The Peterite 2015-2016The Peterite The Peterite 2015-2016 St Peter’s School • York • YO30 6AB Tel: 01904 527300 • Fax: 01904 527302 Email: [email protected] www.stpetersyork.org.uk CONTENTS The Peterite 2015-2016 Issue No. 433 Contents Commemoration 4 Salvete 8 Valete 12 House Reports 16 Visits & Exchanges 36 News, Events & Activities 52 Creative & Cultural 88 Sport 111 Leavers’ Destinations 167 The Peterite 2015-2016 1 From the Head Master This Edition of The Peterite brings together the best and brightest moments of another wonderful year in the School’s long history. The vibrant spirit of the School comes through these pages. I hope Editorial that the love of learning and playing together, and the joy that comes from the deep sense of community at St Peter’s, speak loud and clear through the various sections of our flagship publication. Readers will sense the energy and enjoyment in the house reports and the remarkable range of pupil activity and achievement across the academic and co-curricular programme, as well as the tremendous commitment of our excellent teaching, pastoral and support staff. It is a compendium of a purposeful and dynamic year in the life of our community: another year of shared travel ‘over ancient ways’. Grateful thanks go to the pupils on the editorial team and to Mr Keith Wright for diligently steering this 2015-2016 edition to completion. They, like us, can now sit back and enjoy the reading … Mr Leo Winkley 2 The Peterite 2015-2016 EDITORIAL From the Head Master The Peterite Editorial The Governing Body all Once again the magazine has been produced with the aid of a give their time freely to large number of people, notably the contributors who faithfully help ensure that the school record the year’s events and achievements, and in particular continues to provide the the pupil team of Peter Gray, Daniel Kondratiev, Polly Moss, teaching and environment Concetta Scrimshaw and Jessica Webster. The majority of the for our pupils to thrive photographs – as they have been for many years – are the in all aspects of school work of Mr David Morris, whose cameras capture the spirit life. The Peterite is an of occasions as varied as sports fixtures on dreary November excellent publication for afternoons, talks by former cabinet ministers and the ‘house showcasing just what has shout’ singing competition. The layout of the magazine is the been achieved over the work of Amanda Holmes of Hutton Peach Design Solutions: last year and what rich and diverse the distinctive visual style she brings to the pages has been opportunities St Peter’s pupils enjoy. developed and refined over 19 issues, but this will sadly be her last. To Amanda in particular, and to all those who have helped to Whilst academic achievement has always been at the heart of produce the magazine, I offer my sincere thanks. our success and will remain so, The Peterite reminds us that there is so much more to school life. The happy and contented faces Mr Keith Wright pictured throughout demonstrate so well how much enjoyment Editor, The Peterite and fulfilment the school provides in ultimately preparing everyone for their life after school. As a governor it is very satisfying to read about the range of activities and I would like to congratulate the editorial team in providing such a comprehensive and uplifting testimony to all that is happening and the achievements of our pupils and staff over the last year. Heads of School Mr William Woolley Chairman of Governors The School’s Governors: Mr W Woolley (Chairman) Dr D M Hayward (Vice Chair) Mr P B Hilling (Vice Chair) Mrs C Bailey Mr J E B Burdass The Revd Canon Dr C Collingwood Mr R D Harding Ms P Kaur Dr A Lees Professor M D Matravers Miss S L Palmer Mr A Taylor Mr S Town Mr P Widdicombe Heads of School 2015-16: Izzy Hedley and Josh Ramalingam The Peterite 2015-2016 3 Commemoration 2016: the Head Master’s address On a train journey back from London over half term, I was and constancy in a changing world – the Queen has reigned looking at the letters section of a national newspaper – the during a period of unprecedented change. The profound sort of thing you can do in holiday time. My eye, which has responsibility of a school is to act as a beacon: to guide and become conditioned to notice things that relate to education, prepare children as fully as possible for the changes and fell upon a letter from a gentleman who wrote in from the challenges of adult life. We do this by making school life rich pleasant North Yorkshire village of Coneythorpe: and varied; by instilling values that endure for a lifetime; by preparing our pupils’ minds for action. Sir – I was assisting my 16-year-old daughter with her homework when she received a text from Mum, which