Spring 1999 The Termly Newsletter of the King’s School in Macclesfield Headmaster’s Letter OXBRIDGE SUCCESS Dear Reader A group of top students celebrate their success as they pre- The purpose of our pare to study at two of England’s most prestigious universities. termly newsletter is Twelve Sixth Formers have received offers of places at Oxford to provide a or Cambridge, with their chosen courses covering a range of glimpse of the science and arts subjects, together with a Choral Scholarship. activities of the school and some Said Headmaster Adrian Silcock: ‘We are delighted at their sense of what it achievement. Competition for places is extremely stiff and feels like to be part their success demonstrates the high quality of teaching and of the King’s School community. Whilst learning taking place in King’s Sixth Form.’ They will be we rightly celebrate the many successes following in the footsteps of many distinguished of our applicants to Oxford and Cam- former pupils, three of whom have recently had bridge, we try to give as rounded a their academic achievements recognised by Oxford picture of school life as possible, University. David Buttery has won the Fletcher ranging from the Infants’ Christmas play Scholarship in History at Balliol, Liz Cripps has to the First XI cricket tour of Kenya. been awarded a PPE scholarship at St John’s, and Helen Mabelis a Modern Languages The full picture can only be built up exhibition at Wadham College. cumulatively, so I hope you will con- tinue to enjoy reading about the school Pictured from the front are: and letting me know your views and Lucinda Clarke (English), Sam news. I hope, too, you get a sense of a Mason (History), Robert Dafforn positive, purposeful community – that is (Economics), William Wills how it feels on the inside! (Architecture), John Livesley (History), Tom Sleeman (Biochemistry), Andrew I think it would be helpful for all readers Aldcroft (Mathematics with Computation: to know that I retire in July 2000. The Choral Scholarship), appointment of my successor will be put Daniel Dale (History), Alex Flynn in hand in the next few months. Until I (Chemical Engineering) and retire, however, I intend to concentrate James Rider (Chemistry). on future plans for the school. Not pictured: Mark Goodsell A G Silcock (Physics) and Jonathan Mitchell (Natural Sciences). TT Shaw Award The TT Shaw Award is given by the Former Pupils’ Association in memory of King’s last Headmaster but one. Awarded each year to a pupil entering the Sixth Form with top GCSE results and a record of strong sports contributions to King’s, it is tenable for two years. This year, for the first time, awards were made to two pupils, one boy and one girl: Katherine Coveney and Chris Watts (pictured here with last year’s award winner, Martin Tunwell) They were presented by Alan McInnes, Chair- man of the KSMFPA, at the Annual Dinner at Adlington Hall in October. Rendezvous with Tony Blair Two Year 10 girls got more than they bargained for during a trip to the corridors of Stephanie Somerville First Class Honours in Psychology power when they found themselves taking a photocall with the Prime Minister. at New College, Oxford Rachel Sewart and Hannah Hardill were members of a team that won a regional competition organised by Amnesty International. As part of their prize they toured Genevieve Bennett the Tower of London and visited the First Class Honours in Fine Art Foreign and Commonwealth Office, at Glasgow University accompanied by Macclesfield MP, Richard Thornber Nicholas Winterton. First Class Honours in Computer The highlight came as they walked Science at Manchester University along Downing Street, when the PM, John Schofield putting aside matters of state, unexpect- Five As at A Level edly popped out to congratulate all the Katherine Coveney winners. Said Rachel, ‘It was absolutely County schools representative amazing. Suddenly that big black door Cheshire U18 football team opened and out came Tony Blair. He was very relaxed, very friendly and Tim Egerton spent some time with all of us. It’s an Athletics: ranked No 1 at U15 in experience I’ll never forget.’ 