Radley Newsletter 16

2 T H E R A D L E Y N E W S L E T T E R

was surrounded by strong performers all round. As the eponymous hero, Sebastian Berger (Dragon, b) was a real find. Not only did he look the perfect image of young Oliver, but he could also sing with gusto when required, and his rendition of ‘Where is Love?’ was tear-jerking for many. Ned Marriott (Farleigh, g) as The Artful Dodger was suitably full of swagger and confidence, with his character set off to perfection by his red boots and top hat.

Arran Ryder (St Hugh’s, Carswell, h) was, quite simply, one the funniest Mr Bumbles ever seen. He captured perfectly the money-grasping nature of the man, whilst at the same time falling for the trap Widow Corney (played by Natalie Gleeson) sets for him. Arran’s intonation of the one word line ‘Married!’ was heavenly – gaining a huge laugh from the audience. Arran also possesses a remarkably mature

Directed by Robert Lowe, this became quite a vast production, with a superb set designed and lit by Matt Barker: full of hidden compartments and secret openings from which props and smoking fireplaces appeared, and which included a surprise truck travelling from behind the scenes, to represent Mr Brownlow’s house in the second Act.

The stunning costume design by Lianne Oakley-Rowland, developed character themes and connections through the play and made the overall look of the production a splendid affair. The lighting, including both dark shadows and underworld green tavern scenes, added much to the set, whilst at the same time keeping the musical approach of plenty of side lighting and the use of two expertly guided follow-spots. Matt Hawksworth, a professional choreographer, was employed to add some fine routines to the well-known numbers, which the young cast recreated with a pleasing roughness. One of the main comments by members of the audience was how smooth the whole piece flowed, as sets were changed almost unnoticeably by the fine backstage crew led by Jon Goodall. They glided across the stage silently placing chairs and coffins where and when required.

Adam Hargreaves (Abingdon School, h) was the undoubted star of the show as Fagin. As a seasoned West End performer of some years (he also played Gavroche in ‘Les Misérables’ at Radley four years ago), Adam has a natural ability to fill a stage and play to an audience. His interpretation of Fagin was sure-footed and included some nice inventions of his own, rather than relying on copying tricks from previous actors of the role. His rendition of ‘Reviewing the Situation’ quite rightly brought the house down each night – I have seen adults cope with this number with far less success. However, he

Oliver!For two nights in June (20th and 21st) the New Theatre was packed to capacity as, for the first time in many years, Radley presented a Junior Musical. ‘Oliver!’ was performed by the Removes and Shells, who had been working on the project since earlier in the year, when Musical Director, Stephen Clarke, started teaching them the songs. A concert version of the show was presented at the end of the Lent Term, and at the start of Summer, work began in earnest to put the musical on stage, despite the shortness of the term and availability for the full company to rehearse at times.



singing voice for one still in the Shells, and he showed the range of his singing talent with the contrasting humour of the spiky duet ‘I Shall Scream’ and a beautiful, smoothly-sung ‘Boy For Sale’. The Sowerberrys (the Undertakers) were played with remarkable humour too. Alex Hutton (Sherborne Prep, k), Marina Aspinall, Otto Bodycombe (Summer Fields, f) and Sylvie Pope gave us a very comic interlude with dark undertones, creating some wonderful business with the coffin. Felix von Simson (Cothill, d), looking not unlike Russell Crowe, gave a truly terrifying performance as Bill Sykes, threatening all and sundry with his blood-tinged crowbar. There was no question that he had murder on his mind throughout. Nancy, played by Ottie Gee, never stood a chance. Ottie has a huge belt-voice, which she used to powerful effect in her signature number ‘As Long As He Needs Me’, filling the theatre effortlessly with a surprisingly strong voice for one still young. Benji Waller (Cothill, j) as the kindly Mr Brownlow was suitably grandfatherly and Angus Stahelin (Elizabeth College, Guernsey, e) produced a lovely comic turn as the ineffectual Dr Grimwig.

Fagin’s Gang were entirely convincing as a band of ragamuffins and thieves, led by the exuberant Conor Mosedale (Christ Church Cathedral, f) as Charley, clearly in charge and constantly chivvying them along. The full chorus produced a good sound in the big numbers and the audience gleefully joined in when given the chance in ‘Consider Yourself ’.

when the full cast created the illusion of huge crowds on stage: never more so than in the madcap chase scene which ends with the capture of Oliver.

From the simplicity of keeping a few numbers in small spots, through to the crowds travelling all over the large, multi-levelled stage, the direction kept the plot fast-moving and precise. Robert Lowe marshalled his troops well and there can be no doubt that this first was a great success.

