juniorFlight to Kenya

senior schoolBird Ringing at Star Copse

middle schoolDockyard Apprentice Inspiration

sixth formOxbridge Success

023 9236 0036 www.pgs.org.uk

Spring 2013

HORIZONS

The Junior School may have taken a flight to Kenya this term (see page 3) but Year 8 brought some of the vibrancy and colour of Africa to the school as part of a recent Art and Design project.

In lessons the pupils have worked in pairs to create these stunning African Masks and have made links from their own work and that of Pablo

Picasso and Nuam Gabo in the intricate designs and decorations on the finished masks.

“You could feel their concentration as they constructed these quite complex three-dimensional masks from cardboard, gumstrip and acrylic paint,” said Alison Dyer, Head of Art, “there was a great deal of careful planning and collaboration that went in to the work, and you can tell how successful this was from these immensely colourful results.”

Creative cultural collaborations

SIX

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www.pgs.org.uk

THE NEW SIXTH FORM CENTREFOR FULL DETAILS SEE PAGE 6 AND 7.

We wish all PGS families a very happy Easter and look forward to seeing you back on Monday 15 April.

2 Travel &

Beyond

On 28 February the Bawtree Building was buzzing with PGS pupils from Years 10-13, as well as pupils from other local independent schools, keen to find out if they have what it takes to be a doctor or a fashion designer, an ecologist or a civil engineer, an investment banker or a social worker.

Over 40 different professions were represented and they were all kept busy

answering pupils’ questions – and parents had plenty of questions too!

In addition there were eight gap year organisations trying to tempt pupils to take a year out and fourteen top universities advising on courses..

Many of the professions were represented by former pupils, who enjoyed an informal reunion and were interested to see how the school has changed since they were pupils here. Gareth Penn, who left in 1996 and is

now in publishing, was impressed that pupils in the ‘fourth year’ (Year 10) were taking such an active role in investigating their career aspirations. Many current parents too, were representing their profession and passing on their experience and invaluable inside knowledge of their job.

But the pupils didn’t always get an answer to the question, “How much can I earn?” They will have to find that out for themselves.

The Year 7 French mini-exchange provides pupils with a short taster of a language exchange in their first year of French in the Senior School. On Thursday 14 February 31 pupils travelled to Lille in northern France to meet up with our partner school, the Collège Thérèse d’Avila.

On the first afternoon the French school provided amusing sporting activities

to help break the linguistic and cultural ice. Then, PGS pupils spent the evening with host families, having the opportunity to practise their French and experiencing life in a French family. On the Friday morning all pupils visited an artisanal nougat factory after which the main challenge was to resist the temptation to eat the nougat purchased as presents for those back in England.

Finally, pupils visited the centre of Lille with a little time for final souvenir shopping. An enriching time was had by all and we now look forward to the visit of the French pupils in May.

A Lille Visitto France

Many people associate a visit to Belgium with trips to chocolate shops, eating mussels with frites and drinking beer brewed for generations by Trappist monks. Yr 9’s visit over the February half term holiday accommodated some (but not all) of these activities as their attention was focused mainly on gaining a greater understanding of the conditions facing soldiers on both sides of the Great War (1914-18) in and around the town of Ypres in Flanders.

this was a hugely enjoyable yet moving trip to the scene of one of the world’s

most devastating conflicts. Pupils were given a fascinating insight into how battles were won and lost, how troops tried to survive the

day-to-day atrocities of the trenches and what they might have done in their spare time in order to recuperate from the horrors of war. Visits to Talbot House and the Execution Post in Pomeringe showed acutely the polarising aspects of the First World War – one, a place for R&R for all ranks as troops took a break from the front line, the other a place of stark contrast illustrating the sometimes brutal behaviour demonstrated in executing soldiers from your own side. The Allied cemeteries at Lijissenhoek (which accommodates the graves of three Old Portmuthians) and Tyne Cot also contrasted hugely with the rather grim setting of the German cemetery at Langemarck, however, the sheer scale of loss became apparent when we learned that some 45,000 German troops were buried beneath our feet in what was a relatively small space. The visit to the site of the Essex Farm field hospital which inspired Canadian doctor and poet, John McCrae, to write ‘In Flanders Fields’ provided all of us with a poignant reminder as to the fragility of human life and to the futility of human sacrifice on such an epic scale.

