newcastle upon tyne royal grammar school review...2014 / 2015 reviewnewcastle upon tyne royal...

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www.rgs.newcastle.sch.uk

Eskdale Terrace, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4DX

Telephone: 0191 281 5711

[email protected]

The Newcastle upon Tyne Royal Grammar School is a charitable company registered in England and Wales No. 5664801.Registered Charity No. 1114424. Registered address: Eskdale Terrace, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4DX.Design and production : Inspired Agency

newcastle upon tyne royal grammar school

Three fun-filled terms, two fantastic results days

and one state-of the-art sports facility…

game, set, match

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Royal Grammar School Review 2014/2015

Prizes

90 Junior School Prizes 91 Headmaster’s Prizes 91 Year 7 92 Years 8 and 9 93 Years 10 and 1194 Lower Sixth 94-95 Upper Sixth 95 Rutherford Prizes 96 Hartwell Foundation Prizes 96 Sir John McNee Prizes 96 Awards and Cups 97 Sports Colours 98 CCF Colours 98 Arts Colours

Prefects and Leavers

99 Prefect List 99 Leavers List

Sports Report

67 Athletics 68 Climbing 70 Cricket 72 Fencing 73 Football 75 Gymnastics 76 Hockey 80 Netball 82 Rugby 86 Running86 Squash 87 Swimming87 Tennis

90 9966

Junior School Review

Learning together, playing together, having fun!

Art Gallery

A selection of this year’s artwork from some of the school’s talented students

102 106

Headmaster’s Welcome

Headmaster Dr Bernard Trafford emphasises both the importance of treating students as individuals and the impact of a powerful team spirit

Governing Body

A list of Co-opted and Nominated Governors

Staff List

A list of all current teaching and support staff

School Trips

60 USA Football Tour 62 World Challenge:

India 2015 64 Year 7 Camp

Exam Results

GCSE, AS and A Level results and statistics reflect another year of outstanding achievement

The Year at a Glance

25 Art27 Biology28 Careers29 CCF30 Chemistry32 Classics33 Debating34 Design Technology35 D of E36 Economics & Politics 37 English 38 Geography 39 History 40 Maths 41 Modern Languages 42 Performing Arts 52 Physics 53 Psychology 54 Fundraising

for Charities 55 Sixth Form

Voluntary Service 56 Houses

58 RGS Bursaries

RGS Sport

The journey of a building: from foundation to fruition

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Royal Grammar School Review 2014/2015Royal Grammar School Review 2014/2015Governing Body Royal Grammar School Review 2014/2015 Governing Body Royal Grammar School Review 2014/2015

GoveRninG Body

CO-OptEd GOVERnORs:

Mr P A Walker, BA (Hons) (Chairman)

Professor A C Hurlbert, BA, MA, PhD, MD (Vice Chairman)

Mr A J Applegarth, BA

Mr P A Campbell, MA, DBA, FRSA

Ms N C D’Cruz, LLB

Dr I O Evbuomwan, MBBS, MD, FRCOG

Mr R H Fell, FRICS

Mr N A H Fenwick, MA

District Judge P A Kramer, LLB

Mrs C S E Murphy, BSc

Mr I R Simpson, ACIB

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nOMinAtEd GOVERnORs:

Appointed by the Senate of the University of Newcastle upon Tyne

Professor S Ali, BSc, MSc, PhD Professor S Hambleton BA, BM, BCh, MRCPCH, DPhil

Appointed by the University of Durham

Professor E W N Glover, MA, PhD, CPhys, FInstP, ILTM

Appointed by Durham County Council

Dr JG Holland, MA MS D.Phil

Appointed by Northumberland County Council

Councillor T Robson

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Royal Grammar School Review 2014/2015Royal Grammar School Review 2014/2015Teaching Staff Teaching Staff

ArtMr G P Mason, BA, Manchester Metropolitan, MA, Northumbria, PGCE*

Miss H C Bray, BA, MA, Northumbria, PGCE

Mr P Edwards, BA, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, PGCE

Mrs C Egan-Fowler, BEd, Notre Dame College, Liverpool University, MA, Northumbria

Mrs K Nowicki, BA, London Metropolitan, PGCE

BiologyMr P J Heath, BSc, Sheffield, PGCE *

Dr M H Bell, BSc, Aston, PhD, Aberystwyth, PGCE

Mrs S F Hutchinson, BSc, Edinburgh, PGCE

Mrs J A Malpas, BSc, Brunel, PGCE

Dr C J Murgatroyd, BSc, Sunderland, DPhil, Newcastle, PGCE

Mr L Shepherd, MA, Homerton College, Cambridge, PGCE

Mr C J H Wancke, BSc, Newcastle, PGCE

ChemistryMr R W Wiggins, BSc, Imperial College, London, PGCE *

Dr R Campbell, BSc, PhD Newcastle, PGCE

Dr J L Greenhalgh, BSc, Northumbria, PhD, Newcastle, PGCE

Mr T Kelso, (Head of Year 13) BSc, Newcastle, PGCE

Dr A J Pulham, (Head of Science), BA, Keble College, DPhil, Linacre College Oxford

Miss S L Richardson, MSc, MChem, Durham, PGCE

Mrs M C Slack, BSc, Leicester Polytechnic, PGCE

Dr E A Smith, BSc, PhD, Newcastle, PGCE

Mrs N Wright, BSc, Newcastle, PGCE

Teaching STaff 2015 /16

ClAssiCsMrs V C Mee, BA, MA, Jesus College, Oxford, PGCE*

Mr T C Clark, (Head of Year 7) BA, Newcastle, PGCE

Mrs P R Coningham, MA, Newnham College, Cambridge, PGCE

Mr A D Graham, BA, Somerville College, Oxford, MA, Durham

Dr L E Hope, PhD Toronto, MA Florida, BA Massachusetts Amherst

Miss S V Tucker, BA, Homerton College, Cambridge, PGCE

Miss P L Whitworth, BA, Durham

DrAmAMrs R A Shaw-Kew, BA, Bretton Hall College, University of Leeds

Mr T Walters, BA, Sussex, PGCE

eConomiCs AnD politiCsMr J D Neil, BA, Durham, MPhil, Hughes Hall, Cambridge, PGCE *

Mrs L E Davison, MA, BA, Newcastle

Mr R C M Loxley, (Director of Studies) BSc, Birkbeck College, London, MEd, Newcastle, PGCE

Mr Y Moreno, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain

Mr P Shelley, BA, Liverpool, MSc, Southampton, QTS

Mr M J Smalley, BA, Manchester, QTS

englishDr S J Barker, BA, St David’s University College, Lampeter, PhD, University of Wales *

Miss S G Davison, BA, Warwick, PGCE

Mr L J Gilbert, BA, Newcastle, PGCE

Dr C Goulding, BA, MLitt, PhD, Newcastle

Mrs K J Keown, BA, Robinson College, Cambridge, PGCE

Mr A King, BA, MA, Newcastle, PGCE

Dr S C Masters, (Film Studies), BA, Newcastle Polytechnic, MA, Newcastle, PhD, Sunderland

geogrAphyMr D A Wilson, BSc, King’s College, London, PGCE *

Mr M G Downie, (Head of Careers), BA, Lancaster, PGCE

Mrs R J L Laws, MA, Durham, PGCE

Miss S J Longville, (Head of Year 11), BA, Newcastle, PGCE

Miss Z C Morrow, BSC, Central Lancashire, MA, Institute of Education, London, PGCE

historyMr S E Tilbrook, BA, Birkbeck College, London, PGCE *

Mr A S W Davies, MA, MSt, Merton College, Oxford, AIEA, PGCE

Mr O L Edwards, MA, King’s College, Cambridge, PGCE

Mr D C Greenhalgh, (Head of Year 8) BA, MPhil, University of Wales, Bangor, MA, Aberystwyth, PGCE

Dr E S Matthews, MA, PhD, Lancaster, MSc, Stirling, PGCE

Mrs A J Palmer, MA, Dundee, PGCE

mAthemAtiCsMr J A Smith, BSc, Edinburgh, MEd, Newcastle, PGCE *

Dr J Argyle, BSc, Durham, MSc, Sheffield, PhD, Durham, PGCE

Ms L Atkinson, MA, University College, Oxford, PGCE

Mr H M W Bingham, BA, Pembroke College, Cambridge, PGCE

Mr A Delvin, BSc, Bristol, MSc, Manchester, PGCE

Mr G D Dunn, BSc, Northumbria, PGCE

Dr P M Heptinstall, BSc, PhD, Newcastle, PGCE

Mr D A Jardine, BSc, Strathclyde, PGCE

Mr T E Keenan, (Head of Sixth Form), BSc, Bradford, MSc, Northumbria, PGCE

Miss C Pridmore, BSc, Newcastle, PGCE

Mr H Rashid, BSc, MSc, Newcastle, PGCE

Mr A Snedden, BSc, Newcastle, PGCE

Mr S D Watkins, BSc, Newcastle, PGCE

Miss R M Watterson, BSc, Edinburgh, PGCE

moDern lAnguAgesMiss K E Sykes, BA, Bradford, PGCE *

Mr M S Bailie, (Head of Spanish), BA, Stirling, MA, Queen’s University of Belfast, PGCE

Miss J Budd, (Head of Year 12) BA, Aberystwyth, PGCE

Miss S Demoulin, (Head of French), University of Mont Saint Aignan, France

Mrs C L Diaz-Crossley, (Head of German), BA, Jesus College, Cambridge, PGCE

Miss E L Hayes, BA, Newcastle, PGCE

Mr M Metcalf, (Head of Year 9) MA, MPhil, Trinity College, Cambridge, PGCE

Mrs C O’Hanlon, BA, Newcastle, PGCE

Miss H E O Shairp, BA, Selwyn College, Cambridge, PGCE

Mrs C Towns, Staatsexamen, Albert-Ludwigs-Universitat Freiburg, GTP

Mrs D Williams, BA, Durham, PGCE

mFl AssistAntsMiss Emma Dif, (French Assistant)

Miss Nicole Sauer, (German Assistant)

Miss Veronica Gonzalez, (Spanish Assistant)

musiCMr Z Fazlic, BA, University of Sarajevo, PGCE*

Mrs G M Blazey, BMus, Cape Town University, MA, Leeds, Cert. Ed.

Mr C G McGuire, BA, Newcastle, QTS

Mr N A Smith, BMus, MMus, Newcastle, PGCE

pAstorAlMrs S J Baillie, (Pastoral Director), BA, Leicester, PGCE

Ms A E Lee, (Director of Student Progress), MSc, Nottingham, BA, Newcastle, PGCE

philosophy AnD religionDr M B A Read, BA, MA, Balliol College, Oxford, BA, Open University, MPhil, Darwin College, Cambridge, PhD, King’s College, London*

physiCAl eDuCAtionMrs A J Ponton, BSc, Liverpool John Moores, PGCE *

Miss H J Atkinson, BA, York St John, PGCE

Mr A G Brown, BSc with QTS, Sheffield Hallam University

Miss O Chapman, BA, Leeds Metropolitan, PGCE

Mr M R Davidson, (Deputy Director of Sport) BSc, Loughborough, GTP

Mr F Dickinson, BEd, Carnegie College, Leeds Polytechnic

Miss J Harrison, BSc, Manchester Metropolitan, QTS

Mr R V Mackay, BSc, Northumbria

Miss K M Smith, BSc, Birmingham, PGCE

Mr A E Watt, BA, Manchester Metropolitan

Mr J A Wood, BA, Manchester Metropolitan, PGCE

physiCsMr E T Rispin, BSc, Newcastle, PGCE *

Mr J L Camm, BSc, Manchester, PGCE

Mrs P M Gill, BEng, Sheffield, PGCE

Dr R M Houchin, MSci, PhD, Durham, PGCE

Mrs N C McGough, (Head of Year 10) MSc, Imperial College, London, PGCE

Mr P Wilson, BSc, Newcastle, MSc, Sunderland Polytechnic, PGCE

psheMiss K E Jarvis, BA, Sheffield, QTS*

psyChologyMrs C M Bone, BSc, Manchester Polytechnic, MA, Durham, PGCE *

Miss K A Jacques, BSc, Newcastle

teChnologyMr P M Warne, MEng, St Aidan’s College, Durham, PGCE*

Mrs C A Pipes, BA, Northumbria, PGCE

Miss R Harvey, MFA, Newcastle, BA, Cumbria

stAFF

Miss K L Barnes, BA, Leeds Metropolitan, PGCE

Ms C Bolam, BA, Northumbria, QTS

Mrs C M Cree, BSc, Newcastle, PGCE

Miss S J McCullock, BA, Liverpool, PGCE

Miss C E Gardiner, BA, Teesside, PGCE

Mr T G Lloyd, BA, Nottingham, QTS

Mr J N Miller, (Deputy Head), BA, Northumbria, QTS

Miss M A Noble, BA, Hull, PGCE

Mr J A Pollock, CertEd, Carnegie College, Leeds

Miss R S Scott, BA, Sheffield, PGCE

Mr G Scrafton, BA, Durham, MEd, Newcastle, PGCE

Dr A J Spencer, (Deputy Head), BSc, PhD, Birmingham, PGCE

Mrs L M Stairmand, BA, Leeds, PGCE

Mrs R S Towers, BA, Leeds, MEd, Newcastle, QTS

Mrs K Wall, BA, University College of Ripon & York St John, QTS

Ms A J Whitney, BA, Southampton, PGCE

teAChingAssistAntsMrs A Gilmour, CACHE Level 3

Mrs L M Johnston, HLTA Level 4

Mrs H Sisterson, BA, CACHE Level 3

*Denotes head of department

heADmAster Dr B Trafford MA, St. Edmund Hall, Oxford, MEd,

PhD, Birmingham FRSA, PGCE

Deputy heADMr A A Bird

BMus, Sheffield, MEd, Newcastle,

LRAM , PGCE

BursAr AnD Clerk to governors Mr R J Metcalfe

MA, Durham, FBIFM

Junior sChoolheADmAsterMr R J Craig

BEd, Leeds

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SuppoRt StaffDiscenDo Duces

By learning, you will lead

Support Staff

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ADMiNiSTRATiON

Administrative and Exam Assistant: Judith Pringle

Administrative Assistant: Mrs L J Wright, HND, University of Bedfordshire

Admissions Officer: Mrs A Perry

Bursar’s Assistant/ Mrs A D Goodwin, BA, Compliance Manager: Newcastle Polytechnic

Communications Manager: Miss M L Appleton, BA, Newcastle

Development Manager: Ms J C Medcalf, BA, Leicester

Fees Clerk: Mrs S A McGregor

Finance Assistant: Mrs K Wallace

Finance Officer: Miss A R Rutter, BA, Northumbria, ACCA

Headmaster’s Secretary: Miss S Ellis

Junior School Secretaries: Miss E J Hollins, BA, Durham, Mrs S Scott

Outreach Manager: Mrs J Ross, MA, Aberdeen

Receptionist: Mrs J Cross

Receptionist/Administrator: Miss S Taylor

Senior School Secretary: Mrs J M Glendon

AuDiO ViSuAL

Audio Visual Manager: Mr S Corrigall

CARETAKERS Mr G J Fuery BEM, Mr R Irving,

Mr A Wilson

CATERiNG

Catering Manager: Mr B T Bulch

COACHES

Sport: Mr I Aberdeen, Mr G Bradley, Mr D Eggleston, Mr S Emmerson, Mr B Gallon, Mr L Patton

Music/LAMDA/Dance: Mr T Abell, Mrs S Austen, Miss A Ball, Mrs S Burchell, Mrs K Conaty, Mrs S J Davie, Mr M Edwards, Mr J Ferguson, Mr D Goldberg, Mr D Hignett, Miss L Hudson, Mrs J Jasinski , Ms L Khazanovych, Mr J Morgan, Mrs J Nicolls, Mr N Nowicki, Mrs L Pallister, Mr F Peacock, Mrs J Quilliam, Mr P Richardson, Mr A Robertson, Mr A Soulsby, Mr S Wall, Mr M Walton

DOMESTiC STAFF

Domestic Manager: Mrs J Gallagher

FACiLiTiES

Facilities Manager: Mr S G Lymn, MA, Durham

GROuNDS STAFF Mr D Payne, Mr M Lloyd ,

Mr J. Rippon

iT

Director of IT Services: Mr P J Miller, BSc, MSc, Newcastle

Database Manager: Mr T M Ellens

Network Manager: Mr P Bodman

IT Technicians: Mr A R Diaz, Mr D Baker

LiBRARY

Librarian: Mrs C J Richardson, BA, Newcastle Polytechnic

Library Assistants: Mrs S J Brown, BSc, MA, Northumbria Miss A M Gravely, BA, Hull

MAiNTENANCE STAFF Mr M Graham, Mr S Blanchflower

MEDiCAL STAFF

School Medical Officer: Dr C J Dias, MB, BS, Newcastle, MRCGP

School Nurse: Mrs M Thornily-Walker, RGN.

OuTDOOR PuRSuiTS

Outdoor Pursuits Instructor: Mr R O’Hagan

PERFORMiNG ARTS CENTRE

Events Manager: Mrs J M Graham

Technical Manager: Mr M Burton, BA, Northumbria, FRSA

Assistant Technical Manager: Mr B Squire

SPORTS CENTRE

Sports Centre Supervisor: Mr L Herbertson

Sports Centre Apprentice: Miss A Ali

Swimming Pool Instructor: Mrs T Etherington

TECHNiCAL STAFF

Art Technician: Mr A Goodwin

Senior Technician: Mr P L Emmerson, BA, Northumbria

Technicians: Mrs L Bartsch, BSc, Bradford, Mr G Bowman, BSc, Northumbria, Mrs S Graham, Mr J McConville , Mrs D Menton, Mr I Norris, BSc, MPhil, Newcastle, Mr C Robinson

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All the activity we describe took place against the backdrop of a magnificent, ever-growing building: I refer, of course, to the new sports facility which came into operation just at the end of that academic year. You can see the pictures of the superb new six-lane, 25m pool: the second sports hall (a full-size and full-height one, by the way); fitness and aerobics suites; changing rooms that are warm and pleasant (under-floor heating is a wonderful thing!), a great step forward; offices, meeting and teaching rooms and, in the original sports hall, a truly colossal climbing-wall.

One of the most striking aspects of this new building is just how well it fits in. Already it looks almost as if it has always been there, a natural extension to the Performing Arts Centre which joins seamlessly to the Sports Hall (actually the oldest of the buildings added to the school within the last quarter-century) and then, with that attractive angle, turns towards the AstroTurf pitch. From the rugby and hockey pitches you can see the sign proudly announcing that the huge edifice houses RGS sport: from the urban raised motorway behind, you can see the far-from-modest sign announcing that it belongs to the RGS Newcastle, putting an end to the occasional suggestion that, hidden away at this quiet end of Jesmond, the RGS (or, at any rate, its buildings) has been hitherto something of a well-kept secret!

No school is primarily about buildings, however. They simply serve to house and facilitate the amazing things that the people achieve within them. So, as you read through this magazine, you’ll learn of our artists experimenting with new media and technology and creating exciting, original work whilst our English students queue up to meet some of their favourite authors (I’m sure I never met an author in my school days – though Dickens, Jane Austen and Shakespeare had already been dead a long time) and ensure that the book remains “alive and kicking”. (It’s interesting that, throughout my years as a head, I’ve been reading predictions of the end of the book: yet enthusiasm for the Kindle is, by all accounts waning, and we still have shelves full of books in our own library. Reference material is, of course, routinely online nowadays, but it does seem that most of us still want to curl up with a good book from time to time.)

You can read about our scientists not only experimenting in laboratories (how good it is that the RGS science departments remain totally dedicated to practical work in lessons) but also exploring the world around them outside school, biologists going on field trips, visiting farms and zoos and physicists stargazing at Kielder Observatory: when we have one of Britain’s finest dark spaces almost on our doorstep, it would be crazy not to.

Welcome to our Review of the year at RGS 2014-15. And what a year it was! Despite the thickness of this magazine, we can offer only snapshots of an amazing year’s achievement.



No school is primarily about buildings, however. They simply serve to house and facilitate the amazing things that the people achieve within them.

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bricks were used to build the new sports facility

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the disappointment of heart-breaking losses and knife-edge defeats in their latter stages. Individual students were chosen to represent their county in various sports, while gymnasts, fencers and athletes (amongst others) found themselves competing and even triumphing on the national and world stage. I cannot hope to list them here: read the later pages! I should also observe that the new climbing wall, mentioned above, has galvanised climbing in the school: more than 70 students are climbing every week without exception, including many girls (undoubtedly stimulated by a new girls’ climbing club).

You don’t achieve all that success without a powerful team spirit, and the school runs many activities designed above all to develop that essential quality. Thus the houses were busy in music, drama, swimming and many other competitions, culminating in a thrilling Sports Day at Gateshead International Stadium on 1st July. As always, Year 7 went to Camp in June, conquering fears, trying new things (many of them involving getting cold and wet), building teams (and rafts) and making new friends. If that is a first experience (in the Senior School, at any rate: the Junior School is building its own programme of graded age-appropriate outdoor education), the pinnacle is perhaps represented by the World Challenge expeditions to India and the Himalayas in the summer. In addition there were the usual sports tours: footballers going to America; the long-standing Year 7 Belfast tour; and pre-season training in the sun at La Santa for athletics, tennis and swimming (not sure that was a hardship …).

In all this vast range of activities our students gain amazing experiences whose benefits are lasting, if incalculable. But, just as they learn to think of others through the necessity for teamwork, they also look outside the school:

from a variety of schools, enriching the mix and ensuring that all of our 11-year-olds start the Senior School with a new and different view; the small but important number who join us from Prep, Choir and Middle Schools at Year 9; and the thirty-forty new entrants to the Sixth Form who certainly shake us out of any risk of complacency and make their mark in our enormous and powerful Sixth Form.

The challenge to the RGS, as to any school, is to ensure that we work effectively and happily together, so that the total effort and achievement are always greater than the sum of their parts: yet those parts are vital, and we must always ensure that we see all children as individuals, with their own strengths, weaknesses, hopes, ambitions and fears. We support, inspire, encourage, advise, even comfort at need: and it is with delight that we watch girls and boys alike grow wisdom and understanding and, eventually, leave us to join the adult world – confident that they are equipped to cope with whatever it throws at them.

For those of us who work in the school, that is our challenge and our privilege, our task and our joy. It would be arrogant to claim that we always get everything right, because we are human and fallible. But I know that our aims are precise, well-articulated and readily followed. Staff and students alike sign up to a powerful and empowering ethos. And, when you read this magazine, I hope you’ll agree that we are getting most things very right indeed.

Bernard TraffordHeadmasTer

Our debaters have spent the year traversing the length and breadth of the country, racking up over 3770 miles as they travel to competitions and raising the profile of the RGS arguably higher than ever as a powerful debating school. Meanwhile, our Politics students also engage in lively debate, mostly through social media. The Politics Facebook page is a model of its kind and heavily used – not least on Election night when debate raged until 4.00 am.

Don’t think that national competition is confined to sport and debating at the RGS! Our subject departments enter team after team for national events. Thus our senior maths team reached their national final: Year 7 linguists won 1st and 4th places in the French and German Spelling Bees, up against 40,000 and 10,000 competitors respectively; students won gold awards at the RSC Chemistry Olympiad; and our Design and Technology department had yet another successful year in terms of students awarded Arkwright Scholarships for Sixth Form study in Design and Technology/Engineering. Even if they weren’t competing, geographers, classicists, historians and linguists nonetheless made memorable trips to the USA, Italy, Istanbul and Boppard.

The Performing Arts were as busy as ever, if not more so. The centenary of the outbreak of World War 1 was marked in moving style not only by our usual (this year, enhanced) Remembrance Assemblies, but also by a landmark production of Journey’s End in which the audience sat within the imaginatively-contrived dugout with the staff, sharing the claustrophobia, and during the final shelling, the terror. A War and Peace concert followed in January, featuring music both nostalgic and appropriately moving; and the highlight of the Choral and Orchestral Concert in May was, appropriately, a performance of a suite of movements from Carl Jenkins’s The Armed Man: a Mass for Peace. Beyond all this, another highlight of the artistic year was a particularly fine Senior School Carol Service in St George’s Church.

This being the RGS, a host of sports naturally carried on week in, week out, teams competing locally and nationally, winning leagues and cups, of course - but also admirably handling

it was a great year of fundraising in the Senior School, a total of £15,980.34 being raised for charities both local and international.

That figure does not include the significant sums raised by the Junior School in its own powerful charitable activities. And, although this is very largely a record of the Senior School’s year (because you can read what the Junior School has been up to in its own JOVO magazine), we don’t forget that we have a wonderful Junior School, on the same site and integral to the RGS as a whole. Half of the 11-year-olds who enter the Senior School at Year 7 come up from our Junior School, already well-versed in the ways, the eccentricities (of course!) and the commitment to excellence of the RGS. The Junior School, with some 250 students in it, punches above its weight: just fancy our Year 6 girls becoming national swimming champions in the summer! That was yet another landmark in the development of co-education here, but an astonishing achievement in its own right.

Nonetheless, lovely as it is to have boys and girls with us from the age of 7 right through to 18, we greatly value the influx of new blood, new ideas and new energy at our various ages of entry. Thus additional boys and girls join the Junior School at Year 5: half of Year 7, as I have said, come

HeadmaSteR’S Welcome

We support, inspire, encourage, advise, even comfort at need: and it is with delight that we watch girls and boys alike grow wisdom and understanding and, eventually, leave us to join the adult world…

Headmaster’s Welcome Headmaster’s Welcome

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RGS SPoRt: tHe jouRney of a BuildinG fRom foundation…

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taking Shape!