1500m and No 3 at 300m Natalie Riley To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the County schools representative Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Cheshire U16 football team the group, which also included Sophie Murphy, Lauren Hindle and Lyndall Kate Ritchie Lohman, had created a wall-hanging North-West Athletics Elite Squad which won the NW section of the John Yarwood Amnesty International competition. Clay Pigeon Shooting: English Open Junior and European Individual Junior Champion U13 Netball Team All about books Trophy winners in the Ciba U13 Netball Tournament The art of writing... a strong attack on the dangers and U14 Tennis Team Award-winning novelist Melvin Burgess waste of experimentation with drugs. Winners of the Cheshire Cup shared insights into teenage life and love ...and the craft of publishing Girls’ Freestyle Relay Swimming in a day-long workshop at the Girls’ Team Divisional Champions Division. Melvin won the Guardian The other side of creating books was newspaper’s First Award and the Library explored when Year 8 boys and girls Andrea Howarth & Hayley Tilley were given hands-on experience of the ‘Poets of the Term’ Association’s Carnegie Medal for his controversial tale of teenage drug culture publishing process. After writing poems Hayley Tilley & Michelle Williams in his novel Junk. Since that triumph, he on the theme The Four Elements in a Published poets has produced a succession of well- two-hour workshop, they worked to- Kim Griffin reviewed works, including Tiger, Tiger gether in mixed groups on two Publish- Awarded an MA degree in and The Baby and the Fly Pie. ing Days to produce attractive antholo- English Language (OU) gies of their work. Skills used ranged Melvin told his audience that he had from designing, type-setting and illustrat- Frank Walker begun writing seriously as a teenager ing to editing, paginating and proof- Publication of first book of verse, but had only started to perfect his craft reading. Copies of the books produced An Alphabestiary in his thirties. As in his books, he made are available in the school libraries. Richard Cowgill and Keith Mosedale RAF Flying Scholarships Charities Money raised by King’s for charity included £226 for the Poppy Appeal. Non-uniform days in Years 7, 8 and 9 raised funds for the Mast Appeal and Children in Need, while collections at the carol services made £400 for Save the Children. Three hundred exercise books, chalks and pens, were sent to a school in the Gambia and a sponsored read by Year 7 boys and girls collected a signifi- cant sum for Actionaid. Other events raised money for the World Wildlife Fund and Children with Leukaemia. KING’S SINGERS AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL The lifetime dream for any keen amateur with the Stockport Festival Choir and singer? To sing in a superb performance Orchestra and eight professional of one of the largest, most exciting choral soloists in Mahler’s Eighth Symphony and orchestral works in the repertoire, in (The Symphony of a Thousand) at the front of an enthusiastic audience of over Bridgewater Hall in Manchester in 1000 people in the most spectacular October. It was exciting, too, for the concert hall in the country? Director of Music, Andrew Green, who It happened for a group of forty-three relished the opportunity of playing the trebles and sopranos from the Boys’ and stunning Bridgewater Hall organ in the Girls’ Division Choirs, when they sang performance. Infants on stage The Infants’ Department delighted an audience of about 200 this Christmas with The Bossy Christmas Fairy. Dancing to success Year 2 pupils took the Eve Marchant, a Year 6 pupil, was leading roles, with chosen from 700 young dancers from other classes in sup- all over the country to perform with the porting parts. Every National Youth Ballet. Dancing in works child in the Department choreographed by Wayne Sleep, she had a role to play. appeared at the Ashcroft Theatre in Croydon and the London Coliseum, as Ali Baba Choir’s CD well as on Blue Peter in October. The Years 3 and 4 play Ali Baba in A lasting memento of the term and November was a huge success. the year is the choir’s marvellous CD Hearing was believing of Music for Advent and Christmas, Packed with jokes and songs, it got November’s Saint Cecilia concert was recorded professionally and issued in the audience into the panto spirit. anything but ‘school concert’ standard! early December. It is available from The rousing finale, Desert Rock If you have never been to a King’s the School Office at £10. Boogie, had everyone participating. musical event then you simply cannot imagine the immense talent and superb performances this thrilling evening World première gave. The concert featured the Founda- tion Choir, Orchestra and Big Band, the A remarkable new work by School The choir, under Jo Beesley, with Girls’ Division Choir and the first per- Captain Thom Petty, commissioned by Andrew Green at the organ, gave their formance of the combined Wind Bands the Northern Chamber Orchestra, usual outstanding performances in a of King’s Boys, Girls and Sixth Form, received its world premiere in Decem- concert that proved a marvellous start to plus other small ensembles. ber. Entitled ‘Do not go gentle’, it was the season. Other Christmas engage- performed at a concert at the Silk ments were the carol services at Chester Another first was the performance of the Heritage Centre by the NCO, with Cathedral and Macclesfield Parish String Orchestra which included pupils King’s Foundation Choir, and was Church.