14th December
Hockey
ON Sunday 9th December both the U16 and U18 Boys competed at the Midlands Indoor Finals.
The U16 team got off to a slow start, losing 1-2 to Cannock hockey club. We then beat Ludlow School, Belper Hockey Club and Warwick with some fantastic performances that sent the side through to the final. A well contested final against a strong Beeston HC side unfortunately didn’t quite finish as we would have liked, but we go through to the Nationals as runners up of the region.
The U18 were in a strong pool, again having to finish top in the pool to progress to the National finals. An excellent start saw the side win 5-1 against Adams Grammar School. Next was easily the hardest match of the day against Beeston Hockey Club. A nervous match saw us always in control of the game, eventually 3-2 winners. The final pool game against Princethorpe provided an easy win and a place at the Nationals. The final was a very physical one, but eventually our more accomplished team and individual skill shone through. We won 3-1 and go through as Midlands Champions.
Girl’s senior House indoor hockey
1st Mary Windsor
2nd Thomas Cookes
3rd Hazeldene
Girls’ senior House outdoor Hockey
1st Thomas Cookes
2nd Hazeldene
3rd Mary Windsor
Rugby
At the end of term our 1st XV entered the prestigious Gulliver’s Super 16 rugby tournament at Broadstreet RFC. The participating teams were for the majority the best Schools and Colleges from England and Wales. Bromsgrove lost narrowly in the pool stages 8-3 to Truro College and 7-5 to Coleg Sir Gar to qualify for the plate. Bromsgrove then won all 3 plate games to reach the final. This included a well deserved 10-0 victory against John Cleveland College. In the plate final, Bromsgrove School beat Wilmslow College 11-0.
7th December
Hockey
On Saturday the U16 girls' indoor hockey team competed in the Midlands Finals.
Bromsgrove got off to a flying start beating Nottingham High School 6-0. Their second match was against King's High School, Warwick where Bromsgrove secured a 2-2 draw. In their third game they lost to Belper hockey club which meant they needed to win their last game against Dame Alice to secure a place in the National Finals. Unfortunately Dame Alice just had the edge and won 6-5.
The U18 Midlands indoor tournament was a closely contested one with every one of the first 4 games resulting in draws!
Bromsgrove got off to a solid start with a two draws, against Sutton and Repton and a win against Dame Alice School.
Bromsgrove put themselves under pressure only managing a draw against Nottingham High School. In a must win match versus Leicester Hockey club, the girls went 1-0 down in the first 2 minutes but fought their way back, playing some determined hockey. 1-1 at half time. An early goal in the second half 2-1 to Bromsgrove - which we fought hard to hold on to secure 2nd place and trip to the nationals in January
The boys 1st XI beat Bablake School 5-2
Congratulations to Jon Holloway who has been selected for the England Under 16 training squad.
Rugby
In the Daily Mail vase the Under 15 team beat King Edwards Lichfield 17-10; they now play Kings Grantham in the next round
The school Rugby teams enjoyed the better of the results versus King Edwards Birmingham school. The following teams all recorded wins; U14A, U16A, 3rd XV,2nd XV and the 1st XV who played some very good rugby to win 31-0 and retain the Sivitier Smith trophy.
Netball
On Wednesday afternoon the 1st and U16 netball teams competed against Old Swinford Hospital School. Both teams were successful with the First team winning 16-12 and the U16 team winning 36-9.
Basketball
The following teams competed in the Bromsgrove School invitational tournament last Saturday; Old Swinford, Dean Close, Kings Worcester and St Michaels. After the group stages Bromsgrove A team played Dean Close in the final, a very tired Bromsgrove team emerged 31 -22 winners.
December 11th
Hockey
Our U18 boys' hockey team won the Midlands' Indoor Championships on Sunday ; they defeated Wolverhampton hockey club 3-1 in the final. We also congratulate the U16 boys' team; they lost 3-1 in their final but still go through. Next term U18 and U16 boys and U18 girls all compete in the National Indoor Finals; a tremendous achievement for these teams and a fine accolade for the School and its hockey. Outdoor, the boys' 1st XI beat Bablake School 5-2. Congratulations to Jon Holloway who has been selected for the England U16 training squad.
December 7th
KES Match
In the home match against King Edwards’, Birmingham which is , believed to be the oldest, most continuous schoolboy fixture in the land, the 1st XV played excellent rugby to win 31-0. There was some very exciting passages of play with fine running from the backs.
Shakespeare Certificates
Three pupils recently gained Shakespeare Certificates awarded by the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. They read prepared speeches from various plays, as well as sight reading on the day, and all were commended for their voices, characterisation and understanding of the text. Alex Harding and Joseph Taylor – who already hold, respectively, Bronze and Silver Monologue Certificates, were awarded their Bronze Duologue Certificate with Merit, and Arsalan Sattari gained his Bronze Monologue Certificate, also with Merit.