Perhaps the most emotional aspect of all, however, was taking part in the evening

ceremony at the Menin Gate. Here, the whole of Ypres stops for 2 minutes silence underneath one of the town’s ancient gates that has now been recreated as a memorial to those 55,000 who fell during the Great War but who have no grave, no headstone. Traffic is stopped, buglers are summoned, the Last Post is played, wreaths are laid and exhortations are read in a ceremony that has been taking place every day since 1928. This was no showy act of Remembrance, full of pomp and circumstance, but rather a simple and sombre occasion made more relevant on this occasion by the relentless and pouring rain.

As we approach the centenary of the outbreak of the Great War, remembering those who have died so that we might be free becomes more not less relevant. For those pupils and staff visiting Ypres on those cold and dark days back in February, a reminder of all that took place in the fields of Flanders ninety nine years ago gave us further perspective and insight into our lives today. It was certainly a trip of Remembrance and one to remember. I hope pupils will not forget its importance and relevance as they begin their journey through life.

Poignant Trip to Ypres

After PGS…Year 5 pupils learned some very valuable lessons at the beginning of term when Hampshire Fire Service visited the school.

A concentrated hush fell as the pupils listened attentively as they were told about the potential dangers that are

present in our homes. They were also able to board the specially kitted out fire engine, which contained mock ups of a typical house and saw at first-hand how easily a fire can start if people are careless or disregard safety advice.

Keeping Safe

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One grey Tuesday morning in January an excited group of Year 2 pupils returned to school ready for the challenges of a new term. However, they did not imagine that they would be taking a flight to Kenya!

the morning was spent planning the journey; Kenya was located using maps and atlases, then passports were made and suitcases packed. After lunch everyone was called to passport control, where passports were checked

by the flight attendants, and the pupils guided to their seats. After watching the safety information film, it was time to buckle up and get ready for take-off!

Once airborne the in-flight movie started – Madagascar 2, and flight attendants brought round drinks and chocolate biscuits!

On landing, our passports were checked and stamped with a Kenyan flag and the date. Jambo Kenya!

Ready for take off

On a damp Thursday morning, PGS Nursery had an exciting visit from two diggers. The diggers were generously bought along to the nursery by one of our parents, Mr Louis Silk.

t he children, in groups of four, spent time asking questions and admiring the tracks and buckets. The children were even lucky

enough to sit in the cabin and experience first hand what it feels like to be a digger driver!

The size of the diggers was a real talking point as they were small and compact which the children found very interesting and as one child said ‘these are rare diggers!’ Despite the wet conditions everyone had an exciting and informative visit. Thank you Mr. Silk!

Dig, Dig, Dig, Dig, Digging…

This term the Nursery children have been thinking about frogs and ponds!

to extend their learning, a trip to the school pond was in order to see what they could find… would

there be fish, crocodiles or sharks? These were just some of the children’s suggestions about what they might find lurking in the depths of the pond. Off they set with fishing nets and found snails, insects and a newt – enough to capture their imagination, but no risk of losing a finger or two!

Nursery Pond Dipping

The Apprentice 2012 winner Ricky Martin visited in January to speak to Year 9 – 13 Business Studies and Economics pupils about his experiences on the BBC TV show and setting up his own business… what he didn’t bargain for though was bumping in to his former science teacher, who now teaches here.

Dr Paul O’Neil who teaches Chemistry at PGS taught

Ricky as a youngster, sparking his interest in science which is now central to the recruitment business he runs with Lord Alan Sugar.

Over 100 pupils attended the talk, with an extended question and answer session covering topics from what it was like to be on The Apprentice, tips for making your CV stand out, business planning, the importance of learning to understand the fine line between confidence and arrogance and how hard the red ball on Total Wipeout really is!

Ricky was very forthcoming about the challenges he now faces in setting up his business particularly the reality of starting out alone with no structured office environment and just a pile of boxes and a screwdriver to build his desk. However, his passion to make the business a success shone through the whole talk, and formed a central part of his advice to the pupils – be passionate about what you choose to do as this is what will make you succeed.

