Headmaster's Report Academic Year 2006-2007
Given on Speech Day: Tuesday, 18h December 2007
Mr. Chairman, Madam Mayor & Madam Mayoress, Mr. Russell, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, I should like to add my own words of welcome to you on this family occasion, made all the more homely in that our Guest of Honour is none other than Mr. Russell. May I say how pleased I am to see so many of last year’s leavers back to receive the formal commendation of their old school, and to see so many of your parents here to witness it. My congratulations also to existing pupils who excelled last year, and their proud parents.
This year, for the first time since The Record was re-established in 1993, we have not printed copies. It saddened me to see them languish unwanted in previous years; and I have come to acknowledged that, in this electronic age, The Record is best published on the web, where the achievements of our pupils will continue to be accessible and have a wider audience. We hope to have it up in the Spring, and I know many of you access our web site to keep in touch with your old school.
Parents and governors have made a large contribution to the School over the past year. On this occasion last year, our Guest of Honour was Paul Deighton, an Old Boy and Chief Executive of the 2012 Olympic organising committee. Our hopes were high for the sports hall. Much groundwork was prepared last year, though regrettably I use the term “groundwork” in its metaphorical sense. I expect, however, that this time next year it will be completed. The School is grateful for the labours of governors, in this as in many other areas, and chiefly for the indefatigable efforts of our Chairman. The School is indebted also for the contributions of parents: three architects, a quantity surveyor and a legal adviser. One also played a key role in a group set up to spearhead the School’s efforts in Renewable Energy, the School winning a Special Merit Award in the Rolls-Royce Science Competition, which will provide a greenhouse in the “meadow” in front of the Science Block.
Parents in the PTFA, notably also its Chairman, have made tremendous efforts in fundraising and worked extremely hard. The International Evening reflecting the wide diversity of cultures in the school. To tell you about it, and about his involvement in other aspects of school life, I call upon Tom Newman.
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Thank you, Tom.
The Government’s intention is that all schools should become “Extended Schools”. We were the first grammar school chosen by the Borough to explore this development last year, building upon our traditional commitment to extra-curricular activities. Staff are generous with their time and new staff have added greatly to the range of talent and goodwill that already exists. The outreach community aspects of the Science College have gone from strength to strength, and it is a particular pleasure to welcome primary school pupils weekly to be involved in science activities.
On sport, junior rugby performed well. The U15B squad won all their games, and the U15 Sevens won the Surrey Plate final. This summer the senior rugby squad toured Canada. The Senior Hockey tour to Bath also did much to bond together the team; throughout the season, the Captain, Nick Young, and Vice Captain Aaron Tanner, gave unwavering time and effort. In Cross-Country, both Junior and Intermediate teams were 2nd in their leagues, the Inters also being 2nd in the Borough relays. In total 5 boys ran for the Borough and 2 for the County. Soccer also made an appearance as an inter-house competition, following the highly popular PTFA competitions of recent years. Senior Cricket sides are becoming increasingly difficult to field during the examination season, and those seniors who persevered deserve enormous credit for sticking with it. Our Junior sides were much improved, the U14X1 winning 6 out of 8 games.
Their most notable sporting success was in Athletics. In the Borough Championships we won the Year 7 Discus and 100m; we won the Year 8 long jump and the Year 9 1500m. We won the Year 10 Javelin, 100m, 200m and 800m, together with the relay. Such talent meant that at our Inter House Athletics Championships, there were no fewer than 5 school records beaten, chiefly in Year 10.
I have mentioned the sporting tours. There were others: the Skiing trip to France, Geography Field trips to Swanage and to Somerset, an ICT trip to Disneyland Paris, Debating in Durham, the Battlefields of Belgium, the Year 10 French Exchange and the Year 8 trip to La Rochelle. Year 10 went on a trek for the Duke of Edinburgh and Year 7, not to be outdone, had their Great North Trip.
On Activities Day, Year 7 went to work with their parents; Y8 were involved in the Real Game; Y9 & 10 had Enterprise, designing roller coasters and mobile phone holders and the L6 a Careers conference with impressive speakers.
