21^st July 2000

 

Dear Parents, Friends and Oldboys

We wave the boys off and ‘bon voyage’ after one of the best endings to a summer term and year that I can remember. The weather has been superb on both camps and the boys are coming home looking very healthy and most certainly tired. The work experience with 13 boys, the most ever taking part, has run very smoothly with only one boy getting a reprimand from staff and that was for sneaking off work early to meet his girlfriend!

Junior Camp organised by Mr Marshall and Mr McBride stayed at Shell Island. The advance party expecting the worst drove the tent pegs in very deep and very solidly but the weather changed and all was well. The boys then spent the majority of their time between crabbing and the beach

Adventure Camp for Year’s 8 and 9 were at the Shropshire Mountaineering Club hut near Llanberis. The ‘hut’ is a traditional farmhouse now converted into a bunkhouse with plenty of space to pitch tents. During the week organised by Mr Corbett the boys’ were introduced to: orienteering, mountain biking, canoeing, mountain navigation, rock climbing and a climb up Snowdon.

Work experience for the thirteen year 10’s was a huge success with: Michael Knight and Taha Nasr working in the school and grounds; Gregory Taylor worked at Rowley’s House Museum; Carl Bowles worked at Sainsbury’s Supermarket in a really eye catching uniform; Chris Wright worked with Shropshire Countryside Service; Chris Rowe assisted at the Orchard School; Matt Joyce worked at Radbrook Hall Hotel; Mark Westwood assisted at St George’s Primary School; Andrew Hazel worked at Morris’ Food Market; Matt Dunn worked at T J Hughes; Matt S worked at the Abbey National Building Society, where he had his own desk and probably his own shares by now; Adam Cooke worked at Virgin Megastore, probably not so Mega now and finally Darren Griffiths worked at Giles Sports. This was Darren’s second work experience following his week with the Army in June. This course was run by the Light Infantry and was staffed by John Roscoe one of our old boys who took great delight in tasking Darren and working him hard all week. Many thanks go not only to Mrs Meyer for organising these placements but also the staff who stayed back in school and particularly the ladies in the laundry, Mrs Richards and Mrs Coombe who turned the boys out so immaculately each day for work.

We have also taken part in work experience programmes, not only for Michael and Taha but also for Katie Russell from SCAT, Helen Hughes from Rhyn Park School and Michelle Braddick from The Corbett School all helping as classroom assistants during the term.

We have an expected school roll of fifty boys and increasing in September, we also have several new staff joining us. Mr Gavin Randall will be teaching PE and PSE, Mrs Gaye Doyle teaching Science and Mr Chris Campion, Juniors and History. On the Care side we have Mrs Debbie Goodwin, Miss Claire Bickford, Mr Malcolm Hanmer and Mr Paul Clarke. We wish them all a long and happy stay.

The new senior block is looking very good, although behind schedule with the builders unable to lay bricks during most of April and several days in May due to the rain. The roof is due to go on next week and then the plasterers. We are ready to fill the block, as the senior group of boys in school is quite unique and will certainly benefit and make the most of this facility during the years to come.

Mr Patrick Tomlinson who joined us after half term as Head of Therapy has opened his separate facility with two boys this summer. He has a new team of staff and I am sure you will hear more about them and this venture in future letters.

The GCSE examinations went very smoothly with Mrs Martin overseeing the arrangements. The year 11 boys took everything in their stride and were joined by some of year 10 who we entered a year early for different reasons. They have all worked very hard and will hopefully have achieved good results when they are released on 24 August. The year 11 boys chose a trip to Alton Towers as their leaving party and an exciting day was had by all including the staff – Mr Davies, Mr Senior, Mr Carless and Miss Sudlow. More career news in the Christmas letter as they are still deciding on jobs and courses.

Staff training has been organised by Mr McBride this year with Health and Safety and Risk Assessment courses run by Shropshire CC in April. Mrs Martin, Mrs Meyer, Miss Davies and Mr Marshall went to the Tony Attwood talk in Oxford. Mr Marshall and Mr Corbett went to a ‘Bullying in School’ course run by the NSPCC and I went on a West Midlands Autistic Society course for post-16 education.

NASEN held their summer meet at school in June with Paul Cooper from Cambridge University, an old friend of Mr Carless’, speaking on ‘AD/HD in the Classroom’. He gave a very interesting talk and taken easily in his stride being an internationally acclaimed expert on this subject, however, we found his weakness when he was surrounded by a group of our boys, some with AD/HD, who had joined the party to clear up the remainder of the refreshments! Our congratulations go to Paul who has since been awarded a Professorship at Leicester University. A collection was made at the end of the meeting for the boys and NASEN kindly donated the £90 to the school.

