No: 1131 27th January 2017 www.yarmschool.org

Newsletter

Eleven students at Yarm School have recently received offers to study at Oxford and Cambridge next academic year. They will be studying a wide variety of subjects at the two prestigious universities, including chemical engineering, mathematics, natural sciences, philosophy, French and linguistics, music and economics. From the eleven students Ellen Bower (FP), Natalie Forrest, Brandon Lockey, Joseph Luke, Aidan Rigby, Lucy Walker and Sam Wasson (FP) have secured an offer from Cambridge and Naman Garg, Freya Gittens, Neha Vaze and Freddie Wiles have secured an offer from Oxford. David Dunn, Headmaster at Yarm School, said: “We’re delighted for our 11 students; they have dedicated so much time and effort to their studies and extra-curricular activities, the offers they have earned for Oxford and Cambridge are fully deserved. It also shows the excellence of our teaching across the board. “Every year the competition increases for places at the top universities and, along with fantastic GCSE and AS grades, students must also have high predicted grades, complete an aptitude test and impress in a rigorous interview. At Yarm School we endeavour to provide our young people with not only academic excellence but also life skills that will be invaluable at university and in their chosen careers. “Having eleven pupils receive offers from Oxford or Cambridge makes me really proud. They have worked extremely hard with their teachers. It is great, once again, to have so many successes out of a year group of just over 100. I would like to wish all students the best of luck with their studies and future careers”.

Oxbridge Success

YSA AGM We would welcome any parent new to come along to the AGM of the Yarm School Association on Monday 6th February at 7.30pm in the Sixth Form Centre. Everyone with an interest in the YSA (all current school parents) and its activity is encouraged to attend the meeting, where a warm welcome is assured. The AGM gives parents the opportunity to learn more about the YSA, and to meet committee members and other parents. The monthly YSA meeting will follow on after the AGM has finished.

Yazdan reaches for the stars on ‘Let It Shine’

Tune in to ‘Let It Shine’ this Saturday (BBC1, 7pm) to watch Yazdan Qafouri’s audition. The show aims to find a boy band to be in Gary Barlow’s musical which will feature Take That songs. Yazdan is a ‘regular’ on stage in school music concerts, plays and musicals. Fingers crossed he gets 15 stars from the panel of judges. The whole school is behind him and we hope he goes far in the competition. Good luck!

NEWS

27 Jan 2017|Yarm School Newsletter 2 |

With so many keen actors in the school, we will be running two Sixth Form productions concurrently this year: The Seagull by Anton Chekhov The shore of a lake on a summer evening. A seagull soars above. Beneath its wings, Konstantin puts on a play to win his mother’s approval and Nina’s love. Who could guess the consequences of that summer night? The House of Bernarda Alba by Lorca, a modern adaptation by Rona Munro Small town gangster Tony Alba is shot down in the street. His wife Bernie must hold the business together and provide for her five grown daughters. Trapped in the flat above the nightclub they own, tensions rise as they struggle for freedom. Is anyone brave enough to escape an oppressive mother? Journeying over the border from comedy to tragedy, both productions explore adult themes and are suitable for Fourth Year and above; anyone in younger years who is interested should see Mr Pender before purchasing a ticket. Tickets are now available from the School Office – adults £7, pupils £3. Why not see both shows? Special offer - purchase a ticket for one show get one for the second for £1! Performance dates and times: Tuesday 31st January 2017 - 7:30pm The House of Bernarda Alba Wednesday 1st February 2017 - 5:00pm The House of Bernarda Alba Wednesday 1st February 2017 - 7:30pm The Seagull Thursday 2nd February 2017 - 5:00pm The Seagull Thursday 2nd February 2017 - 7:30pm The House of Bernarda Alba Friday 3rd February 2017 - 7:30pm The Seagull