Feb 2014 Feb 2015

APR 2014Feb 2014

the spring term begins with walls…and a roof! the new Sports Hall is progressing nicely…

…but there is still a while to go before we can take a dip in the new pool!

the new fitness Studio looks like it’s going to be a room with a view.

as the build progresses, a new school year begins and students spring into action on the brand-new climbing wall.

and the new girls-only climbing club proves to be a hit!

SEPT 2014

JAN 2015

SEPT 2014 Feb 2015

onwards and upwards! another storey is added – this is going to be one huge building!

APR 2014

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JunE 2015

filling up (slowly but surely!). no danger of deep water just yet!

...and the Bursar and Site manager were the first ones in to test the water!

excitement builds as the Webb ellis trophy visits RGS Sport ahead of the 2015 Rugby World cup.

a few Senior School students donned hi-vis jackets and hard hats to visit the site and do a spot of filming.

Apr 2015

However, lack of water didn’t stop the Bursar from getting in to test it out!

finally full! the new pool is unveiled...

may 2015 may 2015

RGS SPoRt: tHe jouRney of a BuildinG …to fRuition

Aug 2015

JuLY 2015

JuLY 2015

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SePtembeR 2015RGS SpoRt iS complete

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it’s a fantastic start to the new academic year: the swimming pool, gym, fitness studio, weights room and new changing-rooms are all in use…RGS Sport is complete!

and we think it’s the perfect addition to the collection of fine buildings that

surround the school playing field.

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Royal Grammar School Review 2014/2015Royal Grammar School Review 2014/2015 Exam Results

EXAM RESULTS HarD work pays off!

A LEVEL

SuBJEcT A* A B c D E u ToTAL %A* %A*-A %A*-B

Art 13 3 0 2 0 0 0 18 72.2% 88.9% 88.9%Biology 14 21 9 4 2 1 0 51 27.5% 68.6% 86.3%chemistry 18 25 25 2 4 0 0 74 24.3% 58.1% 91.9%classical civilisation 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 66.7% 100.0% 100.0%Design Technology 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 4 50.0% 75.0% 100.0%Economics 1 18 8 3 2 0 0 32 3.1% 59.4% 84.4%English 12 10 4 3 0 0 0 29 41.4% 75.9% 89.7%Film Studies 1 4 1 0 0 0 0 6 16.7% 83.3% 100.0%French 1 3 2 1 1 0 0 8 12.5% 50.0% 75.0%Geography 3 9 13 6 0 1 0 32 9.4% 37.5% 78.1%German 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 33.3% 100.0% 100.0%History 11 16 10 8 2 0 0 47 23.4% 57.4% 78.7%Latin 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%Maths 30 31 14 9 0 3 0 87 34.5% 70.1% 86.2%Further Maths 4 6 4 3 0 0 0 17 23.5% 58.8% 82.4%Additional Further Maths 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%Music 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.0% 100.0% 100.0%PE 0 0 3 1 1 0 0 5 0.0% 0.0% 60.0%Philosophy 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 3 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%Physics 11 10 10 5 2 2 0 40 27.5% 52.5% 77.5%Politics 3 3 0 1 0 0 0 7 42.9% 85.7% 85.7%Psychology 1 6 15 8 3 2 1 36 2.8% 19.4% 61.1%Russian 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%Spanish 4 2 3 1 0 0 0 10 40.0% 60.0% 90.0%

ToTAL 137 173 122 58 17 11 1 519 26.4% 59.7% 83.2%

eXam ReSultS

Individual results have also been most impressive with 18 students achieving all A* grades and a further 44 achieving all A* or A grades.

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A LEVELCongratulations once again go to our Upper Sixth students who have managed to achieve some great results.

Overall, they achieved 26.4% of all grades at A*. In addition, they achieved over 83% of grades at grades A* to B.

Individual results have also been most impressive with 18 students achieving all A* grades and a further 44 achieving all A* or A grades.

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SuBJEcT A B c D E u ToTAL %A %B %c %D %E

Ancient History 5 2 0 0 0 0 7 71% 29% 0% 0% 0%

Art 11 8 3 0 0 0 22 50% 36% 14% 0% 0%

Biology 32 17 11 5 4 2 71 45% 24% 15% 7% 6%

chemistry 46 30 7 5 2 1 91 51% 33% 8% 5% 2%

Design Technology 2 1 1 1 0 0 5 40% 20% 20% 20% 0%

Economics 41 14 5 2 1 0 63 65% 22% 8% 3% 2%

English Literature 26 4 3 0 0 0 33 79% 12% 9% 0% 0%

French 3 4 2 0 1 0 10 30% 40% 20% 0% 10%

Geography 7 11 2 2 1 0 23 30% 48% 9% 9% 4%

German 5 0 0 1 0 0 6 83% 0% 0% 17% 0%

Greek 3 1 0 0 0 0 4 75% 25% 0% 0% 0%

History 16 12 5 5 0 0 38 42% 32% 13% 13% 0%

Latin 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 100% 0% 0% 0% 0%

Maths 59 22 12 13 6 9 121 49% 18% 10% 11% 5%

Further Maths 13 4 0 1 0 0 18 72% 22% 0% 6% 0%

Music 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 100% 0% 0% 0% 0%

PE 1 0 0 0 0 2 3 33% 0% 0% 0% 0%

Philosophy 0 1 3 0 0 1 5 0% 20% 60% 0% 0%

Physics 27 9 7 8 1 0 52 52% 17% 13% 15% 2%

Politics 14 6 2 2 0 0 24 58% 25% 8% 8% 0%

Psychology 9 10 7 6 0 4 36 25% 28% 19% 17% 0%

Spanish 6 0 0 0 0 0 6 100% 0% 0% 0% 0%

Theatre Studies 5 1 1 0 0 0 7 71% 14% 14% 0% 0%

ToTAL 336 157 71 51 16 19 650 51.7% 24.2% 10.9% 7.8% 2.5%

As LEVEL

eXam ReSultS

GCsEYear 11 students once again produced astonishing results. For the third time in recent years over 60% of the grades were at A*(equalling our best ever) with a total of 86.4% at the top two grades – A* and A (our second best ever). This represents an outstanding achievement by a very able group of students and they deserve huge credit for their effort and hard work.

In total, 17 students achieved all A* grades and 19 achieved a Distinction in Further Maths. Overall, 80 students achieved straight A* or A grades.

MR ROGER LOxLEY (DIRECTOR OF STUDIES)

As LEVELAt AS Level, 51.7% of results were at A grade and a further 24.2% were at B grade (no A* grades on offer at AS level).

SuBJEcT A* A B c D E u ToTAL %A* %A %B %c %A*–A %A*–c

Ancient History 4 6 1 0 1 0 0 12 33.3% 50.0% 8.3% 0.0% 83.3% 91.7%

Art 40 11 3 0 0 0 0 54 74.1% 20.4% 5.6% 0.0% 94.4% 100.0%

Biology 77 37 16 11 0 1 0 142 54.2% 26.1% 11.3% 7.7% 80.3% 99.3%

chemistry 112 14 11 2 2 0 0 141 79.4% 9.9% 7.8% 1.4% 89.4% 98.6%

Design Technology 23 6 2 1 0 0 0 32 71.9% 18.8% 6.3% 3.1% 90.6% 100.0%

Drama 4 2 3 0 0 0 0 9 44.4% 22.2% 33.3% 0.0% 66.7% 100.0%

Economics 48 19 8 2 0 0 1 78 61.5% 24.4% 10.3% 2.6% 85.9% 98.7%

English Language 39 77 26 0 0 0 0 142 27.5% 54.2% 18.3% 0.0% 81.7% 100.0%

English Literature 109 24 9 0 0 0 0 142 76.8% 16.9% 6.3% 0.0% 93.7% 100.0%

French 30 30 13 5 2 0 0 80 37.5% 37.5% 16.3% 6.3% 75.0% 97.5%

Geography 47 20 12 4 1 1 0 85 55.3% 23.5% 14.1% 4.7% 78.8% 97.6%

German 25 12 6 0 0 0 0 43 58.1% 27.9% 14.0% 0.0% 86.0% 100.0%

Greek 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 6 83.3% 0.0% 16.7% 0.0% 83.3% 100.0%

History 41 20 5 2 0 0 0 68 60.3% 29.4% 7.4% 2.9% 89.7% 100.0%

Latin 22 9 1 0 0 0 0 32 68.8% 28.1% 3.1% 0.0% 96.9% 100.0%

Maths 93 37 8 4 0 0 0 142 65.5% 26.1% 5.6% 2.8% 91.5% 100.0%

Further Maths 50 20 4 0 0 0 0 74 67.6% 27.0% 5.4% 0.0% 94.6% 100.0%

Music 5 6 5 1 0 0 0 17 29.4% 35.3% 29.4% 5.9% 64.7% 100.0%

Physics 100 22 6 8 3 2 1 142 70.4% 15.5% 4.2% 5.6% 85.9% 95.8%

Spanish 31 6 6 0 0 0 0 43 72.1% 14.0% 14.0% 0.0% 86.0% 100.0%

ToTAL 905 378 146 40 9 4 2 1484 61.0% 25.5% 9.8% 2.7% 86.5% 99.0%

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LOndOnStudents in Years 9 to 13 travelled to London where they slid down the Carsten Holler slides at the Hayward Gallery, witnessed Anselm Kiefer and Sigmar Polke, enjoyed the narratives within the National Gallery and were left in awe of the Gagosian Gallery’s commercial space.

EnRiChMEntEnrichment courses in Life Drawing, Photography, Print and Set Design have provided opportunities for staff and students to enjoy themselves creatively beyond the curriculum. The focused atmosphere of the anatomical drawing sessions is an immersive experience, whilst observing the Year 9 Art lesson on the set of Journey’s End had a similar gravitas in terms of learning experience.

LAinG WORkshOpsAnnually, the artists, creative writers and historians of RGS are invited to attend a series of workshops at the Laing Art Gallery. This year, the students responded to the exhibition Conscience and Conflict: British Artists and the Civil War. They had a diverse range of work at their fingertips to peruse and consider.

ARChitECtuRELinks with Northumbria University have again been inspiring and successful. Interested by Architecture and the palimpsest of the city, students were guided around Newcastle by Mrs Egan-Fowler, Master of Architecture students and their lecturer Sebastian Messer. The group sketched and photographed the ‘character’ of the city; learning about its shifting city centre, from the medieval Bigg Market to the new entrance to Eldon Square.

BALtiC dAysOur connections with BALTIC continue to offer students further creative experiences. ArtMix a creative group for 16-19 year olds joined us in school for a morning of workshops across the year groups.

A collection of Lower Sixth artists were invited to take part in a workshop run by artist and curator, Sam Belinfante. The premise of the workshop was simple: the students were instructed to meander around the gallery, utilising all of the different floors, exhibitions, rooms and stairwells, collecting sounds and moving/still images which, when paired together formed fully-realised individual film works. The fortuitous ‘editing’ of all of the films together provided the works with yet another dimension and was a really inspirational way to end the day.

thE dARkROOMThis year we revitalised our black and white darkroom in the Art studios. After a little bit of trial and error, the chemical formulas have gradually been perfected and beautiful prints are starting to appear from the dimly-lit red-lightbulbed room.

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MEdiA ARtThe draw towards media art for young people in education today is due to its accessibility. Every student has some sort of recording device or Smartphone that they use on a daily basis. Our artists have shot their footage on iPhones, iPads, tablets, point-and-shoot digital cameras and the DSLR’s that we keep on site. However the footage was obtained, students have then learned the skills and developed the ability to produce their films using advanced and professional editing software.

Whilst a film can be treated in its entirety as an artwork, we also had a number of films produced to document a performance or to show evidence of how the public interacted with an installation. There were films that experimented with colour or sound and some artists that pulled both of those elements together.


ThE yEAR AT A gLAncE HarD work, aDventure anD plenty of laugHter along tHe way

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BioloGy

One of the great advantages of Biology as a subject is the opportunity it gives students to get out and experience the natural world.

One of the great advantages of Biology as a subject is the opportunity it gives students to get out and experience the natural world. This year we have visited farms, zoos, woodlands, parks and field centres and our students have gained a feel for what Biology is really about, as well as benefitting academically (and maybe even having fun!).

Not all biology takes place outside of course: an awful lot of cutting-edge science takes place in biomedical and biotechnological facilities. Students have visited university labs and teaching hospitals and they have experienced a range of activities from looking at physiology using cadavers to carrying out biochemical assays.

For the third year running, a large number of students volunteered to take part in national competitions: the Biology Challenge and the Biology Olympiad. The results were as impressive as ever and they serve to remind us what a talented group of people we have the privilege to teach.

We continue to pack as much practical work in to lessons as we can. The extra-curricular opportunities that we offer are also important, though, and the various clubs and societies (including MedSoc) continue to thrive as do other offerings, such as lower sixth enrichment. As usual, the best place to get more detail on what we do is our webpage, accessible from the RGS main site.

MR PHILIP HEATH (HEAD OF BIOLOGY)

crab legs and chicken wings dissected to compare their structure

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The Year at a GlanceThe Year at a Glance

pRiVAtE ViEWThe Private View is an annual event which celebrates the best of the work produced over the year by our exciting cohort of artists. This year, the work ranged from KS3 all the way through to A Level, with the inclusion of work from Years 7-9. Their gallery space boasted a range of ink drawing, line drawing, mono print and collagraph works, all devised and produced by the students themselves, under the themed title of The Secret Garden.

The variety of installations, sculptures and audio/visual work took residency in diverse locations around the building and a number of students embraced site specificity to generate further context within their work. The artists are always ambitious and this year was no exception. Matthew Hutton, Will Fraser, Zoe Wright, Anna Wyatt, Fariah Bholah, Rory Pye, Freddie Winter and Kit Birchall all produced exciting and interactive artworks. Will Fraser explored the methodology of the pinhole camera which evolved into a project that saw him turn his entire bedroom into a pinhole camera device. His installation was a sculptural representation of a corner of his room, with the images of the pinhole experiment projected over the top.

Their gallery space boasted a range of ink drawing, line drawing, mono print and collagraph works, all devised and produced by the students themselves, under the themed title of The Secret Garden.

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Zoe Wright’s A Dissected Orchestra placed scrutiny on the sonic capabilities of an orchestra when not in concert performance mode. Pinpointing and making examples of sounds such as tuning, coughs, conductors’ gestures, shuffling, chairs scraping and applause, the sound work re-ordered a variety of these noises into their own visual score. The work utilised the sonic properties of the Main Hall and reverberated around the space.

To find short films and further visual evidence visit our website at the link below.

www.artrgs.wordpress.com

MR GRAHAM MASON (HEAD OF ART)

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for both Army and Navy cadets and a military training weekend at Catterick. A particularly pleasing aspect of training this year has been the increasing number of activities in which Navy cadets have been participating, sometimes jointly with the Army cadets. We are a Combined Cadet Force and the aim for the future is to provide more integrated training for cadets from both sections.

Over the summer break, 30 cadets attended the Army Camp at Warcop in Cumbria where they took part in various military and adventurous training activities. Also, three Navy cadets attended the Navy Summer Camp in Portsmouth.

All this, of course, has only been possible as a result of the hard work and dedication of both the officers and cadets, especially on Friday evenings when most of our training takes place. The senior cadets effectively organise and run the training, including the instruction of younger cadets, and they are to be commended for this. In recognition of this service, the school awarded CCF Colours to nine senior cadets who are leaving RGS this year.

MAJOR JOHN L CAMM (OC CCF)

ccf

All this, of course, has only been possible as a result of the hard work and dedication of both the officers and cadets...

University is the goal of most students here: a mind-broadening, cultural experience with exciting learning opportunities and the fostering of independence.

students earned Oxbridge offers

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As usual, this academic year has been very busy for the Combined Cadet Force and, in addition to Friday evening parades, many training weekends and activities have also taken place.

Over the course of the first two terms, cadets participated in self-reliance training in the Cheviot Hills and fieldcraft exercises on the Otterburn and Catterick training areas. The main Navy Section activities this year have been kayaking in the pool and sub aqua with eight cadets obtaining diving qualifications. Senior Navy cadet Lucy Ellerton has delivered a wide range of training including instruction within the classroom and assistance with kayaking.

At Easter, 24 cadets attended the Adventurous Training Camp at Halton in Lancashire where they participated in climbing in the Lake District and walking in the Yorkshire Dales. In addition, cadets brushed up on their geology during a visit to White Scar Cave.

During the summer term, 24 cadets took part in a Guard of Honour on the occasion of the Lord Mayor’s annual visit to the school. Other events included a live firing exercise at Ponteland Range

to dentistry and far more. Students have been invited to talks about law, finance, pharmacy, medicine, engineering, the graduate market and others. RGS helped pioneer the new Morrisby Online assessment, helping Year 10 students discover much about themselves and the jobs which might suit them. Year 9 and above have individual interviews including occupations in their remit.

Yet ‘careers’ can mean ‘to swerve about wildly’. Keeping on top of the university applications operation can certainly feel like this. To ensure the ‘jobs’ aspect of RGS Careers grows, we are creating an additional Careers Coordinator role for September 2015.

Huge thanks to all RGS Careers colleagues and to the many outside supporters who contribute their expertise.

MR MIKE DOWNIE (HEAD OF CAREERS)

MRS ROZ LAWS (ASSISTANT HEAD OF CAREERS)

MR OLIVER EDWARDS (OxBRIDGE COORDINATOR)

caReeRS

It’s a funny word, ‘careers’. Many think it is a synonym for ‘jobs’. The Oxford English Dictionary says it means ‘one’s advancement through life’. Most RGS students might think: ‘advancement into university’.

University is the goal of most students here: a mind-broadening, cultural experience with exciting learning opportunities and the fostering of independence. The graduate market is recovering post-recession and DBIS data suggest that average lifetime earnings for graduates exceed those of non-graduates by up to £250,000. The majority of applicants again achieved their first choice of university place last summer and 17 earned Oxbridge offers: 12 at Cambridge and five at Oxford, across a broad range of subjects, including the most competitive courses, such as Law, Architecture and Medicine. Of course, there are other career paths and some might enjoy exploring Higher Apprenticeships in fields such as engineering and direct A Level entry to the financial professions, for example.

Not that ‘advancement through life’ should ignore ‘jobs’. The annual RGS Careers Fair was buzzing with students and delegates discussing professions from architecture to the armed forces, psychology to physiotherapy, design

The Year at a GlanceThe Year at a Glance

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cHemiStRy

sEptEMBER tO MARCh: sixth FORM EnRiChMEnt At nEWCAstLE uniVERsityAs part of their enrichment programme, a group of Year 12 students (Victoria Bromham, Ben Parker, Matthew Reay and James Smith) took part in a six month research project at Newcastle University. Working under the guidance of Dr Rachel Campbell and Peter Hoare (Outreach Officer at Newcastle University) they developed a set of computer-based activities that can be used as a revision aid by other students. The activities can be accessed via the Newcastle University Outreach Website.

JAnuARy: ROyAL sOCiEty OF ChEMistRy OLyMpiAd 25 Sixth Form students took part in the RSC Chemistry Olympiad – a tough two-hour examination designed to identify the top young chemists in the country. Two of our Year 13 students, Matthew Spry and George Wyatt, achieved the prestigious Gold Award. Special mention also goes to the following Year 12 students who achieved Silver Awards: Finlay Gerrand, Ammu Menon, James Tovee and Riccardo Williams.

A yEAR in thE ChEMistRy dEpARtMEnt – thE hiGhLiGhts

ApRiL/MAy: sixth FORM EMpAsThe first two weeks after the Easter holidays were dominated by the Externally Marked Practical Assessment (EMPA) that contributes 20% towards a student’s final AS or A Level grade. During the two-week period, over 200 students took this challenging two-hour practical exam. In early May, the students then took a written exam paper which, along with their practical results, was sent off to the exam board for marking.

JunE: RsC yOunG AnALyst COMpEtitiOnHaving qualified as regional winners, a team of three Year 12 students (Finlay Gerrand, Ammu Menon and Riccardo Williams) travelled to Aberdeen to compete in the final of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Young Analyst Competition. The competition involved a series of analytical tasks involving techniques such as HPLC, UV and IR spectroscopy and titrimetric analysis. Following this, the students were given a very interesting lecture by Professor Donald Cairns, Head of Pharmacy and Life Sciences. The lecture focussed on the treatment of nephropathic cystinosis – a rare inherited degenerative disease.


In the afternoon they also enjoyed a talk about the chemistry behind ice cream and jelly!

students took part in a challenging two- hour practical exam

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JuLy: yEAR 12 nORth EAst sChOOLs industRy pROJECtLibby Daley, Joe May, Duncan Taylor and Timmy Welsh took part in a week-long residential course at Durham University where they carried out research on ‘greener’ methods of producing graphene from graphene oxide using either vitamin C or extracts from green tea. In preparation for the event, the students prepared posters on their research topic which they presented to academics during a Q&A session. At the end of the week they presented the results of their research to an audience of fellow students and academic staff. The week provided the students with an experience of university life and also gave an excellent introduction into research methods.

MR RON WIGGINS (HEAD OF CHEMISTRY)

JunE: sALtERs’ ChEMistRy FEstiVALFour Year 8 students (Finnian Gavin, Millie Robson, Gemma Watson and Mikey Lawlor) attended the Salters’ Chemistry Festival at Newcastle University where they took part in a series of practical challenges based on a forensic science theme. In the afternoon they also enjoyed a talk about the chemistry behind ice cream and jelly!

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An abundance of opportunities to explore the classical world were again our good fortune this year. In September, we were excited to be able to take Year 11 and Sixth Form students to see the National Theatre Live performance of Medea without venturing further than the Tyneside Cinema in Newcastle; October provided an opportunity to see a very modern re-telling of Antigone at the Northern Stage and November took us a bit further afield to London where Year 11 and Sixth Form students visited the classical artefacts in the British Museum, before seeing Kristen Scott Thomas’ stunning performance as Electra in Sophocles’ eponymous tragedy at The Old Vic. A whirlwind tour around the classically-inspired paintings in the National Gallery completed a fantastic day.

Over Easter, 46 students from Years 8-10 explored the classical remains in Rome and around the bay of Naples. We spent a

wonderful day in Rome visiting the Pantheon, the Colosseum and the Forum, as well as getting a taste of the bustling modern city life. Moving south, climbing Vesuvius and visiting Caecilius’ house in Pompeii (familiar to all students from Year 7 Latin!) were definitely highlights.

In May, the Upper Sixth saw a student production of Euripides’ The Bacchae at the Assembly Rooms Theatre in Durham. So close to exam season, it provided useful context for their study of Greek tragedy, and benefitted from an excellently cast Dionysus who played the lead role.

Our final trip of the year was our annual Year 9 visit to Hadrian’s Wall, which took place in some drizzly and windy weather in June. Our visit to the Roman forts at Housesteads and Chesters helped our students to grasp a fuller

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deBatinG

This past year has been one of the best in recent memory for the RGS Debating Society, both in terms of results and levels of participation across every year group. The very first event of the year, the Northern Junior Debating Competition (NJDC) saw the RGS take victory from a competitive field with top-class performances from Roisin Kennan and Adam Perros. This led to Roisin being invited to trial for the England Schools’ National Team, an incredible achievement for such a young debater.

The run of success continued as we sent teams to the Edinburgh Schools’ Junior Competition where our novice pair, Darina Andriychenko and Remy Ling, astonished everyone with a series of fantastic debates, taking them all the way to the final. Whilst they did not win we look forward to seeing how far they can go in future.

Warwick Schools has become an annual event for the society where we typically take around 24 students on an overnight trip to compete against the very best debaters in the country. This year saw us take a mix of novices and experienced debaters, all of whom did themselves and the school proud. One team in particular, the long-standing pair of Urban Coningham and Matthew Thomas, made it all the way to the final and there triumphed over

strong teams from Eton and other schools to bring the silverware to Newcastle!

In other competitions: Urban (again!) and Ed Langley made it to the regional final of the English Speaking Union (ESU) Schools’ Mace Competition; Jamie Robson and Shoaib Ali made it to the national final of the Cambridge Schools’ Competition and Matthew Johnston and Matthew Bailey to the final of the International Competition for Young Debaters (ICYD), this year held in Cambridge.

In many other competitions the students have acquitted themselves superbly, winning rounds and getting through to finals and there are many more names which I would love to mention here.

On the staff front, the Debating Society has benefited hugely from the knowledge and enthusiasm of Dr Scott Matthews and we look forward to his continued presence next year.

The future continues to look bright for the society and I am confident that we will see even more success next year.

MR LUKE SHEPHERD

This past year has been one of the best in recent memory for the RGS Debating Society, both in terms of results and levels of participation...

miles travelled to debating competitions

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picture of what life was like for Roman soldiers in Britain. This complemented their study of Latin in Year 9, for which the Roman military camps across Britain provide the context for the stories which practise the language.

As well as trips, we were delighted to host the annual Greek and Latin recitation competition for local schools, and were very pleased with successful performances from several RGS students. James Critchley in Year 8 also went on to compete in an international competition where he finished 1st in his age group.

Finally, we have been delighted to welcome some new colleagues to our ranks: Sarah Tucker, Sue Balmer and Alex Graham, who have brought their enthusiasm and expertise to the department.

MISS PENNY WHITWORTH (ACTING HEAD OF CLASSICS)

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deSiGn tecHnoloGy

RGS continues to be one of the leading schools in the country in terms of Arkwright Engineering Scholarship success and this year, the 10 students listed below progressed through to the final stage of the scheme which was a major achievement:

• AkinAkingbade

• JamesBarlow

• SoenChin

• MhairiGowans

• OliverHandcock

• MatthewHutton

• RudyKuipers

• HishamNasser

• CameronPulham

• MadeleineWoodburn

Congratulations to them for doing so well.

