1. education
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re:view
The Grange School // Spring 2015 // Newsletter
Solar Eclipse
at The Grange
Junior School pupils gather
to witness the rare eclipse
EPQ Presentation
Andrew Crook, Academic
Deputy Head, writes an
account of his first EPQ
Presentation evening at The
Grange and why it is
abundantly apparent why the
EPQ programme is one of the
key ingredients in the success
of our Sixth Form.
100% at speech
& drama
return to the
forbidden planet
U11 national
Netball
99 out of 99 pupils at the
Junior School were rewarded
with a Distinction after sitting
external Speech and Drama
examinations this term.
Mr Jones reviews the Senior
School’s spellbinding spring
production of Return to the
Forbidden Planet.
The Prep 6 Netball team
scythed through the ISA
National Netball
Championships.
More on page 10
More on page 16
More on page 08
More on page 03
Come and explore
Open Mornings 2015
For more information contact Admissions
on 01606 74007 or visit www.grange.org.uk
Senior School 11+
Saturday 26th September
9.00am - 1.00pm
Junior School 4+
Saturday 7th November
10.00am - 1.00pm
Head’s
Message
News
By Guy Rands
Reading Re:view at the end of each
term always stimulates a familiar set
of emotions for me: anticipation about
what stories have been selected from
the many that could be shared,
amazement at the diversity of
experiences enjoyed by our pupils and
absolute pride in the personal and
collective excellence displayed by so
many people, young and old(er), from
The Grange School community.
In the Junior School, we have spent
the month of March thinking about the
importance of being thankful, learning
to appreciate so much in our everyday
lives. The pages that follow in this
term’s edition of Re:view only serve to
reinforce the significance of that
message, since it is quickly evident that
The Grange School offers so much to
our pupils that they could all too easily
take it for granted. When looking at the
articles outlining the exploits of our
children, I suspect that many adult
readers dwell momentarily and wish
that they had enjoyed the same
privileges when they were at school!
Of course, this is my first foreword
for Re:view, having only taken up my
position as Junior School Headmaster
at the end of August last year.
Consequently, I should probably take
this opportunity to share my own
immense feeling of gratitude at having
the chance to lead the Junior School.
Having now served in both sections of
the school, I can say unequivocally that
it really is a special place to be a child at
any age from 4 to 18. The pages that
follow are testament to this and I
sincerely hope you enjoy reading
them as much as I have done.
Guy Rands
Headmaster, Junior School
Grange
makes the
Grade again!
The 2014 national
school’s A Level
performance tables
produced by the
Department for
Education made
great reading for
The Grange.
The Grange Class of 2014’s
results placed the school in 59th
place of all schools nationally,
making it 4th in the whole of
the North of England and top
in Cheshire.
The availability of national
added value data this year helped
to amplify this success story,
showing just how well the school
is able to get the best out of its
pupils; the added value score was
better than any equivalent school
and college in the region.
“It is always good to get
affirmation of the standards
that our young people reach in
relation to their peers nationally
and to know that The Grange
continues so obviously to punch
well above its weight as one of
the country’s very best schools.
What is even more pleasing is to
have recognition of the value
that the rounded education we
provide is adding to the lives of
individuals.”
Chris Jeffery, Headmaster
Stop Press • Stop Press • Stop Press • Stop Press • Stop Press
Maths Challenge
The Junior Maths team put in a fantastic performance to win the
regional round of the UKMT Maths Challenge. The team, consisting
of Sam Harding, Kate Samuels, Maddie Brougham and John Young,
will now compete for the national crown during an event to be held
in London in June.
Senior School Life
EPQ
Presentation
Evening
One of the most fascinating things in my first year
as Academic Deputy Head at The Grange has been
discovering the ingredients that give this fantastic
school its distinctive flavour and which feed into its
enviable academic success. Whilst, like brewing guru
and EPQ presenter Duncan Lee, I can only give away
some of the recipe, it is abundantly clear to me that
the EPQ programme is one of the key ingredients
in the success of our Sixth Form. If I needed any
persuading, the EPQ Presentation evening left
me in no doubt.
2/3
News // Senior School Life // The Grange School Spring 2015 Newsletter
I had the privilege of introducing
the evening and explaining what the
EPQ was and the commitment that
had been required for our 15 students
to get to presentation evening. The
EPQ (Extended Project Qualification)
is an in-depth study of a topic of the
student’s choice, conducted over a
year, spanning Lower and Upper Sixth,
and culminating in a 5,000 word essay
and a 20 minute presentation, with
audience questioning at the end. To
get to this point, students had to be
trained in research methods, commit
much of their Summer holidays to
research, and then decide upon and
write up their findings whilst not
neglecting their A level studies.
Studying for an EPQ is entirely
voluntary at The Grange, although
many students find it of huge practical
value, for example in university
entrance.
My first EPQ evening (The
Grange’s sixth) was an absolute
delight. I only saw a small fraction
of the projects that had been
undertaken, but if they were in any
way representative (and I am assured
that they were), the work that went
into them is some of the most
impressive independent study I have
ever seen in a Sixth Form
environment. Speakers spoke with
an assurance, a depth of knowledge,
originality and a passion for their
subject that was truly inspiring. In
more than one case, the process of
study had shaped future career
intentions, and the students’
unbridled enthusiasm for their area
of study was a real privilege to see.
Each talk was totally different to the
previous one, united only in their
quality and their frequent ventures
into areas of expertise way beyond
A level syllabuses. Perhaps the biggest
surprise was the level of support
and engagement from the audience.
Questions and answers are a key part
of the EPQ evening, and our students
did themselves proud in terms of
comprehending, engaging with and
questioning the speakers around
highly specialised areas of study. It
was also very encouraging to see such
high numbers of Lower Sixth students
coming along, in anticipation of
writing their own EPQs next year, and
my plea to families to stay to the end
was entirely unnecessary – no-one
wanted to leave early from an evening
of this quality.