Sixth Form Drama Productions

Yarm School Sixth Form Production by arrangement with Nick Hern Books

The House of

Bernarda Alba

by Federico Garcia Lorca, adapted by Rona Munro

Tue 31 January 17 7:30pm Wed 1 February 17 5:00pm Thu 2 February 17 7:30pm

Studio Theatre Adults £7 Pupils £3

NEWS

27 Jan 2017|Yarm School Newsletter 3 |

Beyond Yarm Experiences The UKCAT (UK Clinical Aptitude Test) is an alternative assessment used by a group of UK medical and dental schools. This includes Aberdeen, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Dundee, UEA , Edinburgh, Exeter, Glasgow, Hull-York, Keele, King's College London, Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Plymouth, Queen Mary London, Queen's Belfast, Sheffield, Southampton, St. Andrew's, St. George's London and Warwick. Unlike the BMAT this test focuses exclusively on ascertaining a candidate’s skills, aptitudes and attitudes, in terms of their suitability for the chosen profession, and does not test scientific or syllabus knowledge. Over a two hour test, multi choice sections will assess such areas as verbal, quantitative and abstract reasoning, as well as decision-making and situational judgements. www.ukcat.ac.uk The TSA (Thinking Skills Assessment) is an Oxford admissions test, two hours in length, again focusing on skills and aptitudes. Applicants to Oxford for the following courses will need to sit a version of the test; Chemistry, Economics and Management, Experimental Psychology, Geography, Human Sciences, Philosophy and Linguistics, Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE), Psychology and Linguistics, and Psychology and Philosophy. It also comprises a multi choice problem solving and skills section, followed by a written test. Practice papers are available online. For those subjects not requiring the above TSA many applicants to Oxford will have to sit a pre interview subject specific test. These include the CAT (Classics Admissions Test), the ELAT (English Literature Admissions Test - Oxford and Cambridge), the MLAT (Modern Languages Admissions Test), the HAT (History Aptitude Test), and the PAT (Physics Aptitude Test). Cambridge have recently followed suit, introducing numerous pre-interview tests in the style of Oxford; these include tests for Engineering, Economics, Geography, History, Natural Sciences, Psychology and Theology. The universities of Cambridge and Warwick also make use of STEPs (Sixth Term Examination Papers) for Mathematics. These may be sat 'voluntarily' by candidates, but are typically part of the university offer requirement. Students and parents are thus encouraged to explore the associated links and web-based details, and seek additional advice from members of staff at the appropriate time.

Mr S Edwards Head of Careers

se@yarmschool.org

University Admissions Tests An often baffling topic for Sixth Form students and parents is the issue of admission tests for universities. Despite the rigour and demands of A Levels, a number of courses and institutions require additional testing as a part of the admissions process. Yarm School has a well established programme to guide and mentor students through these tests but it is as well to be mindful of these requirements in advance. The LNAT (Law National Aptitude Test) is a well established assessment. An important understanding here is that though a number of universities will only consider an application from a candidate who has sat this exam, many other universities do not require it. Students will often make an initial decision as to whether to select universities that will obligate them to sit this assessment. Those universities requiring the test include; Bristol, Durham, Glasgow, King's College London, Nottingham, Oxford, SOAS and UCL. This test consists of two parts; a 42 question multi choice section based on passages that forms the candidate's score, and an essay section from a choice of three questions. The exam lasts 95 minutes. Both the multi choice score and your essay are then made available to the applications you have applied to. Rather than testing specific knowledge in a subject that has yet to be studied, the test is designed to ascertain a range of competencies including high level literacy and comprehension, nuance of thinking and analysis, an ability to communicate with precision, as well an ability to deliberate on issues of legal and moral principle. There are a number of commercially available books that offer advice and guidance as well as additional sample questions. www.lnat.ac.uk The BMAT (BioMedical Admissions Test) is for applicants to Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, BioMedical Science and Dentistry at a number of universities. Beyond being a mandatory requirement for some institutions, it is seen as an opportunity for you to impress a university with your performance. BMAT is comprised of a two hour paper, with two sets of multi choice questions testing problem solving, data interpretation and scientific knowledge, followed by a written task from a choice of four questions. The following UK institutions use BMAT; Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Imperial College, Keele, Lancaster, UCL, Leeds, Cambridge and Oxford. It should be noted there is no pass/fail threshold, simply a score, and institutions will use this score in different ways. The link below provides lots of additional resources, including videos and past papers. www.bmat.org.uk

NEWS

27 Jan 2017|Yarm School Newsletter 4 |

The next JKDance workshops are taking place in February half term. This is an opportunity for your son/daughter to improve in performance, movement and choreography skills as well as have fun and learn new and exciting dance routines. An exciting opportunity has been presented to the pupils who take part in the Monday and Tuesday dance workshops to be involved in Yarm Schools annual fashion show. All choreography learnt will also feature in this year’s annual dance showcase. Workshop dates Monday 13th February – En Pointes (First Year - Fourth Year) Tuesday 14th February – Prep Steps (Year 3 – Year 6) Wednesday 15th February – Boys Prep Steps Street Dance (Year 3-Year 6) Wednesday 15th February – 6th Position (Fifth Year –Upper Sixth) Please go to www.jkdance.net for more information and to book or email Mrs Dunkley for further information.