It was announced that Akin Akingbade, Oliver Handcock, Rudy Kuipers and Cameron Pulham had been awarded scholarships whilst Matthew Hutton, Hisham Nasser and Maddy Woodburn were recommended scholarships. This is a fantastic achievement, particularly considering the fact that the Trust is nearly 50 scholarships lighter than last year.

The department continued to expand Computer Numeric Control (CNC) facilities with the purchase of a second and third 3D-printer. This technology is revolutionising what can be done throughout the entire 11 – 18 age range in Design Technology. We have seen outstanding CAD CAM work produced by our sixth formers in their AS / A2 Product Design coursework and by students in the lower and middle years in their DT practical projects and F1 competition racing cars.

Our CNC equipment was used to maximum effect in the F1 in Schools regional and national finals and this joint venture between the Physics and Design Technology

duke of edinBuRGH

It has been another successful year for DofE students. In September, 60 Year 12 students completed their Silver expedition. They undertook a two-night, three-day challenging expedition in the Cheviot Hills. The first weekend’s group experienced delightful weather, but the remainder were not so lucky the following weekend, where it rained pretty much constantly. 60 Year 11 students completed their practice expedition around the Housesteads area of Hadrian’s wall and are now well-versed at navigating and walking in boggy conditions. Another 70 Year 10 students have started their expedition training at lunchtime and at the time of writing are just about fully first aid trained. Navigation and camp craft will continue next term before they too undertake the practice expedition next March.

MRS NAOMI MCGOUGH

They undertook a two-night, three-day challenging expedition in the Cheviot Hills.

Year 12 students completed their Silver expedition

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departments continues to go from strength to strength: well done to everyone involved.

The traditional technologies were not neglected and a new large horizontal bandsaw was added to strengthen the impressive inventory of workshop tools, machines, apparatus and equipment. Design Technology continues to enjoy and make full use of the superb facilities for practical work.

The recent fire in one workshop caused only minor damage and the department and the STC recovered quickly thanks to the impressive efforts of the RGS support and administrative staff. We were fortunate that the root cause of the blaze (and our pride and joy!) – the large and very expensive CNC flat-bed router – did not sustain any damage at all.

Congratulations to Mr Peter Warne on his promotion to Head of Design Technology: I wish him every success in his new department.

MR IAN GOLDSBOROUGH (HEAD OF DESIGN TECHNOLOGY)

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economicS & politicS

It was another busy year for the RGS Economics and Politics department, both in and beyond the classroom. After the excellent A Level results of last summer, both subjects have continued to go from strength to strength. The RGS Economics and Politics Facebook site has become a real focus for everything the department does. There have been debates on a huge range of contemporary issues and often discussions go on well into the night. Students were still debating at 4:00 am on election night!

The Economics department ran its 20th consecutive trip to the City of London where students had the unique opportunity to question leading economists and academics about the state of the global economy. It was another fruitful year for the school Target 2.0 team who again won the regional round of the competition.

The Politics department ran another successful Lower Sixth trip to London where students visited Number 10 Downing Street, the Palace of Westminster and the Supreme Court. The students were given a guided tour of both chambers of Parliament and participated in a workshop on voting behaviour. The Politics students also participated in an online course run by Leeds University on the 2015 general election. There is a genuine buzz around the Economics and Politics department at the moment. We continue to experiment with a wide variety of innovative teaching and learning strategies, and have a compelling vision for the future, based around creating a community of collaborative, independent learners who have a passion for economic, political and social affairs. Exciting times lie ahead.

MR JONATHAN NEIL (HEAD OF ECONOMICS AND POLITICS)


enGliSH

It has been another year of extraordinary creativity, inside and beyond the classroom. Year 8 is living a charmed theatrical life: the whole year group saw War Horse last year and is already booked into the National Theatre’s An Inspector Calls next February. This year we were fortunate to see Simon Stephens’ skilful adaptation of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, in a brilliantly staged and gripping production.

It is always a pleasure to welcome writers into school (as usual, it is our Librarian, Jane Richardson, who creates these opportunities). Michelle Paver spoke to a packed Miller Theatre in September of the perilous situations which her research for the hostile and dangerous environments of her novels has taken her into; she imparted some gruesome survival tips about how to make use of every part of an animal (even the juice from the eyes for glue!). She was clearly genuinely moved and appreciative of the warmth of Freddie Whitfield’s introduction to his favourite author. It was good to welcome back Marcus Sedgwick to speak to Years 7 and 8 in October; he has a winning structure that allows his audience to select the content and shape

of his talk. The enthusiasm with which students queue up to have their copies signed after these events clearly demonstrates that fears for the death of the book are premature. The book is alive and kicking at the RGS.

Perhaps the maddest thing we have done this year is the six-hour return coach journey to Manchester for a 50-minute performance, sitting in complete blackout. But it was Lisa Dwan; and it was Samuel Beckett (Not I, Footfalls and Rockaby). And for both of those reasons it was a haunting, indeed miraculous, experience. And, at last, a long-time ambition was achieved in making a visit to Dublin: two packed days with the Sixth Form Reading Group, which included Trinity College and the Book of Kells, but most memorably a Dubliners walking tour with the James Joyce Centre and a visit to Glasnevin cemetery. Glasneven, burial place of the great and the good (and the not so good), is the perfect place to give life to the history and literature of Ireland.

Our annual visits to the reconstructed outdoor Globe theatre in London, and to Holy Island for a reading weekend, remain special. Visits to the RSC Swan and to the Stephen Joseph in Scarborough were part of our continual aim to seek out the best that is on offer. But the jewel in the crown for the second year has to be the re-imagined indoor Jacobean Sam Wanamaker Playhouse where students visited a magnificent performance of a set text, ’Tis Pity She’s a Whore, but also had the chance to discover the more rarely performed The Changeling and The Broken Heart. This remarkable theatrical space glories in the Midas touch.

It was humbling to receive this parental email because it exactly epitomises what we aim to do: ‘We were, of course, delighted with [our daughter’s] AS result, but also she has been offered so many opportunities for furthering her enjoyment and understanding of the subject that I am sure her experience in the English department at RGS will stay with her for many years to come and will last her well beyond the point at which anyone is interested in the grade she achieved at A Level. For me, that is the sign of a truly outstanding education.’

DR SIMON BARKER (HEAD OF ENGLISH)

The enthusiasm with which students queue up to have their copies signed after these events clearly demonstrates that fears for the death of the book are premature. The book is alive and kicking at the RGS.

We continue to experiment with a wide variety of innovative teaching and learning strategies and have a compelling vision for the future...

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the time at which students were still debating on election night

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GeoGRapHy

This year saw two new learning opportunities for our younger students. Back in November, the whole of Year 7 visited the Discovery Museum to study the city’s geographical development from Roman times to present day, followed by a walk around the city centre to place some of this newly acquired knowledge into real space. Year 8 geographers also benefitted from a new initiative with our first Development Day in school. A number of guest speakers, both university academics and workers from the charity sector came into school to give the students a unique insight into the developing world and its problems.

Year 9 students visited Northumberland to look at tourism and its impacts first hand. With the help of the National Park’s Marketing and Development Officer, our young geographers were given a good insight into the work of the National Parks and this was followed up by fieldwork at Walltown Crags. Once again the weather was kind and the visit was a great success (despite some rather unruly cows on the path!).

Not to be left out, Year 10 saw a change in their fieldwork, too. The venue was still Hexham in the Tyne Valley, but the nature of the visit was significantly altered to give the students a much better grasp of human

geography fieldwork techniques and methods of data presentation. Next year we hope to modify the Year 11 fieldwork in the Harthope valley in a similar manner.

The Lower Sixth were treated to a fabulous view of the solar eclipse on their field studies in the Coquet Valley; bright sunshine gave way to shadow as the moon tracked across the face of the sun, before returning the sunny weather. The other Sixth Form field trips, including Borrowdale and York, also proved to be as successful as ever.

There were also a number of optional trips taking place on Sundays. Year 7s visited Easedale Tarn, whilst Year 9s delved deep underground in Ingleborough Cave and marvelled at the opening to Gaping Ghyll pothole. Some members of the Upper Sixth visited Glasgow for the day to analyse their chosen urban case study in more detail, enjoying pizza on their way home. Meanwhile, fish and chips was the meal of choice on the Lower Sixth visit to the Northumberland Coast!

The year’s fieldwork culminated in the USA trip in early July which included the fabulous wonders of Death Valley, the Grand Canyon and Yosemite National Park, as well the cities of Las Vegas and San Francisco.

Next year there will be continued changes and developments. Preparation for the new A Level specifications will be underway for September 2016, and we are looking to extend the international dimension of the public examinations into the Sixth Form. We are also hoping to continue improving our fieldwork provision and to re-run the Sixth Form trip to Iceland at Easter. I would like to thank the staff in the department for their hard work and commitment throughout the entire year and indeed into the summer holidays.

Mr DUnCAn WilSOn (HEAD OF GEOGRAPHY)


HiStoRy

This year, the History department will be remembered, above all, for two sets of two. In the first place it saw us welcome two new colleagues, both of whom have fitted in so well it seems like they have been here forever: so, welcome to Mrs Amy Palmer and Dr Scott Matthews.

The big news events were two trips. The first was nothing new, being the annual pilgrimage to the First World War battlefields. it was, however, on the hundredth anniversary of the outbreak of that war, which lent it a special poignancy. To stand on the Somme, or at Tyne Cot, where all those men, including so many Old Novos, fought felt especially vivid this year. It is, I think, fair to say that as we all stood together under Walter Allward’s magnificent statue of Mother Canada looking down upon her fallen son, we were all deeply moved. To say the students were great doesn’t say enough: it was an honour to share the experience with them.

The other big bit of news was a brilliant, if eventful, first foray to istanbul. What a city! There were so many highlights, including the great sites: Hagia Sofia, the Blue Mosque, the Basilica Cistern and the Suleymaniye Mosque. There was plenty of local colour too. The folk show was, we might say, a somewhat unique experience, ending in what seemed to be a Balkan Eurovision. There is nothing, literally nothing, like an Albanian pop song to round off an evening! For many of us a highlight was the Hamam, in a bath house that has been functioning since the time of Elizabeth I.

We then headed for Gallipoli, just a few weeks before the centenary of that terrible campaign, and a night in Asia Minor, before heading to Troy which, famously, Mr Wilson declared to be even colder than the east stand of the Stadium of Light.

And then the snow came. What should have been a four-hour drive to Istanbul became nine hours and then, next day, white out. We should have been home on Wednesday; we actually got home on Saturday. To say the students handled the delay well would be a massive understatement. Still, we all enjoyed the second visit to the Grand Bazaar, many of us making emergency extra purchases of wholly authentic designer clothes for amazingly small sums.

This was also the year the department embraced new social media, and if you wish to you can follow us on twitter (@NRGS_History) and our very own blog (https://rgshistory.wordpress.com/). The History Society is flourishing, as is its house magazine Histsoc. All these will, we hope, become vehicles for in and out of house debate, sharing and some fun too, covering everything from the high-minded and serious, to the trivial and, hopefully, amusing or intriguing.

Lastly, we look forward. Next year, we embark upon an exciting new initiative, the Cambridge Pre-U, as our equivalent to A Level, which we believe will give our students a broad, challenging and exciting course of Sixth Form study.

As ever, History keeps on changing.

MR SIMON TILBROOk (HEAD OF HISTORY)

To say the students were great doesn’t say enough: it was an honour to share the experience with them.

students travelled abroad on History trips

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matHS

It has been another exciting year for RGS Mathematicians. The senior maths team were named regional champions for the fifth successive year. Their prize was more Maths at the national finals in London! The team, comprising Matthew Hutton, Henry Mattinson, Ammu Menon and Matthew Spry represented the school against the best in the country and performed extremely well. Not to be out-done by the senior team, the junior team (Kimiko Cheng, Alexander Daniel, Callum Gunning and Maartje Wisse) finished 2nd in their regional heat. The Year 10 team also performed well in the regional event, team members Sameer Ahmad, Daniel Edwards, Suyog Gurung and Kushagra Modi enjoying the chance to try some difficult problems beyond GCSE!

The individual challenges gave students the chance to pit their wits against the best in the country, achieving a superb haul of Gold, Silver and Bronze Certificates. The top performers are invited to compete in the National Maths Olympiad, indicated below. Well done to all!

MR JOHN SMITH (HEAD OF MATHS)

modeRn lanGuaGeS

Something for everyone.

In autumn, Max Langtry won the European Day of Languages Spanish creative writing competition devised by Routes into Languages. French debaters, Isabella Garcia Foster and Johnny Doyle won a noble 2nd place at the Northern Schools Joutes Oratoires. Sinophile, Jack Deverson, talked to Lower Sixth students of Beijing, and the Sixth Form work experience abroad programme kicked in with stints in France, Spain and Germany throughout 2014–15. Tyneside Language Film Days featured for Years 10 – Upper Sixth during the winter months.

In the new year came Mark Huntington, MD of A Star Future, and James Penn (both ONs), giving a taste of international study and work opportunities to Year 11s. We welcomed Firewalk and a visiting speaker from Leeds University, a postgrad languages ambassador, Marcel Obst. Firewalk performed an entertaining Spanish adaptation of Róbinson Crusoe to 220 Year 9 – Upper Sixth Hispanists, and the multilingual Mr Obst delivered an interactive presentation to Years 8 and 9 on the value of language learning.

In February, the fiendish Advanced Linguistics Olympiad tested Sixth Form contestants, yielding a well deserved four Bronze awards. For our Year 7 French and German students the annual national Spelling Bee began with the school-based round, then the Newcastle University regional semi-final, which yielded cups and medals galore, culminating in July with the national final in Cambridge. On the

first day of the summer holidays, Millie Ireland-Carson, Sarika Nadkarni, Lucy Thompson and Farah Yossry were glorious, with Lucy finishing 4th overall in German, and Millie being named the National Spelling Bee Champion for French. Millie beat off more than 40,000 competitors and Lucy over 10,000!

Ending the year with a sun-filled flourish, Year 8 and 9 students headed to Boppard. They took in a medieval castle, a trip to Cologne, a theme park, and the Rüdesheim music museum, tempting one Year 8 to tickle the ivories of a grand piano. They chatted with locals to be complemented on their manners and the quality of their German. Magnificent!

MISS KAREN SYKES (HEAD OF MODERN LANGUAGES)

sEniOR MAths ChALLEnGE:Best in Year 12 Snigdha Sen

Best in Year 13 Matthew Spry (distinction in the British Maths Olympiad)

intERMEdiAtE MAths ChALLEnGE:Best in Year 9 Callum Gunning (also a Newcastle University Maths Challenge Winner)

Best in Year 10 Haoyuan Yan

Best in Year 11 Matthew Hutton, Guoxuan xia (both gained a distinction in the Intermediate Olympiad)

JuniOR MAths ChALLEnGE:Best in Year 7Alexander Adamson (Olympiad Qualifier)

Best in Year 8Kimiko Cheng (Olympiad Qualifier)

The Year at a Glance The Year at a Glance

the number of competitors Millie beat in the National Spelling Bee for French

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Ending the year with a sun-filled flourish, Year 8 and 9 students headed to Boppard.

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peRfoRminG aRtS

BLuE BLAzER hOusE dRAMA On a Wednesday evening in October, more than 140 students from Years 7 and 8 battled it out for the Blue Blazer House Drama trophy. Students were given four hours to prepare five tasks which included a set text, a two minute adaptation of a well-known story, surprise interruptions (the SAS task) aimed at prompting a scream from the audience, and improvisation games designed to make the performers work at speed and think on their feet. As always, it was hugely enjoyable and fun for all involved and was played out in front of the largest audience we have had for this annual event - a superb evening which will have undoubtedly been a catalyst for some new and exciting dramatic careers!

JOuRnEy’s End It seems rather trite and perhaps a little crass to pass off Journey’s End merely as a theatrical triumph, although it undoubtedly was; as performed in the Miller Theatre in November, on the centenary of the beginning of the Great War, it was much more than this. The intimacy that came from sitting in close proximity to the cast in such an astounding set, a dug-out skilfully created by Mr Paul Edwards and his team of students, heightened the tension and the tragedy, and made the final bombardment of the trench almost overwhelming for cast and audience alike. There were very strong performances amongst the major characters: it is a measure of the strength of the acting that the naivety and hopefulness of the younger characters was matched with both world-weary cynicism and paternal gentleness in the older ones, well beyond the years of the actors. It was also heartening to see some new faces on the RGS stage. While all the cast and crew are to be highly commended for the quality of the performance, what really moved and distressed was just how easy it was to imagine the young men on the stage before us as their counterparts of the past, putting recognisable faces to fading and forgotten sacrifices.

yEAR 9 stORytELLinG pERFORMAnCEsIn November, Year 9 Drama students performed their devised storytelling pieces for children at Wylam First School and Abbeyfields First School in Morpeth. Each group had dramatised a children’s story using physical theatre techniques: after several weeks of hard work and preparation, we were very excited to share our work. The reception we got from the audience was brilliant and I feel comfortable in saying that the children loved it. We had great fun sharing in a workshop with them afterwards, led by Mrs Shaw-Kew. It was fantastic to pass on our skills to younger students and my classmates and I really enjoyed the day.

HENRY WILLIS (YEAR 9)

titus AndROniCusOn Friday 14th November, 17 students from Years 10 and 11 performed a half-hour version of Shakespeare’s bloodiest tragedy, Titus Andronicus, at Northern Stage as part of the Shakespeare Schools Festival. They were joined by Benfield School performing Romeo and Juliet, NPS performing Macbeth and (perhaps a relief to the audience after a body count of at least 20 over an hour and a half) Gosforth Central Middle School with A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It was, as ever, a thrill to be part of the festival and to be so well supported in a large venue, not least as the audience contained past members of every previous RGS SSF production - some of whom had travelled back from university for the occasion. Star performances came from James Ferrier as the eponymous Titus, and Nadia Lee as his nemesis, Tamora, bent on revenging his sacrifice of her eldest son. A tight ensemble pulled off one set piece after another as the bodies piled up, not least in a stunning straight-jacketed opening sequence in which the bloody state of Rome prior to Titus’ return from the wars was symbolically encapsulated.

dRama

What really moved and distressed was just how easy it was to imagine the young men on the stage before us as their counterparts of the past...


students performed Shakespeare’s bloodiest tragedy

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tOp GiRLsEven in today’s enlightened world, navigating the tensions between family life and career can appear an impossible task for the modern woman. Top Girls does not pretend to know the answers: Marlene has smashed through the glass ceiling, yet her derision at any attitude not rooted in uncompromising ambition and callous competition makes her deeply unsympathetic. Becky Shepherdson, with typical flair, brought this haughty, strident careerist to life in a nuanced depiction, simultaneously both attractive and repellent. In a first act ‘piece de resistance’, she hosted an imagined dinner party for some of her mythical idols, ranging from a demon-slaying medieval Flemish warrior to a Chaucerian princess, played with panache by a talented ensemble. This dinner was highly naturalistic in style, requiring the actors to eat and continue overlapping, parallel conversations in perfect synchronicity: watching it unfold on stage, one was struck by the unfolding majesty of the precisely-organised chaos. This production provided both an intimate exploration of Marlene’s difficulties and an unsettling, apposite portrait of the problems engendered by pervasive inequality.

tRAnsLAtiOnsTranslations is a portrayal of an 18th Century Ireland on the brink of massive change. Brian Friel’s play is about the dangers and confusions of both fossilisation and change, nowhere more poignantly shown than in Alistair Henfrey’s portrayal of Manus, eliciting sympathy with every line. Having lost the woman he loves, eclipsed by a family that is larger than life, almost literally without a leg to stand on, he limps off stage and into a future unknown. Jonathan Ball, Fraser Brown and Becky Shepherdson are left to contemplate the nature of “always”, an idea foreign to their language. Languages are myriad in Translations: how social culture and the very essence of being are bound up in the words we use to describe them. In the lead-up to the play’s sad denouement, the two lovers, played by Becky Shepherdson and Jamie Robson - the one Gaelic-speaking Irish, the other very much an English colonial master - are drawn ineluctably together by a language that transcends mere words but which, unfortunately for them, defies social convention and ends up bringing about not just their demise as a couple but maybe even the end of the old way of life. This complex play was given a touching ensemble performance in February by members of the Sixth Form, and drew many warm words of congratulation from the judge for the National Student Drama Festival, though it was not eventually chosen to go through to the main competition in Scarborough.

sEniOR hOusE dRAMA In January, a packed Miller Theatre witnessed a full evening’s entertainment as the four houses battled it out in the Senior House Drama competition. A large number of students from Year 9 upwards took part, with sixth formers both acting and directing. They were set quite a challenge for their half-day’s preparation: to devise and perform a three-minute impression of a Shakespeare play; perform a seven-minute extract from Willy Russell’s show Blood Brothers; devise a five-minute interpretation of a well-known proverb; and each house was required at some stage to interrupt proceedings with the SAS task, most of which seemed to be designed to embarrass the Headmaster! Then, in the second half, two representatives from each house took part in competitive spontaneous improvisation. The quality was high, and there were some touching as well as hilarious moments: as ever, though, perhaps the defining RGS touch were the hysterically funny one-liners which students seem to come up with at a moment’s notice! The joint winners overall were Eldon and Stowell. Jamie Sword and Imogen Brooks took the accolades for best male and female actors, with Jonathan Ball the best improviser. A great night!

The audience on all three nights laughed, sang along and clapped uproariously.


dRama (continued)

hard-working Year 9s presented a cast of thousands in The 39 Steps

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REtuRn tO thE FORBiddEn pLAnEtThis extraordinary show, which outrageously combines Shakespeare’s The Tempest (and several other shameless quotes from the Bard) with great 60s rock music, really rocked the Miller Theatre in March. The first thing to strike the audience was the set, which vividly recreated those old sci-fi TV sets of the period: it featured a large, bulbous flickering screen showing outer space, the hostile planet on which the spaceship crashes. Another feature was the fine sliding doors – essential in any spaceship. And like any TV set of the period, they were always likely to jam, especially when a somewhat accident-prone robot (Ariel, played by three members of the young cast), got stuck on it. Ariel stole the show, a creaking robot on wheels with three heads, six arms, three hilarious voices and a tendency to fall apart on occasions. Another spectacular effect was the multi-tentacled monster which attacked the ship not once but twice. Oh, and there was a lot of acting and singing, too!

The young cast, drawn from Years 7-10, threw themselves into this hilarious, lively show with great gusto. The dancing was great; the singing powerful, both solos and ensembles; the all-student backing group and band faultless, under Mr Neil Smith’s direction; and the audience on all three nights laughed, sang along and clapped uproariously. Daniel Burnett was an amazing Prospero; Cameron Kirk a heroic captain with a great lead voice; Matthew Hudson a tortured, lovelorn Cookie; Alex Parry an alluring Gloria and Cressey Osborne an innocent, over-protected Miranda who finds love. All those leads, and the excellent ship’s crew, formed a tight-knit team who rattled both the action and the songs along with great verve, supported by an excellent troupe of dancers. From the moment that the audience was welcomed aboard the ship by the crew, and wished a pleasant voyage, we knew we were in for a treat, if a rocky flight. We weren’t disappointed!

nAtiOnAL studEnt dRAMA FEstiVALDespite the fact that the RGS production, Translations, narrowly missed out on a place at the National Student Drama Festival, as a testament to this impressive piece, a special invitation was extended to the whole cast to join the festival company for a week in Scarborough from 28th March – 3rd April. The students spent an enjoyable week at the festival where they watched 11 different productions, took part in a host of specialist workshops with organisations such as RSC and Frantic Assembly and engaged in various topical discussions. As the festival is mostly made up of undergraduate university students, the fact that RGS students were invited to take part is particularly impressive. Becky Shepherdson was even presented with the Theatre Record Young Critic’s Award for her well-written contributions to the festival magazine Noises Off during the week.

thE 39 stEpsSo, Dr Trafford, what are The 39 Steps?!? Well, to answer that, we might have to kill you. Or at least, someone is going to have to die. That much was plain from the opening sequence of this charming 30s noir-ish thriller, brought stunningly up-to-date by a talented cast of just four hard-working Year 9s, along with a technical one-man band in Christian Cooper. When the second scene comes hilariously to a climax with the femme fatale lying, well, dead-ly, across the hapless hero, a twelve inch kitchen knife sitting sweetly between her shoulder blades, then you know that you’re in for a night of mishaps and murders. All four of the ensemble rose magnificently to the challenge of presenting not just this cast of thousands, but also a multitude of modes of transport and a dozen different locations, all on a stage the size of the proverbial sixpence. Who’d have thought that not only the inside, but also the outside of a train could be brought so thrillingly to life with but an empty window frame, a jacket and a hat? If that sounds like magic, then that’s exactly what it was: bravo Mr Wancke, Matthew Hudson, Remy Ling, Isaac Marchant and Tilly Osborne!

thEAtRE studiEs EnRiChMEnt tRip The Sixth Form enrichment trip to Stratford upon Avon was a great success. Students attended a performance of Othello, as well as Marlowe’s rarely performed and wickedly funny tragedy, The Jew of Malta. An especial highlight was the insight session for the latter where students met not only the director, Justin Audibert, but also leading man, Jasper Britton, both of whom were very impressed with their insightful and articulate responses to the play. Add to that an iambic pentameter treasure hunt around the main sights of Stratford and there really were the ingredients for a midsummer (night’s) dream!

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Dance is one of the most attended extra-curricular clubs at the school with over 100 students from Years 3 to 13 taking part in weekly lessons to put on a show each April. This year students came together to perform Peter Pan - An Awfully Big Adventure, creating key scenes from J M Barrie’s classic book.

