Nancy Reaches National Stage
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FRIENDS OF STEDWARD'S COLLEGE VlCE·PRESIDENTS 1991 Col. J. G. Br,yso~ Prof. W. B. Whalley Dr• A•. A. Gilbertson S. E. Mann Esq. The News Magazine of the J.RossEsq. B. Pearse Esq. Friends of St Edward's College J. Granby Esq. W. McNamara Esq. C. McDermott Esq. M. Murray Esq. Issue 4 Spring 1991 W. E. Hughes Esq. INSIDE Co-Education Press release ••••••••••• ••••• page 2 Editorial........ ............. page 9 Open E\'eninaf OVER a thousand people at· tended the 1990·91 St Edward's College Open Evening held in September. Headmaster Brother Dominic Sassi said that the event, the first of its kind since the announcement of the deci· sion to admit girls from next September, had been a major success. Photo report ... pages 18 and 19. French Exchange MEMBER of staff Miss Edwards seen here somewhat uncon· cerned at being found wanting in the 1990 French Exchange Facial Hair Contest in Moulins, France. Giving advice on beard growth is leading exponent and local coiffeur extraordinaire Michel Collay whose wife Mar· tine (far left) was instrumental in establishing the link. NANCY REACHES More ... page 28. Choir Tour A NUMBER of pupils from the NATIONAL STAGE College took part in the highly successful and much·enjoyed FORMER St Edward's pupil Nancy Julia Morley and Owen Oyston. Nancy, Cathedral Choir Tour of Germa· Buckland reached the final of the Miss who lists her greatest career influence ny, Holland and Belgium in the United Kingdom contest in October as Brother Devitt, did not win the summer of 1990. 1990. Nancy, a pupil at the College competition despite expressing a sin· The musical programme con· between 1986 and 1988, is the current cere wish to be nice to animals, to be sisted of English choral and Miss Manchester and recently gradu· kind to people, and to travel the world. organ music from the 13th ated from Liverpool University with a It is thought (and indeed hoped!) that century to the present day, and dellree in Management and Business she is the first Edwardian to reach the tour, which cost in the Studies. these lofty echelons of the world of region of £13,000 for the 49· glamour. Nancy told 'The Edwardian' strong party, took in Bielefeld, The contest was held on 5th October Osnabruck, Herford, Minden, at the Bonnington Hotel, in London, that the secret of her success lay in Utrecht and Knokke. where the judges included Eric and eating four Mars bars a day!! CO- EDUCATION THE following is the increasing pressure from parents nymede) at age 4, to the Junior text of a press release with boys already at the school Department at 7, and to the first issued by the College in to offer the same opportunity to year of the Senior School at age their daughters, and eventually 11, in September 1991. Girls will Autumn 1990. we felt that the time was right to continue to be admitted at age make this change.' 16 into the Sixth Form as Chairman of the Governors at present. ST EDWARD'S COLLEGE, is one John Morgan, himself a former of Liverpool's most prestigious pupil of the College, added that Independent Schools, is to admit the educational climate made girls from September 1991. the change highly desirable. His Honour The decision follows wide 'Our Sixth Form became co spread consultation with a great educational in 1983 and we have Judge Morgan since further enhanced our re many parties over a considerable CHAIRMAN of the Governors period of time, and was con putation academically, sportin John Morgan has been firmed by the Central Governing gly, culturally and in our efforts appointed by Her Majesty the Body of the Christian Brothers, to help the local community. Queen as a judge. His Honour who run St Edward's. The switch to full co-educational Judge Morgan is of course an Headmaster Brother Dominic status is a natural step for old boy of the school and the Sassi said that the school was ward.' first to be elevated to these responding essentially to a need Girls and boys will therefore heights. The congratulations for Independent Catholic educa be admitted into the first year of and good wishes of all at 8t tion for boys and girls in the city the Infant Department of the Edward's go to John and his and beyond. 