Barnardian 2010 - 11

barnardianBarnard Cast le School magazine 2010/11 >> number 286

ISI Inspection…ISI Inspection judges both Prep and Senior School “Excellent”

Dramatic Success…in “Skellig”, “Rent: School Edition”, “Ernie’s Incredible Illucinations” and “Oink!”

Lectern Club…sees students and staff alike all dolled up with somewhere to go…

The Barnardian 2011Magazine of Barnard Castle School

2010/11

Speech Day Reports 1-7

PREP SCHOOLClass Reports 8-15Music 16Drama 17Sport 18-19Art, Design and Activities 20-21Reports from Prep School Groups 22-23Special Events and Trips 24-27Fond Memories of Year 6 28-29Senior Common Room 30-33

SENIOR SCHOOLActivities 34-38Chapel and Charity Reports 39-40Department Reports 41-49House Reports 50-57

AUTUMN TERMThe Arts 59-61Lectern Club “I Want...” 62CCF 63Departmental Events 64-65Sports 66-71

SPRING TERMPublic Speaking Competition 73Lectern Club 74-75The Arts 76-77Departmental Trips 78CCF 79Skiing Trip Reports 80-81ISI Inspection Comments 81Sports 82-87Barney Bash and Barnard Run 88-89

SUMMER TERMThe Arts 91CCF 92Creative Writing Competition 93Events 94Departmental Trips 95Sports 96-100Sports Day 100-101Leavers’ Ball 102-103Reports from Senior School Groups 104

Editor >> Mr T. Scott Edwards I Special Thanks to >> Mark Fuller, OliverChrisp, Ben Jeffrey, Ian Lamming and Assistants (photographic contributions)I Collation >> Mr T. Scott Edwards I Technical Support >> Oliver Chrisp andBen Jeffrey I Prep School Editor >> Mr Nick Seddon (With thanks tocontributors and additional photographers)

Design and Production >> yellow torpedo byrå

LECTERN CLUBS…are a huge success as pupils taketo the stand on a variety of topics(pages 62, 74 and 75)

DRAMATIC PUPILS…take to the stage in a varied array ofproductions (pages 17, 59, 76-77 and 91)

ISI INSPECTION…shows the school excels (pages 6 and 81)

A RECORD BREAKING…Sports Day in glorious sunshine (pages 100-101)

20112 The Barnardian Magazine

Chairman, Mr and Mrs Aikenhead,governors, noble guests, ladiesand gentlemen of all ages, as iscustomary, I will highlight aspectsof the last academic year, but Isuspect that you also want me tosay something of the future andso do I.

However, of this year I will have very fond memories,especially of the warm welcome that so many of youhave given to me and my family. My abiding memories will be of successful boys and

girls gripping their GCSE and A’Level results in August,the rewards of hard work; the indomitable damp Dukeof Edinburgh Award campers whom Heather and Ivisited in their tents on a horribly wet Friday night inSeptember; the tenacity of the Bursar after the firstthaw of winter, collecting abandoned kitchen trays whichhad been pressed into service to aid boarders who hadhurtled down the snow-covered slopes on them; therelief and sense of readiness among my staff when Ifinally gave them the news in March that the inspectorswere coming; the perplexed reaction of the cricketers inMay when the MCC fixture was almost abandonedbecause of cows on the outfield; and perhaps above allthe stoic yet plaintive enquiry of a well-wrapped youngGerman who endured the icy blasts of June to supporta tennis fixture as he asked me: “when does summercome, sir?” So where are we going now as a school? You will have

seen traces of what is to come over the course of thisyear and, as I explained to the common room inSeptember, Barney is a very different place from theschool that assembled for the first time in Sept 1883with 25 boarders and 10 dayboys. It has movedlocation, it buildings and resources have and willcontinue to be modernised, it has adapted to preparechildren for the changing demands of our national andinternational economy and society. Schools evolve and some changes are progressive

and necessary, but important things don’t change:Barney still teaches what is important intellectually,physically, socially, morally and spiritually. That soundsgrand and nebulous, but it’s not meant to be: each ofthese important areas has in a great many schoolsthroughout the country become confused, restricted orsimply lost.Fools rush in where angels fear to tread; fools deluded

that their experience elsewhere qualifies them to passjudgement on a place and people who are unique.I have read Barney’s history, I have rummaged in its

archive, I have by now spoken with many hundreds ofcurrent and previous parents and pupils of the school –not just as a mildly curious historian, but becauseBarney matters to me and I wanted to find out how itticks. It is a school with a national and, increasingly, aninternational reputation – and I am delighted by thenumber of nations and cultures now represented in ourboarding houses, even though we have deliberately notincreased our overseas numbers this year – but to reallyunderstand it, as Harper Lee wrote, you need to climbinto its skin and walk around in it. That is a process thatbegan for me almost 2 years ago and one that I haverevelled in. It has brought home to me three truths:This is an outstanding school; I do not say that with

any sense of spin, hype or falsehood or the easy

platitudes of Ofsted: the qualities of your children, ourstaff (all of them, teaching and support) and what weachieve together is tremendous. It was a hugeendorsement of all of them, gratifying for me andtestament to the hard work of my predecessor, DavidEwart, that the Independent Schools Inspectorate foundthat too – a rigorous 5 week inspection by a team whichincluded the current chairman of the HMC. It is outstanding in Sport: in the range and quality that

is played – too much to mention in detail, but myhighlights this year must be the superb achievements ofthe U15 Squash team in reaching the final of theNational Schools Championship in Manchester and theachievements of so many of our rugby 7s teamsthroughout the Spring Term: their haul of trophies andcommendations was spectacular and the pinnacle mustbe the senior side’s victories over Millfield andWellington at Sedbergh – big guns, yes, but they were nomatch for the calibre of Barney’s boys. The awards ofcolours and half-colours to so many at each nailing uphas been a pleasure and I am pleased with theircommitment and their example.It is outstanding in intellectual stimulation and

achievement: our Chemists are “top of the bench” andwent on to represent the region in national competitionat Imperial College; several of them returned last nightfrom a research competition at Durham University inwhich their work was likened to that of postgraduates.This year our mathematicians won plaudits and agreater number of gold awards than ever before in thehistory of the school’s participation in the UK MathsOlympiad; our students have responded to such stimulias conversations with visiting authors, leadingjournalists such as Nigel Farndale from the Telegraphand politicians such as Helen Goodman and formerHome Secretary, Lord Brittan. Historians and classicistshave visited the subject of their studies; economistsand business students have looked at manufacturing inaction and spoken to industrial leaders. A source ofgreat reassurance and constant amazement to ourinspectors was the support given to many of our boysand girls by teachers in tailored tutorials – in otherschools, including independent ones, the price tag forthat is £30 an hour – here our teachers’ concerns arefor your children’s progress and they put themselves outtime and again to ensure that everyone achieves all thatthey can. This continues to be shown most notably inthe fact that 96% of our boys and girls leave us topursue further study at universities of their choice,despite the unprecedented competition for places atBritish universities.Equally important in my view, they leave us not just

with the intellectual credentials, but with a range ofexperiences which enriches their character, imbuesthem with confidence and enables them to talk to andwork with other people – skills so increasingly rareamong school-leavers, that those who have them arethe leaders of tomorrow’s society. That range ofexperiences owes everything to the willingness of theCommon Room, my colleagues, to give of their time; thefact that last term they provided 128 activities everyweek in addition to House competitions and sportsfixtures is remarkable and selfless. We have had somehighly accomplished and high profile dramaperformances this year in Skellig, Rent and Ernie’sIncredible Illucinations; we have been treated toextraordinary musical performances by groups,ensembles and the chapel choir in formal concerts, inchapel, in Durham Cathedral and in the superbValentine’s Jazz Evening and I wish all of the musicianswho are going on tour to France shortly bon voyage etbon chance.

So my first truth was that this is an excellent school.My second is that the over-riding value and the one

which I have placed at the top of the list that guides ourstrategic development plan is our sense of Community.This was also something that inspectors found andcommented upon because, despite most of themworking in major and much more expensiveindependent schools, they had rarely or neverencountered such a pleasant place to live and learn.You will have read in their report that when they askeda girl if she enjoyed school, she didn’t answer with thecustomary “yes, I do”; she said “it’s like a big family” –I am so proud of that and to be part of that. It is at theheart of what Barney stands for – unity andachievement. It is commented upon time and again byvisitors to our school, both those who come onbusiness and those who are comparing schools andwant to find the right place for their sons and daughters– without fail they speak with excitement of the courtesyof our children in holding doors open, saying anunsolicited good morning or good afternoon, how theymix easily with each other and purposefully with theirteachers. Good habits and traditional values neverexpire. This has been noticed beyond the region: Imentioned that we had a national reputation. We havebeen invited to work with ITN which is making a film nextterm about excellence in independent education; theyhave identified our school and the aspect that they wantus to focus on is community. So we have an excellent school, with community at

its heart.My third truth is this: from all of my reading about the

school’s history and my conversations with the Barneycommunity past and present, it has become apparentthat Barney has never stood still, has never beencomplacent – good schools don’t. In a highlycompetitive world, a ruthless market and these difficulteconomic times when you as parents want the best foryour children and a clear sense of value for money, tostand still would be to take a backward step. What Iwant is for your children and the school’s staff to havethe best resources that we can provide. So goodschools don’t stand still, but great ones cherish theirvalues and what is important to them. Barney is aspecial place and I love it; I have no intention ofchanging our inclusivity, our basic Christian values, ourchildren’s sense of fun and sometimes mischief, even ifit occasionally means gritting my teeth – such as I didwhen I received a card on Valentine’s Day which, ofcourse fell towards the end of the Six nationsTournament. The card read “To our beloved HM, withlove from the 6th Form. A pity about Ireland on Sunday”– they are good at heart, if a little cruel when a man’sdown, but you must be very proud of them.I share that pride, and I am also proud of my staff. As

you know, I was an athletic youth with a full head of hairin Sept of last year – that is the nature of a HM’s job. Letme share with you the ennui of the HM of ShrewsburySchool who wrote this to his governors in 1583:I am so weary with the work, so tired with the toil and

overwhelmed with the care thereof, that I neither can norwill any longer continue with it.So he took early retirement – at the age of 35. There

are two lessons from this poor man’s experience: He did not have a fine staff, an excellent senior

management team and a superbly supportive SecondMaster who give of their time and energies in a way thatI have no right to expect. They do a sterling job for 6 and,in many cases, 7 days a week. They have my sincerestthanks, admiration and best wishes for a fine andrelaxing holiday when it comes after tours, trips and CCFcamps have safely returned.

Alan Stevens’ Speech Day Report

Headmaster’s address

2011 3The Barnardian Magazine

The second lesson is that the HM of Shrewsbury knewwhen to get out, although 35 seems a little early, andsomething of which Lord Hutton would sternlydisapprove. I must say that I am concerned that thegovernment may follow the recommendation of theIndependent Public Service Pensions Commissionreport. While I understand very well that budgets mustbe balanced, the treasury’s suggestion that teachersshould work until they are 68 years old – something thatI suspect very few of us wants to see in schools – thatthey should pay more and have their pensions reducedfills me with concern on a number of grounds. Mycolleagues have joined this profession as a vocation:you know as well as I do that they are not clock-watching9:00-3:30 functionaries and that regardless of how hardthey work, they will never receive a dividend or theprospect of becoming rich. Most importantly for you asparents, you will have read and seen much newscoverage of the recent industrial action which closedschools throughout the nation. On 30th June you willalso have sent your children to Barney where childrencome first, so on the day when others struck wecontinued with our planned Geography Field Trip, the pre-prep sports day, U12 and U13 cricket, rounders andtennis fixtures and all of our normal lessons. Iunderstand my teachers’ concerns and I know theirvalue; but they know the value of your child, which isbeyond measure, and of a stable and continuouseducation. That is what we do.At the end of every year a school must make its

farewells to pupils and staff. The sadness of saying farewell to old colleagues is

tempered by the pleasure of welcoming new ones and Iam delighted to say that we have recruited – sometimeswithout even having to advertise, such is the reputationof Barney – excellent staff for the next academic year.Later this month Simon Dowson, lately Bursar ofShrewsbury and Aysgarth, will take office here; the veryexperienced Dr David Walton will join us from EmmanuelCollege to lead the Physics Dept, Rachel Mitchell, whocurrently teaches A’Level Spanish and German at theLycee Francais in Dublin and who is a highly qualifiedhockey umpire will join us; Andrew Wade will add hisconsiderable experience to English, Theatre Studies andHistory; Emma McKenzie will become our first evergraduate sports coach, an outstanding coach out of afield of 75 applicants who wanted to work at Barney;Emily McMillan from Virginia will join us as our residentLacrosse coach and Stephen Blakemore will take overin September as facilities manager. We welcome themall to the Barney community.So I reprise my question: where are we going as a

school? Barney has evolved and it will continue to do so. Over

a period of weeks in the Autumn Term my staff and Idiscussed the nature of the school, its strengths,weaknesses and character, I spoke to a great manyparents and I wrote to all of the boarding parents,inviting your input – you responded brilliantly andconstructively. In the Spring Term, while preparing for ourimminent inspection, I discussed further thedevelopment of the school with those who will beinstrumental in carrying through our plans. Earlier thisterm we engaged an independent consultant whoaudited aspects of our work and from whom everysenior and prep school parent received a detailedquestionnaire. Again, the results were reassuring,overwhelmingly positive and constructive – 98% of yousaid that you were satisfied with the School’s work andthat you would recommend it to others but there arematters which need further attention and I promise youthat they will get them. I will receive the full survey

results over the holidays and be in a position to respondto all parents early next term. As I said earlier, fools rushin and this process has been an investment which hashelped to inform our progress through a clearlyconsidered plan – it is not revolutionary, but it will focusour attention and the sum of this will be progress on abroad front without complacency. Perhaps that approach is best exemplified in Martin

Pepper, our excellent Director of Sport who hasaugmented the school’s reputation for sportingachievement during his time here; instead of resting onhis laurels, he is ambitious to develop sport for all of ourchildren, regardless of their abilities, and to develop anElite Scholars’ Programme for those with mostpotential. Similarly, we will do the same in Drama, Musicand Academic studies – I want achievement in all ofthese valuable pursuits to be accessible to as many ofour children as possible and I want us to celebrate ourscholars and our most talented pupils. Turning to our Sixth Form; they are our best advert and

I want to make their Sixth Form years unquestionablytheir best and to provide them with unrivalled access toexperiences, speakers and opportunities to lead anddevelop the skills necessary for learning and life beyondschool. I want them to be distinctive and to look smart.We have begun by providing a forum for them toinfluence their school. One result has been the changeto the 6th form uniform which we will phase in over thenext 2 years; another has been our weekly electronicBarney Bulletin; a third is an academic forum which hascontacted and hosted speakers from different walks oflife. This is a good start and there is much to be doneunder the direction of Stuart Everall as Head of SixthForm to create an espirt de corps which sets the tonefor the rest of the school.Our boarding houses are well-run and caring places;

ISI described them as excellent and they will be full nextyear - but I want the quality of each house to be suchthat it provides a comfortable, safe and well-equippedhome from home for our boys and girls. As you know, webegan a rolling programme of refurbishment in theAutumn – it will continue and speed up. We are alsoexploring the most efficient, secure and manageableway to install a wireless internet connection in theboarding houses; when we do so, you will be relieved tohear, it will be one that we can switch off at lights-out.Turning to academia, much of our teaching is excellent

and among the best and most inspirational that I haveseen anywhere. However, we will, through cross-departmental collaboration and support, introduce aclear schedule of lesson observations, work scrutinies,universal formative assessment and a review anddevelopment procedure to raise the bar and help us todo better what we currently do well.To these subjects of Academia, Sport, Music, Drama,

Sixth Form and Boarding, we have added business andfinance, ICT, marketing, pastoral care, premises and theprep school. I strongly believe that something need notbe in a state of atrophy before we seek to improve it, soin all of these areas we will focus our efforts over thecoming three years to consolidate our strengths andimprove our provision for the development of thechildren whom you send to us.There is one element missing, of course – I am

addressing parents exclusively now – and that is you. Ihope, over the course of this year, that you have pickedup from speaking to me and from variouscommunications that I do not want parents to remain atarm’s length. The Barney Friends of the senior school isactive and thriving; its events will appear again in nextterm’s calendar and in the Bulletin. This year, parentshave generously responded to invitations to get involved

with our Sixth Form in particular. We are hosting regularBarney friends meetings in the Nicholson Room and weare fitting out the old weights room to become anaccessible “as-new” second-hand uniform shop, runvoluntarily by parents to whom I am very grateful. Iinvited all parents to come and discuss the ISI reportdirectly with me and the chairman in May and theparents of leavers will notice that they too are nowinvited as my guests to celebrate the end of the yearand the end of their children’s time at Barney by joiningthe governors, me and my staff for lunch on the lawnafter Chapel. Parents are as much part of the Barneycommunity as are our current pupils and the U6thsitting to my left who, after today, will become theyoungest Old Barnardians. To them I say that it is important to me and to all

current Barnardians that you know that you will remainpart of our community and your membership of it will notbe diluted after you take off your uniform for the lasttime. It is a source of real pleasure to have strong anddeveloping links with the OB community and, inparticular, to be able to welcome members such as TonyAikenhead back to school. Tony is an exceptionalindividual who has achieved extraordinary things in atypically modest, self-deprecating way. I have enjoyedgetting to know him this year and the 6th form inparticular will enjoy his talk on leadership. He delivers itwith the wisdom of someone who has been there;unlike former ABP Michael Ramsay who, when asked ifhe was a wise man replied, “Am I? I don’t really think so.It is probably just the impression given by the absurdfecundity of my eyebrows.” Tony Aikenhead has, I hopehe forgives me for remarking, pedestrian eyebrows buta great deal of wisdom from which we can learn and Ilook forward to hearing from him.To our leavers, I know that today is a special day for

you and tears may even be shed before it’s over, butenough about Mr Pepper. You have provided us withreasons to be confident about your future and proud ofyou, occasionally to be frustrated and often highlyamused by you. Among this fine year group, Nicholas Crowe has been

an exemplary Head of School; he is an exceptionalyoung man and a perfect example of the well-roundedearnest character who will try anything and excel atmost things simply because he doesn’t give up. Hislegacy to the school is the range of suits for which Year11 were measured this week and he led his committeethrough that project in a manner which even Alan Sugarwould have found hard to criticise. He has not onlytaken on all the responsibilities of Head of School, ablyassisted by Heather, Cameron, Jess and Rob, but hehas excelled in his academic work, played rugby, sanglustily in House music, improved his Barney run time bysome considerable margin and even put up with ususing “that photograph” time and again inpresentations. Nick, thank you for a job well done. Toyou and all of your fellow leavers, I wish every one of youslainte agus tainte. In conclusion, Chairman, the school is hale and hearty

with neither pretensions nor spin. It is made successfulby dedicated, ambitious staff, and by children who areopen, friendly, supportive and hard-working. I hope thatI have given you all a sense of our vision for yourchildren and for those yet to join us and I invite you totake every opportunity to support us and to be part of it.

Alan Stevens

Headmaster’s address


UVI PrizesGovernors’ Prize for English Language Jessica ScottBarker Prize for English Literature Douglas BoltonAdlard Prize for Mathematics Daniel MillerParkinson Prize for Further Mathematics Robert HallSowerby Prize for Biology Daniel MillerRobinson Prize for Chemistry Robert HallWiseman Prize for Physics Robert HallWalton Prize for Practical Sciences Angus RobertsonWalton Prize for Practical Sciences Daniel MillerWalton Prize for Practical Sciences Ben WilsonCrosby Prize for Pre-Medical Studies Daniel MillerMunro Prize for French Rachel MetcalfGovernors’ Prize for Spanish Heather ApplebyShields Prize for Classics Ryan StrawbridgeFarrar Prize for Ancient History Kathryn JohnstonScott Prize for Geography James IngramJackson Prize for Field Study Helen SimpsonMowitt Prize for History William FordGovernors’ Prize for Politics Alex WilsonPrest Prize for Religious Studies Matthew EmmersonRowlandson Prize for Economics Richard StanwixVincent Prize for Business Studies Kate SwinbankMellanby Prize for Technology James GatenbyHorwarth, Clark, Whitewell Prize for I.T. Sophie EvansBlaxland Prize for Art Hannah RobertsonTaylor Prize for Drama Hannah RobertsonGibson Prize for Theatre Studies Oliver ChrispDirector of Music’s Prize Daniel MillerJohnson Prize for Piano Juliet O'Brien Niven Prize for Woodwind Arjen JongschaapGovernors’ Prize for Sports Studies Jessica ScottBarker Prizes for Sport Cameron JonesBarker Prizes for Sport Rachel BrownBarker Prizes for Sport Christopher LeggBarker Prizes for Sport Anna DawsonBarker Prizes for Sport Michael WaldinBarker Prizes for Sport Jessica ScottHughes Prize for Service Lukas KillingerContingent Commander’s Prize Helen AldersonContingent Commander’s Prize Heather ApplebyContingent Commander’s Prize Oliver ChrispAquilla Prize Ryan StrawbridgeCommandant’s Certificate of Outstanding Service Edward GrundyDinning-Cooke Sword of Honour Donna Opray

Westwick Prizes for Achievement Tom MillerSouthern Prize for Chapel Reading Harry BainbridgeSouthern Prize for Chapel Chorister Matthew EmersonChaplain’s Prize Jevany ThompsonChaplain’s Prize Chris BuryChaplain’s Prize Grant McGrathChaplain’s Prize Victoria CliffeChaplain’s Prize Sophie ThompsonRotary Club Prizes Tom HarrisonRotary Club Prizes George WoollardRotary Club Prizes Matthew TsangRotary Club Prizes Callum LarsenRotary Club Prizes Nick McGregorRotary Club Prizes Stephen TsoiHeadmaster's Prize for a Day Girl Aarti DevganHeadmaster's Prize for a Day Boy Angus RobertsonHeadmaster's Prize for a Boarding Girl Harriet KnowlesHeadmaster's Prize for a Boarding Boy Adam MasonThompson-Richardson Prize James IngramThe Old Barnardians’ Club Centenary Cup Nicholas Crowe

LVI PrizesEnglish Language Imogen RidleyEnglish Literature Freddie MetcalfeF Mathematics Varun BalupuriMathematics Adam MillerFrench Freddie MetcalfeGerman Dale KeoghSpanish Natalie ShawPhysics Andrew BusseyChemistry Adam MillerBiology Alice McBainGeography Finlay TaitReligious Studies Imogen RidleyHistory Christopher RobinsonPolitics Neil StanwixEconomics Jonathan HarrisonBusiness Studies Katherine WaltonArt Finlay TaitLatin Natalie ShawClassics Christopher RobinsonTechnology Thomas VickersMusic Luke ShieldP.E. Alex BeaumontTheatre Studies Paige Wilkinson

School Prizes

Prize List


When I was told that the Lectern club committee hadchosen the ‘Future Memories’ as the title for their nextevent, I thought ‘fantastic’.This gives me the chance to give it the full Chesney

Hawkes. The ‘I am the one and only’. Listing all myachievements at the school and politely informingeveryone how, and for what I shall be rememberedwhen I leave. I’d even planned my closing line, it was going to be ‘and that is why I’m proud to be a Barnardian!’. And at this intense, passionatestatement I would be greeted with a standingovation. At least that’s how it all panned out in myhead…The hard part came when I thought about my ‘legacy’

and how I’ll be remembered. I wasn’t particularlyoverwhelmed with my conclusion if truth be told, whichwas that the odds are that like most Old Barnardianswho haven’t played rugby for England I may well beforgotten… But as I’d already planned this Churchill-esque speech this simply wouldn’t do. So it was backto the drawing board. This is what I came up with…I was captain of the Bank of England target 2.0 team

that were very unlucky not to be put through to the nextround. Although it was not the first time that a group ofbankers’ decision has left a group of economist’spuzzled.I was part of the unbeaten, or rather unbeatable 3rd

XV. Undoubtedly one of the great sides to have gracedthe schools fields.I scored a mammoth 182 in inter-house scrabble.

Which I’m assured is some kind of school record…Then it occurred to me that you don’t actually need a

legacy, for two reasons.First of all, you can make your own legacy up. I was told

by someone that when they went to university they metabout 20 1st XV captains and is still waiting to meetsomeone who was a fringe player at school! This meansmy legacy from school, to all those I meet in the futurecould be that I was the head of school. However I will tryand avoid this route as the real head of school Nic Croweis substantially bigger and stronger than I am…The second reason I don’t need a legacy here is

because that wasn’t why I was sent here. Next year willbe the first in 31 years in which my parents won’t have

a child in full time private education, an incredibly longperiod of selflessness and on occasion sacrifice, forwhich my elder brothers and sister are extremelygrateful. But after a couple of years at Barney my Daddidn’t weigh up another 5 years of school fees or a nicebig Lexus, because he didn’t feel I was creating a bigenough legacy… my parents sent me here because theopportunities here set you up really well. Admittedly itdoesn’t always feel worth it after double French with MrJohnson, in which he fit more French than many meremortal language teachers can fit into two years’ worthof lessons, or on a Sunday afternoon facing theprospect of doing the history essay Mr. Gorman has setfor Tuesday ‘To what extent was there a consensusbetween 1945 and 1962’. But when you get to yourFrench oral and it seems very tame in comparison to anormal French lesson, and when that exact essaycomes up in your History A2 it suddenly seems worth it. So whilst I’m afraid I don’t hold the full collection of

school honours ties, that doesn’t especially bother me,because it doesn’t mean I’ve got anything less out ofmy 7 years here. We’ve all had opportunities here,teachers and pupils. Some have found their place onthe pitch, others have found it in the classroom and afew have found it behind this lectern. And that’s whyyou should be proud to be a Barnardian.

Tom Harrison

Tom Harrison’s Speech

Nic Crowe’s Report

Tom Harrison’s speech

Well, we have certainly had a busy year – a newHeadmaster and Second master, the ISI inspection andmembers of the school jetting off around the globe tothe likes of South Africa, Austria, Cyprus, Belgium, Paris,Rome and, by far the most glamorous, the 1st XI crickettour to Macclesfield.

Becky Davy used this platform last year to talk of allthe resignations that occurred in her time as Head ofSchool and I must admit with Mr. Ewart leaving in July,and Mr. Marlowe in December, the prospect of a newHeadmaster daunted me a little. However following ameeting with Mr. Stevens upon my return from SouthAfrica, all my fears were set aside. Mr. Stevens gave methe opportunity to be as pro-active as I could be,allowing me to help make real changes to life in ourschool. Upon arrival back in September, the wheels of change

accelerated into motion. Immediately 5 committeeswere set up to evaluate life in the Sixth Form: theAcademic Forum, the Recognition Committee, the SocialCommittee, the Accommodation Committee and theDress and Appearance Committee. Many thanks mustgo to all involved as it was by no means a compulsorytask, yet each committee had approximately 25members meeting regularly in their free time who feltthat they could change Sixth Form life for the better. Intheir brief existence we have already had quiz nights,guest lecturers for Sixth Form assemblies and a uniformchange. All of the above were seamlessly carried out bymembers of the committees and the actions of allinvolved must be applauded. It is them who have madethe difference. It is situations such as these which showwhat is so great about Barnard Castle School. If you canprovide the impetus, you can be what you want to be, dowhat you want to do. We may not have the best resultsin the country, or have the best rugby team, although weoften do, but we leave as well rounded individuals,because, at the end of the day, there is an awfully bigworld outside the classroom.And speaking of classrooms I would like to thank all

members of staff for all their help over the years - thereare, however, a few I feel the need to pick on. Firstly Imust thank Mr. Nicholson and Mr. Keane – the pair

made Maths something which it very often is not; fun. I also must thank my Biology teachers, Miss Hall andMr. Fuller. Mr. Butler is by far the most hardworkingperson I have ever met, and his passion for his subjectcomes across when you are taught by him. Mrs.Campbell has given me a love for politics that has drivenme to study it at university, so I owe her a huge thankyou. I certainly owe Mr. Pepper my gratitude for keepingme physically fit. I say physically because the years ofpsychological torment in the form of trudging out on thefields in 6 inches of snow in January will pay their duein the form of a nervous breakdown at some point in my mid 30s. I must also thank all of the seniormanagement team- Mrs. Ellison, Mr. Gorman, The Rev,Mr. Everall and of course Mr. Stevens. Their continuedsupport and encouragement has been priceless. Mr. McHarry retires this year, and it is a huge loss for

the school. Never has a man been more passionateabout his subject or about being an educator. His quickwit and his sharp eye are a force to be reckoned with, Iknow, I’ve been on the receiving end of them enoughtimes! Allegedly he is the former northern motorcyclespeedway champion although I struggle to see how hecould find the time whilst introducing new levels ofqualification throughout his department, building thephysics website and running the famous physics filmclub. Not many teachers can boast a Facebookappreciation group with numbers in the many hundreds;it’s just testament to how great a man and howoutstanding a teacher he is. Finally Mr. Dalton, or Daltsas we call him. Over the last 7 years I could not haveasked anymore of him as a Housemaster, he has beena guiding influence over every big decision I have madeas was the one who encouraged me to go for Head ofSchool. If there have ever been any problems his doorhas always been open to listen to me whine and moanwhich, coincidentally, happens quite a lot. He is a greatfriend and an exceptional Housemaster and I will misshim dearly next year. As I mentioned earlier we have had a very busy year

but everything has been kept in check by those in blueties. The monitorial team has been happy to helpwhenever they have been needed and I am very grateful

for all their hard work and release them safe in theknowledge that they will never, ever, ever have to doanother lunch duty. Similarly the Deputy Heads havedone a sterling job this year. Cam Jones, the selfprofessed charm of the group. Jess Scott, who kept mein line. Heather Appleby, who has the knack of somehowbeing everywhere all of the time. And Rob Hall who,despite having the added workload of being a Deputy,still managed to obtain a place to study physics atOxford next year, an impressive feat to say the least. Allof them were faultless and probably deserved to be inmy place. I am so proud to be a part of the class of 2011. The

retiring Upper 6th are a great bunch and I am honouredto have known every one of them and I am sure they willall go on to be very successful after Barnard Castle. Ihope with Facebook and the like we can all keep intouch in the future, I’ll probably want a job from one ofyou in the not too distant future. I am proud to know thatI have earned your respect over the course of the lastyear but I assure this pride is eclipsed by being able tocall all of you my friends. We’ve had a good run but asI’m sure you are aware all good things must come to anend, I wish you all the best of luck for the future.My final thank you is an obvious one. Constantly

supportive and encouraging, I could not have askedanymore of my parents over the last 8 years. I havealways understood the financial burden that comes withgoing to a private school, but I hope they can see that Ihave made the most of my experience here and that I have enjoyed my time at BCS so much. I will not forgetjust how lucky I have been.I hope everyone has a great summer and those of you

returning enjoy your time next year. I have everyconfidence in Guy Van Den Dries to do an excellent jobin this role and I wish him every success. To those ofyou returning all I would say is this - never lose sight ofhow lucky you are, don’t give up on something that reallymatters to you and make the most of everything offeredto you at this school. Enjoy being here and, no matterhow much it rains, don’t wish your time here away toosoon. I am proud to be a Barnardian and although Iwon’t be back next year, the lessons I have learned herewill stay with me for life. So in the words of LawrenceOates, who assisted Captain Scott on his failed missionto the Antarctic 100 years ago, ‘I am going outside - andI may be some time’.

Nic Crowe

Nic Crowe’s Report


An Excellent Year!

Speech day is a day of collective celebration. It is anopportunity to reflect on an excellent year. I am proud tobe associated with a great school – a school withtraditions and with traditional values, where we are notafraid to talk about appearance and table manners,about respect and politeness, about commitment to theschool and about excellence in achievement; but also aschool which is above all a community, where individualsare nurtured and where relationships across the yeargroups are strong.We are not, however, a complacent school. We are

determined to keep moving forward. It is in this spiritthat we commissioned independent consultants toundertake an extensive survey of parental views and Ishall report back to parents next term with regard tothe findings. At this juncture I would like to extend mygratitude to Barney Friends for their support of theschool and its parent body. The Barney Friends fulfil animportant function in providing a network of support forparents, a second-hand uniform service and a calendarof social events. The year was of course punctuated by the inspection

run by the Independent Schools’ Inspectorate or ISI.The inspection process was thorough, professional andexacting. It is important for us to recognise the findingsof this wholly independent process and the ringingendorsement that our school was given. Our youngest children have continued to flourish and

have made the best start to their formal education. ThePre-Prep is a vibrant and exciting place for children andstaff alike. The quality of our Early Years provision hasbeen outstanding and it is pleasing to see our Pre-Preppupils gaining such a good educational foundation.Barney continues to be a happy and encouraging

community where the care of the children is our priority.This year’s assemblies and wide variety of charityevents have engendered a thorough understanding ofthe value of good character and awareness of theneeds of others. Our boarding community has had a very good year.

The inspectors were most impressed by the amount ofsupport that the boarders get with their homework andthat they were listened to reading on such a regularbasis. The wide range of evening and weekendactivities has certainly enhanced the boarders’education. In this way, boarding provides children withthe chance to experience a wider educationalexperience and I am very grateful to our boarding stafffor their tireless dedication. There have been a myriad of opportunities for

personal development and for the children to grow inconfidence. The drama, the school council, reading inchapel, class assemblies and the special events havebeen appreciated by all of the pupils.Music and Art continue to go from strength to

strength and both these curricular areas contributesignificantly to the spiritual richness and diversitywithin the school. Many pupils have had individualinstrumental lessons and the two choirs, the orchestra,

the brass group, the strings group and the guitar grouphave had a super year. The Pre-Prep musicalperformances have been a real highlight and the Pre-Prep concert and nativity play were particularsuccesses. The singing and acting in the schoolproduction ‘Oink!’ were of an exceptional standard andwere very much enjoyed by cast and audience alike. We are fortunate to be served by such a talented and

dedicated staff and they have excelled themselves thisyear. The ambition in their lessons, their boundlessenthusiasm and their wholehearted commitment hasallowed the school to flourish and the pupils to thrive.Our teachers and pupils have been ably supported by avery capable non-teaching staff, without whom theschool simply wouldn’t function. I would like to take thisopportunity to thank all the staff for another fine year. Above all, however, it has been the children that have

made this year such a huge success. They have beenenthusiastic, hard working and full of fun. Their energyand positive attitudes have enabled our lessons to bepurposefully undertaken and to satisfy the children’squest for knowledge and their love of learning. The achievements of our pupils have been excellent.

In particular I would like to recognise the 16scholarships and exhibitions that our pupils attained tothe senior school. The fact that eight of these awardswere academic scholarships is particularly meritorious.On the sports field we have had another successful

year. The children have acquitted themselves capablyin Hockey, Rugby, Football, Netball, Cross-country,Swimming, Athletics, Rounders, Tennis and Cricketteams. Amongst our many highlights, the U10 Rugbyteam won the inaugural Clegg Cup competition, ourcross-country runners were triumphant at the TeessideHigh School competition and our athletes performedparticularly well at the recent HMC Athleticschampionships where we garnered considerablesuccess, both individually and as a team. Both the Pre-Prep and the Prep sports days provided the opportunityfor us to see the Prep School’s rich pedigree of athletictalent in action. We have enjoyed particular individual success on the

rugby field with Jamie Spratt and Jamie Adamsonrepresenting the North of England Prep SchoolsBarbarians team and we were delighted that JamieAdamson was selected for the England Prep SchoolsBarbarians team that toured Ireland earlier in the year.Claudia Barkes continues to excel in gymnastics whereshe is competing at the very top level working with thenational squad; Claudia should be particularlycongratulated for managing to keep up with her schoolwork despite the hours of training she undertakes eachweek. The children’s enjoyment of the extra-curricular life of

the school such as the sport, the activity programmeand the school trips has been inspiring and we haveindeed had a year of which to be proud. This widereducation has contributed significantly to each child’sdevelopment and is a strength of this school.Our Year 6 pupils have completed their final year at

the Prep School in magnificent fashion. We weredelighted that they all negotiated the Entrance tests tothe Senior School successfully and we wish them allcontinued success and happiness as they move on tothe next stage of their education. This is an exciting time for the Prep School. Over the

summer months the builders move in to undertake aremodelling of the school that will provide a new Year 4classroom in place of the current staff room, a newschool office at the front of the school and a new staffroom area; 1M’s classroom will be converted into anew Reception classroom and outdoor learning areaand 1T’s classroom is being completely refurbished fornext year’s 1M. This is phase one of a programme ofdevelopment planned for the next few years that willfurther improve the Prep School teaching and learningenvironment.

Carl Rycroft’s Speech Day Report

Prep Headmaster’s Report

“

”

As you can see we do not stand still, howevereducation is much more than our physicalsurroundings, it is all about people and relationships –to paraphrase William Butler Yeats, one of the foremostliterary figures of the 20th Century, “Education is notthe filling of a bucket but instead the lighting of a fire”. I trust it is clear that the fire and the appetite for

learning and life experiences burn brightly at BarnardCastle Prep School. We have had another excellentyear – our pupils today are a credit to us and I have nodoubt, will continue to be so.

Carl RycroftHeadmaster

“The overall effectiveness of the EYFS isoutstanding.” (ISI)

“Within a safe and happy environment theneeds of the children are very well met andfulfil the aims of the school. Every child istreated as a valued individual. Outcomes forthe children are outstanding. “ (ISI)

“Pastoral care is excellent and pupils flourishin the supportive and understandingatmosphere of the school” (ISI)

“The experience of boarding plays a valuablepart in the pupils’ education and personaldevelopment, fully supporting the school’s aimsfor all pupils to achieve their potential within asecure and happy learning environment” (ISI)

“The personal development of pupils isexcellent; from the earliest age pupils are self-confident and fulfilled members of the schoolcommunity” (ISI)

“The spiritual development of pupils isexcellent. They develop high self-esteem andhave many opportunities in lessons, chapel,assemblies and out of doors to experience andreflect on the spiritual, non-material aspects oflife.” (ISI)

“Teaching is excellent: detailed planning,excellent relationships and skilful execution oflessons combine to ensure that pupils learnsuccessfully and make excellent progress.” (ISI)

“The overall quality of the teaching is excellent,enabling all pupils to make significant progressand give of their best.” (ISI)

“Attitudes to work are extremely positive, withpupils hurrying to class, being prepared tostart in the twinkling of an eye, and applyingthemselves wholeheartedly in lessons. Theyshow enthusiasm, willingness and enjoymentin all that they do.” (ISI)

“In accordance with the school’s aims, thescope and variety of the excellent curriculum is broad and balanced for all pupils and it iscomplemented by a wide range of highlyeffective extra-curricular and enrichmentactivities.” (ISI)


Prep Headmaster’s Report


We started in September with 14 boarders, 11 of whomwere new to boarding and Barnard Castle School. Wewere joined in the Summer Term by two more childrentaking the number of boys up to 10 and the girls to 6.Over the year we have had great fun getting to knoweach other and have enjoyed each others’ company. Wehave been on several trips each term and some of thefavourites were: Flamingo Land, York Dungeons, SouthLakes Wild Animal Park, going to the beach and visitingthe farm to see the lambs. Activities around the schoolgrounds have proved to be very popular this year. Theyhave included: treasure hunts, barbeques, water fightsand team games on the playing fields. In addition to our busy weekend trips, each evening

the children have an activity they can join in which isorganised by the member of staff on duty. On aMonday evening Mr Ayres has taken the children tothe hall to play various ball games and in thesummer has taken the children to play tennis. On aTuesday evening the boarders have loved going for afun swim with Mr and Mrs Killeen and many haveimproved their water confidence as a result. On aWednesday Miss Bennington has organised a varietyof themed nights. These have included making

masks for Chinese New Year, Easter eggcompetitions, talent shows and many more popularactivities chosen by the children. On a Thursdayevening Mr Wicling has taken over half of the childrento attend horse riding lessons whilst the remainderhave enjoyed the company of Miss Kulaszewski whohas organised art and craft activities for them. On aFriday evening the boarders have enjoyed the quizzesand games Mr and Mrs Killeen have designed as wellas playing outside on their rollerblades and bikes.Over the course of the year we have had different

monitors who have chaired meetings for theboarders and put forward ideas of what changes oradditions they’d like to see in Old Courts. Thechildren voted for who they would like to have as theirmonitors and they have proved to be invaluable.Many of the boarders have represented the school atseveral sporting events and Mr and Mrs Killeen haveloved watching them achieve their potential both onthe sports field and in the classroom. The boarders did a fantastic play at Christmas

called ‘The Elf Who Lost Her Way’. Mrs Killeen wasvery impressed with how naturally and confidentlythey performed and can’t wait for this year’s play,

which has again been written by our resident matron,Miss Sanderson. I know the children have been veryexcited about receiving their play scripts and MissSanderson has given them the first part to read overthe holidays to familiarise themselves with theircharacters. Mr and Mrs Killeen are really lookingforward to the play and as we have 20 boarders inSeptember we are upgrading the venue and having itin Big School to ensure all parents and siblings willbe able to come and watch.The children have a very busy schedule whilst in the

Boarding House and thrive on the challenges set.Our main aim is to ensure they are happy and feelsafe in their surroundings. It has been an absolutepleasure looking after the boarders this year and wehave seen them mature and overcome certainobstacles in order to become more independent. Welook forward to meeting the new boarders inSeptember and welcome back many of this year’scohort. Many new trips and ideas have already beentalked about but we’ll wait to see what next termbrings.

FMK/MK

Old Courts

Prep School

Clockwise from top left:

Fun at the park > Sunday Chapel Service >South Lakes Wild Animal Park > ChristmasPlay was fantastic > Feeding the animals >Enjoying the fantastic views > Fun in thesnow > Fruit cocktails for Movie Night.

Digging for buried treasure Walks by the river Horse riding activity


At the beginning of September ten children and oneteacher, all new to the school, were thrown together andquickly built the bonds of trust, respect and friendship tobecome the Reception class. With the help of Mrs Roberts-Lilley, the children not only adapted quickly to schoolroutines and expectations but they also took on board thefoundations of learning that we all now take for granted. We learnt how to live the Barney Way and use it when

making difficult decisions or considering the best wayto behave. This was no small concept for four and fiveyear olds, but the children have received many of theirmerits as a result of this. I was particularly impressedby the thought which the children gave toRemembrance Day discussions, which we held whilecompleting a piece of group artwork based on Monet’s‘Poppies’.The ever popular visit to see Santa at Raby Castle

took place in beautiful snowy surroundings in the midstof a packed Christmas schedule including making astar appearance as lambs in the nativity play!In the New Year, the children threw themselves into

the many activities that the topic of Chinese New Yearpresented; dragon dancing, Chinese writing and ofcourse visiting our very popular ‘Green DragonRestaurant’ role-play area. To encourage an appreciation of our surroundings we

designed posters and slogans for the CountrysideCode, providing the opportunity for the children to writetheir ideas on the computer. This made an eye-catchingdisplay and gave food for thought for passers-by.Learning about baby animals, their needs and how

they grow culminated in a visit to Castle Vets in BarnardCastle where the children were commended for theirexcellent behaviour and the interesting questions theyasked. The highlight of this term for many of us was thePre-Prep spring concert in which the Reception classconfidently performed the song ‘Five Hot Cross Buns’in front of a packed Atkinson Hall.The summer term is always a most enjoyable term for

Reception staff and children. With reading and writingskills acquired and a confidence in numberestablished, children can start to work with increasedindependence and are able to concentrate on longerpieces of work and problem-solving challenges. Thiswas when I noticed children choosing to write for theirown purposes during imaginative play; for example inthe outdoor classroom, writing parking tickets forwayward motorists and taking food orders in the CreepyCrawly Café! The children started swimming lessons this term and

enjoyed preparations for Sports Day. They showed theirreadiness for Year One by their exemplary behaviourduring Speech Day and their polished performance inour class assembly, during which they shared the manyfacts that they had learnt about chickens and their lifecycles. Then in a whirlwind of minibeast hunting, ateddy bears’ picnic and a trip to Harlow Carr, the yearwas over!Some of the topics that the children have initiated

through their interests this year have been;‘Superheroes’ and ‘Buses’. The ‘Superheroes’ weekencouraged children to write their names on theirsuperhero costumes and firmly established Queen’s‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ as our superhero theme musicand class anthem. Some thoughtful discussion camefrom the question “What qualities does a superheroneed?” When using an interest in buses to countwheels and passengers, then sell and design ticketswe also discovered that you can travel as far as Africaon an Arriva bus if you use your imagination!This has been a year of ‘firsts’ for us all and I hope

that the children will remember it for as long as I will.Mrs Bale

Reception

Prep School


Practising letters > Snow Day > At thevets > Body shapes > Jackson Pollockwork > Gears and levers > Buildinghouses > Body shapes two > Hello! >Christmas lunch.

Reception Class


The Year One classes have had a typically energetic yearand the children have really thrived on all the differentprojects, visits and activities. Our first trip, in the AutumnTerm, was to the Bowes Museum. Our History topic was‘Toys’ and the children took part in an exciting ‘hands on’exploration to discover how old fashioned toys worked.They also had the opportunity to make their own ‘peg doll’,letting their imaginations run wild as they used fabrics,paper, wool and trimmings to realise their designs. Aftermarvelling at the ‘Silver Swan’ automaton, we returned to school.The children are always keen to play their part in Prep

School celebrations, and enjoyed making bread forHarvest and decorating the Chapel with their Harvestcards. In the snowy second half of the term, rehearsalsbegan in earnest for our grand performance of ‘TheNativity’ in Chapel. All the Year One children took apart; we had Shepherds camped in the aisle, Angelssinging from the organ loft and Stars twinkling as theydanced. The acting and singing was brilliant and madea really super finale to a busy term.The Spring Term arrived and brought our turn for

swimming lessons. The children loved their swimmingand it was great to see so many of them really gain inconfidence and ability over the term. As well as takingpart in the whole school charity events, Year Oneworked hard to raise lots of money to support MarieCurie Cancer Care. They collected money from theirsponsored daffodils, which they had planted in autumnand cared for through the winter; there was greatexcitement when the first flowers bloomed! Thechildren also held a cake sale, which proved verypopular, selling their ‘daffodil’ decorated fairy cakes toall their Prep School friends. Our DT and History Topic for the term was ‘Homes’,

and the Year One classes learned about how housesare built, investigated building materials and then hada brilliant time designing and making their own houses.Not content with Lego bricks, they also learned how touse hacksaws and wood-glue, making wood-framedpanel walls to fit on the class Model House. To learnabout different types and styles of buildings throughthe years, we had a lovely walk through the town. 1T performed a memorable Assembly to show off all

they had learned about house building, which was bothinformative and very entertaining. 1M presented workon our Literacy topic, ‘Fairy Tales,’ demonstrating someemerging dramatic talents with their musical renditionof Sleeping Beauty.To enhance our study of Sound in Science, we visited

Radio Teesdale, where we were given an interestingtour of the studios and met some ‘real’ presenters.The children composed their own ‘jingles’ and thenrecorded some very special messages which werebroadcast on Mothers’ Day. There is always a strong focus on Music in Year One

and, having rounded off our ‘Sound’ topic by designingand making a musical instrument, our next big eventwas the Pre-Prep Concert. The children worked so hardto learn songs and poems to perform for this and theconcert was a great success!In the Summer Term, the children involved

themselves in growing edible plants and they preparedand tasted a variety of fruit and vegetable recipes aspart of our Healthy Eating project. The children enjoyedPre-prep Sports Day, taking part with typical gusto. Theterm finished with all the excitement of our trip toHarlow Carr RHS Gardens, where the children exploredthe beautiful grounds, took part in some interestingworkshops and had a lovely picnic. We wish them all the very best as they move up to the

challenges of next year!Mrs Michelin, Mrs Turner and Mrs Thompson

Year One

Prep School


Year 1 Group Artwork > The Nativity >Visit to Bowes Museum > Buildinghouses > Pond dipping > Fun with the wind > Recording Mothers Daymessages > Harlow Carr

Pre-Prep cake sale Partner work Ready, steady go!


Year Two had a great start in their new class with a trip tothe Shildon Railway Museum as part of their transporttopic. They enjoyed learning the names of the differenttrains and talking to the engine drivers. The class were very upset to learn that Mrs Tulip

would be leaving just before half term and gave her alovely send off with a special book of memories.After half term, Miss White took over the class and

preparations for the Nativity began, which allowedmany of the children to take on leading roles. ChineseNew Year was celebrated with aplomb as the childrentried Chinese food, made lanterns and learnt how it iscelebrated in China from two of the School’s Chinesesixth formers. The Spring Term started with woodland walks and

mini beast hunts which resulted in the discovery ofseveral never-before-seen creatures! The Year Twoassembly fell on St Patrick’s Day; coincidentally thesubject of the assembly was St Patrick – a fact that didnot escape the children! This led to the conclusionthat there are several budding thespians in the class,especially if the RSC ever need a serpent or ‘man witha hammer’. As part of their Art project, Year 2 visitedthe Bowes Museum. They spent several hours

searching the Museum for patterns, which they thencopied using a variety of media. Following this, theyhad the opportunity to create their own monoprint,which you might have been forgiven for thinking,involved rolling green ink on your face and hands! Souter Lighthouse was all the children could talk

about in the weeks preceding their History trip in June.There was such a cheer on the bus when theLighthouse came into view that the coach driveralmost pulled over. Whilst there, the children becameLighthouse Keepers, engineers and some evenbecame pirates! The sun shone on Sports Day and everyone

participated with enthusiasm and energy. The classtook part in four races, the obstacle, the bat and ball,the shuttle relay and the sprint. Thanks must go to MrWicling for working so hard with Year Two in P.E. thisyear. The children have really enjoyed building on theirskills in gymnastics, dance, throwing and catching andathletics.Music as always has played a key part; lessons with

Mrs Abela and singing with Mr Atherton have beensomething the children have looked forward to everyweek. Each child has sung solos in front of the whole

class and they all performed magnificently in theNativity, Easter Concert and on Speech Day. The class have very much enjoyed using the laptops

this year and their competency has increaseddramatically. Over the three terms, they have createdpictures in Paint, written stories in Word, made postersin Publisher and even created a slide show inPowerPoint. Our end of year trip was a highlight for all, despite the

inclement weather! Year Two sketched, explored andchased each other around Harlow Carr. Although theflowers and gardens offered some diversion, for mostof the class the best part of the trip was the Log Mazeand being able to find the fort in the middle! Unfortunately, we had a repeat performance of the

rain for our Teddy Bears’ Picnic. However all the bearsenjoyed themselves and participated fully in thedancing and games that took place after eating in theAtkinson Hall. Along with the teachers, they marvelledat ‘Magic Andrew’ and his array of magic tricks. Westill do not know where the rabbit came from! Thanks must go to Mr Killeen, Mrs Greaves and Mrs

Thirling for their invaluable assistance this year.Miss White

Year Two

Prep School

Making clay Chinese dragons Pattern work at Bowes Museum Printing at Bowes Museum


Clowning around > Harlow Carr > Viewfrom above > Gymnastics Fun > Lunchat the Lighthouse > Science is fun >Printing at Bowes Museum > Landahoy! > (centre) Souter Lighthouse


In September we started in 3K with 19 children and in theSummer Term this rose to 20. The children have had greatfun this year both in and out of the classroom. Newopportunities have arisen and the children have made themost of them all. I have certainly enjoyed my year andlooking back, there’s been so much for the children to beproud of.This year the Year 3s have been on three trips. They

went to Arbeia, where they pretended to bearchaeologists for the day and dug up lots of differentartefacts in the Time Quest workshop. There was a bigcompetition, set by the current Year 4 children, to seewho would be the first to find the skull which had beenburied down a drain pipe. There was an almighty cheerwhen some of the boys stumbled across it. At Bede’sWorld they came face to face with wild boars and hada go at writing using a quill and ink. Many of thechildren mastered it quite quickly but agreed they’d notlike to spend all of their time doing writing! They alsohad a fantastic time when they visited the LakesAquarium and travelled on a boat across LakeWindermere. The weather was perfect for enjoying thestunning views and the children loved the ice creamsthey ate whilst overlooking the lake. They all enjoyedthe guided tour around the aquarium and were amazed

when they were actually allowed to touch certaincreatures. The children drew their favourite animal inpreparation for painting it on a tile when they were backat school.In Science they have loved carrying out all of the

different experiments, especially the ones related totooth decay, healthy eating and shadows. They havegrown marigolds and really enjoyed their session withProfessor Brainstorm. In Design Technology thechildren had fun making a Kenyan hut to complementthe Geography topic all about Kenya. They alsodesigned some great faces as part of their ‘Wiggly EarsProject’. For the Maps topic in Geography the childrenspent time outside sketching a plan of both the Prepand Senior School buildings. Once back in theclassroom they then made a neat copy of their plan ofthe Prep School from a birds eye view. Some of thesewere excellent as they had really thought carefullyabout the positions and shapes of the buildings.They enjoyed learning all about the Romans, Anglo-

Saxons and Vikings in History and loved watching thevideos as they made the facts come to life. In Englishthe children have made sandwiches to show they canfollow instructions and created PowerPoint projects allabout their favourite animals. They really enjoyed

writing their own Myths and Legends and their creativewriting skills have really improved. The children can nowsuccessfully create and send emails and were amazedat how quick they could send messages to their friendsin class. They loved using the laptops in a variety oflessons and enjoyed playing on the interactive whiteboard to consolidate their knowledge in key areas ofthe curriculum. In Mathematics the Year 3s have produced some

excellent art work using compasses and have improvedtheir number skills by playing on the interactive games.The children have made a good start to learning theFrench language and have loved the lessons withMadame Dickinson. She has brought a great sense offun to learning through the educational games she hasdone with them and her cuddly friends have certainlyproved popular. Several Year 3s were able to representthe school in the U9 sporting fixtures and playedparticularly well. Four pupils took part in a TennisTournament where they were runners up.Looking back on the year I don’t know how we have

fitted it all in. It has gone extremely fast but thechildren have achieved so much both socially andacademically.

Mrs Killeen

Year Three

Prep School

Making shadows Practising to be monks Building wooden block sculptures


I wonder if these seeds will grow? > Bede’s Worldsculpture > Voting for our Council Representative >Keeping watch at Arbeia Roman Fort > Touching the animals was great fun > Sending emails during ICT > Making puppets in science > Enjoyingicecream at Lake Windemere > (centre) Dressing up at Bede’s World


Year 4 has had another exciting year full of trips, problemsolving, experiments, sport and music and we alsowelcomed Mr Wicling to the school. We started the year with a trip back in time to

Medieval England with our visit to Bolton Castle. Thechildren became foot soldiers, learning spear drill andmarching through the courtyard in unison. There weresome very scary looking faces as they shouted backthe commands to Master David! At lunch we sat downto a Medieval banquet, slurping pottage from our bowlsand drinking orange ale from goblets. In the afternoonwe made candles, leant calligraphy and had a go atarchery. In Science Mrs Petley came in to talk to thechildren about bones and the body. Everyone madetheir own working skeleton and moving body parts. Fixtures played an important role this term with rugby

at the forefront. The Under 9’s had a very successfulseason. They performed well in several tournamentsreaching the semi finals at the Bradford Grammarschool tournament. The boys developed very well andare looking forward to a successful season with theUnder 10’s next year. Year 4 put on an excellentperformance at the Carol Service with their version ofGaudete and Dance and Sing and really did us proud.The many members of the school choir also sang aselection of songs, showing us that we have some verytalented singers in our midst.

Following some exciting work in Science on habitatsand keeping warm, our trip in the Spring Termtransformed us into scientists for the day as we visitedthe Centre for Life at Gateshead. It was a terrificexperience where we touched on all areas we havelearnt. We took a trip into space in the planetarium andon the 4D ride before watching some dramaticexperiments with ice. We performed our ownexperiments, looking at how elephants stay cool. Anexcellent day was had by all. In art we focused on single point perspective, looking

closely at how we can make objects appear as thoughthey are getting bigger and smaller. The childrencreated some outstanding pieces of work which havetaken pride of place on the wall. The girls started toplay competitive matches this term, playing netballtournaments and other fixtures where they proved to bea very talented group. Throughout the inspection, whichtook place this term, the children really shone in boththeir behaviour and attitudes in the classroom. Aparticular highlight was a joint Year 4 and Year 6 Mathslesson when our children solved a variety of puzzlescreated by the top mathematicians in Year 6. Thebehaviour of all children involved illustrated what a fineyear group they are.The Summer Term concluded a very busy and

productive year with yet more sporting success. On the

track the Under 9’s proved to be a very competitive andtalented group, particularly the girls. They went to theHMC Athletics competition and managed to win theoverall team competition which is an outstandingperformance. It was a team effort but this included twoindividual winners, no mean feat. Over the term we alsostarted competitive Cricket and Rounders teams. TheUnder 9 cricketers played well and managed to get anoutstanding win. The boys have developed well over thepast 3 terms we also put together a tennis team whichmanaged to come third in a very competitivetournament.

Our trip to Leeds Armouries concluded our Tudorstopic in History. The children again behavedimpeccably, receiving positive comments frommembers of the public. A particular highlight was thesamurai demonstration which mesmerised thechildren.Overall this year group have been a joy to teach,

approaching everything with a smile on their faces.They have achieved high academic success overall andwe look forward to seeing how they develop in Year 5,both in and out of the classroom. We would like tothank the children for making this year as enjoyable asit has been.

Miss Bennington and Mr Wicling

Year Four

Prep School

Minibeast hunt Bolton Castle Medieval Feast


Leeds Armouries > Fraction fun > Exploring at the Centre for Life >Enjoying a good read > Budding authors > Shape work > Lookingafter animals


Year 5 was full to capacity when term started in Septemberand we were buoyed by the return of Miss Lane to teachMaths and English. The year had barely begun when wetook our first trip to White Scar Caves to compliment ourwork in Geography. The children enjoyed a tour of the cavesand marvelled at the fantastic sights. A visit to Ribbleheadviaduct followed and Mr Dougherty recalled a variety ofcaving stories about the area. A successful trip wasfollowed by an assembly as 5S recounted the day andtaught us all about geological processes. Miss Lane’s return brought with it whole year Maths

investigations as we set about solving a range ofcomplex puzzles and problems such as the infamous“King Snail” and the “Sleeping Policeman.” Thechildren appreciated working in a variety of groups andenjoyed the challenges set.Practical Science was a particular highlight as pupils

revelled in making circuits, blowing bubbles andexperimenting with sound. Our “Myths and Legends”topic in the second term and the Class Talksprogramme produced some outstanding work inEnglish. Children produced their own legend in bookform and enjoyed constructing each chapter. Classtalks gave the children the chance to show off theirPowerPoint skills and demonstrate to their peers anarea of interest. We were visited by a variety of petsincluding a horse and there was even a demonstrationof a motorbike.This year’s RE lessons have covered topics dealing

with growing up in three of the world’s major faiths;Sikhism, Islam and Judaism. By looking at whathappens when babies are born into a faith andsubsequently how a child develops into an adult in thatfaith, the children have gained a greater understandingof the place of religion in family life. Latterly thechildren studied the lives of Jewish boys and girls frombirth through to their coming of age ceremonies, BarMitzvah and Bat Mitzvah.In Art, topics have included a gridding project and

work in the style of Gustav Klimt and the childrenenjoyed their first attempt at soldering in DT, making aflashing badge.