Hockey
U18 Midlands Indoor Tournament
This was a very closely contested tournament one with every one of the first 4 games resulting in a draw.
Bromsgrove got off to a solid start with a two draws, against Sutton and Repton and a win against Dame Alice School.
Bromsgrove put themselves under pressure only managing a draw against Nottingham High School. In a must win match versus Leicester Hockey club, the girls went 1-0 down in the first 2 minutes but fought their way back, playing some determined hockey. 1-1 at half time. An early goal in the second half 2-1 to Bromsgrove - which we fought hard to hold on to secure 2nd place and trip to the nationals in January.
Geography Conference
Eighteen L6th and U6th geographers attended a student conference at Birmingham University entitled ‘World at risk day’. A team of well-know geographers, academics and senior examiners gave a series of lectures on the impact geography has on our everyday lives. The programme included topics such as; the increasing risk of river floods and extreme weather, including up-to-date case studies, which was of particular interest to the L6th pupils. The U6th were treated to lectures on volcanoes as hazards and quakes that shook the world. There was an opportunity for pupils to get a brief glance of Birmingham University and even spot an old Bromsgrovian (Teddy Dyakova).
November 27th
Mr Richard Evans
The Governors are delighted to announce the appointment of Mr Richard Evans as the new Headmaster of Bromsgrove Preparatory School to succeed Mr Peter Lee-Smith on his retirement at the end of the academic year.
Mr Evans is currently Headmaster of St Andrew’s School, a co-educational Prep School for over 300 pupils in Woking, Surrey. He joins Bromsgrove Preparatory School with his wife Carol and two children.
Mr Evans has worked in a number of reputable Prep Schools and is an Independent Schools Inspector. He is also a member of the IAPS Sports and Recreation Committee.
He has a keen interest in sport having played rugby and cricket at a high level. He also enjoys golf, fly fishing and skiing.
Mr Evans will be taking over the Headship at an exciting time in the School’s development. “I am delighted with my appointment as Headmaster of Bromsgrove Preparatory School. I’m particularly looking forward to working with excellent staff, both in and outside the classroom, to further enhance the School’s already superb reputation and build on the tremendous work that Peter Lee-Smith has done as Headmaster”.
Mr Evans was born in Worcester and looks forward to returning to his home county.
Netball
On Saturday the U14 netball team represented the District in the County Netball Championships. They got off to a flying start in their pool matches beating Malvern St James 21-1 and Blessed Edwards 24-4. We qualified for the semi-finals as winners of our pool, where we beat South Bromsgrove. In the Final we faced King’s Worcester and secured a comfortable 15-7 win to become County Champions. Now, the U14, U16 and U18 netball teams are all through to the West Midlands finals to be played in January. This is the first time all three age groups have qualified.
Debating.
In the first round of the Cambridge Union Competition, held at Malvern College, we were represented by two pairs: Alex Harding and Sarah Griffin, and Ellie Wilson and Dimple Divecha, who competed against six other teams for a place in the next round. Debating the formation of a United Nations Army and the right of parents to refuse medical treatment for their children, they advanced to the next round.
Tate Modern visit
Upper Sixth Artists visited this year's Unilever Series exhibit at the Tate Modern - a crack in the floor of the vast Turbine Hall, it runs from end to end, starting out as a tiny feature yet almost a substantial narrow trench in the middle. Pupils made their own judgments based on their experience of the piece and also undertook research of artists they are studying for their Personal Investigations.
Religious Studies Trip
On Friday AS and A2 Religious Studies groups attended a series of lectures in Oxford Town Hall given by some of the country’s leading exponents on the Philosophy of Religion, Peter Vardy and Julie Arliss. Subjects covered included the Philosophy of Plato and Aristotle, Process Theology and Feminist Theology, the Cosmological Argument and Religious Experience
November 20th
Christmas Drama Production
A mainly Upper Sixth cast will perform R C Sherriff’s ‘Journey’s End’ on Thursday 6th December and Friday 7th December at 7.30pm. This is a very moving play about World War 1. Tickets, which are free, can be obtained from either Charles Jones or Mrs Kenward. 03cjones@bromsgrove-school.co.uk or pkenward@bromsgrove-school.co.uk
November 14th
Eighteen Sixth Form prospective medical students visited a Healthcare Conference at King's School Worcester. The day was led by medical professionals and included presentations on Medicine in the 21st Century and Medical Ethics, a carousel of workshops, advice on admission to medical school and a question and answer session on all aspect of a career medicine.
November 9th
Housman Poetry Recitation Competition
Tom Fullwood, Elizabeth Leather, Alex Harding and Joe Taylor represented the school in the finals of the Housman Society Poetry Recitation Competition at the Artrix Theatre. All four were highly commended by the judges for their word-perfect recitations, demonstrating control, understanding and subtlety of interpretation. Alex was the runner-up in the Senior section and Elizabeth the winner of the Junior section. There are prizes for all four participants.