The six-piece band, conducted by Stephen Clarke (who also accompanied Fagin on his violin for one number) maintained a strong support throughout, whilst being careful not to overpower at any point. This balance between the band and the singers meant that we heard almost every word in the songs; partly due too to the perfect control of the microphones (never an easy task) by George Willcox (Dragon, h). The fact that the band only occupied half the pit, allowed for some scenes to be brought very close to the audience, giving a contrasting intimacy for these scenes, to counterbalance the large street scenes


the Sewell Gallery

The Grand Opening of the Sewell Centre Gallery on the evening of Saturday, 14th September proved a splendid occasion.

There were many guests and visitors present, including parents, returning OR artists, dons - and indeed many ORs attending a re-union of those who entered Radley from between 1979-86. Two former Sub Wardens were also present, in the form of Andrew Reekes and Anthony Hudson.

Guest-of-honour was Oxford-based artist, Jenny Saville, who formally opened the Gallery. Jenny, famous for her striking abstract paintings of figures, has exhibited at the Saatchi Gallery and recently had a major retrospective of her work staged at the Oxford Museum of Modern Art.

The Exhibition showcased major work by established OR artists: sculptors Rupert Till, Hamish Mackie, Charlie Langton and painter-sculptor Charlie Mackesy, as well as paintings by younger generation artists Oliver Cooke and Pete Hawkins. Recent ORs were represented by Ben Robinson and Arthur Laidlaw. The show also exhibited a bespoke bicycle, designed and made by Jake Rusby, Sculptor-Turned-Bicycle Frame Builder.


Among the many striking exhibits were sculptures of animal figures and horses’ heads in bronze and wire. Another highlight was the series of stunning black-and-white photos very kindly donated by New York-based photographer and OR, Dmitri Kasterine. The Sewell Gallery space also features an installation, similar to those to be found at galleries like Tate St Ives.

In addition, the evening featured a new composition by Henry McPherson OR, ‘Call, Fanfare and March’ for Alto Saxophone and Piano. Henry made a welcome return to Radley to premier the piece, playing piano alongside Simon Carr on alto saxophone.

In his speech to mark the Gallery opening, Head of Art, Ian Ellis profusely thanked all those who had supported this major project so tirelessly over the years – singling out the Warden, Angus McPhail, for his “unstinting support”.

When William Sewell co-founded the College in 1847, he was inspired by the Oxford Movement to create a school for boys where Christian principles were reinforced by the beauty of the environment and the artistic objects and furnishings around them. This innovatory approach has led to the evolution of a school where the Visual Arts are highly valued. The new Sewell Centre Gallery is the natural successor to this founding ethos. Following the 20 year legacy of the first Sewell Centre Gallery, where there have been regular exhibitions of work by students and professional artists, we now have an inspiring new space in which to continue our exhibitions programme. In a world where financial cuts are hitting the Arts hard, this is a wonderful opportunity to support artists and promote the Visual Arts.

The gallery is part of the major two-year Clock Tower Square re-development project. This incorporates new History, Politics and Art Classrooms, the ‘Jim Summerly Memorial History Library’, a large meeting-room, and a new coffee-shop, which will provide a valuable meeting-place for boys, parents and visiting speakers.

All works from this major OR Exhibition are for sale. Please contact Amanda Jewell, Gallery Manager, for more details – [email protected]


John Moule, currently Head Master of Bedford School, was appointed to be the 18th Warden of Radley with effect from September 2014.

Academic AS/A2: At time of writing, the A*/A/B% stands at 87.31 and will probably go up a little further. Radley was still seen at its best with a good number of boys, even if we failed to attain the record crop of 2012. One boy left with 4 A* (Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Biology) and an A in Further Maths. He had been in Shell 5 for Sciences, Set 4 in the Remove and Set 3 in the Vth Form! A very respectable 46 boys gained four or more A*/A grades. Nine gained five or more A*/A and three boys gained 6 A*/A grades. Happily, the vast majority of Radleians gained entry to their preferred university course. Michael Gove’s DfE and Ofqual have been very clear that the war on ‘grade inflation’ will continue in earnest. We can justifiably expect a further tightening in marking and awards next year.

GCSEs: These were very pleasing, at 85.69% A*/A. Again, there was a tougher marking regime, as Ofqual had warned, but our results compared favourably with virtually any other year in the last decade and nationally, A* - C grades went down 1.3% to 68.1%. At the top end, we did better than last year, with 10 boys getting A*/A in 11 subjects and 103 boys gaining 10 A*/A. Radley’s highlights included English Literature – with 112 candidates securing 80.36% A* and in Maths, 136 Vths gained 94.85% A*/A (and 47 accelerated Removes acheived 93.62% A*). Given their strong performance, there is no reason to imagine this cohort will not do very well at A-level.