Each dance group performed a contemporary routine, working hard to portray the image of flying, mermaids swimming and pirates fighting lost boys. Throughout the year, dance groups have developed their skills both technically and choreographically, helping with contact improvisation and allowing for a larger and more impressive range of lifts.

The standard of performance was high on both nights; the audience in the Miller Theatre clearly enjoying every moment, captivated by the energy that every single student put into their character, pulling them along into a magical world full of wonder and trickery.

tOp GiRLsEven in today’s enlightened world, navigating the tensions between family life and career can appear an impossible task for the modern woman. Top Girls does not pretend to know the answers: Marlene has smashed through the glass ceiling, yet her derision at any attitude not rooted in uncompromising ambition and callous competition makes her deeply unsympathetic. Becky Shepherdson, with typical flair, brought this haughty, strident careerist to life in a nuanced depiction, simultaneously both attractive and repellent. In a first act piece de resistance, she hosted an imagined dinner party for some of her mythical idols, ranging from a demon-slaying medieval Flemish warrior to a Chaucerian princess, played with panache by a talented ensemble. This dinner was highly naturalistic in style, requiring the actors to eat and continue overlapping, parallel conversations in perfect synchronicity: watching it unfold on stage, one was struck by the unfolding majesty of the precisely-organised chaos. This production provided both an intimate exploration of Marlene’s difficulties and an unsettling, apposite portrait of the problems engendered by pervasive inequality.

Imaginative lighting, lovely scenery and atmospheric projected images helped to make this a wonderful evening. The set (designed by Mr Paul Edwards) was simple yet effective, including a single, lit window, as well as quotes from the book corresponding to the dances projected onto the backdrop of the stage. The Art department also helped create a range of props including an impressive moving crocodile head. Many people behind the scenes helped make the show as special as is was, including Mr Mark Burton and the tech team, bringing together lighting, sound and set design and Lucy and her mum who provided all of the many fabulous costumes.

Finally, a massive thank you to Lucy Hudson and Leanne Pallister for their wonderful choreography and unfailing dedication to the show. Huge congratulations to everyone who took part and made the show as excellent as it was.

ELIZABETH SPENCER (LOWER SIxTH)

The standard of performance was high on both nights; the audience in the Miller Theatre clearly enjoying every moment...


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students took part in weekly dance lessons

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Mr Fazlic, Head of Performing Arts and Director of Music, writes:

This has been another great year during which the Music staff, our technicians and their crew have done their best to keep up with the students’ appetite for music and performance. It is rewarding to look back at what has been achieved this year.

FLOWER FEstiVAL At st. niChOLAs’ CAthEdRALFrom Thursday 2nd to Sunday 5th October, St Nicholas’ Cathedral was blooming as the history of music was told through over 40 stunning floral displays. The beautiful Flower Festival attracted musicians from all over Newcastle who were invited to perform. Our two senior ensembles, the Brass Quintet and the Libertango Ensemble, led by Mr Key and Mr Fazlic, performed a short programme at the Festival, which the hosts and visiting guests warmly supported.

sEniOR hOusE MusiC COMpEtitiOnThe House Music Competition is an evening of great entertainment where each House provides a soloist, instrumental ensemble, rock band and choir. The main aim of the competition is to involve a large cross-section of students in performing and this year, more than 120 students from Years 7 to 13 took part. This event also gives our well-established Sixth Form musicians a wonderful opportunity to lead and rehearse their House’s instrumental and vocal ensembles. The ensemble leaders take this competition very seriously and their competitive spirit always shines through. The standard of performance this year was higher than ever and all the Houses, their soloists and ensembles should be congratulated for the effort put in.

The results of each individual category were as follows:

Instrumental Ensemble: Stowell

House Rock Band: Collingwood

Intermediate House Soloist: Alex Raine (Year 9) Violin, Stowell

Senior House Soloist: Ben Owen (Year 12) Clarinet, Collingwood

House Choir: Stowell

Our adjudicator, Mr Ian Teoh, complimented the students on the quality and variety of the programme before awarding the Inter-House Music Cup to Stowell!

AutuMn RECitALThe Autumn Recital attracted 39 musicians from Years 4 to 13 who entertained the audience of proud parents, fellow students and staff in a packed Miller Theatre. The performances ranged from Baroque violin music by Arcangelo Corelli to the Neoclassical flute music of Paul Hindemith. Worthy of particular note were our Year 13 students whose musicianship was praised by many attendees. Luke Banerjee on the tuba, William Wathey on the piano, Ailsa Campbell, voice and the Senior Guitar Trio all rose to the challenges of the works they chose with their tasteful, balanced and technically assured performances. There was also some exciting talent developing in our younger students, too: Ella Gao on the violin, Carlo Fazlic on the Piano and Amanda Chakkoria, voice; I’m sure we will see them go from strength to strength in years to come.

sEniOR CAROL sERViCEIt was a pleasure to listen to our students singing and playing at this year’s Carol Service. Students and staff alike rose to the challenges that would be daunting even to the most experienced of singers and players. Their love of music was particularly obvious in a premiere performance of Dr Trafford’s carol No Room at the Inn, performed by the Blue Blazer and Senior Choir, and the Senior Choir’s rendition of Carol of the Bells. However, the congregation’s favourite had to be the joyous arrangement of Ding Dong Merrily on High performed by the Senior Choir and Symphony Orchestra, which certainly set St George’s Church ringing.

The choice of reading and musical repertoire was delightful! The Brass Quintet was on top form and Joseph Lord dazzled on the organ. As we left St George’s Church we sensed that we had witnessed something truly special in a performance of real distinction.

WAR And pEACE COnCERtThe War and Peace concert on Friday 16th January was performed to a capacity audience in the Miller Theatre. The programme featured the RGS Concert Band, Community Orchestra and Cappella. The Concert Band began the evening with a dynamic performance of Mars (The Bringing of War) and went on to perform the Theme from Schindler’s List, Pearl Harbour and Lux Aurumque. The newly-formed Community Choir performed two vibrant songs from WW1: It’s a Long Way to Tipperary and Keep the Home Fires Burning, showing the longing for home from soldiers during the Great War. The small Sixth Form chamber choir, Cappella, performed two delightful pieces, Canon for Peace and In Flanders Field, which really captured the varied emotions from wartime. This concert also featured some brilliant sketches from The Wipers Times, performed by Thomas Dickson and Alistair Henfrey, both of whom showed great maturity and comedy in their acting. The audience was also treated to some evocative WW1 poems: Larkin’s MCMXIV read by Becky Shepherdson and As the Team’s Head Brass, read by Rosie Coleman-Collier. The emotional journey during the concert was gripping throughout and the Concert Band who ended the evening with a rousing rendition of the Greatest War Themes, which included old favourites, Colonel Bogie and the Dambusters Marches and a Swing Band version of The White Cliffs of Dover.

War and Peace was a truly emotional experience which was all performed in front a backdrop of visual film footage and images. The audience were indeed wowed by the extraordinary performances of all the performers and technical team throughout the evening. GCsE/As/A2 pERFORMAnCE

This informal public performance is an opportunity for students from Years 11 to 13 to see how well prepared they are before they give the final performance as a part of their exam. The audience of parents, fellow students and staff were in for a treat as students performed a variety of solo and ensemble pieces including a saxophone duet, clarinet trio and a vocal a cappella quartet.

spRinG RECitAL18 students and two chamber ensembles performed and it was great to see some new students who were eager to share the pieces which they had prepared and performed for their ABRSM exams a couple of weeks earlier. Amelia Lewis’s Pie Jesu by Fauré (voice), Alexander Adamson’s Etude in D Op.46 No.8 by Heller (piano), Arran Kirk’s The Second Star To The Right by Fain (voice), Rohit

Singh’s Kavaleriiskaya by Kabalevsky (piano) and Greg Raine’s Tarantelle by Van Goens (‘cello) were some of the highlights of this remarkable recital. Our thanks go to our Visiting Music Teachers who prepare their students so well.

WAnsBECk MusiC FEstiVALOur Blue Blazer Choir, led by Mr Fazlic, again produced an excellent result at the Wansbeck Music Festival. They won the category of U16 School Choirs for the second year running. The choir’s performances of Consider Yourself and All You Need Is Love were highly praised by renowned adjudicator Gill Johnston, who gave the choir 87 out of 100 marks (distinction) and awarded them the Lady Muller’s Shield. The students were delighted with the award, which came as a result of their hard work and dedication throughout the year.

As we left St George’s Church we sensed that we had witnessed something truly special in a performance of real distinction.


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students took part in the Senior House Music Competition

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it was fantastic to see so many young individuals coming together, performing and appreciating such a high standard of rock music. We are grateful to Mr Smith and Mrs Graham for organizing this event exceptionally well and to Mark, Ben and our technical crew who did an amazing job with the stage, lighting and sound.

yEAR 7 sinGinG COMpEtitiOnOur annual Year 7 singing competition took place towards the end of the summer term. All six Year 7 classes competed for a prestigious trophy. The standard of singing was very good and our adjudicators, Mr Clark and Mr Bird, had a difficult job in choosing the winner. In the end, 7PE won by one point ahead of 7SNH.

piAnO RECitALThis informal Piano Recital was created as a performance platform for our young pianists. 14 students from Years 5 to 9 performed pieces from a variety of genres and styles. One particular highlight was Rachel Rees’ interpretation of Chopin’s Nocturne in E flat. Our thanks to Ms Ball, Ms Khazanovych, Mrs Nicolls and Mr Nowicki who prepared their students.

sEniOR spRinG COnCERtA packed audience attended this concert, which showcased the wide variety of ensembles in the Senior School. The concert opened with the Percussion Ensemble, led by Mr Wall, whose Dance of the Swans (Tchaikovsky) demonstrated the ensemble’s wonderfully expressive range. The Intermediate Guitar Ensemble, coached by Mr Ferguson, then took to the stage with a spirited performance of Yellow Submarine and If I Were A Rich Man. Mrs Jasinski’s Senior String Quartet treated everyone to an elegant performance of Handel’s Allegro from Sonata Op.1 No.11 and a tight and precise Pizzicato for Strings (Edwards). The award-winning Blue Blazer Choir followed with an assured performance of pieces they had just performed at the Wansbeck Music Festival. The Sinfonia Orchestra, directed by Mr Bird, gave us a rhythmically tight and well-polished performance of Elgar’s Allegro, Haydn’s St Anthony Chorale and the Gavotte from Grieg’s Holberg Suite. The Blue Note Jazz Band, under the baton of Mr Smith, entertained the audience with Gimme Some Lovin’, Mr Key’s Wind Band were the penultimate performers with Adkins’s Rolling in the Deep. Their Fiesta Blues brought an authentic Latin flavour to the Miller Theatre. Our Symphony Orchestra closed the evening with a fantastic rendition of the March from Bizet’s Carmen. Audience members commented on the impressive quality and range of ensembles they heard: a truly memorable evening!

sWinG, sWinG, sWinGOn Friday, 8th May, the Dining Hall was transformed into a jazz club for performances by the Blue Note Jazz Band, Small Jazz Combo and RGS Big Band, each celebrating music from the 1960s and 70s. The evening kicked off with performances of Proud Mary and Gimme Some Lovin’ from the Blue Note Jazz Band. The Small Jazz Combo, coached by Mr Tony Abell, ensued with the inspired addition of Mr Dave Hignett on trumpet, the band’s rendition of the Peter Gunn Theme being a particular highlight of the evening. The RGS Big Band finished off, with notable renditions of The Jackson 5’s I Want You Back and Becky Shepherdson singing Tom Jones’s legendary It’s Not Unusual. The night’s ensemble performances were interspersed with solo piano sets from Finlay Gerrand and our esteemed Director of Music, Mr Zlatan Fazlic. The evening was jam-packed with firm jazz favourites, performed at an exceptional level, joining the skills of well-rehearsed ensemble-playing with the individual flamboyance of improvisation. The distinguished dry humour from our hosts Henry Mattinson and Becky Shepherdson completed what was a fun, relaxed and truly entertaining event. Roll on next year!

MR NEIL SMITH

ChORAL And ORChEstRAL COnCERt On a sunny Friday evening, following the Art Private View, many months of hard and intensive work culminated in the Choral and Orchestral Concert.

A packed Main Hall was first treated to the RGS Symphony Orchestra, led by Jacob Baxter and conducted by Mr Fazlic. William Wathey led with the final Allegro from Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto in E flat major: a challenging piece for both soloist and orchestra. He played with exceptional technical control and aplomb, rendering the audience spellbound. The orchestra then played Dvorak’s Slavonic Dance Op.72 No. 2 in E minor. With two contrasting melodies, this piece illustrated the extensive range of the orchestra’s timbre and dynamics. Their final piece was the rousing March from Carmen by Bizet. Although taking it at a fast tempo, the orchestra demonstrated great technical and expressive playing.

The joint forces of the RGS Senior and Community Choirs then took to the stage for their debut performance of Handel’s Zadok the Priest. Despite being a challenging piece, it was a great success. The choirs complemented each other well, creating a depth to the music which was complemented by the acoustics of the hall. The choirs then sang Jenkins’ Choral Suite – The Armed Man, this time accompanied

by the RGS Community Orchestra. Becky Shepherdson sang an excellent opening solo to the Kyrie, whilst James Ferrier’s demanding piccolo part throughout Better is Peace was played flawlessly.

The Choral and Orchestral Concert was a night of fantastic music, with students and members of the RGS community alike displaying their talents. It was especially enjoyed by members of the Upper Sixth, for whom this would be one of their final concerts at the RGS. Many thanks to all involved, especially Mr Fazlic and Mr Key for all the hours they dedicated to rehearsals over several months preceding the concert.

CHARLOTTE BARKE AND JACOB BAxTER (UPPER SIxTH)

thE hEAdMAstER’s inVitAtiOn COnCERtSeeing young musicians grow throughout their time at school is a very special experience, as is saying goodbye to them. The Headmaster’s Invitation Concert is an annual celebration of the musical contribution our Year 13 students have made during their time at the school. Performances ranged from Lift thine eyes from Mendelssohn’s Elijah performed by Becky Shepherdson, Ailsa Campbell and Mrs Blazey to Ashokan Farewell, arranged and performed by Jacob Baxter on the violin and Jamie Robson on the guitar. Not to forget excellent performances from Will Wathey on the trumpet and George Cochrane and Robbie Miller on guitars as well as the mixed vocal ensemble Capella, led by Mrs Blazey.

This was a spectacle of talent, enthusiasm, energy and sincerity, which was undoubtedly enjoyed by the students, staff, parents, friends and members of the public who attended.

The Music department would like to thank all those leavers who have made considerable contributions to the musical life of the school and wish them good luck for the future.

BAttLE OF thE BAndsIn only its second year, The RGS Battle of the Bands has grown in fame with even more schools and bands applying to participate in this year’s competition. The evening saw performances from 12 bands from eight different schools. Our three skilled adjucators were Jamie Squire (Professional Session Musician), Paul Twynham (General Manager of the O2 Academy) and Jenny Nendick (Head of Press at Amazing Radio and a member of Bridie Jackson and The Arbour).

The eclectic mix of bands were particularly exhilarated once informed about the first prize of £200 of vouchers for www.gak.com and a VIP trip to the O2 Academy. The sold-out audience seemed enthralled, animated and eager to support their now Jaggeresque school peers.

The judges remarked on the high level of skill on show from all participants, and proclaimed Whitley Bay High School’s Driving in Aspen the overall winners, with Heaton Manor’s The 40 Thieves coming in 2nd place and the RGS’s The Ilfords in 3rd place. A great evening was had by all;

Seeing young musicians grow throughout their time at school is a very special experience...


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A busy year yet again! The headline acts continued as usual, with both the Engineering Education Scheme and F1 in Schools going from strength to strength. The former saw a team of sixth formers develop a new parts transportation trolley and a parts preparation area for the Nissan factory in Sunderland, whilst, in the other competition, the RGS entered both the Bloodhound Class and F1 Class for the first time. At the regional finals, we had success in the Bloodhound Class with Fenice Racing, who won the award for Best Research and Development, and in the F1 class with Kaizen Racing, who came 2nd overall and won a place at the national final. In London they went on to win the UK award for Best Research and Development. Thanks are due to Mrs Gill and Dr Houchin for their energy, enthusiasm and commitment to making this all happen.

We are also indebted to Dr Pulham who treated another group of sixth formers to a tour around the sights, sounds, smells and colleges of Oxford. As a previous attendee of the university, he was at his most animated retelling stories involving various shenanigans on campus! The real physics came with a visit to the Diamond Light Source, a genuine scientific mecca, followed by a particle physics masterclass, during which Snigdha Sen came top in the quiz they set.

pSycHoloGy

Psychological theories of learning have been the bedrock of this year’s teaching. Students have actively engaged in topics and have acquired information collaboratively, making lessons memorable and fun. For example, to understand the intricacies of the working model of memory, students got creative and made a complex model using play-doh. Such activities allow us to construct a distinct trace, making long term memories more easily accessible when it comes to exams.

We established study groups during free periods, meeting at lunchtime to learn together and demonstrate that ‘learning independently’ need not mean on your own, but together with friends outside the classroom. Collaborative engagement in group and pair work has been useful to share ideas, plan essays and compare alternative studies: constructing knowledge together through discussion. This social constructivist philosophy has begun to diffuse into the lives of Sixth Form psychologists, preparing them for Higher Education.

We have all engaged in real experiments (with the participants’ full informed consent of course) which have been beneficial to help us grasp the research and mathematical side of Psychology. When we collect our own data we begin to understand the problems of designing, running and interpreting our own experiments.


These groups, fuelled mostly by biscuits, have given younger pupils the opportunity to find out what psychologists do.

The headline acts continued as usual, with both the Engineering Education Scheme and F1 in Schools going from strength to strength.

evaluations of research studies in A2 Psychology

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The inaugural trip to the Advanced Research Forming Centre (AFRC) at the University of Strathclyde involved a tour of the facility which is populated by companies such as Boeing and Rolls Royce. During our visit, we were told about, amongst other things, the forming methods being developed to build super strong super light aircraft wings.

Nearer to home, our regular foray up to the dark skies at Kielder Observatory took place at the end of January. With lots of snow it was a memorable evening, with the added bonus of a brief viewing slot as the cloud cleared. Newcastle University played host to Year 10 students who were interested in electrical engineering, whilst Year 9 students took part in an astrophysics masterclass. Students from the same year also attended the Saturday morning Royal Institution Engineering masterclasses, where industrial engineers introduced them to various problem-solving tasks. Meanwhile, a Sixth Form group attended an underwater technology event at the Great North Museum which was organised by local companies with the aim of increasing student awareness of the career opportunities in subsea technology.

Other events have included a live video-link lecture on dark matter, given by Dr Ben Maughan of Bristol University and the annual sufferfest that is the British Physics Olympiad. Well done to Will Wathey who did particularly

well in this tough competition. The last date of the year was the Year 8 Physics Olympics team competition at St Peter’s in York. This involves a variety of experimental challenges over the course of the day and is always great fun.

Thanks must go to all the staff who work so hard to make all this possible. Here’s to an equally hectic 2016!

MR NED RISPIN (HEAD OF PHYSICS)

Psychology has even reached Year 9 and 10, where PsychSoc and TED Talk groups have enthusiastically debated topics such as phobias, happiness, dying, eyewitness testimony, the listening project and the value of a creative educational curriculum. These groups, fuelled mostly by biscuits, have given younger pupils the opportunity to find out what psychologists do.

The summer term played host to some educational and enriching trips, meeting with forensic clinicians, engaging in Psychology open days and giving students a taste of university-level research – especially useful for those students who aspire to be the psychologists of the future.

For 2016 we are looking forward to the new specification, a two-year course where the psychology of innovative teaching and learning will be key to our students’ success.

MRS CELIA BONE (HEAD OF PSYCHOLOGY)

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fundRaiSinG foR cHaRitieS

This academic year has been the most impressive to date for fundraising in school with a magnificent £15,980.34 raised in total - just £20 off the £16,000 mark! This is about £4000 more than last year’s total!

The year started off with a non-uniform day in aid of BBC Children in Need and this raised almost £2000 in a day.

The annual Charities Week followed on from this, which was the most successful it has ever been. The local charities we supported were Streetwise, FACT- Fighting All Cancers Together, Grace House and the Great North Children’s Hospital. During this week, guest speakers from the charities came in to school to deliver talks and they clearly made an impression on the students which in turn had an impact on their generosity when it came to fundraising:

an impressive £10,000 was raised during this week! The annual Sixth Form Fashion Show again raised the most, topping last year’s total and bringing in almost £4000. This far exceeded the aim to hit £3000, thanks to our imaginative Sixth Form fundraisers Ellie Crake and Lucy Elliott. The Blue Blazers also did their bit and raised a great £3000 by challenging themselves to read as much as possible over the course of the week; they totalled up an astounding 11,435 minutes of reading over five days! The action-packed week also included a Year 7 cake sale with lots of delicious homemade treats, a non-uniform day and a rock gig in addition to lots of fun, smaller activities.

The proceeds from the Fashion Show paid for a play area at Grace House and Streetwise modernised their furniture and some of their facilities. The money raised also went towards


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SiXtH foRm voluntaRy SeRviceThis year almost 120 sixth formers have been very generous with their time and have chosen to volunteer on either a weekly or fortnightly basis for two full terms. Most students volunteer in primary schools in some of the most deprived areas of the city where literacy levels are low.

To make the transition from being a Year 11 student to a responsible adult in the community is certainly a challenge, but it’s one which our students readily accept and respond to well. Volunteering is an incredibly rewarding and enjoyable experience and it is very normal to see Upper Sixth students shedding a tear when their voluntary placement comes to an end after two years.

MISS EMMA HAYES

minutes of reading in five days raised £3,000

11,435

This academic year has been the most impressive to date for fundraising in school with a magnificent £15,980.34 raised in total.

helping maintain vital services at the Great North Children’s Hospital and FACT.

Our fundraising continued until May, with a non-uniform day for Comic Relief taking place in March and then after the devastating earthquake in Nepal our students and staff were so touched by this, that another £1700 was raised.

The generosity of our students always continues to astound and I look forward to seeing what new and imaginative ways they will come up with to raise yet more money next year.

MISS EMMA HAYES

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As a new hoard replaced the old, September brought new opportunity and an extended programme both in terms of events and provision across all ‘ability’ ranges. Blue and Black Blazer Drama were both as slick as ever and played to full audiences; thanks to Mr Walters and his team of Sixth Form directors. In an effort to freshen things up a bit, there is an exciting new format next year. Mr Fazlic also delivered another excellent House Music competition won by Stowell. All three of these events took place in the PAC allowing stage crews the best chance to show off their skills. The second year of year group swimming galas (in which all of Years 7, 8 and 9 took part), was another success for mass participation and took place in mid-December. Year 7 and 8 bought into it from the very outset and once the Year 9s had finished brushing their hair and trying to be apathetic/cool (which lasted about 10 minutes), grumblings turned to raucous support as they cheered on their peers from the pool side!

The spring saw Stowell consolidate their lead and only Eldon were able to make headway. Indeed, Stowell led the overall House Cup by one point on the morning of Sports Day which was held at Gateshead International Stadium. The PE department worked hard to get the programme of events to include every Year 7 to 10 student, banded to compete against their ‘equals’ or as closely as possible. The weather gods were good to us again as the sun shone on a day when train tracks buckled, Mr Bulch had to order 1500 bottles of water and several staff (author included) failed to apply adequate sun cream! A special mention to Dr Pulham who brought the event to the masses with schedules and results on the internet and through Twitter feeds!

Mr Davidson announced the results over the tannoy at 3pm and revealed that Eldon had won; convincingly so. The standard of athletics, and indeed sport over all competitions, was impressive and really highlights the ability of RGS students.

The final assembly of the term saw the Headmaster announce the overall results for the 2014/15 House Competition:

Junior House Cup - Eldon

inter House Cup - Stowell

Senior House Cup - Eldon

Overall House Cup - Eldon

This was another great result for Eldon and is testament to their effort throughout the year to give every event their all.

Junior House cup | elDoninter House cup | stowellsenior House cup | elDonoverall House cup | elDon

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This was another great result for Eldon who struggled for years in the late 2000s and is testament to their effort throughout the year to give every event their all. Indeed they came 2nd in a lot of events which ultimately saw them prevail over Stowell! Thanks go to the PE and Performing Arts departments and the Housemasters for their hard work behind the scenes. Looking forward to next year, the programme is already in place and we welcome Mr Smith and Miss Tucker as Housemasters and say goodbye to Dr Smith who has overseen Eldon’s resurgence in recent years - we are very grateful to her.

MR MICHAEL SMALLEY (OVERALL HEAD OF HOUSE SYSTEM)

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RGS BuRSaRieS

WhAt My RGs BuRsARy MEAns tO ME From 2000 to 2007 I was given a gift, an education at Newcastle Royal Grammar School. Coming from a single parent family, my mum wanted to give me the best possible education, but couldn’t afford the full school fees. After successfully passing the entrance examination and interview, and with thanks to the generosity of Sir Peter Ogden (through The Ogden Trust) and The Hospital of St Mary the Virgin Trust, I received a bursary which allowed me to enter RGS.

This may be the first time that many of my peers will be aware that I was the beneficiary of a bursary, but I am so grateful and proud that I was able to be educated at the RGS. Not only was the quality of education exceptional, I was given responsibilities, and gained a level of confidence and self-respect which I do not believe I would have gained elsewhere. This confidence and awareness of my abilities and the opportunities open to me in life, have been the foundation of my career to date.