JKDance—February Half Term Workshop

Career Taster Sessions Week #1

In a new initiative being rolled out at Yarm, last week saw the first of the career taster sessions. Over the course of the next four weeks a total of twelve sessions will seek to inform and guide current members of the Fourth and Fifth Year about the diversity of study, training and employment possibilities that lie before them. The sessions are designed to be informal, more conversational in tone, but very much with the intention of starting conversations rather than closing the deal on a set career. All pupils in these two year groups will attend at least two of these talks, though they are welcome to attend as many as their schedules permit. The week began with Mr Addison presenting on the field of engineering. With a professional background in engineering and an irrepressible enthusiasm, Mr Addison delivered a comprehensive overview of the diversity of different forms of engineering, as well as discussing the various routes into a career in this area. As well as various degree programmes, the developing arena of post 18 Higher Apprenticeships was discussed. Pupils were encouraged to continue the process of information gathering by researching various university and company websites, as well as looking into short course and work experience opportunities, all of which would better inform them of the actual nature of a career in engineering. An inspiring session on languages was given by Mr. Bridges. Drawing on his own experiences as a Language student, he was able to demonstrate not only the diversity of careers that his peers had progressed into, but also gave voice to the idea of languages as ways of opening up new worlds of thought, travel and connection. The talk also suggested the value of combining degree programmes with a language, as well as suggesting ways of maintaining an existing or embarking on a new language whilst at university. The possibilities for overseas visits as part of a degree programme presented all manner of benefit, not least an address book of forever friends for future visits. Mr Bridges genuine and demonstrably passion for languages made for a session that was as engaging and motivating, as it was informative and wide ranging. The final talk of the week was delivered by Mr Webb, exploring careers within sport, training and performance. Mr Webb is excellently placed to present on this, given his own background in rugby, but also given the numerous former pupils he has mentored through the process of career development in performance sport, coaching, training and teaching. The talk opened up the diversity of study options in this field, ranging from differing degrees - BA, BSc, BEd, as

YSA Gourmet Street Food

Saturday 18th March, 7pm—Tickets £25 An evening of Gourmet Street Food from four corners of the world: Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. Choose from a wide range of delicious food or sample a bit of everything! An informal evening with chefs cooking a selection of dishes live.

well as explaining about programmes with different level of theory vs performance. There is a steady stream of Yarm pupils enthused by this career route and the session did much to open minds, provoke thoughts and plant some vital seeds. The next sessions will focus on 'Social Sciences and Law', 'Teaching and Education' and 'Design'.

Mr S Edwards

NEWS

27 Jan 2017|Yarm School Newsletter 5 |

Burundian journalist reports from the front line

'A fool is a wise man's ladder' - Burundian proverb

In a term of impressive and impacting guests, Marc Niyonkuru, captured the imagination and instilled inspiration in the Politics Society crowd, in much the same way as he done within his own country. He joined us during his brief visit to the UK, though he is currently

living in exile in Rwanda, separated from his native Burundi due to threats against his life. The complexities of Burundian politics can be perhaps better understood by reflecting on our understanding of Rwanda and its crisis a generation earlier. A history of the colonial experience of manipulation and accentuation of ethnic identities, combined with modern failed leadership and exploitation of these ethnic ties for political gain, and we are close to an understanding. Following an arguably ineligible attempt by the Burundian President, Pierre Nkurunziza, to seek a third term in office, forces had mustered to attempt to topple the regime in a coup d'étât. Marc, working as an established journalist for Burundian, East African and European press, had been briefed in advance of these events. Despite providing him with a huge scoop, reporting to western media about the imminent coup, his fortunes were to change less than four hours later with the failure of the coup attempt. Having reported enthusiastically about the attempt to oust the President Marc became a wanted man in an atmosphere of spiralling repression and violence. Initially remaining in Burundi and continuing to report on human rights violations, he was compelled to disguise himself in public, and move home four times in as many months. Several attempts to seize him, and a grenade attack on his home by security forces compelled him to flee with his wife and three young daughters, to neighbouring Rwanda, where he now continues to work as a journalist. Almost twenty years before, when Marc was a young student in Burundi, in part motivated by the events of Rwanda, and in part the result of his own foresight, founded an innovative organisation comprising of 14 Tutsis and 13 Hutus. The group would meet each year, having individually recruited an additional Hutu and Tutsi, all with the objective of forming an ever expanding social movement committed to the peaceful advancement of their country. The organisation now has over 800 members and never has that commitment to

