OPs at the Table From the Archives Tasty ways to earn a crust Gonville Place revisited School News Bridging the Years Sixth Formers victorious OP’s expert view on in the Bank of England pupil’s research competition Gift Gift An Enduring An Enduring From the Archives 16 07 Gonville Place revisited OPs at the Table 16 Tasty ways to earn a crust In Response 22 Pupil’s research work reviewed by OP 400th Anniversary 31 Celebrations update Older and wiser... a school that is 399 not out has seen a lot of history. With 400 years of teaching and learning experience, The Perse is well placed to look beyond educational fads and concentrate on what makes a great school. No school can be better than the sum of its teachers, and this edition of OP News includes the obituary of the remarkable Keith Symons who created the CCF Naval Section and used it to develop teamwork, communication, leadership, resilience, and independence. Brilliant teachers inspire young minds, and The 02 Perse is fortunate to have so many enthusiastic, committed, and caring staff. Great schools know that talents come in many different 31 shapes and forms. We are delighted that four Perseans have been selected to represent the UK in academic Olympiads, and that Perse teams reached the national finals in indoor hockey, outdoor hockey, netball, and golf competitions. Beneath the headline successes great schools value the achievements of all their pupils emphasising that endeavour matters most of all. Great schools need excellent facilities to maximise pupil learning. We are very excited about our performing arts centre project, and the high class performance, assembly, lecture, exhibition and social space it will create. Designed by Stirling Prize winners Haworth Tompkins, the performing arts centre will transform The Perse site. But schools are nothing without pupils. The Perse benefits from being a community of talented children who spark off one 22 another to achieve great things. It is right that in our 400th year we are working hard to increase our means-tested bursary provision so that the benefits of a Perse education are open to all children irrespective of family wealth. Ed Elliott Headmaster Old Perseans / Spring 2015 16 12 03 08 06 07 School News / Academic & Sport Olympiads LES DÉbatteurS EN FiNALE NatiONALE Gold Sixth formers Monty Francis (U6) Linguistics – 1 and Tom Fane (L6) won the regional Physics – 11 final of the Independent Schools’ Silver Biology – 7 Bronze French Debating Competition, Linguistics – 2 Chemistry – 11 Linguistics – 7 securing them the honour of Biology – 11 Biology – 8 representing the Eastern Region at Chemistry – 20 Chemistry – 17 the national final. Students from over 80 independent Our students have achieved considerable success in recent subject Olympiads. schools took part in the competition, These national competitions, often spanning several rounds, are notoriously with only 10 teams being selected challenging, pushing students beyond the syllabus. The Perse punches well for the national final. Monty and Tom above its weight in these contests with, for example, eight of the 50 top Physics came in a very respectable joint fifth Olympiad One awards going to Perse students. In the Mathematics Olympiad, 12 place, narrowly missing qualification students received Distinctions. to the semi-final on the day by just one point. Félicitations, boys. Special mention goes to Thomas Read (Y11) who reached the national round of the British Informatics Olympiad, making him one of the top 15 young 04 programmers in the country; Jamie Bamber (U6) who has been asked to represent the country at the International Physics Olympiad in Mumbai; and William Drake (U6) who has been selected to compete for the UK in the International Chemistry Olympiad in Azerbaijan. Alex Harris (L6) will be part of the UK and Ireland team for the Balkan Mathematical Olympiad and Rosie Cates (Y11) is representing the UK at the European Girls’ Mathematical Olympiad in Belarus. New F.R Leavis TArGET 2.0 Success Society Founded A society named after F.R. Leavis, the twentieth century influential literary critic and Old Persean, has been formed at The Perse. The aim of the society is to enrich A level Four sixth formers have won the leading economics journalist. Hannah students’ understanding of the critical National Finals of the Bank of Kirk (U6), Jack Kleeman (U6), Alex debates surrounding English studies; England Target 2.0 competition. Harris (L6) and Ciaran Flaherty (L6) its subject matter will also appeal The Finals were held at the Bank proposed what the Deputy Governor to students studying related Arts and judged by the Deputy Governor called ‘a daring rate rise’, and secured subjects, including History, Politics of the Bank, two members of the first place with the strength of their and Philosophy. Monetary Policy Committee and a argument and