ISSUE No. 149 WINTER 2011 School News EDITOR E DITORIAL Richard Hudson Churchill’s Hall We have received this week the sad news of characteristic style as though it were a visit to Shrewsbury School Richard Raven’s death. I hope I may be the dental hygienist. I of course agreed to an Shrewsbury forgiven for jumping the gun and paying my extension on the original deadline: it even gave SY3 7AT own tribute with a couple of reminiscences, the me a frisson of excitement to do this to Tel: 01743 280630 second hardly even a reminiscence, as it was someone who was formerly my teacher. The [email protected] so recent. The first was my first ever encounter new delivery date was to be five or so days after with him, and the second my last. his operation. In the event, he posted the ASSISTANT EDITOR I arrived at Shrewsbury in 1967. I had not remainder of the obit section off to me on his Annabel Warburg attended a prep school and it was necessary way to the hospital from which he would not for me to learn some Greek very quickly. RNER return alive. OBITUARIES EDITOR agreed to give me a crash course at his house In the context of our Salopian community, I Richard Raven on Kennedy Road. I was in Moser’s and he was think these two stories are really about service, an old Moserite, so a bond was quickly formed. that quality without which a school such as this Old salopian club Actually, my main memory, apart from an could not possibly function. Michael impression of him as a kind man who – or more Charlesworth, Michael Hall, Mark Mortimer and Alex Baxter (Director) accurately whose solicitous wife – gave me a now Richard Raven, four of the giants of my Miriam Walton (Administrator) delicious tea and was a very effective teacher, Salopian youth; very different characters, and Old Salopian Club was of their cats, Hannibal and Hasdrubal, who not always comfortable with each other, but The Schools were rather more interesting to me than the united by this one great quality, a sense that Shrewsbury intractable Greek verbs which did not fit into service to the Salopian community is primarily SY3 7BA nice neat categories like their Latin what the privilege of being a member of it Tel: 01743 280891 (Director) counterparts. We move on 44 years to just over means. 01743 280892 (Administrator) a week ago, when Richard rang me to discuss Read the pages which follow and see what a the delivery of his ‘obit’ section of this magazine thriving place the Shrewsbury School of 2011 Front cover: of which he has been the skilled and is. Men such as RNER laid the foundations for Sponsored Walk 2011. Winning pupil prodigiously efficient editor for the past few the 21st century school which, in all essentials, photo by Aut Angpanitcharoen (Ch) years. He told me – cheerfully – of his it seems to me, differs only in scale from the impending heart operation, downplayed in one I first encountered in 1967. Bumps 2011. Head of Division II. Rigg’s chasing Churchill’s. See page 34 2 School News A CADEMIC NEWS – NEW RECORDS SET EXAM RESULTS exams were awarded either A* or A grades, and 81% were awarded an A*, A or B grade. GCSE/IGCSE Our Fifth Formers’ outstanding 2011 GCSE results have broken all PRE-U DISTINCTION recent records. 98% of the exams taken were passed at grades Many congratulations to those students who have received special A* – C, and 40% of the exams were awarded an A* grade – the recognition from the University of Cambridge International highest that the School has ever recorded. An impressive 68% of Examinations Board for their outstanding achievement in the exams were awarded either A* or A grade. Ten boys gained straight Cambridge Pre-U examinations. The following were all awarded A* grades in all their subjects. the highest grade, Distinction 1 (Distinction 2 being the equivalent We are delighted to be in the position of awarding honorary of an A*). scholarships to the following six pupils who gained straight A* Lower Sixth French students: Jack Flowers, Kiran Morjaria, grades and were not already academic scholars: Tabitha Price, Linus Plassmann. Tom Bland (Rt), Harry Cox (Rb), Mark Lawley (S), Edward Lloyd Upper Sixth Physics students: Mohamed Janahi, Stephen Lilico, (Rt), Edward Mallett (S), Libby Naylor (EDH) Thomas Elcock. A further three honorary exhibitions have been awarded to the Upper Sixth French student: Philip Lackner. following pupils who were not already academic scholars and who gained nine A* grades plus one A grade (or similar): Martin Chow (SH), Lucinda Emms (MSH), James Steele (O). A LEVEL AND PRE-U Our recent leavers from the Upper Sixth have also broken records with their A Level and Pre-U exam results. 