ethnic harmony been so required. Despite limited coverage in the western media commentators speak of an almost inevitable genocide being planned and prepared. The violence has already begun, with disappearances a weekly occurrence and a number of mass graves being discovered. The possibility of the history of neighbouring Rwanda repeating itself is all too possible. Locked into this predicament is the additional challenge of external factors. Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda, whilst fêted in the west as the rebel leader who facilitated the end of the Rwandan genocide and presided over the transition to civil order and stability, is viewed more cautiously within the region, suspected at best of involvement in internal politicking with in Burundi, and at worst plotting an invasion of the territory. Equally the political involvement of Russia and economic investment of China almost certainly precludes the likelihood of a UN Security Council resolution to protect the country, presenting another haunting repetition of the Rwandan scenario. Marc was an erudite and learned man, conversant in numerous languages, comfortable discussing the subtleties of French literature and philosophy, yet embedded in the cultural intricacies of his own community. His gentle, humane nature and unshakeable courage and commitment to his country, alongside other likeminded citizens, may yet be sufficient to steer Burundi away from its current precipitous position.

Mr S Edwards

Jigsaw Sudoku

In this version of Sudoku the digits from 1 to 9 appear only once in each row and each column. It differs from traditional Sudokus in that the digits one to 9 appear only once in each block defined by the thick solid line. Solution in a fortnight (or email me if you cannot wait - mcr@yarmschool.org).

NEWS

27 Jan 2017|Yarm School Newsletter 6 |

Solution from last time. Well done if you got it correct!

Thursday 2nd February, 7pm Adults £15, Children £10

www.thepaaonline.org

SPORT

27 Jan 2017|Yarm School Newsletter 7 |

Sport Scoresheet

Boys’ Hockey U13A v St Olave’s, York Drew 1-1 U13A v St Olave’s, York Drew 2-2 U12A v St Olave’s, York Won 5-0 U12A v St Olave’s, York Lost 0-2 1st XI v Pocklington School Won 8-0 2nd XI v Pocklington School Won 4-2 U15A v Pocklington School Won 7-0 U14A v Pocklington School Won 8-0 U13A v Pocklington School Won 6-3 U13B v Pocklington School Won 10-0 U12A v Pocklington School Won 10-0 U16A v Egglescliffe (County Cup) Lost 0-3 Netball 1st VII v Ripon Won 34-21 U16A v Cundall Manor Won 25-13 U15A v Cundall Manor Won 14-5 1st VII v Ampleforth Won 49-10 2nd VII v Ampleforth Lost 12-23 3rd VII v Ampleforth Lost 9-11 U15A v Ampleforth Lost 6-11 U15B v Ampleforth Won 9-8 U14A v Ampleforth Won 35-6 U14B v Ampleforth Won 10-5 U14A v Red House Won 27-9

1st XI v Pocklington School Won 8-0 This was the first time that the full strength 1st XI team had played together but they gelled immediately. They played quick and fluid hockey from the start, resulting in an early cross from Louis Wood which was finished by James Foster . This was to be quickly repeated with both Sam Masterson and Jack McCullagh finishing well from powerful crosses to make it 3-0. We were not getting many penalty corners as most visits to the D resulted in goals, but just before half-time a disguised short corner was finished by Connor Watson to take Yarm into the break, a much deserved, 4-0 up. The theme of one touch finishes continued almost immediately in the second half, with first Connor Watson and then Harry Race putting in close range instinctive finishes. Captain, Tom Copeland, rounded off an energetic performance with a well-struck reverse strike past a strong Pocklington goalkeeper and then James Foster gained his second, and the team’s 8th, with a calmly taken individual strike. This was a clinical, controlled and high tempo performance from the team - a pleasure to watch and hopefully boding well for the rest of the season. Goals: Copeland, McCullagh, Foster(2), Masterson, Race, Watson(2)

Hockey

2nd XI v Pocklington School Won 4-2 After a nervy and disjointed start, where Yarm conceded the first goal after only 45 seconds, the team then started to find each other with a better range of passing. Ten minutes into the game, Jake Gordon precisely placed low past through several bodies from a penalty corner to level the scores. From this point Yarm took control with the increasingly dominant midfield of Gordon and Antun Wilson feeding Sam McCluskey for a bottom corner finish (2-1). A slight lull in the pace of the game was eventually broken when Max Eldabe was the first to the ball in a goalmouth scramble, he calmly lifted a finish into the netting (3-1). The 4th Yarm goal resulted from the best move of the game when some lovely skill by Louis Stevenson delivered a precise pass to the influential McCluskey who calmly rounded the keeper for a well-deserved second goal. A late consolation goal for Pocklington from a scramble in the Yarm box did not take the gloss off a controlled performance. Goals: Gordon, McCluskey(2), Eldabe U15A v Pocklington School Won 7-0 The U15 team put in another good performance, beating a Pocklington side they had lost 3-0 to last year. The boys' short corner routine is now paying dividends with Sol Kench scoring a first half hat-trick from set pieces. Two further goals came from Philip Simpson and Robbie Wilmot to see the team leading 5-0 at half-time. Yarm took their foot off the gas in the second half, only chalking up another 2 goals (both from Sol). Will Thompson found himself redundant in the Yarm goal. Goals: Kench(5), Simpson, Wilmot