read: “What do you In October of this academic year, our Careers department, want from life?” This was an unexpected and profound question which plays a significant role in this preparation, received the for an exam-sitting teenager. We debated various answers – Career Mark 6 Quality Award, making us one of only seven wealth, fulfilment, love – all three. independent schools to hold this accreditation. Undoubtedly, one of the qualifying factors was our annual Careers Commemoration 2016 Commemoration Five minutes later, she received a second message from Mum, Convention, which this year attracted 67 advisors, many blaming predictive text for auto-correcting her intended question: of them Old Peterites, who offered expert guidance on an “What do you want from Lidl?”. extensive range of future pathways. A much more accessible question for an exam-sitting 16-year- Our largest ever cohort of A-Level candidates, the 2015 old to tackle … but, what of that first, accidental question vintage, achieved an astonishing set of examination results, – the big one: what do you want from life? How might the with a quarter of all exams passed at A*, and some wonderful pupils present answer that question? How might we adults individual triumphs. At GCSE, the current lower sixth cohort respond? What answer would each of our 105 upper-sixth passed 40% of their exams at the highest grade. A special leavers give? Different ones, I hope: 105 individual responses mention must go to the Mathematics department whose from 105 individual young adults whose values, beliefs and pupils achieved 77% A/A* at A-level and 61% A* at IGCSE hopes have been shaped and refined by their experiences at with a 100% pass rate at this compulsory level – for the school. second consecutive year. St Peter’s School started life as a very small boarding No wonder that 83 pupils continued with Maths in the sixth community. In many ways, we still operate from a boarding form! Whilst we all know that examination statistics do not culture: the house structure; the emphasis on the co-curricular tell you all you need to know about a person – or a year- as well as the academic; the six-day week that allows our group for that matter – the 2015 results were nonetheless very pupils to pursue multiple interests. impressive indeed. st Our 21 -century all-round education has its roots in the One of the many fine characteristics of academic life at St Christian monastic community founded on this very site by Peter’s is the unabashed enjoyment of shared intellectual St Paulinus in 627 AD: a community founded to seek out curiosity. The St Peter’s Challenge competitions (our version the answers to the biggest questions in life; questions whose of University Challenge) were hotly contested and well answers may indeed be found within these ancient walls. supported. Pupil-led magazines, such as Peternomics and As ever, we are deeply grateful to the Dean and to the Keystone (the arts and culture magazine) provide outlets for Chapter of York Minster for allowing us to gather here to exploration and lively expression. Colleagues in Science and mark the passing of another year – the 1389th – in the school’s Design have delivered dynamic outreach sessions for the long history. Arthur Leach (in Fortnightly Review, November public, for feeder schools and for our own pre-prep pupils at 1892) notably remarked that St Peter’s School is ‘older than Clifton School. The tenth St Peter’s School Physics Olympics the House of Commons, older than the universities, older competition for Year-8 pupils attracted 35 school teams from than the Lord Mayoralty, older than the House of Lords, across the north. Our York Schools’ Science Quiz was well older even than the throne or nation itself.’ attended, as was our conference for 90 science technicians from almost 40 different schools. This year, the nation celebrated Her Majesty The Queen’s 90th birthday with street parties and the lighting of beacons The English and Library departments gave us the Booker Prize across the land. A beacon herself – of dignity, integrity Debate and a new creative writing competition. Debating has now extended beyond the mother tongue, with 33 schools 4 The Peterite 2015-2016 COMMEMORATION gathering at St Peter’s for our North Eastern Schools’ Languages In rowing, at the Women’s Head of the River Race, the Girls’ First Debating Competition. Academic societies have flourished, VIII moved up 50 places in this seven-kilometre race on the River including the Alcuin History Society and the pupil-initiated Medical Thames. At the Ghent International Regatta, St Peter’s crews Society. Exploration Week offered our lower sixth a smorgasbord of collected two bronze, one silver and two gold medals.