Remembrance Day School Services
These take place this Sunday 11th November; 4th Forms at 9.45 am 5th and Sixth Forms at 10.45 am. Please note that all pupils - day and boarding - are expected to attend their respective service.
Sixth Form Interview Evenings
Thursday 15th November - we seek assistance from parents to interview Upper Sixth prior to University Interviews. It is a most rewarding exercise for our pupils
'Next Step Conference'
Thursday November 22nd - this is an important evening for Lower Sixth parents. It enables parents to find out about the system for applying to Higher Education and opportunities for Gap Years.
Upper Sixth/Upper Fourth Form parents' evening
The second evening for parents is on Wednesday 14th November from 6.45pm
Inter-House Unison Song Competition.
In one of the finest contests in years, we sat back, enjoyed watching and hearing the eleven houses sing. This year’s theme was ‘Weather’ and we were regaled with a wide range of exciting songs and performances. Many congratulations to the winning Houses - Walters with ‘Weather like you’ conducted by Luke Simonds and Oakley’s ‘Summer Sunshine’ conducted by Shirley Tsang - and runners- up Mary Windsor and Lyttelton (Conductors Wendy Wang and Dan Southall respectively).
October 15th
Llanwrtyd Wells Celebrations
The weekend of celebrations began with a Concert in the Bethesda Chapel; the epitome of Wales. Our pupils performed to local townsfolk and a strong contingent of Old Bromsgrovians who attended School there, Staff, Governors and Parents. There followed a church service, the exchange of gifts and the bestowing of the freedom of the town to Bromsgrove School. A delightful meal was laid on and much reminiscing took place. A larger selection of photos can be found on our Gallery Page.
Parents’ evenings
For parents of pupils in the Upper Fourth and Upper Sixth Forms take place on Tuesday 6th and Wednesday 14th November from 6.45 until 9.00 in the Sports Hall. Click this link for further details.
Remembrance Day Sunday 11th November.
We remind parents that our two Services take place on Sunday 11th of November at 9.45 (4th Forms) and 10.45 am (Fifth and Sixth Forms); these are compulsory Services for pupils, both day and boarding.
CCF Recruits Passing Out Parade,
This takes place on Tuesday afternoon 4th December: Parents and friends are welcome to observe this moving event which takes place on 'Masters' Walk' (the roadway by Kyteless). This is the culmination of their induction training and there are prizes for the Best Platoon, and for the Best Army and Best RAF individuals.
Physics Trip to CERN
Following the highly successful trip earlier this year, the Physic Department is again running a visit to the Centre for European Nuclear Research in Switzerland. It takes place in March, is a wonderful experience for AS Physicists. Click this link for further details.
October 8th
OFSTED Boarding Inspection
The Ofsted Inspection of our Boarding took place from Monday to Thursday last week. The boarding facilities were inspected us against the exacting criteria and standards laid down in 'Every Child Matters' and the National Minimum Boarding Standards; Ofsted judgements range from 1 Inadequate, 2 Satisfactory, 3 Good to 4 Outstanding. At the debrief we were delighted by the final outcome of ‘Overall Outstanding’. The formal report will be published in due course and available to parents.
Lower Four Malvern Field Day
Instead of the hoped for late summer sunshine, the Malvern Hills were damp and shrouded in mist. But the new Lower Fours were a delight to work with; spirits were high and rapport with staff excellent, and the Deputy Headmaster enjoyed his tradition of giving out mars bars to all participants.
History of the School Part II
An audience of 120 enjoyed learning about the History of the School 1901-1945. Mr Bowen was helped along in this daunting task with some Musical inserts by Mr Kingston, the Chapel Choir, Big Band, Holly Yip and Andy Lai. Rear-Admiral Sir David Haslam (Gordon 1937-41) delivered a fascinating account of his time at Bromsgrove School in Wales (Copies of his speech are available); it added to the anticipation of those visiting Llanwrtyd Wells this coming weekend.
'Words and Music' Housman Room, Thursday 11th October 7.30pm
please note the change of venue This is a delightful 'drawing room' presentation of poetry and verse by pupils, interspersed with music, and a highlight of the year. The theme is 'Months of the Year'.
Llanwrtyrd Wells 13th - 14th October
Parents of pupils travelling to Wales should now have full details. Please contact Mr Bowen if you have any queries. We mount an Art Exhibition, stage a concert (with Builth Wells Male Voice Choir), participate in the Church Service on the Sunday, the Corps of Drums leads the parade through the town and we lay wreaths for our war dead and the town's. Ceremonies climax with the presentation of the freedom of the Town to our School.