Reflecting on the evening
afterwards, I felt I had seen part of
The Grange’s Sixth Form DNA
first-hand, and the crossover to
students’ A level success was not
hard to see. It had also become a lot
clearer to me why our EPQ results
have been so impressive since 2010
(97% A*-A, and 86% A*), and I came
away with no doubt that this success
would be repeated this year. I also
came away profoundly grateful to Mrs
Eaton and Mrs Hoyle, as well as Mr
Lumley and Mr Wilson, for their
selfless support of these students, not
to mention our small and dedicated
army of staff EPQ supervisors, which
I will be joining this year. As I
contemplate another year of EPQ at
The Grange, I know that we will see
another sustained burst of originality,
scholarship, independence and
discovery which has the potential to
change the academic lives of those
willing to invest in it, and to continue
to influence the academic success of
the school.
Andrew Crook, Academic
Deputy Head
Enigma Code
Dr. James Grime, a Cambridge University mathematician,
came to The Grange to talk to Second Year pupils about
code breaking and maths throughout history, bringing
with him a bona fide German Enigma machine.
In the morning, the Second Year enjoyed a really fascinating talk about the history of code.
Dr. Grime talked about both making and breaking code, from as early as the times of Julius
Caesar. We learned about ancient ciphers and famous code breakers from the past including
Alan Turing and the team of code breakers from Bletchley Park (Station X).
The main attraction of the day was the German Enigma machine that was still in full working order. James
showed and explained to us how it worked and why the Germans thought it to be unbreakable. Then he answered
all of our questions about the talk.
Following this we were given hands-on workshops where, in pairs, we attempted to break codes ranging in difficulty with the help of Dr. Grime,
Sixth-Form mathematicians and Maths teachers. Everyone had great fun breaking the codes in groups and we learned a lot in such a short time.
It was an amazing experience! Henry Oglesby and Harry Barker (Second Year pupils)
Senior School Life
Warning!
House Art
Reading this
will make you
hungry!
This year once again saw a fantastic House
Art competition. The theme this year was each
Head of Houses’ favourite place. Mr Lambert
chose York, Mr Kenyon chose San Francisco, Mr
Robson chose Boston (no surprise there then)
and Mr Boardman (forever romantic) chose Rome.
Members of each house spent time with their Heads of House to find out why they had chosen their
particular place and what made it special, so that the Art would reflect both the individual place and the
character of the person.
The teams worked hard in producing more wonderful work which will be displayed along the Marshall
block corridor, although Mr Robson is keen to send his House’s work over to Boston as a gift to the city.
This year’s judge was Abbie Brace, the Art and Design technician who sadly will be leaving at the end of the
term as she prepares to start her PGCE in Art and Design. Abbie had a very difficult job in finally making her
decision about who would become this year’s house Art champion; in fact she had to deliberate overnight
before announcing the successful house. Well done to everybody who participated in the competition,
students and staff alike.
Science
Olympiads
Sixth Form
pupils took
part, and
excelled, in
Science
Olympiads in
Physics and Biology.
Testimony from
the Holocaust
Students in Third Year of the Senior School heard
the testimony of Mala Tribich MBE, a survivor of
the Holocaust.
Mala spoke to the year group, along with a number of pupils invited
from St Nicholas’ High School, of the horrors she endured as a child in a Polish
ghetto and later in the Ravensbrook and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps.
By the time the appalling Bergen-Belsen camp was liberated Mala had
contracted typhus and was close to death. Mala and her brother Ben
were the only members of her close family to survive.
“It was a privilege for us to welcome Mala Tribich to our school and
her testimony will remain a powerful reminder of the horrors so many
experienced. We are grateful to the Holocaust Educational Trust for coordinating the visit,” said Robin Latham, Head of Religious Studies at
The Grange.
Science Olympiads offer students
a chance to take their studies beyond
the taught AS or A2 course and gain
national recognition for their efforts.
Two groups of Lower Sixth pupils
gained a Commendation and a Silver
award for their work on the Practical
segment of the Physics Olympiad.
The teams worked for a term
investigating the properties of
bouncing balls, using video footage,
careful measurements and
theoretical concepts to produce
a detailed written report.
Two pupils, Richard Metcalfe and
Bobby Hemming gained Bronze and
Commendation awards respectively
in the Physics Olympiad theoretical
competition.
Meanwhile, six of our pupils were
awarded medals for their work in the
Biology Olympiad. Thomas Roe
achieved a Gold award; Laragh
Harvey-Kelly, Oli Pearson, Matthew
Millington , Silver; and Jessica
Morgan, Ajay Kotecha, Bronze.
Participants in both the
Inter and Senior House
Cookery competitions
were given a budget
of just £5 but were
determined to create
dishes fit for a king!
In the Inters section of the
competition the delights on offer
ranged from Cod with Pesto Crust,
potato rosti, sautéed green
vegetables and tomato sauce, to
Lentil & Sweet Potato Curry served
with a cucumber & mint raita and
naan bread.
All pupils performed to an
exceptionally high standard but,
in the end, Dane House just about
snatched victory from Bollin with the
top individual scores being obtained
by Carys Cummins and Josh Hall.
Lillie Prior achieved the highest
individual score. This was due to
the range of skills shown, the
combination of flavours and the
precise cooking methods shown
when producing her Five Spice Duck
with Sesame Noodles with a dessert
of Almond Pear and Amaretto Tart.
Sophie Milne was a very close
second with her Chicken Noodle
Soup & Sushi, followed by Chocolate
Tart.
Only three points separated first
and second place, yet a strong team
effort from Lillie Prior, Sophie Milne
and Nicholas Backhouse was enough
to snatch victory for Bollin ahead of
Gowy.
4/5
Senior School Life // The Grange School Spring 2015 Newsletter
Oxbridge Dreams
Come True
Five of our Sixth Form
students recently became
the proud recipients of
offers to continue their
studies at Oxford or
Cambridge University.