Our second outing saw us visit Hartlepool HistoricQuay and take a tour of HMS Trincomalee. We enjoyedfinding out about life on board as well as watching acannon firing demonstration. Making an authentic ropewas an interesting and popular activity with all thechildren and staff taking a turn. In the summer term weorienteered our way around the school’s expansivegrounds before visiting Hamsterley Forest to fend forourselves. In the morning we practised finding our wayround using an OS Map and in the afternoon thechildren set off in groups to complete an extensivecourse. Fun was had on the fantastic woodland playarea too, followed by ice-cream.Year 5 brings with it the opportunity to go on both the

French and Outdoor Activity trips and the pupils jumpedat the chance with over 50 pupils taking part in one orboth of the trips! The Kingswood weekend was tiringbut exciting as the children challenged themselves tocomplete new activities. The Giant Swing was aparticular favourite producing a 3G force to enjoy!Archery, abseiling, and an equilibrium platform were allfun and the children also responded to teamchallenges, working together well.In France the children enjoyed speaking French in the

market, trying snails and visiting a chocolate factory. Avisit to Nausicaa, an excellent aquarium, was alsopopular and the children loved making their own densas a new activity at the Chateau.Year 5 provides pupils with their first taste of our

exceptional school plays and this year’s production of“Oink” allowed the current Year 5 to release their inneractor as they sang, danced and acted their way tocritical acclaim.We would like to thank Miss Lane, Mrs Thirling and all

the other staff for all their work throughout the year. Wealso wish all the pupils good luck for Year 6 as moreand more opportunities come their way as they reachthe top of the school.

Mrs Seddon and Mr Ayres

Year Five

Prep School

Class Talk Orienteering in Hamsterley Forest Practical Science


Art Maths > Soldering in DT > White Scar Caves >Making circuits > Investigating shadows >Gymnastics > Rope making at Hartlepool HistoricQuay > Class talks > Using laptops > Dissolvingexperiment


We started the year with 51 children, welcoming MrsBrown to join Mr Seddon and Mrs Robertson. We againset for Maths and English with some subject teachingfrom Prep and Senior School staff in preparation for nextyear in Senior School. Taking advantage of being at thetop end of the school, the children were keen to take onextra responsibility with re-cycling, helping distribute milkand biscuits and supervising the younger children atplaytimes. They were able to be involved in moreactivities and generally take the lead around the schoolin house and school events including the School Council.They also spoke confidently and positively about theirtime in school to the Inspectors and enjoyed listening tothemselves when we were ‘School of the Week’ on theradio. Each week, a member of Year 6 read the lessonin Chapel and they were prominent in our major Chapelservices. In October we were off to London for four days and

what a fantastic experience it again proved to be, formany the highlight of Prep School. ‘Oliver’ was a great start to the trip following a long

journey, enjoyed by us all as we recognized many ofthe popular songs. The Crown Jewels and Tower ofLondon always impress and we loved wanderingaround HMS Belfast, marveling at what life musthave been like living on board. We visited TheScience Museum where Launchpad enabled us toexplore various scientific games, learning withouteven realising it! Trafalgar Square and the NationalGallery were first on the list for Thursday followed bya walk through Horse Guards Parade, downWhitehall, past Downing Street before a hastily re-arranged visit to Churchill’s Cabinet War Rooms. TheHistory theme continued at the Imperial WarMuseum where our work on the World Wars came tolife. The day finished with a fantastic flight on theLondon Eye at dusk. Friday Morning saw us at theGlobe theatre where we enjoyed a really interestingtour around and Macbeth workshop.Most of the year group then went to Kingswood in

March for a weekend of outdoor and team buildingactivities and many then went to France in June toexperience the delights of French cuisine andculture, especially enjoying the opportunities tospeak French, eat snails and see the sights of Paris.Added to this were trips to Eden Camp, Beamish tofollow up class work in History and Wet ‘n’ Wild asan end of year treat, not forgetting the ever populardisco so there was plenty to do. To also help keep usbusy was all the Art, Music, Drama and Sport that wetend to take for granted. Year 6 pupils led the way inthe Chapel and Harmony Choirs, the orchestra andmusic ensembles and took the major roles in thePrep School production of ‘Oink!’ and what afantastic three performances they gave us. With twosporting internationals in our midst, we were lookingfor success on the games fields and so it proved tobe in all our major sports with success in rugby,football and athletics.Speech Day was a huge success as Year 6 left Prep

School having collected the major prizes and havingreminisced about their time in Prep with Mr Ayrespopular slide show. There weren’t many dry eyes! Allthe year group received Special Mention and/orMerit Certificates during the year in recognition oftheir achievements.Academic work takes priority and the Entrance

Exam to Senior School was taken and passed byeveryone, with twelve pupils receiving sixteen awardsfor academic work, Music and Sport. With a well motivated group of children who were a

credit to themselves, it has proved to be another verybusy, productive and successful year.

Mr Seddon, Mrs Robertson and Mrs Brown

Year Six

Prep School

Steam train at Beamish Night Line Radio Stars


Leavers disco > Using DT Labs > Take cover! > At Tower Bridge > Winners at Speech Day > Launch Pad > Getting motivated > Choir in Chapel >Probability Fair


Music in Prep School continues toflourish in all different guises. Over75 pupils have instrumental lessonsin school each week and many havelessons out of school too.

Five ensembles rehearse each week and continue to gofrom strength to strength. This academic year has seenthe establishment of the Harmony Choir, Brass Groupand String Group and these ensembles have enrichedthe musical buzz in the Prep School. The Choir andOrchestra have continued to go from strength to strengthand have outnumbered the players in the senior schoolensembles. Within the School’s music examinationcentre for ABRSM & London College of Music Exams, 30children have passed exams.We have hosted 4 musical concerts this year and I

have been delighted with the enthusiasm andexcitement that these have created amongst thechildren and staff. The Autumn Concert in Chapelfeatured all the ensembles and soloists and thestandard was excellent.In the Spring Term we hosted a concert alongside

the House Singing Competition. So many childrenwanted to perform that it was decided to hold two“Have a Go Concerts”. Both concerts were held topacked audiences in the Atkinson Hall and everychild performed very well considering it was the firsttime they had performed in public.

Also in the Spring Term we hosted the annual Pre-Prep Concert and this was a tremendous success.The children performed a variety of songs and hymnsto a packed audience and they were splendid. Welldone Pre-Prep. Three children were awarded Musical Scholarships

and Exhibitions into the Senior School. They shouldbe rightly proud of their musical achievements.

Prep School Choir.Our choir of over 60 children continues to go from

strength to strength. We have sung a variety of musicthis year from Jonah Man Jazz to Stanford’sMagnificat and Nunc Dimitis in B flat. Consideringthis choir is non audition choir, the children should beproud of their achievements across a range ofmusical styles. I must thank Mrs. Robertson for herhelp and support this year. To round off the year wewent to the York Railway Museum for a day trip tothank the choir for all their extra hard work. I lookforward to next term.

Harmony ChoirThis choir was established in September for members

of year 5 & 6. It has 15 members and highlights of theiryear include singing the Introit “The Angel Gabriel” incandlelight procession at the Carol Service andperforming at Speech Day.

Prep Music

Prep School

Prep OrchestraThe Prep Orchestra consists of nearly 40

musicians and has performed at all the majorconcerts this year. The children are incredibly keen toplay in the Orchestra and many children want to learnto play instruments so they can join. They have donea good job this year and I must thank Mrs. Snowdon,Mrs. Webb and Mrs Robertson specifically for theircontinued support and dedication week after week inhelping run this ensemble smoothly.

Brass GroupThis is our noisiest ensemble in Prep School! We

started the year by playing a Fanfare at the NovemberConcert and have since gone on to play Wallace andGromit at House Singing and at Speech Day.

String Group This new addition to our Prep School music making

was established in the Spring Term. The ensembleis lead by Mrs. Snowdon and Mrs. Webb for childrenas they become ready to play as part of a group. Welook forward to their contribution to future concerts. It has given me great pleasure to work with the

children this year and none of this would be possiblewithout the enthusiasm and dedication of thechildren and staff.

Mr Atherton


Oink!Once again, the pupils of Years 5 and 6 raised the rafters in Big School with three rousingperformances of ‘Oink!’, a musicalplay based upon the well known tale of The Three Little Pigs. ThePre-Prep were our audience at thedress rehearsal before we were full to capacity with 200 family and friends providing audiences onTuesday and Wednesday evenings.The standard of performance onboth nights was superb, manyexperienced Prep School playwatchers commented that perhapsthis was the best ever.

Percy the Pigeon set the scene of life on the farm helpedby the chorus of farmyard animals all preparing for theforthcoming Harvest Feast, not helped by the mischievoussheep, the flirty French hens or the interfering older cows.When little Frank Trotter and his big, greedy brothers

Monty & Welly are caught stealing the feast, they arebanished from the farmyard and sent out into the bigwide world. At the same moment, infamous carnivoreBB Wolf is being released from prison, apparentlycured of his granny-eating ways by a mad professor. Hequickly meets up with his old sidekicks Melton andMowbray who are certainly one porkpie short of apicnic basket! Unfortunately, his vegetarian days areshort lived and BB Wolf is soon on the prowl for asausage sandwich!Monty and Welly build their houses out of straw and

sticks and quickly fall foul of BB Wolf. Fortunately,studious Frank, had been attending his brick layingclasses had managed to build a sturdy house where

Prep Drama

Prep School

“

”

they all can hide. BB Wolf comes unstuck and ends upcovered in Pig Swill. As in all good stories, everyonelives happily ever after.Thanks, as always, to Mr Atherton and the band for

their fantastic accompaniment and to Mr Fairbairn andhis team for the amazing set, special effects and allthe added extras which help to create such aprofessional performance.Here is what some of the cast thought of Oink!

“I played the part of Mr Jinx, the prison officer. It wasfun and seemed really professional.”

“I played the part of Officer MacKenzie in ‘Oink!’ Theplay was very funny and a really good production.”

“‘Oink!’ was a really big and exciting experience foreveryone. It went tremendously well and I would do itagain anytime.”

“The play ‘Oink!’ was one of the greatest experiencesI’ve ever been a part of. In the end all those rehearsalspaid off. As everyone said, it was one of the best schoolproductions they’d ever seen!”

“I played BB Wolf. I was the bad guy and had twominions; scheming rats called Melton and Mowbray. Itwas a great experience and awesome to take part in.”

“We all did a dance with strings of sausages and we allswung them round. In the rehearsals a few of usdropped the sausages!”

“‘Oink!’ was a play based around the Three Little Pigs but with a hilarious twist and an agoraphobicdonkey.”

“I was Mystic Moll in the play. I really enjoyed being apart of it and having a speaking part. I was reallynervous backstage but when I got on stage, all thenerves went away.”

“I was Roger Rabbit in the play. I liked my part becauseI had to act drunk. I had loads of butterflies but in theend it all went really well.”

“I was Renee, the rooster and my favourite part waswhen the audience started laughing as soon as Istarted speaking in a French accent.”

“I was Horace the Horse and although I was nervousbeforehand, as soon as I said my first line, I was fine.”

RAR


Sport is an important part of thePrep School for both the boys and girls. In the Pre-Prep, they are introduced to Gymnastics,Dance and Games skills throughPE lessons and each class swims for a term at TeesdaleLeisure Centre. The highlight ofthe summer term is Sports Day.Following practice in lessons, theraces are competitive, yet fun,with every child performingrunning, obstacle and relay races.

In Prep School, children have PE, Games and Swimminglessons each week, giving them the opportunity toimprove their skills in a variety of activities. These rangefrom our major team sports of Rugby, Hockey, Football,Netball, Athletics, Cricket and Rounders, to Basketball,Gymnastics, Tennis and Ball skills. Our activityprogramme enhances the children’s opportunities withDance, Judo, Ballet, Squash, Lacrosse, Running alsoavailable.

Friendly but highly competitive House competitionsprovide children with the chance to represent a teameach term and for many are as important asrepresenting the school. Regular fixtures andcompetitions take place against other schools in theNorth-East. This year there were over a hundred. At the beginning of the year it looked like being a

successful one for the U9s, U10s and U11s indifferent sports with the calibre of certain individualswe had at our disposal. This proved to be the casebut it was more the teams that came to the fore. During the first term, the U9 Rugby team started to

develop and with more matches will become a usefulside. The U10s won the inaugural Clegg Cup and wonall but one of their matches. The U11s showed greatteam play throughout the season and show a lot ofpotential for the coming years, winning most of theirmatches.The Hockey teams improved with practice and the

U11s registered a fine second place at the ClusterCompetition and there were U9 Hockey matches forthe first time this year. Football and Netball took over in the spring and the

boys, again, won many more matches than they lost.Highlights would include the U9s reaching the semi-final and the U11s the final at the prestigiousWoodleigh competition. The U11 Netballers alsoimproved and played well at the Cluster tournamentas did the U9 team who were runners up in the platecompetition at the Yarm High Fives Tournament.

Our runners always do well and at Teesside, the U9 Girls,U11 Girls and U11 Boys teams all came away victoriouswith three race winners out of four and four more runnersfinishing in the top 3. A good team effort.The summer saw the resurgence of cricket and although

not winning all our matches, the standard of play increaseddramatically following an Easter coaching course, with theU9s and U10s winning some close games. Many girls hadthe opportunity to represent the school at Rounders. Ourathletes continued to shine with many talented childrenrepresenting the school. More Gold Athletics standardswere awarded than before and five school records werebroken. The U11 Girls won the Cluster and the Castertontriangular meetings. We had five individual winners at theHMC Competition with all our relay squads qualifying forthe final with three second places. The Boys’ teams wereplaced third overall with the U10s second, a great effortbut the U9 Girls went one better to win.There was also great competitive spirit shown in house

matches and also good sportsmanship when things didn’talways go according to plan. Our youngest children showedmuch enthusiasm and potential in PE lessons and wewere delighted and proud when two of our U11s wereselected for international honours, the Great BritainGymnastics squad and the English Prep School Rugbyteam. Many children were recognised at our termly prizegiving gatherings.Producing teams to compete at house level, locally and

wider afield against other schools, gives our children afantastic start to their sporting life.

NIS/SMS

Prep Sport

Prep School


Clegg Cup Winners > Pre-Prep obstacle > Pre-Prepgymnastics > England Prep-School rugby > Househockey > U10 cricket


Prep Sport

Prep School


U9 football > House netball > House rugby > U11cross country > House cricket > Cross country > Pre-Prep sports > Long jump > GB gymnastics > U9 rugby> Pre-Prep sports > U11 athletics > (centre) Rounders


Art and Design andDesign Technology

3K started their new school year ofArt and DT topics with a collage of autumn leaves and theory lessonslearning about tones and tints. In DT the children designed and madeFancy Dress Costumes using a plainwhite tee shirt as their starting point.

The spring term topics tied in with the Year 3 AfricanGeography project on Kenya. In Art lessons Africanpatterns were incorporated into vase designs. In DT thestory of Mama Panya’s Pancakes was our inspiration forbuilding models of African round houses using wirearmatures and Mod-Roc. Summer term had Year 3feeling in the holiday mood with underwater fish picturesand colour mixing exercises. In DT the children had funwith the children’s artist, Liz Million character style facesto create Wiggly Ears models to help with learning aboutlever and linkage mechanisms.

Year 4’s first projects this year were looking at theJapanese woodblock designs of Hokusai and Hiroshigeand creating the soft colours in their own paintingsusing water colours. In DT Year 4 have traditionallydecorated Prep School’s Christmas Tree with their handsewn felt ornaments. This year was no exception! Thetree looked resplendent adorned with their lovely,colourful decorations. Spring term saw the two classeslearning about the Seven Elements of Art and getting togrips with single-point perspective. DT saw everyonedesigning and making a ‘Stained Glass’ Panel usingacrylic sheet, relief paste and glass paints. Thesummer term’s Art and DT topics were of the sametheme, namely figure drawing. The pupils tookphotographs of each other in sporting poses andlearned how to draw them using correct bodyproportions. This was then taken a stage further in DTto design and make a free-standing structure in thestyle of a sporting trophy.This year in the autumn term Year 5 Art the children

studied the work of Gustav Klimt, learnt how to usegrids to scale, copy and re-size drawings and usedAustralia as their Art from Other Cultures country ofinterest. The children looked at details of Klimt’s workand made viewing squares to highlight areas thatinterested them. Using water colour paints and metallicmarker pens, they produced their own versions ofpanels in that style. An extension to the theme was todesign Klimt style clothing. The pupils decided that

‘Star Wars’ type tunics and cloaks were the mostappropriate and designed outfits in that vein but withKlimt inspired motifs and designs. DT projects includeddesigning and making a model of a Fantasy Car, usingpneumatics to make a Ghost Train ride move andlearning how to use a soldering iron to build a simpleflashing LED circuit. Prior to the Year 6 trip to London, the pupils looked at

wartime propaganda and how it influenced the lives ofthe people left at home during those troubled years.They designed and drew posters of their own withmessages significant to the time. National Gallery workalso featured in the autumn term. In Year 6, theorylessons have included revision of single pointperspective and learning how to draw in two-pointperspective. Year 6’s spring term symbolism topic usedthe work of the metaphysical surrealist JosephCusimano to introduce the pupils to the idea of usingicons and symbols to represent ideas, events andemotions. Summer term saw Year 6 using just fourtonal values to recreate a Funny Face photograph inposter paints. The children enjoyed using the class setof cameras to take photographs of each other pullingsome very funny faces! DT lessons concentrated ondeveloping woodwork, electronics, resistant materials,mechanisms, designing and making skills. They weretaken in both Prep School and the Senior Schoolworkshops in preparation for the pupils’ move up toYear 7 in September.

HMB

Prep Art & Design

Prep School

Using Senior School workshops Stain glass window


Drilling > Fantasy car > National Gallery project >Soldering > Yr 6 Cusimano display > Vase designing >Yr 5 DT > Yr 6 posters > Christmas tree decorations >(centre) Part of Gustav Klimt display > T-Shirt printing


Lunchtime and after schoolactivities continue to be extremelypopular amongst the Prep Schooland this year have been availableto the Pre-Prep children.

Whether the children are practising for school sportsfixtures, rehearsing for concerts or plays or developingand learning new skills, there is plenty on offer foreveryone. All the children are encouraged to join in andchoose a number of activities. Many children often stayat school five nights a week to keep busy!The activities vary from term to term and season to

season thanks to the dedication and time given bythe teachers. We are also fortunate to be able to callupon experts in their fields who take the children forballet, judo and tennis as well as some of our SeniorSchool colleagues.With over a hundred activities being offered

throughout the year, the children are spoilt for choice.They range from football and rugby to netball andhockey, running and swimming, choir to brass group,from art and craft to cooking and board games toFrench knitting! In the autumn term the major sports are

represented with emphasis on improving skills inrugby, hockey, football and netball. A guitar clubproved to be a popular new activity on the music frontas did the Harmony choir who performed at majorschool events each term. Science, Maths and Frenchclubs allowed the children to extend the work theywere doing in the classroom with German proving tobe a popular alternative. Squash, swimming and five-a-side football all gave the children opportunities tolet off steam!In the spring, some lunchtimes were taken up with

rehearsals for the House Singing competitions. Thegirls had a chance to play football and the boysstarted preparing for the summer term with cricketnets. Musically a brass group and string ensemblegave the musicians more opportunities to play avariety of instruments. Linked to music, inevitably, isdance and every Tuesday saw the Atkinson Hall fullof budding disco divas! Chess continues to be apopular lunchtime activity with pupils keen topractise for the forthcoming local league.Summer brought the school play and many of the

older children were involved in lunchtime and afterschool rehearsals. When not required, they werekeen to join the many other extra curricular clubs.Summer sports like cricket, athletics, tennis androunders all proved popular with all age groups andthe more musical children could be heard practisingat Junior Orchestra in preparation for concerts andthe end of term Speech Day. Lacrosse for the oldergirls was an exciting new activity and those childrenstaying late after school always commented on thedelicious aromas that emitted from the kitchen asthe cookery club put the finishing touches to theirculinary delights.Our thanks have to go to all the staff who have

willingly given up their time to provide these fantasticopportunities for the children. Preppies love to bebusy at lunchtime and are not content to finish theirschool day when lessons are over!

NIS/LERT

Prep Activities

Prep School


Art Club > Cookery > Chess tournament > Cricket >Hockey practice > House Singing > Junior Art Club > Yr 4 and Yr 6 maths > Rugby > ICT > Pre-Prep games >Guitar Club > Science > Athletics > Brass Group


ChapelThe choir come to Chapel early on a Wednesday morning, and a pile of bags at the entrance greets mewhen I arrive a few minutes later.It’s the energy, enthusiasm andempathy which strike me most.

It is interesting that traditions, which appear outdated,can resonate within the youngest hearts. Who wouldhave thought that a Prep School Evensong could take off– but it has, under the expert direction of Mr Atherton

and with the approval of Mr. Mawhinney, as this earlytraining promises to sustain the phenomenal choraltradition in Senior School. But the Prep School espousesquality not elitism. The Prep School Carol Services haveroom for both angelic voices and demonic growlers; thePre-Prep Nativity has space for tea-towelled shepherdsand a menagerie of animals – everyone delightedlysinging their hearts out.Of course there’s the familiar stuff too. The Harvest

cards were as vibrant as ever this year and found theirdestination on the mantel-pieces of many houses in thecommunity by hand-delivery with flowers, or through thepost as tokens of love to ex- staff in this country andabroad. Our gratitude goes to a select group of Barneyfriends who loaded harvest produce into their cars forthe drop-in centres and soup kitchens of Darlington, ordelivered the cards and flowers to local addresses.

And then we have the more mundane diet of storiesand songs and “wind-ups” on a Wednesday morning.Mr Rycroft groans when he is set up as a stooge yetagain in my Chapel Services but even he was foxedwhen Mrs Robertson forgot which bottle of pop wassupposed to be “poisoned” and I was perplexed with ayear 4 girl, as she became confused between truth andfaith. Mind you, there was no doubt, in a tug of warbetween year 6 good and evil that Mr Rycroft was goingto win! Weighing in on the side of righteousness, hevanquished the devil convincingly – in a light-heartedtableau which nevertheless illuminated a real worldwhere such victories are incomplete or infrequent. Insuch childlike play resides the Kingdom of God whichgives hope to the kingdoms of this world.

SJR

Prep Chapel & Charity Report

Prep School

CharityChildren of Prep School led by theschool council are constantly takingon challenges in order to raisefunds for charities and good causes.

Helping others less fortunate than themselves comeseasy to the children in school whether they are theyoungest at 4 or the oldest at 11. It has been anabsolute delight to witness the inventiveness of thepupils in their fundraising quests. Events ranged from casual clothes days to help

charities such as Shelter to donating fruit, flowersand vegetables for the harvest festival. The annualtea party which raises funds for Epilepsy In Actionwas a great success with an array of favourite mugall shapes and sized brought into school from home.Next came Children in Need and over 150 childrenwore their slippers to school, each paying £1 for theprivilege. An enormous effort was made for theComic Relief appeal where Prep School wastransformed into a circus by every child dressing upas a clown and each council representative deliveringa performance in front of the whole school. The wordfundraising encompasses the word fun and the PrepSchool most certainly had a lot of fun whilst doingsomething worthwhile to help others.

DT, EJB, KR-L

Nativity angels

End of term Prize Giving Yr 6 Readers The Rev Harvest Festival

Wednesday service Harmony Choir

Clowning around

Epilepsy in Action Tea Party Slipper Day Epilepsy in Action Cuppa

Christmas Boxes

Harvest Collection Mr. Atherton


Barney FriendsIt has been another great year for the Friends. This year we haveenjoyed some fantastic eventswhich are there to get us parentstogether, have a bit of fun, makenew friends and enjoy the companyof old ones.

School CouncilIn September it was election time once again and there wascertainly a buzz in the air aroundPrep School as the children began writing their manifestos in the hope of being elected astheir next class councillor.

Mr Seddon’s quiz has become quite competitive so wenow have The Seddon Shield for the winning team. Thereis always a huge amount of laughter and discussionwhilst eating cheese and having a glass of wine. We have also hosted an 80s evening. Fish and

chips, great outfits, and bionic music were the orderof the day and again fun was had by all. There hasalso been a Fathers’ cricket match, which was againvery competitive. We were lucky with the weather soa lovely tea was enjoyed after some very enjoyablecricket was played.There have been numerous second hand clothes

sales but we have now found a home at Senior Schoolfor a shop, which will make life so much easier. Theprofits from the clothes sales have been distributedeither back to parents or into the school to be used for

Barney Friends & School Council

Prep School

The Atkinson Hall was transformed into a pollingstation, complete with ballot boxes from the localcouncil offices and special voting slips. The childreneagerly awaited the results as every class includingthe Boarding house was represented. The thirteenelected members on the committee were announcedin assembly and presented with their council badges.The School Councillors encourage their classes to

contribute to the working life of Prep School byentering their ideas into the class suggestion boxes.These are then discussed throughout the year at theweekly council meetings. These range from thesublime to the ridiculous (new playground equipmentto a zip wire to the Sports Hall!) It is their job toprioritise and take forward ideas to meetings with MrRycroft, including managing their annual budgetsensibly.The School Council organised lots of exciting

events. The most successful were ‘Silly Slippers Day’

purchasing extra “bits and bobs” for the children. Forexample, we have recently been able to supply somecamcorders and digital cameras for the children’s artprojects. We were also able to donate to adesignated charity and this year we were very proudto donate £500 to The Great North Air Ambulanceand £150 to The Richardson Trust which supportsthe local community hospital in Barnard Castle.The Friends exists not predominantly to fundraise,

but to provide a way for parents to get and keep intouch. We also just want parents to have fun and thechance to get to know each other. So far I think we are doing a good job! We have certainly had funthis year.Hope to see you next year at some function.

Kirstie Petley, Chair

and ‘Clowning Around’ raising a combined total of£331 for Children in Need and Comic Relief. TheCouncillors all entertained the school in a specialassembly when they had the opportunity to displaytheir juggling, tight rope walking and of course foolingMr Seddon with a magic trick! The council bought lotsof new toys for both playgrounds and storage boxesto keep them in. They ran a successful ‘Switch offFortnight’ campaign and were awarded a tree fromthe Keep Britain Tidy campaign in order to maintainour Eco-Schools Awards. We ended the year with thepurchase of games for wet playtime which came fromone of the class suggestions.The School Councillors are to be congratulated on

their year in office. Not only has their confidence andleadership skills improved, they have contributedpositively to the further improvements in the everyday life of Prep School.

DT, EJB, KR-L

Mums and children at Epilepsy Tea Party

Refreshments

Slipper Day Council meeting

Clowning Around Day

Prep School Council

Voting at the polls

Tea and coffee Winners at Quiz Night


We come to expect that there isso much more to Prep School thanjust the classroom lessons, thetrips, the sport, music and dramathat make up a ‘normal week.’

Every term finds us doing ‘extras’ that make Prep Schoolsuch an exciting and busy place.Some events, led by the School Council, are

designed for Charity Fund Raisers and great fun ishad on behalf of a serious cause. The ChristmasShoe Box Appeal saw us completely block the altarin Chapel, such was the response from the children.Red Nose Day also saw us raising money for a goodcause as we all dressed up as clowns for our themed‘Clowning Around’ day, while the Epilepsy In ActionTea Party remains a highlight of the school year.We all enjoy our regular Chapel visits, be it for our

weekly service, big events like the Carol Services andthe Nativity Play, special services like Founders’ Daywhen we learn about the history of the school orHarvest Festival. The Pre-Prep also enjoyed the visitfrom some of our Senior School Chinese pupils inFebruary, who helped them understand and celebratethe Chinese New Year.There were music concerts given by the Pre-Prep,

beginner musicians and the more experiencedorchestra members. We all enjoyed the visitingtheatre group who put on a production of ‘Wind InThe Willows’, especially those who were fortunateenough to participate in all the fun on stage.‘Science Is Fun’ was the message when Professor

Brainstorm amazed and thrilled us with hisexperiments, again with many of the children beingable to join in by helping with the experiments. The older children participated in a ‘How To Get

Motivated’ day and quickly learnt new skills andattitudes towards, what they would consider, normaloccurrences. They went one step further in thesummer term by planning, building and playing theirown board games at the Probability ‘Fair’.Prior to their study leave, the U6 ex Preppie leavers

returned to Prep School to reminisce about the goodold days and look through old photographs of theirtime spent in Prep School. All had fond memories oftheir time here but couldn’t help comment thateverything seemed much smaller than theyremembered. They also commented positively onthe changes that have occurred since they left.It is wonderful to reflect back over the academic

year on all the events that we have taken part in. Wemust remember that all this happens due to thededication, time and effort that all our children, staffand parents give throughout the year.

LERT/NIS

Prep School

Special Events


Chess tournament > Christmas lunch > Assembly onClowning Around Day > Wind in the willows > Pre-Prepconcert > Welcome back to the U6 > Christmas Shoe BoxAppeal > Professor Brainstorm > Have a go concert > Year6 get motivated > Chinese New Year


Once again the London trip provedfor many to be the highlight of theschool year with the opportunity to be away for 4 days in ourcapital city with their peers. Withmuch of the class work geared to what we do in London, the trip is not only exciting and fun but also most relevant. Work inArt, Science, Geography, History,English and Drama all has abearing on our itinerary.

Having left school after assembly and negotiated thetedious journey down the M1, we arrived at The RoyalNational Hotel. We found our rooms, pleased that wewere with our friends, unpacked and were soon on ourway to Pizza Hut. Full to bursting, we made our waythrough the busy streets to the Theatre Royal, DruryLane for ‘Oliver’. We all enjoyed a fantastic show andsang the songs all the way home.

Wednesday began at The Tower of London and wewere amazed at The Crown Jewels and the sheerhistory of the place. To think the Tower has beenaround for over 1000 years was almost beyond ourcomprehension as we explored many of the historicalsites. After lunch on the wharf, we crossed TowerBridge and spent over an hour exploring HMS Belfastfrom top to bottom. It was fascinating to learn justwhat the ship had done during the Second World Warand after, including firing the first shots on D-Day,something we would go on to discuss in class. TheScience Museum was next where we watched Flash,Bang Whallop, an introductory show where some of uswere even lucky enough to help the scientist with theexperiments, the highlight of which was firing a Barbiedoll across the room. We then entered Launch Pad,the hands-on learning experience. We experimentedwith all the interactive games that helped us learnmore about the topics we are covering in Science forexample, sound, friction, forces, light, magnets,electricity and power. The day finished with a deliciousmeal at the hotel before bedtime and lights out. Thursday started with a photo opportunity in

Trafalgar Square before going into The National Galleryto learn more about the paintings we are studying inArt. Two experts gave really interesting talks about thestories behind the paintings and many of us werefortunate enough to spot the paintings we had chosen

to look at in more detail. After lunch we had a walkdown Whitehall, through Horse Guards Parade, pastthe Cenotaph and Downing Street towards TheCabinet War Rooms, which proved very popular andinformative. It is amazing to think that the building isin exactly the same state that it was on the day WorldWar Two finished. After walking through ParliamentSquare, past The Houses of Parliament and seeing theBattle of Britain Monument where we tried to spot ournames on the Memorial, we got into the coach andwent to The Imperial War Museum. All the things wehave studied in History about the two World Warscame to life as we walked round and climbed old wartime vehicles. A flight on The London Eye at duskoverlooking London as it lit up was a brilliant way toround off another fantastic day.Friday morning saw us pack and leave the hotel. We

made our way to The Globe Theatre where an actor ledus in a workshop and explained how actors prepare fora performance. We looked in detail at parts ofMacbeth, the play we have been studying in Englishbefore being taken on a tour of the Globe. The visitculminated with us having the opportunity of actuallyperforming what we had practised on the GlobeTheatre stage. What an experience!The accompanying teachers need thanking for all

their hard work making the trip so successful, one thechildren will remember for years to come.

NIS

Trip to London

Prep School


Setting off > BCPS at the Tower > Imperial WarMuseum > Exploring HMS Belfast > Macbeth workshop> On the Eye > National Gallery > Crossing TowerBridge > (centre) Magnets in launch pad > MillenniumBridge and St. Pauls

Breakfast Time for bed!


Having already had a busy day atschool, 41 children and 5 membersof staff then met up at 9 o’clock inthe evening before leaving for anexciting 5 days in France.

After a tiring journey through the night and a stop forbreakfast in Northern France, the daredevils of the groupshone at Parc Asterix, whizzing around on the various ridesthroughout the day. The highlight has to be seeing theteachers getting soaked as they flew down the log flume. Reluctantly we left the park and set off for Paris and

our hotel and a well deserved good night’s sleep. Thenext day in Paris we took in the sights; enjoying arelaxing batobus ride on the River Seine before visitingNotre Dame Cathedral, marvelling at the huge stainglass window and organ before walking up theChamps Elysee. We stopped for a group photo in frontof the Eiffel Tower where we had our lunch, taking theopportunity to practise our French. Having met ourcoach at the Arc du Triomphe, we set off for thechateau, our base for the next few days. The next morning we shopped at Le Touquet market

before visiting a chocolate factory and a cheese farmwhere we were able to find out how such goods aremade but more importantly, were able to sample the

delicious products (much to the delight of both pupilsand staff!) After our evening meal we visited a localrestaurant and enjoyed chocolate crepes beforeplaying games on the beach on our way back to thechateau. Another good night’s sleep was had by all and we set

off into the woods after breakfast. We spent themorning building shelters and performing tribal dancesin groups. This was a great opportunity for teambuilding. The afternoon was spent at Vimy Ridge wherewe learnt all about World War One and the Battle ofVimy. We walked around the reconstructed trencheswhere the children asked many interesting questionsand soaked up the atmosphere before visiting thememorial nearby, all of which fitted nicely into theHistory work covered at school. After tea we were given the opportunity to taste

snails, some of the children brave enough to do thiscertainly pulled some interesting faces! On our finalday we said our goodbyes to the PGL staff and beganour journey home, stopping at Nausicaa Sea LifeCentre on the way. We saw sharks, jelly fish andwatched the sea lions being fed and performing trickswith a particular highlight being the touch tank wherethe children were able to stroke the rays. We arrived back early and safely all keen to tell

everyone about everything we had been up to. Afantastic time was certainly had by the staff andpupils, a trip that will be remembered for a long time.

EJB

Trip to France

Prep School

Clockwise from top:

Outside Notre Dame > Camp Ayres and Dickinson > Chocolate Notre Dame > Helping hand withshelter building > Stroking rays at Nausicca > Canadian War Memorial at Vimy Ridge > Vimytrenches > Snails! > On the Batobus > At the Eiffel Tower > Headmaster’s tea > Delicious crepes >Wartime tunnels at Vimy


With Robinwood out of action for a year we made our way to theDukehouse Wood activity centre at Hexham for a weekend of highoctane, high adrenaline, action-packed fun. Split into smallergroups, each with an accompanyingmember of staff, we were all givenan itinerary of activities we wouldbe facing over the next few days.

After a quick tour of the site, finding our accommodation,making beds and having some lunch, we were straightinto the thick of it with abseiling, zipwire, high ropes andarchery among the activities on offer. All the children threw themselves headlong into the

sessions and quickly bonded with the rest of theirteam mates and the centre staff who were there toensure fun was had in every activity, yet made sureeveryone was safe at all times. I think it would be fairto say the children also saw the staff in a new light asthey joined in with all the activities (Mr Ayres’ leap offaith being a particular highlight!). A hectic first dayended with a blazing campfire, songs and jokesbefore 64 weary children and 6 staff crept off to bed. Saturday began early and after a spatially

challenging wake up game and a quick breakfast we

Kingswood

Prep School

were off again; jumping, leaping, crawling, problemsolving and see-sawing our way through six moresessions with the High Equilibrium and Leap of Faithproving hugely popular. Climbing telegraph poles fortyfeet tall and standing on a moving beam proved verychallenging for some but everyone had a go. All of thechildren challenged themselves and pushedthemselves to scale some giddying heights and by theend of the weekend all those who went were braver,more confident and more adventurous for theirexperiences. Two more exhilarating sessions onSunday, allowing everybody to have had a go ateverything, rounded off a superb weekend.Trusting your team mates to guide you round an

obstacle course when blindfolded takes courage.Working together and listening to other people’spoints of view when solving a problem is not alwayseasy. Helping friends over and under variousobstacles can be very rewarding when you all reachthe finishing post. Working with a partner to climb aseemingly impossible rope ladder is also satisfying.It’s not easy to throw yourself backwards off a walltrusting someone else to keep hold of the rope. No-one was forced to do any activity and on manyoccasions could progress as far as they felt happy.Needless to say, just about everyone pushedthemselves to the max!The children stole the show in their vibrant hooded

tops with their chosen nicknames emblazoned on theback and I would like to thank them for their conductand in particular their team work and their resilienceover the weekend. I was really proud of each andevery one of them. I would also like to thank the staffwho gladly gave up their time and supported me in myendeavour.

STA

Clockwise from top:

Team photo > Jacob’ Ladder > Our hoodies on show >Balance beam > Nightline > Archery > (centre top) 3Gswing > Rock climbing > (centre) Dirty but happy!


Alex ThompsonThere have been so many amazing moments but Ithink my best times have been taking part in theschool play as I loved all the sets and the characters.I have also loved the trips, especially the residentialtrips like France.

Lara BrownMy best memory was going to London, because I onlyjoined in Year Six and this was my only main schooltrip! My favourite part was Launchpad at the ScienceMuseum.

Sarah RyanI love all sport and I remember my first Hockeymatch. I was really nervous but when we gotunderway I really enjoyed it. I managed to score fourgoals out of the five and Alex scored the other!

Alice HunterI only started in Year Six but I still have loads ofmemories of the past year. The school play ‘Oink!’was a real highlight.

Jessica PearseOne of my highlights from my time at Barney Prepwas probably when we went to Kings Wood this year.It was a great experience. Another highlight wasgoing on all the sports fixtures.

Megan Bowen My favourite memory was when I was in Receptionand we used to go out into what used to be the Pre-Prep quiet area and Mrs. Honess used to read us astory under the big oak tree. Then we used to playgames outside like hide and seek.

James TerrillI’ve only been at Prep School for one year, but I reallyenjoyed the London trip, as it was at the beginning of theyear when I was still making friends. It allowed everyoneto have some fun, especially when we watched ‘Oliver’.I’ll miss Prep School but I am looking forward to SeniorSchool as well.

Ross GardinerI only joined at the beginning of Year Five but I stillhave lots of good memories of the school. Myfavourite is the ski trip. It was so much fun! I can’tsee why more Prep School pupils don’t go!

Harry MonkhouseMy favourite memory after being here for six years isthe London trip. My favourite part was ‘Oliver’ at theTheatre Royal in Drury Lane. I also thought my roommate Ross was funny as he locked us out of theroom three times. By the end we had five room keysand only two of them worked!

Jamie AdamsonMy greatest experience in Prep School was definitelythe French trip in Year Five. The bus journey was verylong but good. My time in Prep School has been thegreatest experience of my life so far.

Matthew MorrisonMy favourite memory is my entire time at Prep School.

Matthew PriceI joined in Year Two and I was nervous to find out if Iwould fit in. I was made to feel welcome from day oneand opportunities have been there for everyone. Whatstood out for me the most was the school play thisyear as it was a really good experience with makeupand lighting.

Jamie SprattI joined Prep School in Year Six wondering what itwould be like. In the end I really enjoyed it, with loadsof fun activities such as Kingswood and the Londontrip. I can’t wait to go to Senior School.

Rohan KelsallMy favourite bit about Prep School was the play. I also loved Robinwood and Kingswood – my face wascovered in mud! I also enjoyed getting to the highestpoint on Jacob’s Ladder.

Memories of Prep School

Prep School


Sophie HopkinsMany highlights have been all the sporting events Ihave been a part of. I especially loved the Hockeymatches. In a practice I was doing so well MrsSeddon called me the ‘ball magnet’.

Michael LiuThe most special moment of my school life wouldmost definitely be starting school. Everything wasinteresting and I made lots of new friends. I’ll neverforget that day.

Matthew SellarsMy best moment of Prep School would be the ski trip.After all the practice, I managed to ski one of the redruns. I managed not to fall over and I really enjoyedmyself.

Nicholas MackayI remember when we signed in for prep and the firealarm went off. I thought it was a practice until I sawthe smoke coming out of the kitchen... but it was onlythe Cookery Club letting their biscuits burn! I alsoloved the Science Museum.

Robert TomlinsonMy favourite memory of Prep School was our trip toLondon because it was a great experience and Ireally liked ‘Oliver’

Lucy AtkinsonMy favourite memory of Prep School is when Idropped my string of sausages during the school playthis year. It made my friends and me laugh!

Ishan AggarwalMy favourite memory was when I started. I called myteacher ‘Madam’ as I did at my old school. WheneverI said it everyone laughed and it made me laugh too,but Mrs Brown rather liked it!

Henry GrayMy favourite memory was when I was in 5B and wewere all crowding around Miss Bennington’s desk. Ithen tripped over my foot and fell into the recyclingbin! I fell about laughing and so did everyone else!

Max RoseMy favourite memory was when we made a CD. Ienjoyed it because we saw the teachers dancing andMrs Thirling’s singing was very loud!

Aaron SladeMy favourite memory was when we went to Robinwoodbecause it was such fun when we went on the zipwireat night. I also enjoyed Bolton Castle in Year 4 whenwe dressed up in heavy armour.

Adam WanlessMy memory was not getting a de-merit for 4 years ina row.

Ellie ShannonMy favourite memory was when I won the House CrossCountry and the Teesdale Cross Country Competition.They were ace! I also was very proud when I came firstin all my events on Sports Day and won the Turner Cup.

Theo Colley My favourite memory was my first day because it wasreally good fun. There are also brilliant memories likethe school sports teams and the residential trips,especially the London trip in yr6. Another highlight ofPrep School was ‘Oink,’ the school play, when I waschosen to be ‘Rene,’ the French rooster.

Aidan TurnerMy favourite memory was when we went toKingswood and we went up the ‘High Equilibrium’. Iwas going up with Mr Killeen. I got to the top but MrKilleen couldn’t quite manage.

Antonia AllisonMy favourite memory was this year’s play. I liked theplay because I worked hard for something and Iachieved it, which made me very happy.

Tom Tyrrell-EdwardsMy favourite memory was the Probability Fairbecause we had to make our own games. I likedJacob’s Ladder in Kingswood too, because it waschallenging.

Kai Chau LeungMy favourite memory was when we went to Londonand we went on the London Eye. I also liked seeingthe 4D movie.

Tom LeemingMy favourite memory was when we went to Londonand we visited the Imperial War Museum and when Iwon the 200m on Sports Day for the fourth time.

Jack BarkerMy favourite memory was when we were at Kingswood.I enjoyed everything especially the 3G swing becauseit was a huge thrill.

Will SwinbankMy favourite memory was when we went to London. Iwent on the London Eye for the first time andwatched an amazing 4D movie.

Caudia BarkesMy best memory was when I broke the High Jumprecord in my last Sports Day in Prep School. I brokeit by 5cm jumping 1 metre 33cm.

Georgia MawMy favourite memory was from the few weeks beforeI started. I always came to pick up my sister so I metMegan and Alex. They were really nice to me andplayed with me every time I came. They would takeme up to the quiet –area and we played on theclimbing frame.

Toby LushMy favourite memory was getting into the Rugbyteam. I was really excited as the first matches weregoing to be in a tournament.

Imogen BristowOne of my best memories is when I first joined inYear Two. I was really scared but I remember that allof my friends cheered me up and made me feel muchmore welcome.

Jack RowlandsonMy favourite memory was the play which was calledOink! based on the story of the 3 Little Pigs and itwas rather funny. I played the part of Bobo the clown.

Andrew GedyeMy favourite memory was when I won the Long Jumpat HMC with a personal best. Everyone wanted a lookat my medal. I felt like a celebrity.

Joel HargroveI remember at Kingswood I was scared stiff of thezipwire. On my first attempt, I went back down thetower. When I was back on the ground I regretted itso much that I went back up and jumped off.

William BodyMy favourite memory was in Year 5 when Henry fellinto the recycling box backwards and got stuck and Ihad to help pull him out. The best bit of London wasThe Eye because it was really high.

Georgie Penman I joined Prep School in Year 6. Kingswood was myfavourite thing as there were so many opportunitiesand everything was so extreme.

Oliver PollockI remember when we did archery at Kingswood. Ireally enjoyed it because once I got the hang of it I was so close to the bullseye.

Oliver TheakstonMy favourite memory was when I was chosen to befootball captain. I also loved the French trip when wegot to stroke a sting ray. I enjoyed ‘Oink’ when I wasa rat. It was such a funny play.

Aidan WestI remember in Year 5, writing a Myths and Legendsbook in English. It was fun because I got to imaginea hero and create a monster.

Oliver DunnMy favourite thing was the London trip in Year 6. Thebest place we visited was Launch Pad in the ScienceMuseum because it was so much fun.

Constance MitchellMy favourite memory of Prep was the chocolatefactory on the French trip. I really enjoyed tasting thetruffles and cocoa beans.

Emily WarrenMy favourite memory was in Year 5 when I went toreceive my End of Term Special Mention in Chapel. Iwas a little scared to go up in front of the wholeschool but I was also very excited!

Ceara Sutton-JonesI remember my first day. Megan and Alex looked afterme and made me feel really welcome. When I startedin Year Two, Mrs Tulip was really nice to me and helpedme join up my writing. My highlights of Prep School arewhen I got picked for the General Knowledge team andwhen I got full marks in a Maths exam.

Prep School


Emily BurgessEmily joined the school in September for the year as our Lacrosseand Hockey coach, working in both the senior and prep school.She has enthused the pupils with her excellent coaching skills,and she has raised the profile of Lacrosse in the school no end.Prep school are very grateful for all her help, especially withfixtures.As a resident, she joined the Longfield house, and the

Peppers are grateful for the work she has done there, and thegirls have certainly enjoyed her company. Her caring naturewas enjoyed by the girls for two evenings a week, including a‘sleep over’ every Thursday. She was always willing to provideextra activities for the girls and was an enthusiastic memberof staff when assisting with different House teams for variouscompetitions. I would personally like to thank her for the help and support

she has given the department – she has tried in vain to getme to keep a clean desk and tidy office! Emily plans to spend the summer as a PA before returning

and getting a job in New York.FC / MTP

Emma BaldwinEmma Baldwin joined BCS as a member of the English andTheatre Studies departments in Sept 2007. Before her arrival,one of the references from her alma mater in Hartlepool spokeunambiguously of how highly regarded Emma was by hercolleagues and by the pupils; and this was truly the case here atBCS as well. In the English department I came me to be able torely completely on her professionalism in the class room: she wastotally organised, brimming full of ideas, seemingly able to knockout a Scheme of Work in her sleep, and completely committed tothe success of all those in her charge. Of particular note are herA Level Literature teaching (and the formidable double act thatshe formed with EEB), and her being promoted to Head ofTheatre Studies after her 1st year in post. Perhaps it is faircomment that her management style could occasionally (!) err onthe side of ‘clearly determined and directly critical’, an approachthat despite her best efforts at disguise and deep breaths neverfully could hide its impatience with intellects less scintillatingthan her own – many a time I have felt like I was playing Watsonto her Holmes – but, that said, she knew full well when she hadoverstepped the mark and she was never afraid to seek and takeadvice – and then one saw a softer, more vulnerable side to thedriven professional that we met everyday around the campus: thesensitive, emotional, warm personality as opposed to the cooler,tougher persona. But fundamentally it is true to say that she knew what she

wanted and she made sure it happened, whether it was adelightful make-over of her classroom or theatrical sets whichwould be the envy of the West End. In that respect, her trackrecord as director and producer is outstanding: rehearsalafter rehearsal, all with the same level of drive, input, thesame demand for the highest of standards. She has showna clear desire to push forward what we see as the Schooldrama agenda and diet: the Theatre studies performanceshave embraced highly challenging themes and have nevermade for a comfortable watch - not a coincidence, perhaps,that the visiting moderators have always felt compelled toaward the highest of marks; while on a larger stage and infront of a larger audience, Emma has successfully rung thechanges with mainstream school productions: bitter sweeturban comedy/ social commentary in “Our Day Out”,Disneyesque romanticism in “Beauty and the Beast”, full-onrock anthem, let-your-hair-down, oldster, plot-lite escapism in“We Will Rock You;” and most recently “Rent”: a brave choicewhich highly impressed many, not least the recent Inspectionteam.And what about the choreography: variation, subtlety, true

skill and knowledge, and overall (for us) a genuine visualdelight and all the result of hours spent at home pacing themoves out in her living room. Can we not truly agree that theSchool has never been better served in this regard (and Imean no disrespect to those who preceded Emma in thisfield)? Outside the classroom, Emma has been Bowes House

stalwart, a tutor who has been always on the case of hertutees for better or worse, but always sympathetically andwith the best outcomes at heart. I turn green too when I see

Senior Common Room

Senior Common Room


Emily Burgess, Emma Baldwin, Jane Tulip,

Oliver Marlow, Alan Dougherty, Paul McHarry,

Lynne Richardson


how she managed to utilise her lunchtimes soefficiently: to my mind Emma managed to amelioratethe somewhat disparaging phrase “a Lady WhoLunches”: contrary to the clichéd perception of thelunching lady, Emma is someone who can work hardall morning, enjoy a good natter over lunch, and thenput in more hard work in the afternoon. Our loss is Westfield School’s gain – and I

recommend that they make the most of her whilethey have her. Her new appointment offers excitingchallenges which I am sure she will relish, as well asrelieving her of a frustrating commute, frustrationswhich, I might add, she never brought into School. Ithank her for all she has done for BCS (and not leastfor laughing at my ‘jokes’), and we wish her everypersonal and professional happiness and success.

AMW

Jane TulipJane Tulip was appointed to the staff 16 years ago to setup the Pre-Prep at Barney. Initially teaching all three agegroups in the same class, Jane was not onlyinstrumental in the growth and success of thedepartment, she was the department!Latterly she concentrated on Year 2 and parents

were grateful for the fantastic start she gave to thechildren in her charge, instilling important values inthem from the beginning like manners and behaviour.Jane was a true professional, the children admiredher and the parents trusted her. Unfortunately her health took a serious turn for the

worse, coming to a head in the Autumn term and shereluctantly had to take the decision to stop working. Her cheery disposition will be sorely missed by

children, parents and staff alike. Throughout her timeat Prep School she has been a lynchpin of thestaffroom with her humour and kindness. She hasbeen a fantastic teacher, loyal colleague and friendand an inspirational person. Her courage andhumour go hand in hand and have been an exampleto us all.

NIS

Lynne RichardsonLynne Richardson became a member of the ModernLanguages Department in 2005, making her initialappearance under the name of Lynne Cragg. Sheimmediately showed what a resourceful and inventiveteacher she was, full of interesting and novel ideas forthe teaching of languages. It was the middle of the firstdecade of the 21st. Century and here was this girl usingcomputers and web-sites to accompany and support herteaching! She even had a funny whiteboard thingummyinstalled in her classroom, so she could become‘interactive’. Added to this, she is the master illustrator.Tony Hart and Rolf Harris must be quaking boots! WhenI come to write my revolutionary French coursebook, Ishall be asking Lynne to do the illustrations.I have enjoyed sharing the teaching of the Sixth

Form with Lynne. I can even say it has been idyllic!Nowadays, the course is all ‘topic based’. I couldhand over to her, with all confidence and delight , thetopics of Modern Culture (pop music, fashion!!) andModern Technology ( see above AND below), andhappily agree to take on Sport and Environment (bothodious subjects for Lynne). Modern, up-to-date andresourceful, she adopted a course which involvedcomputers and horrid software.Always one for inducting her pupils into French and

German culture, the shares in Lidl and Aldi suddenlyhit the roof, every time that BCS pupils were spoiledwith croissants, pains au chocolat, Bavariansausage, Stollen, pretzels, etc., usw. Trips to thecinema were organized for Sixth Formers; even in thedarkness of the Gala Theatre in Durham, one couldsense her customary rosy cheeks paling, as thewrong film appeared on the screen. All was rectified,I hasten to add! And then there was that wonderfultrip in 2008 to Chateau Beaumont in Normandy.

Once again, there was a most inauspicious start, asthe coach picking us up at a frosty midnight hour,was waiting for us in Morrison’s car-park! GPS? Giveme a map and compass any time!! All ran likeclockwork after that, as is always the case withLynne. She is always so wonderfully and perfectlyorganized. The French market in Laval , Mont St.Michel, St. Malo and the wonderful ‘cidrerie’ (applejuice for the pupils, naturellement) . I’m not sure,however, whether Mr. Richardson is aware of hiswife’s appearance on a French edition of ‘Blind Date’,dressed in a most fetching blue and white stripedshirt and red beret. Of course, she won!! 2011 was the year, not only of a Royal Wedding, but

also of the introduction of ‘Audacity’, the computerprogramme wickedly imposed upon unsuspectingteachers by a certain examination board for therecording of GCSE Speaking Tests. Lynne calmly andpatiently gave a series of lessons on how to use thisviperous piece of technology to her rather nervousand cynical colleague. ‘It’s easy!!’ Yes, that may wellbe the case for those who weren’t around tocelebrate Geoff Boycott’s One Hundredth Hundred,but for those who were and who were far morecomfortable using a tape recorder and cassette, alaptop and a memory stick were the ideal recipe fordisaster. Lynne skillfully and quietly rectified everyinadequacy and mistake (and there were many!!). I can only apologise to her and thank her.Throughout her time in the School, Lynne has been

a tutor in Bowes House. Generations of fortunategirls speak of her generosity, her patient support andguidance. The same skills have been brought to bearon her Gifted and Talented programme, one that shehad to devise and set up herself. Pupils havebenefitted from a whole range of disciplines, eventsand outings.Lynne is moving on to be Head of French at

Wickham School. They are recruiting an excellentyoung teacher. Their gain will definitely be our loss.In saying ‘Au revoir and Auf Wiedersehen,’, we thankher for all she has done with us and for us, and giveher our very best wishes for the future.

CPJ

Oliver MarlowIt is not everyone who can say that they have added toour lexicon. But Oliver can. An unscientific poll revealedthat there was not a single member of staff who couldnot swear to having been ‘Marlowed’! And this is, ofcourse, a compliment. Surely a key trait of a DeputyHead is that he fills one with nervous anticipation as heapproaches down the corridor: what, we ask ourselves,is his next big plan? And where do I come into it? Thetrick there is, of course, to make the ‘volunteer’ feelshappy to be recruited, and by that criterion alone, OKMwas a success. Oliver was never short of plans,initiatives, energy: always there, always everywhere andalways devoted to the cause of the School, its staff andits pupils. He was a diplomat, a dynamo, an ambassadorand a warm human being.Our activities programme fills a board in Central Hall

and he was instrumental in developing it to this splendiddegree: certainly he can take much credit for the verypositive remarks made by the inspectors in their recentreport. At other times, it fell to him to have to deal withthe daily round of injustice and error and his approachto the miscreant was firm, but sympathetic – people do“get things wrong” and rightly OKM always felt sure thatthey would really want to get things right next time. Noone would ever be set up to fail (again).In the classroom he displayed a passion for English

Literature and I was grateful for the way he advancedthe cause of English Literature and for his supportduring the planning for our implementation of IGCSE.I think the North grew on him, but I think it also very

true to say that in his spare moments he would ratherhave been able to dip his toes in the Channel than inthe Tees, and so his return to Sussex will surely havemany rewards, more than adequate compensation for

whatever challenges he faces at Eastbourne College.We thank him for all he accomplished at BCS and wewish him, Sarah and his family every success andhappiness.

