Governing Body Correct as of 1st September 2012 * Christopher Honeyman Brown, FCA (Chairman) * John R C Arkwright, FRICS * Jonathan M A Bewes, BA, FCA Ms Julie C Brunskill, BSc, MRICS * Admiral Sir James Burnell- Nugent, KCB, CBE, MA Stowe School 2011/2012 * David W Cheyne Juliet Colman, BA, Dip Arch, RIBA, SCA * Simon C Creedy Smith, BA, ACA (Vice Chairman) New The Revd Jonathan J M Fletcher, MA * M Ivo H B Forde Equestrian (Chairman OS Committee) Professor Sarah J Gurr, BSc, ARCS, DIC PhD, MA Centre Mrs Joanne E Hastie-Smith David Hudson, MA (Cantab) Stowe celebrates Robert A Lankester, MA Lord Magan of Castletown the opening of Lady Stringer * Christopher J Tate, BA, MIMC first-class facility Mrs Susan M van der Veen, MA (Oxon), MA (Warwick), Dip Ed Michael B M Porter, BA, MSc (Secretary to the Governors) * Old Stoic Jubilee Celebrations Picnic for two thousand on the South Front Stowe School 2011/2012 School Stowe Stowe Buckingham MK18 5EH United Kingdom Telephone: +44 (0) 1280 818000 e-mail: [email protected] A LEVEL www stowe.co.uk Registered Charity No. 310639 EXCELLENCE Stoics achieve best-ever results in the Summer exams Mrs Kathy Editorial Campbell At the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 25 June. Ben also achieved the highest individual score Paralympics, in August, Stephen Hawking said: “We are for the 1st XI in living memory! all different, there is no such thing as a standard or At this year’s Speech Day we were able to celebrate the run-of-the-mill human being; but we share the same achievements of Stoics alongside Her Majesty The human spirit. What is important is that we have the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. The South Front was home ability to create. This creativity can take many forms, to possibly the most beautiful Jubilee garden party with from physical achievement to theoretical physics. tables arranged to seat over 2,000 guests adorned with However difficult life may seem, there is always red, white and blue bunting. It was a spectacular sight something you can do and succeed at”. Stowe is a which will undoubtedly hold a special place in the school that embraces individuality and the pages of minds of many. this edition of The Stoic illustrate, without a doubt, that life at Stowe is most definitely not run-of-the mill. Thank you to all staff and Stoics who have provided articles and photographs, and to Angela Bartlett at Continuing the Olympic theme, our athletes really MCC Design. excelled on Sports Day this year as seven girls’ records and four boys’ records were broken during the afternoon. Our cricketers, Ben Duckett (Lower Sixth, Grafton) and Jake Olley (Lower Sixth, Chandos) also broke the School’s 1st XI record in their opening partnership against Wellingborough School on Kathy Campbell, Editor The Stoic 1 Stowe School 2011/2012 ON THE COVER... OXFORD SOCIETY 71 AcTIVITIES DURRELL SOCIETY 72-73 THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD 104-105 NEW EQUESTRIAN CENTRE 7 CREATIVE WRITING: ‘THE DREAM OF REALITY’ 74 Stowe celebrates the opening of first-class facility STOWE CCF: ARMY, RAF AND NAVAL SECTIONS 106-107 GALLERY: OCTAVIA TREVOR 75 JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS 62-63 BEAGLING 108 Picnic for two thousand on the South Front SERVICE AT STOWE 109 TRIPS AND VISITS A LEVEL EXCELLENCE 16 CHAPEL 110 SALMON FISHING 76-77 Stoics achieve best-ever results in the Summer exams CROSSFIRE 111 IN ALASKA CREATIVE WRITING: ‘CUP OF CONFUSION’ 112 SANTEPHEAP 78-79 CAMBODIAN CHILDREN’s GALLERY: CLAIRE LANGER / IDIL SAVASKAN 113 AcADEMIC HOUSE OF PEACE SPEECH DAY 04-11 129 SPORT VALETE 12-13 RUGBY 116-124 HOUSES 76 DEBBIE BORTHWICK 14 BOYS’ HOCKEY 125-128 BRUCE 38-39 GALLERY: 15 GIRLS’ HOCKEY 129-131 CHANDOS 40-41 WILHEMINA MCFADDEN SHPT LACROSSE 132-134 cHATHAM 42-43 CREATIVE WRITING: 16 ANOTHER YEAR, ANOTHER MILESTONE 80 CRICKET 135-139 ‘THE ENVY’ COBHAM 44-45 RESEARCHING THE RESTORATION 81 BOYS’ TENNIS 140-141 04 AcADEMIC REPORT 16 GRAFTON 46-47 FEATURE: ATAXIA 82-83 GIRLS’ TENNIS 142-144 GRENVILLE 48-49 MATHS REPORT 18 CREATIVE WRITING: ‘SKIN’ 84 BASKETBALL 145 LYTTELTON 50-51 ENGLISH REPORT 19 GALLERY: SILVIYA NENKOVA / YE SHI 85 NETBALL 146 NUGENT 52-53 SCIENCE REPORT 20-21 FOOTBALL / CROSS-COUNTRY 147 QUEEN’s 54-55 GEOGRAPHY REPORT 22 ATHLETICS 148-149 STANHOPE 56-57 MUSIC HISTORY REPORT 23 ROWING 150 TEMPLE 58-59 MUSIC AT STOWE 86-89 RELIGIOUS STUDIES REPORT 24 SAILING 151 WALPOLE 60-61 CREATIVE WRITING: ‘UNTOLD REGRETS’ 90 SPORTS SCIENCE AND PE REPORT 25 EQUESTRIAN / CLAY PIGEON SHOOTING / POLO 152 FEATURE: JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS 62-63 GALLERY: MARÍA BARTOLOMÉ 91 LANGUAGES REPORT 26-28 BADMINTON / GOLF / KARATE 153 CREATIVE WRITING: ‘26th DECember 