The offers to study at the hallowed
institutions represent the culmination
of an arduous process involving
extensive preparation, rigorous
testing and demanding interviews…
not to mention academic excellence
and enthusiastic participation in a
wide range of enrichment activities
throughout their time at The Grange.
Three of the students hold
Cambridge offers, namely Thomas
Roe to read Veterinary Medicine at
Emmanuel College, and Laragh
Harvey-Kelly and Smriti Ramakrishnan
to read Medicine at Christ’s and
Murray Edwards College respectively.
Two hold Oxford offers: Charlie
Davies to read Geography at Jesus College and Natasha Daly to read
Philosophy and Psychology at Worcester.
“The teachers’ commitment to their subject has allowed me to stretch
myself in my studies as they’ll always be encouraging of students who want
to challenge themselves beyond the scope of the A level course. This alone
stood me in good stead in applying to a university that requires a genuine
interest and passion in your subject.
“I was guided through the application process by a dedicated member
of staff, with regular meetings, which highlights the support and interest
shown by the school in going for such a competitive university course. I am
elated that the effort made is now reflected in an offer and I really value the
support I received,” said Laragh Harvey-Kelly, Lower Sixth Form student.
Life in the
United Nations
A group of our Sixth Formers joined over 3000
students from around the globe to take part
in the International Model United Nations
conference at The Hague recently.
Our students joined forces with those from Cheadle Hulme and
Alderley Edge School for Girls to form a delegation representing the
interests of Tajikistan in the conference, which closely re-creates the
workings of the real United Nations.
There were plenty of issues to be involved in – Tajikistan is a big
player in the field of enriched plutonium – and the delegates
submitted resolutions in every committee. Students had to write
these resolutions before the conference, lobby them and then debate
them in the committee stage.
There was also time for the students to visit the war crimes
tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in the ICTY building opposite the
conference centre, where Radko Mladic was being charged with
alleged genocide.
Luisa Webster and Isaac Hutt shone in their committees, whilst
Emma Booth and Becky Waterworth were outstanding in the Press
delegation, where they worked as part of a 30 strong team producing
a newspaper every day focussing on the conference and world issues.
“Be the Best You Can Be”
A former Army Section Leader who was wounded
in Afghanistan, but who has since recovered to be a
world record breaking member of the Great Britain
cycling team, came to speak to our Sixth Form as
part of the Lectures for Life series this term.
Terry Bryne, who sustained a below the knee amputation and
a damaged right hand, including an amputated little finger in 2008,
used his real life experiences to provoke the students to think about
what they are capable of, and challenged them to be the best that
they can be.
“We were amazed how he had gone on to achieve so much, he
had no regrets and said he would do it all over again. A really
inspirational talk” Lower Sixth Form student.
Travel
A Gambian
Experience
Past groups returning from the annual Project Gambia trip have always
maintained that the experience is a life changing one, but the message has
become no less accurate with reiteration. Arriving at Manchester Airport in the
early hours of the morning, I had expected to return home a week later with a
changed perspective on life, having had the ‘Grange bubble’ popped by
exposure to a country in which, for many, poverty is the reality of everyday life.
While this was certainly the case, I think it would be fair to say that there are
few members of this year’s group for whom The Gambia did not consistently
exceed or defy our expectations.
Over the course of the week, we made three visits
to the Darul Arkam School in Brikama. The welcome we
received on the first of these, complete with marching
band, was overwhelming. The Headmaster, Mr Njie,
made a speech which helped us to understand why our
visit meant so much to them, in terms of what The
Grange has contributed to the development of the Darul
Arkam School, but it was the time spent with the pupils
that was most revealing. The children were eager to talk
to us, to hold our hands, to be photographed with us and
play with us, and it was clear that our visit was not just
significant in terms of what we might bring or do for
them. That we had travelled so far to meet them and
spend time with them was just as, if not more,
important. The cooperation between all of us in the
moving of bricks and clearing the site for the new section
of the school exemplified the strong sense of community
that The Grange has with the Darul Arkam School. The
sadness of our final day at the school was just as telling
– within the strong link between our two schools, real,
personal friendships had been made.
“Land Rover day” was a particularly memorable one.
Everywhere we stopped, we were welcomed warmly. To
see the difference that a bag of rice can make to a family
was a uniquely humbling experience. So was seeing a
lady quite literally dance with joy when given a Grange
branded ‘goody bag’, the contents of which - a few items
of clothing, toothpaste, some stationery - would seem
insignificant to most of us. Witnessing the impact of the
efforts of the Grange community made us proud to be a
part of it - it was hugely satisfying to see the textbooks
finally reach the Gambian Ministry of Education.
Once again, I will echo my predecessors in saying that
the Project Gambia trip has been truly life-changing. The
shift in our perspective lies not only in our experience of
a world beyond our own comfortable one, but in the
attitude of the people we met every day. To the members
of Team Gambia 2015, the word ‘Gambia’ is much more
than the name of a country. It will always be associated
with hospitality, generosity and happiness, irrespective
of wealth or situation, and the sense of community. Our
enduring memories of the aptly named Smiling Coast will
not be what we have done for the people there, but how
they strived to do what they could for us in making us
feel so welcome. We would do well to incorporate a
little of The Gambia into our lives at home.
Sam Williams, Lower Sixth Student
We’ll
always
have
Paris
A select band of Sixth
Form French students
boarded the Eurostar
during the February
half term for a four
day trip to Paris.
The obligatory sights were
seen: Notre dame, Sacré-Cœur,
the Louvre and of course the Eiffel
Tower. However it wasn’t all fun
and games! We had a guided tour
of the Musée de l’histoire de
l’immigration, aiding our AS
course, whilst taking every
opportunity to practice our
French language skills.
Particular highlights were
the views from the top of
Montparnasse, Paris’ only
skyscraper; eating some
traditional crêpes on Pancake Day;
and surviving the Paris Métro at
rush hour. Both the LVI and UVI
would like to thank Mr Howells
and Mrs Kaipainen for organising
such a jam packed trip!