AMW

Paul McHarryIt is a sad fact of life that the longer one stays at Barneythe less people remember the sheer volume ofcontributions a teacher has made. Many of those whohave appreciated Paul’s efforts over the years have longsince gone, some married with children, but when theymeet an OB you can bet that McHarry comes up inconversation. Anecdotes of McHarry’s lessons occurregularly on ‘Facebook’, many claiming to be the ‘one’who McHarry sent to the boiler house for a left handedscrewdriver or a long ‘weight’, or was told to sit on thewindow ledge replacing the geranium that replacedthem on their lab stool. Although Paul came to us fromSilcoates School in 1983, if you go back a few years youwould have found him teaching in West BucklandSchool near Barnstable in northern Devon. For thosewho need reminding, West Buckland is a sister schoolto Barney, both a County School and both having aBrereton as a Headmaster. Small world isn’t it?He did an excellent job as Head of Physics and Head

of Science but it was in the classroom where he reallyshone. His teaching skills were second to none, a factacknowledged by all who knew him. I was walkingtowards the CCF armoury one day and had to walk pastone of his ‘outside’ lessons that involved pupilsswinging a weight around their heads on a length ofstring. I sat on a bench to watch and was soon findingit hard to see due to the tears of laughter at his styleand brilliance at getting the message acrosshumorously. Everybody was enjoying a very academiclesson. An elderly housemaster once stopped mewhen I was parking the minibus one Sunday eveningafter taking cadets to the Lakes. “…These are the daysthey will remember all their lives. They won’t rememberlessons, but they will remember the trips.” I believethey will remember McHarry’s lessons.He was famous for producing course notes and exam

guides for his groups to go alongside their course textswhich were greatly appreciated by his students. It wasrumoured, and later confirmed, that the course noteswere being used in a rival independent school not veryfar away. If he had only published these books he couldhave made a fortune! Maybe we will soon see himtaking advantage of this gap in the market. Paul became an instructor in the CCF, not taking up a

commission, but still giving up hours of his time leadingthe ‘Signals Section’. He accompanied an expeditionup Helvellyn in the Lake District, volunteering to carrythe Camcorder and narrate the ascent. These were inthe days when the camera required a large battery; thecamera itself was the size of a briefcase with lots ofwires and microphones etc. Picture, if you can, McHarryin tweed jacket, shirt and tie on Striding Edge trying hisbest not to lose footing whilst filming and talking intothe large microphone. Although I believe the recordingto be lost, I can remember him saying at about 3000feet, “Headmaster, if this recording is found next to mydecaying remains, please let it be known that I tendermy resignation and my dying wish is that the film istreated with more respect than Bentley’s.” Needless tosay, he didn’t perish but returned and the SignalsSection flourished. Peter Wise bought an astronomical telescope from a

policeman in Durham and Paul obviously was able tohandle it and use it. Another innovation was born. Hewas also one of the first to use video recorders in theclassroom, a Sony Betamax portable kit to be precise,(most reading this won’t even know what they are.)Pupils will remember watching his favourite films, blackand white of course, ‘The Dam Busters’ or atChristmas the Alastair Sims version of ‘A ChristmasCarol’. Bribes were often the incentive to make pupilswatch these films. Buckets of popcorn were handedround. So Mrs Houghton wasn’t the first to supply

Senior Common Room


cakes and sandwiches for Physics club. I wonder howmay of his pupils remember the ‘award of the goldenresistor’ for meritorious work. No wonder the Physicsbudget was so large.In his early years, he was a dedicated tutor in what was

then called Junior House. His November 5th fireworkdisplays were a highlight of the year. He lived in an areaof School called OSH and ruled with a rod of iron, orbamboo, depending on the crime. Those were the days! He became Housemaster of Durham House and

stamped his mark there too. I remember a day when amember of his House had scored particularly well inHouse cricket so he rewarded him with a can of cola.The boy, feeling proud walked to the buses drinking hisprize. Unfortunately, the boy walked into the, then,headmaster who admonished the boy for drinking in aninappropriate place, confiscated the drink and poured itinto the ground. When the boy complained to him thenext day, McHarry’s response was, “Who told you lifewas fair?” Another good lesson taught.He didn’t always stay chained to the classroom desk.

He organised the badminton, much to the delight of ourChinese students who could beat all-comers fromEurope. He organised archery and was often seenbeating me at croquet on the Headmaster’s croquetlawn. Those of us who are members of the SeniorCommon Room will have witnessed from time to timePaul’s skills as an after-dinner speaker. His timing anddeliverance gave us all just a glimpse of what it musthave been like to be a pupil in his classroom. Paul McHarry joined us in 1983 and has become the

stuff of legends in his time here. If he had built areputation for excellence in teaching alone, he wouldhave been revered, but he went far beyond that. Thosethat have been taught by him owe him a huge vote ofthanks, as does the School. He won’t be forgotten. Ihope he leaves us realising just how much he is liked bypupils and colleagues. He deserves a long and happyretirement. As my friend, I will miss him enormously.

SK

HM’s interview notes (1983): McHarry – physics (not science); formidable (gown andcane); dry humour (chose Tio Pepe); smart (St. Andrews,wears tie pin, uses a serviette); budding gardener(greenhouse club?); lay preacher (Moore relief?); seekssuite of rooms (Junior House tutor?); opinions(Barnardian editor?); could make something of him.McHarry has achieved spectacularly over his 28

years. His commanding views over the campus from theM Block keep him fully aware of School matters andeven provide evidence of late arrivals to class(reminding us of headmaster Cleese in ‘Clockwise’,perhaps?).His department is superbly organised with every

drawer and cupboard labelled, and apparatus bar-coded(care of Mrs H actually). The library is beautifullycatalogued; his physics’ website is amongst thecountry’s very best; syllabi and courses are chosen andtailored to foster rigorous inquiry and promoteintellectual curiosity, and contain the Nuffieldexcitement of practical demonstrations; colleaguesshare the highest standards; pupils are committed totheir own success. His department has progressedmany on to MPhys and MSci courses at the bestuniversities as well as provided all with the chance ofseparate science success at a time of general sciencemediocrity. McHarry is perceived by most, to includeurchins and sloths, to be an outstanding schoolmasterand teacher (the pupils’ Mr McHarry facebookappreciation site is testament to this) and thedepartment’s excellent academic results evidence this.Open Day Physics has always been the place to be!He is a pastoral man too. This Junior House resident

assistant housemaster saw deserving promotion toDurham; the senses of loyalty and devotion to the GoldFlag, so well documented and with masterlyphotography in the House’s history, are lodged in thehearts of McHarry’s OB men who breathe style andsuccess throughout the land. In latter years, he hasbeen a calming influence and wise counsel in Marwood

– a senior man in a vital role. Tutees have beenrewarded with cakes and Coke in P1 (care of Mrs H), ahighlight of their week if not his.And very much a schoolmaster: he has sung the staff

unison, completed the Barnard Run staff course (whenyounger), been selected as the number one time-keeperfor track events on Sports Day, provided memorableaddresses at Sunday Chapel, promoted Barney at ISISFairs, threatened to resurrect Durham allotments wherethe 1st XV now practises, umpired Counties’ cricketmatches (but only on fine afternoons), produced ‘GoodMorning BCS’ – an award winning weekly which caughtthe imagination of all through its text and images, andgently challenged and teased the bumptious speaker ininter-House public speaking competitions.As a colleague, he is fun. Whilst shooting from the hip

and telling it as it is, he is honest and forthright. Humourwins the day as well as friends. The smile is engaging;his time is readily given and comments which can bebrief, are invariably pithy, witty and often reassuring.McHarry is a legend of our years. He says he is ready,

after 84 terms of distinguished service, to make way foryounger men. We have certainly made something of himand, most definitely, he of us. We will remember him.

DHE

Alan DoughertyAlan Dougherty has been a part of Prep School life for21 years. During that time he has been a Year 5 classteacher, a science teacher and a geography teacher; hehas also overseen cross-country events, clubs and teamsas well as organising a range of school trips. Alan brought an enthusiasm for the outdoors to the

school and it was entirely appropriate that his lastteaching day was spent orienteering in HamsterleyForest with the Year 5 classes. We would like tothank Alan for his service to the school and we wishhim every happiness in his retirement. KnowingAlan’s love of the outdoors I am sure that he and hiswife Carole will make the most of the extra time.

CFR

Senior Common Room

Senior Common Room


Emma Robson, Harriet

McHugh, Lottie Holmes,

Finlay Tait, Emily Purvis,

Katy Fraser, Naomi Day


Suzanne Cuthbertson1952 – 2011Suzanne joined Barnard CastleSchool in 1989 as a part-timeteacher of Art. She had previouslytaught Art at Polam Hall School.With a reorganisation of theDesignTechnology and ArtDepartments she became Head of Art in 2004, was a tutor inMarwood House from its inceptionin 1993 and became AssistantHousemistress of Bowes Housewhen it was formed in 2002. She took over as Housemistressof Bowes in January 2011, but her tenure of the role was sadlyand unexpectedly cut short by her sudden illness which wasdiagnosed in January 2011.

Under her leadership and guidance the Art Departmentflourished and grew, with increasing numbers of pupilsopting to take Art at GCSE, AS and A level. Results sawa similar progression, with several cohorts of pupilsobtaining 100% A grades at A level. The art work on display throughout the School is

testimony to the high standards attained. Whatevertheir results, however, the pupils knew that theywould be encouraged to realise their full potentialand achieve at the highest possible level. MrsCuthbertson would never settle for anything otherthan their best, and expected all her pupils to besingle-minded in their commitment to their subject.When they showed the level of dedication sheexpected, she would go out of her way to givewhatever help, advice, or extra time they needed. Itwas not unusual for her to squeeze in a visit to townbetween lessons to buy materials for her artists. Onenever came away from a visit to the Art Department

without feeling the buzz of creative energy andexcitement. The expression “inspirational teacher” isoften overworked, but in her case it is entirelyappropriate. Countless numbers of former pupilsowe their choice of degree course, and frequentlytheir career, to the love for their subject which MrsCuthbertson inspired.Suzanne was tutor to the girls in Year 11 in Bowes

for many years, and they considered themselvesprivileged to have such a dedicated tutor. In herpastoral role the same principle held good as in theArt Department. She saw her relationship with hertutees, and indeed with all the girls in Bowes, as atwo-way process; as long as they pulled their weightthey were guaranteed her total support. Her sharpand acute observation of her tutees meant that shegot to know them quickly and thoroughly. They knewthat they would never be able to pull the wool overher eyes, but equally that she would always supportthem, advise, encourage, cajole, frequently nag themand yes, sometimes shout at them. The futuredirection of so many girls has been influenced by hercommon sense approach, and they quickly learnedthat she could be relied on for sound, sensible andshrewd advice even in the most difficult situations.Many rebellious teenagers have become co-operative, hard-working and determined to achievebecause she wouldn’t settle for anything else. In thewords of a former tutee “she was an amazing tutorand every memory of her is a happy one”.As Assistant Housemistress, Suzanne worked

tirelessly for the good of the House and every one of

the girls in it. She believed passionately in Bowes. Asone of its “founding mothers” she was influential increating the ethos of the House and by her exampleshe demonstrated the House values at all times.Bowes tutors benefited enormously from her wisdomand professional guidance and advice. Suzanne andI had a shared view of what a happy, purposeful andsuccessful House should be. Her support wasunconditional, she was always there to listen, and forthat I cannot thank her enough. Throughout her illness she was keen to be kept

informed at all times of what was going on at Schooland in the House, and was thrilled to be able toreturn briefly to teaching, against all medical advice.This was a huge comfort to her, and it was veryimportant to her that she was able to close the doorto such a significant part of her life in what shethought of as an appropriate way, still operating as aconsummate professional despite the odds.Any account of Suzanne’s life would not be

complete without mentioning her treasured family.She is survived by her husband Raymond, sonsDominic and Jonathan, both former pupils of BCS,her mother Paddy and her brother Peter. To each oneof them our hearts go out now and will continue todo so. They are all only too aware of how much shegave to the pupils and staff of the School and wethank them for supporting her in her tireless devotionto her job. They have lost a beloved wife, mother,daughter and sister; we have lost a remarkablecolleague and a very dear friend.

BE

Suzanne Cuthbertson

Senior Common Room


Auto ClubThis year’s Auto club activity has involved theconstruction of an electrically powered children’s ride invehicle. The main focus of this year has been theconstruction of the chassis ready to accept the morecomplicated axles and drivetrain. A small group of pupils from year 10 and upper 6th

have largely controlled the pace of the project as theyinterpret complicated drawings and fabricate each andevery panel that the vehicle is to be constructed from.Progress has been up and down at times but I havebeen very pleased to see regular attendance and themain chassis taking shape week by week. Each pupilshould feel extremely proud of what they have achievedin what is effectively 1 hour of build time each week. It is my hope that the same candidates, with some

additions, can carry on the good work and see theproject to full completion. A big thank you to the Autoclub members and I will look forward to seeing you nextyear!

PE

Riding ClubThe girls have enjoyed their riding lessons at Raygill

Riding Centre in Lartington. Each week, they havebeen able to improve their riding technique and eventhe girls in the beginners group can now walk and trotcompetently. They are now learning how to canter aswell as jump small cross poles. The advanced grouphave had plenty of practice perfecting their transitionsfrom walk to trot and trot to canter and more recentlythey have been learning how to ride a course of showjumps. As well as riding, the girls have also had somestable management lessons and can confidently tackup their ponies, groom them thoroughly and muck outtheir stables.

CEH

Kayaking Kayaking has started to become popular within theschool. Indoor training is given in the school swimmingpool where pupils have learnt the basic strokes and howto roll. These skills have then been put into practice onthe local rivers. The school is ideally situated as wehave one of the countries most popular kayaking riversflowing past our door step, the River Tees. Kayakerscome from all over the country to paddle it. Alexander Lea, Michael Waddington, Sam Graham,

Mathew and Jack Thorman and Alex Rolland-Joneshave been out this last year on various river trips. Jackand Al Lea achieved their BCU 2 star award and severalpupils have gained the skills to tackle the white waters.During the winter months, trips have included AbbeyRapids on the Tees and Slenningford on the River Ure,both Grade 3 rapids. In November I took three to theTyne Tour. This is probably the countries largestkayaking weekend with hundreds of paddlers from allover the country descending on Hexham. The highlightbeing the decent down Wardens Gorge (grade 3+)which is renowned for capsizing the less experiencedkayaker. However Jack, Matthew and Alex RJ survivedwithout a capsize. Recently training has taken place onthe outdoor lake at the HUB in Barnard Castle, arecently opened facility.

PCO

Knitting activity with Miss JacksonKnitting has appealed to a niche market of children

for the past two terms, but this has meant that newstitches galore have been accomplished. From

starting with no knitting skills at all, the pupils in thegroup have used three different types of wool,creating both pom pom and can can scarves. (Thesescarves are popular in high street shops and sell forup to £30!) Casting on and casting off has beenmore arduous, simply because when the pupils get itwrong, they have to start all over again. They havenow chosen their own patterns and are currentlyknitting hats for the winter.

AGJ

TrampoliningThe Trampolining activity takes place on Fridays between4 and 5. Participants meet in Central Hall after school andare driven up to the Teesdale Sports Centre by minibuswhere they are taken by a trained and experiencedinstructor. We return to school in time for the buses.Because of the time taken to travel, to maximize

actual ‘bounce’ time it is important that participantschange at lunch (into school tracksuit and sportswear)and have their home bags ready if they are notboarders.The emphasis is on enjoyment although learning to

use the trampoline safely is also critically important.Also, each term participants work towards acertificate, the level of which depends on their level ofexpertise, attainment and experience. To obtain thecertificate participants have to show that they cancarry out a sequence of tasks (for example tuckedjumps or twists), whose difficulty varies according tothe level of the certificate.Trampolining is enjoyed by boys and girls, usually in

Years 7 to 9 although some Year 10 and 11 pupilshave enrolled. It is a skill that anyone can acquire, it isgood for you and it is fun. This year’s participants havebeen friendly and enthusiastic and I think it is fair tosay that they have both enjoyed their Friday afternoonjaunts to the sports centre and also benefited fromthe experience.

DGG

Baking activity with Miss JacksonBaking club has proved to be very popular this year.

Pupils in this activity started with different abilities:some were able to cook flamboyant soufflés, whilstothers had never used kitchen weighing scales before.It has been a fabulous way for the pupils to help eachother and show each other the best way of baking.Simple tricks such as weighing out golden syrup with ahot spoon have gained plenty of oohs and ahs! Not tomention the delights of getting the wooden spoon!Favourite recipes this year have had a theme;chocolate brownies and chocolate cup cakes.

AGJ

Climbing activityAs an activity during the Autumn and Spring term, a

dedicated small group of climbers have spent 2hours each Monday evening using the climbing wallat Teesdale Sports Centre. Without the expert help ofStuart Pattinson, from the ‘boiler house, such anactivity could not occur. Various and varied routeshave been accomplished and the skills of thoseinvolved have developed well over the two terms.

MNRF

Film ClubThursday afternoons have one again seen L5

become a ‘chill-out zone’, primarily for yr 9, or so itseemed. Move a few desks, rearrange a few chairs

and a place of learning becomes something moreakin to a youth club. Add in an undemanding film or2 and the recipe is just right. Yours truly usually sitsin a corner getting on with some marking, while the‘customers’ relax, chat, watch a comedy, or whatever.All involved spend an easy hour to no ill effect.Newcomers are always welcome.

AMW

History of FilmThis elite group of Year 11s met every Tuesday

during the autumn term to sit back, and watch somegreat movies. Beginning with the birth of cinema inthe 1900s, we watched a number of silent films andGerman expressionism such as Broken Blossoms,The Birth of a Nation and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,before moving on to such epics as Citizen Kane andHis Girl Friday. The group also looked at the evolutionof camera effects including deep focus, and theeffect such techniques have had on modern cinema.

TSE

“CHEF!!”The vegetarian/Healthy Eating Cookery Club meets everyThursday at 4 pm in the Longfield House kitchen. There,a group of students, ranging from year 7 to year 11,eagerly awaits a box of ingredients and a three coursemenu to arrive. The cooking is shared out which allows everyone to

take part in cooking a course. The next hour is franticas students whizz around preparing delicious food andthe busy atmosphere and standard of cuisine can easilybe compared to a kitchen in any high class restaurant.The ambience is friendly, supportive and is well

seasoned with spicey banter (sometimes batter).When all the food is prepared, the table is layed out,

and the group sit down to a relaxed and healthy meal.Becca Cliffe, Year 10, says: “Healthy Eating/

Vegetarian Cookery Club has been the highlight of myyear. It has introduced me to new food and it hashelped me to realise just how much I love to cook,especially puddings! Thank you very much MrsWaddington and I hope to do it again next term as well.”

Typical menu: Butternut Squash Soup, Banana andVegetable Curry, Lime Cheese Cake.

A recipe book is created at the end of each term forstudents to take home. So far the club hasonly consisted of girls, so come on lads, get yourchef hats ready for a challenge!

MEW

Peer Support ServiceThe Peer Support service has once again developed inthe school this year and we are delighted with the newroom that has been made available in the Senior Schoolfor pupils to speak to a Peer Supporter or to gather theirthoughts in private. James Ingram has been an outstanding leader and I

am very grateful to him for all of the organisation andsupport work that he has done throughout his time atthe school. This year Oliver Chrisp developed aninternet help site, which has also provided a superbsupport for pupils in the school and I am delighted thatBen Jeffrey will be continuing this site next year. Therehave been a number of new recruits, who have allcompleted the training course successfully and offer agreat help to several areas of the school. I would liketo thank all of the Peer Supporters for their hard workagain this year, in particular those members of theUpper 6 who have been committed for two years.

AJA

Activities

Activities


Activities


The last week of term in 2010 is a week that twelve of this year’sleavers will remember for manyyears. Such are the trials andtribulations of a four daybackpacking adventure throughthe beautiful landscapes of theYorkshire Dales.

Two groups set out from Hardraw on a bright and sunnyday in July. The torrential rain of the early hours hadthankfully stopped. They had just met their assessor,Mike Gerrish, who had probed each of them gently forstrengths and weaknesses. There was clearly going to bea bit of competition between the wholly girls group ofHeather Appleby, Rachel Brown, Rachel Metcalf, KateSwinbank, Helen Alderson and Helen Simpson and themixed group of George Woollard, Angus Robertson, DanMiller, Jess Scott, Jess Brice and Brooke Goudie. The twogroups were distilled from 21 hopefuls who had startedthe gold award, but for various reasons had been unableto complete their assessed expedition.The assessment went really well for both groups

who passed with flying colours. The girls’ route tookthem through Wensleydale, Swaledale and UpperEden. They explored the lead mining in GunnersideGill and included an ascent on Nine Standards Riggon their final day. They even had time for a quick icecream and a quick dip at Keld. The mixed team hadplanned a demanding route through similarcountryside, coming through it well and undaunted tothe end. The weather was generally good giving themample opportunities to take in the splendid Dalesscenery. At the end of four days their assessor satwith twelve exhausted, but very happy boys and girlsin Kirkby Stephen market place. Mike had said theywere an outstanding bunch of young people, a creditto themselves, their families and their school. Hewas mightily impressed with their cheerfulconfidence, saying that team work was exceptionallygood, clearly enjoying each other’s company. I hope all of the successful candidates go on to

complete their gold award very soon. GeorgeWoollard is the first to have completed all fivesections of the award on the new eDofE electronicsystem which, after a few teething problems, isworking well. This year’s hopefuls include Sophie Evans, Ben

Jeffrey, Alice McBain, Harriet Ward and Josie Amery.Find out how they get on in next years’ Barnardian!

CHA

Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award

Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award

The two groups were distilled from 21hopefuls who had started the gold award“ ”


Another year of mixed weather,great views and excitingadventures. This year the Duke ofEdinburgh Silver Award saw manyof last year’s cohort receive theirawards, three fantastic year 11teams take to the hills for trainingand assessments and a recordyear 10 sign up.

Congratulations must first go to Freddie Metcalfe,Duncan Anderson, Varun Balupuri, Patrick Borer, EdwardDeytrikh, Ben Jeffrey, Chris Robinson, Neil Stanwix, andEmma Anderson for completing their silver awards andWilliam Barnes and Calum Matthews for completingtheir Bronze Awards.Our Year 11 teams performed well in the training

sessions and demonstrated all the skills required topass their practical assessment. A trainingexpedition in April saw the teams head down theroad to Middleton-in-Teesdale for a 2 night practiceexpedition, all the teams performed well here,special mention must go to Tom Vickers who had todrop out due to a recurring foot injury. To pass theirthree day assessment teams are required to walk forseven hours or more each day, be self-sufficient bycarrying all their personal equipment and food for thethree days.

Team 1 Calum Matthews, Hugh Carter, ChrisMoore, Euan Hobson, Andrew HutchonTeam 2 Rory Abraham, Ellie Dinnes, Jack Roberts,

Nick Packham, Georgina Lea, Katie FergusonTeam 3 William Barnes, Becky McKitton, Tom

Vickers, Lucy Parkinson, Jonny ConnorsWhat a cracking 3 days the silver assessment

expedition groups had during 3-5 July. As well asfantastic weather they all completed theirassessment with flying colours. The assessor wasDavid Ewart. He was very impressed with thestandard and competence of all three groups. Theaim of their expedition was to complete a pre-planned route over three days and be self sufficient.Two of the groups set off from Sleighholme farm –one group walking via Tan Hill and the other groupheading over the tops and through Arkendale. Thethird group was dropped off in Gunnerside. Fromhere they were going to do a slightly differentexpedition: to spend three days investigating andstudying the mining heritage of Swaledale. Thismeant a slightly shorter distance but more time atvarious mining locations. Mr Brettell joined thegroup on the Sunday on Melbecks Moor as he has agood local knowledge of the area and its miningheritage. On the Monday the group had arranged tovisit the Mining Museum in Reeth. The expeditionwould not have been possible without the help of MrFairwood, Mr Brettell and Mr Waddington. Manythanks to them for their help.In year 10 we saw record 57 students sign up for

DofE Silver and begin training for their expeditions.All year 10 DofE students are enrolled on the new

EDofE service which requires students to track and update their progress online rather than in the log books used in the past. Two training days were laid on in the autumn term to give students an idea of how to get started and to give them a taste of the skills they will need on expedition. There are four sections to the Silver Award:

Service, Skill, Physical and expedition. Many students have chosen to use CCF as their service but others have chosen to volunteer elsewhere such as the school library, at a local charity shop, at an animal shelter or as a Young leader with a scout group. The service must be undertaken for at least six months and be unpaid. For their skills section students have selected a variety of activities; football coaching, computer studies, journalism, paintball and horse riding to name a few. When it came to deciding on what sort of Physical activity to undertake the field was equally diverse; football, badminton, scuba diving, skateboarding and cricket were amongst the activities chosen.The DofE silver award would not be possible

without the help and dedication of the staff who give up their free time to help run the program.

HWF / PCO

Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award

Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award


ArmyThe CCF at Barnard Castle has continued to have a verysuccessful and busy year. The training programme hasbeen very varied, with all cadets successfully passingmany modules of the basic and advanced APC syllabus.As well as cadets parading on a weekly basis, a numberof cadets have also represented the Contingent inBrigade competitions, on camps and at field days. The year began with the appointment of RSM and

CSM to Donna Opray and Helen Aldersonrespectively. Both girls, and a very strong team ofNCOs ensured that cadets were prompt to parade,nominal rolls were taken and lessons were taughtvery effectively to the younger members of the CCFthroughout the year. Our current Contingent strength is 191 cadets.

CEH

Training ProgrammeThe cadets have worked very hard through the

academic year to ensure that they have successfullycompleted the individual components of thesyllabus. The year 10 cadets completed theirweapon training and passed their weapon handlingtest, before completing their basic training in mapreading and 1st aid which was rounded off with anorienteering competition held around the Domains atBarnard Castle. In the summer term, theyconcentrated on military tactics and enjoyed learninghow to patrol, set up an ambush and carry outsection attacks. The year 11 cadets completed their advanced map

reading and 1st aid cadre and then took a two termmethods of instruction cadre lead by LieutenantNicholson. Having passed this cadre, a number ofthe year 11 cadets are now qualified to teach theyounger members of the Contingent. Under the watchful eye of Lieutenant Monument,

the year 12 cadets spent the first term completingtheir CVQO booklets which upon completion givesthe cadets a BTEC First Diploma in Public Services.This qualification is the equivalent of 4 GCSE’s at A-C level. The spring term was spent teaching 1st aidto the year 10 cadets and they also worked hard asa team to organise an orienteering competition forthe younger members of the Contingent. The year 13 cadets (NCOs) were involved in the

teaching of the year 11 cadets and also in the leadup to their modular School examinations spent sometime in the indoor range practicing their skills on the.22 rifles and also developed their team buildingskills by completing a leadership cadre.We welcomed Mr. Fairwood to the Contingent, who

has been an asset to the Unit. His expertise inadventure training has been valuable to us and Iknow he is looking forward to his officer training atFrimley Park in the summer holidays. FlightLieutenant West was appointed OC RAF section asfrom September 2010, with Flight Lieutenant Childstepping down from the position. Lt Nicholson has decided to resign his commission

from the CCF. He has been an officer in theContingent since 1994 and will be hugely missed byus all. He has been a valuable member of the teamwho has an excellent rapport with the cadets andofficers.I would just like to take the opportunity to thank Mr

Lewis and the officers for giving up generousamounts of time to make the CCF so enjoyable andpopular amongst the cadets. Without theirdedication, the CCF definitely wouldn’t be assuccessful as it is today.

CEH

RAFThe RAF section offers exciting opportunities with manyof the cadets taking full advantage.We have been buoyed a bumper crop of Year 10

cadets and they have all enjoyed flying, shooting andcompleting their Fist-Aid training. We have been luckywith the weather this year and nearly every cadet hasflown a Grob Tutor with 11 AEF at RAF Leeming.This year we have been fortunate to have been

awarded a Summer Camp at RAF Boulmer near Alnwick.We hope the weather holds fair and the cadets hope tohave the chance to fly in a Sea king helicopter. WilliamBarnes has been awarded a Gliding Scholarship at RAFHenlow and I look forward to reading his report.The Lower Sixth cadets have all successfully

completed their BTech qualifications and this will bea useful addition to their UCAS forms. CorporalBalupuri also completed his Gliding Scholarship andwas awarded his Blue Wings.Warrant Officer Edward Grundy has led the section

with distinction for two years and I am very gratefulfor him making my first year in charge a little easier.He completed his Flying Scholarship last summerthrough the Air Cadet Pilot Scheme. He also gainedthe national recognition of an RAF Sixth FormScholarship and he is a worthy recipient. His deputy,Flight Sergeant Robert Hall has also been anoutstanding cadet. He completed the Air CadetLeadership Course at RAFC Cranwell last summerand he received a very pleasing report. FlightSergeant James Ingram has been an excellent rolemodel and he attended a work experience course in

Avionics at RAF Cosford. All three have been awardedthe Commandant’s Certificate of OutstandingService. Sergeant Ryan Strawbridge has alsoimpressed me with enthusiasm and commitment andit is a pleasure to award him the Aquila Trophy for allhis hard work over the last four years.Next year it will be Sergeant Dale Keogh’s time to

lead the section with his able deputy Corporal WilliamPrior. The Upper Sixth have taught them well and I’msure they will live up to their high standards. I would liketo thank Matron Brown, Flt Lt Beaty and especially FltLt Child for all their time and support this Year. I reservea special thank you to the Upper Sixth NCOs and wishthem every success for the future.

Flt Lt West OC RAF CCF Section

The Level 2 Btec First Diploma in PublicServices mixes theory and practical elements withan emphasis on leadership, teamwork,communications, problem solving and fitness. Thisinternationally respected qualification is equivalentto 4 GCSEs at A*- C level.The syllabus has been designed to improve

valuable life skills. Cadets learn professional CVpreparation, interviewing techniques,communication, first aid, adventure training, healthand nutrition, in addition to their on runningresponsibilities to the CCF. Last year saw the entryof 29 cadets onto the course with 20 of thosecadets successfully reaching certification.

LDM

CCF

CCF


It’s been the year of Schoolinspection, a new headmasterlyregime and even a nationalcensus. Both internally andexternally, people have beenmeasuring things.

In fact we’ve been doing it for years. We measurechildren at entrance, pore over GCSE and A levelresults, make judgements about gifted and talented,admonish the lazy, appraise staff, observe lessonsand wonder generally if we measure up. Well, we’repretty good according to the inspection report. As a school we got a big tick in our exercise book,

accompanied by a lot of nice comments and someindications in red ink of where we can improve nexttime. Fair enough really, except that the Gospel hasa few reservations about measurement. After all,Jesus was measured by the standards of his day andfailed miserably under the Ofsted of Pilate andCaiaphas. He then had to wait for two days in thegrave before a re-mark from the “Chief Examiner”came through on Easter Day. This fact alone shouldmake us a little dubious about tick boxes. Jesus’altercation with the teacher Nicodemus serves as a reminder that being born again cannot be reduced

to a biology lesson nor the Spirit captured and put into a bottle. To be fair, the school inspectors were humble about

their ability to provide more than a snap shot of a schoolon the move. I wish they had been there when YorkHouse festooned the Chapel with flags of its constituentnationalities, had a Chinese dragon dance up the aisleand songs sung in Russian and French. Even stoutEnglish hearts acquiesced in the words of ‘Flower ofScotland’ and went away “tae thinke again”. I wouldhave liked the inspectors to note the symbols andartefacts of various religions on the window-sills at theback of Chapel, but especially to know that a Muslimstudent has the courage to remain steadfast in his faithand yet attend Chapel three times a week. I would haveliked to tell them about the 30 boarders who, in themidst of exam season, but moved by the message ofChristian Aid, went house to house, collecting envelopesand conversing with old folks and young folks ondoorsteps in the locality. Perhaps they could also haveseen the Prep school harvest cards and the dedicated“Friends of the School” who delivered them and bags ofpotatoes and cauliflowers to addresses all over thearea. None of these scenes are easily captured in areport, nor in fact do they need to be. The Year 11 lad,who can be playing rugby on a Saturday, then paradingwith a thuribal on the Sunday, then cursing a fire alarmat 2am on the Monday (caused by residual incense fromthe day before) – cannot be measured simply by hisGCSE results, or conformity to the School rules on

swearing. In fact, if he concentrated solely on objectivemeasures he would be diminished to a “plastic” – ashadow of a human being without substance ordimensionality. Which is not to say that we shouldfashion a school exclusively for rogues or rebels –though some of this year’s 20 confirmation candidateswould undoubtedly qualify – it’s simply to say that thechorister who defies definition, the girl who bucksladylike convention and the boy who chooses to begentle, all have a place in the Kingdom of God, whilstfailing to show up on any this-worldly radar. Is Chapel, then, simply a haven for this kind of

mentality – a place where eccentricity and celestialmusic, poetry and arcane ceremony can flourish, a bitlike the fairytale royal wedding, which might fade at anymoment in the cold light of day? Or, in a strange way,does it simply reinforce the best of what is “out there”in the school at large which, though using measures, isnot defined by them? I sincerely hope that it remainsthe latter. This year, on the very last day of term, theupper sixth will return to Chapel for just a few minutesafter the pomp and ceremony of Speech Day, some ofthem clutching glittering measures of theirachievement, some of them not. For a brief moment, atthe end of a long day, I hope they will hear aloud whathas always been rumoured in classrooms and corridorsand common rooms, that they are all human beings ofinfinite value, and children of one God, whose onlymeasure is love.

SJR (Pentecost 2011)

Chapel Report

Chapel Report


Charity Committee

Charity Committee

Today I bought a ridiculous amountof 6mm dowelling to make kiteswith. There’s a house competitionjust as school exams start and it’llbe a touch of light relief, as wellas a reminder that it’s Pentecost –the season of the breath of God.

Once I’ve put together some kite packages andpersuaded some of the committee into advertising theevent, we’ll probably make £100 profit. Not a lot ofeffort, a lot of fun and the charity fund benefits.There’s something about joyous spontaneity. After

a Chapel service in autumn we trooped out under thefalling leaves and bright sunshine to plant 8000purple crocuses signifying the purple fingers ofAfrican children who have received a poliovaccination. The impetus was the local rotary club,the planting trenches were dug by Ian Fairbairn’screw, £400 went to prevent a killer disease and thePreppies learned about planting bulbs. In the colddays of spring as they began to flower, it was moredifficult to persuade pupils that running the BarneyRun can actually help sick children, but Charles

Alderson and his team still managed to raise over£3700 for Butterwick hospice when the recessionprovides an excuse and charity fatigue is apt to setin. Meanwhile, squeezed between modules andtheatre studies commitments, school inspection andangst, Dale Keogh and friends produced a packedconcert from nowhere in aid of Great Ormond Street,despite the risqué antics of a Bill Hicks lookalike(Will Ford) and a raunchy singing affair between agypsy Mrs Nicholson and Mr. Connor, to the delight ofthe international students.During the rest of the year – young people came

back to me with Barnardo’s loose change concertinaboxes, and donations to Shelter box. Most gratifyinglythey also remembered to honour the IOUs I hadreluctantly accepted for “Gladiator” and the EasterEgg hunt. And perhaps it is this last which is the mostimportant – that when you make a promise, youhonour it; when you wear the non-uniform you seekout the person to whom you pay £2; when you wear aRemembrance poppy you do not dishonour the deador yourself with a meagre few coppers when you’dspend more on a snack. It’s in raising money forcharity that you realise how few genuinely selfishpeople there are. We are greatly blessed in the schoolby warm hearted people, excellent charity reps., andgenuine professionals who give tirelessly of their timeand talent, at short notice and for no reward, amongst

Donations this yearButterwick Hospice(The Barnard Run Charity) £3760Christian Aid £1000Shelter Box £1000Polio (Purple Pinky Power) £400Women’s Aid £400Teesdale Opportunity for Disabled Youngsters £400Salvation Army £300Percy Hedley school £300Brainwave £300St Cuthbert’s Hospice £300(Great Ormond Street – final concert in pipeline £200+?)

INTERIM TOTAL £8360

the myriad other obligations they have. And a specialmention in this, their retirement year – of the bursar,Alastair White, who makes my job easier, and whosestaff count everything from 5ps to Euros, and also ofIan Fairbairn who, over the years, has sorted outeverything from stage lighting and sound, to thetracks for wheelbarrow races. An incredible double-actand one that will be hard to follow. Thank you foreverything, God Bless and Good Luck.

SJR


ChemistryIt’s been a very busy (and successful) year for theschool’s science faculty. As part of their exampreparation for an organic chemistry module exam inJanuary, the Upper 6th attended a spectroscopyworkshop at the Chemistry department of theUniversity of Newcastle upon Tyne. The visit includedseeing infra-red, n.m.r. and mass spectra beingmeasured along with explanations about how theequipment worked, as well as a theory lecture and aproblem solving workshop. This visit coincided verynicely with this topic being taught in the classroom andall of our students really felt they had benefited fromthe experience. A nightmare journey home through therush hour traffic as December’s first snow began to fallwas the only dampener on an otherwise excellent trip.On 20th January 2011, Hugh Carter, Nathan Miller,

Lizzie Knight and Daniel Milne won the regional finalof the ‘Top of the Bench’ Chemistry Competition,organised by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)and hosted at the Darlington campus of TeessideUniversity. The win, which was reportedly by a bigmargin, was even more remarkable in that it was thefirst time the school had ever entered a team. A fewlocal schools were allegedly a bit ‘miffed’ andordered a recount. Thankfully the result stood, andthe drama was like water off a duck’s back for thenonchalant members of our team. The final took place in the august surroundings of

Imperial College London on Saturday 2 April. Thestudents were tested individually on their generalchemical knowledge, and then had to work together inthe two-hour practical investigation that followed. Whilethe scores were being counted everyone was treated toa fascinating presentation by Dr Oscar Ces of Imperial’sDepartment of Chemistry. After his presentation – onthe subject of real-life ‘tractor beams’ – the resultswere announced. Our team came a very respectable15th (out of 29 schools). Considering that this was anational competition that we’d never entered before,their performance, both individually and as a team, wastruly excellent, and they deserve lots of praise forrepresenting Barney so well.A few days before, on Wednesday 30th March, Dr

Butterfield led a team of Year 7 and 8 students to thefinals of the Salters’ Chemistry Festival, held at theStockton campus of Durham University. Representingthe school was Tom Joashi, Kerin Borer, Owen Carterand Tom Greaves. The day consisted of 19 schoolsfrom all over the region competing against each otherin two separate events. The morning session saw thepupils having to solve a crime by performing chemicaltests to identify unknown substances, and then piecethe story together in order to solve the mystery. Theteam gave a good account of itself but sadly didn’tfinish in the top three. After lunch the second challengeinvolved designing an experiment to separate tiny‘diamonds’ from a mixture, obtaining pure samples ofeach component and writing a detailed method forothers to follow. At the end of this second challenge theteam were thrilled to walk away with a very creditablesecond place, a bag of goodies each and a school prizeof a molecular modelling kit.As well as sending teams away to regional and national

competitions, there has been a considerable amount of‘in house’ science events. The major event in the SpringTerm was the British Science Association’s NationalScience and Engineering Week, which ran from 11-20March 2011. Organised chiefly by Dr McDermott, thedepartment ran a week-long competition across all threescience disciplines. There were three categories in whichstudents could enter: the Junior and Senior ChemicalChallenges, the Wildlife Photography Competition, andthe ‘Solve a Problem’ poster competition.The Junior Chemistry Challenge involved students

taking part in a science-related treasure hunt. Each daya different set of clues, riddles and anagrams neededto be solved. The questions were fun and varied, andreally stretched all of those who took part. It was aclosely fought contest, with all entrants winning a small

prize, but eventually two mighty competitors - KieranLewis and Tom Greaves - emerged to battle out for firstplace in a nail-biting tie-breaker. It was won by Kieran,who humbly accepted the honour, with Tom acceptinghis runners-up spot with customary good grace. The Senior Chemistry Challenge involved students

needing to isolate a sample of pure copper from coppersulphate, choosing any method they wanted. In theend, four students couldn’t be separated, such was thequality of their practical work. These four titans wereHugh Carter, Calum Matthews, Euan Hobson andAndrew Hutchon, who each won a prize for their efforts.The Wildlife Photography Competition saw some

outstanding entrants. The quality on show wasremarkable, and Mr Fuller, who judged the winners,commented on how tough it was to pick a winner. Butpick a winner he did, with first prize going to RosieCoultate, who submitted a beautiful image of a close-up of a horse’s eye. In second place was Hugh Carter,who took a stunning photo of flies mating, followedclosely in third by Jacob Bradford-Parker with a self-confessed ‘lucky’ shot of a seagull flying past Big Ben!All entries were then on view in an exhibition in Biology. The ‘Solve a Problem’ competition was also keenly

contested. The designs were all very impressive andwere of sufficiently high quality to go forward to theBritish Science Association’s national competition.There were 27,500 entries from over 470 schools!Although not placed nationally the winner wasGenevieve Myhan with her invention which uses amobile phone ‘app’ to locate misplaced objectswithin range.The positive stories don’t end there. Since half-term,

members of the school’s Chemistry Club have beendesigning and doing experiments that could earn themprestigious Crest Awards. To earn a Bronze Award thestudents need to spend at least 10 hours working ona project of their choice, before presenting the resultsof their work to a representative of Crest and theirchemistry teachers. Some of the projects sound veryinteresting: investigations are on-going into thedifferent factors that affect bacteria and crystal growth,ways of making a clock using electrolysis, and the ever-popular experiments with putty and slime! Theseexperiments will continue well into next term, and weawait the results with interest.

A new science discussion group Al Kimiya has metregularly to chat over recent findings in the scientificworld and to enjoy the challenges of a range ofdissection. We hope to build on this next year exploringmore high level research techniques with input fromlocal research scientists and a greater involvementwith the Crest scheme. It was in this vein that a team of lower 6th students

accompanied by Dr McDermott, took part in the NorthEast School-Industry Partnership Research Project atDurham University for the last week of the summerterm. Jonny Harrison and Ivy Lai experienced the worldof real academic biochemical research with Dr GarySharples, Durham University Chemistry Departmentworking on the Purification of Mutant Proteins usingcutting edge techniques. Their findings from anintensive week of experiments were presented to thegathering of a number of other research groups. Thiswas a fantastic experience that will prove very useful tothem in their choice of careers.As ever a number of pupils who have studied Chemistry

to A2 are going on to study related disciplines at degreelevel. Callum Larsen and Dean Wheeler both hold offersto study Chemistry whilst Angus Robertson is going on tostudy Biochemistry. Dan Miller is seeking to studyMedicine, Ben Wilson aims to study MedicalBiochemistry, Aarti Devgan will study BiomedicalSciences whilst Johnny Trewhella is hoping to studyCriminology/Forensics Science. We wish them all welland hope to see them again in the not too distant future.Four members of the lower 6 (Adam Millar, Kelvin Chan,

Ivy Lai and Jonny Harrison) have this week completedsome first class biochemical research at DurhamUniversity as part of the North East Schools and IndustryPartnership. This allowed them to complete thenecessary 70 hours of project time in order to achieve aGOLD CREST award which they hopefully should receiveover the summer. As part of the very busy week whichgave a taste of life in laboratory research Jonny and Ivywon first prize for their poster presentation on theproject. Their projects will go on to compete in theNational Big Bang Conference in March next year.

GM/EEM/IMB

Departments

1 2

5

3 4

1 Sixth Formers with Dr David Dunbar looking

at spectroscopy.

2 Kerin Borer and Tom Joashi at Salter’s Festival.

3 ‘Top of the Bench’ regional winners.

4 Science Week Wildlife Photography winner

Rosie Coultate’s picture.

5 Exciting experiments with Dr Mancino.


Departments


Gifted & TalentedOur brightest and most talented pupils benefit from ourGifted and Talented programme which aims to promotethe identification of gifted and talented pupils at theschool and to give them opportunities to help themachieve their full potential. With these aims in mind,each department in the school works hard to offer pupilsthe chance to stretch and challenge themselves and asusual, many of us have made the most of enrichmentactivities both in and out of the school. In early 2011, Ben Jeffrey gained a place on a

residential course at Villiers Park Educational Trustwhere he met with like-minded students from all overthe country to study electronic and computationalengineering. In the summer term, Luke Shield andImogen Ridley both submitted successful applicationsto University College, Oxford to take part in study daysin Modern Foreign Literature and History. This year, one of the main focuses of the Gifted and

Talented programme has been its newest stars. Agroup of 11 pupils in year 7 were nominated by theirteachers to be included and were asked to thinkabout how they learn and how they are challenged inlessons. To get them thinking about thinking, theywere invited to escape the last day of inspection andvisit Beamish Museum in April to work as a team tosolve a Murder Mystery. Many of them also signed upto take part in the BBC School Report Day.Kieran Lewis, Year 7, said: “In the Spring Term, the

Gifted and Talented (G&T) group of Year 7’s - us -went on a day trip to Beamish, to participate in a fun“murder mystery” challenge, which tested our skillsacross many different fields. We had to get to get tothe bottom of this murder mystery, by interviewingdifferent people and finding out details. In the end,we discovered it was a remake of an actual murder,which was very interesting to know! The whole grouphad a good time, also having a fun explore aroundthe places and a lovely time at the sweet shop!”

LVR

BBC School Report DayFor the second year running, a group of pupils from years7 to 9 took part in BBC School Report Day, which is anannual project involving thousands of students inhundreds of UK schools. With the help of the BBC, the group spent the day

as journalists and chose stories to research andbroadcast by a 4pm deadline. In preparation for theday and to hone their interview techniques, four ofthe journalists organised an interview with local MP,Helen Goodman. This year, the project culminated on24th March and involved 12 pupils on the Gifted andTalented register. In the afternoon, the groupreported back to their mentor at the BBC by phoneand was congratulated for their excellent coverage ofa wide range of subjects. They managed to fit a hugeamount into the day too and produced a variety ofwell written articles - from an interview with Mr.Stevens, to sports stories including a profile ofJessica Ennis and a report into air strikes in Libya.The group worked very well together, led by a smallteam of well organised editors and some of theresults of their hard work can be seen athttp://extranet.barneyschool.org.uk/bbcschoolrep.

LVR

Design & TechnologyTechnology Tournament – 15 March 2011 In March the Technology Department took part in theAnnual Rotary Clubs of North Yorkshire TechnologyTournament held at Richmond Cricket Club. The eventwas attended by various schools from the area. Weentered 6 teams (five teams in the junior section and 1team into the intermediate category).

The challenge was to design and make a crane tolift a hazardous package from a derailed train andtransport it a safe distance down the track. Theteams were given all the materials with which toconstruct their crane. Unfortunately our teams didn’twin this year. However, they all enjoyed taking part inthe tournament and were successful in lifting andretrieving the package.

Team 1: Tom Matthews, Jamie Stevens, Andrew Usher, Alex Booth.

Team 2: Jake Sargent, Joshua Bloomfield, Charis Brown, David Maidwell.

Team 3: Tilly McAllister, Shannon Currah, Tom Marston,

Team 4: Tim Stirk, Jacob Shannon, Alex Sowerby,Tom Adamson, Lizzie Knight.

Team 5: Charlie Naseby, Nicky Stainthorp, James Watson, Chris Parnell.

Team 6: Reagan Fenwick, Jack Thorman, Alex Rolland-Jones, Adam Howarth.

PCO

Cummins Engines of DarlingtonVisit 28 May 2011In May the DT department took the 28 Year 10 GCSEtechnology students to Cummins Engines of Darlington. Cummins make diesel engines on the grand scale:

for the biggest earth moving trucks to engines forluxury boats. After the obligatory H&S briefing for allvisitors, the students were given a presentationabout the Cummins Company and engineering as afuture career. After this was a tour around the factoryfloor to see the engine assembly lines. The studentswere genuinely fascinated to see an actual factory atwork and fully engaged with their chaperone who wasa young engineering undergraduate on theirindustrial placement year from university. This helpedset the day in context: To promote engineering as acareer and to speak with future engineers. During theafternoon, our students worked in small teams tosolve an engineering problem: To design and makean all-terrain vehicle to move a payload (a ping-pongball) over an uneven track. They had to apply theirdesign skills and knowledge about gear ratios toensure their vehicle delivered enough torque to go uphill and disintegrate on rough ground. Each teamalso had to do a presentation about their final designproposal. All the teams did very well and mostsucceeded without breaking. Throughout the day thestudents asked many intelligent questions and werea credit to themselves and the school. Our host atCummins was Old Barnardian pupil Ed Bainbridge.Many thanks to him and his team of undergraduateengineers for making the day a great event.

PCO

EnglishThis has seemed like a year in which we have been arevolving door of arrivals and departures: we said “Hello”in September to Maria Waddington who took over fromVal Ewart as Head of Learning Support, to Scott Edwardswho joined as an English and Theatre Studies teacher,and in January to Liz Hewlett to whom we are verygrateful for stepping in as an English and History teacherat very short notice. All have made a strong impact uponthe department’s work and I count myself lucky to havebeen able to recruit such creative, supportive anddynamic colleagues.In December, we had to say farewell to Oliver

Marlow who left his post as Deputy Head andmember of the English department to take up thepost of Head of English at Eastbourne College and atthe end of the summer term to Emma Baldwin whomade a tremendous impression in both the Englishand Theatre Studies departments. Both contributedmuch and are thanked for all they did.Academically, our biggest challenge this year has

been the assimilation into the minds of both staffand students and into actual daily practice of thenew IGCSE English and English Literaturespecifications. At the time of writing we are at thehalf way stage and so far, so good. Some bigchallenges with regard to set texts still lie ahead, butit is gratifying to note just how corporate andunanimous has been the effort and I am veryoptimistic about our students’ prospects. It was alsopleasing to read the overt praise for our work in therecent Inspection report: an “unusually largeamount” of extended writing is indeed a compliment.Outside the classroom, a number of groups have

visited the Media Museum in Bradford, now spendingthe day producing a film trailer, rather than an advert:still great fun, but most importantly, solid learningand very visible (and viewable) achievement. InSchool we have continued to welcome professionalwriters to give talks to our younger students. Thanksgo to MEW for organising both the visit of Anne Fineand the presentation by our own Robert Johnson: allsuch contact does much to encourage buddingauthors, and the fruits of the recent short storycompetition, again arranged by MEW, can be seenelsewhere in this magazine.I would also like to take the opportunity to praise the

work of AMG and her Barney Bulletin team: notperhaps a publication with a direct link to the Englishdepartment, but a venture which is to be highlycommended for its promotion of the power of thewritten word and, who knows, for launching the careersof the next generation of campaigning journalists.

AMW

ICTThe autumn and spring terms saw Mr Toyne take on therole of acting Head of ICT whilst Miss Brown was onmaternity leave. Mr Fairwood joined the department inSeptember and has made a positive and enthusiasticcontribution, not only in the department but also to theactivities programme, Duke of Edinburgh and CCF. MrConnor and Mr West have also made valuablecontributions to the teaching of ICT within the junior yeargroups.The ICT GCSE continues to be a very popular option

subject and both sets of year 10 students have nowsuccessfully completed the two modules, ‘Living in aDigital World’ and ‘Using Digital Tools’ which makeup the first half of the new double award course.They have explored how digital technology impactson the lives of individuals, organisations and societyand learned about current and emerging digitaltechnologies and the issues raised by their use. All students in years 10 and 11 follow the IAM

(Institute of Administrative Management) OnlineAward in ICT which is designed particularly to meetthe needs of senior school pupils age 13-16 inInternational and Independent Schools. Theinteractive course equips students with theknowledge, understanding and practical skillsrequired for future success in advanced secondaryeducation or future employment and provides themwith an internationally recognised qualification. In previous years the department has offered

Computing at A level, however, due to demand, weare now offering the GCE in ICT. In today’s world,where ICT is constantly changing, our young peoplewill increasingly need technological and informationliteracy skills. These skills are now as essential asthe traditional skills of numeracy and literacy. As wellas the rapid development of new technologies,familiar technologies like television, telephone andcomputers are evolving and being expanded bydigitised information. As a result of this, there is agrowing need for individuals who can master andmanipulate these new technologies. A Level ICTencourages students to become discerning users ofICT. It allows them to develop a broad range of ICTskills, knowledge and understanding. Practicalelements of the course inspire and challenge,

Departments


providing a sound base for further study and life ingeneral.The activities programme run by the department

includes a general ICT club, a programming club (C++)and an animation club. Next September will see anupdate to, and expansion of, our ability to upload, editand create video footage so anyone wishing to trytheir hand at movie editing should sign up!

JB

Learning Support The first responsibility is surely to acknowledge theexcellent foundations which were bequeathed by Val Ewart.Her commitment to the cause of supporting all learnersmeant that I was strongly placed from the start and it hasbeen my pleasure to build upon all she achieved. But whathave we tried to do, in our quiet fashion in our base in theS block? At the heart of our ideology is the core belief thatall learners are entitled to access all learning opportunities,and to that end the team has worked creatively andsympathetically with those students who have beenrecommended to us. We raise esteem, we raiseexpectations, we install access entitlements - and wechampion their cause in all respects. None of this could be achieved without the support

of a talented and committed team. Perhapsessentially Learning Support teachers are self-effacing, unobtrusive; but the students develop areal bond and this is what helps us to thrive. It is aparticular pleasure to read the acknowledgement ofour work in the recent Inspection report; but this isonly a starting point and the aim has to be to buildon this and to move forward purposefully andaffectively. No one looks for recognition – the learneris all – but I must put on record my thanks to SueMoorhouse for all that she has done for the learnersat BCS and her work over many years is verygratefully acknowledged and truly valued. We havebeen lucky to secure the services of PennySunderland, a very experienced teacher, who hasworked with and supported students from primary to21 years of age. Thanks, too, to Gina Wilson,connections with the Prep School are now muchenhanced and streamlined.The future? Our aim is a system of education in

which all learners feels valued and enabled, one whichenables achievement for all, be that in the classroomor the examination hall. We are getting there.

MEW

BiologyThis year the sixth form biologists have been on a numberof visits that have direct links to the OCR syllabus that wefollow. First hand experience is essential to help thepupils prepare for questions linked to field work. We have been to Runswick Bay to study zonation on

the rocky shore and predator prey relationships. A tripto the moors and then to the woods allowed us tostudy the upper and lower reaches of Deepdale Beck,to see the biodiversity, species evenness and speciesrichness of the stream. The lower section runsthrough Deepdale wood and here woodlandmanagement can be discussed and past and presentexamples seen. The annual trip to a quarry SSSI islinked to the study of succession. The upper sixthspent a fascinating day at the Life Science Centre,Grange Over Sands, where they were able to createmultiple copies of DNA for genetic profiling, usingelectrophoresis. Meanwhile, the lower sixth visitedthe electron microscope at Durham University wherethey were able to follow the preparation stages forusing and viewing samples. They were even luckyenough to use the microscope themselves. So a busyyear of useful visits and I am grateful to Dr Child, MissHall and Mrs Fletcher for finding the time to makesuch worthwhile and enjoyable visits possible.

MNRF

Geography As I approach the end of my second year in the

Geography department at Barnard Castle School, I feelI can now contribute to the Barnardian and imbue thereaders with a little of what goes on in the S blockfrom a different point of view. Well one thing is for sure; we merry band of three do

not lack enthusiasm for the subject. Geography is allaround us, all of the time and bringing this to life inclasses is always a priority. Events in the news havebeen captured and reported on this year by Year 9classes, such as the Japanese earthquake andtsunami. Bright and eye catching presentations haveallowed other pupils to glean information about theseamazing Geographical events taking place across theworld as they sit in classrooms or walk along thecorridors. An even better way to bring Geography to life is to go

on field trips; something we do very well in Geography!Year 10 had the good fortune of reasonable weatherthis year as they conducted river studies in Arkle Beckand later in the week, took a gentle wander up to BleaWater in the Lake District. Imagining glacial conditionsand how they created fantastic features such asarêtes and corries is sometimes quite hard tovisualise in lessons, so getting out into the hills andworking out these formations first hand makes a muchmore lasting impression on the pupils. Year 8 study coasts and as part of their feedback at

the end of the topic, they requested a field trip to theseaside. Mr Alderson duly constructed a work bookletof epic proportions and off we went with a fully ladencoach and a mini bus to Robin Hood’s Bay, followed bySandsend. Despite there being conflicting informationabout the timing of the tides, a great deal of revisiontook place for the summer exams and again, seeingsuch stunning Geographical features first hand makesmemories forever. Some kind member of the publicthought Mr Alderson’s work booklets to be sofantastic, they kindly posted one that had been left onthe beach back to school!Whinlatter Forest with the Year 7 cohort is the last

trip of the academic year. Although this trip is aimed atimproving the pupils’ map reading skills in the field, inreality it is more of a test of survival. In the morningeach group is taken on a few basic orienteering siteswith their teacher. At lunchtime, as they munch ontheir much coveted tuna and mayonnaise sandwiches,pupils are given a map each and a whistle. Under strictinstructions from Mr Dalton, the pupils are told to onlyblow their whistles if they are being chased by bears.After this, they are set the task of finding certainorienteering points throughout the forest. This trip,although adrenalin producing for those that can’t readtheir maps as well as they might, is thoroughly enjoyedby all that go on it and once more, another first classexperience for building upon those Geographical skills.With our passion for Geography and making it real for

our pupils, we have set out to go on a far flung fieldtrip: ICELAND! This trip is running in October and weare taking 40 pupils along for six days to see thesights. Included in our trip will be the following: BlueLagoon, Pingvellir, Gulfoss waterfall, coastal featuresat Vik, walking on a glacier and lava tubing. It will be atrip of a lifetime and all involved are thoroughly lookingforward to it.

AGJ

Classics 2010-2011The Classics Department is flourishing. Numbers takingGCSE Ancient History in Year 10 hit 26, with a further 12opting for Latin – a third of the year group thus choosesto take on a Classical subject, and over twenty of thesechose to come to Italy for a week in April, where theyjoined twenty Year 11 and sixth form students. A fullreport on this very successful trip, written by participants,can be read elsewhere in the magazine.

Sixth form Classicists visited Chesters andVindolanda, Housesteads and Birdoswald as part oftheir Roman Britain studies. The weather wasn’t kindon their second trip but the whole of Year 9 enjoyeda fantastic sunny day on Hadrian’s Wall inSeptember. Sixth form Latinists attended a study dayin Manchester, and a theatre trip was organised toHexham for a group of Classicists to see theAristophanes’ comedy Lysistrata performed. ‘A’ levelLatin is now firmly entrenched in the timetable withhealthy numbers at AS and A2, thanks to MrBrettell’s guidance, and our second student ofClassical Greek, Natalie Shaw, sat GCSE this year,having studied purely off timetable. A small butdedicated group of younger students regularly meetson Fridays at 4 o’clock, eventually hoping to follow inNatalie’s footsteps.At the end of the year we were delighted to receive

the news that the department had won two nationalawards for ‘A’ level teaching, one for girls and one forboys. These awards, from the Good Schools Guidewere based on the results for the 2008-2010, andrecognise us as the top performing department inEngland in terms of the popularity of A level Classicsin comparison to other schools and the gradesachieved by our students in comparison to othersubjects. This is the fourth such award for thedepartment, adding to those won in 2005 and 2007.We are very proud of our ‘A’ level students, and it wasa fine way to end a successful year.