2011 is a particularly tough year for university applications, but despite the extra competition, the vast majority of our leavers have achieved the grades they needed to continue to their chosen universities. The average UCAS points per candidate was our highest ever at 401.0. Well above 99% of the exams taken were passed, and a record- breaking 22% of our exams were at the top A* grade. We had 160 A Level candidates this year, of whom 60 (38%) achieved three or more A*s or As, or the Pre-U equivalent, and an outstanding 13 students achieved three or more A* grades. In total, 56% of our Jack Flowers and Kiran Morjaria Tabitha Price GCSE Awards 2011 3 School News S ECOND GIRLS’ BOARDING HOUSE OPENS There was a buzz of excitement and anticipation, as more than 150 scholar and great-great-granddaughter of Emma and Charles guests celebrated the formal opening of the School’s second girls’ Darwin. She read from her acclaimed biography of Charles Darwin, boarding house, Emma Darwin Hall. Bright September sunshine which centred on his marriage to Emma. She spoke of the meant that guests were able to admire the courtyard and newly shattering effect on the eight-year-old Charles of the death of his planted garden before gathering in the central hall where, overseen mother, of his meeting with his cousin, Emma Wedgwood, his by Peter Hankin’s stunning portrait of Emma Darwin, the formal proposal, their life together and the loss of two of their ten children, speeches were given. which profoundly affected them. Her personal insight into their lives Headmaster Mark Turner paid tribute to all those who had helped and marriage brought Emma Darwin vividly and inspiringly to life. bring Emma Darwin Hall to life and spoke about Emma Darwin There was no doubting that she was an intelligent and stimulating herself, who embodied the artistry of her father’s family (the life companion for Charles. “Had she been alive today,” Ruth Padel Wedgwoods), the scientific intellect of her mother’s family (the said, “Emma would probably have had her own highly successful Allens) and the philosophical non-conformism of her husband, career as well as a family.” Charles. Speaking of the house that bears Emma Darwin’s name, Ruth Housemistress Kait Weston expressed sincere gratitude to Sara Padel was sure that “Emma and Charles Darwin would have been Hankin, Housemistress of Mary Sidney Hall, for her wisdom and extremely enthusiastic about the project. They would have been expertise. She reflected on the value of role models such as Emma delighted to see it open.” Darwin for the girls in the house, before introducing a much more Replying on behalf of all the guests – and in particular the first recent role model: Gessica Howarth, one of the first intake of Sixth generation of Emma Darwin Hall girls – Isabella Barber, Head of Form girls, who is currently studying Mathematics at Oxford House, expressed heartfelt thanks to Ruth Padel for performing the University while also rapidly establishing an exciting career for official opening of the house and sharing her time and wisdom so herself as an opera singer. generously. Gessica’s beautiful performance of an aria by Handel was followed by a fascinating and moving speech by Ruth Padel, poet, Left to right: Isabella Barber (Head of House), Mark Turner, Ruth Padel, Kait Weston (Housemistress) 4 School News Emma Darwin Hall Happy new inmates ! Kait Weston, the first Housemistress of Emma Darwin Hall 5 School News A VE Richard Charters has joined the Spanish Faculty on a temporary Academy of integrated Sports and Arts, which I thoroughly enjoyed. full-time basis. He has previously taught at Oundle and Haileybury. Outside of teaching and coaching I enjoy a range of sports, from His sporting interests include tennis and football. playing netball to cycling to running various distances from 5k to half marathons. Currently I am taking an active role in the Girls’ Steve Clancy writes, ‘I have joined the PE Department as a Hunt. However most recently I have got the bug for triathlons and graduate sports coach, having graduated from Loughborough started to compete within the discipline. My other interests include University with a first class honours degree in sports science. Before travelling, shopping and outdoor pursuits.’ I went to university I was thought to be a promising footballer and played for Aston Villa from the age of 13-18, playing in youth cup Daniel Ithurbisque has been appointed Bordeaux Fellow 2011-12. semi finals and regular reserve fixtures. I also represented England He has a Masters in Criminology from the Judicial Studies Institute at U16, 17 and 18 levels, fortunate enough to play alongside some in Bordeaux. current Premier League stars.