Abi Whitehouse,
Upper Sixth Student
Junior School Life
6/7
Travel // Junior School Life // The Grange School Spring 2015 Newsletter
Smokebusters
Exploration Day
Real life adventurers shared their experiences of
exploring some of the most hostile and challenging
terrains and environments with Prep 2 pupils this term.
The pupils heard stories of adventure, dressed
up in climbing gear, snuggled inside down sleeping
bags and sat in and rocked a kayak used by one of
the explorers on a recent adventure.
Outside they made an emergency shelter
without poles and then huddled inside a two man
tent which was suspended from an aluminium
frame and constructed to withstand very low
temperatures and high winds.
D.E.A.R Reader
Cheshire Fire Brigade’s Smokebusters team
visited the Junior School recently to speak
to Prep 5 pupils. The team underlined the
importance of checking smoke alarms and
having a plan for what to do should a fire
break out at home.
The pupils then moved outside to experience the Smoke Tent.
They were amazed by how quickly the tent filled with smoke and how
thick the smoke was – they were unable to see each other even though
they were standing shoulder to shoulder!
Skipping
Workshop
A fun and energetic time was had by pupils in Preps 2, 3
and 4 as they hopped, bounced and jumped their way
through an inspirational skipping workshop. The
workshop proved to be a great introduction to an activity
that is not only fun but a great cardio workout!
Junior School pupils were encouraged to Drop Everything and
Read (D.E.A.R) to mark World Book Day on the 5th March.
A bell rung at a time unknown to the pupils was the signal for
everyone, staff and children alike, to stop what they were doing,
whip out their favourite book, and enjoy a few moments of reading.
Prep children enjoyed choosing new books to read during the
book exchange, whilst the Pre-Prep children very much enjoyed talking
about books and hearing stories from the Prep 6 children. Kindergarten
were grateful to all the parents who came in to share favourite books and
loved being involved with the stories. All children were listening out during
the day for the bell to ring for the D.E.A.R session and also showed their
creativity in designing Book Tokens for the library competition.
Junior School Life
Speech and Drama
100% Fantastic!
99 out of 99 pupils at the Junior School were
rewarded with a Distinction after sitting external
Speech and Drama examinations this term.
Green Man
Project
Senior School pupils joined forces with their Junior
School counterparts in order to create Green Man
masks in a collaborative art project.
Students discussed and researched the history of the Green Man: a
representation of a face either made from or surrounded by leaves, which
is often found in Churches, engraved in either masonry or wood.
The Senior School students, from 1JEM, then helped their Junior
colleagues to bring their designs to life. There was a lively yet productive
atmosphere in class, with students cutting, moulding and using papier-mâché
to excellent effect.
Both sets of students collaborated extremely well and demonstrated
impressive team work skills, listening and responding to one another’s ideas.
1JEM enjoyed the visit so much that they are hoping to return again soon to
help with another project.
Cycling Proficiency
for the 21st
century
100% of the children achieved Distinctions (the highest
classification available) with four of them, Jessica Brocklebank,
Alice Maxwell-Reid, Harrison Shepherd and Archie Price-Siddiqui,
scoring 100%. The symmetry being only slightly diminished by the
fact that one child was unwell on the day meaning that 99, rather
than 100, took the exam!
The exam consisted of the pupils performing their prepared
dramatic pieces, ranging from poems, excerpts from books,
monologues, duologues, and mimes, for an external examiner.
The ages of the children who took the exam ranged from 7 to 11.
“For 100% of the children who took the exam to gain a
Distinction is a really remarkable achievement. The children worked
so hard preparing their performance pieces for the
exam, so it’s wonderful to see their commitment rewarded so
spectacularly!” said Ms Jess Lloyd, Junior School Speech and
Drama teacher.
Headmaster’s
Walk
Pupils in both the Junior and Senior Schools were given
the skills and experience required to cycle safely and
confidently during ‘Bikeability’ sessions.
Prep 6 pupils took the Bikeability levels 1 and 2 courses. Level 1
consists of off road training in the school grounds, and is designed to
ensure the pupils use the correct starting procedure, can demonstrate
they have full control of their bikes and can use gears correctly. Level 2
introduces the pupils to riding on the roads in an appropriately risk
assessed environment.
Level 3 training, which was undertaken by pupils at the Senior
School, is delivered one-to-one or in groups of up to 3 and is tailored to
the pupils’ individual training needs, such as his or her route to school.
The training is delivered by Cycle Experience and promoted by
Cheshire West and Chester Council.
There was another successful
Headmaster’s Walk around
Delamere Forest in February
with 17 Prep 5 children, 3
Labradors, 1 Greyhound
and a Gruffalo!
8/9
Spotl
ig
ht On
...
Junior School Life // Spotlight On // The Grange School Spring 2015 Newsletter
Matthew Bate
& Harry Craven
Latchen
Kinghorn-Perry
Representing their county
International Young Musician
of the Year Competition
Fourth Year Senior School pupils,
Matthew Bate and Harry Craven,
played rugby for Cheshire at U15
level, helping the county to a 22-17
victory against Lancashire
Senior School pupil clarinetist Latchen KinghornPerry has won the first round of the Rotary
International Young Musician of the Year
competition, and will be representing the North
West in the regional heats in Birmingham.
Oliver
Santini
Slalom Ski Team
Ottilie
Bardsley
GB Pony Dressage
Joining a team of eight
U16s representing GB in an
International pony dressage
at Addington Manor
Selected to join the U12
England SSKIA Ski Team and
will compete in a European
Slalom Competition.
Tess
Hemming
Tetratlon Team
Representing Wales and
Borders Tetratlon Team at
Windsor Horse Show
Katherine
Smith
Equestrian Games
Completed the Welsh Trials and
selected for the Home International
U17s, World Team Championships
and Open Team Europeans
Singers
Hallé Youth Choir
Several Grange pupils have been
honoured to represent the Hallé
Youth Choir performing at the
Whitworth Art Gallery opening, and
featuring on BBC Radio 4.