Ricky also took time after the talk to be grilled by the Portsmouth Point team… an experience to rival Lord Sugar’s boardroom?

You’re Hired!

4 Music &

Web

At the end of January a selection of our Music Scholars gave a fantastic recital to the Portsmouth Music Club. The evening of music featured some of our most advanced performers, including James Gulliford, Fay Davies, Owen Jones, Finn Carter, Isabel Howson and Alice Tilbury.

the review for the Portsmouth Music Club for the night’s festivities was certainly glowing:What a programme the Portsmouth Grammar School

students gave us last night! A clarinettist with splendid youthful commitment, a

promising young soprano who tackled a variety of styles, a born music theatre singer with tremendous verve and wonderfully clear words, an electric guitarist of astonishing virtuosity, a tuba player who added trombone to her list of intractable instruments from which she could produce both line and excitement to a composed, and a polished young violinist who extracted the most from her taxing Grieg sonata.

I don’t think there are many schools in the country who could produce such an array of talent. Karen Kingsley accompanied idiomatically whatever the style. Rhythmically taut, supportive and unobtrusive, she ensured her young performers played their best.

The school’s Music Department is always keen to perform in the local community and we value our association with the Portsmouth Music Club very much.

A New Digital Age

Music, music everywhere!During February and March, over 170 pupils from the Senior and Junior schools took part in the Portsmouth Music Festival.

In venues around the city, pupils have been winning great acclaim for their performances as soloists, chamber groups

and large ensembles. From brass bands to string quartets, beginner violinists to diploma-level singers, many hours of work and dedication on the part of pupils and teachers has come to fruition in some stunning performances. Congratulations to all who have been involved. With the Festival continuing until the end of March, a profile of some of the many cup winners will be included in the next issue of Horizons.

Encore!!

ThePortsmouthGrammarSchoo

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www.pgs.org.ukMyPGS: http://mypgs.pgs.org.uk/

@pgs_1732

Just after half term we launched the new PGS website which we hope you have already enjoyed perusing!

the site has been designed specifically to provide more clarity when navigating and to provide prospective families with the opportunity to discover more

about life at PGS. While the website undoubtedly remains a source of important information for current families, information such as letters for trips are now all displayed within the Parents section of MyPGS.

Joining the Head of the Junior School (@Head_PGJS) and our Director of Sport (@DOS_PGS) we also now have an “official” Twitter feed for the whole school. You can follow us on @PGS_1732 for snippets of information on day to day school life. Is if all that wasn’t enough we’ve also started up a Facebook page.

So do come and ‘like’ or ‘follow’ us to keep in touch day to day with what’s going on in the school. We welcome any feedback you may have so please don’t hesitate to contact us with your comments.

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On Stage &Outside

This term the Wildlife Club took their third trip to Star Copse to take part in bird ringing. Long, pocketed nets were used to trap birds including Blue Tits, Great Tits and Nuthatches Tree Creepers. The birds are all identified, sexed (if possible) weighed, wing lengths measured, and then ringed before being released.

the bird ringing expeditions to Star Copse Wood, West Sussex, are a unique opportunity for pupils to take part in the monitoring of bird numbers, recording of data important in conservation and also in handling

the birds. Graham Roberts (OP) and Theo Roberts (OP) are licensed bird ringers, Matthew Roberts (OP) is training. They are a delightful trio and very enthusiastic in their passion for wildlife.

In the front row of the group photo are: Graham Roberts (OP), Theo Roberts (OP and Graham’s father) and Matthew Roberts (OP and Graham’s son) along with members of the Wildlife Club, at the back, is John Cross (OP).

If You Go Down to the Woods Today...

A packed audience filled the DRT on Wednesday 6 February for the annual House Drama Competition, which is directed, performed and supported backstage entirely by pupils from Years 9 - 13.

Classic British sitcoms provided the inspiration for this year’s event and the standard of the performances was incredibly high.

Grant House provided a witty interpretation of Yes, Minister, which displayed high levels of verbal dexterity, whilst the characterisation in

Latter House’s version of The Vicar of Dibley was superb. Smith House delivered a humorous and convincing adaptation of Black Books, whilst Whitcombe House displayed magnificent comic timing with their version of the hit TV series Miranda.