We have seen an expansion of the lecture programme recently. In the Michaelmas Term we listened avidly to talks on ‘Cricket in Rwanda’, ‘The Arab-Israeli Peace Process’; ‘The Rise of Turkey’; ‘Climbing Everest’; ‘Britain’s Looming Energy Crisis’; ‘Britain and the World, 1945-2012’ and ‘Music In Our Lives’. Additionally, the Radley/St.Helen’s joint Sixth Form Conference was entitled ‘Fifteen Minute Inspirations’ and all five guests (including current Radleian, Tom Saunders) showed the power of economy and precision in public speaking. This Lent term, we heard: psychologist and bestelling author Oliver James; war photographer Rick Findler; Robin Dunbar of ‘Dunbar’s Number’ fame; writer Georgina Ferry; poet George Chopping; former soldier Patrick Hennessey; and Stanley Johnson. In the Summer term, Dr Michael Spencer gave a graphic talk on gynaecology, which inspired at least one boy to attempt to follow a similar path. Group Captain Andrew Pennington spoke of his career as a spy during the Cold War. Art Benjamin,

New Societies: the Shakespearean Society was set up in December by Bertie Beor-Roberts (Cothill, h) and Thomas Saunders (Woodleigh, h). Bernard White (Hereward House, k) also set up the Psychology Society; Alex Grant (Dragon, e) re-formed the Radley Union Debating Society in November 2012.

In addition, the Archaeology Society was launched in 2013. The inaugural field day took place in February, when a group braved the sleet to explore the neolithic landscape of north Wiltshire.

Jack Woollett (Cheam, b), Sam Ringer (Winchester House, b) and Ed Rees (Moulsford, j) were awarded Gold in the Physics Olympiad. Jack Woollett (Cheam, b),

whose performance ranks in the top ten of the most viewed TED Talks globally, combined his love of Maths with that of prestidigitation. Shaun Attwood described his hellish time in US prisons. Jon Moynihan of PA Consulting Group, gave a sobering talk on the hard socio-economic realities facing the West, as the East rises. The centre-piece for homegrown speaker talent is the SOTSOG series, with three punchy lectures delivered in a single lesson to the whole of 6.1 by dons and members of 6.2. More than 50 were given this year, on subjects as diverse as Ethics, Beauty, Risk, Ballet, Existentialism.

Extended Project Qualification: 16 6.2 boys submitted extended project dissertations for the Edexcel Extended Project qualification. Henry McPherson’s (The Downs, Malvern, d) dissertation, entitled Is music a language?, was judged to be worthy of a starred copy and was of university undergraduate standard. Henry McPherson also won first prize in the SCJ National Poetry Competition 2013 with his poem ‘When I’m Finished’.

The Creative Writing Group teamed up with local calligraphic artists, the Oxford Scribes, to put on an exhibition of the Group’s poetry.

Radley’s participants in the Oxford Area Classical Association Reading Competition were victorious in their category: Bertie Beor-Roberts (Cothill, h) and Alec Murray Brown (Dragon, j) won the Senior Dialogue category; Lorenzo Edwards-Jones (Woodcote House, b) triumphed in the Junior Memoriter class and Yannis Gidopoulos (Moulsford, e) was victor in the Junior Latin Verse section.

This year’s Declamations competitions were won by Shell: James Farr (Belhaven Hill, h) with ‘A Kestrel for a Knave’ by Hines; Remove: Felix Barbour (Thomas’s Battersea, f) with ‘Good Morning Vietnam’ by Markowitz; Fifth: Henry Tregear (The Hall, g) with ‘The Bloomsday Murders’ by Duncan; 6.1: Fergus Neville (Ludgrove, a) with ‘Gingers Do Have Souls!!’ by Copper; and 6.2: Dallon Jones (St Paul’s, Leadenhall, g) with ‘Modern Man’ by Carlin.

Medical Society: James Allen (Abingdon Prep, h) won ‘The Inter-school Medical Lecture Competition’ between prospective medics and dentists from Harrow, Wycombe Abbey and Radley.

THE RADLEY YEAR 2012/13


Charles Larminie (Elstree, h) and Alex Budd (Bedford Prep, b) spoke at an International student science conference in March at St Paul’s School. The

conference was part of the build-up to a Radley exchange

visit to Japan in October 2013.

George Nikov (h), Hugo Hesselgren

(Westminster Under, e), Robert Fok (German Swiss Int, HK, e) and William

Bowen (Dragon, d) came second in a national ‘Grimm Tales’ competition organised by Oxford University. John Le Carré presented the awards.

In June, the Removes were invited to Downe House School for the Bab Al-Islam Conference.

Armed Forces Fund. Over Easter 2013, Barney Bennett (Horris Hill, j) canoed with Hugo Mayes (Horris Hill, c) from Devizes to Westminster in aid of Juvenile Diabetes Research.