Lily Miles &
Edward Rands
Regional Dance Festival
Performing at a Regional Dance
Festival Lily secured 1st and 2nd
place in the Junior Classical Duet/Trio,
whilst Edward secured 2nd place in
the Junior Classical Trio.
Oscar Jolliffe
Cheshire County
Swimming
Took part in the Cheshire
County Swimming Gala
achieving a silver medal in the
Freestyle 50M relay and in the
Medley 50M relay.
Music & Drama
Return to the
Forbidden Planet
Let me say immediately that the Senior School’s spring production
simply exhausts my stock of superlatives. Its professionalism,
humour and infectious exuberance combined to make a very special
night in the Grange Theatre.
The show itself is a wonderful 1980s creation by Bob Carlton. It draws upon
Shakespeare’s The Tempest and the classic 1950s B movie The Forbidden Planet,
bringing together colourful characters from both sources and featuring a
marvellous succession of 1950s and 1960s rock and roll and pop songs. Dialogue
is largely - and sometimes liberally - adapted from well-known passages of
Shakespeare, often with hilarious results!
Before the show even began you knew it was going to be quite an
experience, with the remarkable set - or rather the USS Albatross – ready for
its flight into space! It was a superb platform for the acting and singing talents
of the company. All of the principals gave memorable performances. Jonathan
Combey and Harry Sanger were wonderfully convincing as respectively the
mad scientist Dr. Prospero and Captain Tempest. Natasha Shanley and Amelia
Shackleton brought the characters of Gloria and Miranda to life with exceptional
skill and energy. Seb Ritchie was superb as Bosun Arras, while Conor Holland
was brilliantly effective in the role of Ariel the Robot! The role of ship’s cook and
incurable romantic – Cookie – was memorably rendered by Will Prior, while
Ye-Ha!
Luisa Webster gave the proceedings
highly authoritative direction as the
Navigation Officer. They were supported
throughout by a tremendously hard
working and talented crew.
And then there was the music! Mr.
Millinchip’s band provided outstanding
backing and so much more. Rob
Rannard’s guitar solo in She’s Not There had this
ancient reviewer searching out his battered single of the Santana cover version!
Space does not permit adequate mention of everyone else who contributed to
the show but it would be criminal to omit the technical wizardry of Mr. Edwards
and the lighting skills of Mr. Bamber, the superb contributions of everyone
backstage and, of course, the sheer inspiration and expertise of Mrs. Bloor’s
direction. Stellar stuff in every way! Totally cosmic! Mr David Jones
All of the Prep 6 and Prep 4 pupils involved in the
recent production of Ye-Ha! combined to produce
an unforgettable show featuring music, dancing
and great performances all round.
The play, by Craig Hawes, is set in the Wild West, and tells the story
of Wilbur, the new sheriff in Splodge City, a town overrun with baddies.
After much rehearsing, the Junior School pupils brought their spectacular
production to the stage of the Senior School theatre for two rootin’
tootin’ nights.
The whole cast and crew were excellent and a big ‘thank you’ must
go to Miss Lloyd and all the teachers for making the play happen.
Ella Smith and Alice Taylor, Prep 6
To see more images from The Grange School productions please visit www.grange.org.uk
10 / 11
Music and Drama // The Grange School Spring 2015 Newsletter
Orchestral Weekend
at Ilam Hall
Performing
for their
parents
More than one
hundred children
participated in
the Spring Junior
School Informal
Concert.
This concert allows
pupils of standard grade
1 and above to perform in
front of an audience and is often an ideal chance to try out
their pieces before they sit their ABRSM Music exams in the
following weeks.
In a fun-packed and very varied programme, the concert started
with the orchestra playing an arrangement of Grieg’s ‘In the Hall of
the Mountain King’. The Junior School recently took part in the BBC
programmes ‘Ten Pieces’ and this was one of the study pieces.
Next, we were treated to performances by the Preps 5 & 6
Choir, the Preps 3 & 4 Choir and a number of singing groups.
The rest of the programme involved a wide array of individual
performances ranging from oboe pieces such as ‘The Music of the
Night’ from Webber’s Phantom of the Opera, to electric guitar pieces
such as ‘We will, we will Rock You’.
The level of performance was of a high standard and the range
of singing and playing had something to suit every palate!
The annual Orchestral
Weekend is now a
major highlight of
the school’s musical
calendar, and it provides
a wonderful opportunity
for our instrumentalists
to enjoy some intensive
music-making in a
fabulous location.
This year’s trip was our seventh
visit to Ilam Hall, which has become
a real musical ‘home from home’ for
our pupils. Many of them have been
coming to Ilam every year.
Throughout the weekend
everyone enjoyed playing in a variety
of musical ensembles, as well as
completing a guided walk around the
National Trust’s Ilam Estate. Mrs
Bushnell-Wye and Mr Gandee did a
tremendous job once again in
preparing all their groups for Sunday’s
concert back at school in The Grange
Theatre.
The Orchestral Weekend
demonstrates the enthusiasm,
commitment, talent and potential of
our young musicians, and I would like
to thank the pupils and staff who
came to Ilam this year, for all they
did to make it so enjoyable
and successful.
Ben Madden, Senior
School Music Teacher
AJIS Music A First
Festival
for Music
A group of excited Prep 5
Selective Choir members
took part in the AJIS Music
Festival at Bury Grammar
School for Girls in March.
Eight schools participated with the
standard being very high. Each school
prepared two pieces which were to
be contrasting in style and tone.
The adjudicator was glowing in
his assessment of our choir’s
performance praising the balance of
singing parts, intonation, clarity of
text, discipline and musicality.
With such a complimentary report
we thought we had a good chance of
winning, however this time around
the shield was presented to
Birkenhead Prep for their rendition of
‘When I Grow Up’ by Tim Minchin and
‘Power in Me’ by Rebecca Lawrence.