Director-in-Residence, John-Paul Crohon, was the judge for the evening and provided detailed feedback on each of the performances, recognising the achievements of not just the actors and actresses, but those behind the scenes who had made the event possible. The overall winner was Whitcombe House; Director Philippa Abernethy (Year 13) was presented with the trophy at the end of the evening, whilst leading lady Sophie Parekh (Year 10) picked up the award for Best Actress.

Classic British Sitcoms provide inspiration for House Drama

Yr 5 presented the age old tale of Scheherazade and a Thousand and One Nights, to a packed audience of parents and pupils in the DRT just after half term.

F ocusing on the tale of a girl who tells stories to an enchanted Sultan to keep her head, the musical ran through some familiar and not so familiar ancient tales such as Ali Baba and

the Forty Thieves. With excellent singing, impressive dance routines, and some highly amusing moments, there were engagingly sympathetic movements from the whole of Yr 5 which made the show a resounding success.

A Thousand and One Nights in the Junior School...

6 New Sixth

Form Centre

In February we were delighted to receive full planning consent and the official go-ahead for the building of our brand new Sixth Form Centre. The innovative new building will be located within the school’s main Quad and designed to ensure that the experience of these distinctive and hugely transformative sixth form years remain right at the heart of the life of the school.

We believe that a PGS Sixth Form education should not be an impersonal exercise in conformity. It should be a deeply personal, liberating experience in which the journey becomes more rewarding than the destination,” says James Priory,

Headmaster. The new Sixth Form Centre will be set over three floors on the site of the existing building. It will be naturally lit and

spacious, a green building which affirms the sense of belonging to a motivated, welcoming and collaborative community. The new centre will accommodate a large ground floor social area with a dedicated café and exhibition facility. On the upper floors, large classrooms and a suite of seminar rooms will be designed to stimulate discussion and debate.

Moreover, ensuring that the new building is woven into the very fabric of the school, the first floor learning zone will be connected via an aerial walkway to the rest of the school. Whilst the facility is, first and foremost, designed for Sixth Form use as a pre-cursor to Higher Education and the workplace, the physical link to the rest of the school means that it will be used to introduce different year groups to the concept of finding and using information and resources on their own before they commence their Sixth Form studies.

“The dedicated building and its facilities will equip pupils with independence and self-reliance, motivate them and promote learning as an activity, and support collaborative as well as formal practice,” comments Nick Gallop, Head of Sixth Form, “It will provide a personalised and inclusive environment, and be flexible in the face of changing needs for the future.”It is a hugely exciting time in the life and development of the school, and we will keep you informed throughout the journey.

The new Centre will open for the new academic year in September 2014.

New Sixth Form Centre

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New Sixth Form Centre

8 Academic

Success

Year 6 pupil Ben Priory’s ambition is to become an author and he certainly got off on the right foot when he was named as runner-up in the 15-and-under category of The Portsmouth News Christmas ghost story writing competition.

Ben’s ghostly tale set on Christmas Eve takes Max on a Dickens A Christmas Carol style realisation that Christmas shouldn’t all be about what’s under the tree.Ben said: ‘I really enjoyed writing this story. It took me about one-and-a-half hours on my

mum’s laptop, with another hour of editing. I knew it was 30 years since the Mary Rose was raised, so that gave me an idea. I’d also recently been playing euphonium in a school brass band at Gunwharf Quays, so that’s where the beginning came from.’

Success for 11 Oxford and Cambridge applicants provided winter cheer earlier this term and marks another highly successful year for our Oxbridge hopefuls.

Candidates have been successful right across the range of subjects – from Maths to Medieval

Languages and from Engineering to English, as well as in Law and the Sciences – and will take up their places in September.

“Once more it’s the passion for the subjects that they wanted to study that has interested these two most selective universities, and I am proud of their achievement in making such good impressions to gain places to study there,” said James Priory, Headmaster. “What’s more, three of this year’s successful pupils have come right through from the Junior School, showing that the foundations with which they are provided here can take them to the very best universities.”

