Number 30 Spring 2018 An inspector calls… Editorial ’m sure we aren’t the only school to have blinked to find the second term of the academic year is almost over and I am pleased to report it’s been a busy and Contents Iencouraging start to 2018. 3 The best of TGA online Following on from The Academy’s record higher pass rate in 2017, we had a strong 5 Competitive success in China year for Oxbridge offers. We are delighted for the five extremely able pupils who richly 7 An inspector calls… deserve their offers amidst the enormous competition, not just from Europe, but from around the world. 8 Anecdotage Our annual entrance assessment day took place in January with demand for places 12 Glasgow Academical Club across the School as high as ever. Showcased through our young people, our very 16 Westbourne Section well-supported and successful open events saw a 50% increase in attendance when compared to 2016, with lots of new pupils enrolled for August 2018 in our nurseries, 17 Announcements prep and senior school. 22 Meetings, get-togethers and In November, we welcomed inspectors from Education Scotland for a Quality reunions Improvement and Professional Engagement visit. 24 Remembering Bill Ritchie The inspectors gave a strong endorsement that The Academy is in an extremely strong 25 Obituaries position to live up to its vision and values - to become the best all-round day school in Scotland. The School as a whole was praised for its openness, the feeling of mutual respect and staff dedication to pupils. The report - published in January - commented on the benefits pupils receive from our exceptional co-curricular programme. It also highlighted that The Academy’s approach to ensuring there is something for everyone is evident across the school community. You can read more on what the inspectors had to say about us on page 7. Do we have your e-mail address? It’s how we communicate best! This is the 30th edition of Etcetera and I hope that you enjoy catching up on Academy news, finding out what some of your fellow academicals are doing and working out which event or reunion you would like to attend. Keeping in touch And if you haven’t been back to Colebrooke Street for a while, then you might be The External Relations office is situated in interested to know that we are working on a capital development plan which will take Colebrooke Terrace. Former pupils are always us through the next 10 years. welcome to pop in for a chat and look around In 2025-26 we will be 180 years old, having been founded in 1845 and opened in the school. Just give us a call to arrange a time. 1846. With the support of our community, we hope to be able to celebrate our 180th Our address is Colebrooke Terrace, birthday with improved facilities that support our striving to be the best. Glasgow, G12 8HE. As ever, Etcetera is your publication. If you have news, updates or photographs you You can contact us on 0141 342 5494 or at would like to share with the Academical community, then please do get in touch or [email protected] pop in and visit us on the Terrace - we will be delighted to see you! The Glasgow Academical Club 21 Helensburgh Drive, Glasgow, G13 1RR President: John Mason Email: [email protected] Steven Dignall The Academy Club pavilion is available for Director of Development functions. Academical Club London Section President: Alex Gray Email: [email protected] Like us on Facebook; join us on LinkedIn 2 Etcetera The best of TGA online The XL Club Award for best cricket school in Scotland 2017 he Glasgow Academy has been awarded the best cricket Tschool in Scotland for 2017 by the XL club. Historic win for The award function held at The Oval in London on Friday 17 November 2017, was attended by around 125 guests, with The Academy Lord MacLaurin (MCC President and former Chairman of lasgow Academy girls were the fastest women’s The ECB), as the chief guest. Gcrew in both divisions of the Western Head, beating Glasgow University women for the first time in our history in both divisions of the race. The crew from The Academy were Jenny Olney, Holly Allan, Lauren Amner, Anna Colley and Youcef Djoudi (cox). Glasgow Academy also won both the first division and the second division of the Strathclyde University head, our boys quad winning the first race and the boys double the second. Glasgow Academy won every other boat class we entered as well: W4x, WJ18 4x, W J18 1x, WR2 2x, WJ16 4x+ WNov 2x. The Glasgow Academy girls beat Glasgow University women in the Academy’s new £27,000 boat, Atalanta, the lightest carbon fibre aluminium wing eight ever produced by the renowned British boat builders Janousek & Stämpfli (‘Built in Britain, raced worldwide’). Stämpfli was founded in Switzerland in 