The children displayed lovely
manners throughout – I was proud
to call them my pupils!
Liz Jones, Head of Junior Music
and
Drama
It has become a
Grange School
tradition that the
new First Years
present an evening
of music and drama
at the beginning of
the Spring Term.
This year we formed a choir
consisting of the whole year
group, who prepared two songs
- the current favourite ‘Let it go’
from ‘Frozen’ and a new song by
Steve Pickett especially written
for the Hallé Orchestra’s concert
for schools which the year group
had attended the previous day.
In addition to this, various
individuals and ensembles
performed a wide variety of
musical items, there was a
contribution from the first year
members of Cantores
Roborienses, and some
wonderfully entertaining items
presented by the drama
department.
Out and About
Politics
Expedition
Season
in Full
Swing
Parliament
Trip
A group of Lower
Sixth students
had the opportunity
to see Politics in
action on a visit
to Parliament.
Expedition season is well underway for those involved in the school’s
Duke of Edinburgh scheme with Bronze, Silver and Gold training
weekends already completed.
The students involved in the big expedition to Mustang, Nepal in 2006, have started to plan their
itinerary and have also been involved in fundraising for their community project by holding raffles and
serving refreshments at both the Senior School and Junior School plays.
No fewer than eight recent leavers have gained their Gold awards since Christmas, these are: Rebecca
Holmes, Janet Davies, Chloe Webb, Hayley Pickering, Andrew Bennett, James Shanley, Stephen Szczepanek,
and Millie Hawes. Congratulations to all!
An Audience
with Ishiguro
A group of Sixth Form
English students and staff
travelled to Manchester’s
newly refurbished Central
Library, in order to attend
a talk given by Kazuo
Ishiguro, Booker Prize
winning author of The
Remains of the Day and
Never Let Me Go. Mr
Ishiguro was promoting
his newly published novel,
The Buried Giant, his first
in ten years.
Mr Ishiguro began by reading
the opening few pages of his new
novel, which set the scene of a
bleak Britain, after the time of
the Romans, complete with misty
villages and ogres. He then
answered a great many questions
about this novel and his writing
career. He spoke about the novel
as an exploration of memory and
its failings, considering cultural
memories that have been
collectively, and seemingly
deliberately, forgotten by groups
of people throughout history. He
also revealed his thoughts about
Creative Writing courses and
degrees, and spoke extensively
about his own experience of these
during his career. It was particularly
After a comprehensive tour of
Westminster Palace the students
enjoyed an enlightening discussion
in a committee room with former
Grange student Edward Winstanley,
who now runs the office of Rt Hon
Simon Burns, MP for Chelmsford.
This was followed by an hour
watching Question Time in the
Commons as Foreign Secretary
Philip Hammond answered
questions on a wide variety of
current foreign policy issues.
There was also time for lighter
pursuits on the two day trip to the
capital as the students hit the West
End to take in a production of the
musical Mamma Mia, and were
allowed a few hours sightseeing
before heading home.
Bushcraft
interesting to hear about his
personal method of writing, and
the research that he did to achieve
authenticity in his fantastical
depiction of post-Roman Britain.
Afterwards, many of the pupils
and staff took the opportunity to
meet Mr Ishiguro, and ask him to
sign their copies of his new novel.
This involved queuing for a not
inconsiderable distance, but it was
well worth the wait. The evening
was a thoroughly enjoyable one,
and an inspiration to the budding
writers amongst us!
Sam Williams, Upper Sixth Student
Junior School teachers,
Mrs Pidock, Mrs
Houghton and Mrs
Simpson enjoyed the
‘comfort’ of a shelter
on a bushcraft course
in Delamere Forest!
12 / 13
Charity
Mr Rands
Weigh In
Brothers Anton and Lucas
Ball, in Preps 6 and 5
respectively, challenged
Junior School pupils and
parents to match Mr
Rands weight pound (£)
for pound (lb) in support
of the Joshua Tree
charity.
Out and About // Charity // The Grange School Spring 2015 Newsletter
Very Funny
(honest!) Red
Nose Joke Off
The big Lands-Rands Joke Off during
Junior School assembly helped to raise £380 for Comic Relief.
The children and staff marked Red Nose Day by wearing red
and doing lots of funny things throughout the day. After a very
serious morning meeting, Mr Rands and Mr Land traded jokes in
assembly with Mr Land being decreed the winner – by a nose!
Baking
for a Better
World
The pennies were collected
over the first half of the Spring
Term and, by the time the
fundraiser was brought to a close,
they had collected just over £300,
considerably more than Mr Rands’
weight!
The brothers were motivated to
raise money for The Joshua Tree
Charity after Anton was diagnosed
with a blood disorder at the age of
7 before undergoing a bone marrow
transplant aged 8. Although The
Joshua Tree hadn’t established its
Support Centre at that time, both
Anton and his brother, Lucas,
understand the isolation from their
friends that children with cancer
feel, the gruelling treatment that
they face, and the enormous
benefit of a centre, away from the
hospital, that can provide support,
counselling and an understanding
friend.
Grange pupils have
once again been
making the world a
better place through
the medium of cake.
In the Junior School, Bibi
Lodge in P6J was motivated to
raise money for The Spina Bifida
Charity as she has close family
connections to the disease which
affects around 1 in 100 babies
born each year in the UK. Bibi
was overwhelmed by the
support she had from her
classmates in the baking of
delicious cakes which culminated
in raising over £320 for the
charity.
In the Senior School, pupils in
1ACD raised over £160 for the
school charities by holding a
Valentines Cake Sale. They made
a fantastic effort to bake a
mountain of cakes and worked
as a team to sell them at break
and lunchtime.
Max
and Zoe
Organise
Rugby for
Red Cross
Prep 4 pupils Zoe and Max Hildred raised a
staggering £1,352 for the British Red Cross
during the Christmas holidays through a
Santa Training session at their local rugby
club.