The annual school reports enclosed with this letter include a sheet of photographs of the boys for their parents. These were taken by Mr Gilchrist with his wonderful high resolution digital camera. I hope you like them, thanks must go to him for getting a suitable expression on some of the more reluctant boys faces! Curriculum 2000 is almost in place for September with all the added expenditure! We are implementing the Performance Reviews from next term when we have thoroughly discussed and finalised our school Performance Policy. Target setting throughout the school with all staff and boys being fully involved is certainly one of our aims. Thankfully I shall be getting some help from Mrs Meyer who has agreed to take up the position as Head of Education and co-ordinator of the teaching team in conjunction with Mr McBride, Mrs Martin and Mr Senior the rest of the executive team. These new arrangements replace the Deputy Head role previously performed by Mrs Gilchrist who left the school last year. Nuala Gilchrist played a key role in establishing the reputation of the school in its early days and subsequent development. It is a pleasure to acknowledge that contribution and to wish her well in the future. Five of the teaching staff decided to join the Government performance award scheme and have applied to go through the pay ‘Threshold’. I count myself lucky as most Heads have many more forms to mark. Sadly the scheme has been frozen after a High Court ruling. More news in the next letter.

We had a lovely Open Day after worrying all morning that it would rain all afternoon. We do have contingency plans but none are as good as the front lawn. Memorable highlights for me were: the teachers chatting to parents before the opening and then trying to get out to man their stalls – improved arrangements and more time next year – the Ju-Jitsu demonstration followed by the gym display along with the singing of Mr Brown and Jackie Parker (Mr Marshall’s sister). Thank you all for your generosity and contributions and for making it such a lovely afternoon. We raised around £1858 during the afternoon most of which has gone towards the summer activities and camps.

This term it was nice to see so many oldboys at the open day, ringing or just dropping in: Andy Hambridge, Mark Hall and Russell Smith looking really great from way back in1990; George Foster, Gary Yeomans, Mark Pierce who has not been well since an accident at work, Richard Machin, Gary Broster, Alan Gotts, Stuart Moore, Richard Haddock, Dave Knight, John Roscoe, David Horton with very distinguished goatee, Danny Macintosh, David Watkins, Simon Lockley, Mark Dixon teaching CLAIT at Rowley Regis Tech. and Gavin Prior making an excellent name and career for himself in the ‘Thoroughbred’ world of horses – but still no useful tips for Miss Davies. Thank you lads it is lovely to hear from you all, finally best wishes to Martin Cartwight for his Army entrance next week.

A new event entered our calendar in May this year, a fund raising Rugby match between a Shrewsbury Veterans + Guests XV and Sutton Coldfield Veterans. We have Mr & Mrs Brittain to thank for the idea, arrangements and opposition. We have to thank Shrewsbury Rugby Club and Mr & Mrs Hodnett who worked hard this end to ensure everything went smoothly at the Shrewsbury Club. Mickey captained Shrewsbury to a spectacular win over Nobby’s XV but we have been invited to a return fixture next season at Sutton where I suspect a reversal may be predicted. Many thanks go to the spectators, sponsors, players and their families who were so generous to enable us to raise £422.

We were again the arena party for the West Midlands Show in May, Mr McBride, Mr Marshall and myself along with Paul Hook, Steve Connolly, Chris Tedds, Steve Powell, Carl Bowles, Chris Rowe, Gregory Taylor, Chris Wright, Andrew Hazel, James Wallace and Shane Turner. The highlight was the re-enactment of the Battle of Shrewsbury and their primitive black powder weapons. I could certainly do with a trebuchet for difficult break times to settle the peasants! The weather was not very good but the lack of show jumping events meant we had plenty of spare time during the two days to enjoy the show.

Mr McBride organised the annual year 10 Canoe expedition down the river Severn. GCSE commitments meant one less night under canvas and a longer day for the final run to Hampton Lode but this was all thwarted by the rain storms in Wales. We set up camp on the Thursday evening and had our usual swim in the river by the most idyllic campsite in the depth of Lord Hamilton’s estate. The next morning the river had risen three feet and was going past our island at a frightening pace and so we decided that retreat was the most sensible and safest option.

