</strong> has involvement in the<br />
Olympics from beginning to end. Mr Boden, father of<br />
Katy and Jamie Boden, both current pupils at the school,<br />
carried the Olympic torch on its very first day in the UK.<br />
Mr Boden has worked as Head of BT’s communications<br />
project for the Olympics for the past six years. The<br />
Olympic torch passed the school on 24 June on its<br />
journey from <strong>Bradford</strong> to Keighley. Former pupil Roger<br />
Mosey is Head of BBC Olympics 2012 and is responsible<br />
for the BBC’s entire delivery programme for the event.<br />
Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee<br />
are medal hopefuls in the men’s<br />
triathlon. Whilst cheering on<br />
Alistair and Jonny look out for<br />
Director of Sport, Charles<br />
Lines, who is a marshal<br />
at the event in Hyde<br />
Park. Former pupil and<br />
previous gold medallist<br />
Adrian Moorhouse is an<br />
official British Olympic<br />
Ambassador and will<br />
be commentating on the<br />
swimming events. Double<br />
Olympian and former pupil<br />
Richard Nerurkar is delighted<br />
to be spectating with his<br />
family this time round!<br />
Finally, Fourth Form pupil<br />
Jordan Murray will be<br />
playing drums in the closing<br />
ceremonies of the Olympics<br />
and the Paralympics.
showing<br />
Junior <strong>School</strong> Year Five pupil Ella<br />
Stuttard trains twice a week with<br />
Team Ahern and has been riding<br />
since the age of five. Ella rode at<br />
The Royal International and Horse<br />
of the Year Show for the first time<br />
last year. This year she took Show Pony<br />
Champion at the Royal Windsor Diamond<br />
Jubilee Horse Show and appeared in Horse<br />
and Hound. Recently she took Supreme of<br />
The White Rose County Show and also Area<br />
Reserve Champion. Ella’s ambition is to one<br />
day win the Horse of the Year Show.<br />
cricket<br />
Cricket has come second place to<br />
the weather this term. The 1st XI<br />
has completed four of its twelve<br />
scheduled fixtures whilst the 2nds,<br />
U15s and U14s have been similarly<br />
adversely affected. On the plus side<br />
the rain has relented occasionally<br />
mid-week and both our U14 and U12<br />
sides have made good progress in the<br />
Lord’s Taverners and Bunbury Cup<br />
competitions respectively. Both<br />
teams have important matches<br />
coming up at the end of term. With two<br />
weeks of an already decimated season to go it is<br />
hoped that the weather relents and some cricket is<br />
played before the end of term.<br />
ccf<br />
The BGS CCF Contingent has spent this term planning<br />
and preparing for their annual camp in July. Army<br />
cadets are going to North Yorkshire and Air Cadets to<br />
Cambridgeshire. Annual camp is always an enjoyable<br />
week with lots of fun, adventure and hard work.<br />
During March the Contingent spent a weekend in Ripon<br />
camp. <strong>Here</strong> they threw themselves into all the excellent<br />
training available. The weather was kind and made<br />
the camp all the more enjoyable. Anyone wishing to<br />
experience challenging pursuits and character building<br />
skills and who is interested in becoming a member of<br />
the CCF Army or Air Force section can call in to the CCF<br />
office any Tuesday.<br />
music<br />
The Music Department ended last term with<br />
the production The Hit Machine. This was a<br />
fabulous extravaganza of musical highlights<br />
featuring number one hits from previous decades.<br />
Musicians, singers, dancers and backstage crew<br />
all helped to create a buoyant atmosphere and a<br />
memorable top quality evening.<br />
This term has been equally as busy with Music<br />
and Poetry evenings, Lunchtime Recitals and<br />
performances in school and out. The Price Hall<br />
was the venue for the annual concert which<br />
particularly features Upper Sixth musicians who<br />
are leaving BGS and who are therefore playing<br />
together for the last time as a year group. The<br />
Concert Band braved the June rain showers and<br />
played a splendid one and a half hour session at<br />
the Grassington Festival. Musicians who have<br />
formed their own bands battled it out at the Battle<br />
of the Bands, and the term ended with Pimms in<br />
the Hockney, a relaxed event featuring musical<br />
performance highlights from the rest of the year.<br />
clock house ski trip<br />
A group of Clock House pupils enjoyed an extremely successful ski trip to Risoul, France. The weather was fantastic<br />
with glorious blue skies and sunshine for the first three days. Overnight on Tuesday a metre of snow fell, which<br />
made skiing difficult but lots of fun! The evenings included entertaining activities and games. The resort’s ski slopes<br />
provided a perfect range for the mixed ability group. The beginners were well catered for and progressed to more<br />
difficult slopes quickly whilst the more advanced skiers enjoyed a variety of challenging runs and mogul fields. A safe<br />
and successful trip was enjoyed by all.<br />
bugsy malone<br />
A huge congratulations to all the Junior <strong>School</strong> pupils involved in the end of year production Bugsy Malone.<br />
