The Schools Shrewsbury SY3

The Schools Mark Turner, M.A. Shrewsbury Headmaster SY3 7BA Telephone: 01743 280525 Facsimile: 01743 340048 E-mail: [email protected] 11 th November 2014 Dear Parents, I trust that half-term provided the opportunity for appropriate rest and recuperation. On return to school, I was pleased to pick up news of the various expeditions and trips that took place. The Model United Nations team spent time debating at The Royal Rus sell School, Croydon; the rowers enjoyed participating in one of the biggest rowing events in the world at the ‘Head of the Charles’ in Boston, USA, hosted most generously by a number of Salopian families; Duke of Edinburgh expeditioners have been active a nd Spanish linguists have been testing their skills. Meanwhile, a group of Governors, together with senior staff, led by Martin Cropper, Deputy Head (Academic), went to Shrewsbury International School in Bangkok to further the liaison process. John Moore , Director of Music, was there to conduct combined orchestras in ‘The Last Night of the Proms’, and Governors to discuss next stages in our strategy to expand with the opening of more international schools in the future. Before half-term, we very much enj oyed two highlights of the Fasti, the annual running of the Tucks and the House Singing Competition. The Tucks was, once again, a fabulous, whole-school event and, with the going good to firm, most people were able to survive the rigours of the three and a half mile course. This year the medal ceremony was given significantly enhanced gravitas by the presence of John Ngugi, the Hunt’s coach -in-residence, who, as four times World Cross-Country Champion and winner of a gold medal in the 5,000 metres at the Seoul Olympics in 1988, is as close to running royalty as one is ever likely to get. As always, the House Singing Competition represented a frenetic climax to six weeks’ intensive rehearsal. Many congratulations to the overall winners, Churchill’s, the w inners of the unison, Oldham’s, and the part-song, Port Hill. I am grateful, once again, to the Shrewsbury School Parents’ Association for their hospitality at the event. It appears that what was an experiment last year proved, once again, to be successf ul and hugely appreciated, so I very much hope that this will become the tradition. After half-term, at my first whole-school assembly, I talked of the challenge of remembrance as being the establishment of empathy with individuals through the horrific st atistics that came out of the First World War. The Shrewsbury School Role of Service, commissioned in 1921 by the Old Salopian Club and the Shrewsbury School War Memorial Committee, reveals the names of 1,850 Salopians who served in the conflict - this nu mber generated by a school of little over 400 pupils at the time. Of those 1,850 boys and staff who served, 321 were killed, 44 taken prisoner and 274 wounded at least once. During my assembly, in an attempt to personalise the statistics, I focused on th e individual cases of the two Old Salopian Victoria Cross winners, Harold Ackroyd and Thomas Tannatt Pryce. Harold Ackroyd was a very scholarly scientist, who proceeded from Shrewsbury to Caius College, Cambridge and subsequently to Guy’s Hospital in Lond on where, although he qualified as a doctor, he developed a real interest in medical research that eventually took him back to Cambridge. Inevitably, at mobilisation, Harold Ackroyd joined the Royal Army Medical Corps, commissioned as a Lieut enant and attached to the Royal Berkshire Regiment. Harold Ackroyd won his VC for attending wounded men, with total disregard for his own safety. In contrast, Thomas Tannatt Pryce, who was at Shrewsbury between 1900 and 1904, was a Captain in the Grendie r Guards. Thomas Tannatt Pryce was awarded his Victoria Cross for heroic leadership whilst attacking a village, as part of the Battle of Passchendaele. Both Victoria Cross winners are mentioned on the various websites recordin g the names of all the recipients of the Victoria Cross since its inception in 1856. For the military historians amongst you, I can recommend a little research. Remembrance week finished with our annual Remembrance Day Service, which was as dignified and poignant as ever. We were particularly pleased to be able to mark the centenary of the start of the First World War with the presence of Major General Richard Nugee, currently the Chief of Staff for ISAF Command in Afghanistan, who flew in to be with us. Major General Nugee is the parent of two Old Salopians – George (2007-12) and Jack (2009-14). Being able to welcome the leading British soldier in today’s conflict, to help us remember ‘the war to end all wars’, was particularly thought provoking. Looking ahead, in the short term, the week beginning 10 November will see a visit from the Independent Schools Inspectorate to give Shrewsbury what is designated as an ‘Interim Boarding Inspection’. This inspection will specifically focus on boarding and pastoral aspects of Shrewsbury life. I know that the inspectors have asked all boarding parents and pupils to complete a questionnaire and your feedback will have played an important part in their deliberations. As is always the case, the school needs to be preparing itself for change in the future. At present, our main focus of attention is on the impact of what are described as ‘the post-Gove reforms’. Michael Gove, while Secretary of State for Education, set in motion a whole series of changes, the consequences of which we are now having to make decisions on. Put very simply, over the next few years, we will be moving towards linear assessment of A level subjects at the end of two-year courses (very much like the A levels of the 80s and 90s). In other words, the AS exams, which came is as part of Curriculum 2000, will be gradually phased out. From the school’s point of view, this is one area of change that we are delighted to embrace. It has been felt for some time that the over- examining of British students (the most examined in the world) has been to the detriment of the whole learning experience, both within and without the classroom, over the course of a Sixth Form career. I am most grateful to Martin Cropper, Deputy Head (Academic), the school’s Academic Committee and Heads of Faculties for working towards what I consider to be a very appropriate and sensible response to the reforms that are forced on us. We are optimistic there is a real possibility that we will be able to improve both the quality of education and the general experience of being at Shrewsbury as a result. All Fifth Form parents should look out for the document from Martin Cropper, to follow shortly, with the detail of how these changes will impact on those pupils planning to start in the Sixth Form in September 2015. One of our main aims this term was to successfully integrate our first ever generation of Third and Fourth Form girls. We are delighted with the strength of this entry in both number and quality. On the basis of this success and confident predictions of future numbers, the Governors will be turning their attention to the planning of the increase of the ratio of girls, as stated in the 2020 Vision, our Development Plan. More information will follow after the Governing Body meeting at the end of this month as to how we aim to achieve it. We very much look forward to welcoming many of you to the Carol Services at the end of term (apologies for the booking difficulties, which have now been resolved). In the meantime, best wishes. Yours sincerely, .

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