40 Radleians spent two weeks in Honduras this summer. The first week was spent in the jungle of Cusuco National Park. Although a great deal of fun was had trekking through the jungle, using ropes to inspect the canopy and showering in waterfalls, the project had a more serious aspect. The boys were helping scientists survey the biodiversity of the area to prepare a report for the Honduran government outlining the ecological value of the area. The second week was spent studying life on a coral reef off the coast of the island of Utila, during which time many boys gained their PADI advanced open water qualification.

Gehandu Partnership: in July 2013, seven 6.1 Radleians, led by Mark Jewell, Suzie-Louise Naylor amd Chris Ronaldson spent three weeks in Tanzania. Mount Kilimanjaro was climbed successfully by six boys who reached the summit at 5,895m, and then spent eight days with Gehandu Secondary School teaching lessons and doing extracurricular activities. Whilst there, English learning through the medium of the mobile phone was successfully trialled. The water pump for which boys raised £5,000 was seen in operation.

About 100 Fifth Formers spent their Wednesday afternoons on a range of projects helping in the local community. Three teams of musicians and actors provided entertainment in three different care homes each week. A team of classicists ran an introductory course in Latin at the Oxford Academy. Eight local state primary schools hosted different groups for a variety of activities. These included particularly challenging work, like helping at specialist schools for the deaf, or for children with severe learning difficulties, and after-school Chess clubs or extension Maths at regular state primaries.

Fifth-formers visited the Russian cities of Moscow and St Petersburg, with a tour of the city of St Petersburg and visits to the Hermitage (the Winter Palace), Tsarskoe Selo, the Yusupov Palace, the Smolny Institute and the Peter and Paul Fortress. In Moscow the party saw Red Square and the Kremlin, Stalin’s bunker and the Museum dedicated to the Great Patriotic War.

Activities Personal Achievements: Edward Wakefield (Ludgrove, h), Head of the RAF section of CCF, has been awarded his Private Pilot’s Licence at the minimum age possible, 17. Paul Fernandez (Biology Dept) won the ‘Perth 50k’ race. His time of 3:04:07 ranks him as the tenth fastest British 50k runner of all time.

57 Remove Geographers and five dons travelled to Iceland at the end of the Easter holidays. The boys engaged in activities, such as hiking on a glacier, swimming in outdoor

sulphur pools, eating geothermally-heated eggs, being serenaded by a Viking,

spotting whales in Reykjavik harbour, gazing at icy waterfalls, clambering

to the top of volcanic craters and venturing into the steamy heart of a geothermal power station.

Duke of Edinburgh Awards. Seven 6.2 boys completed all sections of their Gold Awards. 29 boys have passed their DofE Gold Expedition in the last year. Record numbers of new participants, 44 6.1s, started their Gold Award this year.

A team of Radleians, dons and ‘others’ ran in relay on a treadmill to break the existing 100km Guinness World Record

by 15 minutes.

Charities: F Social was responsible for producing and

selling ‘Radley Apple Juice’ using College apples picked by boys and

Radley families. This year £500 was raised for the Helen Clarke Fund. Callum

Chamberlain (Moulsford, e) raised a large sum of money for ‘Children in Need’ by selling copies of his own CD, entitled ‘Serenity’. G Social held a 24 hour football match in aid of local educational charity, the Hawkwell Trust. Freddie White (Shrewsbury House, g) scored over 100 goals. Ben Bowman (DCPS, k) took part in the Nightrider charity cycle race in London. Luke Fitzalan Howard (Westbourne House, k) worked for the charity the Order of Malta Volunteers taking severely disabled pilgrims to Lourdes. Freddie Florin (Ludgrove, j) swam the English Channel in July, for Starlight and Ufton charities. James Johnston (Summer Fields, j) rode in the Mongol Derby, 1,000km across the Mongolian Steppes. He is raising money for the Radley Foundation

THE RADLEY YEAR 2012/13


Arts Drama: the main College Play this year was ‘The Laramie Project’, a verbatim piece about the Matthew Shepard murder in America, with a large cast taking on the roles of over 60 real people involved in, or connected to, the case. Girls from all over Oxfordshire joined us for this play. In the Lent Term, the 6.1 Theatre Studies pupils presented an evening of Victorian Ghost Stories and then an extraordinarily talented group of 6.1 boys presented a gripping production of ‘Twelve Angry Men’ in a completely naturalistic style that proved what a powerful play this still is. In addition 6.2 Theatre Studies boys presented a devised comic piece about a failed bank robbery. In the Summer Term the highly successful 6.1 exam pieces were scenes from ‘Journey’s End’ and ‘Our Boys’. The Milligan Music Theatre Competition produced an evening of great quality and was won by Ned Campbell (St John’s College Cambridge, e). The adjudicator was Corin Buckeridge, and Michael Crawford presented the Cup. In a break from tradition we had a Junior Musical this year. ‘Oliver!’ was presented by the Removes and Shells with girls from the area. The strength of the leading performers and the quality of the production suggests the potential for some very top class musicals in the next few years.