Turning to the arts, the Art Exhibitions were held as usual; the Sixth Form one was particular impressive. Several Year 10 pupils have become published poets. Debating had another extremely successful season. There have been trips to the theatre, as far afield as Bristol. The 6th Form drama production of Pinter’s The Birthday Party, was an ambitious undertaking, consummately acted and impressive in its reflection on the School. It won critical acclaim, and quite a number of those present tonight will remember it for years to come. To tell you about the School Production, and his involvement in much else, I call upon Dominic Powell, last year in Year 8:
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Thank you, Dominic, and I do recall staff being such very good sports.
On Music, for me the highlight of last year’s Christmas Festival was Chris Ashman’s Y10 drumming solo. The Summer Music Concert also included excellent individual and group performances, and I was most encouraged to see the orchestra shaping up. Whilst this formally is a report on last year, I must make mention of Friday’s Christmas Festival. The Deputy Mayor, Cllr Hudson, would have attended tonight as a parent but his son, like others, is still at university. He was here in an official capacity on Friday, as he was on many school concerts as a parent in the past. He was most impressed, and it is all the more sad that Mrs. Tams is leaving us. A pupil gave a telling vote of thanks, saying how she had transformed school music.
So, Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, this last year has seen an emphasis on extra-curricular activities. We have enjoyed social occasions, concerts and plays, and been well supported by parents. Pupils have had the benefit of trips, both sporting and cultural. However, for all the richness of its life, pupils were never far from the pressure of examinations looming. Year 7, who had plenty to cope with settling in before their November examinations, were the only year group not entered for external examinations. Our Two Year Key Stage 3 meant that not only Year 9, but also Years 8 were entered for the first time for Key Stage 3 tests. I was most heartened by the Year 8 results, which entirely support our drive to start GCSE courses early. Years 9 and 10 were also entered for the modular science GCSE courses, both year groups doing the equivalent of 1 GCSE, again with encouraging results.
The Year 11 GCSE grades were not quite as expected, with just 60% at grades A* or A. There were, however, some brilliant individual results, including 12 A* grades. In our academic awards this evening for Distinction, we have for the first time recognised the accolade of being in the top 5 nationally; it is indeed an accolade to be among the best 5 from a more than a third of a million.
The Lower Sixth results were very pleasing with a pass rate of 99%, and 71% at grades A or B. No fewer than 48 students achieved at least 3 A grades, so we have restricted our awards tonight to those 3 students who achieved 6 grade As.
When the awards are presented you will notice the recurrence of the name, Olga Tchenko. At A Level, her Chemistry result was among the best 10 from over 6,300 nationally. For the second time she represented the UK in the International Biology Olympiad, this time in Canada. Top Biology students from 55 different countries competed, Olga securing one of 2 golds for the UK, which came 5th internationally, the highest ranked country in Europe. Olga is continuing her studies in the Sixth Form until she takes up her place at Cambridge next year, and has helped in the teaching of German.
I was extremely pleased with the A Level results. They were outstanding, our best ever, and I should particularly like to pass on my congratulations to those former students gathered here. There is a wonderful photograph published in the press of many of you at the front entrance on results day. Do look it up on our web. Not only was the pass rate 100%, as it should be, but 81% of grades were at A or B, and 56% were at grade A. Depending on the criterion taken, the School was ranked 11th nationally in The Independent Top Grammar Schools, 27th nationally in The Telegraph Top State Schools, and, based on 81% AB grades, 22nd nationally in The Times Top State Schools. To be fair, this year group, the Class of 2007, has done exceptionally well throughout their time in the school, setting the school record not only at A Level, but at A/S and GCSE. Even allowing for the best GCSE results, however, according to independent analysis, the value added in teaching & learning, in the move to A Level is officially “excellent”, and your “overall performance is outstanding”; that is the value-added from record GCSEs to record A Levels was among the top 10% nationally. No wonder your results were among the very best in the country.
It was both the teaching and the learning which excelled so, and I should like in my closing words to pay tribute to the staff, all the staff, for their hard work and commitment, in teaching but also in those wider lessons of life which will remain with young people for the remainder of their lives.
Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, pupils and former students, 2006-7, a year crowned by our best achievement in examinations and a year when the wider life of the school excelled.
Dr. J. Martin Haworth