The successful pupils are:

Jordan Banting: Maths, St Peter’s College, Oxford

Billy Crawford: Maths, Robinson College, Cambridge

Fay Davies: English, St John’s College, Cambridge

Christian Davison: Law, Keble College, Oxford

Ben Frei: Geography, Hertford College, Oxford

Nora Hadi: Medieval and Modern Languages, Homerton College, Cambridge

James Hammond: Engineering, Churchill College, Cambridge

Edward Harding: Mathematics, Clare College, Cambridge

Katie Husselby: English, New College, Oxford

Ben Wallis: Physics, University College, Oxford

Chris Weekes: Natural Sciences, Clare College, Cambridge

Ghostly Writing...

First Eleven

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Recently, pupils studying Art in Year 9 have been given the opportunity to visit the Dockyard Apprentice Museum in Portsmouth. During the 18th and 19th centuries, Portsmouth Royal Dockyard was the greatest industrial complex in the world, employing over 25,000 workers.

the Dockyard Apprentice Museum tells the story of Dockyard life in 1911, when the great Dreadnought battleships were being constructed. It is often said that the Industrial Revolution started

in Portsmouth Dockyard in the early 19th century with the introduction of Marc Brunel’s block-making machinery. Originally housed in the Block Mills, these were the world’s first machines designed for mass-production and some of them can now be seen in the Dockyard Apprentice exhibition.

During the visits, pupils were given the opportunity to talk to some of the original apprentices about their trades and working conditions, and to learn all about the crafts and skills which once made Portsmouth Dockyard the greatest shipbuilding centre in the world. The museum has provided the inspiration for a mixed-media Art project this term, entitled ‘Tools of the Trade: Deconstruct – Reconstruct’. In lessons the pupils have been working alongside Artist-in-Residence, Julie Graves, to explore the properties, functions and aesthetic qualities of some of the original Dockyard tools. They have been experimenting with some unusual and exciting materials and techniques and their final outcomes have been exhibited in the Boathouse at No 7 in the Dockyard. The private view took place on Monday 11 March and showcased a range of work including etchings, handmade brushes and mixed media sculptures. The project has encouraged the pupils to examine closely objects which they would normally take for granted and to appreciate the level of skill involved in making the original shipbuilding tools.

Ghostly Writing...

Original Dockyard Tools Inspire Year 9 Artists

Every year the Year 12 A Level Art group undertake a site specific installation project as part of their

coursework. This year their work has been inspired by Nikolai Gogol’s farcical short story ‘Diary of a Madman’ which records the gradual descent of the protagonist, Poprishchin, into insanity.

Using a range of media and materials the pupils created stunning visual results as they each presented their interpretation of the story.

Diary of a Madman

At the beginning of term, a number of pupils from Years 3 and 4 were lucky enough to experience a visit from final year students from the University of Portsmouth.

t he students put on a fabulous show of Cinderella, told through traditional acting methods, alongside

a show of shadow puppetry. The pupils were in awe of the show and had the opportunity to find out how it was made in a hands-on workshop. Making shadow puppets was a highlight of the afternoon, as well as the excitement of telling their own versions of fairytales.

Shadows and Light

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Awards

Captain Josh Gibbard led a triumphant Under 18 Boys’ Hockey team through closely fought battles to become Hampshire County Champions at the end of January.

In what will no doubt be the crowning achievement of the ‘hockey term’, the boys won their group and in doing so defeated Churcher’s

College, Alton College, Peter Symonds College and Farnborough College along the way.

The group win took them through to a closely fought final against Lord Wandsworth College; at full time the score was 0-0 and it all came down to penalties. Staying calm under the pressure every PGS player scored, and won 5-4 on penalty flicks.

County Hockey Champions!

Charlton ChaseOn a cold, windy and damp Sunday night, ten teams of Sixth Form pupils headed out in to the West Sussex countryside to take part in the Charlton Chase – a 35km night navigation exercise that’s been running for over 30 years.

the Charlton Chase is a challenging event, which involves team work, navigation skills

and a huge physical demand on participants who need to cover around 5km an hour overnight to complete the course.

Four teams of intrepid pupils signed up to the challenge, and two of our teams took first and second place in the Premier section of the event.