U13A v Pocklington School Won 6-3 The U13 team didn't play at their best last Saturday but still came away with a 6-3 win against Pocklington. The boys dominated the first half 4-0, before Pocklington rallied in the second half. Yarm held their nerve, however, to take the victory. Matthew Heathcote netted a hat-trick with Tom Crack, James Beck and Tom Howard also scoring. Goals: Heathcote(3), Beck, Crack, Howard

SPORT

27 Jan 2017|Yarm School Newsletter 8 |

U16A v Cundall Manor Won 25-13 From the first whistle the girls dominated the game and made it very difficult for the Cundall team to pass the ball down the court successfully. This continued throughout the match, however, Cundall did settle into more of a rhythm and managed to score some goals in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. The girls played very well and deserved this 25-13 win. POM - Alex Elwine U15A v Cundall Manor Won 14-5 This was the first outing for our U15 team. It was competitive for the most part with both teams enjoying some possession. Scarlet Hudson set the tempo as centre and dominated the middle of the court. Defensively, Naomi Parker and Rachel McMurray put in a shift as they always do and at half-time we were able to make rotations so players could experience other areas on the court. The goal of the game came from the opposition, confidently shooting from the edge of the circle. As the game went on we limited them to only a couple of chances. It was great for this squad to get a win to start the season confidently. POM - Scarlet Hudson 3rd VII v Ampleforth Lost 9-11 This was an evenly matched game from the start and it remained this way throughout the match. Both sides rushed play at times and made errors due to the speed of play. At times there was some nicely linked play, good interceptions and tight marking, making for a promising start to the season. POM - Rebecca Boston U15B v Ampleforth Won 9-8 The first quarter was excellent and all girls stepped up and dominated play. However, they couldn't sustain this and Ampleforth came back with two good quarters which meant the last quarter was crucial. Eesha Gujjuri was steady throughout and Stella Dooris and Phoebe Matthews provided some athleticism. Lucy McBain, Rosie Sturgeon and Katie Fox were a match in defence for the opposition’s

shooters and it was lovely to see them step up to the challenge and score the winner with Emma Hewitt sinking the decisive goal. POM- Emma Hewitt U14B v Ampleforth Won 10-5 The girls took a while to settle into this match, against a very energetic opposition. This meant the first half of the game was very tight, with the score at half time being 3-2 to Yarm. Yarm had a lot of the possession, but struggled to convert this into goals. However, after half time they managed to slow the play down and control it more. They only allowed the opposition to score 3 more goals and played some lovely netball to pick up 7 more goals for themselves. They had fought excellently through a tough first half and deserved the win they got. Well done girls. POM goes to Katie Dent who worked tirelessly in the centre of the court throughout the match.

Netball

Action shot - U14A v Ampleforth

On Sunday 22nd January, 60 pupils from George Watson’s College near Edinburgh travelled to Yarm to race against Yarm School’s rowers. They brought mainly J13, 14 and 15 crews and it was excellent to see so many young people enjoying rowing against each other. For YSBC’s J14 crew this was only their second race, but huge improvements were seen from their first performance. The girls raced across both division, in quads and an oct, performing brilliantly. The boys raced in quads, also showing how much they had progressed since they last raced. The J15 crew raced in both sweep and sculling boats, with both the boys’ and girls’ crews fielding an eight. The boys also raced in a quad and a four. They all rowed well, against good opposition from George Watson’s. The YSBC seniors also raced, with the aim of preparing for the bigger head races coming up this term. They recorded some excellent times, so we are looking forward to some good results as the season progresses. We would like to say a huge thank you to all the staff and rowers from George Watson’s for a great day of racing, an excellent start to the year. The next time the YSBC rowers will race is at the Durham Small Boats Head on Saturday 4th February, where hopefully they will continue to show how much they are improving with their rowing.

Yarm Head Report