1932’ 64 CLASSICS REPORT 29 SQUASH 154 GALLERY: HARRIET FARR / ALEXANDER MIARLI 65 DRAMA SWIMMING 155 POLITICS AND ECONOMICS REPORT 30 WATER POLO 156 ICT REPORT 31 OUR COUNTRY’S GOOD 92-93 CLUBS AND SOCIETIES MACBETH 94 GALLERY: SILVIYA NENKOVA / IDIL SAVASKAN / 157 PSHE REPORT 32 EMILY BEATTY THE XX GROUP / 66 TOO MUCH PUNCH FOR JUDY 95 HISTORY OF ART REPORT 33 73 INTER-HOUSE DEBATING GCSE DRAMA 96-97 DT REPORT 34-35 THE BIOMEDICAL SOCIETY 67 AS DRAMA 98 CURRENT AFFAIRS 68 AND INTERNATIONAL A2 DRAMA 99 OLD STOICS RELATIONS PROFILES 100-101 THE SUMMER PARTY 36 BUSINESS STUDIES 69 CREATIVE WRITING: ‘earth’s white FUR COAt’ 102 CLASSIC CARS 36 LITERARY SOCIETY 70 GALLERY: LILY NEWMAN / 103 OS ANNUAL DINNER AND AGM 37 PITT SOCIETY 71 CHARLOTTE BRADSHAW / MATTHEW CORLESS 92 2 The Stoic The Stoic 3 Academic Academic Speech Day For the first time for many years the First to everyone who has contributed to him go; I will miss his calm advice, we will We are not, and have never intended The challenge now is to accelerate that Mansion is free of scaffolding although we the multitude of projects or to our all miss his contribution. to be, an academic hothouse in the rate of academic improvement, reflected start work soon to convert Nugent into a Scholarship Fund. Thank you for the tradition of some schools. not just by the headline measure of I am delighted to announce that Simon full boarding house for girls. generosity of your sustained support, results but more importantly by the Creedy Smith has been appointed as We believe passionately in the especially so in these difficult times, as degree of value added – the success of The Music Room is being restored Marten’s successor as Vice Chairman. development of the whole child – without your help our development plan your children in gaining results at public through the summer, and will be back in intellect, character, personality. We would be significantly delayed. This year we carried out an important exams over and above what they might use by September and will we hope be believe that academic studies must be market research study, to understand how reasonably have expected. Your followed by other internal restorations. Financially, we are in good heart, learnt in tandem with life skills, social the market perceives us and where we Governors and Headmaster are sufficiently so to be able to continue to skills, civic awareness and a sense of This year saw further improvement need to focus our attention. Many of you completely committed to this priority. invest in improving our facilities and, place in the world. to our boys’ boarding houses with gave up your time to contribute, and thank importantly for you, to keep fees increases The second theme was about pupils’ work substantial expenditure on Grafton you for being so willing to do so. Our investment in classrooms, upgrading at modest levels, just about the current of the Science labs, improvement in ethic and this is something which we will and Bruce and during the summer, I am constantly told that a school is not a rate of inflation classroom technology, complete overhaul be taking forward. we will upgrade Cobham. business. It may not be in the traditional To everyone who works at Stowe, I offer of the Art School and the new Music In part this is about the environment – sense – but like any business it has its own I am delighted to be able to announce my grateful thanks for your continued School all demonstrate our investment the insistence on delivery on time, every way of doing things, its own value system, that after many months we have at last, effort and commitment, giving so often as in academic improvement. time, of pieces of work, encouragement processes and organisation. Stowe is an Chairman of Governors, on Thursday, received formal planning you do above and beyond the call of duty to study, to read, to debate, to enquire, Mr Christopher Honeyman Brown exceptional school, and like every The range of non-academic activities approval for both the new Golf Course and out of your own time. to try and if not successful to try again, exceptional business it must serve its supports our quest to inspire each child to and the new Music School. to persevere. To my Governor colleagues – my grateful customers – and in a school that means discover their talents, and our willingness Our Music School Appeal is coming to an thanks for another year of your support the parents and the pupils. With the cost constantly to invest means that the activity In part it is about inspiring young people Chairman of Governors’ Speech end although there are still opportunities, and hard work, all given so freely and of private education what it is, and likely to range is as wide as any of our competitors.