Christian Davison, Josh Gibbard, James Hammond and Lewis Garland who were the

winning team on the night, completed the gruelling course in 7 hours 26 minutes which is an amazing achievement – well done to them and to all the other pupils who took part.

Participating pupils: Ed Harding, Ben Frei, Andy Jones, Chris Weekes, John Wiggins, Harry Harwood, Theo Wing, Philip Belcher, Tom Kershaw, Ben Tucker,

Harry Dry, James Kershaw, Jamie Diamond, Prashanth Ramaraj, Danyal Bajar, Jonathan

Munro, Jack Breen, Guy Snowball, Jack Evans, Dimitri Selwood, Barney Martin, Alec Walker, Tristan Orchard, Perseus Wace, William Sparkes, James Phillips, Leon Tu, Tom Harvey, Daniella Masters, Emma Kissane, Courtney Spalding, Lucy Dobbs, Bea Wilkinson, Rosie Mileham, Katie Husselby and Liv Matimong.

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Year 7 pupil, Arthur Fry has been selected to join the Optimist International Junior Squad following his impressive performance at national ranking events in 2012.

A rthur finished 31st in the National Ranking for 2012 out of 265 sailors participating in

ranking events, and was the fourth placed U12 – a fantastic result, particularly as this was his first attempt at any of the regattas used to obtain National Ranking.

As a result of his performance, Arthur was chosen by the RYA to be in the Intermediate Squad and has been selected to represent the UK in Holland at Easter and at the Irish Nationals in August. He will also compete in the French Nationals in July, UK Nationals in Scotland in August and at various other European Regattas through the course of the year. Over the Christmas break Arthur represented GBR at the Australian Nationals in Tasmania, which gave him experience of sailing in an international competition. He was one of just five international competitors in Tasmania, and of the 130 fleet competing there were only fifteen in the U12 category.

Arthur sails both days most weekends, all over the UK, even in the bitter temperatures we’ve had this winter!

There are well over 500 Optimists that regularly race in the country, sailed by boys and girls aged U16 and it is by far the largest class in the UK. Ben Ainslie started as an Optimist sailor, so watch this space for updates on how Arthur progresses!

Sailing Ahead

During the half term break, all was certainly not quiet in the Sports Hall as 46 children took part in the Junior School Mini Sports Sessions.

Over three days the younger children of the Junior School could choose to take part in Football, Rugby, Netball, Hockey, Badminton, Tennis, Dance,

Gymnastics, Climbing, Athletics, Cricket, or Multi-Skills…. so plenty to wear them out and great fun was had by all.

Over Easter it’s the turn of the older Year 2 – 6 pupils to take part and make some noise! For more information on the holiday sports sessions, do contact Mr Chappell in the Junior School.

Mini Sport!

Our fifth Lockheed Martin Engineering challenge proved as popular as ever with fifty five Year 9 pupils signed up for a day in the DRT which had been transformed into an engineering workshop complete with hand drills, glue guns and two test pits.

In teams of five they had to design, build and test a model crane capable of lifting a Merlin

helicopter on to a trailer and away from the hostile desert it had crashed into. This year they were given a credit card to pay for materials and so had to manage financial as well as time constraints.

The best teams quickly split up the tasks, some becoming structural engineers while others developed the lifting gear and taking on the role of mechanical engineers for the day. There is no doubt that this sort of exercise, requiring pupils to work as a team on individual tasks while still communicating effectively, encourages personal innovation alongside group pragmatism and is excellent preparation for life after school.

Amazingly all teams were successful in creating a crane (with varying degrees of stability and lifting prowess!). The winners were Bennet Ager, Matthew Emery, Theodore Hornsey, Matthew Llewhellin and Edward Mitchell who all received a family ticket to the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard kindly donated by Lockheed Martin.

We were overwhelmed by the generosity and support of Lockheed Martin who not only provided eight engineers as mentors but also provided the STEM team of three who ran the day. Our young engineers are in capable hands!

We have a Downbird!