JDG

RS This has been another busy year for the RS department.We have been delighted to welcome Mrs Sheila Butler tothe department and her expertise and baking has beenappreciated by all of the Sixth Form. I am verygrateful for all of the help of both the pupils and staff inthe department for helping to organise a StudyDay, where a number of schools in the area joined usfor some expertise workshops on GCSE and A Level.In terms of trips, the Year 7s enjoyed visiting the Hindu

Mandir in Newcastle, they were able to perform puja,dress in Hindu clothes, play music and eat a traditionalHindu banquet. The Year 8s visited Lindisfarne, theweather was kind to us and they learnt about Aidan andCuthbert and then painted Celtic Art on pebbles on thebeach. The Year 9s visited Beth Shalom and learnt fromliving survivors about the history of the Holocaust.They were also taught about the recent genocide inDarfur. In addition to these annual trips, next term the GCSE

pupils are looking forward to a trip to London, where theywill experience all of the major world faiths in action.It has been a great year and we look forward to

September. AJA

Theatre StudiesIt has been a busy year for the department. InDecember, the AS Level group performed their practicalexamination to a select audience, whilst recording it forthe external examiner. All three members did very well,and were very pleased with their performances. InMarch, the A Level group performed in front of theirexaminer, and again the reception from the audiencewas spectacular. In addition to these performances,every member of both groups has been involved inextracurricular drama too.Throughout the year, the group have seen a number

of live productions, including ‘King Lear’ by the RSC,‘Richard III’ by Love&Madness, ‘ENRON’, ‘TheOvercoat’ by Gekko and ‘Shining City’ amongst others. Theatre Studies is seen by some, inaccurately, as a

‘soft subject’, which in and of itself is a term I loathe.Honestly, nothing could be farther from the truth – oncethe practical pieces are written, rehearsed andperformed, the pupils must then apply themselves fullyto a number of challenging texts, analysing them from

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the stance of both a performer and director, looking indepth at themes, symbolism and inferred meaning. The AS Level students have been studying Eugene

Ionesco’s existentialist tragicomedy “The Chairs”,and Henrik Ibsen’s “The Wild Duck”, as well ascritically analysing at two of the performances theyhave seen. The A Level group, meanwhile, have beenanalysing Anton Chekov’s masterpiece “UncleVanya”, and Caryl Churchill’s “Far Away” and “ANumber”, as well as studying methods for tacklingunseen extracts in their Directorial Analysis module.Needless to say, this is no easy subject, or walk inthe park. What it is, however, is an enjoyable andfascinating course with countless opportunities toengage and explore texts from a whole new angle.Donna Opray, Year 13, says: “Theatre has flourished

though the school this academic year. It has boastedthe talents of many theatre students from superbperformances in the schools senior play, “Skellig” andthe musical “Rent”. Many of these esteemed actorsdevelop their skills in Theatre Studies, which is anoption choice for members of the Sixth Form. Itencourages people to be confident and do things theywouldn’t usually see themselves doing. The course issplit in two; practical and theory. The students direct alot of what they want to do with respect to the practicalside of the course, choosing themes to explore from atext they have previously read. Then they create theirown devised performance, which is then performed infront of an audience as part of their exam. Enjoymentcomes from group participation and the ability to workwith different people in different situations. Personally, Ihave gained a lot from being part of the Theatre Studiesgroup at Barney this year including independence andco-operation skills. After rehearsing solidly, investing sixmonths of time and effort, it is all worth it for theaudience response you receive at the end. “I mademistakes in drama. I thought drama was when actorscried. But drama is when the audience cries.” (FrankCapra – American Film Director)”

TSE

Economics and BusinessStudiesOur subjects continue to be popular and this year ourstudents have been busy in a number of areas thatrepresent the breadth of our subject area. Someexamples would include:Mr Connor has being busy arranging for our

students to visit Nissan to see Just in Timeproduction (JIT) at its best and encouraging ourYoung Enterprise students to learn how to becometheir own ‘Dragons’. Mr Bishop and Mrs Campbellhelped prepare our excellent Economics group fortheir entry into the Bank of England “Two point zerochallenge”. Here we had to present our case for whatwe thought the Bank of England should do to manageinterest rates and meet their inflation target of 2%.Commended for their ‘News at ten’ approach ourteam went on to do very well in their Macroeconomics work. So much so that Lukas Killingerscored maximum module points in his very nextmodule.The department also boasted its very own calendar

girls. When I say this what I mean is that a group ofour Business Studies sixth formers made and soldover 400 BCS calendars. Making, in the process, aXmas bonus for each member of the company anddonating to ‘Help for Heroes’. A win-win scenario allround, we felt. There is little to replace the feeling of

entrepreneurship and Josh Peat produced and soldseveral hundred school coffee mugs with AidanGrant. Utilising a design by Katy Fraser, the mug waspopular stocking filler and I use mine most days,even now. Josh would also like any readers to knowit is excellent value for money and he may still havesome stock!

Academically, our department continues to usemore on line resources than any one else and thistheme continued with live webcasts by our formerchief examiner to help keep the A level students ontheir toes as the summer series drew close. We werehit by the AQA exam fiasco but, as one of the firstschools to report the ‘howler’ in Business Studiesmodule 2; we had our special circumstancesallowance agreed before the next module was done.Currently our students are writing informed articles

for the school magazine (Barney Bulletin) and oursubjects have proved popular with all readers. “WhyBarbie has been a bad girl”, “Why we love DivineChocolate”, “Bottled water prices hard to swallow”,“What is the diamond-water paradox of value” and“Not on it like a car bonnet”. Which is our take on thenew MTV structured reality series Geordie Shore.Our thanks to Mr Connor and Mrs Campbell for

their help and to all the students for a successfulyear together.

GB

Young EnterpriseCalendar Girls

Brooke Goudie, Anna Dawson, Sophie Thompson, HelenSimpson and Kate Swainbank worked very hard toproduce a fantastic 2011 calendar. The CompanyProgramme offered an opportunity for the girls to set upand run their own real company. The Business Studiesstudents elected a board of directors from amongst theirpeers, raised share capital, marketed and financed thecalendars and sold the product to the public. Throughparticipating in the Company Programme, studentsdeveloped their enterprise knowledge andunderstanding, skills and attributes in a businesscontext. A donation from profits was given to ‘Help for

Heroes.’

Aiden and Josh are not Mugs? Throughout the year Josh Peat and Aiden Grant

continued with their successful merchandisingoperation. The company maintained sales with thenew school mugs. The record sales at Christmasensured that the students were able to purchase asecond order which helped balance the books. Theteam showed great determination in selling theproduct at every opportunity. Congratulations to the students who have now

been awarded the ‘Company Programme Certificate.’NJC

MathsHe’s A Star

Last summer the exam boards introduced for thefirst time an A* grade at A2. Jonathan Lau not onlymanaged to achieve an A* in his A LevelMathematics but he also achieved his A* in hisFurther Mathematics, taking twelve modules in total.This fantastic achievement secured him a place tostudy Mechanical Engineering at Trinity College,Cambridge. Five other pupils who studied A LevelMathematics also achieved an A* which requirescandidates to average 80% in all six modules andaveraging 90% in the A2 modules. They wereMatthew Harrison, Adityo Khastgir, Owen Waldin,William Trewby and Stelian Nenkov.

Are you up to the challenge?The school had its best ever UKMT Intermediate

Maths Challenge results in February. The IntermediateMaths Challenge is targeted at the top one third ofpupils in years 9, 10 and 11.50 of our 115 pupils that took part this year got

certificates (13 Gold, 13 Silver and 24 Bronze). It hasbeen our best year in terms of gold certificates andwith 7 pupils invited to take part in the next round.

Gold certificates and book tokens went to:Aaron Day (yr 11), Chris Moore (yr 11), Hugh Carter (yr 11), Lottie Holmes (yr 11)Hamish Carter (yr 10), Matthew Lines (yr 10), Hans Kukreja (yr 10), Will Grundy (yr 10)Charles Naseby (yr 10), Lizzie Knight (yr 9), Daniel Milne (yr 9), Oliver Larcombe (yr 9)Gold and Best in School certificates and booktokens went to: Alex Sowerby (yr 9)

Daniel Milne (yr 9) also achieved a certificate ofmerit in the next round.

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Why not take the challenge yourself? Below is aneasy, medium and difficult question from this year’sintermediate challenge (all to be done without acalculator).

Q6. When I glanced at my car milometer it showed24942, a palindromic number. Two days later, Inoticed that it showed the next palindromicnumber. How many miles did my car travel inthose two days?

A 100 B 110 C 200 D 220 E 1010

Q19. Harrogate is 23km due north of Leeds, York is30km due east of Harrogate, Doncaster is48km due south of York, and Manchester is70km due west of Doncaster. To the nearestkilometre, how far is it from Leeds toManchester, as the crow flies?

A 38km B 47km C 56km D 465km E 74kmQ25. The diagram shows a square, a diagonal and a

line joining a vertex to the midpoint of a side.What is the ratio of area P to area Q?

A 1 : √2 B 2 : 3 C 1 : 2 D 2 : 5 E 1 : 3

Tony Parkinson Award

Given to a student of mathematics in Year 11 who, in theopinion of the teachers in BCS Mathematics Departmenthas best met one or more of the criteria below:

• has worked with enthusiasm and commitmentthroughout the two year GCSE Foundation course

• has strived to do his/her best even when thework is proving difficult

• has shown the most improvement throughout thetwo year GCSE course

• has consistently produced a high effort grade forassessments throughout the two year GCSEFoundation course

• has helped others when they have found thework difficult

• has done well in the autumn, summer and trialexams

• has overcome particular difficulties (e.g. illness)in producing their work

The award for 2010/11 was presented to OliviaMetcalfe (Bowes House).

MHN

ArtAnother busy year in the Art Department! This year, years 7, 8 and 9 covered topics based on cakes, biscuitsand sweets, machinery, portraits and they designed and made their own shoes. They experimented with awide range of media and materials such as water-colour, oil pastel, collage, clay, print, wire-mesh andmodroc as well as sweets, ribbons and polystyrene. We have enjoyed a packed junior activity every Tuesdayand Thursday, where pupils come to complete class-work or do their own creative thing, listen to music orsimply catch up with each other.

Trip to Yorkshire Sculpture ParkThe OCR syllabus requires that candidates ‘Develop cultural knowledge, understanding and application ofart, craft, design, media and technologies in historical and contemporary contexts,’ and although weencourage pupils to visit art galleries and museums themselves, this seemed an ideal opportunity to fulfillthat requirement as a group. Sixteen Year 10 pupils enjoyed our annual trip to Yorkshire Sculpture Park where they were

impressed by the diverse and rather ethereal work of Jaume Plensa which included a 50-metre curtainof poetry made of suspended steel letters, large illuminated sculptures in the landscape, andengraved gongs that pupils were able to strike. Some got quite carried away! We took a pleasant walkin the afternoon, and enjoyed the sunshine, as well as some of the more permanent works scatteredaround the park by artists such as Andy Goldsworthy and David Nash.Year 11 and the Sixth Form continued to explore their own themes through their coursework which

included ‘My Nan’s Life’, ‘A Moroccan Holiday’, and ‘Natural versus Unnatural’, all of which contributedtowards an intriguing and eclectic end of year exhibition. Among our upper sixth leavers, Katy Fraserhas a highly sought place on the Foundation Course at Leeds College of Art and Sophie Thompson isgoing to study Architecture. They are a hard-working and talented bunch and we wish all our examcandidates the best of luck for the future.

KW

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Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Sophie Thompson

Erica Lee Harriet Ward

Roise Coultate

Hannah Robertson


The Musical YearAs the new school year began in September wewelcomed to the music department staff Mr AshleyDurrant as our new drum and percussion teacher.Numbers taking music lessons this year have remainedstrong and the numbers participating in musicalensembles is equally impressive, especially in the juniorforms in the school. Current and former pupils werecalled upon early in the year to provide some music fora dinner in the Bowes Museum in September and laterthat month our musical talent was on display at alunchtime concert in the music school.

The Wind Band performed for the Durham ShoppingExtravaganza in Darlington in October and a group ofmusicians gave a concert in Cotherstone MethodistChurch shortly after half term and were richlyrewarded with an excellent post-concert supper. TheAutumn Concert was a highlight of the first term withsome fine performances including selections from theHouse Singing Competition. It was a pleasure, oncethe roads had been cleared of snow, to accompany agroup of girls from Longfield House for some end-of-term carol singing at a care home in Darlington.

The major concert of the year was the Gala Concertin February. All the school’s ensembles performedwith the Senior Orchestra, led by Edward Grundy,beginning the evening with Handel’s Water MusicSuite. The Chapel Choir accompanied by orchestrasang Mozart’s Ave verum corpus, Howard Goodall’sThe Lord is my Shepherd, (well-known to the audienceas the theme music for the Vicar of Dibley series) andHaydn’s Insanae et vanae curae. The Chamber Choiralso performed in the concert with Mrs Beamish andBold Sir John followed by the Jazz Band whopreviewed a few items for the rapidly-approachingValentine Jazz Evening later in the term. ArjenJongschaap’s quartet played Take 5 and there were anumber of solos from Juliet O’Brien, Edward Grundy,Imogen Ridley and George Warren. This was George’slast school concert before taking a place atChetham’s School of Music in Manchester and all atBCS wish him well in his new school after giving somuch to music here. The Gala Concert also includeda classical duet sung by Lucy Parkinson and WhizzyGorman and a duet from Rent performed by MarthaMoore and Jevany Thompson. The Wind Band broughtthe evening’s proceedings to a close with spiritedrenditions of The Incredibles, Flashdance… What afeeling!, The Simpsons and Pirates of the Caribbean.

There were numerous trips away from school duringthe year. A group of Year Ten GCSE pupils attendedRichmond Operatic Society’s production of Oliverconducted by Mr Alan Owens and there was anexcellent workshop given by the AbsolutionSaxophone Quartet at Richmond School in June. Itwas a great pleasure to be able to attend two CharityConcerts during the year organised by sixth formpupils and successfully raising significant amountsfor national charities. The Junior Orchestra Concerttook place towards the end of the school year and itis good to note that there is an abundance of talentamongst the younger pupils in the school.

A big thank you to all the music staff, Mr Atherton,Mr Donnelly, Mrs Abela and Mr Owens for all theirhard work during the year and to the visitingperipatetic staff for their efforts in preparing pupils forconcerts and examinations during the year. There is alot to celebrate in this year of music-making and ourtour to Paris will be a fitting end to another successfulyear.

AMM

Chapel Choir‘Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes’is the line which begins the second act of the musicalRent. It lists the total number of minutes in a year and itoccurred to me that for a member of the school’s ChapelChoir quite a lot of minutes are given up each year torehearsal and performance.

Although the workload of the Chapel Choir isundoubtedly demanding – seventy-five minute Thursdayrehearsals, an hour before each Sunday service andpart rehearsals on weekday mornings – the rewards areconsiderable. Many university admission tutors areactively looking for that something extra on anapplicant’s personal statement and a breadth ofexperience in many activities certainly allows people tostand out from the crowd.

This year’s senior choristers, Hannah Robertson,Jevany Thompson, Jessica Brice and Matt Emmerson asHead of Choir have spent very many minutes of manyyears in the Chapel Choir and have this year set a fineexample to younger choristers. We were also fortunatein recruiting a goodly number of Lower Sixth pupils tojoin the ranks of the choir in September. All havecontributed greatly to what has been a busy andproductive year.

Highlights have included the Admission of Choristersservice and the Newbiggin Concert in September, theRemembrance Sunday service and the FestivalEucharists for Advent and Easter. The Bowes Museumwas packed for the Carol Concert as was the schoolchapel for all the carol services in spite of the snowyand extremely cold weather. The spring term saw theFounders’ Day, Ash Wednesday and Confirmationservices and early in the summer term the choirtraveled to Durham and sang Evensong in theCathedral.

As the year draws to a close and some of the choircontinues to rehearse in preparation for the music tourto Paris, I would like to thank Mr Atherton for all his hardwork with the choir and also to the chaplain for hisunstinting support. Our best wishes go to the seniorchoristers as they move on to university with the hopethat they will continue to sing and will also return toschool and find their place in the choir stalls once more.

AMM

Choral SocietyBarnard Castle School Choral Society was formed in1984 by the then Director of Music, Graham Griggs.Since then the Society has sung much of the standardchoral repertoire and more besides. Concerts have beenheld in many local venues and the Society enjoys astrong reputation in the county and beyond.

This past year’s season has seen a performance ofMozart’s Organ Solo Mass in Chapel, programmed withHaydn’s Te Deum and Bach’s Jesu joy of man’s desiring.In the same programme, Matthew Atherton performedHandel’s Organ Concerto The Cuckoo and theNightingale and the orchestra led by Martin Bainbridgegave a spirited rendition of Haydn’s London Symphony.

The highlight of this year’s performance wasundoubtedly the Bach St John Passion in DurhamCathedral in March. This was the third collaboration withthe Choral Society of Yarm School and both schoolsmade an excellent contribution to the chorus singing inthis performance. The occasion was greatly enhancedby the performance of the soloists – Peter Coulson, SamWeatherstone, Penelope Randall-Davis, Eleanor RoseMidgley, Jon Grave and James Arthur and the orchestrawas excellently led by Clare Gale.

There was a good audience for our summer concert ofchoral favourites in the school chapel in June. Amongstthe new works included in the programme were Parry’sHear my words ye people and the William Mathiasanthem Let the people praise thee O God. MatthewAtherton also performed an organ solo the Fantasia in Fminor by Mozart and Rebecca Lowe sang Let the brightseraphim from Handel’s oratorio Samson.

Future performances for the Choral Society includeRossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle in December and inMay 2012, a celebration of British choral music tocelebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty theQueen.

New members of the Society are always made mostwelcome and rehearsals for the new season commencein September. Further details can be obtained from theMusic Department.

AMM

Junior Orchestra SummerConcertThis is one concert I really look forward to. The JrOrchestra had already been part of the Gala concert butit was time to give them their own. The Orchestrarehearse every Monday lunchtime and has 32 membersone of the largest Jr Orchestra’s the school hasproduced.

This concert started with the Orchestra playing a newarrangement with the title of ‘Two Disney Favourites’.The audience was then treated to a piano solo ‘In TheGroove’ performed by Kerin Borer. An Alto Saxophonesolo followed by Matthew Priestly then back to theOrchestra who gave their rendition of two themes fromHarry Potter. Solos by Thomas Crowther (piano),Jessica Hall (clarinet) and Kate Martin (piano) werewarmly received. The theme from The Flintstones wasthe next full Orchestra piece. Next was a lovely violinsolo by Enoch Leung and a controlled clarinet solo fromCatrin Robertson. For the penultimate piece Zak Dayshowed us his flair on the saxophone with ‘Now’s theTime’. Finally the Orchestra finished the concert with‘Mango Walk’.

Everyone went home with smiles on their faces.MD

Music FestivalThis year’s Music Festival was held on Friday 11 Marchand it was a great pleasure to welcome Mrs MargieSimper from St Bees School in Cumbria to adjudicatethe competition. Mrs Simper studied music at Durhamand Cambridge Universities where she specialised inRenaissance and Baroque music, both as an editor andperformer. She was an extremely sensitive andsupportive adjudicator and she thoroughly enjoyed herday at Barnard Castle.

There were fourteen different classes and thewinners of each section are listed below together withthe overall winner and the most promisinginstrumentalist. The winners in terms of house pointswere Marwood House with 1243 points in total. Theadjudicator in her comments at the end of eachsection repeatedly returned to the good-natured andsupportive atmosphere which the pupils created onthe day of the competition. This more than the finalresults in a competition of this type reflects the spiritand enthusiasm of music making at Barnard CastleSchool and is an excellent reflection on theinstrumental teachers and the pupils who preparedso conscientiously for this competition.

ResultsJunior Piano Thomas CrowtherAdvanced Piano Juliet O’BrienElementary Woodwind Isobel KnowlesIntermediate Woodwind James RobertsonAdvanced Woodwind Arjen JongschaapJunior Strings Enoch LeungSenior Strings Edward GrundyOpen Brass Naomi DayOpen Percussion Sam LeemingOpen Jazz Arjen JongschaapOpen Organ Juliet O’BrienJunior Singing Kerin BorerIntermediate Singing Hetti HarperSenior Singing Whizzy Gorman

Most Promising Musician Kerin Borer

Musician of the Year Arjen Jongschaap

AMM

The Musical Year

Musical Yeara Review


Wind Band 2010/11 and2011 Summer TourI always enjoy the enthusiasm and excitementgenerated by young musicians and this year the windband had both of these ingredients. It was a busy yearwith our usual concerts at Barnard Castle School,concerts in the community, and a tour of Paris, whichincluded a concert at Disneyland.

Our concerts at school went well, and the band withsome new arrangements performed with greatconfidence and maturity. This was very promising with avery prestigious tour ahead.

The highlight of the year was the tour to Paris andDisneyland and we set off at Midnight on Sunday 10thJuly full of anticipation and excitement (and a few soreheads). We arrived at our destination on Mondayafternoon. The next day, after breakfast, we had somefree time to visit the Eiffel Tower before making our wayto the Park Montsouris for our first performance. Oursecond Parisian performance was at Square Jean XXIIIwith a wonderful view of Notre Dame. The final concertof the tour was at Disneyland Paris on Bastille Day, aspart of their Magic Music Days programme on theVideoplois stage. This was an extremely successful andenjoyable tour.

Our special thanks go to: Arjen Jongschaap, Dan Millerand Edward Grundy for their support and dedication overthe years. They will be truly missed.

MD

Jazz Ensemble 2011We only had eight rehearsals to collate a 20 min set forthe first big concert of the 2010/11 school year. Beforewe knew it the Gala concert was upon us and throughpure hard work the band had six pieces in its repertoire.The band performed with great authority and was a hitwith the very large audience.

Our long awaited Valentine’s Jazz evening was ournext performance, a concert devoted entirely to jazz,featuring a professional quintet. The band played to apacked audience (even a coach party of 20 plus jazzfans from the tropical town of Hartlepool) andperformed to a very high standard. The whole eveningwas spread over three rooms, with soloists in theNicholson and Emberton rooms and the quintet andjazz ensemble residing in Big School.

With a programme, which lasted for more than twohours, this evening was a fantastic success.

Special thanks to: Arjen Jongschaap, Dan Miller,Edward Grundy and Douglas Bolton for their service tothe jazz band and we wish them every success in thefuture.

MD

Practical Music Examination ResultsSome highlights of recent success include:Arjen Jongschaap Saxophone ALCM with

distinctionDaniel Miller Clarinet Grade VIII

with meritJames Corkish Jazz Clarinet Grade VIII

with meritRoss Currie Piano Grade VIIIDaniel Priestley Jazz Saxophone Grade VII

with distinctionMatthew Priestley Jazz Saxophone Grade VII

with meritJames Lee Violin Grade VIIWhizzy Gorman Jazz Saxophone Grade VI

with distinctionSarah Child Jazz Saxophone Grade VI

with meritZak Day Jazz Saxophone Grade VI

with distinctionLucy Parkinson Singing Grade VI

with meritEnoch Leung Piano Grade VIHetti Harper Singing Grade V

with distinctionJames Robertson Jazz Saxophone Grade V

with distinctionLizzie Knight Piano Grade V

with distinctionGeorge Warren Organ Grade V

with distinctionGeorge Warren Violin Grade V

with meritJuliet O’Brien Organ Grade V

with meritAlice Ridley Jazz Saxophone Grade V

with meritThomas Crowther Piano Grade V

with meritJamie Spratt Piano Grade V

The Musical Year

1 Chapel Choir 2 Chapel Choir 3 Absolution Workshop 4 Junior Orchestra 5 Jazz Band

6 George Warren on the organ 7 Senior Orchestra 8 Disney Group Music 9 Wind Band

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This has not been the easiest of years for Bowes House.The natural order of things was upturned first of all at theend of the Autumn Term when I stepped down asHousemistress. My departure was made slightly easierbecause I knew that Mrs Cuthbertson was taking over ahappy and thriving House and would definitely run a tightship. Sadly her tenure was cut short by illness which leftMrs Shovlin to hold the reins, something she has donewith her customary quiet efficiency until the end of theacademic year, and I would like to record here my thanksto her for maintaining a sense of stability for the girlsduring quite a difficult time for all of them. I know howgrateful she has been to Head of House Rachel Metcalfwho has been an enormous help and support, as haveDeputies Sophie Thompson and Helen Alderson and allthe Sixth Form team.

And so to the start of another academic year. Thirteenrather apprehensive Year 7 girls, together with a fewequally apprehensive older new girls, joined us for thetraditional new starters’ tea and talks. Rachel, Sophieand Helen had been hard at work during the holidayrounding up some Year 8s to act as hosts and provideinsight into what it is really like starting in Senior School.Thanks to the efforts of the Sixth Formers the afternoonwent well and all our new pupils came back for the startof term the following Tuesday, when as usual they wereall made to feel very welcome and were given lots ofreassurance by all the girls in the House.

The House felt rather different this September as theSixth Form now had their own accommodation. Bowesand Marwood Sixth Forms were now together in a newportakabin sited just outside the main House area. Thegirls quickly made the space their own, and I wasdelighted to see members of both years in the SixthForm spending time together and getting along so well,something which had not happened last year.

Katy Fraser had spent a considerable amount of timeduring the summer holiday preparing for the HouseSinging Competition, arranging a potential part-song andchoosing a unison song. Nicole Bowen took charge ofoverseeing the juniors and worked most effectively withthem to produce a very polished and relaxedperformance on the night of “Complicated”. Katy’schoice of part-song was ambitious, but the girls put inmany hours of rehearsal time to be able to get it right,and their performance was stunning. There weredifficulties once more with the choice of unison song –which is almost becoming traditional! After rejecting lotsof potential songs, and with not very long to go beforethe competition, the decision finally went with “Heavenis a Place on Earth”, which I have to admit was alwaysone of my choices. The girls again, in my opinion, gavean excellent performance, and as always I had beenparticularly impressed by the way in which they had allpulled together in the end, and this is always moreimportant than the adjudicator’s decision.

The House hockey competition is always fiercelycontested and this year was no exception, and althoughall the teams played with real gusto this year wecouldn’t beat the opposition.

Christmas lunch was always going to be a difficultoccasion for me but as the end of lunch approached Ithought I had got away without any tears until Rachelmade the announcement that it was my last Christmaslunch as Housemistress, and her announcement wasfollowed by the arrival of a crowd of ex-Bowsites as theycall themselves, going back over the years. I know therewere plenty of others who wanted to be there but haduniversity or other commitments which made itimpossible, and I can’t thank Rachel enough for all theefforts she went to in organising the best send-off anyHousemistress could wish for. There was a cake icedwith the House shield and time to chat to all the girlsafterwards, and the fact that they had all made theeffort to come along meant so much to me. And, ofcourse, I cried – lots!

Uppermost in my mind at Nailing-up was the thoughtthat since its inception in September 2002 BowesHouse had only had one Housemistress, so that meantmore tears, but also enormous pride in what the girlshad again achieved. We were by a big margin thewinners of the Merit competition and also took theSenior Chairman’s award for effort, and as I’ve saidbefore, these are the most important accolades as theyconfirm that a great deal of hard work is going on acrossthe age range.

I know the girls are all extremely proud of their Housein the same way that I have always been extremelyproud of them and the way in which I could invariably relyon them to promote the values for which Bowes Housestands. Without a very closely knit team of dedicatedand caring tutors the House would not be what it is, andso I thank all the tutors for their continuing commitmentto the well-being of their tutees and the House as awhole. If I said I was sad to leave Bowes House it wouldbe a huge understatement, and I do wonder when, ifever, I will stop thinking of it as “my” House?

BE

By the time of the Barnard Run, Mrs Cuthbertson had togo into hospital but we were spurred on by her words ofencouragement. The juniors won the Ross Cup withfantastic performances by Ellie Everall and EmmaBeachamp and both Alice McBain and Anna Dawsongave their all in the senior competition. Congratulationsalso go to Niamh Tait for finishing third in theintermediate race.

I acted as Housemistress in Mrs Cuthbertson’sabsence and it was very much business as usual as ourthoughts turned to the Inter-House Public SpeakingCompetition and the Music Festival Winners’ Concert.Despite their reservations the Year 9 and 10 team didus proud in their Public Speaking Competition. Coachedby Rachel Metcalf; Claire Wilkinson spoke withconfidence, Molly Hackett overcame her fears, LauraSpedding spoke with ease and Hetti Harper was anatural. We may not have won but both the intermediateand seniors girls gave it their best shot. When it was theturn of the senior girls; Sophie Thompson delivered astrong and thought provoking speech, Alice McBain wasconfident as Vote of Thanks and Rachel Metcalf fielded

the questions extremely well: I now look at lettuces in awhole different light! Hetti Harper also gave a stunningperformance at the Music Festival Winners’ Concertsinging ‘Cry me a River’ and Kerin Borer won the Cup forthe Most Promising Musician with her beautifulrendition of ‘Close every Door’.

As the term progressed we also enjoyed a varied rangeof Wednesday afternoon inter-House activities. Wethoroughly enjoyed speed hockey and cake decorating butperhaps that’s because we won them both. The Bowesspirit was evident in all the activities we took part inincluding House charades and the House quiz butparticularly in House swimming when Abigail Grahamquickly had to get changed into her costume to save theday!

The term ended with some stern performances in allthe House netball and House Lacrosse matches and wewere thoroughly entertained by Mrs Baldwin’sperformance of Rent which included a third of our verytalented girls.

With the summer term came the juniors turn to show offtheir acting talent. They put on a great show which hadthe audience captivated from the onset. It was a realteam effort, with memorable performances from all, but aspecial mention must go to Kerin Borer, Kate Martin andJessica Hall. I look forward to seeing them representingthe House on the stage for many years to come.

The main extra-curricular event of the summer termwas Sports Day. The girls in their usual fashion pulledtogether, delivered the goods and were victorious onceagain. It was a proud moment for me and one that I willremember for many years to come. Caitlin Bainbridgeand Caroline Simpson were awarded Victrix Ludorum. Itwas wonderful watching sisters Caroline and HelenSimpson on their last Sports Day competing againstone another.

The final week was a week of celebrations andgoodbyes. The upper sixth meal was a chance to catchup and discuss ball dresses much to Dr Butterfield’samusement. The Year 11 prom was a special eveningthe girls looked and behaved impeccably and it waslovely to see them enjoying themselves; just reward forall the hard work they had done. We were presented inNailing-Up with the Merit Prize and Speech Day prizeswere awarded to twenty-two of the girls.

I have enjoyed looking after the House for MrsCuthbertson and pass it on in a very strong position,ready for Miss Jackson to lead to further successes;there will be lots, I’m sure. The end of this year marksan end of an era for the House, I, Mrs Cuthbertson andMrs Ellison were the original Bowes House tutors, but itis also the start of a very exciting chapter in the House’shistory and I ‘m looking forward to it very much.

Next year’s Head of House will be Alice McBain. I amconfident that she and the whole of the Upper Sixth willbe another strong team, and they know that they have adifficult act to follow. I thank all the Upper Sixth and wishthem all the very best for their futures. My final thanksgo to Rachel Metcalf for doing such a wonderful job andhelping me immensely.

CLS

Bowes

Houses


Houses

It has been a thoroughly successful year for Dale House.The blend of new blood and old hands has certainlydelivered success across a wide range of activities.Whilst success is easy to judge when the HouseCompetitions are reviewed at the end of the year; a goodyear can be measured in other ways. The atmosphere inthe House has been terrific and it has certainly been anenjoyable place to be. I hope this report can highlightsome reasons for this.

Zak Day, Cammy Glover, Alex Howarth, Ardin Jacques,Matthew Moss, Joseph Pickering, Josh Raw, MaxThompson and Thomas Wilkinson joined us in Year 7.Ivan Gaskin joined us from Northumberland House.James Ingram was Head of House and has displayedoutstanding passion and loyalty to the House; as he hasdone so throughout his time in Senior School. ChrisBury and Dan Miller were House Deputies and bothhave made significant contributions this year. NicholasCrowe was Head of School. With no element of bias, ashis Housemaster, I would like to record what a splendidyear he has had. Mr Usher joined us as a tutor inSeptember.

The enthusiasm the boys display towards HouseSinging never ceases to amaze me. This year wastypical with rehearsals well attended and occasionallytuneful. It is often said that we can sing all of the notesbut not necessarily in the correct order and so itcontinued this year. The Juniors sang ‘Black and Gold’with enthusiasm and gusto. It must be a terrifyingexperience for those standing on the stage in front of anaudience for the first time and I am sure it doesn’tbecome any more comfortable second time around. Inrecent years, we have found that tribal chanting is thebest medium to display our yet- to- be-discoveredtalents. So, ‘Waving the Flag’ was an ideal piece as Ibelieve we captured the sentiment of the song which isessentially based on chanting and shouting; somethingas I said we are rather good at. The part song was‘Golden Touch’ by Razorlight. Once again, the part songperformance was brave and great credit is due to thosewho took part.

Throughout the second half of term as the Housetournaments took place there was a frenzy of chess,table tennis, scrabble and pool depending on thecompetition of that particular week. These competitionsremain a particular strength of the School and provideplenty of entertainment. The response from members ofthe House to participate is terrific. A core value of theHouse, and something we promote in particular, isinvolvement and participation. The House competitionsare an excellent vehicle to facilitate this and increasinglythe boys take full responsibility for selecting andorganising teams.

Sadly, we said goodbye to Mr Gorman at the end of theChristmas Term when he took on his new role asSecond Master. His contributions to the smooth runningof the House have been greatly appreciated. His calm,organised manner is the perfect foil to my rather morechaotic modus operandi. As a former Housemaster, MrGorman’s timely suggestions and ideas have helped megreatly. He will be missed by all members of the House;having a former member of Dale as Second Master can

be no bad thing in the future. I have yet to get to bottomof who said what to Mr Usher - his stay with us wasshort. Clearly somebody upset him, since in January heleft us to become Housemaster of Durham House. MrInce crossed the floor from Durham House, as did MrGoldberg.

A theme this year, and it is supported by clearevidence every week, is how few academic detentionsand behavioural sanctions the boys accumulate. This issomething else we promote and encourage. MrNicholson keeps a close eye on these things and longperiods go by when his now famous sanctions’ app. isredundant. This is balanced by the large number ofmerits most pupils have amassed. Mr Everitt has themore pleasurable task of tracking these successes. Hisclever graphs and spreadsheets are anticipated eagerlyevery Wednesday morning.

The Spring Term brings not only a New Year but alsothe joys of the Barney Runs. We were quite clear aboutour targets from the start. With such large numberstaking part a united effort is required. Quite simply, wesaid that if the House decides to do well, then it will dowell. This message was repeated at every practice andHouse meeting. The achievements of some wereoutstanding this year. Sadly there is a lack of space tomention everybody competing; they all deserverecognition. As an arbitrary guide I will only mentionthose finishing in the top ten; the list will still be long. Inthe Junior Barnard Run, Joseph Pickering came 10th,Jack Ellis 9th, David Evans 6th and Zak Day 1st. In theIntermediate Barnard Run, Ethan Kelsall came 10th,Andrew Bartlett 6th and James Watson 1st and in theSenior Barnard Run, Sam Hunter was 10th, Chris Bury9th, Anthony Harrison 4th and James Ingram 1st. ZakDay won the Wilford Cup; James Watson won theBlackett Cup and James Ingram the Lloyd Evans Cup.Overall, Dale came first in the Junior Barnard Cup andfirst in the Barnard Cup: An outstanding achievement.Once again a significant sum of money was raised forthe Butterwick Childrens’ Hospice by those members ofthe House running in the Barney Bash.

This has been a strong year for public speaking. TheLectern Club has host a number of memorable nights.The pinnacle for all public speakers is the House PublicSpeaking Competition. The future looks very healthy,with the Juniors and Intermediates doing very well intheir competitions now held under the spotlights of BigSchool. The Senior Team of James Ingram – Vote ofThanks, Nick Crowe - Chair and Chris Bury – Speaker,were impressive. Chris’s delivery is entertaining; hisideas intelligent. We won the Junior General KnowledgeQuiz Competition and retained the Nigel Stephens Cupfor the Senior General Knowledge.

Following our success in the Barnard Runs, hopeswere high as Sports Day approached. Members of Year11 and the Upper Sixth returned having alreadycompleted their exams. Once again I must keep the listas brief as possible, so I shall only mention thoseplaced first, second or third. In the Junior Competition –100 metres Jerome Hardy 2nd and Zak Day 3rd; 200metres Jerome Hardy 2nd; 400 metres Callum Simpson3rd; 800 metres David Evans 2nd and Jack Ellis 3rd;

1500 metres David Evans 1st and Josh Raw 3rd; HighJump Callum Simpson 1st and Zak Day 2nd; JavelinJerome Hardy 3rd; Discus Tom Metcalf 2nd and finally,the Juniors won the 4 x 100 metres relay. In theIntermediate Competition – 100 metres Agni Ghosh2nd; 200 metres Lewis Sowerby 3rd; 400 metres AgniGhosh 2nd; 800 metres James Watson 2nd; 1500metres James Watson; Long Jump Lewis Sowerby 3rd;High Jump Chris Harrison 1st and Hamish Glover 2nd;Triple Jump James Beauchamp 3rd and in the Discus,Duncan Hewitson 3rd. In the Senior Competition, 200metres Josh Peat 3rd; 400 metres Anthony Harrison2nd; 800 metres Anthony Harrison 2nd; 1500 metresJames Ingram 2nd; 3000 metres James Ingram 3rd;Shot James Gatenby 2nd and Tom Raw 3rd; JavelinAnthony Harrison 2nd and Discus James Dickenson3rd. The list is long, but well worth recording.Incidentally, Callum Simpson broke the 21 year oldJunior High Jump Record. Overall, the Juniors won theircompetition. After leading all afternoon, the Seniors andIntermediates eventually came second. The House wonthe Cowling Cup for the combined relay competitions.Like the Barnard Run this was terrific achievement; ourbest for many, many years.

As a House we set clear goals at the start of the year,academic success certainly being one of them. As Ihave mentioned the merits poured in and the academicdetentions were kept to a minimum. These effortsclearly paid off with a large number of House membersreceiving prizes at Speech Day.

The Tutors’ Prize was awarded to Dan Milne in theAutumn Term, Callum Simpson in the Spring Term andJames Gatenby in the Summer Term. The CharlesworthCup was awarded to Hans Kukreja in the Autumn Term,James Ingram in the Spring Term and Dan Miller in theSummer Term.

Sadly, we say goodbye to many of those mention inthis report. The Upper Sixth have been an outstandingyear group throughout their time in the House. Theircollective contribution has been considerable, individualcontributions memorable. We wish Chris Bury, NickCrowe, James Gatenby, Giles Hooker, James Ingram,Dan Miller, Sam Oakes, Joshua Peat and Tom Raw goodluck for the future and they leave with our heartfelt bestwishes.

Next year’s Head of House will be Anthony Harrison. It has been an outstanding year and credit is due to

all members of the House. The boys have the chance todo well in the classroom and excel elsewhere in theSchool. Behind them are a team of dedicated tutors. Iwould like to record my thanks to all those who havehelped this year; Messrs Oakley, Everitt, Nicholson,Ince, Gorman, Goldberg and Usher. In particular, and Iam sure the aforementioned gentlemen will not beoffended, I would like to thank Miss Broadbent who hasworked tirelessly this year in her role as AssistantHousemistress.

DWD

Dale


Houses

At the beginning of the school year we were proud towelcome Daniel Burnett, Tom Crowther, Nathan Bridger,Kieran Lewis, Usman Abbasi, Henry Thompson andDaniel Roberts into year 7: it did not take long for themto settle in to their common room and the school. Therest of us were left to ponder how it is possible to fit theentire house into the downstairs common room forhouse meetings or when the thick layer of dust thatcovers the entire house will be removed.

As usual, the first competition for us to prepare forwas the house singing. I love this competition, as it isa great chance for the house to bond together. Thejuniors sang “The King of the Swingers” from theJungle Book. By this time Mr Donnelly’s promise that‘this was our year’ was beginning to sound like thevows of fidelity at a French wedding – you want tobelieve it, but you know it’s not going to happen. Thesenior part song sounded great. Everyone put a hugeamount of effort into it. Hopes were raised, only to besmashed again on the night! Never mind, and thanksto all involved. The unison song, “Greased Lightning”,was received very well on the night and everyone had alot of fun, even Ryan Strawbridge, who got a whack inthe face from Freddie Trewhella during the dance. Mythanks go to the singing captain, Arjen Jongschaap,and Harry Bainbridge for all their hard work.

After that, it was a rather successful term. We wonthe junior house Rugby competition thanks to a sterlingdisplay by our lads and also managed to win both thejunior and the senior house Swimming competitions bysome margin. The Christmas Dinner was an enjoyableand entertaining event, as were the carol serviceswhere Durham boys contributed to the readings. At theend of the term I stood down as Housemaster after anenjoyable three years and a term. I was delighted tohand over to Mr Usher who, I know, will continue thelong tradition of success and fellowship associatedwith Durham House. My best wishes go to themagnificent U6th, the excellent house captain, HarryBainbridge and the tutor team, Dr Child and MssrsEverall, Donnelly, Maude, Goldberg and Gedye, whohave made my job much easier than it might otherwisehave been. I wish everyone in the house happiness andsuccess for the future.

MPI

I was delighted to become Durham House’s newHousemaster in January of this year, taking over fromMr. Ince.

The House has a tradition of excellentHousemasters, with Mr. Gorman going on to becomethe current Second Master and Mr. McHarry retiringthis year, after many years of distinguished duty. I feelvery privileged indeed. I moved the common roomsaround slightly to give the Upper Sixth the large roomat the top of the House, mainly for them to keep aneye on the junior common room, but also to give themmore space. The Year 10’s moved in to MS7, I movedback in to what was originally the House office and theLower Sixth had the small common room adjoiningMS7. We decided, through the House committee, torun a tuck shop. This proved to be huge success andwe were soon able to purchase a pool table for themain common room. The pool table inspired the

intermediate cake decorators to use it as a theme fortheir cake; the judges loved it and we ran out clearwinners. The first House competition I had thepleasure of watching and supporting, however, was theconclusion of the intermediate five-a-side tournament.Ben Paterson was inspirational in scoring spectacularwinners in both the semi final and final.

My first real challenge at the helm was to get thewhole House out and running in preparation for thedreaded Barney Bashes and the Barnard Run lateron. The whole House did run in all the Bashes, theonly House to boast such an achievement, and weconsequently went on to win the Junior andIntermediate sections and the whole competitionoverall; a fantastic achievement by everyone. For theHouse to also raise over one thousand pounds forcharity is fitting; Alex Rowland Jones raised onehundred and twenty five pounds by himself. We alsofaired pretty well in the Barnard Run, coming secondto Dale House by a single position in the Juniorcompetition, winning the intermediate section by acountry mile, but finishing second, again to Dale inthe Barnard Cup competition; we will be out forrevenge next year.

Our more cerebral Upper Sixth shone in other areas;Tom Harrison, Will Ford and Harry Bainbridge arguedtheir way to winning the senior Public Speakingcompetition, with Tom also winning awards at the veryimpressive and scholarly Lectern Club. Neil Stanwixalso proved to be a very confident person in front of acrowd, by winning his section on short speeches;impressive young men to say the least.

The spring term was a very successful one for us. Weare lucky to have some talented squash players, atjunior led by James Jennings and at intermediate levelled by Sam Everall; they both won their teamcompetitions with relative ease. Our seniors justmissed out on making it a clean sweep. Similar resultswith the House hockey competition too; our juniors andinters winning quite comfortably, but at least this timeHarry Bainbridge, Dean Wheeler and the rest of ourseniors managed a very respectable second place.

The summer term was a short and fragmented affair;we barely saw the Sixth Form or Year 11s. They were inschool long enough, however, for the seniors toeventually secure a comfortable win in the cricketcompetition; well done to the Uptons and the supportteam. It was the usually reliable intermediates turn tolet us down on this occasion, finishing third, with theever reliable juniors romping to yet more success; theyare a very competitive and talented group ofsportsman, if not a little loud. Sports Day broughtanother second place for the juniors, but there weresome outstanding individual performances. TomMetcalfe won all his events (100m, 200m and longjump); he is some athlete. Matthew Stirke won thegrueling 800m and Ben Roddam won the Shot.

I want to thank everyone in the House, who willinglyvolunteered their services for activities, ranging fromkite making to cricket, cross country, quizzes, charades,scrabble, cake decorating, athletics, hockey, football,table tennis, public speaking, the list is endless and wewere represented at all, with enthusiasm, healthynumbers and a good spirit. My gratitude also goes toour tutors, who willingly gave up their time and wentbeyond the call of duty. All, but two, completed theBarney Bash course; agreeing with me that if we expectthe pupils to get round, we too should try. Myintroduction of tutor trips was made all the more easy,by the desire of all our tutors to help out. Mr. Maudeand Mr. Donnelly went paintballing with the year sevenand eights; a scary prospect. Mrs. Campbell proved tobe no mean ten pin bowler at Teesside Park; I will haveto play properly next time, if I want to beat her. The sixthform proved fine company at the Bengal Merchant; a

very pleasant evening was had by all. The summerbarbeques went down well this term; no food poisoningreported and plenty of fun and games. It was a goodway to finish a tough term. My favourite trip was to theFat Buddha in Durham for the Upper Sixth leaving meal.Mr. Everall, Mrs. Campbell and Dr. Child from the staffattended and everyone from the Upper Sixth, even WillFord, were present; the food was sensational, thecompany excellent; an appropriate way to say goodbyeand thank you to a very special group of leavers. Theymay not be the most sporting of year groups, but in myvery short time as their Housemaster, I have learned toappreciate how immensely talented they are. Rob Hallwill be studying at Oxford University; his haul of prizesat Speech Day was pretty impressive too. Arjen’sperformance on the saxophone at the same occasion,backed by Douglas Bolton and Alex Rowland Jones,made the hairs on my neck stand up, it was quitemagical. Tom’s clever speech about his time at Barneywas so personal, yet funny and profound; he really didcapture the essence of what Barney offers. I will besorry to them all go. Neil Stanwix will take over as thenew Head of House, with Freddie Metcalfe as hisdeputy. I hope these two fine individuals, along with therest of the House monitors, will lead the House withpride, dignity and strength.

House Prize winnersMerit Prizes Spring SummerYear 7 K.Lewis T.CrowtherYear 8 S.Stainthorpe S.StainthorpeYear 9 J.Ferguson J.FergusonYear 10 C.Naseby C.NasebyYear 11 F.McBain P.StanwixLVI F.Metcalfe F.MetcalfeUVI R.Hall H.Bainbridge

Service Prizes Spring SummerYear 7 U.Abbasi D.BurnettYear 8 S.Stainthorpe T.MetcalfeYear 9 S,Leeming S.TheakstonYear 10 S.Everall B.RidleyYear 11 E.Hobson B.UptonLVI D.Anderson R.GatenbyUVI H.Bainbridge W.Ford

Junior Arts Shield K.Lewis K.LewisThe Tutor’s Trophy N.Stainthorpe O.LarcombeThe Layzell Cup T.Harrison G.Upton

Annual House awardsThe Arts Shield Arjen JongschaapThe Egg Cup Kieran LewisThe Durham Cup Harry Bainbridge

BCU

Durham


Houses

There have been some very special moments being theHouseparents of Longfield for eight years. None morethan the Longfield Dinner this year; over 190 guestsconsisting of pupils, parents, relatives and staff were dulyfed and watered to the usual very high standard by theladies in the kitchen and then superbly hosted by HarrietKnowles and her fellow Upper 6th formers.

The Lower 6th said their fond farewells to the oldergirls recounting several ‘unknown’ stories to suitablyembarrass them. We were also indebted to MissJones, as we have been for the last six years for hertireless work in the Lodge, for organising a lovelydrinks reception to say goodbye to the girls andparents. We were extremely grateful for the kind giftsfrom the tutors and the girls but thrilled to see thatsome old girls had made the journey to spend sometime with us for our last weekend in charge.

The year began in great style; winning HouseSinging!! Being non-musical and completely tonedeaf there is no competition in the school that hasgiven me greater pleasure in winning than this one.We have lost count over our time in charge thenumber of successes we have had; the girls, as withthis year, have simply been fantastic. The 6th Formorganised and coordinated auditions and rehearsalsalike to a very professional standard. Mr Edwardsmade his presence felt with his enthusiasm anddirection and Miss Jackson added to ourperformance from the experience she had gainedfrom the year before.

Hannah Robertson was simply brilliant in theschool musical ‘Rent’. Others in the cast includedHarriett McHugh, Emily Turner, Erica Lee and HannahRoache. Other girls helped behind the scenes withset changes, the technical side of things and themakeup. We were also delighted to see a number ofthe younger girls participate in the very popularJunior Play too. Longfield girls were also involved inthe Charity Concerts held at the school, whether itwas on stage, or again helping behind the scenes.

We proved to be unbeatable on the sports field too;winning all three major House competitions, namelyhockey, netball and rounders ensuring we were thefirst girls’ house to ‘nail up’ every term in one year.We were also the joint winners for House swimmingand although we did not secure victory in the BarneyBash the seniors won their section. We have onceagain had girls representing the County at hockeyand athletics. There were some notableperformances on Sports Day; Hannah Byers winningthe 200m and Emily Turner the javelin with a newrecord. Hannah Robertson and Maria Leudesdorff

deserve special mention for their efforts as doesSophie Barnes who really stepped up to the plate torepresent the House with real pride. Other lessactive successes included chess and scrabble, inwhich Longfield not only won every game, bar one,but won the entire tournament.

Girls in year 9 and above continued to makesignificant contributions in the CCF, our Year 7 put ona very entertaining soiree and traditional activitiestook part throughout the year; the Halloween party,Christmas party with Secret Santa, the BoardersChristmas Dinner, hot chocolate and marshmallowevenings, trips to the cinema, curry and/or pizzanights, and a whole host of other trips like Go Ape,Wet ‘n’ Wild, The Metro, ice skating, LightwaterValley, as well as several theatre trips. The HouseQuiz at Christmas proved to be a real hit.

Mrs Flack has worked incredibly hard, as she hasdone since joining Longfield. The girls are very muchaware of the time she puts in to the house and thatshe is always there for them; something they verymuch appreciate. The House tuck shop has becomea real asset under her management. Newfurnishings, a new flat screen TV and of course theWii have proved to be excellent purchases from theprofits. Our tutors play a significant role. Once againthey have worked well beyond their stipulated hours.We hope the opportunities the girls receive because

of their enthusiasm and dedication is fullyappreciated. Mrs Waddington and Mrs Gorman havebeen warmly welcomed and have added to the fabricof Longfield. Miss Sanderson has continued to shareher time between Old Courts and Longfield Courtsremarkably well.

We would like to wish Miss Jackson all the verybest when she takes up her role as Housemistressof Bowes; we are sure she will be a resoundingsuccess. She will be sorely missed by staff and girlsalike. The current Year 9 girls know they have lost anoutstanding tutor.

Mr Edwards will be a fantastic new DeputyHousemaster and we are sure the Armstrong familywill be a real hit in Longfield. Miss Snaith has provento be as popular as ever with the girls. Although sheis giving up her duties next year we are pleased tohear she will remain as a tutor in Longfield. Mr Keanhas been in Longfield before Longfield existed; he isLongfield! His experience and advice over the yearshas been greatly appreciated and his time and caringnature truly valued.

There are two departees from school this term thatdeserve mention; Mr Fairburn and the Bursar haveplayed significant roles not just in Longfield butthroughout the whole school for many years. Theimprovements and developments in Longfield duringour time have been orchestrated by these two; anextension with twelve single bedrooms, all bedroomsrefurbished, the re-fitting of the kitchen, new showerarea, new common room, improved IT provision aswell as general decorating and re-carpeting. We, andthe girls, are very grateful.

We would like to wish the Upper Sixth everysuccess with the future and hope they all secureplaces in their chosen Universities. We would like tothank Harriet for her contributions over the course ofthe year as Head of House; she has done a fantasticjob. Her peers have supported her well. Finally, wewould like to make one final thank you; for everyonewho has been involved with Longfield over the lasteight years; we have had a fantastic time. We arevery proud and honoured to have been involved in ourrole of helping girls develop and progress throughBarnard Castle School. Watching your children growup in a happy, safe and lively environment makes youfeel very privileged. There will always be a specialplace in our hearts for Longfield and we hope we areable to stay in touch with as many people aspossible in the future.

MTP

Longfield


Houses

I cannot believe it was September since I became theHousemistress of Marwood. Miss Shorthouse joined meas my assistant and we were also very fortunate to gainDr McDermatt and Mr Atherton; Heather Appleby wasappointed Head of House.

The term began in earnest for the first major event ofthe year – sorting out the songs for the House SingingCompetition. After much deliberation and a fewexperiments the decisions of which songs to sing weremade. The Juniors settled on ‘The Show’ by Lenka andtheir performance was described as sweet sounding butdespite a good performance it was only enough to comefourth. It was up to the Seniors to try and make this intoa winning evening. Having a couple of the seniors in theHouse who had recently returned from South Africa itwas decided that ‘Waka Waka’ by Shakira, a modernsong linked to the World Cup, was the way forward. Allthe girls approached the stage dressed in black, clad inanimal print. The performance was brilliant with JasminJenkinson taking centre stage with her solo dance in themiddle – injecting fun and humour into the performance.It was well organised with various levels of soundswhich the adjudicator somehow missed in his summingup afterwards. The Part Song that followed wasbrilliantly executed; Crazy in Love by Beyoncé wastastefully and well put together by the girls. Their timeand dedication and late nights prior to the performancepaid off with Marwood winning this section of thecompetition. The same was not said for the unisonwhere we came second.

The second half of term will be most remembered forthe snow and lots of it. It saw many of the Housestruggling to get in. Those of us who did make it in (staffand pupils) enjoying various snow based activities andlessons on a skeleton basis. ‘Skellig’ was outstanding,as were the performances by Kathryn Johnston, JevanyThompson, Martha Moore and Charlotte Dickinson. Anumber of the year 8’s were also crucial backstage tothe smooth running of the play. It’s always good to seethe various talents that many of the girls within theHouse have as many of them strive to do so much.

House Competitions were fast and furious for the restof term with the Juniors winning the Chess. Heatherorganised the House Swimming Competitions. TheJuniors won this event, although it was closelycontested. The Senior Competition began well with uscoming first in many races – we were easily in the lead.However, it seemed there was a conspiracy theory afootwith a Bowes House swimmer sabotaging the event witha dislocated shoulder and an ambulance crew’s arrival.The swimming was abandoned.

Hockey is the major sport of the term and the HouseHockey Competition is always very competitive. TheJuniors were dominant in their competition; wins againstboth Bowes and Longfield meant that they were theoverall winners. The Intermediates likewise were toostrong for their opposition again winning their age group.The Seniors on the other hand did not do as welldespite the best efforts of Jasmin and Rachel and therest of the team, it was not enough and we were placedsecond overall.

The end of term arrived and there were many prizeshanded out to the House in Nailing Up. Rachel Brownand Kathryn Johnston were awarded School Monitor’sties. Heather Appleby was awarded a Shooting Award. Itwas good to see a number of the Lower Sixth beingawarded their Peer Support. Full hockey colours wereawarded to Rachel Brown and Jasmin Jenkinson and thefollowing awards were given too. Awards were given toLizzie Knight Grade 5 piano, Lucy Parkinson Grade 6Singing with Merit. Arts ties were awarded to JevanyThompson for Drama and Music.

The Spring term always seems to be one of dread forsome reason – possibly because Christmas is over andmany of us over-indulged and had very little exercise

which usually means a hard start to training towards theBarney Bash and Run. Practices every Wednesday werereasonably well attended with many of the Seniorsleading by example. The Barney Bash this year wasgoing back to its original roots – raising money for the‘Butterwick Children’s Hospice’. The Juniors were thefirst group to go and there were some brilliantperformances by a number of the girls. The wholeHouse did very well indeed with the last runner comingin 44th out of a potential 61. The results spoke forthemselves and the Juniors won the Bash. Likewise theIntermediates won their Bash too with Thea Thompsonwinning the race. The remainder of the girls all pushedto achieve their best possible positions and the Cupwas well deserved. The Senior girls however, made mevery proud indeed with every single one of themcompleting the run. The overall total raised by theHouse was nearly £900.

In the Barnard Run, Rachel Brown won the Senior raceand kept up her record of winning every year in theJunior, intermediate and senior races (except 2005when she went on holiday). Likewise Thea Thompsonhas done the same since moving to Senior School in2008. The result of both groups was combined with theconverted Chatt Cup being won by Marwood for the firsttime in nearly a decade.

The public Speaking Competition was next on theagenda. The intermediates were first up with ‘AcademicQualifications are commonly felt to give a person thebest chance in life. How far is this true?’ Lizzie Knight,Shannon Currah, Fiona Mattews and Katy Body allvolunteered to speak. Their speeches were outstandingand the external adjudicator agreed; they were placedan extremely well deserved first. The seniors chosetheir own topic and Jevany volunteered to be the mainspeaker on ‘Religious Rationales’. Kathryn Johnston didan amazing job as the Chair and Imogen Ridley the Voteof Thanks. Jevany spoke very well indeed, if somewhatdisorganised right up to the point of competition – shepulled off her last minute changes –to my relief,although I know both Kathryn and Imogen agedsomewhat due to the stress and worry of getting it right!

Cake decorating is one of my all-time favourite HouseCompetitions. Determined Marwood were going to dowell, the planning began early. Ideas were put forwardand the decorating began. The Intermediates led byRachel Pratt and Emily Newton used a very creative ideawith ice-cream cones, icing, butter icing and rice paperto produce Marwood Castle with princess included. TheJuniors intricate Garden design were both amazinglydetailed and deserved of a silver medal.

House Netball and Lacrosse ensued and in Netballthe juniors and Inters came first; the seniors came 3rdbut this was not a reflection of the abilities more a resultof the last game, which, had it been Bowes beatingLongfield then Marwood would have won; it was not tobe. Congratulations to the other 2 age groups. Lacrossesaw the seniors and the juniors win with the Interscoming 2nd.

The Inspectors arrived and full inspection began andthey were treated to one of the more controversialmusicals that the school has attempted. Rent had to beone of my favourite productions ever. Risky in contentbut tastefully executed; a number of Marwood girlsplayed parts. Main parts were again played by MarthaMoore and Jevany Thompson. They both lit up the stagewith their amazing performances and singing; I will notforget the sight of Martha mooing at the audience! Iknow the inspectors enjoyed it very much. The time anddedication all involved put in over the term was certainlyworth the overall result.

Summer term is always a very short one and this wasno different due to the late Easter break and the RoyalWedding. Senior House rounders was played on the veryfirst Wednesday of the term as everyone was fast into

exams and study leave. Again we were 2nd to Longfield.The Intermediates were 2nd in their competitions andonce again the Juniors won this time by the skin of theirteeth.

The main event of the term was Sports day. Therewere numerous outstanding performances with TheaThompson again breaking her own 800 metre recordand winning all her events to gain the Victrix Ludoram.Likewise Sarah Scanlan won the Junior Victrix Ludoramhaving also won all her events. Rebekah Westgarth wonHigh Jump achieving a height of 1.50 metres – again anew record. Performances are too many to mention andMarwood remained neck and neck with Bowesthroughout, it was therefore unfortunate the result wasin their favour. I am convinced the Trophy would havebelonged to Marwood had all our more talented athletesattended Sports Day. The Juniors need a specialmention as they achieved more points and more winsthan any other age group. Congratulations to all theJuniors on their unbeaten record for the whole year.