'We came under Preparatory School (Run- family. SAY 'YES" TO UFE••• Examination THE GOSPEL IDEAL success at Something to be 8t Edward's KNOWN IN addition to further success at Oxford and Cambridge level, last year's fifth and Upper sixth and form students proved by their GCSe and 'A' level results that they are ahead and prepared for 1992. At Advanced Level there was a remarkable 100% pass rate in Spanish, with French not far behind with a pass rate of almost 90%. At GCSE level, there was again a 100% success rate with 75% of the students gaining grade A and the remaining 25% gaining grade B. In French too there was a 100% pass rate, with 79.7% passes at grades A-C. The success story was not restricted to language either. In all, there was a 10091, success rate at Advanced Level in seven subjects, with strong performances in Mathematics (11 pupils gaining grade A), Physics (11), Chemistry (12), and Biology A. An overall averaJte pass rate of 3.9 subjects per pupil at Advanced Level, and 8.3 subjects at GCSE showed thai SI Edward's has FR JOHN CLARKE further consolidated its posil ion tiS one of the COMBONI MISSIONARIES region's leadinJt Indclwndcnl SdlOols. (VERONA FATHERS) Hcadmasll'r Brotlwr Ilolllirlif Sa);si praised the Brownberrie Lane, dcdical ion o( sl,,(1 ,If.d pllplls •• Iikc. 'Our first Horsforth, Leeds LS18 5HE co-l,dufi.1 iOlllll ",'.lk,· Ill'xl v,·tIr is ~oing to have Tel: (0532) 582658 Illud. '0 liw liP to,' Ill' fOllIllwnled. 2 SPEAKERS'CORNER SINCE choo.ing the road to indeperuleoce at the Hart of the lad decade. St Edward'. hu deparuled 00 the Aul8ted Place. Scheme to retain ill traditional mix of ,a,O. from all lOCiai backboanu. regardleu of ability to ,8,)1.10 the current political climate, 'The Edwardian' uked two fo .....er ,u,o., ODe DOW a member of the Labour Party and one a CODHl'Ya:thte to ,at forward their 1Iiew. OD the .cheme. They do, at one might aped. differ 'Widely. Read.... ' reactioD8 to theM article. are mo.t _Icome. ' A View from the LEFT A View from the RIGHT With a general election highly likely within twelve months, and a The prospect of a Labour Government being elected at the next certainty by the summer of 1992, and with the election of a Labour General Election, albeit a receding threat, should strike fear into the government a very strong possibility, the alarm bells will doubtlessly hearts of everybody involved in the Independent Secondary begin to sound within the corridors of power at St Edward's and Education. Indeed it should strike fear into the hearts of everybody other independent schools: the fear, or should I say the paranoia, of involved with Catholic Education. Over the past eleven years the the end of the Assisted Places Schemes will manifest itself. Conservative Government has worked consistently to re-establish The four-yearly 'Save Our School' or rather 'Save Our Scheme' the key elements of a successful education system - choice, campaign will ensue, beginning with a letter 'reminding' parents of diversity, local responsibility and high standards. The main aim the 'consequences of a change of government' (although, not throughout has been to raise the level of attainment for all children. pointing out that this could mean the end of the Poll Tax, a reverse Families of modest means are now able to send their children to in the destruction of the NHS and increased expenditure on Independent Schools such as St Edward's College under the Assisted education!) Step two is a recommendation that all parents should go Places Scheme, which was introduced in 1981. to a public meeting addressed' by a Junior Education minister, usually in the Angela Rumbould-mold. Step three is what I found most objectionable, yet another letter to parents, on the eve of an CONSERVATIVE PHILOSOPHY election, which for all intents and purposes is a party political pamphlet on behalf of the Conservative Party, which is largely In 1990 there were nearly 34,000 assisted places available in this ignored by everybody, if voting patterns in the City and County are country at a cost of £62,000,000 covering just over 300 separate anything to go by! schools. The Conservative philosophy is that education will thrive through healthy academic competition. This leads to a variety of OPEN TO ALL different schools being available to parents and when schools have to compete they have to ensure high educational attainment and indeed over 83% of Assisted Place students nationally go on to I must point out at this stage that as an old boy, I enjoyed seven happy years at the College and indeed, as a friend of St Edward's, I further education. continue to support the idea of Catholic Education open to all, It is quite strange that the Labour Party wish to abolish these regardless of background. However, I feel it is necessary to look at centres of excellence by depriving poor or families of modest means Catholic Education in a wider sense: only a fool would deny that of the very funding which ensures their children's future success.