Competitive pancake racing took hold of the school on Shrove Tuesday!

the Infant Parents’ Pancake Race was a hotly contested event again this year with a

wonderful turnout of keen competitors arriving in the Sports Hall with the frying pans at the ready! The children filed in and you could feel the anticipation in the air as the races started – three heats for Mums, three heats for Dads and a Speedy Grandad! The children cheered on all the competitors as they raced for the finish line to reach the finals. This year’s champions were Mrs Kate Guyver and Mr Darran Squibb.

The Middle School were not be out done, as the Common Room was taken over for the House Relay Race. Eastwood House won out in the end, with Will Lewis from Hawkey House winning the award for the most flips in a minute!

Pancake Fun!

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2013 is going to be an epic year for two Year 11 pupils who have been selected for the England U16 Hockey Squad. Anna Reynolds and Joseph Brown have schedules packed with training camps and tournaments for both England and PGS!

Anna has been captain of the school’s hockey team since she was in Year 7, playing at centre midfield, she is a highly respected driving force for

the team. Her selection for the England Hockey U16s came after a string of excellent performances for her regional side – Wessex Leopards – at the Futures Cup last year.

For England Anna plays as a defender where her tough tackling and no nonsense playing style are definitely strengths.

Joseph is an outstanding all-round athlete, being named the School Sport Magazine’s Schoolboy Sportsman of the Year in 2011. His talent shone through early, and as with Anna, he has been an outstanding player for the school since Year 7, undoubtedly contributing to some great team performances. Although in the main he has played as a defender for the school, his heart is that of a forward and last season when he played as a free flowing forward for the U16 Boys in the Hampshire Final he scored a number of goals.

We wish them well as they move ahead with the England Hockey programme and look forward to monitoring their international progress in the coming months.

In 2005 Tony Blair was elected for a third term, Johnny Depp became Willy Wonka, YouTube was launched in the US and it was the last time one of our netball teams qualified for the National Finals… but all that changed at the beginning of February!

On a bitterly cold Saturday, the U14 netballers played fantastically well to become Regional

Champions, winning all their games to qualify them for a place in the National Finals.

Before half term we were delighted to welcome England Netballer, Karen Atkinson to the school. She ran a masterclass with the team in preparation for the finals. “I thoroughly enjoyed it,” said Karen, “PGS is a great school with some great players.”

At the National Finals in Basildon they face some of the best teams in the country – this took place on Saturday 16 March, so do check the school website to find out how they did!

Shoot and Score!

England Calling

A Select Experience

Our 1st XV rugby captain, Ben Wilcockson, has been going through the final selection stages for the England U18 Clubs and Schools Squad.

He started in great style as part of the London & South East team that were victorious over the South West U18s at

Maidenhead RFC back in January. The London & South East team ran in seven tries to record a 43-20 win.

“All the way through they’ve treated us like professionals,” said Ben. “it has been a really great experience.”

Ben has been captain of the 1st XV for two years now, following in the footsteps of his older brother Alex who also captained the team.

Sports UpdateAshleigh Dekker, Yr 9 has been selected for the Team South U17 netball squad; this is an amazing achievement as she is still only 13.

Devlin Stigant, Yr 9 Emulating his older brother Liam, Devlin has been selected to represent England at fencing. Devlin will be traveling to Poland as part of the England U15 team at the end of March.

National Squad Sailors Congratulations to Phoebe Warren (Yr11), Niall Houston (Yr 11), Georgie Houston (Yr 10), Ross Watkins (Yr 10), Ben Hazeldine (Yr 11), Jemima Lawson (Yr 11), Elizabeth Sherwood (Yr 9) and Gemma Bird (Yr 13) who have all been selected for the RYA UK Youth / Junior Squad. Selection for the UK squad recognises their potential to progress within the British Sailing Team so this is excellent news.

Year 7 and Year 8 House Cross Country took place at Queen Elizabeth Country Park this term, it was a great event and the first time we have run a “proper” cross country race.

Great South Run The school is entering a team this year, with almost 30 staff and 10 parents already signed up to raise funds for the Cambodia Appeal, if you’d like to join the team then do please contact Mr Christopher Dossett, the Director of Sport.

Under 11 Sporting Success The Under 11 girls netball team have won their way through to the IAPS National Finals, joining the boys who are already through to the football finals. This is the first time this has been achieved so is a fantastic success!