Max and Zoe organised the festive training session utilising
some redundant costumes. “We never fail to be amazed by the
accomplishments of our young people or their consideration and
kindness to others, and this is a prime example” said Mr Rands,
Head of the Junior School.
Old Roburians
Where are they now?
Frances Nobes
Steve Mitchell
It’s hard to believe that it’s nearly 10 years since I bid farewell to
The Grange School. The 14 years I spent there were an excellent
foundation for what was to come, not only educationally but
emotionally and mentally too. The academic rigour that was instilled
and encouraged in me through the school, my teachers and my
friends has served me well since, and I am incredibly grateful for
all the support I received during those years.
After leaving The Grange, I studied International Relations at the University of St Andrews, followed
by a further Masters in Intelligence & International Security at King’s College London. During my
undergraduate degree I spent a year in America studying and working in political roles, including
volunteering for President Obama’s election team as well as interning for the Governor of Maryland.
Studying, living and working in America was a fantastic experience, and I would absolutely recommend
it to anyone who has the option to undertake such an exchange.
Former Grange
student Steve Mitchell
came third in the
1500m at the Glasgow
International Athletics
match in January.
Wearing the Great
Britain vest for the first
time, Steve posted a
time of three minutes
and 43 seconds.
Upon completion of my academic studies, I interned as a research associate at the National Defense
University in Washington D.C., which is a national security institution focused on advancing education,
leadership development and scholarship among the US Armed Forces. On my return, I began working
for a security consultancy firm in London, and have been progressing in that industry for the past four
years. During that time, I’ve worked on a range of security issues including small-scale domestic
extremism, security assessments for large corporations operating in hostile environments, and assessing
security threats such as domestic and international terrorism and kidnapping for ransom and extortion.
Needless to say, there’s never a dull moment! My work so far has presented some really interesting
opportunities – most recently the offer to appear on Sky News to discuss several security issues
including the Sydney hostage situation in December 2014 and the threat of kidnapping posed by the
Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.
At moments such as this, I am keenly aware of how fortunate I am to have a career which I not only
enjoy but in which I can progress. The competition in the job market is fierce, and having distinguishing
traits is increasingly important to make you stand out from the hundreds of other qualified applicants.
For my part, many of the points I consider to be my stand-out features were fostered at The Grange;
dedication, patience, purpose and inquisitiveness, and I am indebted to my teachers (specifically Mrs
Kerr and Mr Jones) and likeminded peers who encouraged these characteristics during my time at
The Grange. It turns out, being a geek at school really does pay off!
Frances Nobes
Senior Intelligence and Security Analyst
OLD
Roburian
drinks in the
CITY
Meet up and mingle with fellow
Old Roburians at our annual
‘Drinks in the City’
The Alchemist
Bevis Marks, London
Wednesday 13th May 2015
Cocktails and Canapés from
5.30pm – 8pm
RSVP: email Roburians@grange.org.uk or
call Sharon on 01606 74007
If you would like to
receive information
about the Old
Roburians and/or
find out what is
currently happening
at the school please
sign up on the
website, email
roburians@grange.
org.uk or follow
us on facebook.
Gareth Hughes
Dressage Star
Old Roburian, Gareth Hughes,
has become a star in the world
of dressage since leaving The
Grange over twenty years ago.
Gareth is a member of the British
Championship Dressage team and in
August 2014 competed in the World
Equestrian Games in Caen, France,
where he helped Team GB to a Silver
medal. In 2013, he was part of the
Bronze Medal winning team at the FEI
European Dressage Championships,
capping off a phenomenal year in
which he also won two Nations Cup
team competitions. Over the past 10
years Gareth has amassed more than
30 National and International Titles
including International wins at Small
Tour and Grand Prix, both in the UK
and abroad.
In 2011, Gareth, along with his
wife Rebecca, set up Hughes Dressage
(www.hughesdresage.com), a world
class dressage centre in Warwickshire,
where Gareth is in great demand as a
trainer. He was recently the subject of
an hour long documentary on Horse
and Country TV.
Sport
Best Ever
Hockey
Showing
14 / 15
Old Roburians // Sport // The Grange School Spring 2015 Newsletter
North ISA Junior
Football Champions
The North ISA Junior
Football finals were
hosted by The
Grange and our
teams marked the
occasion with some
terrific performances
and results.
The Grange U14 Hockey team played fantastic hockey in
the Cheshire Finals and came very close to claiming the
county title.
The team played brilliantly to beat Wilmslow 2-1, but this was followed by
a narrow loss against Queens after a decisive penalty flick was awarded against
us. Although we knew, following the loss against Queens, that we could not win
the Cup, the team went into their final game, against Kings, in the knowledge
that a draw would be enough to secure second place. The Grange went one up
five minutes into the game but Kings managed to pull it back to 1-1 with three
minutes to go, and that’s how it remained.
The result meant the team became Cheshire runners up; the best ever
result for a Grange hockey team!
After beating Highfield Prep, our Prep 6 team were through to the final
against Redcourt. Keeping to our passing philosophy we soon took a
well-deserved lead with a goal from the captain, Jamie Round. Two further
goals from Matthew Williams and Deklan Hodson, added to a Redcourt own
goal, meant the team deservedly held aloft the ISA Cup at the end of the
afternoon!
Silver and
Bronze
at ISA National
Netball
Liverpool College
8s Tournament
The Grange Senior football team put in a string of fantastic
performances emerge victorious for the fourth year running
from the Liverpool College 8s Tournament.
The tournament involves 12 schools from across the North of England
in an exhausting 8-a-side format. Having managed two draws and one
win, the boys went into the final group phase game against Manchester
Grammar School needing a win to progress; under pressure the team
came up trumps with a very impressive 3-0 win to see them safely
through to the knock outs.
