Fullerian 2019-20 Editor’s Note When I became editor of the Fullerian, the then headmaster pointed to all the copies of the previous magazines held in his study and said they reflected the very life and ethos of the school, and were held for posterity. Each year, three copies of the magazine are placed in the library and have, on occasion, been taken out and used as historical references. But what was going to happen this year when school trips, visits and musical events were cancelled from early March and then, finally, the school buildings themselves were closed on March 20th to the majority of students? The annual music report is shorter this year, with spring, summer and chamber concerts cancelled; there are no cricket or Sports Day reports and the number of visits and trips are very few. However, school did carry on for students and teachers in a different form. Teachers had to become accustomed to unfamiliar (to some teachers and a fair few students) technology, and students had to develop skills in independent learning, very rapidly, in very unusual circumstances. But from all of this emerged some outstanding work, and a large section of this Fullerian has been given over to celebrating the resilience and determination our students have shown to work in a very different manner from usual. In addition, you’ll find some evidence of extracurricular activities continuing, albeit on a modified basis, and some of our students taking advantage of Lockdown to pursue their own personal interests. Thank you to all those students, members of staff and parents who have helped provide contributions for this issue. GA John Dunne – Design and Artwork For many years now, John Dunne has ‘put the Fullerian together’ from the articles and images that have been sent to him, many flooding in as the deadline approaches. As usual, there have been last minute changes, last minute requests to add articles, and difficulties with images that aren’t sharp enough for reproduction. John always remains calm and has a sympathetic understanding of the importance to students of seeing their piece of work in the magazine. This year’s magazine has been a particular challenge: the usual long established sections into which articles can easily slot have changed and we have had to try and create new sections, Lockdown Work, and Lockdown Life, and move things around to fit in as much material as possible in what has been a particularly text heavy edition. I am extremely grateful to John for his patience and expertise with this year’s edition. GA The Fullerian 2019-20 Headmaster’s Notes 2 School Life 4 CONTENTSEnglish 26 Lockdown Work 34 Lockdown Life 43 Trips and Exchanges 56 Students’ Work 68 Music 76 Art 81 Sport 86 Staff Leavers 96 Climate & Enviroment 98 School Prizes 104 Editor: G Aitken Design: Many thanks to John Dunne. Thank you very much to all those who helped with the production of this year’s Fullerian. Watford Grammar School for Boys Rickmansworth Road, Watford WD18 7JF. Telephone: 01923 208900 Fax: 01923 208901 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.watfordboys.org Twitter: @WBGSExcellence HEADMASTER’S NOTES unprecedented /Λn'prεsΙdεntΙd/ adjective never done or known before. word we have come to hear with increasing Our normal operations may have been compromised, regularity over the course of the last 9 months. but I truly believe that our boys will have learnt more about It has been used to justify the extraordinary themselves and the world as they have borne witness to this restrictions to our lives and to excuse the period. Some of our students will lead lives that will extend into limitations in humanity’s response to the the 22nd Century and it is inevitable that they will encounter challenges presented. It has also been used more unprecedented episodes as the history of humanity Ato explain why we simply don’t know how the future will pan unfolds. They may have to deal with further pandemics, the out from this point. Listening to various news reports and consequences of climate change and the biodiversity crisis, ministerial briefings, the opportunity to play ‘unprecedented’ geopolitical realignment and population explosions or collapse. bingo provided a very small measure of light relief, in an Whatever comes their way, the attributes and skills that they otherwise troubling and uncertain period. will have acquired during this period will serve to develop Since our foundation in 1704, we have operated on characters who can face and change the world, however different sites, under different systems of governance and uncertain and novel their predicament. I am extremely proud of throughout numerous wars, including the Napoleonic, Boer and our community and I hope that you will be similarly impressed World Wars, but we have always remained open to all of our as you read through this unique and unprecedented edition of students in each successive year. Until this year. Our closure, the Fullerian. along with all other schools was, well … unprecedented! This Ian Cooksey has been a significant moment in the history of the world, our nation and our school. In this edition of the Fullerian magazine, we have been able to capture first-hand accounts of our students, our parents and our staff to record for posterity. We are well-blessed with an incredible archive of material spanning the history of our school and we have sought to add to this as we live through these extraordinary times. I have often said that there is so much more to education than examinations and that we need to be preparing our students for a rapidly changing world. However, I had never anticipated that our boys would receive an education without any examinations or that the world could change so dramatically, so suddenly. This period has provided a test, but also an opportunity for our community to rise to the challenges and develop the attributes that mark out a Fullerian. We have been able to witness a remarkable level of agility and adaptation from our staff and students in seeking to sustain learning throughout the period of lockdown, often with imaginative approaches. Our community has demonstrated resilience, initiative and collaborative endeavour. Most importantly there have been many examples of kindness and care for others, some of which we have captured in these pages. 2 THE FULLERIAN 2019-20 Remote Teaching ust ten years ago it would have asleep? Did everyone understand, or been considered practically were they looking at the screen with a impossible. Twenty years ago it confused expression on their faces? The would have been quite literally, platform for teaching over the coming small interactions around school were technologically, impossible. More months. Remote teaching techniques missing, a greeting in passing through than thirty years ago it would were as varied as techniques seen in the a corridor, a year 7 student proudly Jhave sat comfortably within the realm of classroom during more normal times. informing me that they had completed science fiction. But from Monday, March Some lessons were delivered over a their homework on time this week, a 23rd 2020, every class, of every subject, video call, or in a live school ‘chat room’, cheeky year 10 student asking if I had in every year group was taught entirely others required some good old-fashioned enjoyed my rice salad lunch in order to remotely. careful reading and comprehension, stall the start of the final lesson of the Without wanting to wear out the while pre-recorded lessons with a day. words ‘unprecedented’ and ‘unthinkable’ webcam and slides allowed a teacher Yet, there is much that students any further, the sudden drastic change to to explain more complex topics. (The and staff can take from what is often education in late March was truly without... Headmaster was an early adopter of referred to as a ‘disruption’ to teaching well, precedent. Decades (dare we say this for staff briefings, allowing staff to and education. Students have been centuries?) of collective classroom teaching track the rise and fall of his wonderful required to learn substantial topics experience were temporarily shelved, albeit lockdown barnet). independently, a skill that would usually still within easy reach. Naturally, protocols It is interesting to note what is be introduced to sixth formers, and and preparation for remote teaching had missed when teaching remotely. Despite mastered whilst at university. Staff have been in place during early 2020, but the spending a small, but significant, portion reconsidered how content and topics in reality of the first few weeks still required of my last few years asking my year 8 their subject might be delivered. Above some remarkable adaptation from students classes to be quiet and listen, it quickly all, those small, absent interactions are and staff alike. became apparent that teaching a class appreciated all the more when teaching Watford Boys had been in the whose microphones were all on mute and learning face-to-face finally resumes. fortunate position of steadily increasing and webcams off to avoid distraction TH their use of Google Classroom over the was slightly eerie and unnerving. Was past few years, which formed the digital everyone still there? Had anyone fallen THE FULLERIAN 2019-20 3 SCHOOL LIFE Origami Club ver since I was ten, I loved making origami. After finding worked together to paint an ocean and a jungle landscape on an origami book and trying to make a turtle, I was large sheets of paper and stuck them together. Over the span of instantly hooked on origami making. Later, I would get weeks, we made models of origami animals, plants and planes Emore books and paper until I could make all sorts of and stuck them on the poster.