My thanks go to Heather Appleby (Head of House) forthe support she has given me this year. Herorganisation and initiative are second to none. Mythanks also go to Rachel Brown and Aarti Devgan asDeputy Heads of House. We are grateful to all of theUpper Sixth for their help in running House events thisyear and we will miss their energetic personalities nextyear. We wish them well for the future. We also saidgoodbye to Tamsin Brown and Jermaine Franke duringthe Easter term and Jillian Barbato and MadeleineRowlands leave us this term.

I personally would especially like to thank Mr Aldersonwith all his help with the younger members of theHouse; he has made the transition for the Year 7’s, fromprep school to senior school a smooth one and in turnhas been a great support for me.

My time in Marwood House has been very short, andI am actually glad of that as I know how much I haveenjoyed this year, it would be hard further down the line.Having spent so much time with the Dale house boys ithas been a very refreshing change. However, mydecision to undertake the position of LongfieldHousemistress, has been one which I not taken lightlybut is a challenge I look forward to. Marwood containsa group of girls who are infectious, welcoming, warm,funny, enthusiastic and very good company and I willmiss them all. However, I am reassured that MissShorthouse (Mrs Burgess) will be fantastic in her newrole as Marwood Housemistress. She has been atremendous help to me this year as my assistant withher organisation, initiative and moral support and Iwould like to say thank you and good luck both withMarwood and her wedding this summer. I am lookingforward to the new era within the girls’ houses. Thankyou all for making this my favourite year yet, you are acredit to yourselves and I will always hold Marwoodclose to my heart forever. (However, competitions arestill competitions and are there for the winning – watchout!).

AA

Marwood


As I’m sure everyone will agree, another year has flownby. It was the second year in to the splitting of theboarding houses and the competition and rivalry was asstrong as ever. Yet again the pre-match team talkconsisted of ‘try your best for the house, and of coursemake sure you beat York house.’

The first major inter house event was, as is always,the inter house singing, generally not one of ourstrongest competitions. Lead by Nicolas McGregorthe house was fully prepared. The juniors gave abrave performance singing Bob Marley’s “Three LittleBirds”, unfortunately coming to no avail. The seniors,however, placed a little higher, beating York house.Other competitions came in the form of housecharades, pool, chess and for the juniors cakedecorating, with the influence of monitors Tom Millerand Chris Gliniecki the latter ended in victory with theNorth House cake placing an incredible 1st place.

Northumberland House over recent years hasbecome a very sporting and athletic house and thisyear has been no different with several members ofthe House not only reaching 1st teams or A-teamsbut continuing on to represent the county. Houserugby to a certain extent was a success for us,particularly the senior boys. The seniors put on a

very impressive display of 10’s , with David Brownbeing a stand out player, beating all four of the otherboys’ houses coming out victors and giving theHouse our first nailing up of the year. Unfortunately,this could not be repeated at inter and junior levels,with the intermediate competition failing to takeplace, although the juniors battled hard playing someexpansive rugby led by Jarlath Hetherington andNathan White.

In the Spring term there was to be no repeat ofprevious years, failing to retain the inter house publicspeaking competition, although a notableperformance from the team is still to becommended. Again the Barnard Run and BarneyBash were to be one step too far this year for thehouse, hopefully to be bettered next time around.

Sports Day was to be the last highlight of the year,a final and well deserved victory for the senior andintermediate teams winning the Ellis cup with a totalof 317 points. On the day there were some trulyoutstanding performances from the boys, from thejuniors, Rory Holden excelled with an incredible triplejump (9.45m) a new school record. Cieren Spencealso won the javelin (22.25m). Ivan Gaskin won the100m (11.61), the 200m (24.24), the long jump(5.01m) and victor Ludorum, a magnificentachievement. Jonny Coser also excelled winning boththe 800m (2.24) and the 1500m (4.51). BruceClegg was in fine jumping form taking both triplejump (11.21) and long jump (5.91) as well ascontributing to the success of the 4 by 100m team.New boy Xaver Remky put on an outstanding displayto triumph in the 1500m (5.02) a fantastic andunexpected achievement. Ben Duffield was anothersurprise victor in the 400m (56.88), and MathewBrown was a clear winner in the 800m (2.16).

This was a fantastic way to end the year and I wouldlike to thank and congratulate all the boys for their

efforts on sports day and throughout the year. GrantMcGrath and Alex Wilson both deserve specialmentions; they have worked tirelessly this yearleading the boys superbly. All the Tutors and ofcourse Mr and Mrs Beaty , Mr Monument and MatronBrown have worked endlessly to keep the boys in fineform, even when the times were tough. Good lucknext year to all in North House and under new HouseCaptain, Alex Beaumont. I’m sure Northumberlandhouse will continue to flourish.

Cameron Jones: House Captain

Post ScriptThis has been a successful year for Northumberland

House and I have been indebted to Cameron’s superbleadership which has meant that all aspects oforganisation, from team selection for competitions, toduty rotas for monitors duties has been undertakenwith aplomb. The following awards were made in House:Challis Cup: Sportsmanship – Grant McGrathParkin Plate: Contribution to Boarding Life – Tom MillerTutor Tassie: Contribution to Sport – Alex WilsonVisser Vase: Gentleman of the Year – Cameron JonesWhateley Tankard: Contribution to the Arts – Nicholas McGregor

My thanks must go to all those who have workedhard in the House to include Mrs Beaty, my Assistant,Mr Monument, Matron Brown and all of the Tutors,particularly those resident, Miss Hall and Mr Connorwho have undertaken duties each week and helpedmaintain a respectful, courteous and friendly Houseof which the boys and I are rightly proud.

Alan M Beaty: Housemaster

North

Houses


At the start of the year we welcomed a new housecaptain in the shape of George Woollard and eleven newpupils to Tees. It must be said that their shapes werevery different as nine were year seven and three of theother two were Iain Swall and Alec Clarey! We set abouta very busy year filled with quality thinking andperspirational endeavour but, as we know, if it is theAutumn term then most of the perspiration will be onthe stage in the annual house singing competition.

It has to be said that this was one of the mostenjoyable of years in the singing department and ourjuniors, ably led by Mr Johnson, got us off on the frontfoot with a superb exhibition of Wombling! I concedethat few are the size of a real Womble, as Mr Donnellyproves, but we Wombled weally well and with more thanjust a spot of bad luck were judged to have beenrunners up. We decided that was pretty good and theseniors had a hard act to follow. Spurred on by theprospect of singing “Do you wanna”, our own BackStreet Boys laid a good foundation in the part song.Here, it must be said, Tom Romaines sang himself justabout hoarse. He was more than helped by Nick Phillipswho was about the size of a horse, Lucas Summers,who dressed like a clothes horse and Ben Wilson who,I think, described the opposition as pony and trap.However, their dedication served only to make us reachfor the stars in the Unison where we sang ‘The Climb’much better than Joe McElderry. The problem seemedto be that we had rehearsed with Miley Cyrus and thismust have confused the adjudicator, who placed us 3rdoverall. We consoled ourselves with the idea that it hadall been a lot of fun and that rehearsal with You Tubewas the way to go.

Sadly, this was all not great preparation for theswimming, though as ever we always got stuck into theopportunity to compete and our inters, who were upagainst it came in mid table for us in 3rd and theseniors managed to be runners up. Here my favouritemoments were Harvey Barkes stepping in at the lastmoment to replace a pal who was ill (excellent Teesteam spirit) and the Butterfly leg of Iain Swall. Iain hasa wing span that extends past the lane markers but itdid not prevent smooth display and the biggest cheer ofthe afternoon plus the joy of confounding hisdisbelievers who had suggested it would be akin to theold Cassius Clay saying of floats like a battleship, swimslike a tree, or something like that.

We continued with the activities programme and thenwon the senior ‘TT’ and the senior Pool (not the wetkind) and our first round in the ‘footy’ with Ben Wynn-Jones scoring. Perhaps it was turning out to be a goodterm after all. Then I saw Oliver Chrisp in “Skellig”, byDavid Almond, and realised it wasn’t a good term – itwas a great term. Oliver was magnificent as the angeland we were all moved to huge applause. Wonderful.

By now quality work was everywhere and Swallcollected a bronze Maths Challenge Award, year eighthad topped the boys table with over one hundred andseventy merits and we won the Inter House ActivitiesProgramme Cup as just reward for more successfulinvolvement in the competitions than any other house.We also congratulate Edward Grundy on a veryprestigious flying award which was presented in Chapelby a high ranking RAF officer and decided that we allneeded to raise our sights.

With the seniors setting a good example in theButterwick Charity Cup, our inters took heart, ‘gutsed’ itout, and came second overall. They knew they had ahard act to follow but with Kit Wilson (5th) and HamishCarter (7th) we meant business. Our seniors had in factwon the senior trophy with Finlay Tait as ‘Top Gun’. In thejunior charity competition Harvey came in 7th for us butwe left ourselves a lot to do with some tail end girdingup of loins needed. However, gird we did and in thejunior Barney proper we finished mid table with Harvey

improving to runners up spot and three fifths of ‘teamcarter’ in the next three positions for the house. Finlayand Calum Matthews came in as top ten finishers for usin the senior event (3rd & 5th) and Andrew Ferneyhough(8th) in the inters. A big effort on the day but only 3rdoverall with seven points the difference betweenourselves and Durham in runners up spot.

As it was the spring term we had a go at speed hockey,came 4th, decided it was not our thing and Oliver Potts(our superb and first team ‘supremo’ of a captain)promised we would do better in the real thing, orpossibly any other thing. Turning our attention to otherthings we were convinced that our talents lay in otherdirections. So, as we play a lot of ‘TT’ in the house itwas no surprise that the weekly activities programmesaw us win this in the inters, where Will Grundy and AlexFarr were unbeaten. We also made the final in all of thequiz competitions, were r/up in the juniors and, can youbelieve it, in the seniors.

Consequently , we all went off to watch “Rent”, whichwas superbly done by Miss Baldwin and were amazedand impressed by the performance of our very own AlecClarey, who showed that not only can he sing and playas a prop forward for the first XV, but also that he hasthespian depth. It was obviously a good term forperforming arts and nine members of Tees competed inthe music competition held across the school by MrMawhinnney. We congratulated, in our weekly meeting,messers Joashi, Robertson, Evans, Whalley, Grundy,Greaves, Wilkinson, Emmerson and Currie and wishedwe had as much talent. Fortunately, Matt Emmersoninvited me to the Lectern Club, to hear speeches on‘The Meaning of Life’, later it became clear to me thatmy talent was to wonder what else members of ourhouse could do to impress me. So it was that we thenrealised that Oliver Potts had not been joking about theHockey and we won the senior competition under hiscaptaincy, whilst the inters were r/up. Mr Lewisexplained that the meaning of life is in sharper focuswhen looking down a gun sight and so we congratulatedH Carter on being our best shot and collected the interhouse shooting trophy. I find Mr Lewis is always rightand he said I should congratulate Hugh and HamishCarter on their involvements with ‘The Turrets’, for theirperformance at the Northern Stage Newcastle. This wasdone.

However, I responded with the idea that we shouldalso congratulate B Sowden, M Wilkinson, D Custance,T Greaves and W Carter on their Bronze MathsChallenge Awards. Furthermore, as A Usher and MRyves –Webb had reached Silver they should be praisedtoo. We agreed and as we added up the merit totals forthe term we suspected we kept scoring more than otherboys’ houses and when we got to 781 for a short termwe felt we deserved a rest.

The summer term seems all too short these days asexams are quickly upon the lower 6th and Year 11 andwe see so little of them. However, it is heartening to seethem all turn out for Sports day and to collect so manyprizes on Speech Day. As this term is all about the blendof physical and academic endeavour we should spend amoment reflecting on how well we did in all of this.

Sports day was a good day at the office for us.Massive participation and lots of really greatsportsmanship were the order of the day, and when I sayday I mean evening, as our new slot was an afternoonstart and evening finish. So well done to everyone’smum and dad for coming along to support us.

On a day with so much going on it is hard to single out

individuals but there are some things that are rightlyrewarded with a hearty congratulations and so heregoes...

Juniors: Harvey Barkes for a podium finish in the1500m and the HJ.

Inters: Ben Wynn-Jones for his Victor Ludorum winningperformance (HJ, Discus and 400m winner)

Seniors, and here we did lead by terrific example to:Finlay Tait for his Victor Ludorum winning performance (100m, 200m, HJ) and to Iain Swall for setting a newBCS Discus record of 43:00m on his way to winning thatand the Shot Putt.

However, despite all of their efforts our impressivepoints total would not be all that impressive were it notfor those who simply get stuck in to do their bit for Teeswhen asked to dig in for us. It is very apt to mentionhere that we won the inters house relay, the inters tugof war and were r/up in the senior 4x100m, the seniortug of war and house relay , too. So it was more than abit disappointing when the final points total suggestedthat we were second overall in the Ellis Cup (for intersand seniors combined) by only two and a half pointsfrom North. However, I can reveal that an arithmeticalerror in crediting too many runners to North means thatwe actually had the winning inters and seniors total andas I write this at the end of term the guys do not knowyet and I cannot wait to tell them the good news that weactually deserved the trophy after all. I anticipate muchcheering.

Hard on the heels of so much really big hearted workwe found a moment to count up the prizes won by Teesboys on Speech day and discovered it was twenty eight!We were very impressed with ourselves and it wouldonly be fair to mention that at the top of a very brightand hard working bunch I felt particularly impressed byCalum who had four academic prizes to collect at theend of term before heading off to go Kayaking inScandinavia and returning in time to go on an expeditionto Nepal.

As the dust settled all my tutees offered to buy medrinks at the summer ball and as the evening wore on Iwas left to reflect upon what a super bunch this year’sUpper 6th have been and what potential they have tomake a difference in the world. This had nothing to dowith the free drinks and everything to do with their spirit,their sense of humour and their unfailing talent forhelping me to develop my ability to make snap decisionsand to wonder what I would next get a close up of, as Ipopped into their common room. Although we welcomethirteen new pupils to Tees next year they will have avery hard act to follow and we wish Oliver Chrisp, MattEmmerson, Edward Grundy, Nick Phillips, Oliver Potts,Angus Robertson, Tom Romaines, Lucas Summers, TomWatson, Ross Whalley, Ben Wilson and George Woollardthe very best of fortune in their lives beyond here. Theyhave been some of Barney’s very finest and we areproud of their time with the school and with us here inTees House.

GB

Tees

Houses


Housemaster: Mr A J AllmanHead of House: Adam MasonIt has been another busy and successful year for YorkHouse. I have been impressed with the manner that thepupils have conducted themselves when representingboth the House and School. Adam Mason has set a goodexample as Head of House and he has been assistedwell by both Lucas Killinger and Aidan Grant. We havewelcomed new pupils into all Year Groups and I havebeen delighted to see such a range of nationalitiesjoining our Boarding Community.

The Autumn Term was a very successful one andthe highlight was winning the Junior House SingingCompetition with a revamped version of “Hit theRoad Jack.” The singing and choreography wasenjoyed by all of the school, led by Jack Blackburnand accompanied by: John Clouston, Connor Lewis,Oliver Morrill, Alfred Tsoi, Daniel Brown, NathanielDavis, Jake McGrath, Harry McGuire, Enoch Leung,Joshua Picken and Edward Young. I was alsoimpressed by the effort of the Seniors, when theysang “Build me up Buttercup,” however sadly they didnot reach the heights of the Juniors on the day of theperformance.

All members of the House acquitted themselveswell in the House Rugby Competitions and I wasparticularly impressed by the effort of the Inters, whocame very close to taking the final honours. I havealso been proud of the achievements that severalmembers of the House have made whilerepresenting the school. Kieran Armstrong,Christopher Legg, Alex Hopkin and Guy Van den Drieshave been regular members of the School 1st XV andMartin Ryvola has not only taken on a coaching rolefor the team, but also represented Barnard CastleRugby Club throughout the season. I am delightedthat Guy Van den Dries has been appointed theCaptain of the team next year and I look forward toseeing his and the team’s achievements. YorkHouse is very lucky to have so many talented rugbyplayers in all Year Groups and this was shown by thefollowing members of the House represented thevery successful School U15 Team: Alex Finkill, GuyCoser, Sam Goyette and John Brogden. I am surethat they will be pushing on the door of the 1st XVnext season.

The Spring Term was a very busy one, especiallywith the ISA inspection looming. I was very proud ofevery member of the House, helping the school toachieve an “Excellent” rating in the final report.

The highlight of the term was the York HouseChapel Service. We decided as a House to devotethe service to the International Community andhence the name “A Celebration of Culture andCommunity”. The service began by a selection ofSpanish music being played by Carlos Garcia. AidanGrant then explained the experiences that he hadbeing a Scot living in England and Dale Keogh spokein fluent German to explain the incorrect stereotypesthat many people have about Germany. Oleg Zubenkosang in Russian and Luke Shield sang in French, bothof them leaving the congregation in awe. GordonPoon and Dale Han described the differencesbetween China and Hong Kong and Cedric Leeexplained the significance of the Chinese Dragon,while Anthony Ho, Enoch Leung and Alfred Tsoidanced the Chinese Dragon down the aisle. MartinRyvola, Dan Hall, Josh Brooks, Alex Finkill andRichard Harland read poems about life as boardersand Daniel Gilligan read a significant Biblical Readingfrom Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians. Theservice ended by prayers led by John Clouston andOliver Morrill. The service was a huge achievementby all of the pupils who took part and I look forwardto our next service.

I was also very proud of the effort from the wholeHouse in the Running Competitions, they all trainedhard and gave 100% in both competitions. WilliamPrior, John Brogden, and Connor Lewis finished in thetop three in each of their categories, which werehuge achievements.

The Summer Term was a very productive one and Iwas very impressed by the attitude of all pupilstaking public exams. I look forward to seeing theresults in August and hope that it mirrors this effortthat they have made.

The sun shone on Sports Day, which was verypleasing and I was delighted by the effort and thepride that all pupils took in each of the events thatthey took part in. I was also impressed that theSeniors managed to win the Cowling Cup, captainedby Adam Mason.

The term ended with the York House Annual Awardsbeing awarded to the following pupils:

Prestigious House Awards (voted by all House Staff)Junior York House Cup: John CloustonYear 9 York House Cup: Matthew HunterYear 10 York House Cup: Guy CoserYear 11 York House Cup: Nathan BrownLower Six Kinnear Cup: Martin RyvolaSenior York House Cup: Lukas Killinger

Sports / Academic / Pastoral Awards:The Gedye Sports Award: Guy Van Den DriesThe Inters Sports Award: Guy CoserJunior Sports Award: Harry McGuireJunior Resident Award: Edward YoungInters Resident Award: Sam GoyetteSenior Resident Award: Anthony HoJunior Merit Award: Josh PickenInters Merit Award: Dale Holden-DalbySenior Merit Award: Dale KeoghJunior Academic Cup: Jake McGrathInters Academic Cup: Alex FinkillSenior Academic Cup: Adam MasonJunior Arts Cup: Enoch LeungInters Arts Cup: Daniel GilliganSenior Arts Cup: Luke Shield

As always I am indebted to my Assistant Mr Butler,who has worked endlessly hard to help to run a vibrantand successful House. He has spent hours helping toimplement new ideas and has created resources tohelp the pupils to gain a fully enriched education. I amvery grateful to Matron Broadwell, who has workedextremely hard all year to ensure that the pupils aregrowing up with the correct manners and maintain a tidyroom. Matron Broadwell has also baked numerouscakes and buns with Miss Ingram and the pupils havebeen very lucky to enjoy such treats. Although MatronBrown is associated with North House, I am grateful forall of her efforts in the Boarding Community also. Asalways my team of tutors have been outstanding. MrJacobs has continued to run efficient and proactiveduties, as well as organising swims and footballactivities during the evenings and has also hosted“International Nights,” with his wife, which have beenappreciated by the overseas pupils. Mr Tomlinson hascontinued to run two duties effectively and has alsoaccompanied myself and the boarders on PremierLeague Football Trips to Manchester United andSunderland. Miss Cover and Mr West have continued tobe assets to the Tutor Team and have worked endlesslyhard with their Tutor Groups and have also assisted withSporting events. Finally Mr Dunn joined us at the startof the year and has effectively run a boarding duty eachweek and has taken a trip to the Cinema.

Next year I am delighted that Guy Van den Dries will bethe Head of School, Dale Keogh will be the Head ofHouse and Martin Ryvola will be his deputy. I lookforward to my third year at the helm.

AJA

York

Houses


Autumn Term


SkelligThe autumn term saw the seniors take to the stage inDavid Almond’s ‘Skellig’, directed by Miss Baldwin. Theplay, which is also a popular novel with our year sevenstudents, tells the story of a young boy, Michael (DaleKeogh), who moves into a new house with his parents(Harry Bainbridge and Hannah Robertson) and discoversan angel (Oliver Chrisp) in his garage and a new bestfriend in Mina (Jevany Thompson). Dale Keogh writes:

“When I first got told I was going to play Michael in‘Skellig’, I was over the moon; this was going to be myfirst main part in a senior school play, and I couldn’twait to start. Being Michael was great and getting togrips with learning how to speak in such a way was achallenge, but I ended up doing ok! Michael was abrilliant role to play, due to the different emotions andexperiences he encounters, such as the near death ofhis baby sister and meeting an old man with wings: itdoesn’t get more bizarre than that! The support wereceived from Miss Baldwin was amazing, mainlybecause she offered us numerous workshops on howto speak Geordie! During rehearsals, the atmosphereand mood from everyone was incredible; even thoughnot everyone was 100% confident with their lines, theeffort from everyone was immense, and you couldclearly tell that people were enjoying being part ofwhat turned out to be a successful play. A big thanksshould also be given to Mr Fairbairn (aka the MightyF); without his help we wouldn’t have had the perfectset and remarkable lighting. I do look forward tohopefully participating in next year’s senior play asbeing part of a team who love to act is amazing and,without a doubt, very fun.”

Dale did a brilliant job as Michael, but a specialmention should be given to Martha Moore, KathrynJohnston and Charlotte Dickinson who had the verydifficult job of narrating the play; their bird-likemovements engrossed many an audience member andthey certainly added an avant-garde aspect to theproduction.

EB

Senior play – SkelligAS Level Theatre Studies

Theatre StudiesAutumn 2010 was an exciting term for the AS LevelTheatre Studies group, comprising of Dale Keogh,Martha Moore and Paige Wilkinson. In December,despite dreadful weather and about three foot of snowoutside, the group performed four pieces for theirpractical examination.

The evening started with 3 scenes fromShakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’, with Dale playing thepart of the love-sick Duke Orsino, while Martha playedthe cross-dressed messenger Cesario / Viola. In thenext scene, Viola delivered a message of love toPaige’s Olivia, inadvertently become the object of heraffections. In the final scene, Viola returned to Orsino,attempting to admit her love for him but unable to, dueto her mistaken identity as a man!

This was followed by the group’s own devised piece,entitled ‘A Cautionary Tale’. In this stylised piece, threeseparate story lines were intricately weaved, with fairytales, the modelling world and a destructive marriageall entwined in a stunningly original piece.

All who came were impressed at the professionalstandards and excellent performances by the threestudents.

TSE

Autumn Term

The adjudicator for the House Singing Competition 2010was Mr Andrew Wright, recently retired from beingDirector of Music at St Peter’s School in York. Mr Wrightfirst started conducting choirs at the age of sixteen andtook his University Chamber Choir on tour to Berlin whenhe was twenty-two. Since then he has worked withsingers in many schools and organised seventeen musictours while at St Peter’s.

As ever the whole school, ably led by the UpperSixth excelled itself on the day of the competition.The eventual winners were York House in the juniorsection and Longfield in the senior section.Congratulations again to all those who worked sohard to make the day such a success.

AMM

The first half of term was exceptionally busy for bothpupils and the music staff, who had all been preparingfor the annual event of the House Singing Competition—always an enjoyable and entertaining spectacle.

First were the junior houses at four o’ clock,performing a selection of superb songs, starting offwith Longfield who tunefully sang ‘I’ll Stand by You’with a lot of heart. Bowes were up next with a greatrendition of ‘Complicated’, dressed in full AvrilLavigne garb, including skate boards! Dale gave aconfident performance with ‘Black and Gold,’ andNorth sang ‘Three Little Birds,’ causing variousmembers of the audience to ‘aww’ when they reachedtheir top notes. Tees gave a great performance of‘The Wombling Song,’ and Durham sang the lovely‘Any Dream Will Do,’ from Joseph. Marwood sang ‘TheShow’ by Lenka very melodically, but the overallwinners were York House, with their fantasticallyfunny performance of ‘Hit the Road, Jack.’

Next was the Senior Competition. The commonrooms were filled with nervous students dashing

about, putting on makeup and doing their hair(hopefully just in the girls’ houses!) before everyonewas due to be seated in Big School. Part Song camefirst, and started with Durham performing the popularsong ‘Stacey’s Mom,’ with a great blend of goodsinging, entertainment and an almost barbershoptype of style. Longfield were next, singing ‘Down tothe River to Pray,’ with a lovely mix of harmonies.North sang ‘Love Lock Down’, giving a very strongsolo performance, and York performed ‘Lollipop’brilliantly, catching the audience’s attention in theirgreen hard hats as they walked on stage. Bowessang the dramatic ‘Disturbia’ skilfully andprofessionally, with really good harmonies, and Teessang, ‘You Make Me Wanna’ by Blue, which was verymelodious and well rehearsed. Dale were a smallgroup, but sang ‘Golden Touch’ with enthusiasm andgusto. However, Marwood managed to secure a winwith ‘Crazy in Love’ by Beyonce, with some greatdancing by the back row and lovely solos.

The long awaited Unison had finally arrived. Firstwas North with ‘Beggin’, singing very tunefully andperfectly in time, with Durham coming after with thefamous ‘Greased Lightnin’’, putting in some greatactions that featured in the film. Marwood came onin full African apparel, wearing leopard headbandsand big hair, singing ‘Waka Waka’ by Shakira. Next

was Longfield with ‘Proud Mary’, wearing customisedschool uniform and performing tunefully andengagingly, and York sang ‘Build Me Up Buttercup’,which wasn’t always quite in sync with the piano, butwas performed with enthusiasm and zeal. Tees werenext with ‘The Climb,’ which was performed betterthan Miley Cyrus herself, followed by Dale with‘Wavin’ Flag’, waving their own house flag with pride.Bowes wrapped up the competition with ‘Heaven is aPlace on Earth’ by Belinda Carlisle, very tunefully andmelodiously, dressed cleverly as ‘the world’.

Whilst the adjudicator, Mr Andrew Wright, settled ona winner, several of the teachers braved the stage intheir gowns and, in one case, a vibrant waistcoat andleopard skin trousers, to sing ‘I’m Still Standing’ byElton John, adapted into ‘I’m Still Teaching.’ A greatset of lyrics, the students were in hysterics at theRev’s antics with the cane and Mr Brettell’simpressive saxophone.

The adjudicator soon came to a decision, and BigSchool was greeted with high pitched squeals asLongfield were announced to be the winners. A welldeserved victory, it was a very enjoyable evening, andmany thanks to Mr Mawhinney and Mr Atherton forassisting, and Mr Wright for adjudicating.

Whizzy Gorman


House Singing


Autumn Term


The formal dinner comprised of three courses, withspeeches between the courses. Nick Crowe began theevening with his introduction to the speeches and afterthe Grace, said by Harry Bainbridge, everyone beganeating as soon as it was socially acceptable.

The theme of the speeches was ‘I want...’, leaving avery open ended possibility for a range of philosophicaland interesting speeches.

In particular, the highlights for me were Neil Stanwix’sbeautifully crafted speech delivered in a formal mannerbut intertwined with casual jokes and analogies. ChrisBury rocked the evening with his comedic styling asusual, lightening the overall mood of the night with hisspeech entitled, ‘I want to be a woman’. Nick McGregorimpressed judges with his passionately deliveredspeech titled, ‘I want to be me’. The overall winner ofthe short speeches was Peter Wickham with hisconfidently delivered speech about the disparity of paybetween soldiers and footballers.

Emily Turner and Becky Coxan gave a notablespeech, which was equally matched by thecontroversial, yet equally good speech ,by LukeShield and Natalie Shaw. The long speech category,usually spoken by a duo, was dominated by Will Ford,who was seen writing his speech on a scrap piece ofpaper 30 minutes before the event started. Withoutnotes, he stormed the audience with his usual charmand charisma, so stereotypical of Will Ford.

All in all, the night was a massive success, and acredit to the Lectern Committee who organized it. Wewere all delighted to be able to host the Headmasterfor the evening, who we are sure enjoyed his firstLectern Club of the academic year. We all owe a largeamount of gratitude to the staff who made theevening possible and an overwhelming success.

Varun Balupuri

Autumn Term

Lectern Club

What better excuse for students and teachers to dressup formally, and create formalities where there arenone, than for the Lectern Club Dinner. Having saidthat, it was unanimously agreed that the event was oneof the most enjoyed of the term thus far.


Cadet SAAMA team of 8 cadets took part in the Cadet SAAMcompetition held at Strensall Training Camp, York inOctober. The team did exceptionally well in the shootingcompetition with the following successes: CorporalsArran Day and Chris Moore won the under 16 pairsshoot. Corporals Arran Day, Chris Moore, FlightSergeant Rob Hall and Colour Sergeants HeatherAppleby and Sam Hunter won the section shoot andLance Corporal Hugh Carter and RSM Donna Opray dida sterling job as members of the butts party. Overall wewere runners up in the contingent competition.

Colts CanterA strong team consisting of Warrant Officer EdGrundy, Colour Sergeants, Adam Mason and SamHunter and Sergeants Hannah Byers, Emily TurnerAdam Miller and Guy Van Den Dries were led bySection Commander, Sergeant James Dickinsonthroughout the annual Colts Canter Competition atWathgill Training Camp, Catterick in October.

There was strong competition between the other23 CCF teams and 21 ACF teams from the region,however, our Barney team had prepared well andexcelled in the 1st aid, map reading, skill at armsand fieldcraft stands. The day concluded with a 5 mile forced march, carrying kit and weapons,which was rounded off with a timed shoot on the 100m outdoor range. Our team came arespectable second overall, only being 4 pointsbehind the winning team.

Year 10 Weapon HandlingField Day66 year 10 cadets took a day off timetable in Octoberto enhance their training on the cadet GP rifle.Throughout the day, they were taught a number ofweapon drills including making the weapon safe,loading and unloading a magazine and the stoppagedrills. The NCOs worked hard to make the learninginteresting and exciting for the cadets. The latter partof the day was spent revising for their weapon handlingtest, which all 66 cadets successfully passed inDecember. Although this test must be taken every 6months, a number of the cadets have already had theopportunity to fire blank rounds on exercise and liverounds at targets on an outdoor range.

Remembrance DayParade20 cadets represented the Contingent at the BarnardCastle Remembrance Parade in November. All cadetswere smartly dressed and lead the processionthrough to the cenotaph situated in the Bowesmuseum. RSM, Donna Opray, our senior cadet, laid awreath on behalf of the CCF.

Jarvais CupA team of Corporal Arran Day, Lance Corporal HughCarter, and Cadets Andrew Hutchon and JonnyWanless took part in this indoor .22 shootingcompetition held at Durham TA Centre in November.Barnard Castle School CCF came second in thecompetition, with Lance Corporal Hugh Carterwinning the overall individual shoot.

Shooting ActivityAs well as CCF parade nights on a Monday, cadetshave also had the opportunity to join the shootingactivity on a Tuesday and shoot in the indoor rangetwice a week to perfect their marksmanship principlesand shooting techniques using the .22 rifles. FlightLieutenant Child, Major Hall and Mr. Lewis havecoached a number of cadets throughout the year, whohave benefitted from the regular practice.

CEH

Autumn Term

Autumn CCF

It is broadly divided into two, with the infamous traintracks running down the middle. Each half couldcomfortably fit a few football pitches, but that is avery conservative estimate. You get shown thebarracks and only now do you truly understand howpeople lived here when you learn that a room lessthan 20 metres in length and ten wide and five high,would hold up to seven hundred people. You are thenled to what remains of the gas chambers, and it is ablessing that they no longer stand because fewwould be able to stand the sight today.

The day ends with a memorial service next to thetracks, and a candle is lit by each person inremembrance. This last part is comforting. It givesus hope, as does a marking on the wall within one ofthe brick barracks. This one simple markingreassures us that even at the end of their days, whenall else had been stripped of them, the people herestill had their faith.

Matt Emmerson


At 5 am on Wednesday, 13thOctober, two members of theUpper Sixth, Matt Emmerson andTory Cliffe embarked on whatwould become an unforgettableday. It would unfold like this as aresult of their destination –Oswiecim, Poland, aka Auschwitz.

The first location they visited was the town of Oswiecimitself. Here the students were shown the Jewishcemetery within the town. It demonstrated somethingwhich most people forget; there was a town before thecamp. Seeing the gravestones added a whole newaspect to the holocaust. It emphasised that there hadonce been a thriving Jewish culture within the town,approximately 7,000 out of 12,000 inhabitants. At theend of the war, only 129 of these returned. Within thecemetery there is only one headstone which definitelymarks a grave, Shimshon Klueger, the last Jewishresident of the town. The rest do not as they were simplyput back there after they had been used by the Nazis topave the streets of Oswiecim.

After this stark reminder of the people who werepersecuted in the holocaust, the group then visitedAuschwitz 1. This was the smaller of the two camps,something which one cannot comprehend untilvisiting Birkenau. Here you get the first glimpse ofthe true horror of the holocaust. As you walk underthe sign bearing the Nazis’ most famous lie: “ArbeitMacht Frei”, the sense of where you are suddenlyhits you and sends an unforgettable chill down thespine. You are shown rooms containing glass casesfilled with human hair, children’s shoes and labeledsuitcases. It is here that you experience an emotionknown in Korean as “han”, sadness so strong thatno tears come, but there is also hope; hope thatsuch atrocities will never happen again.

The tour around the site continues and you see therelatively small gas chambers and crematoria, aswell as Block 16, the prison within a prison, whereprisoners were subjected to horrific punishmentsoften for no real reason whatsoever.

The tour finished and people got back on to thecoach. By this point, most were near silent,struggling to comprehend the enormity of what theyhad seen. However, within fifteen minutes onerealises that what you saw at Auschwitz 1 was the tipof the iceberg, as the coach pulls up outsideAuschwitz-Birkenau. The scale of the camp hits you.

On the 17th November, the wholeof Year 9 went on a trip to BethShalom, a Holocaust MemorialCentre. Beth Shalom is on theedge of Sherwood Forest, inNottinghamshire. After rather along journey, we arrived at aboutlunchtime and settled down tolunch in the gardens.

After splitting into groups, half of us went to look aroundthe museum, some to walk around the memorialgardens and some to talk to a survivor of the Holocaust.The memorial gardens are full of roses planted byrelations of people who died in the Holocaust. It was verymoving walking around and reading the plaques by eachrose, saying things like ‘For my wonderful parents,terribly missed’ and ‘For the children we never knew’. Asyou came in, on your right, there was a huge pile ofstones which was to commemorate every child lost inthe Holocaust. Visitors were encouraged to put a pebbleon the pile, to remember them.

In the museum, there were corridors full of picturesof the Jews being humiliated, information about theHolocaust and posters that were stuck up during thattime. There was also a poignant film about the horrorof living in the Ghettos, and being a Jew at the time ofthe Holocaust.

Finally, we made our way to where a Holocaustsurvivor was speaking. His name was Simon Winston.He told us a fascinating story about his experience.When the Germans transferred his family to a Ghetto,they managed to escape using gold ingots. They thenhid in a number of places, including under a pigsty. Hisstory was exciting, moving and gave us an insight intowhat it would have been like to be a Holocaust victim.

Fiona Matthews

The Year 9 RS trip to Beth Shalom wasonce again a very moving experience.Pupils spoke to a survivor of theHolocaust and learnt about life in the‘ghettos.’ They also studied recentgenocide in the world.

“

” AJA

History Auschwitz RS Beth Shalom

Autumn Term


Overseas Students get VIP Treatment

As the new term begins, Barnard Castle School studentshave returned from their homes in Hong Kong reflectingon an unforgettable journey.

As the winter term came to an end and they wereready to head home for the festive celebrations whentheir flight plans were hit by the heavy snow. BarnardCastle School was closed for Christmas and all theother pupils and teachers went home for theholidays.

But a team effort had to be put into action tosupport the stranded international students.

Director of overseas students Nick Connor said: “Itwas amazing; we had dedicated staff members whostayed to help including the housekeeper, the cook,matron and even the headmaster.”

Four days later the school was able to get them aflight – but from Paris – and a minibus was hired fromlocal firm Hodgsons which drove them all the way tothe French airport, escorted by the company directorand his son.

Air France then gave the students the fantasticnews that they were all to be upgraded to businessclass for their flight home to Hong Kong.

Mr Connor said: “When we were at the airport Icould see the stress the check in staff were under asit was such a chaotic time because of the awfulweather and clearly they were having a very bad day.I offered to buy them cups of coffee to calm themdown and de-stress while I explained the difficultsituation we were faced with in getting our studentshome. To my delight they offered to upgrade them allto business class, which was just fantastic.”

Throughout the students’ journey Nick kept in touchwith the parents in Hong Kong explaining what washappening each step of the way. And he has receivedmany thank you letters from parents who weregrateful the school drove the extra mile.

Student Kevin To, 15, said: “The school has beenbrilliant and they helped us a lot. The journey homewas hard but exciting at the same time. It was areally great experience flying business class and Iwill never forget it.”

Library visitOverseas at Christmas

On 3rd Novemberwe were delightedto welcome to thelibrary G. P. Taylor aleading children’s

author and speaker who gave atalk to all pupils in Year 7.

He is the author of several best-selling novels, includingShadowmancer, The Curse of Salamander Street,Wormwood and Tersias, as well as the Mariah Munditrilogy.

A former vicar of Cloughton in Yorkshire, heentertained us and held the attention spans ofeveryone in the room with his hilarious stories of howhe hung his friend outside a window and exorciseddemons from a ladies radiator. Student participationadded to the enjoyment and helped to demonstratethe art of characterisation. After the hilaritiesstudents were treated to book-signing and a chatwith our guest. Not only did he entrance us with hisstories he reminded us all of the enjoyment ofreading and the importance of writing. The visit wasa rousing success.

CLS

Autumn Term

It was amazing; we had dedicatedstaff members who stayed to helpincluding the housekeeper, the cook,matron and even the Headmaster

“”


1st XV Rugby

Captain: A. Robertson

Team from: R. Abraham, K. Armstrong, K. Berounsky, A. Beaumont, M. Brown, A. Clarey, B. Clegg, N. Crowe, J. Dickinson, G. Van Den Dries, B. Duffield, D. Hall, A Harrison, J. Harrison, A. Hopkin, S. Hunter, C. Jones, J. Ingram, A. Lazaro,C. Legg, A. Lister, G. McGrath, F. Metcalfe, J. Peat, N. Phillips, D. Potts, T. Raw, L. Shield, L. Summers,I. Swall, F. Tait, B. Upton, G. Upton, M. Waldin, J. Webster, S. Webster, G. Woollard

P 12/W 9/L 3/D 0For 461, Ag 122, Tries 74, Cons 41, Pens 2, DG 1

Results:Durham won 17-13Yarm won 36-5QE Hexham won 69-0RGS lost 12-14Pocklington won 58-19Hymers won 20-12Woodhouse Grove won 68-0St. Peters won 38-5St. Bees won 69-0Sedbergh lost 5-32

Daily Mail Cup Results:QE Hexhamwon 62-7Durham lost 10-15

Leading Points Scorers:Tries Cons Pens DG Total

B Clegg 31 62F Tait 12 60A Beaumont 7 35G Upton 6 2 34

37 players experienced 1st XV rugby this season.Within that number there were only 6 Upper 6th whofeatured regularly. The results should therefore be looked upon as beenvery positive with such a young set of players. Thesame cannot be said next season! Specifichighlights of the season are the victories againstHymers and Durham in the first match of the season.The welcomed, but unusual easy win againstWoodhouse Grove was a pleasure to watch too.Disappointment in the Daily Mail Cup and the defeatto RGS Newcastle when both games were easilywinnable will hopefully serve as valuable lessons forthis ‘young’ team. Kieran Armstrong was veryeffective again this season, earning him the Players’Player of the Year, as was James Dickinson and theaddition of Alec Clarey made them a very formidablefront row. Ian Swall and Dan Potts forged a wellbalanced second row, whilst Angus Robertson, GuyVan Den Dries and Anthony Harrison emerged as adynamic back row. Andy Lister made the scrum halfspot his own although Luke Shield started to applypressure towards the end of the season. CameronJones’ final season in the 1st XV was blighted byinjury. He has been an outstanding ambassador forrugby at BCS. Bruce Clegg took his chances well,however, and finished the year full of confidence.Chris Legg and Alex Beaumont produced a very

physical and aggressive running centre partnership,when Chris was passed the ball. Greg Upton wasable to add some guile, organisation and inventionfrom fullback. Fin Tait demonstrated what an athletehe is by scoring 12 tries in the season, someonewith genuine pace and finishing ability. Alex Hopkinand Grant McGrath also made very positivecontributions from the wing. Alejandro Lazaro was apleasure to have in the team; his ability to swerveand step will be difficult to match and his audaciousdrop goal will be remembered for ever.

The work Mr Woodward did in the Autumn Term onthe fitness and general conditioning of the playersdemands a special mention. It was noted on severaloccasions how fit and well conditioned our playerslooked. His work on technical aspects in the gymadded to her running/speed sessions have been wellreceived by the players and I am aware of how theyhave benefitted individually and collectively. Theplayers should also be indebted to Ian Peel for hisexpertise throughout the season. Our scrimmagingand general body position was a significant success,not just for the 1st XV but for others teams in theschool too.

Player of the Season: Alec ClareyRepresentative Honours:U18 County Schools: K. Armstrong, A. Beaumont, G. Van Den Dries, A. Harrison, D. Potts, I Swall

MTP

2nd XV Rugby

Captain Lucas Summers

Team from: J Harrison, J Peat, W prior, N Crowe, N Phillips, S Webster, J Webster, G Woollard, J Ingram, T Raw, K Berounsky, A Lister, M Waldin, B Clegg, S hunter, D Wheeler, L Shield, G McGrath,L Summers (Capt), A Lazaro, M Ryvola, W Prior, N McGregor, C Gliniecki, E Grundy, A Ho.

Lucas Summers captain’s commendations for topperforming and most improved players.Captain’s top performers: Alejandro Lazaro & TomRawCaptain’s most improved: Tom Raw & Jim Webster &Dean Wheeler

Results:Durham won 41-5Duchess High School cancelledPenrith won 44-0RGS Newcastle won 52-8Pocklington won 82-5Hymers won 44-10Richmond School 1st XV lost 5-36Woodhouse Grove School won 62-3St Peters won 44-24St Bees Lanchester won/conceded by LanchesterKings Tynemouth cancelled due to snowSedbergh School cancelled due to snowAustin friars cancelled due to snow

With an average winning margin of forty points and eighttries per match this has been a superb season and(being unable to play five matches due to cancellation)only the weather and a banana skin at Richmondprevented it from being a record breaking year for thisseason’s outstanding second XV.

I must admit that a pre season three sessiontraining game at Mowden Park did not suggest thatvintage times lay ahead and rotating over 25 squadmembers meant we triumphed and were impressive inonly one of the sessions but it served its purpose.Good times were coming, and how!

Opening the season with a 41-5 victory over DurhamSchool was a sweet Saturday afternoon. My topmemory of this being not only the width of our attackbut also the loud cries of “Ole” which echoed from thetouchline every time Alexjandro Lazaro sidestepped anopponent on his way to a sparkling try scoring run thatstarted five yards inside his own dead ball area. Onehundred and five yards out, wow!

Cancelled against Duchess High we focused ourattention upon Newcastle RGS and winning 52-8 feltlike a good day at the office. Penrith visited next andwent home conceding 44 points. Our pace to theoutside and strong set piece laid a great platform andby the time we had demolished Pocklington by 82points to 5 only Hymers stood in the way of a greatfirst half of the season. By now the superb Tom Rawwas pressing for a place in the first team and wasnearly unplayable in terms of power and pace, thoughhe did get ‘sat down’ by one small ‘Pocklet’ despiterunning over the same when scoring earlier. We allagreed it was one of the funniest moments of theseason. Hymers came and Hymers went. Morespecifically, they went home having lost 44-10.Confidence was high though perhaps a littlecomplacency was creeping into some of our focus andpreparation. Not surprising as we had been so strongbut I feared it might be our undoing and following thehalf term break I was to be proved right as a bananaskin from Richmond was heading our way.

Underestimating the determination of the hometeam and not preparing enough proved to be aseffective as some of Richmond’s elder statesmen ingiving them the edge in an aggressive encounter. Onthe back foot we missed a couple of our largerforwards and went down 36 to 5. The team werestunned by their naivety and spurred on by Lukasaccepted responsibility for their own destiny andadded extra self managed team practice in order tomake sure they got back on track. Our nextopponents were woodhouse Grove and we were keento put the record straight. Winning 62-3 was music toour ears and the record played smoothly a beautifulvictory march to back porch and some loud cheering.Sadly for us our 44-24 win over St Peter’s was to beour last match and the prospect of getting stuck intoSt Bees, Kings Tynemouth, Austin friars, Sedberghand Dame Allans faded as the snow mounted up andwe had to settle for hoping that Durham Schoolwould agree to a date for our re match in the Co Cup.They were unable to do so and our chance of a ‘lovelyjubbly’ double passed us by.

I am very pleased with the progress made by oursquad and also by how many of them went on to playfor Mr Pepper’s 1st XV. I am also indebted to Lucasas captain for his ability to perform on the field andfor getting the best out of his players.

GB

Senior Common Room

Autumn Sports


3rd XV Rugby

Captain: Nick McGregor

Team from: C Gonzalez-Valerio, G Hooker, D Keogh,W Prior, C Glinieki, J Gatenby, F Metcalfe, P Borer, E Grundy, X Remky, P Wickham, M Ryvola, A Wilson,A Mason, B Duffield, M Brown, A Ho, B Wilson, T Harrison, O Bianco, R Schmitt, O Zubenko

P 8/W 8/L 0/F 409/A 49

Results:Yarm won 36-10RGS Newcastle won 73-7QEGS Penrith won 53-0Pocklington won 78-0Hymers won 45-12Woodhouse Grove won 62-0St Peter’s won 33-5Q.E. VI Form won 29-15

Unbeaten. One word that describes an extraordinaryseason – record points scored, fewest pointsconceded and, of course, eight convincing victories. Inaddition to these impressive statistics, however, thiswas a thoroughly enjoyable year because of theapproach of all the players – enthusiastic, committedand good-humoured throughout. And, leading fromthe front as always, was the captain, Nick McGregor,who was simply inspirational throughout.

However, our first game against Yarm was probablyour least impressive. Trailing by five points at half-time,a few tactical changes and the introduction of PeterWickham at scrum-half ensured a convincing win bythe final whistle. Peter was to have a key impact on allmatches thereafter – his quick delivery and highlyintelligent reading of the game always gave our three-quarters the time they needed to run through their fullrepertoire of moves. Sixty-six tries says it all.

Our next six games produced very convincingvictories. QEGS Penrith and Pocklington wereoutclassed by our back-line in particular with MathewBrown and Ben Duffield each picking up a hatful oftries. Alex Wilson demonstrated what a really finefootballer he is at outside half and Adam Masonprovided the Tindallesque power-running in midfield.With Anthony Ho and Tom Harrison secure in thetackle and always providing attacking options, weknew that we could score from just about anyposition. And we did. Hymer’s College, WoodhouseGrove (in a much better game than the unpleasantencounter of last year) and St Peter’s were alldispatched with consummate ease.

Our final game of the season, against QE, Darlington,was our most competitive match. For the last threeyears we have come unstuck against our local rivals,allowing ourselves to be bullied by more aggressiveforward play. Not this time. With Chris Glinieki andCarlos Gonzalez providing the muscle up front, andwith James Gatenby, Patrick Borer and Will Ford addingstrength to our pack, we overcame a spirited QE sidein an excellent game. The two tries we conceded in thelast five minutes rather flattered our opponents.

As always with 3rd XV squads, this was a mostenjoyable season. What was especially pleasing,however, was the number of international players onshow. Our teams included representatives fromSpain (Carlos), Italy (Orazio Bianco), Germany (XaverRemky and Robin Schmitt), the Cezch Republic(Martin Ryvola) and the Ukraine (Oleg Zubenko),many of whom were playing rugby for the first time. Iknow that they fully enjoyed this experience andmany will continue to play 3rd XV rugby next year.

Finally, I should like to express my thanks to allparents and pupils who came to support us this year.One word – unbeaten.

DSG

U16 XV Rugby

Captain: R. Abraham.

Team from: W. Barnes, R. Barrett, J. Beedle, D. Brown, N. Brown, I. Cameron, H. Carter, A. Day,S. Greaves, D. Hall, B. Jennings, C. Lee, C. Matthews, F. McBain, C. Moore, M. Pinkney, N. Packham, D. Swires, B. Upton.

Results:Durham School lost 48-53Yarm School won 62-5Harton School lost 17-45RGS Newcastle won 36-19Pocklington School lost 14-24Manor School won 76-7Hymers School won 31-21Hambleton and District lost 22-44St. Peter’s B won 35-0

P 9/W 5/L 4/F 341/A 218

Leading points scorers:B. Upton 80 6 tries, 2 pens,

22 consD. Hall 72 10 tries, 11 consF. McBain 35 7 tries R. Abraham 30 6 triesD. Brown 30 6 tries

The squad assembled for a day of pre-season trainingjust prior to the term starting. Whilst not everyone wasable to make this commitment the biggest effect on theteam was the injury to Will Barnes, which preventedhim from playing for the majority of the season.

Rory Abraham was elected to captain the side andhe did a super job throughout. He certainly led byexample but also set good standards with regard tocommitment. His involvement with the senior squadlater on in the season was thoroughly merited.

The first game against Durham was incredible! Theside began by conceding straight away, then got a 20point lead by half-time only for this to be whittledaway and in the end we almost scored to tie thegame. This game showed the sides talents; BretUpton could pose threats, Dan Hall could run withgreat determination and Sean Greaves, Dan Brownand Rory Abraham all had their moments. Thedefending, however, left a little to be desired with toomany expecting others to cover for them.

The Yarm game showed the same attacking skillsand better defence, whilst the Harton fixture reallytested our defensive qualities, which were sound forthe first half but fatigue showed in the second.

And so the season continued in similar vein,patches of real skill and effort and then passages ofplay that were frustrating to say the least. Impressiveagainst RGS and Manor School but disappointingagainst Pocklington and Hambleton and District, theseason ultimately finished with a convincing winagainst St Peter’s B side before the snow came andprevented any further fixtures.

What will I take from this season? A small group ofplayers could produce some good rugby but on otheroccasions their efforts and determination seemed todisappear rather too easily. As a group, somemembers could be intolerant of others’ mistakes andthis did exactly enhance team spirit. I was grateful tothose players like Callum Matthews, Chris Moore,Hugh Carter, Matthew Pinkney and Dan Swires whoalways wanted to do their best. The forwards of IanCameron, James Beedle, Rory Abraham and DanBrown could usually be relied upon to be direct andabrasive. The half-backs of Freddie McBain and BretUpton could play purposefully and in the centre DanHall and Sean Greaves could be strong and direct.Cedric Lee, Nick Packham, Rupert Barrett and evenBen Jennings on the wing had their moments.

In conclusion the boys did not let me down butequally they could have done better. I hope theyenjoyed their rugby and I look forward to seeing themplay in the senior sides. My thanks, then, to theparents for their support and to Mr Monument for hishelp with the coaching.

DCSE

U15 XV Rugby

Captain: N Gilbertson

Team From: C Harrison, M Jones, D Thompson,W Richardson, L Sowerby, B Wynn-Jones,

N Gilbertson, J Coser, G Coser, K Wilson, W Grundy,I Gaskin, A Ghosh, J Raper, A Finkill, J Brogden, S Goyette & H Holden

Results:Durham Won 52-35Yarm Won 61-0Harton Won 62-0RGS Newcastle Won 29-24Richmond & District Won 72-7Pocklington Won 23-12Hymers Won 52-0Woodhouse Grove Lost 41-7St Peters Won 35-0Durham Won 23-12 DMRichmond Won 59-0 DMHigh Tunstall Won 64-10 DMCarres Grammar School Won 27-12 DMSt Peters Lost 18- 5 DM 7 A–SidesAmpleforth Runner upBradford 10s Semi FinalDurham 7s Plate WinnersCounty 7s WinnersBCS Challenge Cup 3rd

This has been another outstanding season for a verytalented group of boys. It was hoped that we couldhave a good run in the prestigious Daily Mail Cup andimprove on our results from last year.

(Continued >)

Senior Common Room


Unfortunately we lost in our quest to get to thequarter finals of the Daily Mail to St Peters who wehad beaten quite convincingly just two weeks prior.This was still a good achievement: I would hope,however, that the team will build on this in futureyears under the direction of Mr Pepper.

During the scheduled season it was nice to seethat we managed to turnaround the Pocklingtonresult from last year. However, the Woodhouse Grovegame was lost in the first 10 minutes which wasslightly disappointing.

The 7s season was again successful withoutreaching the heights of last year. The Durham school7s saw us win every game bar the first (WoodhouseGrove). However, getting beaten during injury time ofthe Bradford 7s semi final and losing in the final ofthe Ampleforth 7s was disappointing, especially asthe team had led in the final and had the chance ofwinning the inaugural running of the BCS challengecup until capitulating against a very good WoodhouseGrove team. Our only silverware of the season waswinning the Durham County 7s.

I would also like to thank the occasional players whoalways supported the team from the sidelines. I wouldalso like to publicly thank all the parents who havesupported the boys in all types of weather throughoutthe couple of seasons and look forward to followingthe fortunes of a talented bunch of rugby playersduring the remainder of their school days and beyond.

MGL

U15B RugbyTeam from: S.Everall(c), R.Amery, J.Beachamp,H.Carter, B.Crow, B.Earl, J.Goudie, S.Goyette,H.Holden, D.Holden-Dalby, G.Jones, T.Knox, N.Miller,C.Parnell, W.Richardson, A.Rowland-Jones, B.Spratt,M.Stirk, D.Thompson, J.Thorman, J.Watson,M.White.

P 10/W 5/L 4/D 1

Results:Durham lost 5-33Yarm won 48-12RGS Newcastle won 19-12Manor College won 25-0Pocklington won 35-0Hymers won 17- 34Woodhouse Grove lost 24-27St.Peters lost 0-26Lord Lawson drew 29-29Gosforth High lost 10-43

The team played with heart and enthusiasm and, at times,a certain amount of skill. We lost some key players to theA team; Harry Holden was a great loss, but it is pleasingto see him developing so well, he is keen to learn.

James Beauchamp is a natural games player andcreated most of our flowing moves. Sam Goyette,another player who earned A team honours, is a goodtackler and incisive runner. The forwards worked hardto secure good ball for us and Alex Roland Jones wasalways keen to carry the ball forward; James Goudiegot around the park well, securing ball at the breakdown and punching well above his weight. I hope theplayers enjoyed the season as much as I did andlook to representing the School in the future. Thecharacter they showed, especially in winning theaway game at RGS Newcastle, was commendable.

BCU

U14 RugbyTeam: B. Lilley, M. Moss, J. Beckwith, , D. Hewitson, B. Pullan, J. Davidson, T. Adamson, H. Glover, M. Hargrove, S. Leaming, E. Kelsall, C. Waiter-Mackenzie, O. Pearce, S. Theakston, G. Hall, B. Tremewen, L. Ononeze, A. Keogh

A gruelling schedule of fixtures awaited the squad inSeptember, as we trained for the first time one sunnyafternoon I wondered if the boys could imagine just howfar they would come in the months ahead. Eight fixtureslay ahead in what would prove to be a period of growthfor a team coming of age.

As a squad we were always aware that we wouldhave difficult games against many of the best teamsin the region, and sure enough that was the case.Looking at the results it is easy to be disheartenedhowever for those of us who were there, the resultsdo not tell the whole story: The squad althoughoutsized by many opponents, have worked togethertirelessly to improve upon there own technique,attitude and effort and I can honestly say that theway in which this team has developed and improvedfrom September through the season has beenexcellent.

There attitude on the training field has been verygood and there willingness to learn new patterns ofplay and moves has set them up with the tools tobuild upon for next season. The squad is full oftalented players with potential and I am sure thatthis potential will be realised in the near future.

Well done and thank you.LDM

U14B RugbySquad: Ben Pullan (Captain), Tom Adamson, Joe Bolton, James Davidson, Andrew Fearneyhough,Matthew Fearneyhough, Joseph Ferguson, Sam Graham, Matthew Hunter, Arran Keogh, OliverLarcombe, Al Lea, Zach Lucas, Nicolas Moore, Dylan Oliver, Joe Scott, Alex Sowerby, Tom Sowerby,Tim Stirke, Ben Tremewan, Jack Wardle and James Wren.

Results:Durham School lost 17 – 31Yarm won 14 – OSt Hilds (Cup) lost 0 – 50RGS Newcastle lost 37 – 5Pocklington won 55 – 0Hymers College lost 7 – 22Woodhouse Grove won 32 – 5

I have been very fortunate having the privilege to coach thisgroup of players for a second season. It has been a delightwatching them improve and develop over the past twoyears. One of the easiest ways to measure improvement isby comparing results on the field. Last year they lostnarrowly to Pocklington School, this year they won 55-0.Twelve months ago they lost to Woodhouse Grove, this yearthey won away from home, 32-5.

Ben Pullen continued to captain the side and hasthe respect of all members of the squad. This is trueteam, a team with tremendous spirit. Ben Tremewan,Tim Stirke and Tom Adamson were very effectiveforwards, supported by James Davidson, Al Lea,Oliver Larcombe, Nicholas Moore and Tom Sowerby.Joe Bolton and Arran Keogh both showed greatdetermination in the backs. Andrew and MatthewFearneyhough continued to improve and offered agreat deal in all areas, both attack and defence. AlexSowerby, James Wren and Joe Scott remain stalwartsof this team, offering a reliable presence at all times.