Parents’ evenings for parents of pupils in the Upper Fourth and Upper Sixth Forms take place on Tuesday 6th and Wednesday 14th November from 6.45 until 9.00 in the Sports Hall. Please put these dates in your diary; a letter from Mr Dowling giving further details will be posted on the website shortly.
School Golf Society
The next meeting of the School Golf Society (for all parents, staff and pupils who are reasonably competent) will be at the Kenilworth Golf Club (Crewe Lane, Kenilworth, Warks, CV8 2EA) on Wednesday 24th October. We will play 18 holes from 11:00 am at a cost of £25 for adults and £10 for juniors. If you would like to play, please contact Mr Pickering at the Prep School cpickering@bromsgrove-school.co.uk as soon as possible and before Friday 12th October.
1st October
Expedition to Madagascar July 2009
Please click on the link above to view the letter from Outlook Expeditions.
September 28th
Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club
The Headmaster and his wife, Karen, held a reception for current parents and old Bromsgrovians at the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club during their recent visit to Hong Kong. The evening was well attended despite near monsoon conditions, parents enjoyed the opportunity to chat informally with the Headmaster. A selection of pictures from the evening is below.
September 12th
Edexcel Awards
Following on from six Good Schools’ Guide Awards last year, we received excellent news from Edexcel examination board last week. Stephan Edgar, Lucy Toft, Thomas Wong and Leila Zoeftig were amongst the top ten out of 5,968 entries for Edexcel Design and Technology: Graphic Products. This is an outstanding achievement with our pupils up with the best in the land. Well done to Ms Alexander - Head of Department - and her colleagues for leading the pupils to such heights.
Open Mornings
There will be an Open Morning for Senior School and Sixth Form entry on Saturday October 6th – please let any friends or family know this date. Further details can be obtained from the Admissions Department.
School Parents' Association AGM
This takes place on Saturday 29th September at 10.00am; please see the attached agenda from the Chairman.
Pastoral Parents Evening
On Wednesday September 26th we are holding a Parents' Evening with a difference - a Pastoral one. Various colleagues will be speaking and inviting question and debate on such topics as the Internet (including sites like Bebo), eating disorders, self-harm, bullying and topics parents may wish to raise. Coffee will be served from 7.10 pm and the evening will last from 7.30 to 9.00 pm. Please email the Deputy Headmaster’s secretary by Monday 17th September if you would like to join us. We would value the dialogue.
Dressage
Fifteen year old Emily Richards represented the UK U21 dressage team in a friendly international in county Wicklow, Ireland During the summer holidays. The UK team finished in secong place out o16 entries. Emily is to feature in the glossy magazine Horse and Hound after winning two out of four classes at the senior dressage championships at the Heart of England dressage centre.
World Challenge to Botswana and Zambia
Barely 48 hours after Commemoration, 29 nervous teenagers were departing Bromsgrove to begin their adventures in Africa; the culmination of two years' fundraising and training.
Team 1 headed for the Kalahari, living with the bushmen, learning about plants, how to throw spears or shoot arrows from hand-made bows and how to trap animals. Water was in very short supply and its conservation very important and the team became experts at doing so. They undertook their community project at Bana Ba Metsi School for Boys, painting classrooms and buildings, digging foundations, collecting thatch, plastering walls and digging the garden. After this hard work they traveled to Livingstone and the magnificent Victoria Falls where the team viewed the Falls both in the day time and in the light of the full moon, which formed a lunar rainbow. The four week adventure ended with the main trek from Livingstone to the Batoka Gorge. Over 5 days, they clambered into the gorge, hopped over boulders, climbed wooden ladders made from trees and branches and swam in the Zambezi. The trek ended in a nearby village and was celebrated with a birthday cake cooked on an open fire - no mean feat!
Team 2 headed for the Mutinondo Wilderness, a very remote camp where some hard lessons were learnt. Once acclimatized, the team headed off on the 5-day main trek down the Muchinga escarpment into the incomparable South Luangwa National Park. The team were guided by “David” and accompanied by 9 porters and two armed scouts and trekked past waterfalls and sweeping wide rivers. The camp at Flat-dogs was completely open to wildlife; Elephants and Hippos were regularly seen wandering past the tents and buildings during the stay. Team 2 was enthralled by the mighty Zambezi and got soaked on the scenic walkways amidst the small rainbows created by the spray. The project in Nambia was to build a fence around a small orphanage, which at the time consisted of a shady area beneath two trees and provided a teaching area for 95 local orphaned children. The team’s donations of money raised back in the UK and a large bag full of teddy bears were very gratefully received.
International Induction
was a huge success again this year. Over 60 pupils from more than ten countries arrived at Housman Hall on the Thursday before term began to familiarise themselves with the school grounds and routines. All pupils have now settled in well to their own boarding houses and look very much at home in Bromsgrove.