Everyone played their parts superbly. Those cast in the role of the main characters were Joe Qureshi as Bugsy,<br />
Maryam Nisa as Fat Sam, Talluah was played by Niamh Gregg and Blouncey by Esme Hanafin. Dandy Dan and<br />
Fizzy were played by Edmund Milwain and Ben Moon respectively. There was no sign of nerves as the young<br />
actors and actresses confidently entertained the appreciative audience.<br />
boys’<br />
tennis<br />
The boys’ tennis teams have had an<br />
excellent season and have won almost<br />
85% of their fixtures. Notable results<br />
include: U15 and U13 teams are the<br />
<strong>Bradford</strong> and District Aegon Champions<br />
and are through to the National<br />
Draw, U13s won the BGS Invitational<br />
Tournament, U14s were runners-up in<br />
their tournament, U19s and U16s are<br />
the North of England Plate winners and<br />
runners-up respectively. James Liu was<br />
the BGS Road to Wimbledon winner. The<br />
U12 to U15 squads have all enjoyed tennis<br />
tours this term.<br />
shares4schools<br />
Twelve students from the Economics Department have been participating in shares4schools, an annual competition<br />
involving live trades on the stock market using funds from sponsors – which this year included a very welcome donation<br />
from the Parents’ Association. Chair of the regular investment strategy meetings, Jebran Raashed, summed up the<br />
experience: “It’s true our portfolio didn’t perform as well as we would have wanted. In fact, we actually ended up losing<br />
money! But I, like the rest of the group, have developed a keen interest in finance as part of our Economics A level,<br />
and this was a terrific opportunity to learn more about the workings of real world markets. It’s certainly given us a lot to<br />
think about, especially in terms of our future careers.”<br />
percussion<br />
Jordan Murray had huge successes<br />
at the European Percussion<br />
Championships held in Tournai, Belgium.<br />
These were attended by the top indoor<br />
percussion units from across Europe.<br />
Jordan also competed in the Individual<br />
Percussion category and despite<br />
only being fifteen, entered into<br />
the Open Age section. The<br />
competition was strongly contested<br />
and he was delighted to be awarded second<br />
place, losing out on the European title to last<br />
year’s winner by only one point, with a very high<br />
score of eighty-five.<br />
The percussion sections of The Company,<br />
Jordan’s band, competed in the<br />
International Marching Class category<br />
and were crowned European champions.<br />
They have been invited to perform<br />
as one of the professional acts at the<br />
closure of the Paralympics and will also<br />
be performing in the Best of British music<br />
show which will form part of the closing<br />
ceremony of the Olympic Games.<br />
junior trips<br />
This term J2 pupils had great fun on a teddy bear<br />
adventure to Borrowdale. Pupils, staff and teddies<br />
enjoyed good weather and lots of outdoor activities.<br />
Our J5 pupils travelled to Newlands Valley on what<br />
must be one of the wettest Fridays on record. They<br />
didn’t let the rain dampen spirits and relished the<br />
many indoor and outdoor activities.<br />
forthcoming<br />
events<br />
calendar<br />
Aug 16<br />
Sep 4<br />
A & As Level Results<br />
25 GCSE Results<br />
Term Commences<br />
25 Founders’ Day<br />
Oct 2 7.00pm Strings Concert - Auditorium<br />
6 Open Day<br />
9 7.00pm Vocal Concert - Auditorium<br />
Nov 6 7.00pm Woodwind Concert - Auditorium<br />
Dec 1<br />
10 OBA Oxbridge Dinner<br />
16 Speech Day<br />
Christmas Fair<br />
4 7.00pm Brass Concert - Auditorium<br />
12 Clock House Concert<br />
19 Christmas Concert<br />
21 RPA Christmas Ball<br />
22 RPA Christmas Ball<br />
charity<br />
Individual pupils, form groups, year groups and<br />
sometimes the entire school regularly fundraise using<br />
a huge range of activities. This term there have been<br />
non-uniform days, a cello recital by Joanna Twaddle<br />
and many sponsored sporting activities. This resulted in<br />
over £2000 being donated to the Teenage Cancer Trust.<br />
Representatives from the Trust presented an assembly to<br />
the whole school. A further donation of over £1000 was<br />
made to the Martin House Hospice.<br />
At the end of their exams the Second and Third<br />
Forms held an Olympic Sports Day. The pupils gained<br />
sponsorship to take part and raised over £2500 which<br />
will be split between two charities. The Third Form raised<br />
funds for the Ilkley based charity Build a <strong>School</strong> in Kenya<br />
and the Second Form donated their sponsorship to the<br />
Mathare Project. The Mathare Project will use the money<br />
to take children living in slums on a one week holiday to<br />
Lake Victoria.<br />
sports day<br />
The Junior <strong>School</strong> Sports<br />
Day was mainly about<br />
fun and taking part,<br />
although the tug of war<br />
was as competitive as<br />
ever. After a day full<br />
of events: including<br />
swimming, jumping,<br />
running, balancing<br />
and pulling<br />
Founders were<br />
the overall<br />
winners.<br />
Produced by Staunch Design - 01993 815919 - www.staunch.com Photographs by BGS and DRW Photographics