'And Sometimes Lurk I in a Gossip's Bowl' *
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Issue 18, 2017 The Gossip Bowl The Alumni Magazine PRIOR PARK ALUMNI ‘And sometimes lurk I in a gossip’s bowl’ * A Community for Life President’s Letter From The Headmaster IN THIS ISSUE: Credit where it’s due 2 President’s Letter Most of my professional life has been devoted to the film industry, where the success that reconciles the competing claims of talent, investors and audiences is a 3 From The Headmaster rare occurrence. Mostly we deal in failure. This throws up interesting challenges for management, 4 - 5 School News whose task is not made easier by the intricate equations of film financing and distribution. But since taking on the The brave schools will 6 - 7 Prior Park Alumni Update role of president of the PPA and thereby getting somewhat TERRY ILOTT closer to the machinery of Prior, I have been impressed by just how much more complicated is the business of 8 - 9 Class of 1968 Development Focus running a school, where the customers are the product; where the investors are looking for a manifold return that 10 From The Archives even they would find hard to define (they know it when they see it and complain when they don’t); and where the bottom line isn’t just the surplus of income over expenditure Prosper but of performance over expectation. 11 Weddings At Prior What expectation? That the customers (the students) will not just do well but will excel, and not just in one aspect of their school lives but in every aspect to which they have 12 - 13 Staff Farewells chosen to make a serious commitment. Moreover, that every impediment to their progress will be addressed and if possible removed. The more the school is able to deliver this 14 - 16 People level of performance, the higher the expectation of the investors (the parents) will be: it is an upwards-only ratchet. On top of all this, there is a belief – shared, I think, by staff, “ As the cold economic winds swirl around students and parents alike – that the school should be some kind of ideal community, It is possible to provide the independent education sector, I believe 17 - 18 Headmaster’s Academic Society judged by higher standards than life outside. With 600 students from a wide range of it will be the brave schools that prosper. Even more pathways backgrounds at what is arguably the most challenging time of their lives, delivering on more choice without We are certainly one of them. An important, that promise is a tall order. for our students 19 - 21 Alumni Sports/Gap Year Report increasing costs. if initially relatively low-key, initiative reflects Sometimes it is achieved with seeming ease: at Speech Day perhaps or the Christmas our desire to engage even more closely with “ 22 - 24 Reunions Carol Concert. But most of the time, the complexity of expectation can only be met by At Speech Day this year, I introduced Vision local schools and other Bath educational The new A-level courses are more content- an at least equal complexity of effort, by the students, the teaching staff, the admin and 2025 to current parents. Vision 2025, like providers, especially in fulfilment of aims heavy and more demanding than they were, domestic staff, the management team, the parents and the other stakeholders, including its predecessor Vision 2020, has been 3 and 5. We have always maintained positive 25 Veterans’ Lunch as they will be linear courses with end alumni. The miracle is that, most of the time, that’s exactly how it crafted by the headmasters of the Prior Park relationships with our local schools and exams. Some Prior students, including those, plays out. It is both an astonishingly complicated operation and, schools and sets out our vision and purpose colleges but now we plan to formalise these for example, who might make important 26 - 34 All The Gossip while not perfect, an astonishingly successful one. By comparison, for the future. In particular, it challenges us with real educational partnerships. contributions to our music, drama and making and distributing films is a walk in the park. Hat’s off, I say. to achieve five key aims: In September 2017, we will share some sport, might be better served by taking A-Level choices with the local Roman Catholic 35 - 37 Obituaries 1 To preserve and to enhance our values fewer A-level options with us and blending Terry Ilott state school, St Gregory’s. This will enable as individuals and as a community; these with a vocational qualification at Bath Prior Park Alumni President both schools to preserve and protect some College, which has an outstanding reputation. 