The team survived a tight semi-final in order to set up a final against
Rishworth School. We went ahead early in the game through Alfie
Gyurkovits but then had to defend very well to stay ahead, with Ross
Laidlaw pulling off some fantastic saves. Then, with the full time whistle
about to go, the ball dropped to a Rishworth player who, with the last
kick of the game, finished well to leave the match to be decided by
penalties.
A faultless success rate by the Grange penalty takers and another fine
save by Ross Laidlaw resulted in the boys successfully defending the title
once again!
After a fantastic run of form,
which has seen our U14 netball
team become mid-Cheshire
and North ISA champions, the
squad arrived at the ISA
National tournament with
confidence high.
They continued in this good
form during the competition
winning their section with ease.
They beat Hull in the semi-final
securing the silver medal. They then
faced Princethorpe in the final and
met their match for the first time
this season, losing a tight match
11-8.
The senior team faced very
strong opposition but they were
seen as the team to beat. They
played some lovely netball
throughout the day but were
beaten by Queen Ethelburga’s
College and Princethorpe. However,
they secured the bronze medal with
some fantastic victories including
beating Alderley Edge 9-2 and wins
of 15-1 and 11-5.
Although neither team became
champions they proved that they
belong amongst some of the very
best teams in the country.
AJIS
Indoor
Athletics
An enthusiastic team of
Prep 5 and 6 athletes
produced our strongest
ever showing in the
annual AJIS Indoor
Athletics championship
in Wigan.
All our boys and girls pushed
themselves hard, wanting to do
themselves and the school proud,
and their efforts were rewarded
with 20 of the 32 athletes coming
away with at least one medal.
Special mention must go to
William Edwards and Matthew
James, who both set new AJIS
Indoor records for the soft javelin,
and Alice Maxwell-Reid and James
Kendall who recorded new
records for the balance and one
lap sprint respectively.
16
Sport
Sport // The Grange School Spring 2015 Newsletter
London Rowing
Spectacular
The Grange Rowing Club took 83 pupils, and a veritable fleet of boats, to London in March
to compete in regattas on the Thames and Dorney Lake.
First up was the Schools Head of the River which saw two boys and two girls crews from The Grange joining 340
Junior crews to race on the university boat race course. It was some spectacle and the rowers and coxes did us all proud.
The next day the action moved to Dorney Lake where Grange crews produced yet more encouraging performances
beneath the inspirational Olympic rings emblazoned on the bridge.
Pupils to Contest
National Football Festival
Senior School pupils Jensen Weir and Cameron Duff, have been
selected for the North West’s U13 football team that will take part in
the ISFA Shrewsbury Festival of Football.
As part of the North West team the boys are set to pit their skills against
regional teams comprised of the best independent school footballers in
the country. Apart from the opportunity to make friends and play football
at a high level, the festival also provides the prospect of selection for the
ISFA’s National set-up at U14 level.
Ashley Hogg:
8 Mile High
Grange Sixth Form student Ashley
Hogg underlined his status as an
elite level international open water
swimmer at the prestigious Midmar
Mile in Durban South Africa at the
beginning of February.
As well as showing that he can mix it
with the world’s best, Ashley also became one of only a select handful of athletes
to join the “8 Mile Club”. Membership of this exclusive club requires the athlete
to complete all eight of the one mile races that are held over the course of the
weekend. Ashley won a number of these races and donated his prize monies for
doing so to charities supported by the event.
The final mile-long race was the big one – the main elite race which is
contested by the leading senior racers from around the world. Ashley went into
this race having already completed seven miles of competitive racing but still
managed a tremendous seventh place finish. The race, which was contested by
1,327 athletes, was won by Chad Ho the 2012 World Cup winning swimmer. The
top 10 swimmers all received prize money which Ashley, once again, donated to
the official charities.
The whole event culminated in the 10k ‘Olympic Marathon’ swim in which
Ashley beat off opponents from America and Britain to finish 2nd behind the
senior Greek international competitor.
Further events from life at The Grange can
be found on our website: www.grange.org.uk
Contact
The Grange Senior School
Bradburns Lane, Hartford
Cheshire, CW8 1LU
T 01606 74007
F 01606 784581
E office@grange.org.uk
ISA National
Cross Country
After extremely impressive
regional qualifying performances,
no fewer than eleven Grange
School students travelled to
Princethorpe to represent the
North at the National ISA Cross
Country Championships.
Grange pupils were present in
three of the four age groups with
all of the races beginning with a
long, narrow and muddy climb.
Stand out results included Prep 6
pupils Kate Sherry and William
Batchelor finishing 24th and 25th
in the U12 Girls and Boys races
respectively; Toby Abbot and
Matthew Kenyon managed 17th
and 20th in the U14 Boys race;
Joanna Ravenscroft provided The
Grange’s top finish of the day
coming 12th in the U16 Girls race
with Ellie Cushen not far behind in
16th; and Jonathan Dufty
managed 30th in the U16 Boys
category.
All competitors gave it their
all and should be proud of two
achievements; firstly qualifying
for the Nationals and secondly
posting superb performances for
The North.
Nine Medals
at National
Swimming
Championships
A number of Grange pupils
represented The North at
the ISA National Swimming
finals, which was held at the
Olympic Pool in London.
Ashley Hogg became a
double National ISA champion
with Gold in the individual
medley and freestyle, as well
as Bronze in the Freestyle relay.
Rachel Howard and Phoebe
Bradshaw both claimed Bronze
medals in the individual medley
and backstroke events
respectively, and Tash
Thompson, Tessa Hemming,
Ellie Cushen, Matt Newton all
claimed Bronze medals in the
relays to bring the Grange medal
tally to nine!
The great performances
from all the Grange swimmers
contributed to a second place
finish for the North in the overall
standings.
stop press • stop press
The Prep 6 Netball team scythed
through the ISA National Netball
Championship but couldn’t quite
get over the line in the final,
finishing runners-up on a
memorable day for all!
The Grange Junior School
Beechwood Avenue, Hartford
Cheshire, CW8 3AU
T 01606 77447
F 01606 784581
E prep@grange.org.uk