Competition for places was fierce and competitive,with individuals playing out of position in order toaccommodate team-mates. The on field atmospherewas outstanding, with support and encouragementreadily available when it was required. The fifteenplayers on the field were supported by a large andable group on the substitutes’ bench. It was pleasingto see so many boys representing the School, somethis season, for the first time.

Practices were enjoyable, competitive and fun.Sadly, I doubt I will be lucky enough to take this groupagain next year. It has been a delight beingassociated with them and I would like to wish themgood luck for the future.

DWD

U13 RugbyTeam from: H. Barkes (capt), S. Adamson, J. Blackburn, J. Ellis, A. Ferguson, J. Hardy, J. Hetherington, R. Holden, T. Hunter, J. Jennings, D. Maidwell, J. Marston, T. Metcalfe, T. Metcalf, B. Roddam, C. Simpson, S. Stainthorp, N. White

A tough season for the under 13’s with six wins and onedraw out of thirteen games probably a fair reflection ofhow the season went. There was some attractive rugbyplayed, by both forwards and backs. The pack held theirown in the scrum and won a lot of ball against the head.When meeting larger opponents on occasion ourtackling deserted us, however our head never droppedand the boys always gave there all.

During the sevens season the team were deservedwinners of the County competition without losing agame. The team were pipped in the plate final atWoodhouse Grove 7’s in what was a very toughcompetition. The boys brought home there secondpiece of silver wear (well baked goods) winning theStottie Cup at Mowden Hall. The season ended atthe National School 7’s at Rosslyn Park with theteam managing two excellent wins in the groupstages before losing to eventual finalists Whitgift inthe final group game.

I would like to thank Mr Everall, Mr Lewis, MrConnor and Mr Monument for there help over theseason and for the fantastic support from theparents for both home and away matches. I believethat this squad will go on to achieve bigger andbetter things and I will always have one eye on thereprogress.

JWL

U13B RugbyResults:Cundall Manor wonNewcastle School for Boys won 70-0Grindon hall won 55-0St Martins Ampleforth won 48-5Woodhouse Grove won 47-0Durham won 38-14Hymers won 14-10Sedbergh Juniors won 38-14Pocklington won 24-0St Olaves lost 7-44RGS Newcastle lost 0-44Yarm drew 17-17

Virgil once remarked, “They can because they think theycan.” This seemed to be the story of what ended up tobe a very good season for the U13 B team.

Autumn Sports


The season’s fixtures commenced against Yarm,the boys were up for the game, but this well drilledopposition were just as strong on the day. Comingfrom behind and showing a great team spirit, AngusFerguson and Dan Brown scored fantastic tries todraw the game. The coaching staff stepped up thetraining and the squad reacted and a well disciplinedmachine was beginning to form. In the followingweeks, the boys had good wins over Pocklington andSedbergh with Josh Bloomfield putting in some verystrong tackling. Around this time of the season therewere A- team call-ups for Ben Roddam, Dan Brownand Angus Ferguson, finally adding quality to the U13A team.

The squad was bolstered by newcomer Alfred Tsoiand Anthony Pearce, known as the gazelle who reallyadded to the “Lion hearts,” with Alfred playing wellagainst Grindon Hall and Anthony scoring a greattouchline try at Pocklington. The moral was high withCaptain Josh Picken kicking 100 points and with AlexIngram on the wing, the squad was able to reformand up their game against Durham, Hymers and StMartin St Martin – Ampleforth, winning all threegames.

Throughout the season Owen Carter and ChrisDouglas played exceptionally and could not befaulted for their attitude and game play. A toughgame followed with Woodhouse Grove, but CieranSpence, Matthew Raper, Tom Matcalfe who are alltough, naturally strong forwards made sure of victory.The final game of the season must go HarryMcGuire, Edward Young and Matthew Stirke madesure of an 83% unbeaten record during the season.A special mention must go to the Josh Picken, thecaptain, for his enthusiasm.

NJC

U12 RugbyCaptain: Z. DaySquad: N. Bridger, D. Custance, H. Thompson, G. Johnstone, D. Burnett, M. Moss, J. Pickering, C. Glover, M. Thompson, J. Clouston, S. McCall, L. Conner, A. Farr, A. Usher, J. Dickinson, A. Tsoi.Results:Yarm won 10 – 7Aysgarth won 33 – 0 RGS Newcastle lost 5 – 10St. Olaves lost 0 - 62Hymers won 24 - 5Woodhouse Grove lost 0 – 14Durham School won 46 – 5Ian Ramsay won(opposition on school trip! Cup game.)Harton won 33 – 0St Martin’s won 35 – 7

This is one of the best set of results that I’ve had froman U12 side for some time. They only lost to our usualtoughest three opposition teams. However, I amconvinced that Newcastle were beatable if we hadanother 5 minutes.

The Yarm game is always our first and it alwaysgives me an indication as to how the season is goingto go even if we don’t win. I have always maintainedthat you are only as good as your defence and it wasgreat to see that the school was going to have a hardhitting and very defensive number 10 and 12 in JoePickering and Zak Day. There is no doubt in my mindthat if it hadn’t been for there defensive covering thatour results would not have been half as good.

Considering that some players hadn’t picked up arugby ball before I think that the development of theplayers has been super as the season progressedand I thank Mr Pepper and Mr Monument for theircoaching role in the team’s improvement- JackDickinson and John Clouston who both picked upawards for most improved players.

The U12 side at Barney always seems to be smallcompared to other teams and winning scrums hasalways been a problem. However the front row ofBridger, Custance and Thompson proved a worthymatch for all our opposition – especially once theirfitness levels improved!

The 7’s season went pretty well but losing Zak veryearly due to injury always meant that success wasgoing to be limited. We weren’t very strong in depthand we lost in the semi-final of all of the tournamentsthat we entered. We could do with a few extra pacemen coming into the year group as the years pass.

I have very much enjoyed taking these young menand I have no doubt that we will see great things fromthem as they develop their playing careers year byyear. I will look forward to the day I see them marchout on to the first team pitch!

MHN

U12B RugbyTeam: T. Crowther, A Howarth, D. Roberts, A. Farr, A. Booth, M. Dalton, A. Usher, D. Burnett, T. Mathews, J. Stevens, T. Greaves, A. Mackay, A. Rusk, J. Raw, W. Carter, T. Carter, T. Wilkinson, C. Lewis, M. Thompson, U. Abbasi, J. Andrew.

The season began on a dark September’s afternoon;nervous faces huddled around the back porch unsure ofwhat lay ahead. Many of the boys had never experiencedcontact rugby before, and with a fiercely tough fixture listwe all knew there was plenty to learn before our firstmatch.

I was very impressed by the attitude of the group asa whole, as the boys were never afraid to try newthings even when confronted with the fear of “thismight smart a bit”, and when the weather closed intwenty two smiling faces would still arrive for agames session asking what are we learning todaysir? It was this enduring will to learn and progressthat has made the season so enjoyable for allinvolved. I am sure that the players will concur thatwe have come a very long way and we are still onlyscratching the surface of achieving to our potential.

U12B rugby really does capture the pure essenceof rugby; the enjoyment it can bring, the camaraderienot to mention the physical benefits. This set ofyoung men has embraced these points and all of usawait the commencement of next season eagerly.

LDM

Girls 1st Hockey

Team from: Anna Dawson (C), Rachel Brown, Jess Scott, Jasmin Jenkinson, Brooke Goudie, Helen Simpson, Donna Opray, Hannah Byers, Emma Peat, Emily Turner, Katherine Walton, Gaby Hazell, Lottie Holmes, Jess Thompson, Jess Brice, Helen Alderson, Sophie Thompson, Tory Richardson, Rebecca McKitton

P 12/W 10/D 2/L 0/F 50/A 6

Full Colours: Anna Dawson, Rachel Brown, Jess Scott,Jasmin Jenkinson, Brooke Goudie. Half Colours: HelenSimpson, Hannah Byers, Emma Peat, Emily Turner

“The way a team plays as a whole determines itssuccess. You may have the greatest bunch of individualstars in the world, but if they don’t work together theteam won’t be worth a dime.” (Babe Ruth)

There are many ways to judge success. Some willsay that results are the most important thing. Idisagree, although our results are the best of any 1stXI Hockey team in the school’s history. Others willsay that skill levels are crucial. I agree that they areimportant, but if skill was everything then why makesport competitive? Are the most skilful playersalways the ones with the greatest desire?

No. The thing that, more than anything else, definessuccess in a team sport is teamwork. One of thebest things I can say about this year’s team is thatno-one enjoyed playing them. When we had the ballwe were skilful and imaginative going forward. Whenthe opposition had the ball we gave them no respite,no easy time and no chance to dwell on the ball. Weplayed the best schools the north east could throwat us and, with the exception of an excellent DurhamSchool team, won every game.

Last year Yarm School 1st XI played our 2nd XI andwon. The result this time reflected the true standardof play – we could have won by a lot more. The matchagainst Durham School was a classic. Both teamsplayed fantastic hockey and created chances to win.Any result other than a draw would have been atravesty. Rebecca McKitton, in her first 1st XI game,was given a baptism of fire. Despite the fact that shewas trembling like a trifle in a hurricane for the wholegame, she made some excellent saves!

Pocklington were next. They had an England schoolgirlplayer who dominated their team. We had 11 skilfulplayers who wanted to win. No contest. There were twodefining moments for me. The first was how we scoredtwo goals while one of our players was sin-binned andthe second was when a member of the U14 team whowas watching the game commented, “Are you allowedto be so aggressive?” Yes you are – that’s how you wingames.

An emotional fixture against Richmond Schoolfollowed, before we played St Peter’s. Jack Dempsey,a famous boxer, once said that, “A champion issomeone who gets up when he can’t”. For thesecond year running we beat them after going 1-0down. The game against St Bee’s was noticeable forRachel Brown getting on the scoresheet twice afterthree brilliant year’s service for the 1sts.

Another tough, pulsating match against DurhamSchool followed. Will the girls ever understand thedamage such games can wreck with a coach’s heart?A draw was another fair result. Emmanuel Collegecame next and they played the game in the rightspirit and greatly impressed us. A victory againstHymers followed. They are among the toughest ofopponents and victory, our first for a while, wassweet. (Hymers, it must be said, got their own backin the North-Eastern finals later in the season,beating us with a goal in the last minute. Very goodluck to them and I hope that they did well in the nextround – a very good team.)

The match against Giggleswick was very closelyfought. In fact it was a fairly dirty affair with bothsides giving as good as they got. We won a closelyfought, and not particularly skilful, encounter. Thematches against King’s Tynemouth and Castertonalso saw us on the winning side. Then winter cameearly and we were denied any further chances.

(Continued >)


The players we had were fantastic all season. Namingindividuals detracts from the fact that we were acomplete team that did not depend on stars, but I mustmention some of our upper 6th players. Their baptisminto 1st team hockey two years ago was hard, but theyhave come back stronger and harder.

Brooke Goudie and Helen Simpson have epitomisedthe strong work ethic the team has and have beeninvaluable this season. Jasmin Jenkinson is one of thebest goalkeepers I have seen and the same is true ofJess Scott at centre forward. Rachel Brown is the bestpasser of the ball I have seen in thirteen years at Barney.As for our captain, Anna Dawson, I cannot speak highlyenough. She has played through innumerable injurieswithout a murmour of complaint (most players who havedislocated their shoulder would prefer to miss the nextgame!) and has played with a skill and intensity that youdo not usually see at schoolgirl level. All of them leavewith the school’s thanks and best wishes for the future.

We don’t buy players in. We don’t rely onscholarship players to win us games, unlike someother schools. Our players are born and bred atBarney. Above all, we remember the words of Kiplingand try to “meet with triumph and disaster and treatthese two impostors just the same”. Next year it willbe hard to achieve what we did in this, but we will beready for the challenge.

MPI

Girls 2nd HockeyCaptain: Harriet KnowlesVice Captain: Emma AndersonSquad: Jess Brice, Harriet Knowles, Donna Opray,Josie Amery, Emma Anderson, Kat Walton, Paige Wilkinson, Victoria Richardson, HelenAlderson, Hannah Robertson, Charlotte Dickinson,Harriet Mchugh, Rebecca Mckitten, Sophie Wray,Sophie Brown, Sophie Thompson, Lottie Holmes,Jess Roberts, Katie Ferguson, Jess Thompson,Chloe Thacker, Gabbie Hazell

P 8/W 6/L 2/D 0/F22/A6

It was another good year for the 2nd team losing onlytwo matches in what was a shortened Hockey seasondue to the heavy snow we had at the end of November.The girls have proved a match for most 2nd teams theyhave come up against this year and will no doubt behoping to avenge the disappointing results against StPeters and Pocklington in the Autumn of 2011. My pickof the results has to be the wins against Giggleswick andHymers, the girls were unstoppable in both thesematches and played the opposition off the pitchdominating from start to finish.

It was great working with the second team girls andI have enjoyed every minute of it, even when I wasjumping up and down on the side line when thingsdidn’t go as planned shouting “Stop shovelling theball and start passing to each other!”

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my captainHarriet Knowles and Vice Captain Emma Andersonwho have played in the 2nd team for all three of theirsenior years and will be sorely missed in the Autumnboth on and off the pitch.

As always to the girls who will be here next year seeyou at pre season and I look forward to seeing youforce your way into the 1st XI, to the girls who will notbe here I wish you a fond farewell and the best ofluck in the future.

CJG

Girls 3rd HockeyCaptain: Jessica RobertsVice Captain: Harriet WardSquad: Jess Brice, Paige Wilkinson, Helen Alderson,Hannah Robertson, Charlotte Dickinson, Harriet Mchugh, Rebecca Mckitten, Sophie Wray,Sophie Brown, Sophie Thompson, Jess Roberts,Katie Ferguson, Chloe Thacker, Lauren Cardin-Grigg,Jess Allison Hughes, Hannah Pullen, Caroline Simpson, Olivia Metcalf, Vicky Mckay,Harriet Ward, Imogen Richardson, Natalie Shaw,Alice Mcbain, Megan Concalves-Collins

P 4/W 1/L 1/D 2/F 10/A 10

It was another good year for the 3rd team losing onlyone match in what was a shortened Hockey season dueto the heavy snow we had at the end of November. The results don’t really show how much the 3rd teamhave improved this year from previous years. The onlyloss was a very disappointing game against St Peters inwhich whatever could have gone wrong did, add to thatthe girls who played had very poor games and the resultwas a 5-1 loss. Apart from this one off performance the3rd team played some great hockey this year and couldhave/should have won both the matches againstPocklington, a very exciting 4-4 Draw and a nail biting 2-2 Draw against Polam Halls 1st team where we were 2-0 up at half time.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my captainJess Roberts and Vice Captain Harriet Ward.

As always to the girls who will be here next year seeyou at pre season and I look forward to seeing youforce your way into the 2nd XI, to the girls who will notbe here I wish you a fond farewell and the best ofluck in the future.

CJG

Girls U16 HockeyCaptain: Katie FergusonSquad: Rebecca Mckitten, Abbie Glowienko,Amanda Usher, Jess Allison Hughes, Sophie Brown,Chloe Thacker, Tamsin Brown, Niamh Tait, Emily Newton, Vicky Mckay, Caitlin Bainbridge, Olivia Metcalf, Thea Thompson, Imogen Richardson,Gabbie Hazell, Lottie Holmes, Jess Thompson

P 6/W 4/L 2/D 0/F 14/A 9Another good season for the U16 squad with very good5-1 wins against Durham school and Kings Tynemouth.

In the National Cup we went through as CountyChampions to the North East Finals held on 15thNovember at Leeds University. In our group we had toplay Northumberland runners up and WestYorkshires Champions which was by far the mostdifficult group (West Yorkshire two years won theNational Cup at U14). Despite our group wemanaged to progress through to the semi finals asGroup runners up losing to West Yorkshire 4-1 butbeating Northumberland 1-0. In the Semi final weplayed Ampleforth (North Yorkshire Champions) andunfortunately ran out of steam after a hard Qualifyinggroup losing 3-1 and with it went our dreams ofreaching the North Finals for another year.

CJG

Girls U15 Hockey

Squad: Tamsin Brown (C) Team from: Abbi Glowienko, Helen Stephenson, Iona Borer,Bekki Westgarth, Amanda Usher, Niamh Tait, Thea Thompson, Jenny Stephenson, CaitlinBainbridge, Emily Newton, Becky Fraser, Kim Brolly,Rachel Pratt.Results:Giggleswick won 5-1Grammar School at Leeds won 5-0Hymers won 7-1King’s Tynemouth won 2-0Pocklington won 9-0St Bees won 9-0St Peters lost 1-2Yarm won 5-0

P 8/W 7/L 1/D 0This was a fantastic season for this very strong U15team. Their commitment to training and matches mustbe commended as should their enthusiasm andwillingness to learn. Each training session sawprogression in individual players and as a group theirunderstanding of movement, on and off the ball,improved dramatically. Particular congratulations toTamsin who captained the team and to Jenny who was,by far, the most improved player of the season.

We started the season at home with a convincingwin against Yarm, which was followed by an evenstronger win against Pocklington the following week;this was a very promising start for our forwards with14 goals being scored over 2 matches. We then wentto St Peters where we faced a very evenly matchedteam. This was an end to end game with severalopportunities being taken but also missed by bothteams. The end score was 2 to St Peters and 1 toBCS; a good win for them but a very frustrating lossfor us. The rest of our matches were challenging, funand always tiring, particularly for the midfield.However, the end result was always the same – aconvincing win for BCS.

Unfortunately, out of a possible 16 matches, only 8were played. At the start of the season several of thematches were cancelled by the opposition, they wereclearly scared by the strength of this BCS team. Theother matches were cancelled at the end of Novemberand through December due to snow and ice, a veryunfortunate combination on ‘all-weather’ pitches!

I have really enjoyed coaching this group of girls andI have been very impressed with their commitment tohockey. I hope that they continue to work hard toimprove their skills as many of them should belooking to get a place on the 1st XI next year.

LJS

Autumn Sports


Girls U14 Hockey

Captain: K Body Team from; E Ferguson, C Atkinson, J Metcalf, L Greaves, L Bussey, E Robson, L Knight, J Hunter, S Stephenson, L Bloomfield, S Currah, F Pollock.

Yarm (Away) lost 6-1Pocklington (Away) lost 4-1Casterton (Away) cancelledDurham High (Home) cancelledSt Peter’s (Home) drew 1-1Hymers (Home) lost 2-0Giggleswick (Home) won 2-1Durham School (Home) cancelledGS at Leeds won 2-0Sedbergh (home) cancelledRGS Newcastle (Away) cancelledAmpleforth (Away) cancelled

The Under 14 team has proved one of my greatesthockey challenges to date. They have been one of themost rewarding but also frustrating teams I have had thepleasure to coach. They were a team full of potential butlacking in confidence as a team.

The first two games of the season proved this withtwo defeats that could have been avoided given greaterconfidence and commitment. With this in mind, it wasa challenge I was happy to take on and I began withchanging a mindset to much a more positive oneChanges to positions were made and everyone wasmade to understand their roles within a game. Acombination of hard work on the teams part, and thetime spent playing against the year above meant thatthey developed the required competitive edge. This hada major impact on their ability to compete for the balland get them into a more competitive frame of mind.As the season progressed so did their skill level,understanding and more importantly positivedetermination to score and pressure the opposition.Teams such as St Peters who are always strong, werea good test of the team, and a draw was a good result.The hard work from the girls paid off and winningstarted to become a habit. It was a shame that, as theteam came together, so the snow came down. Thesecond half of the season was a whitewash (with snow)so games had to be cancelled. It was an abrupt end tothe season but one which was a complete turnaroundand I have no doubt that they will continue to evolveand go from strength to strength over the next coupleof seasons. They have been a pleasure to coach.

AA

Girls U13 Hockey

Captain: K. BorerTeam from: E. Beauchamp, E. Everall, B. Findlay, A. Gilligan, C. Harris, A. Jackson, A. Martin, P. Maw,P. Naesby, S. Pratt, C. Robertson, S. Scanlan, E. Thorman, A. Whitehead, H. Wynn-Jones.

A BCundall Manor lost 1-5 lost 0-5Pocklington lost 0-1Casterton draw 1-1Durham High draw 0-0Terrington Hall won 2-1St Bees won 4-0Yarm lost 0-2 Won 6-0Hymers lost 0-6Durham School won 3-0Kings Tynemouth cancelledGiggleswick won 4-1Red House won 2-0St Olave’s lost 1-2Leeds Grammar lost 0-6St Martin’s cancelled cancelledRichmond cancelledRGS Newcastle cancelledQueen Mary’s cancelled

I have been delighted with the progress that thisenthusiastic group of players have made over theseason. Having previously only played seven asidematches in Year 7, they quickly adapted their skills andimproved their fitness to prepare for a full sided game ona larger pitch.

With the first three matches away from home, thegirls were excited about travelling, but unfortunatelydidn’t return to school victorious, with theopportunity to cheer on the Central Hall table (atradition held only for successful teams!). It took awhile for the girls to gel together and realise thedemands of their individual positions and work as atight defensive unit.

The team were unlucky against Casterton School.Barney scored just before the half time. Castertonpressurised in the second half, our defencepanicked, and despite some good goal keeping byBethan Findlay an own goal was conceded.

The highlight of the season was a spectacularvictory away against St Bees. The team keptpossession well using strong, accurate passes andSarah Scanlan scored all four of the Barney goals.Emma Beauchamp had a super game in defence andthere was very little involvement for our goal keeperon this occasion as the opposition struggled topenetrate the goal circle.

A special mention must go to Kerin Borer, PhilippaMaw and Sarah Scanlan who were selected torepresent the School in the U14 North of EnglandHockey Semi-Final. Bad weather towards the end ofthe season meant that many fixtures were cancelled,but the team can be proud of the progress they havemade and look forward to greater success next term.

TCB

Girls U12 Hockey

Captain: A. Ridley Team from: C. Waldin, I. Hewitson, F. Summers, S. Nichols, E. Gossage, B. Wilson. B Squad: K. Hodgson, F. Waiter-Mackenzie, C. McEwan, L. Newton, J. Hall, E. Porter, K. Rhodes, R. Wilkinson.

U12 A Results: Pocklington lost 1-3Durham Choristers draw 2-2Yarm lost 1-5Hymers lost 15-0Durham won 7-0St Anne’s Windermere cancelledGiggleswick won 5-0Red House won 3-1Cundall Manor lost 1-3St Olave’s won 2-1Leeds Grammar School draw 1-1Polam Hall cancelledSt Martin’s cancelledThe U12 A team was fortunate to have many membersmoving up from their Prep School team. The team hadbeen very successful in Prep School, but soon realizedthat in Senior School they needed to work hard and putin an entire team effort to win. They started their seasonwith a tough loss against Pocklington. Each gamefollowing Pocklington the girls improved greatly in theirskill, communication and use of space on the pitch. Theyhad the will to win and put in the practice time to reachtheir goals. They succeeded with great wins againstDurham High, Giggleswick, Red House, and St. Olave’s aswell as draws against Durham Choristers and LeedsGrammar School. Led by Alice Ridley these girls’ showedgreat commitment and enthusiasm.

U12 B Results: Pocklington lost 2-3Durham Choristers lost 2-3Yarm won 2-1Hymers lost 12-0Sunderland High won 9-0St Anne’s Windermere cancelledSt Olave’s lost 1-3Leeds Grammar School lost 3-4Polam Hall cancelled

The B team was made up of many players who were newto hockey. All of the girls worked very hard in trainingand were able to improve very quickly.

The team impressed with their determinationdespite starting the season with tough losses toPocklington and Durham Choristers. They managedexcellent wins against Yarm and Sunderland High.With more practice and playing experience, the teamwill be successful in future seasons. Additionally, thegirls’ demonstrated gracious sportswomen likeattitudes in even the most difficult competitivemoments.

All of the U12 girls were a pleasure to coach. I wishthem all the best in future hockey seasons.

EMB


Spring Term


Spring Term

Intermediate HouseSpeaking Competition

The annual competition convenedagain in Big School on March 10thwith a team of 4 representingeach house.

We were very fortunate to have an esteemed adjudicatorthis year with Governor Mooney judging the competition. There were plenty of nervous twitches and pacing

about as a large crowd of staff and pupils gathered.Tees House started the competition with a speechabout the merits of prep being set every night andthey set the bar high for the subsequent teams. MrsMooney rightly praised all the teams as everybodykept their nerve and delivered polished and wellresearched speeches. Marwood House were welldeserved winners with an excellent debate on theimportance of gaining academic qualifications. Teamcaptain Lizzie Knight came up to receive the trophyon behalf of the House.

MLW

Inter House PublicSpeaking competition

As ever, the audience was treatedto an eclectic mix of content anddelivery style, although to be fairin the latter regard it was all highquality, a factor fully admired byour adjudicator, Mrs J Mooney.Governor of HMYOI Deerbolt.

Longfield started the evening with a lucid assault on theinsidious negativities of sexism. Tees followed this with a(justified) complaint about the trivialising excesses of‘celebs’, so gushingly delineated by “OK” and its ilk.Shakespeare/Macbeth would certainly have identifiedwith North’s wise observations about “vaulting ambition,”while those with any interest in the legal system wouldhave warmed to Bowes’ argument that very little is blackand white: justice is often a shade of grey, a nice mix ofaggravation and mitigation. As Eddie Carbone says, “Allthe law is not in a book.”Footballing wealth was next to demand our

attention as Dale House questioned the true value ofPremiership salaries, and bang up to date, Durhamsought (successfully) to adjust our/my resistantperceptions of social networking sites. The last 2teams, York and Marwood, took us into very cerebralterritory as we were asked to wrestle with notions ofethics, conscience and religion. The quality caused its usual dilemma: how to find

a winner and Mrs Mooney was at pains to stressshow tight the competition had been. However, therehad to be a winner and this year Durham walked offwith the trophy. Congratulations go to HarryBainbridge, Tom Harrison and Will Ford.

AMW

Public SpeakingThe quality caused its usualdilemma: how to find a winner “ ”


In the past few years, the LecternClub has returned to the centre of the sixth form’s attention asone of the more enjoyable eventsof the social calendar, following a brief hiatus.

The most recent of these, last Thursday, proved to be noexception. Merely hours after posters bearing the movieposter of a Monty Python classic and Douglas Adam’sinfamous 42 appeared, many young speakers weredeveloping strong headaches. The title of The Meaningof Life was clearly a difficult one to break down.The night, however, did not disappoint. The three

male figures on the committee opened the evening;Nicholas Crowe welcomed everyone, James Ingrampresented the kitchen staff with a gift for their hardefforts and Harry Bainbridge read a passage fromThe Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy for an“alternative perspective” on the meaning of life. Theshort speeches, following a starter of duck paté,were captivating, serious and witty. Lectern Clubrookie Thomas Harrison took the sought-after prize inthis category with his Alan Partridge and David Brent-esque look at the modern economy. The longerspeeches arrived after steak and chips and, much tothe audience’s delight, were equally as enthrallingand thought-provoking, with veteran of the lecternNeil Stanwix impressing the Committee the most.Following weeks of meticulous preparation, theLectern Club Committee seemed exceptionallypleased with the event. Chairman Nicholas Crowesaid “The speeches tonight were, without a doubt,the highest standard I have seen at any LecternClub”, whilst Harry Bainbridge, Committee memberand Head of Durham House added “It was fantasticto see two Durham House boys win tonight. Thiscertainly presents me with a tough decision to makefor the Inter-House Public Speaking competition.” Itwas a hugely successful, enjoyable night for all thatcertainly will not be forgotten. All eyes are surelyfixed on the Today Board for the unveiling of thetheme of the final Lectern Club of this year.

Harry Bainbridge

LecternClub

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05 >> 06 >> 07 >> 08 >>

The ‘Triple Crown’ is an honourusually associated with the annualRBS Six Nations rugby tournament,when one nation of the UnitedKingdom is successful in defeatingthe other three. It is not an awardassociated with public speaking or,for that matter, public speaking atBarnard Castle School.

However, following the final Lectern Club of theacademic year, one member of the Sixth Form walkedaway triumphant with the achievement of his own ‘TripleCrown’. Tom Harrison, a member of the eloquentDurham House, added victory in the Long Speechcategory to his previous successes in the Short Speechand the Public Speaking competitions – an achievementthat has left the young man from Gainford beaming eversince. Arriving at the school the following day, dressed inhis sharp new suit provided by the Dress andAppearance committee, it was clear that Tom had founda new joie de vivre.This accolade was hardly unprecedented. His past

efforts have been outstanding, particularly as he isstill a lightweight rookie in the world of publicspeaking. However, the competition wasexceptionally strong. Emily Turner opened with herviews on the category chosen by Mrs Beaty, “FutureMemories”, with a strong and engaging effort. TheLectern Club is no stranger to controversy, andSophie Thompson provided enough with her speech,entitled ‘To My Dearest’ – addressing her grandchildof the future – to fuel a tabloid newspaper for sometime. The stormy debates continued as MattEmmerson stepped up to the lectern with fiveminutes of vocal criticism of Israel and its politics.The attention was then turned to Tom Harrison, andhis speech ‘The Real Head of School’. Introduced byHead of School Nic Crowe, the speech already had awitty beginning. Tom delivered his speech faultlessly,combining wit and thought-provoking points. Thespeech concluded to a tremendous applause andstanding ovations from some.That said, if there is one rule everyone should live

their life by, it is this: Never write off Will Ford. Will’snatural intelligence and flair for public speaking arethe positives to his work ethic and questionable hairstyles. His vocalisation of the topic was asconsistently good as ever, including the classic Fordwit and phrases to make the mind boggle – “pallidzenith” for one. Certainly, there were disputes aroundthe Lectern Club committee’s table as the decisionwas such a tough one. Harrison emerged victorious,with housemate Ford in a close second.Earlier in the evening, the Short Speech

competition was a closely fought battle. Ben Jeffreyopened proceedings with a stirring tribute to VarunBalupuri, followed by Chris Bury’s ‘Déjá Vu’. Heather

Appleby then made her debut with ‘MakingMemories’. Peter Wickham discussed unsungheroes whilst Natalie Shaw looked at bad memorieswith one eye on the crisis in Libya. Sam Oakesadvised that we live for the moment and CameronJones’ speech, ‘The Road Not Taken’ incorporatedRobert Frost’s famous poem, suggesting that we godown the harder paths in our lives for the benefitsin the long run. Luke Shield closed the category witha clever, different, Who Am I?-esque biography ofLibertine Pete Doherty. The standard of speechesacross the night was exceptional but, unfortunately,not everyone can win. Chris Bury finally took thespoils at the third attempt, with Heather Applebygrabbing second place.Overall, this year’s Lectern Clubs have grown from

strength to strength, always leaving everyone with asmile on their face. I would like to thank everyonewho spoke over the course of the year, Mrs Beaty forall her heard work and, finally, my fellow committeemembers for the efforts they have put into theseevenings. It is with great sadness that we now retire,but we wish next year’s committee the best of luckand hope the Lectern Club will live long and prosper.

Harry Bainbridge


The traditional spring term musical this year was RENT:School Edition – anything but traditional! Despite havingbeen billed as quite a controversial choice due to itsgritty content (or possibly because of it!), more studentsthan ever took part both on and off stage. Fourteen students were involved behind the

scenes, with jobs as varied as lighting, sound,pyrotechnics, front of house and projection, with afurther fifty students singing, dancing and actingtheir way through the rock opera. At its heart, RENT:School Edition is an ensemble piece and it would nothave been possible without the hard work of all sixty-four students involved. A special mention must go to a few people though.

Oliver Chrisp produced a stunning black and whitemovie for the end of the performance which wasbeyond any of our expectations. It mainly featuredthe principal actors and they too deserve a specialmention: Freddie McBain hardly left the stage asMark Cohen and he even battled through twoperformances with his arm bandaged and then inplaster; Luke Shield and Hannah Robertson weregreat as Roger and Mimi, the show’s main love story;Jevany Thompson and Martha Moore were excellentas the on-again/off-again couple Joanne andMaureen; Alec Clary and Harry Bainbridge broughtpeople to tears with their portrayals of Collins andAngel – which is difficult to achieve when one of youis in drag; and Rupert Barrett was great as Benny inhis first appearance on the BCS stage.

Hannah Robertson writes:“I was so delighted when I was finally given the

chance to undergo a lead role. Having been a part ofschool musical productions for my previous sixyears, I know that the reward you gain at the end ofit is most certainly worth the effort it takes”.RENT: School Edition, being a rock opera, obviously

holds very little dialogue, and it was most certainlyone of the biggest challenges Mr. Mawhinney and hismusic accompaniment have been faced with. Neverthe less, it all seemed to come together once theband was in rehearsal, and what an amazingatmosphere it was. It was such a privilege to be apart of it all. However, of course under the direction of Miss

Baldwin, there was no doubt that the end performanceswould be polished to perfection. Rehearsals wereunderway first thing after the Christmas holidays. Andwith the lead roles having been given a CD track of allthe songs to listen to, this gave us the chance to reallyget the song lyrics drilled into our heads.

One thing about performing RENT: School Editionwas creating the impression that we were American;it’s always more fun being given the opportunity toact with a different accent. I speak on behalf of theentire cast as well when I say what a massivechallenge it was to make sure we delivered thestoryline successfully through our singing. However,with the endless amounts of rehearsals gatheredaround the piano together in musical school, andblocking our movements to the set on stage, wemanaged to master the task. The set design this year was most certainly

outstanding. Not everyone gets the chance to betaught how to slide down a pole, whilst singing at thesame time! Once the lyrics of songs were learnt, and Miss

Baldwin’s excellent choreography was grasped, alongwith the mighty F’s outstanding staging, lighting andsound effects, RENT: School Edition was a hugesuccess. With Big School being filled every night, itcreated an inexpressible feeling for the cast, andwith the amount of adrenaline from backstage, theperformances night after night just got better.”

EB

Rentthe musical

The set design this year was mostcertainly outstanding. Not everyonegets the chance to be taught how toslide down a pole, whilst singing atthe same time!

“”


Spring 2011 was a busy termfor the Theatre Studiesdepartment, as the studentsprepared their final practicalassessment. The evening inearly March saw the arrival ofthe external examiner, whowas introduced to the groupbefore they disappearedbackstage to prepare.

The evening kicked off with Oliver Chrisp andJevany Thompson performing a scene fromGeorge Bernard Shaw’s ‘Pygmalion’. Oli playedthe debonair Henry Higgins, whilst Jev performedthe likeable and tragic Eliza, trapped betweensocial classes following Higgins’ experiment toturn her into a ‘Lady’. This was followed by GraceBishop and Donna Opray as Cecily andGwendolen respectively, in an hilarious scenefrom Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Importance of BeingEarnest’, arguing over their two boyfriends. Thiswas followed by Oli reprising his role as HenryHiggins, this time with Hannah Robertson asEliza.After the scripted performances, the group

performed their dark and twisted devisedperformance, ‘Running With Scissors’. Thispiece told the story of a group of friends who trydrugs, and showed the party through their 5separate perspectives, dealing with theresultant death of one of the group. Each of thecharacters dealt with this death in their ownway, and it was a harrowing and upsetting pieceof original theatre, enjoyed by all.

TSE

Five Carter brothers from Barnard Castle School, Hugh,Hamish, Owen and twins Will and Tom, joined more than200 other students to take part in the 119th annualBarnard Run helping to raise thousands of pounds forthe Butterwick Children’s Hospice.The race, which has been staged every year since

1885, and is the oldest competition in the school’shistory, has raised more than £30,000 in the pastseven years.Sponsorship money is collected from the qualifying

Barney Bash events and the main Barnard Run itselfand for the first time this year a staff run, which sawreligious studies teacher Rick Longley take first placefrom physics teacher Andy Dunn, with maths teacherBen Usher in third.For the female staff, biology teacher Caroline Hall

was first past the line beating geography teacher AmyJackson.

Teacher and race organiser Charles Alderson said:“Not all of our students, or indeed teachers, enjoytaking part in the run, especially in such coldweather, but they all do it for a good cause.“Having five brothers from one family taking part

must be a school record and we are delighted tohave raised so much money with such a massiveeffort from everyone involved.”Chief executive of Butterwick Hospice Care Graham

Leggatt-Chidgey, who presented awards to thewinners, added: “I am extremely grateful to all thestaff and students at Barnard Castle School for theirenormous contribution to helping the ButterwickChildren’s Hospice.“Fundraising makes a real difference to the

children with life limiting conditions that we care forand I would like to thank everyone who took part fortheir efforts.”

A Level TheatreStudies

Spring Term

BandOf Brothers

Library

World Book Day celebrations were made extra special inthe library this year knowing that one of our short storyentries had won a national competition.Ellie Sowden’s (year 10 Bowes) story was selected

as one of just 12 winners from 3500 entries. Shewas given the first line by the creator of PercyJackson, leading author Rick Riordan. Herpresentation by Evans publishers took place onWorld Book Day, the 3 March, and to add to theexcitement she later appeared live on local radio.Also on this day £1 World Book Day book vouchers

were given to all students and copies of the £1 (freewith voucher) World Book Day books were availableto all who required them. All over school there was abuzz of reading excitement as students and staffwere photographed reading for pleasure. The photographs were displayed for all to see in

central hall and readers were awarded a raffle ticket.The owners of the winning tickets who receivedEaster eggs were Joe Andrews (year 7 North), TomCrowther (year 7 Durham) and Matthew Priestley(year 9 Durham). The event was a huge success.

CLS

A schoolboy saxophonist has reached acrescendo after gaining a distinction in a qualification normally awarded at university.Barnard Castle School student Arjen

Jongschaap now boasts letters after his nameand a cap and gown in the wardrobe afterbecoming an Associate of the London College ofMusic in jazz saxophone.The distinction comes on the heels of Arjen

being hailed the ‘outstanding soloist’ at theGreat Northern Big Band Festival, hosted bySunderland University, which attracts more than500 musicians from across the North ofEngland. His band – Durham Youth Big Band –also won its section.The 18-year-old, of Witton-le-Wear, was also

awarded the coveted title of Musician of the Yearin the hotly contested school music competition.He said: “I really love playing jazz but it is great

to be recognised by the adjudicators and I wasthrilled to secure a distinction.”Arjen is taught by eminent sax player and

Barnard Castle School bandmaster MickDonnelly who has backed some of the world’sbest musicians and stars such as the SugarBabes.He said: “Arjen really is a natural talent

exhibiting originality, which to me makes thedifference between a good musician and a greatone. I know he wants to pursue a career in themedical profession but he is certainly goodenough to succeed as a professional musicianshould he want to.”

ArjenJongschaap


“The eternal city at last” said Mr. Brettell as he gazed out of theaircraft’s window. Soon we werestanding in St. Peter’s Square,having already lost some peopleto Rome’s perilous side-streets.

Controversy developed between the Theologian (Rev.)and the rest of the group over the origins of the words“Pontifex Maximus” which despite popular belief doesnot mean ‘chief bridge builder’. Next was the Pantheon and the ice cream shop, or

“gelateria” as we came to know it well. ThePantheon’s dome and high ceilings allowed for manyelaborate paintings and much light to be shed;creating a grand atmosphere and celebrating all thegods. The quotation of the day was “Why are youcheesing your mousse?” in response to a situationin the restaurant which we won’t elaborate on.Aurora rose upon a new day and after stocking up

on yum-yums we hit the Colosseum. Its size andpreservation was impressive; it quite frankly blewminds. Not to mention the drama added to by MrBrettell’s blood-curdling cries of “Blue Rock Thrush!”Mr. Gedye ridiculed such a magnificent bird with hissighting of the green-footed pigeon.

The next day our fellow visitors in the Forum weredelighted by a particularly impassioned recitation ofCicero’s second Phillipic by our very own Roman. Inthe afternoon we journeyed to the old Roman porttown of Ostia, where to our own amazement weencountered our very own supernatural experience.After exploring alone, a few of us came across amysterious building… “That’s a Mithraic temple,” saida sudden voice, cowed in the wind. We spun aroundto find a wizened German lady, who informed us aboutour recent find. We turned to leave, but wanting to askone last question we looked back only to find that shehad disappeared, just like the ancient inhabitants ofOstia themselves. Thus the only logical explanationwas that she was a ghost, or a professor of AncientHistory, but that seems unlikely. We said our bitter sweet goodbyes to Roma and

began the treacherous journey to Napoli (Naples). Onthe way we stopped off at Hadrian’s Villa at Tivoli.This former home of the emperor has many exoticinfluences in the architecture and the layout of hisretreat; a result of his extensive travelling. At last we

Classics trip to Italy RS Trip tothe HinduMandir

arrived at our new hotel, luckily without the noisySpaniards, and after a thorough health and safetycheck from Miss Cover we could chill in the poolwatching the sun set over the bay of Naples. Webelieved in the green light, the orgastic future thatyear by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, butthat’s no matter — tomorrow we will run faster,stretch out our arms farther.... and one fine morning-we got up to go to Pompeii. Our day spent at Pompeii was one of much

anticipation after reading so much of Caecilius andhis adventures. The highlight had to have beenactually standing outside his very house. Anotherfond memory was the group’s chance encounter withJoey the lovely female retriever, to whom we allbecame quite attached. To this day mysterysurrounds some of the buildings in Pompeii and theirpurpose; something which cannot be said for theinfamous brothel house. The paintings arousedmuch scholarly interest and passion for the subjectfrom our young Classicists and Ho. The next day was one which we’ll have no trouble

remembering: the treacherous trek to Vesuvius’summit ultimately led to disappointment. It was ofcourse due to the old British friend: the weather. Thepath to the summit held greater dangers than usual,due to very poor visibility and torrential rain. At onepoint someone swears to have felt snow, althoughthese reports remain unconfirmed. Drenched, coldand tired we traipsed to Herculaneum, which alongwith pizza managed to soothe the sheer desolationof Vesuvius. Herculaneum is a city only partiallyuncovered due to a new town being built above, butits unique preservation arguably captures morehearts than Pompeii. The final day arrived and we journeyed to the

National Museum at Naples where we met our guidefor the day Claudia, whose peppy attitude kept usgoing throughout. Following a tour around theinteresting museum we went to a volcanic crater,Solfatara. This had a very strange atmosphere as theground shook upon the drop of a stone, makingseveral 6th formers scream with fear. Our last visit ofthe trip was to the Pozzuoli amphitheatre, arguablythe greatest amphitheatre we had experienced in ourshort lives. That night we celebrated with karaoke,which sent Cupid’s arrows flying…when in Rome. Inall it had been a thoroughly enjoyable trip and wewould like to extend out thanks to Miss Cover, MissSnaith, Rev., the Roman and the Emperor himself!Freddie Metcalfe, Chris Robinson and Natalie Shaw

“The Year 7 RS trip to theHindu Mandir allowed pupils toexperience multi-cultural issues in reality. They took part inpuja, wore Hindu clothes,played music, meditated, hadtheir faces painted with sacredsymbols and ate a vegetariancurry.” AJA

We arrived at a Hindu Temple in Newcastle. Onarrival we took our shoes off before we entered theTemple, so we had the same feeling as Hindushave. We then had a talk about Hinduism from a Priestess. We played some musical instruments, dressed

up as Hindus, had our faces painted, and ate alovely curry dish which was vegetarian. At the endof the day we meditated by doing a yoga class tohelp digest our food. The day was a once in alifetime experience, very interesting and we learnta lot as a group. We have a more balanced viewon world religions.

John Clouston

Spring Term


House ShootingCompetitionThe House Shooting Competition dominated the Springterm and with new rules to the competition, Housescould nominate 8 shooters to make up their team. Tees House were the overall winners, with in 2nd

place and Dale in 3rd place. Individual results wereBowes (1st CSM Helen Alderson, 2nd Cadet NiamhTait), Dale (1st Corporal Varun Balupuri, 2nd CorporalArran Day), Durham (1st Cadet Jonny Wanless, 2ndSergeant Ryan Strawbridge), Longfield (1st SergentHannah Byers, joint 2nd RSM Donna Opray, CadetChelsey Cole), Marwood (1st Sergeant Josie Amery,2nd Colour Sergeant Heather Appleby), North (1stCadet Matthew Jeffery, 2nd Cadet Jonny Coser), Tees(1st Lance Corporal Hugh Carter, 2nd ColourSergeant Oliver Chrisp) and York (1st Junior CorporalWill Prior, 2nd Cadet Alex Finkill).

Range DayTwenty cadets enjoyed a full days shooting on theranges at Catterick Garrison Training Area. As well as shooting from the 100m range, cadets

also had the opportunity to work in the butts, wherethey had to patch up the targets after every detail andalso ensure that the targets were in position during thetimed shoot. At the end of the day, the sectioncompetition results were 1 Section (1st Cadet WillGrundy, 2nd Cadet Ben Spratt), 2 Section (1st CorporalChris Moore, 2nd Corporal Arran Day) and the overallresults were 1st Corporal Chris Moore, 2nd CorporalArran Day and 3rd Lance Corporal Hugh Carter.

RecruitmentJust before the Easter holidays, all the year 9 pupils wereinvited to watch a CCF presentation delivered by MajorHall and Mr Lewis. Although the CCF is not compulsory at School, the

cadets were informed of the activities that we do andthe opportunities and skills they would develop if theyjoined. It was a hugely successful recruitment drivewith 57 year 9 pupils enrolling. Shortly after the Easterholidays, the new recruits received their uniform andboots and have already began their basic training indrill, regimental history and the rank structure.

Adventure TrainingThe CCF annual adventure training camp was held in TheLake District where 12 cadets took part in a very busyprogramme of activities.On the 1st day, cadets enjoyed sailing, canoeing and

kayaking at Derwentwater Marina, and despite it being very cold, the cadets all had lots of fun,

especially when it came to soaking Mr. Lewis who wassat on the lakeside. Sergeants Tory Richardson andHannah Byers got to boast on the journey back thatthey were the only cadets not to have capsized that day. The 2nd day the cadets enjoyed a day climbing and

abseiling under the instruction of 2Lt Fairwood.Cadet Jess Thompson, who had never climbed beforewas extremely proud of herself as she climbed rightto the top of the rock face. After a change in the weather, we woke up on the

third day to torrential rain and wind. This wasn’t goingto stop Major Hall and 2Lt Fairwood taking the cadetson a low level, 12km walk near Ambleside and theweather certainly tested the waterproofs that theCCF had just recently purchased. Junior Corporal Will Barnes was awarded the Hays

Trophy for the week and Cadet Jess Thompson andCadet Evie Kennedy were promoted to Lance Corporal.

CEH

Spring CCF

Spring Term


Kitzbuhel 2010“Skiing is one of the only times ina person’s life where they will beenthusiastic about education.” (A quote by J Harrison).

That’s what it is; learning how to truly control one’s selfon two pieces of ridiculously highly engineered strips onthat beautiful phenomenon of nature, snow. There isnothing like real snow. Though the Austrians tried tohave a go at making some artificial stuff when snowfallwas low for the start of our trip but after a couple of daysthe gods of the mountain smiled on us and dumped acouple of feet of the real thing and wow...what Pow...!Science is good but you can’t beat the real thing.But the senior ski-trip story begins long before that

time; it begins before the summer of 2010 when‘Bish’ was chivvying us in the dining hall trying toencourage year 11 and sixth form alike to stopthinking about chips for a moment and partake in hisweek of fun. But the uptake was small, 8 to beprecise, maybe due to hard financial times or justforgetful students. Alas, tragedy was upon us as oneof our eight strong team was injured a week beforethe trip was to depart, one of the two girls, so itseemed the other girl would drop out as wellbecause girls are a social creatures who need totravel in packs. But with some encouragement, Josiedecided to go ahead anyway, and so our motley crewbegan the journey on the same day as the Barneyrun. It is rumoured that this was planned by ‘Bish’

from the start, but considering he doesn’t have torun in it, this seemed unlikely. We began in a minibus driven by the generous, but

no doubt duty dodging, Mr. Gregory. This was to meetup with our partners for the journey West LakesAcademy, a fine group who welcomed us to theirranks for the rest of the journey to Kitzbuhel. A journey with its high and lows, where friendships

were made and broken, and a lifetime was lived on thatbus. Well it felt like that, the predicted time being apretty hefty 24 hours but due to delays it took amammoth 31 hours 12 minutes to arrive as timed byPatrick Borer. But the journey was relatively uneventful,some people managing a good twelve hours sleep,others barely managing two or three. None the less wearrived, not bright eyed and bushy tailed per say butthere was definitely an air of excitement. Excitement forthe long deserved first sniff of the Kitzbuhel air and thechance to stroll into town for a spot of ‘R&R’. To say itwas the first of many such chances for ‘Flannagan’s’hospitality and ‘McTherapy’, would be, unquestionably,an understatement and the town of Kitzbuhel has sinceinstalled a new public baths from the revenue created. And so begins our first day of skiing, this is always a

slow starting day as it is the day where people are abit rusty. This coupled with the need to get our ski gearthat we missed getting the night before meant it wasespecially slow, but it was a smooth process. Creditfor the smoothness should of course go directly to theman who sorted it all out and made sure that we wouldget sorted quickly, the ski shop manager. No, but in allseriousness Mr. Bishop should be congratulated forhis amazing efforts in getting us on the slope lessthan an hour after we would have been if we hadarrived for the gear on time.

It is sometimes said that people fall down more inthe last few days than the first few because theybecome over confident and in the case of our groupthat would probably hold true. But that’s not to saythere weren’t falls in the beginning, the mostmemorable of which would probably be when AdamButterfield literally skied off the side of the mountain.Our instructor ‘Benny’ had brought us to a stop at theside of a piste to make sure everyone was with him.Adam had been at the back at this point and with hisusual over excited nature, he mistimed his stop andproceeded to ski off the side to the sounds of whoopsand cheers from others in the group. His climb backup was difficult in ski boots but he still poked his headover the top with a child like grin on his face.This would be a good time to describe Benny. A

graphic designer by trade and a ski instructor as apaying hobby, Benny was a source of muchentertainment during the trip. From his fantasticdisplays of tricks and skills, to his stories of theslammer, he is a man who spent a night in custody forjumping off a chair lift because he ‘fancied the bit ofsnow underneath’. A typical day would consist of a few hours skiing in

the morning, lunch, then a few more hours skiing inthe afternoon then, of course, the ‘après-ski’. The Austrians surely do know how to do a good

hearty lunch with kaiser-spaetzl, Wiener schnitzeland frankfurters being daily favourites, sometimestwo at one lunch time. Followed by a large helping ofKaiserschmarrn (chopped up pancake with applesauce) or a pretzel. All of which is washed down witha good glass of soft drink, no alcohol at lunch timesof course.Which leaves one more topic, the après-ski, a time of

high spirits and one that is nearly as fun as the skiingitself. Kitzbuhel prides itself on having a safe andenjoyable après-ski focused town centre with manyplaces to eat and drink. Noteworthy ones include theIrish bar with excellent live music, the Londoner with atwo litre glass in the shape of a ski boot and thekaraoke bar where Barney performed and enjoyed thetalents of long standing friends Reeds School who werealso in the same Hotel as us. With knowledge the staffwere never far away, us students could feel safe havinga drink and relax into having a good time. The meetingpoint where we would meet after of frivolities would be,where else, but McDonalds who made a small fortuneon the chips and chicken burgers to help feed thehungry and fun filled bellies of the Barnardians. It is then, easy to say that the trip to Kitzbuhel with

Mr. Bishop and Mr. Nicholson was a success. Amongstit all I will remember fun filled evenings that alsoincluded sledging down a mountain luge run at night,(honestly you really can’t imagine how fast we wentafter two chairlifts up the mountain or how much noisewe made or snow we ate!) and the camaraderie offellow mountain warriors. I also have more ‘tired’memories of other things but plenty of photo’s.I know that my fellow students will join in thanking

Mr. Nicholson and of course the illustrious Mr. Bishopfor organising and carrying out such a fantastic trip.

Johnny Harrison

Senior Skiing Junior Skiing

Spring Term

It is sometimes said that people fall down more in the last few days than the first few because they become over confident and in the case of our group that would probably hold true

“”


Junior Ski TripAt the end of a very long termwhat we all need most is a longcoach journey to get some sleep.Sadly the level of excitement onthe coach to Courchevel meantsleep was in much shorter supplythan chocolate.

We arrived early and, on a sunny day in France, setabout collecting our ski equipment and hanging outin the park with Frisbee’s and throwing toys. Bridesles Bains is always a safe and enjoyable place anddespite our attempts to injure ourselves on theswings all went (except for one silly bruised foot)pretty well.What we did not know before we got there was

just how hot it had been in the mountains and howmany sunny days they had seen. For us this meantthat snow was in much more short supply thanever before and our group had to set out in searchof slippery places with more determination eachday. Fortunately for us our group divided up nicelyinto those who could use the upper slope andthose who stayed in the green zones. Our Top Gungroup even upgraded their lift passes and venturedinto the other valleys for four of our days. Despite the difficulties we had a very great deal

of fun and by the end of he week had crownedCaitrin Robertson our most improved skier and ourTop gun boys as not only the best skiers but alsothe people most likely to spend a fortune in a nicerestaurant at lunch time. Our beginners alsoenjoyed a pretty cool morning with their cameras ,having nipped to the very top of the mountain forhot chocolate and a chill out session on the bigbean bags. Cool!We skated, skied, bowled and skated some more,

ate chocolate crepes, played games like spoof andwatched the girls put a nice spot of make up on theloser with ten Euros to the winner.We had a lovely time, despite the poorest snow in

memory. However, our geography department tellsus that global warming will not mean it happensevery year and so we are going back next season,a week earlier, and expect to be powder hounds,Piste Moles and slush monkeys once more.

GB

Spring Term

Relationships between staff and pupils andbetween the pupils themselves are excellent.Pupils are happy, confident and proud of theirschool. They are strongly motivated to learn andkeen to take part in all that the school has to offer.

Parents and pupils, in their questionnaireresponses, particularly praised the commitmentof teachers to the welfare, progress and successof each individual.

The pupils’ attitudes to learning are outstanding.Throughout the school, pupils arekeen to workand to succeed.

The rapport between pupils and staff lends itselfto effective learning and achievement in afriendly and supportive classroom environment.

The overall quality of the curriculum isoutstanding, covering the major areas of learningwell for all ages and abilities. The curriculum issupported by a large and varied range of extra-curricular activities, which are a significantstrength of the school and provide pupils with avariety of activities and interests, together withthe opportunity for significant achievement andthe acquisition of different skills.

Teachers show great commitment to their pupils’progress.

The quality of the pupils’ personal development isoutstanding, promoted by the excellent quality ofrelationships within the school community andthe first-rate care shown for them by a highlydedicated staff.

The pupils’ high levels of confidence derive froma secure environment, the concern of staff foreach individual and the positive attitudespromoted by the school, and this allows them todevelop a strong sense of self worth. All arevalued for themselves; mutual support is strongand pupils have no fear of ridicule.

Pupils have a clear sense of right and wrong.Behaviour throughout the school is excellent, and pupils are respectful of the values and views of others.

The social development of pupils is outstanding.Pupils are instinctively courteous and helpful tovisitors. They are polite and helpful, showingrespect both to their peers and to adults withinthe community. They mix readily across differentage groups and, in the house and school peersupport and mentor systems, older pupils have amore formal responsibility for the younger ones.

Pupils have a tremendous loyalty to the schooland the staff; they are proud of, and committedto, their school.

Relationships are excellent, staff and seniorpupils are effective role models.

The school makes outstanding provision for thewelfare of its pupils, in line with its commitmentto creating a happy, caring, purposeful and well-structured community.

The excellent pastoral procedures, and theoutstanding support and guidance of staff areimportant factors in the school’s success. Ininterviews, responses to questionnaires andinformal discussion, pupils made it clear thatthey feel valued, respected and very well caredfor. Sixth-formers said, “There is real support in school.”

Relationships between staff and pupils areexcellent and grounded in mutual respect and courtesy. Relationships between pupilsthemselves are also excellent, including betweenolder and younger pupils.

Pupils refer to the atmosphere within the schoolas being “like a big family.”

The quality of boarding is excellent and theboarding experience is a valuable part of theboarders’ education and personal development.

Relationships in the boarding houses areexcellent, between boarders themselves andbetween boarders and staff. Strong loyalties aredeveloped and pupils appreciate the highstandard of care and support they are given.

The reality of a high quality boarding experience,therefore, has a major and beneficial effect onthe nature of the school, its strengths and ethos,as well as providing a very worthwhile experiencefor the boarders themselves.

The quality of the leadership and managementprovided by the senior team is excellent. The corevalues promoted through example at all levels arevery much in evidence: honesty, courtesy, mutualrespect, good humour and integrity.

The quality of the school’s relationship with its parents is excellent.

Final ISI Report Quotes


1st VII Rugby 2011Teams from: L6th Squad: A. Beaumont, M. Brown,B. Clegg, J. Dickinson, G. Van Den Dries, A. Harrison, S. Hunter, A. Lister, I Swall, F. Tait, J. Webster. U6th Squad: K. Armstrong, K. Berounsky, B. Duffield, A. Ho, A. Hopkin, A. Lazaro, C. Legg, G. McGrath, J. Peat, T. Raw, A. Robertson, L. Shield, G. Upton, M. Waldin.

The first major tournament was down in Hereford to thevery prestigious Marches 7s, and we were the holders!Some top English and Welsh schools enter thistournament. The tournament also clashed with the Northof England 7s. Therefore the decision was made to take aL6 team to the former and an U6th team to the latter. Wehad practised at the County 7s the Wednesday before inthose squads with the L6th team been crowned CountyChampions. The younger team also proved to be moresuccessful at the weekend; reaching the semi final, losingto a very strong physical Coleg Sir Gar team whoeventually won the tournament. They defeated Bristol GS,Plymouth, Worth and Truro en route.For the remainder of the 7s we used a mixed squad

and at Ampleforth we had a mixed day. We lost onegroup game to Hymers when we had every chance to winthe game, but beat St Edwards and Mount St Marys. Inthe quarter final against Sedbergh we pushed them veryhard but just came up short in a closely fought match. For the first time we travelled to Mount St Marys 7s,

producing a mixed day of performances. We struggledagainst St Peters York, but won. Lost convincingly toYarm, earned a good draw against Denstone, played wellagainst Wellington but were outclassed, then drew withHymers when perhaps deserved better. We then playedKings’ Worcester in the Plate semi final andunfortunately played in a similar fashion as we hadagainst Yarm, which meant an early shower.For the Hymers tournament we arrived as holders.