supporting evidence. Old Perseans / Spring 2015 NATiONAL HOcKEY ruGBY BOYS SUCCESS mAKE THE LAmBS A phenomenal hockey season saw four teams make the national finals. Hugo Chambré (U6) and Peter Gordon (U6) have been selected for The The U16 and U18 boys’ indoor hockey Independent Schools Lambs Rugby Club. The Lambs is an invitational side teams played well with excellent that selects from the best independent school players who are not part of an performances from individuals. academy at a professional club. This club is an ideal route to high level rugby Although this wasn’t enough to take for our pupils who are balancing high-academic achievement alongside their them to the semi-finals, it is still sporting careers. Players are nominated by their school teachers and have a huge achievement to reach this to progress through regional and north/south matches to win a place in the stage. The U16 girls’ hockey team, in national team. OP Josh Gray played for The Lambs in 2013. their first appearance at the National Schools Indoor Hockey Finals, There was rugby success for younger pupils too when the U13s sevens progressed all the way to the final, added to Perse silverware with their victory in the Northampton Saints Elite finishing runners-up to defending Insurance Cup. The boys will return to Franklin’s Gardens for a curtain closer champions Repton School. Repton to Northampton’s premiership game against London Welsh. also brought the U18 boys’ outdoor hockey campaign to an end; the team took 4th place in their national finals. Added to this, two Perse sports players have been selected TEAM for the England Hockey squads. Tess Howard (Y11) and Zaman Akhter (Y11) have been selected to represent EFFORT their country in the girls’ and boys’ national U16 Hockey squads. WINS THE 05 NETBALL 1st Vii DAY mAKES HistorY The Perse 1st VII netball team have This year, The Perse U13 girls’ made Perse and county history team won the County round of the by reaching the National Schools’ National Lady Taverners Indoor Netball Finals this year. The team Cricket tournament, which means should be incredibly proud of all they progress to the Regional Finals. that they have achieved; to qualify In the final the team bowled out for the event, train rigorously the opposition in just six overs. and then to play in extremely This was a true team effort and the GOLF TEAm iN competitive matches against some girls should be commended for the NatiONAL FiNALS very talented netball schools is a quality of play throughout the day. fantastic achievement. The U15 girls’ team won the first The Perse Senior Golf Team of Perse Invitational Tournament in Christie Woosey (U6), Michael April. This event, and the local Pepper (L6) and Robin Anand schools’ league launched last year, (L6) has won the regional final have been created by Perse staff of the Independent Schools Golf to offer girls more opportunities to Association Matchplay Tournament. compete in this sport. The National Finals took them to Prince’s Golf Club and Royal St. George’s, home to The Open on many occasions. The team finished 18th and will be looking to reach the National Finals again next year for the chance to compete on the Old Course at St. Andrew’s. School News / Extra Curricular FuLL HOuSE FOr Our HOuSE The Perse Players enjoyed performing to a packed ADC Theatre in their three-night run of Madness musical Our House. Led by Director in Residence Matt Hawksworth and Head of Extra-Curricular Music Ben Wingfield, the production provided stretching roles not just for performers but also for the School’s new Technical Theatre Club. During the rehearsals, pupils received a ‘break a leg’ video message from Mike Jibson, star of the original West End production, and a surprise visit from the cast of Rent, also at the ADC. ANNuAL rOTArY cLuB Joan Rodgers TEcHNOLOGY cHALLENGE Masterclass Seven Year 9 students took The Perse Music Department was part in the annual Rotary Club delighted to welcome acclaimed Technology Challenge alongside soprano Joan Rodgers to school other Cambridge Schools recently. Joan delivered an excellent including: Impington Village masterclass to nine of our senior College, Linton Village College, singers in front of an audience of The Leys School, St Mary’s School over 70. She performed for us at and St Bedes Inter-Church School. the beginning of the afternoon, 06 Each year a new engineering singing some Tchaikovsky followed challenge is set, usually involving by a dramatic and funny Mozart Shooting teams from Year 10 woodwork, electronics and the Aria. These performances proved and Sixth Form have recently application of the laws of physics. inspirational not just for those taken part in the Four to Shoot All of the students did extremely singing in the masterclass but also Championship finals, with well, but a special mention goes for the whole audience.