Music: the Department toured Tuscany, including giving concerts in prestigious venues in Florence itself. Radley choirs have performed evensongs in major English cathedrals – including the Chapel Choir at St Paul’s and Bristol Cathedral, and the Chamber Choir at Wells. Excellent results have been consistently achieved in both Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music and Trinity Guildhall, with several Grade 8s having been awarded with distinction: Peter Norris (Henry Box Witney, a - Clarinet, Singing), Charles Saunders (Woodleigh, h - Trumpet), Charlie Codrington (St Hugh’s, a - Jazz Saxophone), Robert Fok (German Swiss Int, e - Jazz Saxophone). Henry McPherson (The Downs, Malvern College, d) has been awarded a major scholarship to study Composition at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Henry has composed a substantial overture for orchestra, subsequently given its premier at Radley by a professional orchestra. Henry also won the June ‘Wharton Piano Recital’ with this piece, ‘Three Birthdays and an Epilogue (in Memoriam Leonard Bernstein)’. Other competition winners were: Oliver Williams (Cheam, g) (Hudson String Prize); Campbell Baum (Abingdon Prep,

a) (Gunn Cup for Woodwind); Ben Rees (Moor Park, a) (Gunn Cup for Brass); Sam Ringer (Winchester House, b), Otto Burney (Cothill, b), and Campbell Baum (Guitar Prize); ‘Badlands’ and Ed Morgan (Beaudesert Park, e) (Battle of the Bands); Alex Walker (Westbourne House, h) (Ferguson Singing Prize). D Social won the Inter-Social Partsong Competition. The second staging of the Concerto Concert saw Peter Norris playing Weber; Phin Leslau (Moulsford, k) playing Vivaldi; Matthew Clarke (New College, b) playing Williams; Alex Walker (Westbourne House, h) playing Bellini; and James Moore (Hereford Cathedral School, e) playing Rachmaninov. The overture, ‘Even so I, I vie’, composed by Henry McPherson (The Downs, Malvern College, d) was played by the orchestra. John Warner (Dragon, a) (2012) had been appointed Musical Director of West Side Story and Oklahoma for RicNic Youth Theatre and also appointed Conductor and Music Director of Fulham Festival Orchestra. Alex Hawkins (OR and Music Assistant) received a major BBC commission for a 50-minute work as part of the ‘Baroque Season’: ‘One Tree Found’ was first broadcast on BBC Radio 3, on 25th March 2013. His Ensemble album, ‘All There, Ever Out’ was named Jazz Album of the year in ‘The Guardian’. There have also been programmes dedicated to his music on national radio in UK (BBC) and in Italy (RAI). Anthony Williams (Head of Instrumental Music) appeared on Radio 3 in a series of ten short talks on piano performance and interpretation, as part of the Radio 3 Piano Festival 2012. TMM gave an organ recital at Kent School, Connecticut. Clare Bradshaw (Singing Teacher) appeared with the Welsh National Opera singing the role of Suzuki.

Sport The Rugby Club was able to field 24 teams and won over 65% of its matches. Against Tonbridge 15 out of 21 matches were won; against Oundle, 17 out of 18; against Marlborough, 13 out of 18 and against Harrow, 16 out of 20. The 1st XV remained unbeaten between mid-September and the final match of the season in December: winning 10 of its 12 matches. Notable victories included away matches at Tonbridge, Sherborne and

Marlborough, as well as the home wins against Bedford and Harrow. The team was inspired by the captaincy of Toby Swift (Caldicott, f), as well as vice-captain Bertie Hill (Thomas’s, Clapham, h), and was guided by top points scorer, Jonty Browne (Summer Fields, d). Will Stuart (Farleigh, d) and Max Murison (Dragon, b) were selected for the SW England U.18 squad and Will Stuart and Tom West (Old Buckenham Hall, f) also played in the Wasps Academy team. Elsewhere, the four Colts teams only lost two matches each,

with Harry Ryan (Moulsford, e) leading a tenacious Colts 1st XV. The mighty Midgets 6th XV also had a remarkable season, winning eight of their nine matches. Harry Eadie (Cheam, e) captained the only unbeaten team, the JC5th XV.

The Hockey Club enjoyed another successful year with a total of 72 matches won and twenty-six lost. Radley topped


the newly-introduced ISHL ‘Super League’, which combines the results of the eight teams on this circuit (Abingdon, Bradfield, Cheltenham, Eton, Marlborough, St Edwards and Wellington). Just three matches were lost by the six Midgets teams, with M2, M4, M5 and M6 remaining unbeaten. Midgets 2 were the stand-out performers. They scored 45 goals and conceded just seven, with a record of eight wins and a draw. The highlight of

the season for the 1st XI was winning the Oxfordshire

U18 County competition

and then going

on

to reach

the semi-finals of the

South regional competition.