38 Prior Park Alumni Notice Board 2 To safeguard and develop our pastoral vital yet marginal subjects. For example, we This is an arrangement I established in systems and education; will offer music whilst St Gregory’s will offer my previous headship in Hampshire and it 39 Calendar politics. We expect students to go between 3 To offer the most creative and innovative our schools for lessons; obviously, we hope worked very well. These arrangements truly Staff Alumni All the teaching and learning curriculum and that each side will make a positive impact confirm our involvement in, and contribution to, Bath education. As importantly, they open Cover image: Darren Crawford (1988) purchased this environment; and contribution to the other. A reciprocal medal on eBay. 51mm in diameter, in copper and white Farewells Sports Gossip fee arrangement has been put in place. I am up even more pathways for our students. 4 To continue to invest in our facilities; metal, it was made in 1839 by F. Halliday (c.1780 - c.1854), particularly pleased that Catholic education an English coin and medal engraver associated with the Pages 12 - 13 Pages 19 - 21 Pages 26 - 34 and, in Bath can be enhanced in this way. We Royal Birmingham Society of Artists. The face shows the front elevation of the college and the reverse shows SS 5 To continue to scan the horizon for new are also in early negotiations to agree a James Murphy-O’Connor Peter and Paul flanking a coat of arms, with the inscription opportunities for our schools and for partnership with Bath College, starting in Prior Park College Headmaster Sicut cervus desiderat ad fontes aquarum, ita desiderat our students. September 2018. anima mea ad te Deus (As the deer longs for springs of water, so my soul longs for thee, O God). The text is adapted from Psalm 41:2, from the Clementine Latin For more details of Vision 2025 go to: www.priorparkcollege.com/about/our-mission-vision-and-values Vulgate Bible. The medal was awarded to students at Prior Park for industry, courtesy and integrity. 2 www.priorparkalumni.com The Gossip Bowl 3 School News COLLEGE GIBRALTAR Changes at the top Finance and Business Director, Tony McNiff, who has made a major impact on the Confident, happy operations of the Prior schools in the last five Upon This Rock years, has taken a post at the Royal Hospital School, Ipswich. He is replaced by Gerard Opening a new school is not something you It seemed an impossible task.” Third, the surpluses we generate in Gibraltar, Hickie, who will be chief operating officer. do every day. In 2012, a small delegation together with the surpluses we make in the A major component of the funding came and distinctive At the same time, James Murphy-O’Connor from Prior visited Gibraltar to find out why other schools in our group, will make us more from the parents, led by Julian Jarvis, founder will combine his duties as headmaster of the school wasn’t getting boarders as it used financially secure.” The year began with a record school roll neighbouring universities and industrial of the Gibraltar School Parents’ Group and College with the new role of principal of the to back in the 1960s and 1970s. of just over 600 students. Given the workplaces. The language department is Prior Park Schools. now a governor of both Prior Park Gibraltar Bury recognises that Prior alumni will have excellence of local competition, this is also introducing changes, with German They discovered that the two state schools and the Prior Park Schools. affection for Bath but he hopes they will take in Gibraltar had improved markedly over real interest in the new school in Gibraltar. testament to the first-class reputation of being replaced by Mandarin as a time- “We devised a very attractive fee structure, to the years and local parents were mostly College. The visiting inspector from The tabled subject. Entrepreneurship is ensure the new school was affordable,” says “We want local alumni to offer internships happy with the choice they had. That might Good Schools Guide agreed: “Confident now part of the curriculum with the Bury. “It was refreshing to start with a market and careers advice, attend school events and have been the end of the matter had James in its Catholic values, happy in its own inaugural Enterprise Challenge Day price and work backwards from that, rather provide bursarial support,” he says. Murphy-O’Connor, PPC headmaster, not skin and distinctive in its commitment (a cross between Dragons Den and The Open events than, as is usually the case, inheriting a given gone to visit the head of Loreto School, which “We want them to be involved in our journey. to a genuinely all-round education, this Apprentice) held last November. level of costs and worrying about the level of is a school which inspires esteem and Tuesday 19 September caters for children up to the age of eleven, Gibraltar is a small place, word gets around.