Mr Rayner and Mr Bower took year 9: Bryan Chermulas, Stefan Gordon, Rob O’Connell, Steve Powell and Chris Tedds, for an introductory walk on the Long Mynd. The Pontesford Hill Run was cancelled because of torrential rain making conditions on the hill dangerous but a Cross country event was held instead with Hill beating Clive and Darwin into second and third places. The Senior champion was Ashly Latham with Junior champion Steve Powell close behind. In the 13 mile event Darren Griffiths was first after a superb run in 1:40.40secs with the champion of the future Steve Powell 1:46.28secs in second place. He may be the one to topple Mark Hall’s Pontesford Hill record of 1990 maybe next year or the year after! The Swimming Gala and the Athletic Sports day were closely contested events with Chris Rowe giving a superb display and effort in the latter. Both eventually won by Hill who have dominated the house matches this term, followed by Clive and Darwin. The houses were even in the same positions in the evening Rounders competition organised by Mrs Thomas.

Miss Atkinson’s annual Pool tournament was well contested and a high standard of pool played throughout. There were some shock results but the eventual champion was Ashly Latham with Rob O’Connell runner up while Adam Cook won the consolation prize for the losers tournament.

Belvidere School challenged our juniors to a Cricket match in June. A team selected from Juniors, Years 7, 8 and 9 were eventually beaten by 8 runs. This was a good warm up for the premier sporting match of the term when Wem Cricket Club invited us to a 20 over game at their ground. The match was again a very combative affair. Wem select XI with batting and bowling right down the order chose to bat first. They soon ran up 137 runs despite our best efforts to play and cheat. We took the field for our innings in good light with our own umpires, Mr Barry Thomas and Mr Robin Coombe and scorer Mrs Richards doing their utmost to keep us in the game. At 67 for 6 when we were staring defeat in the face, Chris Fleming the Wem captain made a very magnanimous gesture and gave us the Wem club’s overseas player. None other than young Duncan Brede of Canberra and Australia Under 19 schools XI’s walked into our changing room to get his kit on. The faces of our boys’ was a sight to behold when the fastest 50 ever witnessed in all of our matches brought us to within a few runs of victory which we just managed much to the delight of everyone. Following the game we presented Jim Lewis and the Wem club with a bench for their kindness and annual generosity to our boys.

The Ju-Jitsu club held another grading session this term with everyone moving up to Orange tab or full Orange belt. We have a keen group of dedicated boys who regularly attend the Thursday evening sessions and have recently enjoyed visitors coming to take part from other clubs. Army Cadets also has regular and committed members in James Wallace, Adam Cooke and new recruits Goronwy Jones and Matthew Mertens.

Activities this term include a massive list of mid week and weekend treats for all concerned: a 20 mile bike ride with Mr Bower – Chris Rowe, Gron Jones, Darren Griffiths, Matt Joyce, Zak Powell and Chris Wright; several trips to swim in the Vrynwy at Meifod; Darren Griffiths, Chris Crabtree and Matt Dunn Skateboarding at the ‘Boneyard’ with Mr Marshall; Greg Taylor, Michael Knight, Steve Powell and Stefan Gordon Canoeing with Mr Corbett; Henry Brittain, Paul Hook, Paul Hughes, Chris Wright, Adam Adamson, Tom Hilton and Chris Tedds Golf range with Mrs Thomas; Shane Turner, Nick Pitt and Paul Hook train spotting with Mr Rayner; Rob Francom, Greg Taylor, Taha Nasr, Rob O’Connell and Michael Knight went to Cosford Airshow with Mr ‘Biggles’ Thomas and Mrs Kynaston; Chris Tedds, James Fairbanks, Adam Adamson, Paul Hook, Zak Powell, Liam Bennett, Tom Higginson, Matt Mertens, Darren Griffiths, Ben Bradley, Matt Dunn, Steve Powell, Taha Nasr, Rob O’Connell and Chris Rowe went to Blackpool with Mrs Thomas, Miss Atkinson, Mr Barrett and Mr Davies; Senior boys regularly go to Park Lane without staff; Carl Bowles, Ben Bradley, Shane Turner, Zak Powell, Paul Hook, Matt S, Stefan Gordon and Steve Powell went Horse riding with Mr Southall and Miss Miller. There were also trips to Castles, Cinema, Ice Skating, Library, the Fair and Squash. Finally but by no means least Matt S, Liam Bennett, Paul Hook, Michael Knight and Bryan Chermulas went to Chapel with Mrs Thomas and Mr Paul Davies.

On behalf of the staff and boys have a happy and peaceful holiday. Remember next term begins on Monday 4^th September 2000.

Yours sincerely

Paul Mayhew

Headmaster