Cricket: Frederick Fairhead (Summer Fields, h), Captain of Cricket, scored 51 on debut, playing for Middlesex 2nd XI. In the same Middlesex team was Nick Gubbins (2012, h), on a Summer Contract with Middlesex while at University. The 1st XI were led with great skill by Frederick Fairhead, the XI won four games but the 2nd

Golf: Radley entered the National Independent Schools’ Championship for the first time, losing in extra holes to the eventual runners-up, Bedford School. In the South East Schools’ Championship the team of Keith Seward (Hereward House, b), Robin Eliot (Ashdown House, b), Hugo Bibby (Cottesmore, g) and Harry Winther (Northcote Lodge, a) won the handicap section of the tournament. Unfortunately our defence of the West of England Schools’ title fell just short at Burnham & Berrow. The juniors have enjoyed a good year, winning almost all matches. Stalwarts in the junior side include Tom Wright (Caldicott, c) - boasting an unbeaten record, Fred Campion (Dragon, j), Fin Fordham (Caldicott, j), Harry Meek (Eaton House, h), Henry De Groot (Cheam, h) and Charlie Davies (Summer Fields, d).

Real Tennis: Felix White (Shrewsbury House, g) reached the National U19 doubles final, while the U13 Schools event was won by Benedict Yorston (St Hugh’s, Carswell, b) and Ned Batstone (St Hugh’s, Carswell, h). In the National Schools Doubles Championship, 1st Pair, Ben Robinson (Dragon, h) and George Buckley (Moulsford, b), 2nd Pair, Rupert Boddington (Moulsford, g) and Oliver Dernie (Summer Fields, a) and U14 Freddie White and Oliver Martyn-Hemphill (Ludgrove, f) were all Champions. In the National Schools Invitation Singles, Ben Robinson lost in the A grade final. Felix White won the B grade final. Benedict Yorston lost narrowly in the final of the National U14 singles by 5/6 in the final set.

Squash: in the Lent Term, Jamie Block (Beacon, d) led the Squash team in a successful campaign at the Roehampton Schools Invitation tournament. The team - Hugh Gillen-Toon (Caldicott, j), Jamie Block, Oliver Martyn-Hemphill (Ludgrove, f), Freddie White (Shrewsbury House, g), Charles Stevens (Summer Fields, c) and Hugo Besley (Winchester House, c) - won their draw against three other schools and came second in the finals to St Paul’s. Outstanding performances by two Shells, Freddie White and Oliver Martyn-Hemphill, show that the Squash team will be very strong for some years.

Athletics: there has been some pleasing team success, particularly for the Seniors. Alex Orr (Dragon, a) broke the 110m Hurdles record, running a hugely-impressive 14.6s at Harrow. Archie Wilson (Horris Hill, j) managed to break an Intermediate School record by running 22.59 seconds for the 200m, at Oxford’s famous Iffley Road track.

A ‘Trim Trail’ has been set up: a series of eight exercise stations around the Radley Campus. The 2.2 mile route between these eight stations makes the most of the trails and vistas of the Radley estate.

XI remained unbeaten and there have been some excellent individual performances in the club. The most notable of these was an unbroken opening partnership of 255 in 30 overs for JC1 against St Edward’s between Ben Bowman (Dulwich Prep, London, k) (144*) and Archie Boscawen (Cothill, h) (80*). Andy Wagner, head Cricket Coach at Radley for over twenty-five years, won the prestigious Sky Sports ‘ECB Coach of the Year Award’ for 2012. The award was presented by guest of honour, Jonathan Trott, at the University of Warwick, in recognition of Wags’ outstanding services to grassroots cricket. Jonty Robinson (Dragon, k) is in the Oxfordshire training and Gloucestershire cricket academies.

Rowing: despite appalling weather there have been some notable wins at the regattas that did take place. At Bedford Regatta,

Radley won the J18 Coxed Fours (five boys from the 1st Eight), the J15A Eights and

the 3rd Eights’ events. At Marlow Town Regatta the J16 Eight won the Novice

Eights’ event and the 2nd Eight won the IM3 Eights’ event. Five boys from the 2nd Eight also won the Novice Fours’ event. At the Metropolitan Regatta at Dorney Lake, the 1st Eight won a very competitive IM2 Eights’ event and the pair of Charlie Elwes (Cothill, j) and Robbie Wendin (Cothill, j) also did very well to win the IM1 Pairs’ event at this regatta. The 1st Eight also won the IM1 Eights’ event on the Sunday of the Marlow Regatta, held at Dorney Lake. Two members of the 1st Eight, Charlie Elwes and Robbie

Wendin competed for the GB Junior team in July.