Now, eight years after leaving the school and in possession of an Economics degree from Newcastle University, I work for True Potential, a Newcastle-based financial advice network with 420 advisers around the UK, as a Compliance Officer, one of a team of three staff tasked with assessing the suitability of high risk business to

protect both clients and the company. My previous role at another Newcastle-based financial advice firm was as an Investment Analyst, with oversight of £100 million of client assets and managing a research service with over 10,000 users. Last summer, I was told that I had the most impressive CV the interviewer - a senior manager at a large accountancy firm - had seen from anyone under thirty.

RGS instilled in me a work ethic which has been reflected in my career achievements to date. None of this would have been possible without the quality of the education I received at RGS, and RGS would not have been a possibility for me without the offer of a bursary.

An RGS bursary can make a huge difference to someone’s education and life, and I sincerely hope that you will join me in making a donation, however large or small, to allow another young person, just like me, to be given the opportunity of a lifetime.

if you would like to help other students like me by making a donation, please contact Jane Medcalf on 0191 212 8909 or by email at [email protected]. Further information about the campaign can be seen on the school’s website.

CHRISTIAN GARDNER (00-07)

None of this would have been possible without the quality of the education I received at RGS, and RGS would not have been a possibility for me without the offer of a bursary.

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This summer, a group of senior footballers toured New England – sightseeing, embracing American culture and even fitting in some football!

17th AuGustThe group of weary-eyed students flew from Newcastle to New York where we checked in at The Hilton hotel on Midtown and visited Brooklyn Bridge viewing pier in the evening.

18th AuGustMany of the players visited Times Square and then travelled to the Yankee Stadium to watch the New York Yankees’ baseball match against the Minnesota Twins.

19th – 21st AuGustWe indulged in the vast array of sightseeing that New York has to offer, visiting sights such as Wall Street, Chelsea Pier, Ground Zero, One World Trade Center (the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere), The Empire State Building, Top of the Rock and the Statue of Liberty. The squad then faced an early start for a long journey to Durham, New Hampshire, where we were welcomed by our first hosts, Oyster River High School.

22nd AuGustThe RGS 1st XI won their match against the Oyster River 1st XI, 2-1. The 2nd XI also won their game (6-3) against the Oyster River 2nd team. A great result for RGS and all players from both schools gathered later for an evening ‘hangout’.

School Trips

USA FootbAll toUr

23Rd AuGustRGS took part in a soccer jamboree and won all three of their games including a 2-0 win over Pinkerton, one of the best teams in New Hampshire.

The squad then stopped off overnight in Manchester, NH, en route to our next hosts and State Champions, Hanover High School.

25th AuGustThe morning began with a trip to Montshire Science Museum, followed by watching Ivy League champions Dartmouth College play soccer. It was then time for RGS to play Hanover, under the lights in front of a big crowd - a tight match which RGS lost narrowly, 2-0.

26th AuGustThe squad arrived in Cape Cod, where we would stay for the next three nights. All players got a run out against Nauset High School, where tired legs from the previous game culminated in a disappointing 5-1 defeat.

31st AuGustTired legs once again resulted in a 2-1 defeat to Groton Dunstable School, where everyone played brilliantly in a gritty squad performance. Following the game we enjoyed lunch at the captain’s house where we saw clips of our game broadcasted on local news and some of the team were interviewed.

1st – 2nd sEptEMBERThe team made a final six-hour journey to JFK before flying to london and eventually arriving in Newcastle where we were welcomed by pouring rain and happy parents!

Awards:

Golden Boot Jamie Bullough and Henry Elliott

Players’ Player Freddie Wilkinson and Richard Coulthard

Manager’s Player Ruaidhri Fletcher and Finlay Gerrand

I would like to say thank you on behalf of all the players and parents to Mr Snedden, Mr Shelley, Mr Wilson and Mrs McGough for making this once-in-a-lifetime trip possible.

THOMAS WESTGArTH (lOWEr SixTH)

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27th – 28th AuGustOver the next two days the boys enjoyed some well-deserved rest and sampled what Cape Cod had to offer, including visiting the Pilgrim’s Monument in Provincetown, Massachusetts, partaking in some crazy golf and trying out the baseball batting cages; sadly the Yankees’ skills we had observed during our time in New York did not rub off on us!

30th AuGustThe 1st team emerged from their match as 2-0 victors, however a second half fightback from the RGS 2nd XI was not enough to contain Beverly’s junior varsity team and RGS eventually lost this game 3-2. Both teams shared a post-match BBQ with a very special cake to celebrate the occasion.

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WoRld cHallenGe: india 2015

After a 9 ½-hour plane journey, our team finally arrived in Delhi which would become our home for an extra night when our next flight was unfortunately cancelled. We arrived in Leh the next day which we immediately liked due to the friendly people and aesthetically pleasing views.

It took us a few days to fully acclimatise to the altitude but this time allowed us to explore Leh. A highlight for the team was the Shanti Stupa Monastery.

Then we started the expedition. We were picked up in jeeps for a three hour journey to Chilling where we spent the night. The next day, multiple large landslides en route made for a treacherous journey to the pulley bridge. Here we met our donkeys who carried our bags for the next ten days. We stayed in many campsites along the way: Skiu, Shingo, Rumbak, Valley Camp and Base Camp. Shingo was the favourite amongst the group as it had grass and a refreshing river to swim in.

Summit Day was the hardest challenge of the expedition. The 1:00am start meant that the next four hours were difficult; the walking was harder to do at night. We reached the glacier where we were faced with an even tougher challenge: deep snow and the steep face of Stok Kangri. Unfortunately we did not make it to the summit: however we did climb to 5900m, which was a massive achievement for us all.

After the trek we went to Thiksey School near Leh to begin our project work. This involved painting and decorating classrooms, filling and whitewashing the walls before adding our designs. On our last night on the project we went out for a meal with our cooks to a local café which was the perfect way to end the project phase.

Next up: the rest and relaxation phase! Everyone was looking forward to this after the strenuous past two weeks. We were met at Delhi airport by a coach that would take us to various parts of India over the next four days. We visited the Taj Mahal at sunrise which was an amazing experience. We also spent two nights in Jaipur where we were taken up to the Amber Fort on elephants. The next day some of the group went for an elephantastic experience: a three-hour elephant interaction which involves feeding, painting, washing and riding the elephants. This was a highlight for many of the group. We ended our last night as a group with an enjoyable meal before flying home the next day. All of us found it an amazing experience and we were sad to leave when the time came.

SAM STONOR AND GRACE JENNINGS (LOWER SIxTH)

Landing in Delhi on the 15th July was like entering a different world. It was hot, humid and noisy and the taxi driver showed scant regard for the highway code or even self preservation. With four of us and three bags piled in the taxi, heading the wrong way down a dual cariageway, we knew our world challenge had started. It had taken 18 months of fundraising, preparation and more than a few car washes, but we were finally there.

We headed north to leh, the capital of the Himalayan region of Ladakh, where we spent a week working in a local government school, repainting their classrooms with amazing artistic flair (thanks imogen!). Meeting and playing with the kids was a really great experience and their curiosity and affection was endearing, even their overenthusiasm for the Hokey Cokey.

But it was the trek we really came for, with the possibilty of summiting Stok kangri at 6153m asl available if we could only overcome the altitude, extreme temperatures and discomfort of ten days’ camping. We reached base camp (5000m asl)

after a week and were set to attempt summit at midnight the next day. We set off in driving rain and got as far as the glacier before heavy snowfall made the avalanche risk too high and we were forced to retreat. In total, we spent three nights at base camp in brutally cold conditions but the weather didn’t improve and time ran out. We were gutted.

The rest of the trip was a blur of world-class sightseeing such as the Taj Mahal and slightly less than world-class bartering in the markets – pretty sure they saw us coming!

Overall it was one of the best things I could have done with school and the fact that I got to share the experience with 16 others just made it so much better. It’s a special kind of friend you make when you spend a month in a strange new place, encountering challenges and tackling them together. I really missed them all when I got home.

LIBBY DALEY (lOWEr SixTH)

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This year’s Year 7 camp at the YMCA Lakeside, Newby Bridge, Cumbria, was a tremendous success. The weather was mixed but the sun did manage to make appearances to improve spirits. The students approached all of the activities with a fearless and enthusiastic attitude. Of particular note were the canoeing, kayaking and gorge walking; activities which - judging by the enthusiasm of the students to get soaking wet - proved to be the most popular. Other highlights included three hot and home-cooked meals a day, enjoying hot chocolate and cake around the campfire in the evening and the talent show, with different groups entertaining the crowd with their varied acts. Bring on Year 7 Camp 2016!

DR Jo GREEnHALGH

My favourite experience at camp was sailing because you were completely alone with a partner on the lake and could sit down and relax…until there was a sudden burst of exciting wind.

HARRY JoPLinG

I’ve never been more shattered, soggy and squashed in my life but it was still amazing!

ABBY DunSTAn

I enjoyed the raft-building activity. I liked putting it together as a team and eventually paddling on the water. Most of all I loved getting wet at the end!

AnnABELLE VAn DELFT

Every night at half past nine the whole group, including teachers and sixth formers, would gather around the campfire. This was great as it was a time to reflect on the day’s activities and chat with friends. To add to this, we all got hot chocolate and cake!

RAiYAn HAq

Brilliant activities, lovely instructors and nice food! My favourite part was the talent show as I won!

DiLLon inGRAM

If I had to choose a favourite activity it would be ghyll scrambling; even though it was so cold it had to be the best experience! We walked through waterfalls and many deep pools then towards the end we climbed a large rock and jumped straight into the water!

HARSHiTA KoMATi

I conquered my fear of spiders and swam in the lake but my favourite part of camp was sharing a tent with seven of my friends.

MiLLiE iRELAnD-cARSon

I really enjoyed the king swing activity because we were very high and it felt like I was flying. It was funny to see everyone’s faces as they released themselves from the swing!

FRED HouLT

Climbing and abseiling was fun, despite the height of the abseiling wall. It was a great sense of achievement afterwards! I loved camp and I hope the next group of Year 7s do too.

ionA BoYER

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GiRLsThe girls have had an outstanding athletics season. It began with the HMC competition at Gateshead International Stadium, where some fantastic performances from the intermediate team led to the girls winning the competition: a first for the girls! Next up was the Track and Field Cup. Here, the junior girls’ team performed outstandingly well, winning the area round and then travelling to Hull to compete in the regional A final. The girls produced some exceptional performances and narrowly missed out on the national final by two points!

The busy season continued with the junior team winning the TWSSA at Monkton Stadium, with many of the girls winning their individual events. The final competition of the season was the City Team Championships. The girls were amazing once again: the Year 7 and 8 team won the competition, the Year 9 team were 4th and the Year 10 team finished 3rd. It was a great end to a very successful season! The girls can be very proud.

inter Counties Honours

isobel Chaudhry 800m

Faye Groom 100m

Charlotte Morris Steeplechase

Lucy McCarthy Steeplechase

isabelle Potier Godinho High Jump

Laura Smith Steeplechase

Grace Varley 1500m

Kate Waugh 3000m

English Schools’ Honours

isobel Chaudhry 800m

Grace Varley 1500m

MISS JILL HARRISON AND MRS ANGELA PONTON

BOysWith the Club La Santa preseason taking place over the Easter break, there was a real buzz around the start of the season and with the North HMC athletics competition at Gateshead so early in the term, all the boys were able to get stuck in immediately! Competing against all the top independent schools makes for an exceptionally high level of competition and winning an age category - as the junior boys did - is a highly prestigious accolade. The inter boys finished 3rd in their respective category, meaning it was a sensational day for the boys overall. The Track and Field Cup saw both teams make the regional final in Hull, but a significant coach delay which resulted in three hours on the road meant that focus was always going to be a worry. Both teams fared well and finished 3rd and 4th respectively.

In the city competitions, leading to counties, there were more RGS qualifiers than any other school, by quite some way. Overall a pleasing year in terms of participation and one which should build towards an even more successful 2016!

Northern Counties Honours

Ollie Herring Hurdles/Pole Vault

inter Counties Honours

Nathan Byatt 200m

Raiyan Chowdhury Javelin

Edward Gilhespy Discus/Hammer Throw

William Haslam 200m

Cameron Kirk 1500m

David Kusi Long Jump

Max McLeod Hurdles/Long Jump

James Morris 1500m

Will Murgatroyd Long Jump/Triple Jump

Jack Peter 200m

Matthew Sheerin Long Jump/Triple Jump

Patrick Smeal Javelin

MR MICHAEL DAVIDSON

It was a great end to a very successful season! The girls can be very proud.

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the area of the school climbing-wall

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August saw the completion of the new indoor climbing wall: a massive project, the end result being probably the best school indoor climbing-wall in the country.

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climBinGThe year draws to a close on another fantastic set of trips and experiences with climbing in the school.

August saw the completion of the new indoor climbing-wall: a massive project, the end result being probably the best school indoor climbing-wall in the country (certainly, as far as I can tell, the biggest!). This has meant a massive increase in the provision of after-school clubs and the number of students taking up climbing, or developing their skills further. In any given week there are 70+ students climbing.

We have continued with the usual trips, both in-country and overseas, alongside some additional events, such as a climbing masterclass from Steve McClure and our first school competition in London.

CLiMBinG in EL ChORRODuring the October half-term, three Senior School students departed to El Chorro in Spain to experience some outdoor climbing. The group enjoyed excellent weather, with temperatures well into the high 20s. This was a great week of challenging climbing, beautiful weather and excellent behaviour from the students.

CLiMBinG MAstERCLAss In February, RGS was honoured to have a visit from Steve McClure who delivered a climbing masterclass to a bunch of hand-picked keen and experienced climbers. Steve is an internationally-renowned climber and one of the world’s best so this was a real coup.

OutdOOR CLiMBinG in spAinFive boys from Years 9 and 10 took a trip to Alicante and the Costa Brava for an introduction to sports climbing outdoors. This was a return visit for three of them, but new ground for the others. The week went well with generally good weather and the boys developing into good outdoor lead climbers.

RGs At thE isCCIn March, RGS attended the Independent Schools Climbing Competition for the first time. This year’s competition took place at the Reach climbing-wall in London and featured climbers from some of the top schools in the country including Westminster, Eton, Harrow, Charterhouse, Tonbridge, King’s Canterbury and Whitgift.

The senior team (Jonathan Bird, James Goudie and Charlie Haslam) and Junior A team (James Dodds, Abel Harvie-Clark and Henry Haslam) were placed as combined 2nd overall school. In addition, James Dodds won two of the three individual categories, competing against climbers up to two years his senior! The second junior team (Nina Harvie-Clark, Cameron Pulham and James Shepherdson) also finished 4th in their category. This is a fantastic achievement and as always, the students were exemplary throughout the whole weekend.

MR GARETH DUNN

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u14It was a disappointing start to the season, with a poor performance against Newcastle School for Boys which led to a close defeat. However, things improved against Dame Allan’s, then again in the next match against Kings Priory; due to an all-round excellent performance, we emerged comfortable winners with Jack Peter making 43 and Rory Hanley 50 not out. We then came up against the County U13s and, with Hanley making 44 not out and some good performances from Rohit Singh and Jack Peter, we won quite easily. After defeating Kenton School very comfortably and Dame Allan’s (not so comfortably), we came up against Newcastle School for Boys in the County Cup final. With excellent performances from Nathan Byatt and George John, we won to take us through to the Lords Taverners competition next year. The team would like to thank Mr Davidson for all his hard work this year.

RORY HANLEY (YEAR 9)

u13The U13s won all but one game - early season naivety! From then on they were outstanding. Well captained by Keshav Krishnan, they batted positively and to their strengths. The bowlers - led by the metronomic George John - bowled in the right areas and were rewarded for doing so by bowling sides out cheaply. They reached the semi-final of the Bunbury Cup, only to be defeated in a bowl off due to rain. What a pity! This team is full of talent and if they continue to improve, could be the best side at the school for a long time.

MR MICHAEL SMALLEY

This team is full of talent and if they continue to improve, could be the best side at the school for a long time.

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scores of 50+ runs by Skipper Adam Clark

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1st xiBuilding on some of the near-misses from 2014, the 1st xI, superbly led by skipper Adam Clark, showed some real character and enjoyed a largely successful 2015 season. Despite not posting many big scores, the team were always competitive and it was in fact during some of the low-scoring games where we came into our own.

The season got off to a winning start with a comfortable 32-run victory over Dame Allan’s. Robert Thirlwell put in a man of the match performance with 68 not out and 4-11. A disappointing defeat to Durham followed but the team bounced back superbly against Barnard Castle; a stellar performance from Rhuaidhri Fletcher with 83, then taking 3-14 to seal victory in style.

cRicket

The annual game against the MCC followed, and for the second year in a row we emerged victorious against a strong side. A superb showing from Gregor Pearce saw him take five wickets and restrict the MCC to 172. In reply we started well but continued to lose wickets at regular intervals. Mudara Senanayake batted superbly and when the last man arrived at the crease, 12 runs were needed for victory; with three clean hits the game was won. Senanayake recorded a superb unbeaten half-century which was warmly acknowledged by the opposition.

The team went into this year’s RGS Festival eager to build on the near-misses from the previous year. The boys got off to a disappointing start with a comfortable loss to hosts High Wycombe, despite a fine 69 from skipper Adam Clark and 3-64 from Senanayake. Tuesday’s game with Worcester was not for the faint hearted. Newcastle looked on course for victory: however, Worcester’s last pair managed an impressive partnership of 38 to see them to victory and leave the team feeling like they had missed a big opportunity. The defeat to Worcester had clearly taken its toll on the team as they put in a below par performance against Guildford the next day. Despite 44 from Fletcher the team lost by eight wickets.

Thursday’s game with Lancaster saw a refreshed attitude and a turn in fortune as the boys played superbly to win by seven wickets and restrict Lancaster to 203 runs. A fantastic innings of 62 from Adam Clark and 50 not out from Robert Peyton saw us comfortably over the line for a well-deserved victory.

The final day saw the team take on Colchester and provided an opportunity to record our second victory of the week. A majestic innings of 130 from Robert Peyton put us in a commanding position. Colchester made a superb effort in chasing 320 but came up just short in what was a fantastic end to a great week and season.

MR ALEx BROWN

u15The U15 season consisted of several impressive victories despite a slow start with weather intervening during the opening game against Durham School and an early exit out of the County Cup.

The team did well to pull it back in the month of June, with a stronger batting display; Max Southern, Parth Mannikar, Archie Elder and Will Ramshaw all turning starts into higher scores. The team also showed great promise with the ball, with outstanding performances from Atul Ramesh leading the attack and Kushagra Modi who got a five wicket-haul.This resulted in emphatic victories over Dame Allan’s, Newcastle School for Boys and the MCC Hub, as well as a convincing win over Barnard Castle School to end the season on a high.

MR ANDY WATT

u12A season of steady progress was bracketed by disappointment: a heavy defeat by St Olave’s in our first match of the season and defeat by a similar margin to Newcastle School for Boys in our final game, costing us a place in next season’s national U13 Bunbury ESCA competition. In between, however, the U12s showed gradual improvement and enjoyed an encouraging season, including victories either side of half-term over Barnard Castle School, Durham School and a strong Northumberland U11 side. The boys also reached the semi-final of the St Olave’s Super 8s tournament. Overall, the A xI won six of their nine matches. The B gained momentum as the season went on and won two of their four games.

Calum Fletcher led the side sensibly and recorded some notable performances as an all-rounder, taking 5 for 6 against Austin Friars and scoring three consecutive 50s at one point – good going at U12 level. Nathan Gough also showed genuine promise as an all-rounder. Both played for the U13s before the season was out. Sree Kanakala also assumed a key role. He is a versatile cricketer and scored runs at number three in addition to bowling seam and leg spin. Mark Dormer and Matthew Deehan both proved good team players: the former kept wicket well and chivvied the team along in the field, the latter exhibited a safe pair of hands. Harry Stephenson’s seam bowling matured over the season and Krish Gupta and Joseph Wilson also contributed usefully with the ball on occasions. Raiyan Haq registered important middle order runs with his flashing blade and bowled his brisk off-spinners effectively, while Jamie McLeod also showed himself to be a capable all-round cricketer in his few appearances. Jackson Drummond, Harry Jopling (who took the catch of the season in our final game) and Fred Hoult (a sound reserve wicketkeeper) all played useful supporting roles.

MR OLIVER EDWARDS

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Two trophies and a top 4 finish!

The 1st xI have had an excellent season, despite a weak start when they were knocked out of three cup competitions in the space of a few weeks. In the Boodles ISFA Cup, a narrow 1-0 defeat by Bolton School ended any hopes of appearing at Stadium MK in March. Further defeats saw them exit the City Cup and the Tyneside Schools, but success was gained in the County Subsidiary Cup. This is a competition for all schools not eligible for the County Cup as well as those defeated in the first round of that competition (a Northumberland Schools version of the Europa League!). So defeat to Prudhoe meant we entered the Subsidiary Cup, where three wins over Bedlington, Blyth and Hexham set up a thrilling final against the former footballing giant St Cuthbert’s, which we won 2-1 in the last seconds of the game.

In the league, the 1st xI finished 4th out of nine schools – a considerable achievement given the strength of the league. With eight wins and eight defeats, the team has continued a great run of finishing in the top four of the league over the last five years. They also won the Liverpool 8s Plate trophy.

Honours:

iSFA North u18 team: Oscar Jones and Mark Strasshine

MR PETER SHELLEY AND MR PETER WILSON

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14

The 2nd xI had the formidable task of playing in one of the toughest 2nd tier leagues in the country this season, often playing against 1st teams from other schools. Whilst they only won three games, they put in some very promising performances, showing a lot of desire and determination on the pitch. This was particularly evident in a superb 1-1 draw against Walbottle at the end of the season which the team were unlucky not to win. The team has made a lot of progress and they are well positioned to excel further next season.

MR ANDREW SNEDDEN AND MR DAVID KEY

u16

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The U16 team had a tough season in both the league and cup competitions. There was an unlucky early defeat in the County Cup, away at Berwick, with the team already showing great potential. A narrow defeat to high-flying Walker confirmed that the team could compete with the best. The second half of the season was more successful with several victories in friendlies against independent school opposition.

Congratulations to James Elliott, Joel Exley, Luke Hudson, Dominic Kilbane and Freddie Wilkinson, all of whom have represented the 1st xI this season. We look forward to seeing these boys develop into the future stars of RGS football.

Honours:

U16 Northumberland School FA U16 Squad: Freddie Wilkinson

MR JOHN SMITH AND MR MARK BAILIE

miles travelled on the USA football tour

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The team has continued a great run of finishing in the top four of the league over the last five years.

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fencinG

This academic year has seen exceptional results from our fencers with National Champions, Great Britain Squad selections and senior rankings. More importantly, in my opinion, is the bold move forward with the development of fencing at RGS. For the first time, senior games has moved off-site to Newcastle Fencing Centre, an international-standard training and competition venue, to enable our fencers to achieve their potential.

The Senior School fencers delivered fantastic House and Individual Championships for our Junior School with Joshua Talks, Oscar May, Daniel De Havilland and Thomas Dickson refereeing and managing the event. The praise from both staff and parents was amazing and our enthusiastic juniors were looked after with encouragement. It was brilliant to see our younger fencers treating our senior fencers as role models.

This year also saw Thomas Dickson gain selection for England in the UK School Games in Manchester in both the individual and team epee events as well as locally being awarded a ‘Rising Star’ award by Sport Newcastle.

Oscar May has fenced across the country in the National Leon Paul Junior Series with some notable results, particularly his Bronze Medal in the LPJS Scotland. Millie Robson also matched Oscar’s performance in this event, securing herself the girls’ Bronze medal.

Our Year 12 / 13 team secured a national top five finish in the British School Championships with Thomas Dickson and Joseph May fencing strongly against their peers and Joshua Talks (Year 10) playing up an age group and scoring some phenomenal hits against international squad fencers.

Millie Robson became the first ever RGS female National Champion for fencing when she battled her way to victory in the Scottish U13 National Championships, whilst in the British U20 National Championships Thomas Dickson secured a Bronze medal. This year also saw Joseph May break into the top 50 of the national senior rankings with a string of strong senior open results.

This year has seen an outstanding year of international selections with Thomas Dickson fencing on the U17 British Squad in Bonn and Copenhagen and then being further selected for the British U20 squad and competing in Luxembourg.

Once again a strong fencing year at RGS with local and national successes.

MR IAIN ABERDEEN (RGS FENCING COACH)

This academic year has seen exceptional results from our fencers with National Champions, Great Britain Squad selections and senior rankings.

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GymnaSticS

group sequence as well as an individual vault and floor sequence. Our U16 boys (Christopher Beale, Thomas Huntley and Ariz Zaman) performed to the highest level and became national champions, while Ollie Herring, Alisha Nadkarni and Vikram Nadkarni were placed 4th in the mixed competition.

Michael Gill and Finnian Gavin are both still competing on the world stage and producing some remarkable results at a world-class level.

These results are the culmination of a significant amount of hard work and commitment to training. All the gymnasts work incredibly hard, setting their sights on achieving the very best in all that they do. I look forward to each and every training session and feel incredibly proud when I see the results of their efforts come to life in the competition arena. Thank you all for your time and commitment.

MR RODDY MACKAY

Once again, this has been a fantastic year for our gymnasts. The season kicked off with the House Gymnastics competition, where gymnasts from across the school competed against each other for the much-coveted House Gymnastics trophy. This year’s competition was won by Eldon.

Our next events were the British Schools’ Regional Floor and Vault, Tumbling and Team competitions, which were held in Teesside and Carlisle. Our boys’ U14, U16, U19 and mixed teams won all of the regional competitions and qualified for the national finals, which were held in Stoke. Our U14 boys’ floor and vault team, consisting of Ollie Herring (Cpt), Christopher Beale, Thomas Huntley, Harry Jopling and Vikram Nadkarni were placed 2nd: an outstanding result. In the boys’ tumbling competition, Oliver Herring finished in a respectable 9th place. For the first time in many years, our U19 team had to withdraw from the competition, due to timings of exams. At the U16 British Team Championships the gymnasts must perform a

I look forward to each and every training session and feel incredibly proud when I see the results of their efforts come to life in the competition arena.