1896. Manufacturing originally took place in Zurich, Switzerland, but moved to Surrey, England after the Pictured from left to right… company was acquired by Janousek Racing Boats in Vedam Hariharan (Coach), John Oliver (player of the season in 2017), 1991. John Barclay (President of the XL club, who presented the shield), and Ruairidh Russell (Captain of 2017). iPads in the Lab Our S3 chemistry pupils have been receiving training on how to use pH devices - something not normally explored until University. The budding young scientists had the opportunity to log, in real time, the pH change of their experiments on their iPads. With high precision technology, this took a conceptually challenging lesson to another level. The skills accessed included calibrating the device, data logging, data analysis and quantitative assessment. Pupils also explored the changes in concentration of acids and alkalis. We had proper ‘gasps’ of interest, when pupils were able to visualise (not normally achievable in a standard lesson) the jumps in pH. Etcetera 3 Fastest boat out of 650 at Walton Small Boats ongratulations to Ru Smith (S6) and Alex Milne (S6) who Cwon the J18 double sculls at the Walton Small Boats Head on 9 December. It was a remarkable accomplishment as their boat was the fastest out of 650 entries in the doubles scull. Ru also won J18 singles, ahead of Alex Sambhav reaches by just 1 second. computing competition Congratulations also to Jenny Olney who came second in the Women’s final at Oxford University Novice sculls and 5th in the J18 sculls. ongratulations to Sambhav Chadha (S3) who Cwas a finalist in the BEBRAS Computational Thinking Challenge at the Department of Computer Science at the University of Oxford. The UK-wide computing competition took place on Sunday 28 January and is designed to get students excited about computing and computational thinking. It is a problem-solving contest with questions inspired by topics in computer science. Reaching the final of the Senior age group is an impressive achievement, as 14,402 students entered the first round of the Senior age group category (14–16). Sambhav was among the top 60 highest achieving students invited to the final round in his age group, and was presented with his finalist’s certificate by Peter Millican, Professor of Philosophy, at a prize-giving ceremony at Hertford College. Monster March Prep School teacher Mr Rob Williams will be retiring this Magnanimouse – on sale now! summer after agnanimouse is the first children’s book published by our S6 Young 36 years at The MEnterprise Group - Funki Fables. Academy. The book tells a delightful tale that will help teach children moral values as In his final year well as enhancing their vocabulary in a way that is fun for both child and before retirement, Mr Williams has taken on the parent. challenge of running a 10k every month for the next year in aid of Maggie’s - a cancer charity Magnanimouse is available to buy online for £6.99 though our online shop - close to his family’s hearts. theglasgowacademy.org.uk/shop 4 Etcetera Competitive success in China n September 2017, I front of the packed 400-seater graduated from The auditorium, ten judges from IGlasgow Academy. My several Chinese companies adventure continued, taking listened to our pitch. Following a 13 hour flight to China, significant discussion between where I am currently enrolled the judges, we were awarded at the overseas campus of the a very honourable third place University of Nottingham, – winning ¥400 (£50) in here in the city of Ningbo, the process. With all but one China, studying International member in our team studying Studies. Having resided here politics, competing in a for nearly six months, I could Business School competition, write a whole book about my we were extremely pleased and current enjoyable experiences honoured to be recognised in China. However, I am as the third best team out of going to give you a small 70, in an extremely tough snapshot of what life is like competition. here at the University of One week later, we were Nottingham Ningbo China, in one of the mission: to analyse a Swiss company’s involved in another competition! This fastest advancing cities in East Asia. business situation in China, identify the one was conducted by the University’s problems which faced the company, If you come to China either for study International Incubator. Labelled as the explain strategies the company could or work, one of the main things you ‘Ingenuity@UNNC Entrepreneurship adopt to tackle this problem, and establish will experience from the culture shock competition’, teams had to present new a series of answers the company could is that of competitiveness in Chinese potential business ideas.