Football: a brief scan of the results (played 95, won 28, drawn

12, and lost 55) would suggest that the snow and rain hit 2013 season was

far from a success. However, as football continues to grow (there are now eight

Senior and five Colts teams, as well as three Junior Colts teams), so the challenges of retaining full block-fixtures become harder. This year therefore the club opted to play three weekends of ‘double-header’ football. The school won the block fixture overall against Tonbridge, something that has not occurred for at least five years. With the 1st and 2nd XIs, the Colts 1 and JC1 joining a new league, we also found some new fixtures against Haileybury School and St John’s School in Leatherhead. The 1st XI won a fantastic match against Wellington, coming back from 2-0 down with only ten minutes to play, to win 4-2; Jonty Browne’s (Summer Fields, d) hat-trick helping them to bounce back. Thomas von Simson (Cothill, d) ended the season with the ‘Golden Boot’.


A little over a year ago Radley was asked by The Educational Fellowship (TEF) to help revivify an all boys 11–18 comprehensive school in Maidenhead which had fallen on hard times. TEF would be the sponsors taking responsibility for financial management; Radley’s role was to be that of an educational partner, bringing its expertise and its ethos to bear to help make Desborough, once a well-reputed grammar school with a formidable Oxbridge record, an outstanding academy. TEF’s approach was timely; although we did not like being hectored by government and vociferous apologists for academies in the independent school world, there was a strong desire amongst Radley’s governors and SMT to become involved in a policy designed to improve the maintained sector, if the right school came along.

There is a host of reasons for committing to this project. At the heart of it though is the pride we have in what ISI Inspectors have again recognised in their recent visit, March 2013 – that Radley is an excellent school, its pupils’ achievements exceptional. The FT A Level League Tables for Secondary Schools 2012 have just rated Radley 14th in the Top 1000 and that with a relatively broad-based entry. This has been achieved by outstanding teaching, a disciplined work ethic which pervades the place, and – perhaps above all - the highest expectations of its pupils, however lowly their CE pass mark. And it is the message of how that is done that we feel we have an obligation to share, for the depressing evidence is that in many schools lessons have little pace and less content, expectations are too low and teachers are aiming at the C grade rather than the A* for their pupils. In any school, success stems from

DesboroughSHOPThere are few areas of the Radley campus that are regarded with quite as much affection by the boys as Shop. It is not the most imaginative name for such an important and revered institution, but the very mention of the word ‘Shop’ stirs such feelings of happy days that it was a bold move to undertake a major refurbishment.

Gone are the metal barriers separating the different year-groups; the little jam account books have been replaced by a trendy new EPOS card system of payment; the dark and mysterious outfitters is now a gleaming state of the art kitchen and the stationery room has become the new Harrods of Radley. Even the old games kit has been consigned to history: its place being taken by the latest ‘performance sportswear’.

The boys are slowly adapting to the new surroundings. Given time, they will learn to appreciate the beautifully light and airy space. There is a more grown-up feel to the

place, with modern comfortable furniture inside and extended solid oak seating on the patio. There is much less clutter, more room to sit around and chat or watch one of the two wide-screen TVs. Even the vending machines have been updated and now stock all of their favourite things.

In the numerous discussion groups prior to opening, two things came up time after time. Will the new Shop serve the iconic short break snack – the chicken roll? And the other was the genuine concern that the boys would miss having ‘their’ lady serve them in the queue. The affection in which the boys hold the Shop ladies is touching indeed: they are a hugely-respected group and quite rightly so. Although there is no longer one lady per year-group, they are very much in evidence and doing a wonderful job in adapting to the new technology. As for the chicken rolls: how could we possibly live without them?

Harry Hammond,

Senior Master


Collegesingular success at a school with a strong Rugby tradition). Radleians have gained from meeting boys with a different – perhaps a more worldly – outlook on life. In more strategic ways Radley has been able to help in, for example, providing two governors of Desborough College; in training Heads of Department in the importance of taking responsibility for every subject teacher and every boy in the department, at all times; and in the wider sense of arguing the case, to prospective parents in Maidenhead, for all boys’ education on the grounds that boys learn differently, have different educational needs and can be persuaded to get involved in areas like instrumental and choral music, drama, languages and creative writing too often monopolized by girls in co-ed schools.

What is clear is that we are most useful when we are able to respond to Desborough’s specific needs. John Sparks’ coaching of the 1st XV is a case in point, for Desborough had no rugby coach left in September after summer staff departures. So, too, the latest development in which Chris Lee, a senior Maths don at Radley, will

the teaching staff, and Radley is very blessed with highly able, energetic, encouraging and ambitious dons. In a sense it is unfair that we and other top independent schools should hoard these talents, for nationally there is a real shortfall of Maths, Science and Technology teachers. That is why one of the most significant initiatives so far has been that Rob King and Chris Lee, two senior dons in Chemistry and Maths respectively, have been running revision sessions after school for Desborough boys at GCSE and A Level, both in Maidenhead and at Radley. Those boys have clearly found it stimulating and rewarding – but so too have the dons, and this is another powerful incentive for this link. Radley dons are gaining new experiences, are enjoying the different perspectives these pupils bring.