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This team love their football and trained over the summer in anticipation of the year ahead! They reached the quarter-final of the ISFA cup and the semi-final of the County Cup. The high point of the season was a notable victory against the Grammar School at Leeds when the lads came from three behind to win after extra-time: an astonishingly entertaining game of football with Year 9 and 10 boys in the mix of the ISFA competition. A large core of players began training with the 1st team this year, which bodes well for the future.

MR GRAHAM MASON

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It has been a brilliant year of quality football from our talented band of Year 9 players. They reached the quarter-final of the County Cup and the semi-finals of the City Cup, losing out to extremely strong teams on each occasion. In the local schools’ league the U14s were unbeaten all year, with six wins and one draw. With 24 goals for, and only 11 against, it was no surprise that we finished an impressive 2nd in the final standings. Captains Joseph Dalton (manager’s player) and Rory Hanley marshalled an increasingly efficient team operation. The boys rated left winger William Wilkinson as their players’ player, whilst Tommaso Johnson was deemed most improved for a string of exceptional defensive performances. Chidera Obonna scored the vast majority of our goals, catching the eye of at least one scout for a large local club as he added finesse to his undoubted power and pace. The whole team played with a real intensity in every match, often surprising the opposition with their physicality and skill: well done, boys!

MR NED RISPIN

footBall (continued)

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A season which began and ended with hope and anticipation! The first game of the ISFA Cup was a comfortable 6-2 victory over Ackworth School, but a reversed score line against an excellent GSAL side saw that cup run end in the second round. With players smaller in stature than many opposition teams, results were tough to come by in the middle of the season; maintaining possession in the middle of the park being a problem. Hard work rectified this and a resilient showing during the Midlands Tour ended the season with much to look forward to from a group of boys with great footballing skills and minds who are just waiting for the growth spurt to assist them!

Honours

u13 iSFA North: Lewis Lant MR MICHAEL DAVIDSON

u12

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2 The first-ever full U12 football season proved to be a success with the boys reaching the semi-final stages in both the County and City Cups. Some of the highlights included an outstanding 4-1 win at Churchill and a 4-3 victory over traditional footballing powerhouse St Cuthbert’s. The boys’ luck did run out in the semi-final of the City Cup as they were unable to turn their match dominance into goals and got hit on the counter attack, thus ending their cup dream. The squad was captained magnificently by Max Kilbane, ably assisted by Harry Stephenson, with both boys rewarded for their outstanding season with a call up to the U13 North East Independent Schools’ Squad.

Honours:

u13 iSFA North: Max Kilburn and Harry Stephenson MR ANDY WATT AND MR DARYL BAKER

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National Schools Northumberland County Runners-up

National Schools North of England Finalists

u18 County Cup Competition Winners

Honours:

Cecily Browne (JRPC), Alice Cheesbrough (England Schools u18) and Lucy Murgatroyd (Pennine Pumas). 1st xl hockey has been really exciting this year: a great season with many team and individual highlights. The team participated in many competitions, events and fixtures and did extremely well to perform with such a busy schedule, some weeks having two or three games.

Our Saturday fixtures started really well with a strong 4-0 win against Durham School followed by a 2-0 win against Sedbergh School. The team qualified comfortably through to the North East round of the National Schools Competition where they faced Hymers College and Ampleforth College in the semi-final and won their pool to set up a final against Barnard Castle School. The girls won this match, taking them into the top eight teams in the North. Unfortunately we then faced strong opposition such as the Grammar School at Leeds, Stockport Grammar School and Altrincham Grammar School. I cannot fault the effort and resolve of the team and they should be extremely proud to match their efforts of last season by reaching the North final: I hope we can maintain this level of consistency in the future.

Locally, we maintained a high standard of performance against Dame Allan’s, Newcastle High School for Girls and King’s Priory in the county, league and knock-out competitions. One aspect of our game that has really improved over the course of the season is our goal scoring: during one particular match the team scored eight goals in one half.

Well done to the 1st xI for a great season: your legacy is one of hard work, goals and teamwork!

MR JOHN WOOD

2nD XI AnD U16

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Honours:

Esme Gallagher (JAC), imogen Parker (JAC), Margot Van Laar (JAC), Madeleine Woodburn (JAC). The 2nd xI had a fantastic season, committing to fixtures and competing really well in the local league competition. Their support for the 1st xI and commitment to training was also excellent. The contribution of these players is vital to the development of hockey at the school.

The strength and depth in hockey at RGS is really impressive, and this year the U16 team successfully qualified for the North East semi-final of the National Schools Competition, by winning the U16 County Championships. A lot of the U16 girls played up again this year in the 1st and 2nd teams and as a result we have witnessed a sharp improvement in their skills.

Thanks to both Ottilie Stephenson and Margot Van Laar for your help with organising the teams this year.

MR JOHN WOOD

students selected for England Hockey’s JRPC

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Well done to the 1st XI for a great season: your legacy is one of hard work, goals and teamwork!

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u12 KO Champions

u12 County Trophy Champions

u12 County Plate Champions

u12 11-a-side Festival Winners

Honours:

Megan Cottee (JAC), Lucy Davis (JDC), Olivia Ditchfield (JAC) and Emma Gowling (JAC).

U13 boys taking up hockey

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Honours:

North England u18 - Luke Hudson

JRPC u15 - Thomas Hewson, Oliver Waterhouse

A 1st xI that, the year before, developed from almost obscurity, this season showed signs of real maturity, opening with a 5-0 demolition of Barnard Castle School and remaining unbeaten until the final match of their season. Amongst those fixtures was a 1-0 win over a much vaunted Yarm School side!

Special mention goes to Ayrd Pearson and James Burridge for their years of personal dedication, not only to their own development, but also to the

coaching and mentoring of the Year 7 and 8 boys. These two boys took the perspective of hockey amongst their peers to a new level and grew the game from the inside. They were a pleasure to be involved with.

At younger levels, the game has flourished with in excess of 80 boys turning up for practice at Year 7 and 8. Wins against Sedbergh School at U12 and St Olave’s at U13 were particular highlights for the younger boys. There is much optimism for a stronger and fuller fixture card next year and increased provision for the obvious desire for this game, played by boys, at the RGS.

MR MICHAEL DAVIDSON

The U12 team have had an extremely successful season. Their first home game was against Durham School, where they secured a convincing win. Success continued in their following matches beating all opposition including Sedbergh School, Bede Academy, Yarm School and Durham High School - the girls did not concede a single goal!

Locally, the girls continued to perform well as a team, not losing a single game all season! RGS entered both an A and B team into the County Tournament; this was a great day where both teams were undefeated in both the Trophy and Plate competitions, again not conceding a match!

Late in the season the girls entered an 11-a-side festival , which they won, again not losing a match, despite never having played an 11 a-side game before! To finish the season, more joy came when the girls beat Durham High School in the TWSSA KO final to become champions! It has been an incredible season: well done to all the girls involved!

MISS JILL HARRISON AND MRS ANGELA PONTON

Throughout the season, the U15s have shown tremendous enthusiasm and their commitment to training and matches has been nothing short of excellent.

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Northumberland County Champions

Honours:

Laura Smith (JAC) and Alice Wilson (JAC).

The U15 team have been an excellent, fun and dynamic group to work with this year. They’ve been involved in some great competitive fixtures; highlights certainly include the game against Fettes College and the fantastic 5-0 victory against Kings Priory.

Throughout the season, the U15s have shown tremendous enthusiasm and their commitment to training and matches has been nothing short of excellent. Thanks must go to Alice Wilson for her outstanding captaincy.

The U15 team won the Northumberland U15 County Tournament convincingly which capped a fantastic season where we won all league and Saturday matches (7 out of 7).

MR JOHN WOOD

u14

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Honours:

Alannah Browne (JAC) and isobel Chaudhry (JAC).

The U14 team have had a great season, competing against some tough school sides such as Newcastle High School for Girls and King’s Priory. Their performance, both as a team and as individuals, has been really impressive. I hope this is something they are able to maintain and improve in the future.

A combination of U13 and U14 players headed down to Pocklington to play in the North semi-finals where unfortunately they faced a very strong GSAL side. On reflection, I was very impressed with the attitude and determination demonstrated by the girls in that game.

Thanks to Isobel Chaudhry for her captaincy this year, which was fantastic.

MR JOHN WOOD

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Honours:

Kirstin Gerrand (JAC), Hannah Lee (Durham Ladies League), Abbie Peyton (JAC), isabelle Potier Godinho (JAC), Francesca Southwood (JAC) and Grace Varley (JAC).

The U13 girls have had a very successful season. They qualified through the county round of the 7-a-side In2Hockey tournament without conceding a goal. They also qualified for the North finals at Leeds University where they lost to St Olave’s, narrowly missing out on the national finals.

The girls have had an unbeaten season with victories against Westfield School, Durham High School and Durham School in local fixtures at both 7-a-side and 11-a-side. They were the winners of the Tyne and Wear Hockey Tournament thanks to a 4-0 win against Durham School.

Hannah Lee and Kirstin Gerrand have been brilliant captains this year and Kirstin will take over next season with Francesca Southwood as her deputy.

MISS KERRY SMITH

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2 City Tournament Trophy Runners-up

League Runners-up

Satellite:

Martha Harris, Sarah Carluke

The U13A and B squads have had a mixed season. It started with a clash against Sedbergh for the As in the ISNC where unfortunately, silly mistakes were frequent and lack of fitness was clearly a factor. Thankfully things then began to pick up, with wins against Sacred Heart Catholic High School, Dame Allan’s, Newcastle High School for Girls’ B team and Yarm School. Playing against Ashville College the girls produced some fantastic netball to win 20-18. The B team fought hard, only to lose by a few goals, demonstrating impressive team cohesion despite lacking match practice.

The final match of the season was against Ampleforth College. The U13A team faced the U15B team and were thrilled by the challenge! They gained a 20-5 victory to finish off the season in style! Sarah Carluke, Martha Harris, Hannah Lee and Grace Varley were selected to compete in the U14 regional round of netball nationals. They rose to the challenge admirably and contributed hugely to the U14 side.

MISS KERRY SMITH

u12

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3 B Team

A Team

City Tournament Trophy Winners

TWSSA Champions

League Runners-up

The U12A and B squads have had a good season. They started off with a fantastic win over Sedbergh Prep School in the freezing wind! As a team they worked extremely hard on their positional play and set plays which really showed towards the end of the season when they won every match at the TWSSA tournament to become champions! They then recorded a fantastic win over Newcastle High School for Girls, to become Newcastle City Champions. Both teams progressed well in the league meaning that both the A and B team made it into the trophy league for next season. Well done all!

MRS ANGELA PONTON

games won by the U15 team

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They worked extremely hard on their positional play and set plays which really showed towards the end of the season when they won every match at the TWSSA tournament to become champions!

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netBall

1st Vii

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Regional Finalists

City Tournament Trophy Runners-up

The 1st VII had an exciting season and played some excellent netball. They travelled across the country to play teams such as Sedbergh School, Ashville College and Ampleforth College and their most impressive wins came when playing against Yarm School and Durham School.

Locally, the girls performed well in the league, beating schools such as Dame Allan’s Girls’ School, Gosforth Academy and Westfield School. The team ended the season on a high and finished as runners-up in the City Tournament Trophy Final at Sports Central.

MISS JILL HARRISON

2nd Vii And u16

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City Tournament Plate Runners-up

This season, the 2nd VII played some beautiful netball. One of their strongest performances was against Sedbergh School where they were narrowly beaten in the last quarter by only a couple of goals. The team had impressive wins over Durham High School and Yarm School. Locally, they performed well in the league and were runners-up in the City Tournament Plate Competition.

There were very few U16 matches this year but the team fought hard in the matches that they did play. In the TWSSA Tournament they beat local teams including Westfield School and Gosforth Academy, but unfortunately didn’t make the final. The girls travelled to away matches including Ashville College, Durham High School and Ampleforth College where they played some impressive netball. Two of the U16 girls, Imogen Parker and Karishma Viramgama, also played up for the 1st VII: well done to them.

MISS JILL HARRISON

u15

W

15

L

5D

2

League Runners-up


The U15 team have had an outstanding season. Weekend fixtures have seen the girls travel far and wide to achieve success against teams such as Ampleforth College, Ashville College and Durham School and to draw against Yarm School. A particularly impressive performance against Barnard Castle School’s senior 2nd team saw them emerge as winners with a final score of 21-14!

The girls have played brilliantly in their local matches, winning all of their league matches apart from one very close encounter with Newcastle High School for Girls. The girls also qualified for the City Tournament Trophy Finals where they finished runners-up, beating Gosforth Academy in the semi-final and again narrowly missing out on victory by only a few goals in the final. A great season!

MISS JILL HARRISON

u14

W

4L

2


County Honours:

Emma Davis

The U14 girls began the season with a very successful county round of the netball nationals, beating Dame Allan’s and Westfield Schools along the way. Juliette Clark and Emily Hanson were very reliable in the shooting D and Brooke Clift made some flying interceptions to secure the wins. Only Newcastle High School for Girls managed to defeat us. Through to the regional round, we secured a win against King Edward’s but lost to Yarm School, Newcastle High School for Girls, Durham High School and English Martyrs. Throughout the season, however, notable wins were gained against Newcastle High School for Girls’ U13s and the B’s gained a great win against Yarm School.

MISS KERRY SMITH

Sports Report

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1st Vii

W

18

L

13D

0

North of England u18 Runners-up

Ampleforth 7s Plate Winners

The 1st VII enjoyed a successful season, traversing the length and breadth of the country to play in local and national tournaments. This began with a trip to the Ampleforth 7s and a magnificent win over the Sedbergh 1st VII. A mixed set of results in the following games meant we progressed to the plate where we beat Durham in a nail-biting final.

The pinnacle of the season was the fiercely contested North of England 7s. Victories in the pool stages against Bradford Grammar School, Manchester Grammar School and Lymm High School set up a quarter-final meeting with Pocklington, and a subsequent nail biting semi-final against Queen Ethelburga’s School. A strong Kirkham Grammar proved to be a bridge too far in the final, with the RGS going down 17-24. The season culminated with the Rosslyn Park 7s; here the pool did not fall in our favour. After easy wins against in the first two pool games, a group decider was set up against Stowe. In a classic 7s game neither side gave an inch, however it was Stowe who got the breakthrough in the dying seconds, much to the dismay of the RGS. The side was led exceptionally by Captain Jonathan Wilkes who inspired the team to victory on many occasions, with vice-captain Bruno Smith leading by example and scoring multiple tries.

SAM CHRISP (LOWER SIxTH)

2nd xVW

8

L

7D

0

The 2nd xV had an up-and-down season, in which a strong squad produced many compelling performances but not always the results they deserved.

The autumn term saw some excellent games. Sedbergh 3rds and Durham 2nds proved something of a mismatch, but those big wins got the season on a roll. The season began to settle into a pattern. A strong pack and good defence made us hard to beat, but a lack of a really telling kicking game would sometimes make it hard to turn a lot of possession into points. Occasional lapses of concentration didn’t always help, nor did the inevitable loss of key players to the 1sts due to injury, or thanks to some of them playing out of their skins and earning a call up. Nonetheless, we won more than we lost.

wins by the 1st XV

16

Sports Report

In many ways our best performance was in our last game, a County Cup semi against Newcastle School for Boys’ 1st xV. They were, justifiably, hot favourites; this has been their best side ever. After a bravura display of forward power and committed defence, we led 10-5 when they scored with the last play of the game to draw 10-10. It was one of my proudest days in my 20 years of coaching rugby at the RGS.

With a nucleus of Lower Sixth boys coming through, all with second team experience, things are looking good for next season. For the one just gone, hold your heads high, mighty 2nds.

MR SIMON TILBROOK

spARtAns

W

8

L

6D

0

The season opened with some incredibly tough fixtures and narrow losses to George Watson’s and several other monoliths of schoolboy rugby left Daryl’s troops in disarray!

All was not lost, however, as the mighty 300 rallied around their mercurial figurehead, Will Fraser, in the 67-0 drubbing of Sedbergh. Newcastle School for Boys was the next considerable challenge in the Spartans’ sights, which they tackled with skill and precision, resulting in the try of the season! For many of the Spartans it was their final season, and they played with strength and passion throughout.

CHRISTOPHER WILSON (LOWER SIxTH) WILLIAM FRASER (UPPER SIxTH)

u16 xV

W

5

L

6D

0

Northumberland County Cup Winners

It was a mixed season for the U16s, who only had a small squad at their disposal, yet managed to play some excellent rugby, ably led by Philip Woodley. They suffered some heavy defeats but they battled on and dished out a few of their own. The squad retained the County Cup after defeating Hexham in the final at Kingston Park. A few players represented Northumberland and Ikenna Obonna gained selection to the North U16 squad: congratulations to them all.

MR BARRIE BULCH

It was one of my proudest days in my 20 years of coaching rugby at the RGS.

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1st xV

W

16

L

4D

1

President’s Cup Winners

The season kicked off at Tynedale Festival in late August, where the RGS 1st xV made it through to the semi-final with young talent showing promise: a sign of things to come.

Durham was the next big fixture with an opportunity to play on a professional ground at Kingston Park. The atmosphere in the stadium was electric, with a large crowd of students, parents and ONs encouraging the 1st xV. The Wilson brothers were extremely effective in both attack and defence and another key partnership was that between Bruno Smith and Jonathan Wilkes. The RGS came away with a memorable 41-19 victory.

We sustained this momentum throughout the coming months and fell short of victory only thrice. Some of the senior players, including Jack Verrill, James Lowdon and William Reeve, set a sterling example for the younger squad members, in both their leadership and commitment.

With the final fixture of 2014, the RGS had an opportunity to assert their dominance in the North East by claiming a victory over Gosforth Academy (Falcons AASE). It was this 35-12 victory that concluded our exhausting season under the captaincy of Anthony Makepeace, who had performed exceptionally throughout.

Whilst the competitive fixtures may have finished, the rugby continued with the boys hosting a touring side from Buenos Aires, Argentina. This provided a suitably light-hearted end to what was a great season of rugby, setting solid foundations and benchmarks for next year’s squad to build on and hopefully supersede.

MARK WATSON (LOWER SIxTH)

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u12 xV BW

3

L

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2

A season of improvement and effort, leaving a good, solid bunch of lads to transfer to Year 8. Two of the stand-out victories were against Durham School A (10-5) and Emmanuel College (5-0). However, the best performances undoubtedly came in the losses against the likes of Grammar School at Leeds, St Olave’s and QEGS, when a collective spirit made the team competitive against more experienced opposition. The QEGS result (7-12) on a cold and blowy December hillside in Wakefield, showed just how far this group of players have come in a short time: a good future beckons if they stick at it and continue to learn.

MR TREVOR WALTERS

u12 ViiW

7

L

0D

9

In the shortened format of the game the U12 squad managed to win two thoroughly deserved plate competitions at the Barnard Castle Tait 10s and Pocklington. The boys have also displayed some excellent sevens rugby with great performances at the Warwick, Bradford and County competitions.

MR NEIL SMITH

u13 xV AW

13

L

2D

1

Succeeding a completely unbeaten season, this sensational group of boys dealt with the expectations and hardships with great maturity and resilience. The first match of the season was a bruising encounter with Sedbergh, and in hindsight this result goes down as one of the most impressive of the season. Results continued even with a chopping and changing outlook to give responsibility to some of the fringe senior players. Just before half-term the highlight of the 15-a-side season took place; retaining the Jim Pollock Cup, by drawing level with QEGS in the final move of the game. Losses occurred to St Olave’s and QEGS but in between that there was the performance of the season against Bradford Grammar School.

MR MICHAEL DAVIDSON

u13 xV BW

9

L

4D

1

The U13Bs had an excellent season which was testament to a squad of boys with a huge appetite for rugby: training and matches alike. They won the vast majority of their games including strong wins against B teams such as GSAL whilst also managing to edge close games against A teams. There are boys in this squad who could end up playing A team rugby in future: Elliot Ashton-Edminson, Matty Jennings, Joseph Owers, Cameron Paul and Oliver Waterhouse amongst others are knocking on that door.

MR MICHAEL SMALLEY

Sports Report

Sometimes a heroic ending needs a bitter taste to define it as such!

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u16 ViiW

7

L

8D

2

It was a shortened sevens season for the U16s who played in four competitions at Sedbergh, Warwick, Wakefield and the All-England County Sevens in London. Although unsuccessful, they played some excellent rugby throughout and acquitted themselves well. The squad were captained by Isaac Robinson who had a very good season.

MR BARRIE BULCH

u15 xV

W

8

L

10D

0

A memorable season for all players involved. Multiple long-term injuries certainly tested the character of this side and led to a poor start to the season. There was only one win in early season and a disappointing early exit from the NatWest Cup. We progressed through the vase competition with relative ease and reached the semi-final against Sherbourne School. Unfortunately we got off to a very poor start and were chasing the game throughout. Despite a superb second half we were unable to close the gap and lost out to the eventual competition winners.

MANAV CHOPRA (YEAR 10)

u15 ViiW

9

L

10D

2

A short sevens season. We lost out in the cup semi-final of the Bradford competition but were victorious in the County Sevens. A very difficult season but the boys put in some excellent performances, demonstrating great character and spirit.

MR ALEx BROWN

u14 xV AW

10

L

1D

0

We had a good start to the season with a string of convincing victories, before reaching the most important game of the year early on against Sedbergh. Due to injuries we had a weakened team and suffered a disappointing

loss. We bounced back with a long unbeaten run, then after a rejig of our backline the team started to show how formidable they could be.

The last game of the season was a big one: QEGS Wakefield. After losing to them in the previous season, by a single try, we all wanted this win. The whole team pulled together and due to a phenomenal attacking play and great defence we won comfortably, proving that we were now the strongest and fittest we had ever been.

DYLAN CAVE (YEAR 9)

u14 xV BW

4

L

9D

1

What a season for the mighty U14Bs. They exploded into action with a good performance against a resilient Durham side, with promises of cookies that never materialised! Results were mixed overall but the boys’ enthusiasm and commitment could never be faulted. They seemed to save their best and most exciting rugby for moments when the game was already lost (St Peter’s School, York being the best example) but this shows the fantastic skill, determination and grit these players possess.

MR LAWRENCE PATTON

u14 ViiW

27

L

0D

0

The sevens season proved to be just as impressive as the 15-a-side season. We won all of our games in the first competition, most without conceding. Everyone played their best in the semi-final against Sedbergh, particularly Ollie Herring who showed his pace and strength. The team won every HMC competition. Almost a perfect season.

DYLAN CAVE (YEAR 9)

RuGBy (continued)

Sports Report

u13 ViiW

9

L

5D

0

The sevens season had admirable showings at Terrington Hall and Warwick followed by some challenging experiences in Bradford and Pocklington. Rosslyn Park was the focus of the season and saw the team emerge victorious from a tough group and make it into the last 16. Here they faced the much fancied Whitgift. The entire tournament was played with exceptional skill and the team’s ability to maintain possession was as good as any U13 year could produce. Unfortunately Whitgift, having scored 200 points in five games before, snuck home with a 14-12 victory and deservedly made the final. Sometimes a heroic ending needs a bitter taste to define it as such!

MR MICHAEL DAVIDSON

u12 xV AW

7

L

0D

7

I have been so impressed with the enthusiasm and dedication shown by all members of the U12 squad. The A and B teams have had a turbulent year with some injuries and tough challenges, in particular a testing time in Belfast. The last 15-a-side game of the winter term was a particular highlight where the players’ skill development and team synergy resulted in a fantastic win against QEGS. Notable mentions go to Nathan Gough, Harvey Guthrie, Christopher Beale, Calum Fletcher, Matthew Deehan and Ben Cressey who have played outstandingly well. I would like to thank all of the boys for a great year of rugby and for their valued contribution; it has been a pleasure to coach you all.

MR NEIL SMITH

Rugby Honours:

North u18 Jonathan Wilkes.

North u16 ikenna Obonna.

Newcastle Falcons u16 ikenna Obonna and Charlie Wilson.

Northumberland u18 Sam Chrisp, Benjamin Parker, Jamie Robson, Bruno Smith, Jack Verrill, Timmy Welsh and Jonathan Wilkes.

Tri-counties u16 ikenna Obonna and Charlie Wilson.

Newcastle Falcons u15 Alistair Blackett and James Dale.

Northumberland u15 Alistair Blackett, Raiyan Chowdhury, James Dale, Finlay Edwards, Elliott Groves, James Mackin, Ben Scott, Matthew Sheerin and Benjamin Snaith.

u13 independent Schools Lambs National Toby Peach.

u13 independent Schools Lambs North James Blackett, Philip Brantingham and Toby Peach.

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GiRLsCounty Honours:

Alannah Browne, Cecily Browne, Philippa Chambers, isobel Chaudhry, Megan Cottee, Roisin Kennan, Lucy McCarthy, Charlotte Morris, Rachel Rees, Laura Smith, Katie Trembath, Grace Varley, Kate Waugh and Robyn Waugh.

English Schools’ Honours:

Alannah Browne, Roisin Kennan, Rachel Rees, Grace Varley, Kate Waugh and Robyn Waugh.

National Honours:

Kate Waugh

This was another fantastic season for the girls’ running teams. Again, both junior and intermediate teams qualified for the National Schools’ Cup finals in Newquay and were placed 20th and 16th respectively. Notable performances came from Grace Varley who was placed 9th in the junior race and Isobel Chaudhry who was placed 15th in the intermediate race.