However, the enthusiasm and desire seemed to havedeserted the players. But then the players seemed tofind it within them to produce some excellent 7s beatingMount St Peters, Hull Collegiate, Hymers B, Nottinghamand QEGS. Unfortunately, in the final against the hostsHymers we ran out of steam and finished an easysecond. At the National Schools’ 7s, Rosslyn Park, the defeat

and the manner of it, against a good Epsom Collegeteam, was disappointing but showed great spirit. Thenature of a 7s tournament meant our fate was decidedin that game having had convincing wins in theremaining games.

MTP

Sedbergh Rugby 10s

Squad from: K. Berounsky, A. Beaumont, A. Clarey,B. Clegg, N. Crowe, J. Dickinson, G. Van Den Dries,D. Hall, A. Harrison, C. Legg, A. Lister, G. McGrath,A. Robertson, L. Shield, I Swall, F. Tait, G. Upton, M. Waldin, S. Webster.

The performance from the players at Sedbergh 10s overthe two days was nothing more than outstanding. Thecompetition attracts some of the best rugby playingschools in the country. To lose in a closely contestedfinal, 24-12 to the highly rated Filton College team was

tremendous considering 12 of the players are eligible toplay there again in 2012. On the first day we ended up being group winners

defeating John Fisher School and Millfield, as well asdrawing with King’s Macclesfield. The outcome ofthis was we were drawn with Kirkham GS, RGS HighWycombe and Wellington College for the second day.In appalling conditions we had convincing wins ineach match to reach the final. A special mentionshould go to our captain of the tournament, Guy VanDen Dries who was voted Player of the Tournament bythe referees and coaches of the other schools.

MTP

U16 Rugby Sevens

Squad:- R Abraham, W Barnes, R Barrett, D Brown, I Cameron, S Greaves, D Hall, B Jennings, C Lee, F McBain, N Packham, D Swires, B Upton

Results:St Peters:Durham School won 28-17York Select lost 15-24Mount St Mary’s lost 7-28Ampleforth College won 22-12Hymers lost plate final0-33

Sedbergh:Queen Ethelburga’s won 50-5RGS Newcastle won 12-7RGC Lancaster won 12-26Wilmslow HS lost quarter final 21-29Durham SchoolAshville College lost 0-49Durham School lost 12-24Hill House lost 5-17Ampleforth College lost 17-19Kings Tynemouth won 41-0

National Sevens:Sir William Borlase won 44-0Eastbourne lost 12-34St Joseph’s School lost 5-36

County Sevens:Whickham won 38-0Emmanuel lost 15-24Durham Johnston won 51-0Macmillan won 28-7Durham School lost 14-19

A relatively small squad of players prepared for the firsttournament at St Peter’s. In this competition the sidedisplayed an inconsistency that prevailed throughoutevery subsequent event. A convincing start againstDurham flattered the team as they lost the next twogames but then an excellent performance againstAmpleforth meant a plate final against Hymers.Unfortunately a sloppy performance ensued.At Sedbergh a super start brought victories over

Queen Ethelburga’s and RGS Newcastle beforeslipping gallantly against RGS Lancaster andWilmslow HS.The Durham tournament was the nadir as four

losses occurred but a final victory against King’sraised morale. Down to London and the NationalSchoolboy Sevens meant three unknown opponents.A spirited display against Sir William Borlase got theside off to a good start but in the final two games,despite some brave performances our opponents gotthe better of the contests.

In the final week of term the County Sevenstournament occurred and despite going down in oneof the league games the side had a ‘winner takes all’game with Durham at the end of the afternoon. Againa very spirited performance did not quite get a victory.This group played very well at times and it was

frustrating that inconsistency spoilt the overall view.This should not detract, however from a decent effortfrom all 13 members who represented the side.Confidence was fragile but they played sufficientlywell on occasions to engender further optimism.Rory Abraham captained the side and led well and inDan Hall, Bret Upton and David Brown the team hadstrong runners. They were well supported by FreddieMcBain, Nick Packham, Cedric Lee and RupertBarrett, who all had their moments. The others, notmentioned, all played their part and special mentionmust go to Sean Greaves, who played his last gamefor the school at London and it lasted about 30seconds before he had to go off injured. My thanksto the boys for their efforts and to the parents fortheir support and to Mr Dalton for his company andhelp on the London trip.

DCSE

SquashCaptain : Michael Waldin

Squash continues to flourish at the school. This seasonbegan with a re-dedication and opening of the courtswhich had a full refurbishment now that they are joinedto the new fitness centre. The courts have been namedafter Kenneth King and Harold Birkbeck to reflect thedistinguished history of the sport at the school. The facilities we now have are among the best

school courts on our circuit and they have been usedto the full this season with over one hundred boysand girls attending coaching, or representing theirhouses over the course of the year. My thanks go toStuart Gaydon and John Lister for their help andencouragement during the season.

JDG

1st Team Squash

Team from: K.To, M.Tsang, C.Legg, M.Waldin,A.Wilson, J.Trewhella, N.Packham, J.Connors, E.Yau, W.Grundy

P 17/W 9/L 8

Results: Autumn Term:Ampleforth won 5-0Pocklington won 3-2Glaxo lost 2-3GSAL lost 2-3West Lakes lost 2-3St Benedict’s won 3-2

Spring Term:Sedbergh won 5-0Pocklington won 5-0GSAL lost 1-4St Peter’s won 5-0Gosforth High lost 0-5Jesters lost 1-4Glaxo lost 2-3Darlington lost 0-5Glaxo won 4-1

Spring Sports


This was a relatively successful season for the first teamunder the captaincy of Michael Waldin, with more winsthan losses in their seventeen matches.In the National Schools’ under 19 competition, the

team came third in their group after a couple ofexcellent matches against Cumbrian opposition.They then won the first round in the trophycompetition against St Peter’s before bowing out toan excellent Gosforth High School team. Kevin To atnumber one showed his talent and potential in thesematches, running some county players very close,and only being edged out narrowly. His season recordof eight wins and eight defeats was very creditableand he fully deserved his award of full colours.Matthew Tsang also received full colours after asuper effort all season at number two. Hisdetermination on court was obvious in everyappearance and he improved enormously over thecourse of the season, constantly making hisopponents work hard for their points. Chris Legg’spower proved useful at number three and hemanaged a fifty per cent win ratio. He hits the ballvery cleanly and his three years on the team havebeen successful. The captain at number four won tenof his sixteen games and really began to come intohis own at the end of the season with three victoriesover adult opposition. His commitment to schoolsquash over seven years has been superb and withover forty appearances for the first team he wasawarded his team shirt at the end of the season. Hiscaptaincy was reliable and steady and his effortshave been much valued. Alex Wilson won eight out ofhis twelve matches at number five, and fullydeserved his half colours. Having only taken up thegame last year his improvement has been immenseand his fitness and athleticism a real asset. He is agentleman on and off the court. Johnny Trewhellawon six of his nine matches and was probably themost improved player of the season – he alsodeserved his half colours. With four of this teamleaving, it will be a case of re-building next year, butwith the likes of Nick Packham waiting in the wingsthere are grounds for optimism. I hope that the boyswho are leaving have enjoyed their squash and willcontinue to play in the future.

JDG

2nd Squash Team from: J.Trewhella, N.Packham, J.Connors,J.Kwan, E.Yau, M.Emmerson, H.Welsh, N.Crowe.

P 7/W 7

Results:Ampleforth won 5-0Pocklington won 3-2Ampleforth won 4-1Sedbergh won 5-0Durham 1st won 3-2Pocklington won 5-0Durham 1st won 5-0

The second team had a super two terms, not losing anymatches, showing the strength in depth that we have atsenior level. Nick Packham and Jonny Connors were dedicated

and hard-working, whilst Elliot Yau really improved.Jeremy Kwan struck the ball very well and improvedhis mobility, whilst Ben Duffield, Bruce Clegg andeven the Head of School, Nick Crowe madesuccessful appearances.

JDG

U15 Squash

Captain: Sam EverallTeam from: W.Grundy, S.Everall, N.Stainthorp,J.Bolton, O.Larcombe, H.Carter, M.Stirk, K.Wilson,S.Stainthorp, M.White, T. Sowerby, J.Scott, G.Hall.

P 14/W 9/L 5

Results:Sedbergh won 5-0GSAL lost 0-5Ampleforth won 3-2Dame Allans won 4-1RGS won 3-2Gosforth lost 0-5Pocklington lost 2-3Pocklington (a) lost 2-3King David High won 3-2GSAL won 3-2 Tudor Grange won 3-2Ampleforth won 5-0RGS won 4-1Cheltenham lost 2-3

JDG

Under 15 ‘B’/under 14P 4/W 3/L 1

Results:GSAL won 3-2Ampleforth won 5-0Pocklington won 3-2Pocklington (a) lost 2-3

This was a hugely enjoyable season for the under 15sand it was great to see them come away with a trophyat the National Schools’ Trophy Finals. Under thecaptaincy of Sam Everall, and under the watchful eye ofre-born squash coach John Lister, the boys came third ina very strong group, having beaten RGS Newcastle andDame Allan’s in hard fought matches.In the Trophy competition, nerve-racking victories

followed over King David High from Manchester andTudor Grange from Solihull in order to qualify for thefinals. A repeat victory over RGS in the semi-finals meantthat the boys faced Cheltenham College in the final. WithYear Nines Joe Bolton and Oliver Larcombe winning, andWill Grundy and Nicky Stainthorp losing it was all oncaptain Sam. John Lister admitted to never feeling astense in any sporting situation as Sam’s match went tothe final game. He lost out 11-9 in a titanic battle,meaning that the team finished as runners-up.Throughout the season these boys enjoyed their squashand there were so many who wanted to play that we wereable to field a very decent ‘B’ team with the likes ofMatthew White, Matthew Stirk, Hamish Carter, GeorgeHall, Tom Sowerby and Joe Scott all reaching a decentstandard. Nicky Stainthorp won some crucial matches atnumber three and competed brilliantly. Will Grundy foundsome tough opponents at one but won five of his twelvematches. He should be a fine addition to the first teamnext year. The real strength of the team lay at four andfive. Joe Bolton had a 100% win record from his eightmatches and showed tremendous battling qualities andmatch temperament. His close rival Oliver Larcombe lostonly once and these two will form the basis of a goodteam next year. My thanks go to Sam Everall for being asuperb captain – setting the example on the court withhis never say die attitude and off the court with hismarking, organisation and man-management.

JDG

U13 SquashTeam from: J.Jennings, S.Stainthorp, A.Ferguson,M.Thompson, C.Lewis, E.Leung, A.Tsoi, M.Stirke,A.Ingram, D.Hoxholli, A.Pearce, A.Rusk, C.Waldin

Pocklington lost 0-8Newcastle School for Boys won 4-1GSAL lost 0-9

This group was a mixture of years seven and eight. Theywere inexperienced, as these results show, but there istalent for the future, and plenty of potential. Alfred Tsoi,Aidan Rusk, Matthew Stirke and Enoch Leung allimproved dramatically, having been total beginners atthe start of the season, so I hope to see furtherimprovements over the coming years.

School Individual Competitions:South Wales Borderers’ Cup (senior): Kevin To (N) beat Matthew Tsang (Y) 3-0Willliamson Cup (under 15): Will Grundy beat Nicky Stainthorp 3-0Under 13: Alfred Tsoi beat Alex Ingram 3-0House Matches:Gradon Cup (Senior) – NorthumberlandRobinson Cup (under 15) – DurhamBirkbeck Cup (under 13) – Durham

JDG

Boys 1st XI Hockey

Team from: Oli Potts (C), Harry Bainbridge, DeanWheeler, Duncan Anderson, Richard Stanwix, JamesDickinson, Josh Brooks, Tom Miller, Adam Mason,Dan Hall, David Brown, Sean Greaves, JamesMcNeill, Rory Abraham, Rupert Barrett

P 9/W 3/D 1/L 4

The season followed the usual pattern. We struggledagainst schools which were obviously superior to us, likeSt Peters’, Scarborough College and Ampleforth, butbattled hard to win against Yarm, Durham andPocklington.With the loss of so many players from last year’s

team this was always going to be a tough season, soI am pleased with the way the team battled throughto win three games. Some memories will linger.Sedbergh treated our team almost with contemptafter going 2-0 up early on in the game; their playershad a bit of a shock when we fought back to draw 2-2. Their team probably feels a little ashamed at theirchildish refusal to offer us three cheers at the end ofthe game – if they don’t, they should.The victory against Yarm was our second against

them in consecutive seasons, beating DurhamSchool is always nice and it was good to end theseason on a high against Pocklington.When we worked together as a team we looked like

a good team, but too often some members of theteam resorted to shouting at each other and lettingtheir childish frustrations get in the way of goodhockey. I would like to thank all the U6th players fortheir efforts over the years and particular thanks goesto Oli Potts who captained the team very well indeed.

CJG


Boys 2nd XI Hockey

Captain: Richard StanwixVice Captain: Patrick Borer

Squad: R Stanwix, T Miller, P Borer, James Beadle,Josh Brookes, Sean Greaves, Daniel Swires, FreddieMcbain, Nick Packham, Richard Harland, Dan Hall,David Brown, Rupert Barrott, Dan Stocks, RoryAbraham, James Mcneil, Harry Welsh.

P 7/W 2/L 5/D 0/F 11/A 13

The results do not really show the full story of the 2ndteam this year only winning two and losing the other fivematches. If you break the results down three of the fiveloses were by one goal and could have gone in our favourbut for a little more composure in the circle and a bitmore luck. We were very unlucky not to win the matchagainst Leeds GS 1st team leading 2-1 going into thesecond half but after some missed opportunities to putthe game beyond Leeds GS we finally lost the match 3-2. The 2nd team boys worked very hard this Spring

term improving their core skills and movement on aswell as off the ball this paid dividends in their finaltwo matches with great wins against ScarboroughCollege and Pocklington. This was a great way tofinish the term with what was mainly a year 11 teamwho will only get better and stronger over the nexttwo years.I’d like to pass my thanks on to all the lads for

working so hard during the hockey term and wishgood luck to U6th players Richard Stanwix (2nd teamCaptain) & Tom Miller.

CJG

U15 Boys Hockey

Team from; J Brogden, J Raper, C Harrison, B Wynn-Jones, G Coser, A Ghosh, R Fenwick, M Jones, N Gilbertson, M Strik, I Gaskin, J Beauchamp, H Holden.

Results:Sedbergh lost 3-1St Peter’’s lost 2-1Ampleforth lost 0-1St Peter’’s won 2-1Eaglescliffe lost 0-11Windermere won 8-2Pocklington drew 2-2Scarborough College cancelledDurham School won 4-0 Red House cancelledPocklington drew 2-2

This has been a very mixed season for a talented groupof boys; this is mainly due to many of them beinginvolved in other sports during the term.

Once the whole group were together they were aforce to be reckoned with, once their mindset was onhockey. There were a number of new additions to thesquad who had previously never picked up a hockeystick. It has to be said they were full of promise andwere quick to pick up some complex skills. JohnBrogden was a superb captain and was also player ofthe season due to his commitment and skills duringmatches. The team were exceedingly strong inmidfield and were quick to make the most ofattacking breaks. The speed of the forwards (IvanGaskin) meant that many defenders from theopposition were caught on the back foot. JamesBeauchamp made the most of his goal scoringopportunities and was the team’s top scorer.Defensively we were also strong seeing Guy Cosercommit to throwing himself on the ground (and breakhis finger in the process) to save what would havebeen a certain goal. James Raper in goal wasfantastic and kept us in the game on manyoccasions. I would like to see many of these boysreturn to senior hockey next year but I know some ofthem will want to fully commit to rugby! I enjoyed theseason and spending time coaching this group andwill follow them with interest over coming seasons.

AA

Boys U14 Hockey

Squad: Mark Moss, Sebastian Hampson, TomMarston, Ben Pullan, Sam Leeming, Matthew Hunter, Max Hargrove, Sam Theakston, Cameron Mckenzie,Alex Sowerby, Oliver Pearce, Emeka Ononeze, Aaron Keogh, Ethan Kelsall, Andrew Bartlett.

P 8/W 5/L 3/D 0/F 15/A 15

This was a much improved hockey term for the U14team winning five of the Eight games they played. Thisteam if it can continue to improve has the potential tobe very good side and I look forward to working withthem again in Year 11. Of their five wins their most impressive would have

to be the wins home and away against a very strongSt Peters Team. The St Peters team they were upagainst had reached the North final of EnglandHockey’s National Cup so we were not expected towin. The first win against St Peters came on thesecond weekend of the Spring Term in a narrow 1-0win which we could easily have lost but for somegreat work by our goalkeeper. The second Winagainst St Peters came on the final Saturday beforehalf term and was a much more impressive 3-2 winwhich could have been even better but for betterfinishing and more luck in front of goal.The team was lead very well this year by Tom

Marston and backed up by a squad of players whoworked hard in training sessions and weredetermined to be better.

CJG

Boys U13 Hockey

Squad: Sandy Stainthorp (C) Team from: NathanWhite, Jake Glowienko, Harry McGuire, Tom Joashi, Rory Holden, Callum Simpson, Harvey Barkes,Jarlath Hetherington, Dan Brown, Tom Hunter, Tom Metcalf, Jack Ellis, Sam Adamson, Angus Ferguson, Jack Blackburn.

P 5/W 2 /L 1/D 2

Results:Egglescliffe won 5-0Red House lost 0-5Laurence Jackson draw 2-2Pocklington won 1-0St Martins draw 1-1

This U13 team have had a great season with only a fewfixtures to improve their game. Selection for matches was a very difficult process as

there was a huge squad of twenty players. Within thatsquad there was a range of ability, but the majority of thegroup had speed, endurance, basic stick skills and lotsof raw talent. The season started with a home game against

Egglescliffe School. Both teams played well, eventhough some of the boys had not played hockey foralmost a year; but we immediately worked well as ateam to secure the first victory. Our next match was avery hard one against Red House. They had a team offast, strong and skilful players who outshone us in bothattack and defence. Our next two matches were a 7 a-side match against Laurence Jackson at home and an11 a-side match away at St Martins. There were severalopportunities to go ahead in these games but we didn’tmonopolise on these chances and both games finishedin a draw. The last match was away at Pocklington. Thiswas another very close match which saw a lot of end toend play; both teams were desperate to secure a win.Unfortunately for Pocklington, it was Barney thatmanaged to score and finish the game in a 1 – 0 win.I have enjoyed working with this group of boys; they

have been hard working and also good fun. I think withthe same dedication and hard work these boys can doextremely well.

LJS

Boys U12 Hockey

Squad: Nathan Bridger, Tom Greaves, HenryThompson, Joe Pickering, Andrew Usher, Angus Farr,Tom Wilkinson, Josh Raw, Dan Roberts, GeorgeJohnstone, Will Carter, Thomas Carter, ConnorLewis, Dylan Custance, Dan Roberts, ThomasCrowther, Zack Day, Scott Mcall, Andrew Mackay.

P 9/W 6/L 4/D 0/F 15/A 21

Spring Sports


This was a good year for the U12 team; better weatherallowed much more opportunity to train which reflectedin better results and performances. The U12 team hadgreat wins against St Olaves, Pocklington and LaurenceJackson and even though they were beaten 2-0 byEgglescliffe School they played some great hockey.The U12 team was captained this year by John

Clouston who lead by example and will no doubt turninto a fine young hockey player.Compared to last years fixtures we managed to either

reverse the result or at the very least improve on thescore line this year. My pick of the matches this yeareven though it was a loss would have to be againstEgglescliffe School. We were up against a team inEgglescliffe who’s main sport in both the Autumn andSpring term is hockey so to narrowly lose to them tooka very good performance from all the players.

CJG

1st VII Netball

Captain: Sophie ThompsonTeam from: B. Goudie* H. Knowles+, D. Opray*, E. Peat+, T. Richardson+, J. Scot*, K. Swinbank*, E. Turner+ *Awarded Full Colours, +Awarded Half Colours

P 8/W 3/L 5

3rd in the County Round of National School’s NetballCompetition

Pocklington lost 3-17St Peter’s lost 12-19Ampleforth won 19-15Yarm lost 7-37Sedbergh lost 8-32Durham School lost 15-19Polam Hall won 25-13Giggleswick won 22-15

It has been a mixed season for the 1st Netball team thisyear. Preparations began early in September with weeklytraining sessions ready for the County Round of theNational School’s competition in October. The oppositionin the U19 age group were fierce and despite a toughfight from the Barney squad, Hartlepool Sixth FormCollege and Carmel School qualified for the regionalround pushing Barney into 3rd place. Following the Christmas break the team travelled to

Pocklington, it was a windy day which made playingnetball particularly difficult and without Jess Scott,one of our key shooters, it was going to be a toughcontest. The girls tried hard to keep possessionusing short, powerful passes but the opposition werestrong and kept our shooters away from the post,forcing them to shoot from distance. Captain, SophieThompson led with determination but took a heavyfall in the third quarter. She decided to play on butwith grazed hands this can not have been easy. St Peter’s were our next opponents and it was a

close game throughout. Barney used patient passingdown the court but the tall defenders denied usopportunities to feed the ball into the goal circle. TheSt Peter’s girls seemed faster and fitter on court andwe struggled to keep up with the pace at times. Theystretched their lead in the last quarter to win 12–19. It was away at Ampleforth that the team gained their

first well deserved victory. It was a scrappy, physicalgame at times with both teams contesting for theball, but Barney kept their discipline on court and their

composure at key moments throughout the game. Aheavy collision in the air involving none other thanSophie Thompson again, meant an injury stoppagecould have affected the flow of our game and ourchances of maintaining the lead, but the girls caughttheir breath and battled hard until the final whistle.Elated with their victory, confidence was high goinginto the next match against Yarm. We wereunfortunately missing our Captain and Centre for thisgame so it was certainly no walk in the park. EmmaPeat and Kate Swinbank took their turns to fill thecentral position but Yarm were strong and it wasdifficult to keep possession from the centre pass intoour shooting circle. Errors were made and it was anuphill battle for the Barney team. The loss knockedthe confidence of the team but sights were set on themany achievable games still to be played, and won. Improvements were made in the next game against

Sedbergh, however the score may not have reflectedthis. Despite losing the match the girls fought hard forthe ball, made some pleasing interceptions andshowed some accurate shooting when they had theiropportunities. The following game was a close affairaway against Durham School. Emma Peat and KateSwinbank worked tirelessly in the centre court and itwas neck and neck throughout. Sadly for us, Durhamcrept into the lead and won the game by four goals. Success in the next match against Polam Hall came

through hard work, accurate shooting and a soliddefence. The team communicated well and performedwith great commitment on court to build a convincinglead and win the match 23-13. The team continuedtheir momentum into the final game againstGiggleswick. After a difficult start the team came tolife, Jess Scott scored a number of outstanding goalsfrom distance much to the delight of her teammates,parents and her coach. It was a great result to endthe season. I wish our ‘Leavers’ all the best for the future, their

positions will certainly be tough to fill but I’m surethe 2nd VII and Year 11’s will be keen to ‘have a go’.

TCB

2nd Netball

Captain: H. AldersonTeam from: H. Byers, R. Coxon, A. Dawson, G. Hazell, H. Knowles, H. McHugh, N. Shaw, J. Thompson, E. Turner, K. Walton, S. Wray.

Results:Pocklington lost 10-12St Peter’s lost 7-33Ampleforth won 20-16Yarm draw 15-15Sedbergh lost 5-24Durham School lost 10-11Polam Hall won 23-5Giggleswick won 10-3

This has been a mixed season for the 2nd Netball teamwith injuries and illness taking its toll on weekly teamselection. They began the term well with a close game against

Pocklington but sadly lost possession at crucial timesand mistakes proved costly in the final quarter of thegame. A tough encounter against a talented St Peter’sside followed and exposed many weaknesses in theirgame. However, they soon improved their skills during

training and put in a winning performance away againstAmpleforth. The following three matches provedchallenging but the girls dug deep and were unlucky tolose out to Durham School by just one goal. It was atricky surface to play on with individuals slipping andsliding on the Astroturf. There were some excellentphases of attack at times but shooting when underpressure in a close game is never easy, and severalattempts sadly went wayward. Emily Turner workedtirelessly up and down court at centre and was namedplayer of the match. The team concluded the season with a couple of

good victories at home against Polam Hall andGiggleswick. Natalie Shaw made excellentinterceptions in and around the defensive circle todeny the opponents chance to shoot. The effort andpositive attitudes shown by the Barney girls on court,together with their quick passing and accurate shotsensured that they completed the seasonsuccessfully. With the majority of players remainingat the school next year I look forward to seeing theirnetball skills continue to develop and see thempushing for promotion into the 1st team.

TCB

U15 Netball

E. Sowden (C) Team from: C. Bainbridge, K. Brolly, I. Borer, T. Brown, E. Newton, R. Pratt, H. Stephenson, N. Tait, T. Thompson, A. Usher.

Runners UpU16 County Round of National Schools Netball Competition4th Regional Round of National Schools NetballCompetition

Results:Pocklington won 26-11Sedbergh won 34-18Polam Hall won 20-4Ampleforth won 29-3Yarm lost 10-17Durham School won 24-19Giggleswick lost 10-27St Peters lost 18-22Queen Mary’s U16s won 22-10

The Under 15 netball team have had a busy and largelysuccessful season which saw the girls playing someexcellent netball against some tough opposition from allover the North of England. They performed particularly well at the U16 County

Round of the National Schools competition, finishingas runners up after a closely fought match againstEnglish Martyrs School, in which Barney lost by justone goal! At the Regional Round of this competitionthe team showed great skills and determination oncourt. They won three games, drew two and lost one,but sadly this was not enough to qualify for theNational Finals and they were positioned in 4th place.However, all players are still eligible to enter thiscompetition at the U16 level again next year and theirsights are firmly set on qualification for the finals.During school matches Ellie Sowden captained the

team for most of the season and the team achievedconsiderable success both home and away withnotable victories against Pocklington, Polam andQueen Mary’s.

(Continued >)


Undoubtedly our biggest defeat was against aGiggleswick side, their Goal Shooter had anoutstanding game scoring the vast majority of their 27 goals. However the girls proved their resilience in this game when, after a poor start, and an end offirst quarter ‘motivational’ chat from Mr Woodward they recovered to outscore Giggleswick in the lastquarter. The big plus for this game was the oppositionnaming Caitlin Bainbridge player of the match on herfirst game in this team.Congratulations to Thea Thompson who has

represented Team Northumbria in the National TalentLeague this season and has also attended EnglandU17 Netball Trails. Best Player of the season: Thea ThompsonMost Improved Player of the season: Niamh Tait

AW

U14 Netball

Elise Ferguson (C) Team from: Lorna Bussey, Chloe Atkinson, Lizzie Knight, Sarah Stephenson,Elise Ferguson, Katie Body, Emma Robson, Katie Gibson, Jane Metcalf.

P 9/W 3/L 5/D 1

Results:Pocklington won 12-11Sedbergh lost 14-17Tudhoe Grange won 29-15Polam Hall won 23-7Ampleforth draw 12-12Yarm lost 6-37Durham School lost 13-14St Peter’s lost 8-25Queen Marys lost 9-17

This U14 team started the season with a very positiveattitude. Out of a possible ten matches, nine were playedand all of those were against very competent netballschools.Our season began with a very close game against

Pocklington at home, the Barney girls fought hard andmanaged to win by just one goal. In the next match wejust lost to Sedbergh, this was a very close game whichhelped the girls grow in confidence. We won the next twogames fairly easily; these were against Tudhoe Grangeand Polam Hall. We had a very exciting game at homeagainst Ampleforth; it was end to end play which finishedin an equalising goal from Barney in the dying secondsof the game. Unfortunately our last few games were thehardest, we just lost to Durham School but Yarm, StPeter’s and Queen Marys were too strong for us.I would like to say well done to this group of girls who

started the season very well; they worked hard to provethat they are capable netball players. I hope theycontinue to play next season!

LJS

U 13 Netball

A Martin (C) Team from: S Pratt, L Hardie-Hammond, P Maw, K Borer, H Wynn-Jones.

Results:Pocklington CancelledWindemere St Annes lost 9-12Yarm School lost 10-19Durham School won 19-2Giggleswick lost 14-20Queen Marys lost 25-15St Martins won 25-14Polam won 15-14

The Under 13 team proved to be a delightful, keen andenthusiastic group of girls with plenty of strength, depthand adaptability. They worked hard over the term to develop their skills

and ability to work as a team. Within matches theynever gave up and had good leadership from theircaptain Ellie Everall. The defence were agile andprevented a number of goal scoring opportunities bytheir various opponents. The shooters worked welltogether and were adaptable in their positions; this wasbeen a strong position to be in for fixtures. It has nodoubt enhanced their understanding of the game andplaying alternative positions. They would have benefittedfrom playing more games but showed that they are ateam with true potential and one that I know will go onto have even greater success over coming seasons.

AA

U12 Netball A & B teams

Team from: H Swinbank, I Hewitson, C Waldin, S Nichols, A Ridley, E Gossage, L Newton, F Summers, F Waiter-Mackenzie

U12Windermere St Annes won 6-4Polam Hall draw 12-12Yarm School lost 22-8Tournament at Durham School 3rd PlaceDurham School won 24-2Tournament at home cancelledGiggleswick lost 10-16

U12BPocklington won 9-5Durham Choristers won 8-3St Martins won 12-1Queen Mary’s lost 12-3

P 10/W 5/L 3/D 1/Competition – 3rd Place

This year’s Under 12 team was mostly comprised of agroup of girls that came through from Prep School. Theywere already very good at playing together, reading thegame and getting the ball down to the shooters.

Holly Swinbank grew in confidence leading theteam as captain playing in Centre position. IslaHewitson showed fantastic talent in her mainposition as Goal Attack and Ellen Gossage revealeda steely determination to win the ball as Wing Attack.Alice Ridley worked hard in every game as GoalDefence, her athleticism enabling her to consistentlymark the opposition. Girls who also developed goodskills and confidence were Francesca Summers, LucyNewton and Francesca Waiter Mackenzie. Some ofthe matches we lost, such as Giggleswick and Yarm,were excellent opportunities for the girls to see howmuch it takes to play really well all the time. Theseyoung players have a bright future ahead of them onthe netball court.

TCB

1st Lacrosse

V. Richardson (C) Team from: E. Anderson, J. Amery,S. Thompson, R. Brown, H. Simpson, A. McBain, C. Dickinson, J. Jenkinson, H. Byers, E. Peat, E. Turner, L. Holmes, C. Simpson, H. Alderson

Results:Senior North Schools Tournament – 2nd place Ampleforth won 7-5Sedbergh won 9-3Ashville won 7-0Casterton lost 9-3Queen Mary’s won 9-4

The 1st team had a fabulous spring season. The seniorgirls finally realized that playing lacrosse could andshould be fun. Led by lower sixth, Tori Richardson, theteam brushed up on their skills, learned new lacrossetactics, and dramatically increased their level of play. The team started the season with a very close match

against Ampleforth in which Barney was only able tosecure the victory in the final minutes. It was a veryexciting game and gave the girls the momentum theyneeded to start the spring on the right foot with apositive outlook. The girls worked hard throughout theseason to continue on and beat Sedbergh, Ashville, andQueen Mary’s, to end with 4 wins and only 1 loss.

Spring Sports


The 1st team’s strong defence was made up byCharlotte Dickinson, Jasmine Jenkinson, Hannah Byers,and Helen Alderson, who stepped up to play goalie. Themidfield was brought together by North of Englandplayer, Tori Richardson as well as Helen Simpson andRachel Brown. Leading the team in goals this year wasRachel Brown with strong contributions by Josie Amery,Sophie Thompson, Emma Anderson, and Emma Peat.The girls thoroughly impressed with their team spirit

and enthusiasm. I am so happy to have gotten to workwith such a great group of young women. The uppersixth players will be greatly missed by their team nextyear.School colours were awarded to: Rachel Brown,

Jasmine Jenkinson, Tori Richardson and Helen Simpson.Well done to all of the lady laxers this year! I enjoyed

working with all of you and sharing my love of the sport.EMB

U15 Lacrosse

J. Stephenson (C) Team from: E. Newton, A. Glowienko, R. Pratt, N. Tait, H. Stephenson, R. Watson, I. Borer, L. Spedding, C. Wilkinson, K. Brolly, S. Perkins, T. Thompson

Results:Ampleforth lost 7-0Sedbergh won 7-6Ampleforth lost 5-4Casterton lost 7-3

The Under 15 team, led by Jenny Stephenson, did wellin their matches this year bringing to each a lot of zestand humour. This athletic group of girls were able to out run

teams with their speed and determination, butunfortunately not always keep the score in theirfavour. In the first match against Ampleforth, theteam was a mix of players in both year 9 and year 10due to other sporting commitments. It was a difficultstart to the season, but they didn’t let it get themdown for their match against Sedbergh or therematch against Ampleforth. These competitionswere both incredibly close and came down to thefinal minutes of play. At Sedbergh, Barney was ableto beat the clock and score the game winning goal.The girls were incredibly pleased with their victory,while also gracious losers when the final minutes atAmpleforth weren’t to their benefit. The best andmost improved players for the Under 15 team wereEmily Newton and Laura Spedding, respectively. Ithink that the energy and skill from this team willcontribute a lot to the first team next year.

EMB

U14 Lacrosse

S. Currah (C) Team from: C. Thompson, C. Atkinson,L. Greaves, E. Robson, L. Knight, E. Clouston, E. Ferguson, L. Bloomfield, L. Bussey, H. Roache, K. Body, J. Metcalf, S. Stephenson

Results:Sedbergh draw 4-4Casterton lost 0-14

The Under 14 team worked hard this season and gainedsome valuable experience in their matches. The conflictthis year with netball made it difficult to find continuityamong the team. Throughout the season some of the under 14

players were brought up to contribute to the under 15competitions. This demonstrated the willingness anddrive that these girls had for lacrosse. In their firstmatch against Sedbergh, led by Shannon Currah, theteam connected the dots from practice to gamesituations. If they had, had one minute extra of playthey would have put in their best efforts to break thetie. For the second match Casterton School had avery talented year group and Barney lost heavily, 14-0. Although the score does not show it, the under 14team fought to the end and put up a good fight. I wasalways impressed with this group’s effort in day today games lessons and know that they will besuccessful in future lacrosse seasons. The best andmost improved Under 14 players were respectively,Emma Robson and Leah Bloomfield. Well done.

EMB

U13 Lacrosse

E. Everall (C) Team from: A. Jackson, B. Findlay, S. Pratt, H. Wynn-Jones, P. Maw, P. Naseby, A. Hardy,L. Hardie-Hammond, C. Robertson, K. Borer, A. Gilligan, E. Beauchamp

Results: Casterton Lost 5-7North Schools Lacrosse Tournament results:Harrogate Ladies College lost 3-0Casterton School lost 1-0Withington School lost 1-0Altrincham Grammar School draw 0-0

The Under 13 team came into the year with greatenthusiasm for lacrosse. It is evident that they thoroughlyenjoyed learning and playing in year 7. The players put alot of effort into every lesson to improve upon their skillsand it showed as the spring term progressed.

Unfortunately they did not get a lot of matchexperience against other teams and when they didcompete the final results did not match their true ability.In the close match against Casterton, the girls battledthrough the muddy pitch and cold, on-and-off rain tokeep the score close. It was only in the last few minutesof the match that Casterton scored the back to backgoals that brought them to victory. The Under 13s alsotook part in the North Schools Lacrosse Tournament,where they played against teams who play lacrosse allyear round. Each match was a very close contest andsome resulted in losses due to one goal deficits. Thesegirls were very fortunate to have returning goalie, AmyGilligan, to step up and ward off many tough shots thisspring. Overall the team worked together to put up agood fight against the tough competitors they faced thisyear. The outlook for their future lacrosse seasons isvery positive if they keep up the same intensity andpassion for the game of lacrosse. The best and mostimproved Under 13 players this year were Ellie Everalland Pip Maw respectively. I wish them the best of luck.

EMB

U12 Lacrosse

C. McEwan (C) Team from: K. Rhodes, K. Hodgson,H. Swinbank, F. Waiter-Mackenzie, I. Hewitson, A. Ridley, S. Nichols, L. Newton, J. Hall, E. Gossage,F. Summers, C. Waldin

Results: Casterton won 8-3Queen Mary’s won 3-0North Schools Lacrosse Tournament results:Birkenhead High School lost 2-1Bolton School draw 1-1Casterton School won 2-0Harrogate Ladies’ College lost 4-0Queens School draw 1-1Queen Margaret’s lost 4-0Withington School lost 4-0

The Under 12 team was comprised mostly of playerswho had never played lacrosse before. The girls all worked very hard in training sessions

to learn how to pass, catch, scoop, shoot, andSCORE. It was not an easy feat for them to learn allof these skills and the rules during a short season.The team, led by Charlotte McEwan, was incrediblysuccessful in their duel matches, finishing with 2wins and 0 losses. The Under 12 team alsocompeted in the North Schools Lacrosse Tournamentwhere they played against some of the top schools inthe Northern region. These matches were at a higherlevel than they were used to, but they impressed withtheir determination and enthusiasm regardless ofthe situation they were presented with. Theimprovement that these girls showed over theseason proves that they have a tremendous amountof potential for future lacrosse seasons. The bestand most improved Under 12 players this year wereIsla Hewitson and Alice Ridley respectively. I wishthis team all the best.

EMB


RunningThe first part of the spring termlends itself to interhouse cross-country running. The school has afine and historic tradition of runningand I would like to thank Mr Gedyefor his interesting and informativeassemblies explaining the history ofthe Barnard Run and the Bashes.

The Barnard Run is as old as the school while the basheshave been around for just ten years or so. The bashesoriginally a means of team selection while at the sametime engaging the whole school in the run. In order to make the bash even more worthwhile it

has become a charity event. It has been a greatsuccess with many pupils and their families supportingthe cause by returning their brown envelopes withgenerous contributions which have been gratefullyreceived by ‘close to home’ charities since 2005. Cross country is a tough sport which requires ability,

training and determination. It is essentially a sport forthe individual. There is no hiding place. The toughest,the strongest and the most determined runner will win.Each competitor has a personal battle – pain may willthe body to stop, but it is an inner strength which drivesthe athlete forward. The cross-country runner does notrely on the decision of a referee or the vagaries of acoach when selecting a team. The bravest and the bestathlete wins the day. To win as a team each individualhas an equally important role to play: victory is the sumof each personal battle.

The Butterwick CharityCup – the ‘Barney Bash’The Bashes are a fine example of a team contest

where each and every person’s efforts count. In arace of 100 people with equally sized teams theaverage finishing position should be 50th. This is theessence of finding the winning girl’s and boys’ housein the ‘Barney Bash’. Each house must try beating theother by achieving a higher average finishing position.Feeling a little under the weather? It’s a bit cold?Can’t really be bothered? If your personal answer tothese questions is, ‘Not likely – get stuck in!’ then youmay well find yourself on the winning team.Marwood House and Durham House proved this

year that they are made of the right stuff. The 90%whose score is taken into account finished onaverage 43rd – enabling each to collect theButterwick Charity Cup 2011. Bowes House achievedan average placing of 47th while Longfield achieved48th. In the Boys competition North and Tees camein at around 44th (with North just edging Tees out ofsecond place). York came in at 47th while Dale couldonly manage 49th. One of the biggest handicaps to victory is pupils who

don’t compete on the day for whatever reason. Thosewho have been ‘off games’ or are deemed unfit in theweeks prior to the event do not get included in thescoring and so do not adversely affect the scoring.There is a 10% allowance in the scoring system whichallows for one or two illnesses. The winning team has,invariably, most of the house running with the bulk oftheir athletes in the top half of the race. Next time makesure you do the right thing to win – if you’re fit, you run!

Spring Term

Barney Bash and Run


Spring Term

House Senior total Inter total Junior Total Mean % Score Place

Durham 1151 1023 693 43.05 1

North 1169 530 501 44.44 2

Tees 866 1121 803 44.93 3

York 1106 593 534 47.72 4

Dale 995 1387 818 49.38 5

The 119th Barnard RunThe Barnard Run gives us one of the best days of sportin the school calendar. Being a winter competition, itrequires spectators and athletes to be hardy. This year’sconditions were especially tough with a cold, dampeasterly wind. Not a slither of sunshine slipped throughthe leaden skies to offer the least bit warmth. Thecourse was wet and slippery. Some solace could betaken: it only rained a bit and the forecast snow hadheld off for another 24 hours! The day started slowly, with a few spectators,

children and staff huddling around back porch or thefinishing funnel, perhaps wondering if they were in theright place. Soon enough, the chirpy tones of RevRidley came through the tannoy, reassuring us that the119th Barnard Run really was about to happen, butwhere were the athletes. Most were limbering up inback porch or their house area, trying to take as muchwarmth from the radiators as possible before theywould inevitably have to leave. It seemed unlikely thata day of glory awaited our talented athletes and luckyhousemasters. The first reports of Ellie Everall’s likely victory in the

Geoffrey Turnbull Cup came from a proud father, stoodat the top Mount Eff Lane, his commentary camecrackling over the public address. She was well clearof her nearest rivals, Emma Beauchamp andFrancesca Waiter-MacKenzie. A few minutes later, Ellieemerged through the trees and onto the finishing straitto loud cheers, crossing the line before Emma hadeven completed top tree. Such was her determinationto win. The house competition was going to be veryclose indeed. Bowes took first and second, fifth andsixth places while Marwood had third, seventh, eighth,ninth and tenth. Longfield were clearly out of it withKatie Rhodes in 4th place being the only Longfield girlin the top ten. When the mud had dried, Bowes Househad won the Ross Cup by just two points.From now on a steady stream of athletes would flow

through the finishing funnel, as race followed race,giving a little cheer (if not warmth) to the onlookers.First of all, and before many of the girls had completedtheir race, the first of the Junior Boys emerged intoview. It was a delight to see Zak Day, on his debut,heading the pack. He had performed out of his socksto claim victory over his elders, Harvey Barkes andTom Metcalfe – arguably the race favourite having wonthe bash. The race was very close, but in the end Zakhad won with more than 20 seconds on his nearestrival. Conor Lewis, another Year 7 pupil with a lot ofpotential, finished in fourth place. By winning theWilford Cup for Dale House, Zak Day had given MrDalton his first victory of the day and he must havebeen quietly confident of more to come. As the raceunfolded it became clear that the competition for theJunior Barnard Cup was going to be close. DurhamHouse had proved their strength in depth by winningthe Bash at this age group, while Dale House had asmaller number of quality athletes. The last ofDurham’s qualifying runners crossed the line in 27thposition while it was 32nd for Dale. In the end it was2:0 to Mr Dalton, but with just a single pointseparating them from Durham. It could not have beencloser. A bitter pill for Mr Usher; he would have lovedto claim his second House running trophy in his firstyear as housemaster.News soon started to filter through from the

Intermediate races. A real battle was taking placebetween James Watson and Jonathan Coser. Jameswas fighting to hold Jonathan at bay; any sign ofweakness would surely be exploited. Who would blinkfirst? John Brogden and the winner of the bash, SamLeeming, were also in contention. James continued toapply consistent pressure, leading form the front,pushing hard towards top tree. Once he had roundedthe famous marker it was literally all downhill. Hecould allow his momentum to carry him forward, takingcare not to fly headlong into the mud as heapproached the stile leading onto the fields andcertain victory. James had arrived, claiming his firstBarnard Run victory. James Watson, winner of theBlackett Cup 2011. Fantastic! Jonathan Coser had tosettle for second place while John Brogden took third.

It was not to be Sam Leemings’ day today, but he willbe back as firm favourite next year. Durham weremiles ahead in the Barnard Cup – Oliver Larcombe wastheir last counting athlete finishing in 17th while Dalecould only manage 35th as their final place. WithJames’ victory, Dale were 3:0 up.In the Intermediate Girls’ race, Thea Thompson was

well ahead of her nearest rivals, Emma Robson andNiamh Tait. Thea finished in a time of 20.10, to claimher fourth consecutive victory in the Barnard Run.Emma finished in second place more than twominutes behind, with a thirty second gap to Niamh.The pace was clearly very quick for the conditions withalmost four minutes between first and fourth place. Acourageous performance from Thea Thompsonensured she won the Fred Turnbull Cup for a secondtime. When the places were all accounted for, TheChatt Cup was a two House race between Marwoodand Bowes. Marwood had a four point advantage totake into the Senior Girls’ race.With the Senior Girls’ race underway, thoughts turned

to the outcome of a contest between two talentedathletes: Rachel Brown and Alice McBain. Over theyears Alice has been consistently thwarted by Rachel,perhaps this was to be her day. The two girls fought fordominance, but Rachel seemed to have the edge whileAlice pushed her hard harrying all the way round thecourse, made muddier and slippery with the passageof more than a hundred and fifty pairs of feet. The timewas never going to be a record breaker, but Rachelcrossed the line in a time of 20:20 just 10 secondsahead of Alice. Both girls were happy with theirperformance and celebrated together. Anna Dawsonhad fought a personal battle for third place finishingwell ahead of Emily Turner in a time of 22:15. TheHouse competition was very close. Marwood andLongfield had just three athletes in the top 10, whileBowes had four. Brave running from Lottie Holmes,Charlotte Dickinson, Jess Alison-Hughes, HeatherAppleby and Jess Thompson ensured that the teamhad done just enough to edge Bowes into secondplace. Bowes House has to ask if it handed the victoryto Marwood. Marwood girls stood up to be countedand took the prize. The Chatt Cup belonged toMarwood House and to Mrs Armstrong who could notcontain her delight since Bowes House had had aniron grip on the contest since 2003 – the year thatBowes House was established. James Ingram’s name last appeared on a Barnard

Run trophy in 2008 when he set a record time on themodern Junior Barney course. His arch rival, JoshGibson, had thwarted him at every turn in the LloydEvans’ Cup. With Josh now out of the equation, surelyJames’ was to fulfil his destiny and win the elusive prizein his final year. He had determination, grit and abilityon his side, but could he pull of a famous victory? Itwas not going to be handed to him. Anthony Harrison,Will Prior, Finlay Tait and Calum Matthews had testedhim in the Bash. Alex Beaumont was an unknown

quantity having cruised the bash and finishing welldown the pack. James knew he was better than histwelfth place suggested, but how much better? As forthe others, had they given their best in the bash?James started the race confidently pushing a fast paceacross the school fields and down the far side of thehedge. As they rounded the corner, James led the packby thirty metres onto Mount Eff Lane. They had a longway to go, through some gruelling conditions. Settingthe pace gave the pack a clear target. James wasdetermined to throw them off. The contenders hung onbravely. Will Prior too wanted victory, as did Finlay andAnthony. Calum Matthews, who has come into his ownthis year, was pushing on too. Back on school groundsless than a minute separated the first three places.Will Prior was not going to give up without a fight andhung on doggedly, leading the third placed Finlay by asimilar margin to that that James now held over him.With top tree in sight, Mr Gedye’s commentaryconfirmed that James was pushing hard, and Will hadnothing left to give. James strode into view to claim hisplace in Barnard Run history. James Ingram, winner ofthe Lloyd Evans’ Cup 2011. As each athlete crossed the line a fifth Dale House

victory edged closer. Behind James, Anthony Harrisoncame in 4th, Chris Bury, Sam Hunter and Sam Oakescame in 9th, 10th and 11th respectively. There wasthen a gap to Andrew Lister (24th), James Dickinson(28th) and their last counting runner was Dan Miller(45th). The Barnard Cup belonged to Dale House anda delighted Mr Dalton now had a clean sweep ofvictories for Dale House.

PresentationThe prizes were presented by Graham Leggatt-

Chidgey, Chief Executive of Butterwick Hospice Care.The generosity of pupils, parents and friends raised atotal £3,753 – a fantastic amount of money which willgo to support children at Butterwick House Children’sHospice in Stockton.

Full Running ColoursThis year sees the departure of two great athletes

and competitors. James Ingram has represented theschool at District and County level over many years. Hehas always given of his best and competed as a truesportsman. Apart from his success in winning theLloyd Evans Cup this year, he won the Blackett Cup in2008. Rachel Brown is a naturally talented runner whohas achieved success both at District and Countylevel. She represented Durham County on a number ofoccasions over the years and competed at the EnglishSchools’ in 2011. She has an unbroken record ofsuccess in the Barnard Run winning in every yearsince 2006. She won the Geoffrey Turnbull Cup in2006, the Fred Turnbull Cup in 2007 and 2008 andthe Turnbull Shield in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

CHA

House Senior total Inter total Junior Total Mean % Score Place

Marwood 1034 894 672 43.92 1

Bowes 934 878 1138 47.20 2

Longfield 950 693 709 48.59 3


Summer Term


This year’s Junior Play was ‘Ernie’sIncredible Illucinations’ by AlanAyckbourn. After scouting out the talent in the Autumn term’sJunior Drama activity, auditionswere held in January for roles inthe production.

A final cast of 21 Year Sevens and Eights was chosenand the weekly rehearsals began in the drama room.The actors worked very well as a team and had a lot ofreally good ideas and suggestions to add. The Easterholiday was the deadline for memorizing lines andlearning cues. The beginning of the short first half of theSummer term was our first chance to practise on the BigSchool stage. Mr Fairbairn designed and built the stageand provided light and sound effects. A backstage crewwas brought in to help with smooth scene changes andrehearsals increased to twice a week and included oneSunday practice before opening night. Although therewere some nervous actors backstage, the twoperformances could not have gone any better and everymember of the cast did brilliantly. For many, it had beentheir first time on stage and I certainly hope it won’t bethe last!Here is a first hand account of being involved in

the production from Kieran Lewis, who played therole of Dad:For me, the junior play was a really great event, for

two main reasons. First off, the experience - doingsomething like this is a really good thing to do!Performing is always fun, and being a part of such agreat performance was wonderful - you really see howmuch work goes into a production like this (thecostumes, the set, the lighting, the acting...). The other reason is the opportunity - it’s not often

you get a chance to be involved with so big and fun.Hearing people laugh when you tell a joke, seeingthem watching so intently, it’s all so brilliant! It was a real challenge with learning the lines - I

generally just learnt the main part of each line, butadapted some to fit my portrayal of the character.Another challenge was the sets - we only transferredonto the set (not completely finished) a couple ofweeks before the performance. It was a steeplearning curve, but we managed! I’m looking forwardto doing something like this again.

EEB

Every year, in the Summer Term,the school’s younger Thespians,aspiring to replace their oldercolleagues in the next cycle,produce the third annualproduction of a full calendar. This year was no different, with the comedic play, ‘Ernie’sIncredible Illucinations,’ put on to provide something lighter incontrast to the dark winter’s‘Skellig’ and spring’s adventurousperformance of ‘RENT’.

And provide something lighter they did. Harry McGuiredelivered his jokes as the eponymous characterconfidently; Kieran Lewis was entertaining in the role ofhis pioneering father, and Kerin Borer was certainly acapable mother. Caitrin Robertson the boxing Aunt, andNathaniel Davis as the adventurously imagined librarianalso stood out in a largely flawless cast. The lines wereall well-rehearsed, and nobody could have said that theevening had dragged on by the end of it.Indeed, not much else can really be said of the

spectacle. It all went off without a directorial ortechnical hitch, thanks to the experienced Mrs Beaty,and the venerable Mr Fairbairn respectively, the latter ofwhich will be missed as he retires along with the year’send. Practiced backstage and technical crews kept theshow running smoothly, and the evening provided anenjoyable half-an-hour to all who were able to catch it.

Ben Jeffrey

Junior play –Ernie’s IncredibleIllucinations


Exercise 1st Look40 new recruits signed themselves up for Exercise 1stlook at Downholme woods, Catterick Training Area for a20 hour military exercise.The year 9s had only joined the School’s CCF a couple

of weeks previous, and were now going to completetheir basic training field craft module by spending aweekend under canvass. Cadets were put into their 4 sections under the

watchful eye of Colour Sergeant Sam Hunter (1 section),Sergeant Hannah Byers (2 section), Sergeant AbiGraham (3 section) and Sergeant Tory Richardson (4section). The training began with a round robin of 4lessons taught by Colour Sergeant Oliver Chrisp, ColourSergeant Heather Appleby, Sergeant Donna Opray andCadet Warrant Officer Ed Grundy. Lessons includedcamouflage and concealment, the 24 hour ration pack,observation post and how to build a basha. Cadets thenhad a couple of hours to build their bashas which wouldprovide shelter for the evening, cook their evening mealfrom the ration box and cam up. Once done and after aquick briefing from their section commanders, thesections were deployed to a secret rendez-vous pointwhere they had to patrol up to an area and carry out aclose target recce of the enemy position. The cadets spent the Sunday morning taking part in

two command tasks, a paintball target lane and asection competition.Presentations were awarded to a number of cadets

which included the winner of the paintball target lanewas Cadet Sam Theakston and the winner of theobservation post was Cadet Jacob Shannon. 3 sectionwon the section competition with an impressive timeof 4 minutes 47 seconds and 2 section were theoverall best section. The best new recruit went toCadet Sam Theakston and the runner up was CadetEmma Robson. Throughout the weekend, the Officerswere also looking at the NCOs and LieutenantNicholson awarded the Nicholson Shield to SergeantTory Richardson who was the best senior cadet.

Exercise 2nd LookSummer Camp took place at Wathgill Training Camp,not far from Catterick Garrison. 38 cadets and 5members of staff set off on the short coach trip almostimmediately after the prize giving ceremony at the endof term. The week’s activities began on the 1st evening,

with cadets shooting on the DCCT (dismounted closecombat trainer), enabling them to practice theirmarksmanship principles. After an early start thenext day, the cadets marched up to the ranges andspent the morning clay pigeon shooting and in theDCCT again. Several of the cadets displayed someexcellent shooting skills with Lance Corporal SteveWebster winning the shot gun shoot off and CorporalChris Moore getting the closest grouping on thetarget scenario on the DCCT. That afternoon cadetstook part in some team building exercises whichpractised them in their communication andleadership skills and in the evening, cadets had anhour’s drill training with the drill Sergeant Major whocertainly put them through their paces.The cadets took part in an orienteering competition

on the Monday morning. The contingent was splitinto 17 groups and each team set off at 1 minuteintervals. Lance Corporal Hugh Carter and CadetJames Beedle won the competition, with a veryrespectable time of 34 minutes and 42 seconds andCadets Ben Ridley and Matthew Jeffery came secondwith a time of 38 minutes and 48 seconds. Justbefore lunch the cadets took part in a drill knock outcompetition which was won by Sergeants DonnaOpray and Guy Van Den Dries with cadets ClaireWilkinson and Ross Currie doing very well too.Following a packed meal, the contingent was splitinto 4 sections and they spent the afternooncompleting a series of command tasks whichincluded getting the whole section through a spider’sweb, rescuing an injured soldier and getting him tosafety by crossing a mine zone filled with sharkinfested custard and erecting a tent whilstblindfolded. A special mention must go to CadetsAmanda Usher, Chris Harrison and Niamh Tait, aswell as Corporal Aaron Day and Sergeant Guy VanDen Dries who displayed some excellent leadershipskills. To finish the training, the contingent split intotwo teams for a race. Major Hall’s team completed

Summer Term

SummerCCF

the course in 5 minutes 45 seconds and LieutenantNicholson’s team completed it in 6 minutes. Theevening was spent taking part in an obstacle coursecompetition, and after a warm up, team onecompleted the course in 2 minutes and 29 secondsand team two completing it in 4 minutes and 34seconds. Tuesday was spent at Ellerton Lake for the

adventure training package. The cadets spent themorning on the water where they built rafts, practisedacrobatics on the open boats and completed somefun games on the kayaks. After changing back intodry clothes, the afternoon was spent on the mobileclimbing wall, taking part in a volleyball competitionand also gaining some instruction on the archerylane. The evening was spent taking part in an archerycompetition which was won by Lance Corporal HughCarter.After a day on the advanced tactics stand, where

cadets took part in patrolling and shooting at fallingplate targets on the close quarter battle lane, wedeployed straight into Exercise Gandale. Cadetsmoved into the farm accommodation and thenreceived their orders for the evening’s mission ofcarrying out a recce of the area. Two of the sectionsled by Sergeants Hannah Byers and James Dickinsonunfortunately walked straight into an ambush andhad to tactically withdraw back to base camp. Theother two sections led by Colour Sergeant SamHunter and Sergeant Tory Richardson managed tosuccessfully carry out a close target recce andgained some vital information from an enemyposition. The following day on the way to carry outsome section attacks, the cadets patrolled straightinto a film crew who were filming a documentarycalled Eternal Law. They did film us that morning, sowe could be all famous if we are seen on TV! The finalday was spent relaxing a Lightwater Valley.Cadet Iona Borer was presented with the shield for

the best year 10 cadet on camp, Sergeant JamesDickinson was presented with the shield for theoverall best cadet on camp and Colour Sergeant SamHunter won the cadet’s cadet trophy. It goes withoutsaying that throughout the week, the cadets were acredit to the School and certainly put 100% effortand enthusiasm into every activity they werepresented with.

CEH

The year 7s recently had a visit from our very ownauthor Robert Johnson, who works within the school. He spoke inspiringly about how he started writing andwhere he gets his ideas from, and he encouraged thepupils to reflect on their own learning and futures.

His visit was so powerful that it seemed appropriate to follow it with a creativewriting competition set up for years 7 and 8. Three titles were given: “The Gift,”“Night Time” and “A Day to Remember.”The response to the competition was amazing: there were so many

entries, far more than was expected, which made it very difficult to judge as they were also of such good quality.The judges were Robert Johnson and Mrs M Waddington (Head of

Learning Support).

The winners were:1st: Kieran Lewis2nd: Aiden Moran3rd: Helen Walgate4th: Bethan Findlay

Overall, this competition was a great success and we’ll certainly berepeating it next year, as well as introducing a similar competition for ourolder writers.

MEW

Runners up were:Joshua BloomfieldOliver MorrillJoe AndrewRuby Wilkinson

The GiftI plod down the bus as if it’s a funeral procession. Horrific memories from school

are here so, as you’d expect, being repeatedly forced to sit inside ‘Hell on Wheels’for an hour isn’t the most pleasing idea.People aren’t that good to me. Wait – if I’m brutally honest they are malicious.

They make fun of me, spread rumours. It’s awful. I fill with rage when it happens,but I conceal it – I know that if I retaliate, I’ll suffer for it.Oh damn, I think. One of them is clambering up the stairs – I quickly turn on my

iPod and begin listening to ‘Born This Way’, but I can’t block out the taunts thrownmy way.“Yo, Blacky! Yo got beaten up by a Yee-eh 2!” He laughs, pointing at me. I just

focus on the lyrics. He punches me, “Ey, you! Ya got beaten up by a Yee-eh 2!” I remain perfectly still, stopping listening. He wants a reaction, I know it – but Idon’t grant him the pleasure, and after a couple punches he struts away.Why does it matter that I’m black, short and clever? It matters just as much as

him being white, fat and dumb! IT DOESN’T MATTER. I wish he’d stop.Insults are thrown, as the bus drives its course. I watch people leave the bus.