This first year has seen relations established between every academic department, usually initiated by personal visits. Desborough boys have shared Politics lessons in 6.1, have attended - and contributed to – the 6.2 Conference with St Helen’s and have been coached for the season at 1st XV level by C Social tutor, John Sparks (a

become Head of Sixth Form and a Senior Leader at Desborough for a year, a secondment from Radley - during which time he will put in place the structures and systems we have found to be so effective. These involve training boys in time management and independent learning, in essay writing and note-taking; but he will also head up university advice, and set the intellectual and cultural tone for the 120 Desborough 6th Formers. We are working – with the help of Anthony Robinson, Radley’s Foundation Director - on a programme of distinguished OR visiting speakers for Desborough’s 6th Form, to mirror the 6.2 Lecture cycle Radleians experience, hoping this will stimulate and provoke.

This evolution in the relationship between the two schools is only possible because of the strong support of Council, Warden and Bursar, and of the commitment of many in the Common Room, Heads of Department and dons to engage with the project. The aim is to help establish exemplary standards in teaching and learning at Desborough, but in such a way as to ensure that we learn from the experience, be it dons for whom a different environment can be invigorating, or Radleians for whom challenges to fondly-held prejudices can be equally refreshing.

Andrew Reekes,

formerly Sub Warden, now i/c the Desborough link.

Desborough


Ed TolputtIinterviewed by Jamie Robinson (Twyford, F Social, formerly Second Prefect).

Ed Tolputt joined Radley as a Physics teacher in 2009.

Let’s start… When you left school what did you envisage doing with your working life?

I had no idea. I was about to spend a year singing in Wells Cathedral Choir followed by four years studying engineering at Cambridge, so I suppose, if pressed, I might have predicted becoming a singer or an engineer. But it would have been a wild guess.

A gap year spent singing in a cathedral choir?

It wasn’t meant to be a “finding-one’s-inner-self ” kind of gap year. But I absolutely loved it. Wells is the most beautiful city in England, at the heart of which is a picture-postcard cobbled street, built in 1363 to house the Vicars-choral. I lived at Number 11. The street narrows from one end to the other, making it seem longer: 14th Century false-perspective; that appealed to my inner geek. When I wasn’t singing, I sold ice-creams for £2.50 an hour. If there is such a thing as finding one’s inner self, I did it that year.

So singing. You like singing.

Yes. It was probably the reason I got into Cambridge. At Kings and St John’s they make a place for you if you are good enough for the choir, which means that you aren’t competing academically against the other applicants. A good thing too; I wasn’t great at Engineering, not in Cambridge terms. I failed my exams in the first year (I got what is called a “Special”, which looks rather good on my CV) and nearly got kicked out. Getting into university is one thing, staying in is another.

Do you still sing?

Not so much now; mainly for the Choir of London. Two friends, one of whom worked in East Jerusalem at the time, set up the choir in 2004 for a tour of the West Bank. Since then the project has grown to include an orchestra, an opera company (with Samuel West as director) and a bursary-scheme for young Palestinian musicians. Since 2004, we’ve returned to Palestine four times. The most recent tour was in August this year.

And acting? Weren’t you in Sherlock Holmes?

Well, err, yes but no. I worked on Sherlock Holmes – but I was cut. In fact I wasn’t cut, my scene was reshot with a different actor. Which is much, much worse. A tragic story. But yes – a few years after university, I did a post-graduate course at the Royal Academy of Music and became a Hamlet-quoting out-of-work actor for four years. Actually, I wasn’t penniless because I bill-paid with freelance structural engineering, and I wasn’t always out-of-work. I acted for various people and companies, including a Stephen Poliakoff film called “Friends

and Crocodiles”, which crops up on the TV from time-to-time. I played a weird bloke who knows loads of stuff. The character ages during the film, and my younger self is played by Harry Melling who plays the fat bully cousin, Dudley Dursley, in Harry Potter. I was cast first.

Stephen Poliakoff has an equally mad-haired and epic brother, Martin, who presents “Sixty Symbols” on YouTube, and teaches my Vth form sets everything they need to know about absolute zero.

Which brings you on to…

Ah yes. Teaching. Armstrong and Miller’s immortal words “and then I became a teacher”. Guilty as charged. But I don’t mind. Teaching is a very rewarding job, and Radley is a very rewarding school. So it’s double-plus good. I like doing acting and I like doing singing, but there is nothing I’d rather be than a teacher. Or, rather still, a “schoolmaster”. That’s right – from now on I’m going to call myself a “schoolmaster”.

I think that would suit you, Sir.

RADLEY DONS

Website: www.radley.org.uk . Admissions enquiries: 01235 543174 . [email protected]

Radley Newsletter 16

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