Locally, the minors team won the Tyne and Wear Championship and a number of girls qualified through the city competition to represent Northumberland at the inter counties. Yet again our girls’ team won the Glasgow road relay and for the first time in many years we entered the Coventry road relay alongside the best schools in the country. The girls’ team (Isobel Chaudhry, Philippa Chambers, Kate Waugh, Robyn Waugh) ran fantastically to come 2nd which is a brilliant achievement.

MRS ANGELA PONTON

SquaSHAs ever, the RGS squash teams played with great enthusiasm and commitment, but found the group stages of the National Schools Competition tough, in the face of very strong local opposition. However, everyone played with great determination and all the teams played on in the National Schools Trophy, the plate competition. The U15 boys and the U15 girls were particularly successful, reaching the finals and performing to a very high standard throughout that competition. There are a number of very good young players in the lower year groups and more coming up from the Junior School; the future of RGS squash looks very promising.

Sports Report

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RunninG


SWimminG

There have been some fantastic achievements in the pool this year with the highlight being the senior boys’ team (James Dickinson, Matthew Reay, Angus Waugh and Henry Willis) winning both the medley and freestyle relays at The John Parry Relays. A number of swimmers competed in the Newcastle schools competitions and for the first time we took both boys’ and girls’ teams to the Sunderland Aquatic Centre to represent Newcastle in the School Games Competition.

tenniS

nAtiOnAL ChAMpiOnshipsThe senior girls did well to reach the semi-final of the National Championships but the setting at Sedbergh was far from ideal, with gale-force winds and driving rain. Long-Ching Cheung, Adelynn Immanuel, Alex Parry and Farah Yossry worked hard to keep the ball in court but just a couple of mistimed ground strokes and ambitious drop shots in the final match meant that the result did not go our way. Well done to all involved!

nORthuMBERLAnd tEnnis LEAGuE (yEAR 8 And 10 GiRLs And BOys)This year, the teams have faced even stronger competition including Newcastle High School for Girls, Newcastle School for Boys, Dame Allan’s Schools and St Mary’s.

The Year 10 boys played well and almost ended the season undefeated, losing only once, to Newcastle School for Boys. The Year 10 girls struggled to get a full team out each week therefore Year 9 girls including Emma Davis and Isobel Chaudhry valiantly stepped up.

The Year 8 boys were confident going into their fixture against Newcastle School for Boys but were met by tough opposition and were unable to take control of the points. Against Dame Allan’s, wind struck once again and it all came down to who were the more clever players in such tricky conditions. The Year 8 girls faced two very close fixtures against Newcastle High School for Girls, both going into a tiebreak shootout to decide the match but sadly neither went our way. The girls played some brilliantly consistent tennis, however, and did not give up until that final point was finished. Well done to all involved in the league this year and better luck next year.

sAtuRdAy FixtuREsOn Saturday 18th April, the sun shone down on us at St Peter’s School in York for an enjoyable day of preseason tennis. The girls received coaching from a former world-class player as well as some much needed match practice to prepare them for a competitive season ahead.

Block fixtures this year have included opposition such as St Peter’s and Ampleforth College. 18 boys ranging from Years 7 to 11 travelled to Ampleforth to compete against their seniors, providing some of the younger boys with invaluable experience. A good smattering of results put everyone in high spirits despite the constant rain and chilly temperatures.

It was also great this year to take a boys’ and girls’ team to the Bath and Otter Cup; congratulations to Philippa Chambers, Lauren Gill, Charlotte Morris and Robyn Waugh who qualified for both the freestyle and medley finals and the boys’ team comprising James Dickinson, Cameron Lord, Matthew Reay, Angus Waugh and Henry Willis, who reached the medley final. Probably the most exciting event this year was the opening of the new school pool towards the end of term. Next year we are looking forward to hosting more competitions and training in a lovely new pool!

MRS ANGELA PONTON

Next year we are looking forward to hosting more competitions and training in a lovely new pool!

Sports Report

Once again, the U19 boys narrowly missed out on winning the Tyneside Schools Trophy, losing in the final at Jesmond. In the second year of the Royal Dames tournament (organised jointly by RGS and Dame Allan’s) the U19 girls played very creditably to finish 4th locally: a very fine achievement.

In the House Squash competitions, the Henry Spall Trophy for the boys was won by Horsley, for only the second time in nearly 30 years. The Elliott Procter Shield was won for the fourth successive year by the Eldon girls.

Team Captains:

u15 girls Faye Groom

u19 girls Hannah charlton

u15 boys Manav chopra

u19 boys Jamie Groom

MR DUNCAN WILSON

BOysCounty Honours:

Cameron Kirk, Harry Morris, James Morris, Arun Summerfield and Ben Wardle.

English Schools’ Honours:

James Morris

What a year of promise! While boys in the inter and senior age groups continued to compete admirably throughout the season, it was the junior boys who ran from strength to strength! Cross Country Cup saw the junior team of Jake Dorman, Harry Morris, Arun Summerfield and Ben Wardle finish 7th in the country and with a host of strong competitors in Year 7, beneath Harry and Ben, there is plenty more where that came from!

The annual road relays provided as much enthusiasm and competition as ever - which was impressive considering the torrential rain in Glasgow this year - where the boys finished 3rd ; Jamie Adams running a scorching final leg to make up four places. Overall, the most impressive result was a 1st and 2nd place by both boys’ teams at the St Aidan’s road relays, which capped off a season that also saw a 27th place finish at the, ultra-competitive, King Henry VIII relays in Coventry. James Morris led the way in terms of individual performance. However, more boys competed at Inter Counties, across the age groups, than have done for the last few years, a fact each team and individual should look to build on!

MR MICHAEL DAVIDSON

aces hit by RGS students at the Eton tennis tournament

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Such a prestigious tournament as this provides invaluable experience and I hope everyone enjoyed themselves. Well done!

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tOuRnAMEntsAt the North of England Boys’ Championships held at Ampleforth College, Ammar Bajwa and Jordan Lee played some very tactful doubles. Despite lacking experience together, they worked well as a pair, dominating at the net and, without dropping a set, went on to win the U18s event a year early – a very impressive result for them!

The senior boys finished 3rd overall at the Bradford Grammar Doubles Tournament with some aggressive serving and consistent groundstrokes. At the HMC mixed doubles event, our three couples finished in 2nd place. Special mention to Adelynn Immanuel in Year 8 and Sophie Head-Rapson in Year 10 for competing so well against older students.

thE hsBC u14 ROAd tO WiMBLEdOn tEnnis tOuRnAMEntFinally playing tennis in sunshine, the five girls gained some memorable singles experience. Adelynn Immanuel faced Ira Upadhye in the final. Adelynn finished victorious with a 6-4 win.

15 boys entered the Road to Wimbledon event. Ben Walker faced James McLeod in the final of the main draw and won this match.

EtOn tEnnis tOuRnAMEntAt the crack of dawn on Saturday 27th June, 10 students travelled to London with Mrs Bone and Miss Smith – hopes of scorching sun and tournament successes were high. First on court

were the senior boys, Matthew Haynes and Matthew Lawson (both competing at Eton for the final time having entered since Year 7). Ammar Bajwa and Jordan Lee made up a strong U19 second pair and as the match went to one rubber each, the deciding set was fought out by Matthew Lawson. Nail-biting stuff but the final score went in favour of Tonbridge.

The U15 boys (Hamish Burnett, Rajiv Mistry, Thomas Ord and Joshua Talks) were thrown on court into a box format with clashes against Hymers, Bradford and Rugby. A couple of wins kept spirits high but it was into the plate for the next round.

Sunday saw the senior boys gain a fantastic win against Hymers to then face Rugby School, whose composure under pressure unfortunately signalled the end of the road for the senior boys.

After comfortably dominating the box round the day before, U15 girls Long-Ching Cheung and Farah Yossry were handed a raw deal on

Sports Report

tenniS (continued)

Sunday. Despite being scheduled to play at 12noon, they didn’t reach the court until 5pm. The girls stepped up to the challenge against Bedford yet lack of practice was evident. On to the plate event, they soon had a win under their belt, dispatching of some unworthy opponents before facing St George’s later in the day. An epic match unfolded before Dr Bell’s eager eye, yet sadly the tiebreak did not go our way and the girls lost 7-4. Well done to all involved in the tournament.

u13 EtOn tEnnis tOuRnAMEntThe U13s survived the mini bus trip with Mr Wood and Dr Bell and were welcomed to Eton with a game of bowling, always a competitive affair amongst students and staff alike! Monday saw the start of the U13 tournament where Ed Gilhespy and Ben Walker met some tough opposition yet secured a place in the cup tournament as lucky 3rd place winners. Adelynn Immanuel and Hannah Lee finished 2nd only to the number 1 seeds, seeing them through to the cup round also, to be held on the clay courts at the main venue – a treat for these young tennis players.

Both pairs were in another box round the following day with four matches to play. The girls finished 4th in their box, playing some of their best tennis in their final match. The boys produced some impressive tennis and played some extremely clever points. Despite the tournament ending here, a great effort was made by all.

The 2nd pairs (James Critchely and James McLeod; Megan Cottee and Ira Upadhye) also persevered superbly despite the 30 degree heat and took a few good games off worthy opponents.

Such a prestigious tournament as this provides invaluable experience and I hope everyone enjoyed themselves. Well done!

MISS KERRY SMITH

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HeadmaSteR’S pRizeS

Prizes

yEAR 7 Kristen Armes-Reardon

Lucy Davis

Aaryan Dharmadhikari

Sriya Gadde

Emma Gowling

Krish Gupta

Raiyan Haq

Lucinda Jowett

Arran Kirk

Oliver Longstaff

Sarika Nadkarni

yEAR 8 Jemima Barreto

Kraig Coutinho

Coral Economides

Anna Greig

Katie O’Connor

Chloe Rana

Rhea Sarawgi

Ruchika Thapar

Grace Varley

Gemma Watson

Joe Whitehurst

Joe Wise

yEAR 9 Nabiha Ashraf

Cuthbert Craig

Elle Forrest

Ahmed Kindawi

Annabel Lee

Lakshmi Nair

Thomas Pascall

Shriram Ruppa Geethanath

Ria Varma

yEAR 10 Isabel Howe

Daksh Sharma

Adrian Taghavi

Haoyuan Yan

yEAR 11 Phoebe Gittins

Tarn Howorth

Anish Kumar

Imogen Parker

Cameron Pulham

Liesl Rana

Karishma Viramgama

Alexander Adamson English, History, Maths and Music

Christopher Beale Design Technology and Geography

Emma Busby Biology, English, French, German and Latin

Agi Cornelissen Biology

Thivani De Alwis Art and History

Emily Dunstan English, Latin and Physics

Helen Edwards Drama, German, History, Latin and Physics

Sophia Frey Design Technology and Geography

Harvey Guthrie Biology, Chemistry and Geography

Dominic Hodgson Bajoria Drama

Millie Ireland-Carson Art, Design Technology, Geography, German, Latin, Maths and Physics

Gabriella Johnson Art and English

Sree Kanakala German and Maths

Harshita Komati Chemistry, Design Technology, Latin and Maths

Max Lawlor Chemistry, Latin, Maths, Music and Physics

Laura Naylor French

Emily Scott Drama and Music

Neil Shi Biology

Jessica Templeton Drama

Nuyara Udawatte Art and English

Annabelle Van Delft Design Technology, Drama and German

Alexander Waldron Music

Rosa Whittingham Chemistry and English

Farah Yossry Chemistry

yEAR 7

pRizEs

Year 3 Fencer of the Year William Hays

Year 3 Hockey Prize for Most Improved Player Ava Humble

Year 3 Rugby Prize for Most Improved Player Rory Linkleter

Year 3 Netball Prize for Most Improved Player Tanvi Manchineni

Year 4 Fencer of the Year Eddie Mackay

Year 4 Hockey Prize for Most Improved Player Lexie Haig

Year 4 Rugby Prize for Most Improved Player Hector Hoult

Year 4 Netball Prize for Most Improved Player Naomi Parker

Year 4 Daley Cup for Most Improved Swimmer Olivia Kilburn

Prize for Year 5 Fencer of the Year Rhys James

Year 5 Hockey Prize for Most Improved Player Olivia Van Delft

Year 5 Rugby Prize for Most Improved Player Callum Roberts

Year 5 Netball Prize for Most Improved Player Neha Gudipati

Year 5 Hockey Cup Iona Stuart

Year 5 Netball Cup Amy Davis

Year 5 Buchannan Cup for Rugby Dan Stephenson

Year 6 Rugby Prize for Most Improved Player Matthew Hayes

Year 6 Hockey Prize for Most Improved Player Edie Fisher

Year 6 Netball Prize for Most Improved Player Manasa Reddy

Year 6 Hockey Cup Alice Geoghegan

Year 6 Netball Cup Libby Chrisp

Year 6 Rounders Cup Rosanna Carrick-Daly

Year 6 Wood Shield for Football Jack Lydon

Year 6 Douglas Shield for Rugby Charlie Combe

Ken Wilkinson Trophy: Year 6 Contribution to Swimming Kate Salthouse

Ibbotson Cup for Athletics Regan Law

Michelle Evbuomwan Cup for Athletics Ava Taperell

Dickinson Cricket Cup Bobby Green

Insignia Cross Country Cup Ava Taperell

Dancer of the Year Jake Bradbury

Douglas Cup for Most Improved Gymnast (Boys) Patrick Magill

Eyre Cup for Best Gymnast (Boys) Isak Cornelissen

Prize for Most Improved Girls Gymnast (Girls) Amélie Craig

Prize for Best Gymnast (Girls) Jemima Hutchinson

Prize for Outstanding Contribution to Gymnastics Ariz Zaman

Fencing Prize for Master at Arms Toby Aberdeen

Inter House Championship Trophies House Merit Trophy Stowell

The Parents Association Cup Eldon

The Gibson Cup Carlo Fazlic

The Blencathra Trophy Jemima Hutchinson

Theresa Russell Prizes for Academic Achievement

3N Varnu Boora, Esha Raja

3SD Izzy Goldberg, Alexander Searro

3S Holly Brooks, Peter Van Orsouw

4G Irvin Thanacoody, Oliver Wall

4W Bede Doe, Seanan Kale

4T Jai Premchand, Tanisha Sharma

5B Adam Aslam, Ciara Boaden

5C Melissa Mendelow, Eve Yates

5S Will Emmerson, Akshita Ramesh

6L Rosanna Carrick Daly, Gautam Chauhan

6M Oliver Marks, Jared Watson

6W Anik Mitra, Kushi Rao

Effort Prizes

3N Amali Morgan, Ania Snowden

3SD Daisy Cumpson, Saakshi Santosh

3S Hugo Green, Alastair McClure

4G Lachlan Ewart, Lexie Haig

4W Isabella Brown, Ellen Lowrie

4T Rob Jones, Madeleine McManus

5B Emily Petch, Hannah Stobart

5C Jennifer Lowrie, Jamie McIntosh

5S Kamran Thompson, Advika Uppal

6L Harsha Menon, Nikhita Varma

6M Vishnu Kaura, Jack Prescott

6W Kanika Modi, Katie Wynne-Jones

Music Prizes

Year 3 Music Prize Anushka Taribagil

Year 3 Musical Contribution Prize Daisy Cumpson

Year 4 Musical Contribution Prize Jai Premchand

Year 4 Carter Cup Ella Gao

Year 5 Music Prize Will Emmerson

Year 5 Musical Contribution Prize Amelia Lewis

Year 6 Musical Contribution Prize Gautam Chauhan

Year 6 Stephenson Cup Carlo Fazlic

Additional Prizes

Year 4 Marfitt Smith Handwriting Prize Nusyba Chowdhury

Year 5 Technology Prize Melissa Mendelow

Year 6 Art Prize Libby Chrisp

Year 6 Computing Prize Aidan Ewart

Year 6 Brady Prize for Writing Lucy Searro

Chess Trophies

Paul Bielby Year 3 Chess Trophy Varnu Boora

Paul Bielby Year 4 Chess Trophy Rohan Narayanan

Paul Bielby Year 5 Chess Trophy Jamie McIntosh

Paul Bielby Year 6 Chess Trophy Bobby Green

Russell Chess Cup Rohan Rawat

Sports Prizes

Junior school Prizes

Prizes

90


9392

Royal Grammar School Review 2014/2015Royal Grammar School Review 2014/2015 Prizes

Eamon Banerjee History

Thomas Bilclough English, French, History and Greek

Tabitha Burnett Design Technology and English

Soen Chin Biology, Design Technology, Physics and Greek

Matthew Clark Latin

Max Cooper-Clark Art, Biology, Chemistry, Geography, German and Ancient History

Richard Coulthard Art

Clare Deehan Spanish

James Ferrier History, Drama and Music

Jessie Fokias English

Mhairi Gowans English, Geography and Ancient History

Elliot Hair Latin and Spanish

Oliver Handcock Economics, English Literature and German

Nina Harvie-Clark Biology, Chemistry, French, History, Latin and Music

Yusuf Hassan Maths

Emma Head-Rapson Art

Tom Howitt German

Matthew Hutton Design Technology, Maths, Physics and Spanish

Zion Hwang English Literature and Latin

Lauren ives Bank of England Economics Prize

Roisin Kennan English and German

Max Langtry French, Geography, Maths and Physics

Nadia Lee Art, English Literature and German

Joseph Lord Economics, French, Spanish and Greek

Hisham Nasser Geography and Physics

Finlay Pearce Maths

ilisha Purcell English Literature and Latin

Agrima Rohatgi Design Technology

James Shepherd Ancient History

Sam Trevelyan Biology and History

Ritvik uppal Chemistry, Design Technology and Geography

Margot Van Laar Chemistry, English Literature, German and Maths

Laura Vickers French and Spanish

Jess Walker Physics and Music

Alexander Whitham History

Tom Whitworth English Literature

Madeleine Woodburn Art and Latin

Philip Woodley Economics

Guoxuan Xia Biology, Chemistry, Economics, Maths, Physics and Music

yEAR 11

Luca Bennett Biology, Economics and Music

Alice Buckley Economics, English Literature, Latin, Maths, Physics and Spanish

Daniel Burnett Art and Drama

isabel Burridge English Literature, French and Latin

Emma Chandler English and Music

Rebecca Charlton English Literature, French and Spanish

Marietta Cherian German

Long-Ching Cheung Design Technology and Economics

Raiyan Chowdhury Maths

Cristina Chui English, French, Latin, Ancient History and Greek

Phoebe Copestake Art

Nicolline Coutinho Design Technology and Maths

Omkar Dixit Geography and Spanish

Harpreet Dlay German

Daniel Edwards Biology, Chemistry, English, French, Latin, Maths, Spanish and Music

Kirsten Elliott Art and English Literature

Josh Fernandes History and Ancient History

Elliott Groves History and Maths

Suyog Gurung Biology and Geography

Ellie Harris Economics

Henry Haslam Chemistry

Sophie Head-Rapson French

Katija Hunt English and German

Jamie Johnson Chemistry, Economics, History, Physics and Ancient History

Lucy McCarthy Biology, Chemistry, Latin, Physics and Music

Thomas Millman Geography

Andrew Murtagh Drama

Muhriz Naeem Geography and History

Cressey Osborne Drama

Yasir Rahman- Chowdhury Design Technology

and Physics

Matthew Sheerin Design Technology

Apoorva Singh English and German

Laura Smith Biology, French, Geography, Latin, Physics and Greek

Joshua Talks Biology, Chemistry, English Literature, Geography and History

Elspeth Taylor Art

Matthew Turner Economics, English and Ancient History

Honor West Art

Alice Wilson History, Physics and Spanish

Sophie Yeomans Design Technology

yEAR 10

pRizEs

Prizes

Darina Andriychenko French and Spanish

Hamish Burnett Art, Geography and Physics

Brooke Clift Art, Design Technology and Spanish

Gus Coningham Ancient History, History and Latin

Christian Cooper Biology and Spanish

Emma Davis Drama, English and History

Katherine Deck Art, German, Latin and Music

Carolyn Dickson Greek

Rhiannon Dixon Art and Biology

Brian Eapen Chemistry, History, Music and Spanish

William Green Geography

Callum Gunning Ancient History, Chemistry, French, Greek, History, Maths and Physics

Manav Gupta Chemistry, German and Physics

Rohan Gupta Latin and Spanish

Abel Harvie-Clark French and German

Shahmeer Hassan Biology, Design Technology, English and Physics

Matthew Hudson Ancient History, Drama and Greek

Safa Kindawi English and German

Walid Kurdi French and Spanish

Matthew Leontsinis Chemistry, English, Geography and Maths

Remy Ling Biology, English and History

William Mackay Ancient History and German

Naini Mandal Design Technology, Maths and Music

Tilly Osborne Art and Drama

Alex Raine French and Music

Rachel Rees Chemistry, Geography, Latin, Maths and Music

Rohit Singh Biology and Music

Maartje Wisse Design Technology, Greek, Maths and Physics

Molly Woodburn English and Latin

yEAR 9

Matthew Abraham German

Anushka Aradhyula English, History and Latin

Safiyah Bholah French

Philip Brantingham Design Technology

Archie Brooks Music

Amanda Chakkoria Design Technology, Drama, Music and Physics

James Critchley Biology, English, German, History, Latin, Physics and Spanish

Justin Cronk Geography

Alexander Daniel Maths

Charlotte Dargan Drama and Geography

Alex Dent Biology, English, French and Latin

Finnian Gavin Chemistry

Kirstin Gerrand Chemistry and French

Max Golightly Biology

Aadam Haq Chemistry and History

William Haslam Physics

Adelynn Immanuel Design Technology, Drama and Spanish

George John Maths

Nisar Khan German and Maths

Danisha Kohli Drama and Latin

Keshav Krishnan Chemistry, Design Technology, History and Spanish

Mikey Lawlor Art, Chemistry, German and Maths

Trudie McCarthy Biology and Chemistry

Rachel McWhinnie Biology and Drama

Jatin Naru Art

Unna Palaniappan English, Geography and History

Eashan Ragbir Spanish

Millie Robson Drama, English, French and Latin

Susie Thomas Art

Sophie Thompson Design Technology and Latin

Oliver Waterhouse Geography, Music and Spanish

yEAR 8

Prizes

9594


Rixon Lam Economics and Meikle Maths

Edward Langley History, Criddle Classics and Joseph Petty Prize for an intending Law Student

Erin Manas Design Technology

Ashleigh Mills Film Studies

Jerome Nankervis Geography and Psychology

Elliot Ormston Psychology

Lydia Popplewell Art

Gaurika Puri Biology and Maths

William Reeve Coates Head Prefects’ Prize

Jamie P Robson Middlebrook History, English Literature, Duncan Latin Prose and Stanier Prize for Service (by award)

Arjun Sehgal Trevor Fenwick Economics and Joseph Petty Prize for an intending Law Student

Mudara Senanayake Physics, Stanier Prize for Service (by award) and Zaamin Hussain Prize for an intending Medical Student

Hannah Sheerin Physics and Art

Becky Shepherdson Geography, English Literature, French and Dennison Prize for Outstanding Service (by award)

Martin Slater Bank of England Economics Prize

Charlie Smith Middlebrook History and Collingwood Prize for Service to the Community

Rachel Smith Biology and Collingwood Prize for Service to the Community

Matthew Spry Sanofi Winthrop Chemistry, Physics, Meikle Further Maths and The Bill Gibson Prize for Outstanding Mathematician in Upper Sixth

Chloe Spurgeon Philosophy

Catherine Stewart Dennison Prize for Outstanding Service (by award)

Tobias Vogelberg German

William Wathey Physics, Meikle Further Maths and The Music Prize

Edwin Wood History, English Literature and Stanier Prize for Service (by award)

Thomas Woodburn Bewick Art Prize

uppER sixth (continued)

Prizes

7ELH Theo Hoult

7KJK Sam Whiteside

7LJG Marshall Osei-Bonsu

7NS Calum Fletcher

7PE Jasmine Taylor

7SNH Lola Davison

8CAP Martha Wylie

8CG Sunny Wang

8CJHW Henry Major

8KN Max McLeod

8KS Abbie Peyton

8SGD Joe Boaden

9AGB isaac Marchant

9CMB Rory Hanley

9MEN Vicky Gill

9PLW Hugo Antons

9ST Henry Willis

9ZCM Caitlin Cressey

10FD Charley Thompson

10LS Jasmine Banerjee

10MHB Cameron Kirk

10PMW Heloise Gerber

10SCM Manav Chopra

10VCM Matthew Bailey

11AD Alex Saint

11AFR Georgina Honeyman

11DMK James Reeve

11HR Edward Handley

11MSB Chiran Mistry

11SJB Rosalind Kat

L6AJP Peter Sloan

L6AS Robert Thirlwell

L6CRP Christopher Wilson

L6EAS Jordyn Dickinson

L6GPM Snigdha Sen

L6JAS urban Coningham

L6JLG Caitrin Robertson

L6PW Cole Cockburn

L6RMH Timmy Welsh

L6SD Thomas Dickson

U6AK Adam Hunter

U6ASWD Jack Verrill

U6CEF Sunera Athauda

U6CLDC Matthew Haynes

U6KES Henry Quigley

U6LA Elizabeth Wilson

U6MGD Bruno Smith

U6OLE Oliver Barnard

U6PRC Patrick Taylor

U6RWW Edward Rowarth

RuthERFORd pRizEs

95

pRizEs

Prizes

Prizes

Hiba Altaii Biology, Sanofi Winthrop Chemistry and Harding Prize for Service to the Community

Luke Banerjee Chemistry and Maths

Jacob Baxter History

Rahul Bhagwat Biology, Maths and Kishore Prize for an intending Medical Student

Jonathan Bird Stanier Prize for Service (by award)