My stop’s last.“Bye, Dave,” I manage a smile to the bus driver as I step off. He gives me a nod

and a wave, then the bus’s doors close and I’m left to walk home in the pouringrain – by the time I reach my house, my hair is soaking wet and my bag is drippingwith water.I march up the stairs, shaking my head side-to-side to remove the worst of the

water. I’m so exhausted, and I can’t wait for Saturday – just to let you know, it’sMonday night. I burst open my bedroom door – my place. My Xbox, computer, iPod!I guess the best thing in my week is a nice retreat to Assassin’s Creed!It’s only 7:00pm but a good night’s sleep will give strength for Tuesday.My alarm clock goes off at 6:30am, but I only manage to tumble out of my cosy

bed at 7:10. I get myself cereal, then check the mail (don’t expect a letter, butmight as well check). To my disbelief, I find a parcel with my name on it!I rip the wrapping paper open with a rare sense of excitement. I choke up as I

see it. Who would... how could... wow...Inside the wrapping and bubble wrap is a case for my iPod and a note inside,

reading: “Bud, tell someone about it. It’ll get better :) “ Below is a phone number –I put this in Google, and a website comes up: Childline.Tears flow, not believing someone would do something like this. The only thing I

could think?Thanks Dave.

Kieran Lewis


Night TimeAs the last rays of sun hit against the wall of impenetrable mist, the hunter

cursed. He’d been tracking a deer for hours and now the light had gone out. Hewas not going hungry again. The baron’s men had taken everything he had apartfrom the clothes on his back and his trusty bow. That’s why he took to poaching.His parents disagreed but they were happy enough when food was on the table.But with the light going out he would find tracking a lot more difficult. But still,he had nothing to lose. Sighing, he took out the tinderbox (stolen) and lit a torch(also stolen). He followed along the deer tracks until he reached a smallclearing. There stood the deer grazing as if it hadn’t noticed the light of historch. He allowed himself a quick grin as he pulled back to the bow string andreleased. He aimed but at that exact moment a gust of wind blew. It blew thetorch from where he planted it in the ground. He flinched. The bowstringsnapped across his wrist and he yelled out in pain. Then the whispers began. “Pain” He whirled round but in the darkness he tripped and fell.“Death” He groped around wildly for his torch and tinder box, whimpering

with fear.“Fear” He found them and stuck at his tinderbox wildly, crying with

desperation and fear. It finally lit. He waved it round his head frantically. “Where are you!” he shouted. He stood up and picked up his bow. He was

trembling from the experience, but shook his head anyway, telling himself it wasthe wind. But deep inside him he knew better. The best thing for him now wouldbe to get back as quickly as possible, deer or no deer. “I’m behind you” He span round but no-one was there. He closed his eyes and

started breathing heavily. He walked through the forest not caring for thebranches and sticks in his way, only trying to get home as quickly as possible.“You cannot escape me” He flinched but carried on. He couldn’t listen to the

voice now.“Your family are disgusted by what you do” How did The Voice know that. He

had had arguments with his parents about his poaching but they were alwaysquiet so no-one could hear lest they get arrested.“They will be thankful that you will never leave this forest” Heart pounding in

fear and rage at The Voice. How dare it enter his private matters? How dare heintimidate him? He had found his pride at last.“You will die.” He stopped and tensed.“And your family with you” And that was it. The Voice could threaten him all it

wanted to, but it could threaten his family, who had cared for him and only tried topersuade him off poaching because they were afraid he would get caught. In awordless shout he hurled the torch at the place where the whispers were comingfrom. As it flew through the shadows it hit a dark body standing there. A screamas harsh as the wind on a mountain broke out from the trees. The Voice was dead.But then the torch hit the floor. It sent sparks all around catching fire to anythingit touched. Flames sprung around everywhere and they sped around him forminga circle, trapping him. The voice had done that. As the flames closed in on him herealised that this was just the vengeance of The Voice. It was dead but it wouldhave its final victim. And then the fires closed in.

Aidan Moran

Creative Writing competition

Summer Term

On the 4th of April 2011 I was given agreat opportunity by Mrs Waddington totalk to a group of Year 7 English studentsabout the experiences I have had so far,following the release of my debut novel. Forme it was a chance to explain that if youhave the self belief and the determination,you can fulfil any of your dreams.

Many Thanks, Robert Johnson

“”


So it came down to a right royalbattle – Her Majesty of LongfieldHouse, Emily Turner, the red-facedrose of England (aka Our Sovereign),against the pride of the CzechRepublic and York House, MartinRyvola. All bets were off.

Even our chirpy compere, Mick Donnelly was lost forwords as the small English ship sailed into the Europeangalleon – all guns blazing and jewellery rattling at thehoned muscles of the strongest devotee of the newfitness suite. The towering colossus wavered. Was it simply

hesitation borne of respect for the fairer sex, was itconfusion at the terrier aggression of someonedressed in a floral dress and a Queen Elizabethmask, or was it simply that his feet were too big toremain secure on the podium? Whatever the case,Goliath was toppled by Davina, the Republic wasvanquished by Royalty, and everyone had a goodlaugh – which was the point of the exercise really anda few pounds extra for charity.

SJR

HouseGladiators

Longfield Dinner

Summer Term

As is the annual tradition, during theSummer term the dining hall wasdecked out beautifully by the staff,the lectern was positioned, theoverhead projector was aligned, winewas ordered and invites sent for theLongfield Dinner.

Organised by the out-going girls – in every sense of theword! – the dinner was another huge success. Manyfriends and family were invited, with a total of 190guests from many different corners of the world. Tutorsand pupils welcomed the families of the young ladies,who all looked as smashing as ever, and entered theDining Hall for a top-notch meal.Once the food was consumed and the drinks were

quaffed with eagerness, the Lower Sixth girls took tothe stand, whilst a presentation whirred overheadwith many embarrassing images of our seven leavers.Each of the girls was recollected with fondness by theLower Sixth, and speeches thanking staff, both tutorsand back of house, were very touching. Thesoundtrack to the evening was a magnificent blend ofevery house song we have performed, including thisyear’s winning belter! In addition to this, HannahRobertson took to the stage and wowed us all withthat beautiful, melancholic voice of hers.To make the evening even more poignant, it was not

only the girls that would soon be leaving us – andspecial mention went to the Peppers, first-rate houseparents who will be missed by all.A fitting end to the Longfield calendar, we say

farewell to Jess Brice, Tory Cliffe, Brooke Goudie,Donna Opray, Hannah Robertson, Jess Scott, andHead of House Harriet Knowles, and wish them all thebest for all of their endeavours in the future.

TS Edwards


On Monday 9th May, Year 8 went on a Religious Studiestrip to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne. We had to cross aroad which becomes the sea when the tide comes in,which was very exciting. When we arrived, we first wentto the Priory, where there were many interesting parts ofthe ruins, which were amazingly still standing. It was animportant centre of early Christianity, and was home tothe Lindisfarne Gospels.We went to the island’s beach, which was incredibly

windy, but great fun! We had a Celtic stone paintingcompetition. The island has a very long history. Welearnt that the island was attacked in 793 AD, duringthe time of the Anglo Saxons. My favourite part of thetrip was painting all the Celtic rocks, because we putthem all together and they looked really colourful! Itwas a great day out.

Izzy Knowles

On 28th May, 37 sleepy students and 4 tired teachers setoff from school at 6.30am, ready for the Battlefields Tripto Belgium and France (and Canada!). On Sunday, thefirst place to see was Vimy Ridge, a memorial dedicatedto the Canadian Expeditionary Force members killedduring the First World War. Everybody had a guided tourof the underground passages, which was absolutelyfascinating, and because France granted Canada someof the land on Vimy ridge, it was very interesting seeingCanada! We ate lunch in Peronne, a picturesque townwhere we went to a more modern museum dedicated tothe memory of people who fought in the First World War,and we learnt more about its effects on political, socialand cultural aspects. We then came to Thiepval Memorial, which was an

incredibly moving and sad memorial dedicated to72,195 missing British and Commonwealth men whodied in the Battle of the Somme, and who have noknown grave. We found names of seven OldBarnardians and placed cards in their memory. Lastly,we went to Lochnager Crater, an absolutely incrediblepiece of land that was formed by a mine detonated onthe first day of the Battle of the Somme.The second day was just as busy – we visited Essex

Farm, a very small cemetery which contains the grave ofValentine Joe Strudwick, who was killed on 14thJanuary, 1916, aged just 15 – one of the youngest todie on the Western Front. It was also at Essex Farm thatJohn McCrae wrote the now famous poem, ‘In Flanders

Field’. We then saw Langemarck Cemetery, a Germancemetery which is extremely different from the others,with dark gravestones instead of white ones, and is avery harrowing experience. The next place, Tyne CotCemetery, is one of the largest and most impressivememorials, which contains graves of 11,908 men and amemorial to a further 34,888 soldiers. We then wentto Sanctuary Wood, where a portion of front line andsupport trenches dating back to 1916 have beenpreserved. We were able to explore the trenches, andwe found it very distressing, that people had to live inthese terrible conditions with mud and water and not beable to go home.

We then took a trip to the town of Ypres and there wasan optional visit to the “In Flanders Field Museum”where, as part of an interactive tour, you can take on theidentity of historical characters whose everyday liveswere thrown into turmoil by the bloody battles. A gooddeal of chocolate was bought, and then presentlyconsumed, in the quaint and friendly chocolate shops ofthe town, and we all headed back to the hotel.Later on in the evening, we went back to Ypres for the

Last Post at the Menin Gate. Every day, at 8pm, buglersof the Ypres Fire Brigade sound the Last Post, and the

RS –Lindisfarne

Summer TermThe Year 8 RS trip to Lindisfarne was an enjoyable pilgrimage. The pupilsenjoyed learning about the significance of Aidan and Cuthbert using ‘HolyIsland’ to re-develop Christianity in the North. They also painted Celtic Art ontopebbles on the beach, impressing staff by their creativity and artistic skills.

AJA

“”

BattlefieldsHistory trip

ClaudiaBarkesWe would like to congratulate Claudia Barkes on herfantastic results at the Great Britain GymnasticsLevel 2 Championships. Having competed in a series of compulsory

events, she was delighted to be awarded thebronze medal, resulting in her being third in thecountry. A truly meritorious achievement. Claudia has also been selected to attend a

National Training Camp in Dijon, France with theGreat Britain Home Development Squad. She willbe training with her national coaches and enjoyingten days away with other squad gymnasts.

experience was very moving. This year was very special,because Tilly McAllister and Hamish Glover laid a wreathat the ceremony. A choir also sang and the ceremonywas beautiful, though sad.We give many thanks to Mr Gorman, who organised

the trip, as well as Mr Ince, Miss Jackson and MissSnaith, who came along with us. It was a fantastic fewdays where we not only learnt a lot, but also were ableto empathise with and understand the terrible atrocitiesof the war much more, and it was a very worthwhileexperience.


pupils that saw Tan Hill come into view at the endof day 8.Our accommodation was in youth hostels that

delighted in their variety and consistency ofwelcome. The walkers bonded, young and older, intoa cohesive, supportive, highly committed squad thatgood-humouredly enjoyed and endured some longdays in the wildernesses of the Pennines. Highlightsin such instances are a subjective matter, but if youcan see beauty in utter desolation, then Bleaklow isthe place to be, and it is pleasing to note that thehostel that seemed most well received by theyounger members of the team was perhaps themost spartan and certainly the oldest. My thanks go to PEK, GSH (who can cook the

meanest curry), JBG, CHA and MEW and to all thepupils who made this into a true holiday. Next yearsees us back in Scotland on the West Highland Way.Why not join us?

AMW

SummerTours

Summer Term

Pennine WayExpedition July 2011

A walking trip needs good weather,good company and good scenery.

This trip had it all in spades. By “good” weather, Imean weather that requires the walker to take therough with the smooth: if you can flog on whendesperate for a drink (ie. water) and flog on againthe next day when soaked to the skin, and all thistaken in good cheer, you have the sort of dispositionthat will conquer a challenge such as the PW. The small band that undertook this year’s

expedition was more than equal to the task and itwas a happy, satisfied group of 6 teachers and 8

Swedish ExpeditionThe expedition team (the word “team” being stretched at times) consisted of six Barney pupils – Sebastian Hampson (Seb), Sam Graham, Daniel Thompson (Tomo), Calum Matthews and Jack and Matthew Thorman. Our external expedition leader, Richard Davill, who met at 1pm on 10th July. The touchdown was followed by a 1hr bus journey into the centre of Oslo. At 7.30pm we finally arrived at the Arvika canoe centre, situated in the heart of Värmland, a province of Sweden. It was an early start the next morning, re-packing our

kit (again) ready for the 9.00am pre-expedition briefing by the canoe centre. We were welcomed and informed of our route, the dangers we could encounter and how we should behave in the wilderness. The only other people doing the same route were two Dutch lads. After loading two minivans it was off on our journey. After an hour and a half we finally arrived at the start point which was somewhere deep in the wilderness of the Värmland forest, near the Norwegian border. As soon as we arrived it was ‘all systems go’

unloading the boats and kit. After a hasty lunch of yet more bread, cheese and salami we finally set-off, paddling our flotilla of four canoes across the still waters of the lake getting used to the canoes, paddling partner (Matthew in my case) and our new surroundings for the next seven days. What lay ahead of us were 12km of land portages and 120km of paddling.We huddled under the tarpaulin to eat our bread, jam

and best of all, chocolate spread, and climbed aboard our rain filled canoes. I could see spirits were already flagging. The long journey down the endless lake with rain pounding our faces was definitely one of the low points of the trip. Later we came to our first portage of the day where we set up the tarp to shelter from the rain during lunch. The Dutch lads were here doing the same. After soup, noodles and tiger muffins, we were suitably energised to paddle across another endless lake with rain pounding our faces. Waves crashed against the side of our boats forcing us to paddle close together for protection. Later that afternoon the clouds stared to separate to reveal a warming sun. At this point we had reached our most northerly point of the trip. We were in Norway and would now be heading south towards Sweden. We reached an island where we had planned to camp for the night only to find the Dutch lads had beaten us there. However, they invited us to join them –a courtesy we would afford them a couple of nights later. That evening saw us hanging kit out to dry before retiring to bed after dinner.

Music Tour to ParisOn a cold, dark night on the 11thJuly when the rest of BarnardCastle was asleep, several pupilsand teachers met at the top of theschool drive, carrying an array ofinstruments and music, ready todepart for the music trip to Paris.

A long journey lay ahead, but it was definitelyworthwhile. Everybody was treated to seeing the famoussights of Paris: breathtakingly beautiful Notre Dame, theremarkable Centre Pompidou, the striking Sacré CouerBasilica and, of course, the Eiffel Tower, where somebraved the lifts and saw the sprawling sights of Parisfrom above. We were lucky enough to play at Parc Montsouris on

one day and at Square Jean the next – in the gardensof Notre Dame! Under the direction of Mr Donnelly,the band played various pieces such as ‘Goldfinger,’‘Bad,’ ‘The Incredibles,’ and ‘Pirates of theCaribbean,’ whilst the choir sang songs including‘The Rhythm of Life,’ ‘Hallelujah,’ ‘Blue Skies’ and‘Chasing Cars’ under the direction of Mr Mawhinney.Hetti Harper, Dan Priestley, Tom Evans, Alex Rowland-Jones and James Robertson also performed a songby Adele, making two thoroughly enjoyable concertsin lovely settings. The final day – and perhaps the day everybody was

most excited about – took us to Disneyland! Thoughcoming in through the private entrance meant therewere a few fears about possibly seeing a headlessMickey, luckily there were no such sights and weperformed in the Videopolis Stage that holds up tothree thousand people – a daunting and yet fantasticexperience where both the band and the choirsounded very confident. And, of course, we were ableto go on plenty of rides as well!

Whether we were performing, going on a cruisedown the Seine, eating at Flunch or watching aparade in Disneyland it was a great trip, and we allsay a big thank you to Mr Mawhinney, Mr Donnelly,Miss Jackson and Mr Atherton who came with us andmade it a very enjoyable few days.

Whizzy Gorman

The next day dawned mercifully sunny and there wasa good mood in camp as we collected our dry kit off theline and tucked into a breakfast of crisp bread andchocolate spread. We soon left camp in dry weather.With the sun shining and the reflections of the treesahead shimmering in the water this was definitely oneof the best times we had paddling through forests ofriver reeds. The paddling on day four stared off easy, but the wind

soon picked up and we struggled to make headway. Weknew we had to keep going as we had to make goodprogress that day to remain on schedule. Once again,the heavens opened. Wet to the bone we finally arrivedat our campsite on a small lake called Nedre assbotten.The island included an emergency shelter which wegratefully made use of to shelter and cook dinner under.The two Dutch lads also joined us on the islanddesperately looking for relief from the constantdownpour. Later we made pop-corn while huddlingaround the camp fire with the Dutch.The last day started when Phil marched over to our

camp and told us he and Richard were leaving in onehour - at 10:30am - and that we were going to have tonavigate our way back to the canoe centre. Everyonesprang into action, desperate to leave camp before Philand Richard. I was now chief navigator for the group.Having reached the first portage unharmed we allworked together using the skills we had learnt duringthe trip to ensure that everything went as smoothly aspossible. The going was monotonous and tiring, but itwas good to know that we could do it ourselves and thatwe were nearly approaching the canoe centre. Tired andhungry, we pulled our canoes on the beach outside thecentre and stumbled onto land. It had been an amazingexperience, which had tested us at times as individualsand as a team, but it had also been great fun.We returned to Oslo the following day for some

sightseeing. The highlight was standing on Oslo’s Operahouse roof watching the sun set over the city. But thiswas then topped when we went into the opera’s high-tech toilets. The urinals were a waterfall! Matthew andJack didn’t ‘wop’ out their knifes: Phil said Bear wouldprobably use toilets like these. We left our hostel at5.30am on Friday 22 July to catch the bus to the airportready for the morning flight. Again there was frantic re-packing and swapping of kit to ensure each bag waswithin the weight limit. On our arrival back in UK weresoon learnt about the bomb explosion in Oslo and thenlater in the day about the heinous shootings. 7/22 willnow be etched into the history books. Our thoughts goout to the Norwegian people.

By Calum Matthews

Summer Sports


Swimming

D Miller (C) Team from: R Hall, T Romaines, K Chan,A Miller, D Hackett, J Robertson, N Miller, J Hall, B Ridley, A Lea, G Jones, H Glover, J Shannon, J Beckwith, J Bloomfield, J McGrath, N Bridger, J Raw, J Pickering, A Farr, Z Day

ResultsJunior Intermediate Senior Overall

Sedbergh Won Won WonLeeds Lost Lost Lost LostDurham Won Won WonAmpleforth Won Won WonPocklington Lost Lost Won LostSt Martins Won WonWhitgift 6th

John Parry Relays Senior Medley 10th Freestyle 8th

Bath Cup Bath Cup 4 x 100m 32nd Aldenham Cup 10th Otter Cup 4 X 50m Medley 38th Dunelm 4 X 50m

Medley Cup 12th

This years training has often been interrupted by a lackof pool which has been some what frustrating. Especiallyfor the seniors who have shown great commitment totraining, luckily the new gym has provided an extrafacility and the boys armed with a training programmefrom Mr Woodward have made full use of the facility.We had a difficult start to the year at Leeds. Always a

tough match and this year was no different. The JohnParry Relays were at Stoneyhurst the boys put in solidperformances and narrowly missed the final.The spring term started with our usual match against

Sedbergh were the boys were on top form wining 90% ofthe races. This was to be a trend which was repeated inour matches against Ampleforth and Durham. This yearsaw a gala against Pocklington there were some greatraces but in the junior and intermediate age groups theyproved a little too strong. The seniors continued withtheir wining form despite missing the captain and acouple of other key members. The junior match against St Martins was enjoyed by

all, the races were all very close but this year went in ourfavour.The Bath and Otter Cup was once again at Crystal

Palace – hopefully next year we will be in the OlympicAquatic centre. The have worked hard all year with thisin mind and they moved up the order of merit in both theBath Cup and the Otter Medley. They will always find it abig step up swimming in he 50m pool as they realisedthat out pool is as long as the 50m pool is wide!!Dan Miller’s two year captaincy comes to an end. He

has been an excellent captain, organising the youngerswimmer and me at times. I will miss the senior boys,training will be some what quieter next year withoutthem.

FC

AthleticsIt has been a very busy summer term for our athletes:

11 May HMC athletics12 May Junior girls v St Olaves & Pocklington14 May Independent Schools girls athletics16 May Track and Field Cup19 May Area trials21 May Girls v Casterton & St Mary’s Hall11 June County Athletics Championships18 June Inter-County Schools Athletics Championships

The first competition of the season was the, verycompetitive, Northern HMC. Due to Easter being so late,this event was in the second week of term, which meantvery little time for our athletes to practice. We performed well as a team with several steady

performances and a few medal places; Ivan Gaskin (LJ– 3rd), Ben Wynn-Jones (400m – 3rd), Bekki Westgarth(HJ – 2nd), Caitlin Bainbridge (LJ – 1st, 100m – 3rd)and Niamh Tait (Shot – 3rd). Intermediate boys wereninth, intermediate girls were third, junior boys and girlswere both eleventh. The junior girls had a friendly competition against St

Olaves and Pocklington at St Olaves. The overall scoreswere St Olaves – 185 points, Pocklington – 155 pointsand Barnard Castle – 143 points. St Olaves wereclearly the strongest team but we were very unluckythat Pocklington beat us by just a few points. Individualwinners included: Sarah Scanlan (100m) and IslaHewitson (100m).Our next fixture was the Girls Independent Schools

Athletics at Huntington Stadium. This was a verycompetitive event where we performed extremely wellagainst thirteen other able and motivated schools. TheU12 girls were eighth, U13 girls were eighth, U14 girlswere tenth and the U15 girls were second. Out of all ofthe teams we had two individual wins from Niamh Tait(Shot Putt) and Thea Thompson (Javelin). However, all ofthe girls in the U15 team performed extremely well; theywere placed in the top three in the majority of events.Congratulations to Niamh Tait, Thea Thompson, CaitlinBainbridge, Bekki Westgarth and Kim Brolly on achievingsecond place in this very tough competition.The track and field cup was a very exciting competition

this year where we had some inexperienced athleteswho competed well. In the first round at Jarrow ourjunior boys were third, intermediate boys were fourth,junior girls were fourth and the intermediate girls werealso fourth. Unfortunately none of the teams managedto get enough points to make it through to the nextround but it was a great experience, particularly forthose athletes who were attempting new events.Casterton School hosted BCS and St Mary’s Hall for a

girl’s athletics competition. The age groups were fromU10 – U15. It was an extremely wet but busy day withgirls competing in several events. As a school weperformed extremely well, winning the wholecompetition. The senior school age groups scored 308points, Casterton scored 294 points and St Mary’s Hallscored 156 points. The individual age group scores forthe senior school were:

U12 BCS 92 U13 BCS 52 U14 BCS 75 U15 BCS 89Cas 72 Cas 71 Cas 86 Cas 65SMH 80 SMH 76

Towards the end of the athletics season we planned tohost boys and girls from Ampleforth, Durham School,Pocklington, Sedbergh, Windermere St Anne’s and Yarm.Unfortunately this competition was cancelled due to rain.The school performed extremely well at the Area

Athletics Trials. Thirty eight U17 and U15 athletescompeted and twenty two got through to compete forSouth West Durham at Monkton Stadium: SarahScanlan (200m), Alice Jackson (HJ), Alice Whitehead(Discus), Fran Pollock (LJ), Max Hargrove (Jav), BenTremewan (TJ), Duncan Hewitson (Discus), CameronWaiter-McKenzie (400m), Sam Theakston (LJ), HamishGlover (Shot), Bekki Westgarth (HJ), Niamh Tait (Shot),Thea Thompson (Jav), Iona Borer (TJ), Vicky McKay(Discus), Ivan Gaskin (LJ), Agni Ghosh (200m), MaxJones (Jav), Ben Wynn-Jones (Discus), Harry Holden(HJ), Lewis Sowerby (400m) and Ben Spratt (Shot). Thefollowing U19 athletes were hand picked to go throughto compete for South West Durham: Helen Alderson(Shot), Iain Swall (Discus), Chris Legg (Jav) and FinlayTait (HJ). Out of these pupils, ten were first or secondand were chosen to represent County Durham at

Gateshead Stadium the following weekend. Saturday18th June was a horrible day with very wet conditions,not ideal for all athletes to perform at their best. BenTremewan was 5th, Alice Whitehead was 5th, BekkiWestgarth was 4th, Niamh Tait was 5th, Thea Thompsonwas 3rd, Ivan Gaskin was 7th, Max Jones was 3rd, BenWynn-Jones was 5th and Harry Holden was 8th. CaitlinBainbridge competed as a guest so was not placed inthe competition. Thea and Bekki both performedextremely well as they managed to beat their PB’s onthe day. These ten pupils have performed amazingly wellthis season and they should be extremely proud ofthemselves, getting to the inter-counties competitionwas not an easy process, well done!This has been another very successful athletics term.

Well done to those pupils who performed wellindividually and also to all pupils who helped us gainvaluable points in the team competitions.

LJS

1st XI Football

P 8/W 6/D 2/L 0

Team From: Grant McGrath, Will Barnes, SebastianUllrich, Ben Duffield, Freddie Metcalfe, Dale Keogh,Aidan Grant, Chris Bury, Alex Wilson, Ben Wilson,Greg Upton, Xaver Remky, Alejandro Lázaro, LucasSummers, Mathew Brown, Lukas Killinger, SamHunter, Bret Upton

It appears that my hopes after last year’s dismal seasoncame true after all; less injuries and a chance to pick ateam which regularly consisted of the same core ofplayers produced far better results. I was very pleasedwith the level of commitment from the boys this yearand some of the football that they played was excellent.Despite 3 unbeaten seasons in the last five years andthe lack of an out-and-out striker, this has probably beenthe best group of players I have worked with.The season began with a tricky away trip to Sedbergh.

Although the game finished 3-2, in reality the teamdeserved to win by a greater margin, hitting thewoodwork twice in the second half. Scoring two goals inthe first game, Greg Upton was to accomplish a similarfeat in the second match at home to St Peter’s whichwas a far more comfortable affair with the teamattacking at will and producing good movement andpassing in the final third of the field. One of the onlydisappointments of the season was the injury that Gregpicked up in the third game, a home fixture againstSedbergh, in which they again emerged as victors in anedgy 1-0 match. The goalscorer in this game was ourGerman Midfield Kaiser, Xaver Remky, who scored somegreat goals this season with his cultured right boot. The team was also without the influential Alex Wilson

for the game against Giggleswick in which we managedto scrape a 2-2 draw after a long range strike fromcaptain Dale Keogh. St Peter’s were duly swept asideagain in the return fixture and a dogged Ampleforthmanaged to achieve a draw at ‘the Castle’ after ourboys had bossed the first half of the game. They alwayssay that football is ‘a game of two halves’. The fixture that will most stick in my mind is what will

become known in legend as the ‘St Aidan’s DayMassacre’. Our visitors from Harrogate had ‘done thedouble’ over us last season and I had fired the team upprior to the game by telling them that this would be thehardest game of our season. It turned out not to be so,as the opposition was swept aside with ease.The final game was always going to be an edgy affair

and Ampleforth were one of the best sides we metduring the season, with three skilful Spaniards in theirranks. Although we had some nervy moments, we didjust enough to sneak a victory to complete a fine set ofresults that the boys ought to be proud of.

ARJ


Summer Sports

Senior Boys TennisTeams from: Mike Waldin (Capt), Lucas Killinger, ChrisBury, Patrick Borer, Freddie Metcalfe Stephen Tsoi,Ross Whalley, Chris Robinson, Alban, Dennis Hackett,Jeremy Kwan, Johnny Trewhella, Nick Packham,Freddie McBain , Johnny Connors.(Full colours were re-awarded to Mike Waldin andawarded to Lukas Killinger. Half colours awarded toChris Bury, Stephen tsoi, Patrick Borer and FreddieMetcalfe.)

With the demise of the Co knockout for senior boys, wonso often by BCS and the schools decision to withdrawfrom the Northern HMC schools event at Bolton, we wereleft with a smaller fixture list than usual. Losing a raincancelled fixture against Ampleforth to the weatherfurther exacerbated matters and meant that ourexcellent first pairing of Mike Waldin and Lucas Killingerhad few others to beat up on. Winning margins against Sedbergh, St Peters and

Giggleswick had to be their consolation and droppingonly a couple of sets in their overall stats was great tosee. ‘Iron Mike’ has played in the senior six for fouryears now and his immaculate stroke making will besorely missed, though I hope emulated. Lucas leaves usto return to Germany and will take back his strong serveand ‘wolley’ game as well as a very well developed andcompetitive all court game. He was officially sehr gute.Chris Bury has enjoyed two good seasons with us and

thrives on the chances for a long game, whilst StephenTsoi and that lovely leftie serve will be returning for morework over the summer to Hong Kong. Our senior six wasmost often complemented by Patrick Borer and FreddieMetcalfe. Both are very keen to do well and both are inthe process of refining their stroke shapes to be morein line with the orthodoxy required for success on anormal court surface. We have some good under 15’scoming through and they will have to be on their toesnext year.With two teams out against Sedbergh and Giggleswick

we tried to involve as many players as possible and soour second group of ‘development’ players had thechance to become competitive. Completing the season with a narrow win over the

OB’s was a fine end and we saw Mike and our Frenchvisiting student, Alban, notch up a great win over JoshWaldin and Edward Bishop (who did not ever lose onthat court when at school). Whilst this was happeningChris and Stephen pinched a tight one against BillNeville and Josh Wilks. It was a good day at the office.I have really enjoyed being with the group over the

season and I do hope that they continue to do lots oftennis prep watching Sky TV. They have a good attitudeto learning and by watching Geoff a good role model tocopy in stroke shape. I hope our leavers go on toembrace tennis as a game for life and I wish them warmsunny days without the ‘Barney breeze’.

GB

U15 Boys Tennis

Team from: N Stainthorpe, A Farr, B Lilley, L Ononeze,O Larcome, B Wynn Jones, A Fernehough, A Saubot

Results:St Peters wonSedbergh wonWindermere St Annes lostAmpleforth lost

The boys have played some excellent tennis this term.They have had some very close matches narrowlyloosing at Ampleforth and Windermere St Annes. They have all really improved this year acting on the

advice given by Geoff on stroke selection and courtpositioning. They have been a delight to work with andI look forward to seeing their tennis improve next year.Many thanks to Geoff for all his help this term.

FC

U13 Boys TennisTeam from: S Stainthorpe, A Farr, J Jennings, M Thompson, A Ingram, T Metcalf, M Stirk, M Wilkinson, T Greaves, D Custance, H Thompson,E Lung, J Sargent, A Howarth, N Davis

Results:St Olaves lostDurham Johnston lostHummersknott wonSt Martins lost

The boys have had some tough matches this season.Many of the boys have played their first matches andthey have had a steep learning curve.The scores have often not reflected how close

matches have been with many games going todeuce. The have all enjoyed representing the school,and have worked hard in training with Geoff. Theirskill level has developed throughout the term andmany of them are really enjoying their tennis. I hope they are able to continue playing in their own

time and look forward to seeing them develop astennis players over the years. Many thanks to Geofffor all his help this term.

FC

Senior Girls TennisK Fraser (C) Team From: K Walton, G Bishop, E Peat, H Ward, H Alderson, J Thompson, R Brown

Results:St Peters lostSedbergh lostAmpleforth lostDurham High lost

The girls have had a very short and tough season. Theweather and exams have meant a reduced fixtureprogramme. The results have not been a reflection onhow the girls have played. They have had a number ofclose matches and have often taken games to deuce.Practice time has been some what limited due to examsand the weather which has been a real shame as manyof the girls have practiced in the off season and hadstarted their preparations for the season early.Many thanks to all the girls for their efforts this

term, and to Geoff Thomas who has coached themthroughout the season. I look forward to a moresuccessful year next year.

FC

Girls U15 TennisTeam From: E Newton, H Stephenson, T Thompson,R Westgarth, C Atkinson, E Ferguson

Results:St Leonards wonPolam wonQueen Mary’s wonYarm – U14/ U15 wonDurham High lostWindermere St Annes won

The girls have had a successful season. Their only defeatwas against Durham High School which was a tightmatch. A few fixtures we lost to the good old BritishSummer. The girls have made excellent progress andhave really benefited from working with the boys whohave forced them to hit the ball harder and work on theircourt positioning. Many thanks to Geoff for his help throughout the

season, and to the girls for their efforts. They havereally made progress and I look forward to furthersuccess next year.

FC

Girls U13 TennisTeam From: C Waldin, S Nicholls, A Martin, H Wynn-Jones, C Robertson, S Pratt A Ridley, C McEwan

Results:Yarm U12 wonYarm U13 lostDurham High lostSt Leonards wonQueen Mary’s lost

The girls have had a mixed season. They have had anumber of close matches and the scores have notalways reflected how evenly matched the games havebeen. They have worked well in training with Geoff andtheir skill level and court awareness have improved. Asthe season has gone on they have grown in confidenceand their match play has improved. Many thanks to Geoff for his help throughout the

season, and to the girls for their efforts. I lookforward to further success next year.

FC

1st XI CricketTeam from: Ben Wilson(C) Greg Upton, AngusRobertson, Bret Upton, Kit Wilson, Matthew Brown,Richard Stanwix, James Dickinson, Tom Harrison,Richard Harland, George Woollard, Adam Mason,Ben Duffield, Rupert Barrett, Guy Cozer, TomSowerby, William Grundy and Alex Finkill

P 13/W 2/L 11

Awards: Fielding: Richard Stanwix, Batting: Ben Wilson,Bowling: Angus Robertson, Players player: Kit Wilson

As the results and statistics indicate, this was a toughseason; my most challenging in the fourteen years Ihave been involved with the first team at BarnardCastle. Was it a lack of ability? Was it a lack ofapplication? Or was it a lack of desire? It is with somesadness that I have to confess it was, in my opinion,mainly a result of the poor form shown by theexperienced players in the team, and partly due to theavailability of players. The high points this season are few and far between;

maybe some divine intervention sent the Pilgrims tous, with a good batting side, but at least we couldrecord a win. Ben Wilson continued his fine battingform from last season in the opener againstGiggleswick, but his solo effort of 74 was notsupported and we lost a game we should really havewon. Kit Wilson showed some signs of the quality all-rounder he could be, with a well constructed 49*against St.Peters. It was pleasing to see such a keencricketer in Tom Harrison force his way in to the teamand score some runs; he is no mean fielder also.Angus Robertson signed off by leading the attack,when available, to great effect. I hope we see himplaying for the OB’s in years to come; he is a talentedcricketer. Richard Stanwix started well with the bat, butfaded and never really scored the runs we needed. Hekept a very tidy wicket indeed, with an incredibly low


count of byes. Some excellent fielding on the festivalensured he won the fielding award, just easing aheadof Tom Harrison in the final few games. Guy Cozershowed some ability with the bat on the festival; he isonly the second player to score a half century thisseason, a good indication of our shortfalls. Alex Finkillshowed some calmness under pressure, with the ballin his hand, to see us home against MCS inMacclesfield. He can also score useful runs, so he toomay be one to watch. Rupert Barrett has the potentialto be a very useful all rounder; he will be one of thesenior players available next season, so I hope he isprepared for a leading role in the side next year.As from September 2011, I shall no longer be MIC

cricket at Barnard Castle School, or be in charge of thefirst team. I would like to express my thanks for all thesupport, which players and staff has shown me overthe last fourteen years. I hope the cricket continues toflourish at Barnard Castle School and I look forward toplaying a more active role in the coaching of theyounger year groups in seasons to come. My finalthanks for this year go to John Lister, for his continuedsupport and expertise and Colin Megennis for hisexcellent and good humoured umpiring.

ResultsDurham (h) Lost, BCS 111 for 5 R.Stanwix 35Durham 112 for 6 B.Upton 3 for 12

Giggleswick (a) Lost. BCS 117 all outB.Wilson 74, Giggleswick 118 for 7

Sedbergh (h) NR

Durham (h) Lost, BCS 54 all outDurham 55 for 1

MCC (h) Lost, MCC 178 for 3BCS 150 all out, B.Wilson 58

RGS Newcastle (a) Lost, RGS 221 for 7B.Upton 4 for 53, BCS122 all out

Durham pilgrims (h) Won, Pilgrims 110 all outA.Robertson 3 for 14, BCS 113 for 7, M.Brown 31

St.Peters (h) Lost, BCS 141 all out, T.Harrison 33, K.Wilson 49*,St.Peters 142 for 3

Twenty/20 festival (a)QEGS Wakefield LostQEGS 99 for 4, BCS 89 all out

Durham School LostBCS 91, B.Wilson 30Durham, 92 for 1

Old Barnardians (h) LostOB’s 167 for 5, A.Finkill 3 for 26BCS 132 all out

Magdalen College School(Macclesfield festival) WonBCS 249 all out, M.Brown 39, G.Cozer 59MCS 244 for 7, A.Finkill 3 for 35

Kings Macclesfield(Macclesfield festival) LostKings 290 for 7, A.Robertson 4 for 36BCS 45 all out

Edinburgh Academy (Macclesfield festival) LostEdinburgh 222 for 7BCS 135 all out, R.Barrett 34

2011 Batting and bowling statistics.BattingName Innings Runs AverageB.Wilson 11 218 19.8K.Wilson 10 136 17.0A.Robertson 7 100 14.3T.Harrison 9 125 13.9R.Stanwix 13 116 8.9BowlingName Overs Maidens Runs Wickets AverageA.Robertson 71 8 312 14 22.3B.Upton 48 7 126 11 11.5

BCU

U15 Cricket

W. Grundy (C) Team from: J. Beauchamp, J. Brogden, H. Carter, G. Coser, J. Coser, S. Everall,A. Finkill, N. Gilbertson, J. Gill, S. Goyette, J. Hall, D. Holden-Dalby, C. Parnell, J. Raper, W. Richardson,M. White, K. Wilson.

P 13/W 8/L 5

RESULTS:Ashville College lost by 5 wicketsSt. John’s School won by 8 wicketsDurham School lost by 61 runsAmpleforth College won by 4 wicketsRGS Newcastle lost by 45 runsKing’s Tynemouth won by 9 wicketsYarm School won by 26 runsSt Thomas More RC School lost by 5 runsSt Peter’s School won by 5 wicketsDame Allan’s School won by 74 runsNorthfield won by 119 runsQEGS, Wakefield won by 3 wicketsDurham School lost by 38 runs

LEADING RUN SCORERS:G. Cose 398 runs @ 49.8K. Wilson 177 runs @ 35.4N. Gilbertson 166 runs @ 12.8S. Everall 85 runs @ 17W. Grundy 82 runs @ 13.7J. Brogden 80 runs @ 10

LEADING WICKET TAKERS:J. Coser 28 wickets @ 7.2G. Coser 20 wickets @ 14.6J. Raper 19 wickets @ 11.6H. Carter 9 wickets @ 8.4A. Finkill 8 wickets @ 22.4K. Wilson 6 wickets @ 18.3

LEADING FIELDERS:S. Everall 8 catches 6 stumpingsN. Gilbertson 5 catchesJ. Coser 5 catches

This has been a very enjoyable season with a pleasantgroup of boys, all keen to play well and improve theircricketing technique. The season began before thesummer term had started, such was the lateness of theterm beginning, and the team with a mixture of year 10and 9 pupils went down against Ashville. Will Grundy wasappointed captain and he performed his duties well,listening to advice and acting upon it sensibly. The next fivegames followed a pattern of win then lose until the Yarmgame when the sequence was broken in a positive way!This signalled the second half of term, when the side

played good cricket with various telling contributionsfrom all areas of the team. A 20-20 contest at Blaydonproduced an excellent game where over 290 runs werescored but we fell by 5 runs but Guy Coser scored thehighest individual score of the season with 78. Thefollowing game against St Peter’s produced arguably theteam’s best result when they bowled out the visitors for76 and then knocked the runs off for 5 wickets.The season continued successfully until the last

Saturday of the season, when in a triangularcompetition between QEGS and Durham the side beatWakefield but then lost to the hosts. Hamish Carterbowled well on the day to get the second best bowlingfigures of the season with 6-11, the best being fromJonny Coser with 6-9. The bowling overall was quiteaccurate with Kit Wilson, when available from 1st X1duty, being very economical but Guy Coser, James Raperand Alex Finkill all had their moments.

The batting of the side could be slightly inconsistentbut both Guy and Kit recorded two separate 50’s eachand Guy was easily the leading run scorer. Others didmake valuable and telling contributions and in NickGilbertson, Will Grundy, Sam Everall and John Brogdenthe team possessed batsmen, who could accumulateruns. The fielding could have been better, too manycatches went down but this was not down to lack ofeffort, Sam Everall kept better this year and began tostand up to some of the bowlers, often to good effect.As ever in cricket the people, who do not always get

a bat or a bowl, are crucial and this year had a goodnucleus of pupils prepared to play their part. Mythanks, then, to the likes of Jonty Gill, Chris Parnell,James Beauchamp, Matthew White, James Hall, SamGoyette, Will Richardson and Dale Holden-Dalby; theywere certainly more than bit-players.So in conclusion, the side generally performed well

and were a pleasure to coach. My thanks to all theparents, who supported the team and I look forwardto seeing these players develop further next year.

DCSE

U14 Cricket Team: T. Sowerby (Capt), T Adamson, S. Leeming, G. Hall, T. Marston, T. Stirke, O. Pearce, H. Glover,M. Priestley, J. Scott, D, Hewitson, M. McKitton, J. Bolton, M. Moss

P 9/W 3/L 6

After two heavy defeats in the first two games, therewas plenty of work to do for the season ahead. Also theloss of Sam Leeming through injury meant it was goingto be a difficult season.The lads worked hard on their game and showed a

good team spirit which was rewarded with good winsagainst RGS Newcastle, Kings Tynemouth and St Johns.Special mention to Tom Sowerby, who led from the

front, was our top run scorer and at times made battinglook easy and was handed a First Team debut. TomAdamson bowled with pace and movement and wasour leading wicket taker. He also made usefulcontributions with the bat.The progress made by T. Stirke, T. Marston, M. Moss,

M. McKitton, O. Pearce & G. Hall should bode well fornext season.Many thanks to Mr Connor and Mr Pepper for taking

the team when I was on First Team duty.JWL

U15 Rounders

Kim Brolley (C) Team from: Emily Newton, Rachel Pratt, Ellie Sowden, Iona Borer, Amanda Usher, Jenny Stephenson, Claire Wilkinson,Rebecca Cliffe, Helen Stephenson, Caitlin Bainbridge, Abbi Glowienko, Alex Stirk, Niamh Tait.

ResultsSt Peters lost 9-21Queen Marys lost 5-9½ Durham won 11½-6

This rounders season was a very short one due to the lateEaster Holiday. Three matches played; one won, two lost.

(Continued >)


Sports Day

Summer Sports

The first game against St Peters was a tough one;the pitch was next to a gigantic hill which fell awaydownwards and a definite advantage to a well-practiced home team. A number of the St Peters girlswere able to exploit this weakness of the pitch, andnumerous rounders were scored against us. TheU15’s fielded well and it was merely down to carelesserrors that the score built up against us. Batting atthis point also caused problems as our usual bighitters had difficulty getting their eye in against acompetitive opposition. The following two gameswere played as a triangular fixture. By this time ourfielding had tightened up, and the leadership of KimBrolley came into its own; she was able to guide andmotivate the team into ensuring scores were kept toa minimum. Batting still posed somewhat of aproblem as the team found it difficult to connect withthe ball; however, intelligent running and pressure onthe opposition saw our scores creeping up. Thematch against Durham was reasonablystraightforward and Barney was a considerably betterteam. The second game against Queen Marys wastough and could have gone either way and was tighterthan the score suggests. This team would havebenefited from more games and a longer season asby the end of term they were considerably stronger inbat. The ‘Best Rounders’ player was awarded to KimBrolley, and ‘Most Improved’ to Rachel Pratt.

AA

U14 Rounders

J. Metcalf (C) Team from: H. Appleby, L. Bloomfield,K. Body, L. Bussey, E. Cody, E. Ferguson, K. Gibson,L. Greaves, L. Knight, E. Robson, S. Stephenson, C. Thompson.

St Peters lost 9.5-19.5Queen Mary’s lost 4-16.5Durham School won 18-6Giggleswick lost 16-46

Selection for the first match of the season was toughdue to injuries. The team won the toss away at St Petersand decided to field. The opposition batted well andmany of the Barney girls were called out at first base dueto a strong Peter’s partnership between their backstopand 1st post fielder. Holly Appleby bowled well and therewere some excellent catches by Laura Greaves. A loss against Queen Mary’s was disappointing but

the opposition did field extremely well and we simplymade far too many errors. Our batting soon improvedin the next match and we beat Durham Schoolconvincingly. Lorna Bussey performed well stumpingmany of the opposition out on 1st base and Emily Codybatted well to give us a clear lead. The final match was testing after a heavy defeat to

Giggleswick in the previous year. Nevertheless theBarney girls put in a super effort but the oppositionbatted strongly and we just struggled to get them out.Encouragingly, improvements were made in the secondinnings and Lizzie Knight took some brave catches tobe named player of the match.

TCB

U12 RoundersEllen Gossage (C) Team from: Erin Porter, Isla Hewitson,Katie Rhodes, Alice Ridley, Charlotte McEwan, StellaNichols, Fran Waiter-Mackenzie, Lucy Newton, FrancescaSummers, Jess Hall, Holly Swinbank.

ResultsSt Olaves lost 10 ½-15 ½ Durham Choristers won 12 ½-8 ½ Queen Marys drew 9-9Durham School won 15-4Giggleswick lost 10-16

The start of the rounders season is always difficult as itseems to arrive very quickly and just as we get into itseems to be over in a flash. This was true this season aswe were straight into selecting Year 7’s to take part inrounders, tennis and athletics, with plenty of the girlsbeing pulled in many directions. St Olaves was our first match and they had the

advantage of having already played a couple ofmatches and seemed more secure on the rules andfamiliar with each other. The U12’s, however, didreally well especially fielding, where some goodcatches were taken and accurate throwing keptscores down. It was a few careless errors that madethe difference but this was a good lesson learnedand proved positive in future games. The nextmatches were played as a triangular fixture. The firstmatch was against Durham and the girls set outdetermined to win. Barney batted first and scoredwell, with Stella Nichols scoring the most rounders.When in field, Isla Stella and Ellen worked well atbackstop, second and deep field and proved to be anunstoppable trio with Durham lagging far behind.Credit goes to Ellen Gossage for her fantasticcatching at second base. It was an easy win forBarney. The girls continued to excel when playingQueen Mary’s and battled well, scoring 4 ½ roundersin the first innings. It was a close match and asecond innings proved to be intense, as QueenMary’s had already scored 4 ½. Once again, due toBarney’s efficient fielding, QM were only able to equalBarney’s school. The game ended in a well-deserveddraw. The final game of the season was a surprise toeveryone and it was brilliant to see some players,who hadn’t played for the ‘A’ team before come intothe team and perform very well indeed. They did wellagainst a strong Giggleswick team, but weredefeated. I look forward to seeing this team progressover the years as there is plenty of strength anddepth in the year group which bodes well for thefuture.

EMB


There were a number of excellent performances onsports day, with the majority of events taking place onthe day. Several records were broken the mostimpressive one being the one set by Ian Swall in theSenior Boys discuss, who broke the previous record by13meters. Once again we were lucky with the weatherdark clouds did threaten but fortunately passed over.Well done to all pupils involved and many thanks to allthe staff who helped on both the day and on the daysleading up to Sports Day.

FC

Boys Results

Junior

Event Competitor House Time/distance

100m T Metcalfe Durham 12.90

(Eric Scot-Ingram Trophy)

200m T Metcalfe Durham 27.43

400m Zac Day Dale 1.05.13

(Caden Cup)

800m M Stirke Durham 2.47.25

1500m David Evans Dale 5.32.72

Long Jump T Metcalfe Durham 4.60m

High Jump C Simpson Dale 1.50m NR

Shot B Rodham Durham 8.87m

Triple Jump R Holden North 9.45m NR

Javelin C Spence North 22.25m

Discus B Lilley Durham 18.01m

Tug of War Durham

4 × 100m Relay Dale 57.11

House Relay North 2.51.93

Victor T Metcalfe

Intermediate


100m I Gaskin North 11.61

(Adam Barker Trophy)

200m Ivan Gaskin North 24.24

(Adam Barker Trophy)

400m B Wynn Jones Tees 58.50

(Ladies Challenge Cup)

800m J Coser North 2.24.41

1500m J Coser North 4.51.77

Long Jump I Gaskin North 5.01

High Jump B Wynn Jones Tees 1.60

Shot C Harrison Dale 9.86

Triple Jump B Tremewan Tees 10.84

Javelin M Jones Durham 32.77

Discus B Wynn-Jones Tees 24.60

Tug of War Tees

4 × 100m Relay York 50.76

House Relay Tees 2.22.61

Victor I Gaskin & B Wynn Jones

Senior


100m F Tait Tees 11.15

(Clark Challenge Cup)

200m F Tait North 24.24

(Richard Austen Cup)

400m B Duffield Tees 56.88

(Richardson Cup)

800m M Brown North 2.16.90

(RT Bayles Cup)

1500m X Remky North 5.02.08

(Mutimer Cup)

3000m C Matthews Tees 11.16.01

(Bayles-Blackett Cup)

Long Jump B Clegg North 5.91m

(Yeadon Cup)

High Jump F Tait Tees 1.77m

Shot I Swall Tees 12.40m

(Adam Wilkie Trophy)

Triple Jump B Clegg North 11.21m

Javelin C Legg York 42.1m

Discus I Swall Tees 43.00m NR

Tug of war York

4 × 100m Relay North 47.57

House Relay North 2.14.90

Victor F Tait

Girls ResultsJuniorEvent Competitor House Time/distance

100m S Scanlan Marwood 13.68

200m S Scanlon Marwood 28.62

300m I Hewitson Marwood 49.98

800m A Ridley Bowes 2.54.95

(MacGregor Cup)

1500m E Everall Bowes 6.05.60

Long Jump S Scanlan Marwood 4.12m

High Jump L.Hardie HammondMarwood 1.25m

Discus A Whitehead Marwood 18.21m

Javelin E Beauchamp Bowes 16.9m

Shot E Watson Bowes 7.71m

4 × 100m Relay Marwood

1.00.46

House Relay Marwood 2.20.30

Victrix S Scanlon

Intermediate


100m C Bainbridge Bowes 13.28

Kelsall Cup

200m C Bainbridge Bowes 27.37

300m T Thompson Marwood 45.59 NR

800m T Thompson Marwood 2.40.38 NR

(Sutherland Trophy)

1500m R Westgarth Marwood 6.03.12

Shot N Tait Bowes 7.48m

Long Jump C Bainbridge Bowes 4.61m

High Jump R Westgarth Marwood 1.50m NR

Javelin T Thompson Marwood 23.27m

Discus K Brolly Longfield 18.62m

House Relay Bowes 2.14.99

4 × 100m Relay Marwood 58.06

Victrix T Thompson & C Bainbridge

Senior


100m C Simpson Bowes 13.69

(Le Duc Trophy)

200m H Byers Longfield 29.12

400m A McBain Bowes 1.08.52

(Auckland Cup)

800m R Brown Marwood 3.01.93

(Stewart Cup)

1500m A McBain Bowes 6.06.56

(Moss Cup)

Long Jump H Simpson Bowes 4.61m

(Robson Cup)

High Jump N Shaw Bowes 1.32m

Javelin E Turner Longfield 31.9m NR

Shot H Alderson Bowes 7.97m

Discus V Richarson Marwood 22.26m

4 × 100m Relay Bowes 59.16

House Relay Bowes 2.12.00

Victrix C Simpson

House Results

Cowling Cup – Boys Relays

5th Durham 18

4th Tees 20

3rd North 26

1st= York & Dale 28

Parkin Cup – girls house competition

3rd Longfield 207.5

2nd Marwood 272

1st Bowes 288

Junior Boys – house competition

5th Tees 102

4th York 106

3rd North 107

2nd Durham 157

1st Dale 176

Ellis Cup – Senior boys house competition

5th Durham 189

4th York 297.5

3rd Dale 304

2nd Tees 314.5

1st North 317


Leavers’ Ball

Sue, Mark and Helen Simpson Mr and Mrs McGrath with son, Grant

Summer Term

017>> 018>>

Doug, Hannah and Gordon Bolton William, Pauline, Kieran, Liz and Dave Armstrong

022>>023>> 0

Stephen andJudith Ridley

Rachel and John Gedye, Allen Jacobs and Linda Crowe Dan Miller and Jess Scott

027>>

Donna Opray, Hannah Robertson Grace Bishop, Nick Phillips

031>>

Simon and Nicolas Crowe, Victoria Cliffe

032>>

A GLITTERING night of glamour and spectacle brought school days to anofficial end for sixth formers at Barnard Castle School.A drinks reception on the school lawn welcomed Year 13 students as

they celebrated their time together in style.The party then moved into a huge marquee erected behind the school

for a sumptuous buffet and evening of music, dance and laughter.Head of School Nicholas Crowe said: “Studying at Barnard Castle

School is like being part of a huge family and this was a fantastic sendoff as we all start the next chapters of our lives.“We will always remember our school years with great fondness and

appreciation of the help we received from our teachers.”


Summer Term

Malcolm and Kate McCallum Sophie Thompson, Tom and Sarah Miller, Janet and Andrew Thompson

019>> 020>> 021>>

Matthew Tsang, Angus Robertson

Helen Simpson and Joshua Peat Dean Wheeler, Matthew Tsang, Ross Whalley, James Ingram, Kieran Armstrong,Chris Legg, Adam Mason, Aidan Grant

024>>026>>

025>>

Jenny Peat and Liz Rhodes Kate Swinbank, Rachel Metcalf, Jasmin Jenkinson, Anna Dawson,Helen Alderson and Jess Brice

028>> 029>> 030>>

Josh Gibson, Brooke Goudie,

Jessica Brice, Cameron JonesAmanda and Dan Gorman, Ione and Simon Dowson, Heather and Alan Stevens

033>>

035>>

034>>


Chairman’s reportMy term of office started this time last year with asuccessful Barnardians’ day. Numbers returning weregood with cricket, tennis, squash, netball and football allbeing played. More poignantly this year, the day enabledthe club to pay their thanks to the retiring President ofthe Club, the Headmaster, David Ewart. A presentationwas made to both David and Valerie Ewart to mark theirtime at Barnard Castle. The day finished in a somewhatsombre mood as England were knocked out of theWorld Cup!In September, therefore, we welcomed the new

Headmaster and his family to the school andspecifically the Headmaster, Alan Stevens, to the postof President of the Club.The relationship between the Club and School is good

and it must continue to grow so that the many OldBarnardians can be used to the benefit of the Schooland its pupils. This is why it is vital that we keepencouraging members of the club to sign up with DotJones, the secretary, so that the club’s database is ascomprehensive as possible.

Old Barnardians Club

Summer Term

Over the past year, Barney Friends,which has been thriving since 2005in Prep School, has established amore visible presence in the SeniorSchool.

With the support and encouragement of theHeadmaster and Second Master, we decided to putourselves on the map by organising a Quiz-night inMarch for parents, staff and friends. Over 70 peoplecompeted fiercely, fuelled by an excellent curry supperprovided by the school kitchen, to win the top prize ofsome fine wine. Such was the success that next year’squiz is already being planned… and that’s what BarneyFriends – Senior School is all about. Our purpose is to create opportunities for parents

and families to come together socially, to make newfriends, provide support for each other and have fun– after all, as parents of Barnardians, we ourselvesare very much an integral part of the Barneyextended family! We may seek to fund-raise fromtime to time in the future to support the School or itsnominated charities, but that is not our mainpurpose. We want to be helpful to each other asparents and provide useful services such as thesecond hand uniform shop which will open inSeptember 2011.

This year, as well as the Quiz, we organised a highlysuccessful Year 7 mum’s dinner at the Riverside Inn,Barnard Castle. Members of the ‘Friends’ came to‘Bridging the Gap’ Days and Open Days to helpwelcome new and prospective parents, andcontinuing a fine tradition, all of the catering andhospitality at Senior School Sports Day wasorganised by Barney Friends. Preparations arealready underway for a Family Ceilidh Night on 20October and a Christmas Fair on 4 December.We meet at least once every half-term. There is an

opportunity for coffee and a chat as well as a morestructured meeting for those who want to be involvedin the detailed planning. Everyone is welcome toeither or both and you will find full details on theschool website as well as in the Barney Bulletin. Akey meeting in the new academic year will be our firstAGM on 14 September at which we will select aChair, Deputy Chair, Secretary and Treasurer. Why notcome along to a meeting if you can and say hello!Finally, I want to express my gratitude to everyone

who has been in any way involved in Barney Friendsactivities this year and who have given unstintinglytheir time and talents to make things happen and formaking new parents (like me!) feel so welcome. I think we can look forward to an even more excitingyear ahead!

Heather StevensBarney Friends – Senior School

Barney Friends

In October the London Dinner was renewed, thanks tothe efforts of Matthew Gash. Held in the RAC club, anexcellent night was had by all and the date for nextOctober’s event, held this time in the East India club,has already been confirmed.Disappointingly, however, the Spring Ball booked for

the end of March did not go ahead due to lack ofnumbers. As a committee we need to find out exactlywhat people want from these occasions so as toguarantee numbers attending.The committee has met each term throughout the

year and we have heard news about many Barnardiansachieving great things and I would encourage allmembers to e-mail Dot Jones with all your news,however trivial. It was pleasing to see that the guestspeaker at Speech Day was Mr Tony Aikenhead, aBarnardian responsible for overseeing the building ofthe Olympic Stadium.In conclusion I would like to finish by thanking all the

committee for the work done during the year andespecially to Dot Jones for all her efforts andenthusiasm.

DCSE

Upp

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barnardianBarnard Castle School, Newgate, Barnard Castle, County Durham DL12 8UN t.01833 690222

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Barnardian 2010 - 11