Danielle Boddy Philosophy

Ailsa Campbell Music

George Cochrane English Literature and Duncan Latin Prose

James Cockburn Chemistry, Maths and Physics

Katie Cole Dennison Prize for Outstanding Service (by award)

Rosie Coleman-Collier English Literature, Politics and Dennison Prize for Outstanding Service (by award)

Charles Davison Film Studies

James Dickinson Geography

Johnny Doyle French and Spanish

Robert Eyre German

isabella Garcia Foster Art, French, Spanish and Harding Prize for Service to the Community

Permeshwar Ghura Trevor Fenwick Economics

Phoebe Groves Biology, Chemistry and Dennison Prize for Outstanding Service (by award)

Fran Hatcher Geography

Katie Hay Psychology and Classical Civilisation

Matthew Haynes Stanier Prize for Service (by award)

Lucy Healer History and Politics

isabella Herdman Meikle Maths

Ruiao Hu Physics and Further Maths

Nadine Hurst Art and Design Technology

Katie Jones Sports Studies

Oscar Jones Economics

Aish Khanna Psychology

uppER sixth

Dania Abu-Harb Psychology

Kamran Ansari Ardabili Philosophy

Shaun Bagchi Biology and German

Jonathan Ball History and German

Victoria Bromham Chemistry

Peter Carluke Psychology

Adam Carter Maths and Music

Sam Chrisp Geography

Megan Dakers English Literature

Olivia Dillistone English Literature and French

Stephanie Dollimore Politics

Imogen Elliott Design Technology

Finlay Gerrand Chemistry, Physics and Further Maths

Kate Golightly Sports Studies

Lewis Graham Design Technology

Maham Haq Philosophy

Alistair Henfrey English Literature, Greek, Latin and Theatre Studies

Alice Hodcroft Art and Geography

Matty Hosken Politics

Maisie Jenkins Ancient History and Politics

Inayah Khan Psychology

Phoebe Macindoe English Literature and History

Henry Mattinson Further Maths

James Mearns Maths, Psychology and Art

Ammu Menon Chemistry, Physics and Further Maths

Greg Mills Chemistry, Maths and Physics

Emily Murphy Biology

Karina Nepali Art

Ben Owen English Literature, French, Music and Spanish

Benjamin Parker Biology, Chemistry, Maths and Physics

Luke Quigley Psychology and Philosophy

Mohin Rahman-Chowdhury Physics and Greek

Ramit Saksena Economics, History, Maths and Art

Harry Stephenson Economics

Ottilie Stephenson Art and Philosophy

Mark Strasshine Economics

Matthew Thomas Physics

Gemma Thompson Economics, History and Geography

James Tovee Biology

Angus Waugh History and German

Jasper Williams Ancient History

Riccardo Williams Chemistry and Greek

Anna Wyatt Art

Emily Yau Further Maths and Latin

LOWER sixth

96


97

EVENT WiNNER

Junior Football (7-a-side) Collingwood

intermediate Football (7-a-side) Horsley

Senior Football (7-a-side) Stowell

Junior Rugby Eldon

intermediate Rugby Eldon

Senior Rugby Collingwood

Junior Netball Horsley

intermediate Netball Horsley

Senior Netball Collingwood

Junior Hockey Horsley

intermediate Hockey Stowell

Senior Hockey Collingwood

Senior Tennis Eldon

Junior Rounders Horsley

EVENT WiNNER

intermediate Rounders Stowell

House Swimming Horsley

Miller Cup Eldon

Badminton Eldon

Sports Day Eldon

Senior Debating Eldon

Music Stowell

Black Blazer Drama Stowell and Eldon

Blue Blazer drama Stowell

Junior Winner Eldon

intermediate Winner Stowell

Senior Winner Eldon

Overall Winner Eldon

colours

Prizes

sports colours

pRizEs

AwArds And CUPs

Prizes

David Coates

George Cochrane

Rosie Coleman-Collier

Jonathan Doyle

Edward Langley

Nick Partington

Cameron Pearce

Jamie P Robson

Mudara Senanayake

Hannah Sheerin

Becky Shepherdson

Charlie Smith

Rachel Smith

Matthew Spry

William Wathey

Edwin Wood

hARtWELL FOundAtiOn pRizEs For entry to Oxford or Cambridge

For all A* results at GCsE *Joined september 2015siR JOhn MCnEE pRizEs

Anusha Ashok*

Thomas Bilclough

Matthew Clark

George Cockburn

Alexander Corbett

Flora Edmiston*

James Ferrier

Oliver Handcock

Nina Harvie-Clark

Tarn Howorth

Abigail Huntley

David ibrahim*

Lauren ives

Roisin Kennan

Anish Kumar

Max Langtry

Matthew MacKellar

Naina Narayanan

ilisha Purcell

Liesl Rana

Margot Van Laar

Prizes


Basketball

Kian Ansari ArdabiliTorisesan Evbuomwan

Gymnastics

Rachel SmithMichael Gill

iNTERMEDiATE FuLLHALF CLuBLauren GillAngus Waugh

Henry Willis Cameron LordSam Yeates

Swimming

iNTERMEDiATE FuLLHALF CLuB

Richard Moon

ikenna Obonna

Sam Watchorn

Mark Watson

Charlie Wilson

Alistair BlackettDylan CaveManav ChopraElliott GrovesJames MackinChidera ObonnaJack PeterWill Pettifer

Lewis Chater

James Lowdon

Ben Parker

Will Reavley

Jamie Robson

Jack Verrill

Henry Wilson

Rahul BhagwatAlexander ClarkCharles DavisonWilliam FraserJoseph GibsonOliver JuddWilliam KirkHugh McGregoruche ObonnaEdward RowarthArjun SehgalMudara SenanayakeWilliam SlackPatrick TaylorChristopher ThompsonDaniel WhitakerEdwin WoodGeorge Wyatt

Rugby


Annelies Kuipers

iona Minty

imogen Parker

Catherine Stewart

Rachel Smith

Robyn Waugh

Honor West Katie Jones

Netball


Hockey

James Burridge

Luke Hudson

Gaurika Puri

Margot Van Laar

Madeleine Woodburn

Zoe Wright

Sophie Head-Rapson

Phoebe Groves

Tomasso Johnson

ivan Lymar

iona Minty

Alexander Rocks

Zoe Wright

Lucy MurgatroydAyrd PearsonRachel SmithRobyn Waugh


Football

Adam ClarkMatthew LawsonJames ParkDaniel RichardsonConnor SteelMark StrasshineFreddie WilkinsonHarry Young

Joseph DaltonWilliam HandsTomasso JohnsonChidera Obonna

Oliver BarnardOscar Jones


Fencing

Joshua Talks Thomas DicksonJoe May


Athletics

isobel ChaudhryOllie Herring



Cross Country

Jamie AdamsPhilippa ChambersKate Waugh

isobel ChaudhryJames Morris


Climbing

James GoudieCharlie Haslam


9998


Arts Colours

The following leaving cadets were awarded CCF Colours in recognition of their service in the Newcastle RGS Combined Cadet Force and also their service to the public as cadets. Their conduct has been exemplary and they have led with enthusiasm and a sense of service and duty. They have all proven themselves to be highly dedicated and able cadets.

CCF COLOuRs

colours (continued) Prefect ListsEniOR pREFECts 2015-2016Christopher Wilson (Head Boy)

Libby Daley (Head Girl)

Sam Chrisp

Alice Hodcroft

Maisie Jenkins

Ammu Menon

Emily Murphy

Benjamin Parker

Caitrin Robertson

Peter Sloan

James Standfield

Timmy Welsh sEniOR pREFECts 2014-2015Charlie Smith (Head Boy)

Rachel Smith (Head Girl)

Jonathan Bird

Katie Cole

Rosie Coleman-Collier

Phoebe Groves

Matthew Haynes

Jamie Robson

Mudara Senanayake

Becky Shepherdson

Catherine Stewart

Edwin Wood

Leavers List

John Abraham Gap year; application to university 2016

Haaris Ahmed Gap year; application to university 2016

Thomas Aldridge King’s College, London. Nursing Studies with registration as a nurse (Adult Nursing)

Shoaib Ali Imperial College, London, Medicine

Hiba Altaii Birmingham University, Medicine (5 years)

Sunera Athauda Leicester University, Chemistry

Hannah Bain Sunderland University, Psychology

Luke Banerjee Bristol University, Medicine - MBChB Standard entry (5 years)

Charlotte Barke St Andrews University, Geography

Oliver Barnard Nottingham University, Medicine

Hector Barnett Aberdeen University, Geology & Petroleum Geology

Trudy Bateman Sheffield University, Economics

Jacob Baxter St Andrews University, History

Alexandra Bennett Gap year; application to university 2016

Rahul Bhagwat University College, London, Medicine (6 years)

Fariah Bholah CEU Cardenal Herrera University, Valencia, Dentistry

Jonathan Bird Leeds University, Electronic and Electrical Engineering

Danielle Boddy Gap year; application to university 2016

Rachel Brown Hull University, Geography

Francesca Bullough Harper Adams University, Rural and Environmental Land Management

James Burridge Leeds University, Civil & Structural Engineering

Ailsa Campbell Bristol University, Music

Lewis Chater Hull University, Chemical Engineering (with foundation year)

Alice Cheesbrough Gap year; application to university 2016

Ka-Ching Cheung Sheffield University, Chemistry

Amar Chopra Sheffield Hallam University, Biochemistry

Adam Clark York University, History

Alexander Clark Warwick University, Mathematics and Statistics

George Cochrane Jesus College, Cambridge, English

James Cockburn St Andrews University, Chemistry

Shane Colclough Newcastle University, Biology

Katie Cole Gap year; application to university 2016

Rosie Coleman-Collier St Anne’s College, Oxford, English Language and Literature

Lucy Constantine Leeds University, Broadcast Journalism

Thomas Coyne School of African and Oriental Studies, London, Politics

Ellie Crake Birmingham University, Business Management (Year in Industry) (4 years)

Ryan Dalvand Bath University, Politics and International Relations

Charles Davison Gap year; application to university 2016

Chris Dawson York University, Electronic Engineering with Music Technology Systems

Corporal Hugh McGregor

Nadine Hurst

Beth Taylor

Company Sergeant Major Benjamin Ogden

Colour Sergeant Luke Banerjee

Colour Sergeant Alexander Clark

Colour Sergeant Juliet Lobley (NHSG)

Sergeant ivan Lymar

Sergeant Edward Langley

FuLL HALF

FuLL HALF iNTERMEDiATE ENSEMBLE

Cameron KirkCressey Osborne

Performing Arts


Henry MattinsonJon Kat

Katherine DeckRosalind KatMatt MackellarDaniel EdwardsLucy McCarthyBrian Eapen

Ben OwenFinlay GerrandMatthew Thomas

Jacob BaxterCharlotte BarkeJamie RobsonLuke Banerjee

Music


Shoaib AliLuke BanerjeeRoisin KennanEdward LangleyAdam PerrosCaitrin Robertson

urban ConinghamMatthew Thomas

Darina AndriychenkoMatthew BaileyMatthew JohnstonRemy Ling

Debating


Jonathan BallJamie SwordPhoebe Macindoe

Daniel BurnettNadia LeeJessie Fokias

Alistair Henfrey

Drama


Elizabeth SpencerMaisie Jenkins

Dance


Christian Cooper

Tech

pREFECts An

d LEAV

ERs

Prefects and LeaversPrizes

101100

Royal Grammar School Review 2014/2015Royal Grammar School Review 2014/2015 Prefects and Leavers

Ravi Dhirani Gap year; application to university 2016

James Dickinson Newcastle University, Geography

Alex Dixon King’s College, London, Film Studies

Daniel Dodds Loughborough University, Mechanical Engineering with a Foundation Year

Tess Douglas Leeds University, Law

Johnny Doyle Robinson College, Cambridge, Modern and Medieval Languages

Sam Doyle Bristol University, Veterinary Science

Lucy Elliott Gap year; application to university 2016

Robbie Eyre University College, London, Modern Languages (4 years)

Nanci Fairless Nicholson Newcastle College, Art Foundation Diploma

Anna Farr Edinburgh University, English Literature

William Fraser Newcastle College, Art Foundation Diploma

isabella Garcia Foster Durham University, Modern Languages and Cultures (with Year Abroad)

Permeshwar Ghura Aberdeen University, Economics

Joseph Gibson Edinburgh University, Business Management

Tilly Gladstone Anglia Ruskin University, Veterinary Nursing & Animal Behaviour

Anna Golightly Liverpool John Moores University, Civil Engineering

James Goudie Gap Year; application to university 2016

Michael Gratton York University, Electonic and Computer Engineering

Jamie Groom Leicester University, Law

Phoebe Groves Leeds University, Medicine

Georgia Halliday Leeds University, Medicine

Charles Haslam Birmingham University, Medicine (5 years)

Fran Hatcher Glasgow University, Pharmacology

Katie Hay Durham University, Ancient History

Matthew Haynes Imperial College, London, Physics

Lucy Healer University College, London, Law

isabella Herdman King’s College, London, Medicine (5 years)

Adam Hopkinson Gap year; application to university 2016

Ruiao Hu Imperial College, London, Mathematics and Computer Science

Adam Hunter Bristol University, Law

Nadine Hurst University of the Arts, London, Hair, Make-up and Prosthetics for Performance

Henry ireland-Carson Sheffield University, Biochemistry (4 years)

Alisha israni Gap year; application to university 2016

Katherine Johnson Leeds University, Geography

Thomas Johnston Gap year; application to university 2016

Katie Jones Nottingham University, Psychology

Oscar Jones Gap Year; application to university 2016

Curtis Jones Leeds University, History

Oliver Judd Leeds Beckett University, History (Gap Year)

Annie Karn Gap year; application to university 2016

Jonathan Kat Leicester University, Psychology & Cognitive Neuroscience

Aish Khanna The University of Buckingham, Medicine

William Kirk Leeds University, Mechanical Engineering

Annelies Kuipers Durham University, Sport, Exercise and Physical Activity

Rixon Lam London School of Economics and Political Science, Management

Edward Langley Merton College, Oxford, Law

Matthew Lawson Loughborough University, Chemical Engineering

Adam Little York University, Chemistry

Cameron Lord Durham University, Philosophy, Politics and Economics

James Lowdon Nottingham University, Management (Gap Year)

ivan Lymar Newcastle University, Economics

Anthony Makepeace Leeds Beckett University, Electronic & Electrical Engineering

Erin Manas Newcastle College, Art Foundation Diploma

Mo Mason-Jones Sheffield University, Architecture (Gap Year)

Hugh McGregor Edinburgh University, Mechanical Engineering

Ben Memari York University, Chemistry

Ashleigh Mills Newcastle University, English Literature

iona Minty Gap Year; application to university 2016

Richard Moon Gap year; application to university 2016

Nathan Moroz-Butler Gap year; application to university 2016

Lucy Murgatroyd Nottingham University, Psychology

Jerome Nankervis Warwick University, Computer Science

uche Obonna Gap year; application to university 2016

Benjamin Ogden Liverpool University, History

Jonathan O’Neil Durham University, Geophysics

Akshay Pabary Bristol University, Medicine - MBChB Standard entry (5 years)

James Park Gap year; application to university 2016

Jenny Parker Liverpool University, Aerospace Engineering (4 years) (Gap Year)

Jamie Parsons Essex University, Modern History

Ayrd Pearson Bath University, Integrated Mechanical and Electrical Engineering

Lydia Popplewell St Andrews University, Art History

Gaurika Puri Leicester University, Medicine

Henry Quigley Manchester Metropolitan University English and Creative Writing

Oliver Quinn King’s College, London, Dentistry (5 years)

William Reavley Leeds University, Economics and Finance

William Reeve University College, London, Natural Sciences

Daniel Richardson Leeds Beckett University, Business Economics

Patrick Ridgway Manchester University, Dentistry (BDS first-year entry)

Jamie P Robson Pembroke College, Cambridge, English

pREFECts An

d LEAV

ERs

Prefects and Leavers

Leavers List (continued)

James Robson York University, Economics

Alexander Rocks St George’s, London, Medicine

Aryan Rohatgi Nottingham University, Economics

Edward Rowarth Gap year; application to university 2016

Fraser Sanderson Leeds University, Economics and Finance

Ryan Saxton Sheffield University, Sociology

Arjun Sehgal London School of Economics and Political Science, Law (Bachelor of Laws)

Mudara Senanayake St John’s College, Cambridge, Medicine

Jenny Sharp Gap year; application to university 2016

Hannah Sheerin Pembroke College, Cambridge, Architecture

Becky Shepherdson Trinity College, Cambridge, Geography (Gap Year)

Mel Simpson Liverpool University, Geography

Ryan Singh Gap year; application to university 2016

William Slack Gap year; application to university 2016

Martin Slater Warwick University, Economics

Charlie Smith St John’s College, Cambridge, History

Rachel Smith Magdalene College, Cambridge, Medicine

Bruno Smith Gap year; application to university 2016

Fiona Sopp Birmingham University, Mathematics

Matthew Spry Robinson College, Cambridge, Chemical Engineering (via Engineering)

Chloe Spurgeon Gap year; application to university 2016

Connor Steel Gap year; application to university 2016

Catherine Stewart Gap year; application to university 2016

Alistair Sturgiss Imperial College, London, Chemistry

Arohan Subramonia Imperial College, London, Mechanical Engineering with a Year Abroad

Beth Taylor Bath University, Modern Languages and European Studies (French and Spanish) (Gap Year)

Patrick Taylor Sheffield University, History

Christopher Thompson Leeds University, Chemistry

Jack Verrill Bristol University, Chemistry

Tobias Vogelberg Sheffield University, Mechanical Engineering with German

Emilia Ward Glasgow University, Neuroscience (Gap Year)

Sam Watchorn Sheffield University, Economics

William Wathey Balliol College, Oxford, Engineering (4 years)

Robyn Waugh Leeds University, Chemical Engineering

Daniel Whitaker Nottingham University, Politics

Jonathan Wilkes Cardiff University, Social Science

Carolina Williams Edinburgh University, Biomedical Sciences

Elizabeth Wilson Edinburgh University, Chemistry with Industrial Experience

Edwin Wood University College, Oxford, History

Thomas Woodburn Gap year; application to university 2016

Cameron Wright Aberdeen University, Mechanical Engineering

Oliver Wright Derby University, History

Zoe Wright Liverpool University, Geography

George Wyatt Bristol University, Chemistry (Gap Year)

Sam Yeates Nottingham University, Mechanical Engineering (Gap Year)

Harry Young Leeds Beckett University, Business and Management

2014 suppLEMEntARy List Refath Ali Liverpool John Moores University, Pharmacy

Joseph Blair Leeds Beckett University, Physical Education

David Coates Exeter College, Oxford, Philosophy, Politics and Economics

George Cooper Independent Film Company

Noushin Cooper Glasgow University, Immunology

Mel Coulson Sheffield University, Medicine (Phase One)

Felix Dayan Manchester University, Psychology

Kate Edmondston University of Cumbria, Wildlife Media

Lewis Fraser University College, London, Engineering (Chemical)

Bradley Freeman Liverpool University, Business Management

Leena Ghura King’s College, London, English

Kusalta Gurung Newcastle University, Chemical Engineering

William Harrison Manchester University, Physiology

Gemma Howorth Warwick University, Philosophy with Psychology

Robert Kreibich Leeds University, Chemistry

Tamandeep Lally Nottingham University, Industrial Economics

Matthew Lees York University, Chemistry

Catherine Leigh Hartpury College, Equine Science

Kiran Lloyd Warwick University, Philosophy

Elliot Ormston Northumbria University, Geography

Nicholas Partington Christ’s College, Cambridge, Human, Social and Political Sciences

Cameron Pearce Homerton College, Cambridge, Economics

Ajay Prakash Bristol University, Medicine - MBChB Standard entry (5 years)

Shinjini Sensarma Cardiff University, Medicine

Laura Sim Manchester University, History

Jennifer Spencer Durham University, Psychology

Timothy Vine Sheffield University, International Business Management with Study Abroad

103102


The start of the academic year 2014-15 was blessed with good fortune and it seemed as though all and sundry had enjoyed a good summer. If our new starters get off on the right foot then all is well, and so it was last September. Mr Thomas Lloyd, our new member of the teaching staff certainly seemed to hit the ground running after arriving from Wakefield, as he took over the role of Year 6 teacher. He was quick to prove a hit with students and colleagues, his energy, understanding of children and good humour, proving to be qualities that endeared him to all. If Tom was the team’s ‘summer signing’, then Michaela Noble might be regarded as a player trying a different position. Having worked principally with Year 5 the year before, she transferred to Lambton House to take charge of a Year 3 class.

It’s always good, says the manager, to tinker with the formation and he went one further by bringing in a French striker to add some quality to the attack. Marion Maury, from the deep south of France and with a range of qualifications that might make her favourite in the Mastermind final, brought additional colour to Brandling House and very quickly le Tricolore was flying in Classroom 5C.

So, with new colleagues and new students in place, we settled to routines and once the extra-curricular club list was posted, students and staff became earnestly engaged and autumn term order was restored.

The highlights of the first half term contained some past favourites and the occasional, new event that brought attention and interest. In one particular week, Mr Miller announced that he was to take the Ice Bucket Challenge, so students and staff eagerly paid to see him drenched and frozen. All good stuff for the Motor Neurone Disease Association, and in true spirit, he nominated Dr Spencer to take the challenge. Don’t you just love it when Deputy Heads compete in that way?

The list of more normal, educational events included a day of dressing up and activities related to World War 1, organised by Miss Bolam, whilst Miss Dunn had everyone collecting leaves, shells, pebbles, pine cones and other natural objects for Art Day. I know that our family trip to Boulmer Beach that weekend meant I brought back fewer bags of seaweed for my garden because the kids had filled the car with driftwood and chunks of the Whin Sill. Incidentally, our Bulletins (Vols 3 and 5) contained some splendid photographs of both of these events, Miss Hollins, in the office, starting the year off with her colourful and interesting weekly newsletters.

One of the earliest of the sporting events took place in the third full week of term with a sizeable team of swimmers visiting St. Olave’s School. Our swimmers are a real strength and the girls, in particular, have set very high standards with Year 4 and Year 6 squads winning every race on their route to becoming HMC Champions. Five of the team went even further and represented the North and Yorkshire at the ESSA National Finals in Sheffield. They were crowned as Medley Relay Champions and their 4th place in the freestyle relay event meant that they shared top place with the City of London School. Quite simply, they have been unsurpassed by any team in the country this year and are National Champions.

Events and results like this strengthen the community feeling within our school but we do more than urge our students to reach the highest of standards in sport. It is important that they learn to work together and share time in the face of challenging activities. Our outdoor education programme is the vehicle for developing those skills and attitudes that lead to good, old fashioned ‘character’. Miss Whitney has continued to develop what we offer to students and whilst the Year 3 sleepover might not sound very demanding compared to, for example, a Senior School World

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raised by the Junior School for various charities

£4,657.68

Quite simply, they have been unsurpassed by any team in the country this year and are National Champions.

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learning togetHer, playing togetHer, Having fun!

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Challenge expedition, it is the beginning of an adventure for our youngest students. Carefully planned to coincide with a full day out in the countryside near Wooler, the children return to school in order to camp in for a night. They play games outside till late, make their own pizzas in the teaching kitchen, share stories, have hot milk and then they bed down on the classroom floor for the night. The next morning, Miss Whitney and her dedicated team have everyone up early and into the Dining Hall for a breakfast served up by Mr Bulch’s crew. For many, it is a first night away from home and the beginning of the development of the robustness and resilience that we want our students to have. In Year 4, they move to a proper residential visit in the Lake District and, by Year 5, they are quite literally (but safely!) climbing rock faces, jumping off towers or swinging from trees, with ever-increasing confidence. The outdoor education programme continues during their visit to Robinwood in the North Pennines with canoeing, sailing, archery and then, in Year 6 they experience even more vertiginous climbs during a return visit to Patterdale Hall. I am convinced that every achievement made beyond the classroom brings benefits into our school, and the value of outdoor education is considerable.

In a similar vein, the welcoming of visitors to our school such as the palaeontologist Dr Pound or ‘Technology Tom’, who worked with students to make robots, brings colour to the curriculum that makes it lively and interesting for young minds. We catch them young in the

Junior School and trigger off the interest that stems from involvement in creative, artistic, sporting and cultural events.

India Day focussed on Vignola patterns, Bollywood dancing, food specialities and customs. Art lessons turned to the work of Kandinsky, Hockney and Alberto Giacometti. An ocarina festival caught the imagination of Year 3 students and a production of Alice the Musical brought levels of acting, song and dance that were a joy to listen to and to watch.

Visits to other schools occur en masse when taking a complete year group to Clifton Prep in York or to Yarm School. This gives the students a flavour of life elsewhere which helps them to

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reflect on the values we place on educational and moral principles within our school. The biggest trip of all for our Year 6 students appears to be the two days (never long enough) that we spend in London. Walking the streets to see key historical sites like Nelson’s Column and the chance to share a hotel room and a restaurant meal, requires levels of responsibility and independence. Equally, the chance to see a West-end show such as Matilda offers a star-quality experience which brings a glint to the students’ eyes and no doubt also kindles dreams. To conclude the trip is the visit to Harry Potter Film Studios and that, for all, is the icing on the cake.

MR ROLY CRAIG (JUNIOR SCHOOL HEADMASTER)

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Art Gallery

1 Nadine Hurst A2 Level

2 Nanci Fairless Nicholson A2 Level

3 Lydia Popplewell A2 Level

4 Ramit Saksena AS Level

5 isabella Garcia Foster A2 Level

6 Ruby Lord GCSE

7 Robyn Welsher GCSE

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newcastle upon tyne royal grammar school review...2014 / 2015 reviewnewcastle upon tyne royal...

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