N E W S - Hockerill Anglo-European College

ISSUE 18 • SEPTEMBER • 2010
HOCKERILL
N E W S
Sportsday
2010
Hockerill Anglo-European College, Dunmow Road, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire CM23 5HX • 01279 658451
www.hockerill.herts.sch.uk

Simon Dennis
Principal’s Column
2 HOCKERILL NEWS SEPTEMBER 2010
It hardly seems possible that we
have reached the end of another
long but, highly successful year. I
know that both the staff and the
students are ready for the Summer
break.
Sadly we have a number of staff
leaving us this year. I would like
to take this opportunity to thank
them on behalf of the College for
their outstanding contribution and
to wish them every success and
happiness in the future.
We will also be welcoming a
number of new staff who will be
joining us this September.
Many of you will be aware that earlier this term we were
all stunned by the loss of Mike Ullmann. His sudden death
after a short battle with cancer was a tremendous shock
to us all. Mike was very much one of the founders of
the modern day College, his passion for the teaching of
languages at a time when many schools were cutting back
their language provision has been a major contribution
to our success. Internationalism in its widest sense had
a profound impact on many people not only within
the College but, in Romania, Rwanda, India and many
other countries. He will be greatly missed but, we are
determined to build on his legacy. It is times like this
that you really appreciate the community that is Hockerill
College. The support we received from our parents,
Mike Ullmann
students and staff was greatly appreciated. The many
cards, letters and comments which came into the College
were I know a great comfort to the Ullmann family.
They have written their own very special tribute to Mike
elsewhere in this newsletter.
After the opening of our new Refectory work commenced
immediately on the building known as Truro House. I
am pleased to report that the builders are on schedule
for completion in August. The exciting new facility will
create a new boarding house for girls aged 11-16, to be
called Winchester House. It will also give us a new ICT
classroom, that will be used by the girls during the evening
and weekends and also as a a large social area. This is a
fantastic addition to our boarding facilities and we look
forward to it opening in September.
This year has also seen the refurbishment of the College
library, providing a much needed modernisation and
makeover. It has proved tremendously popular with our
students with many of the new books and DVDs in great
demand. None of this would have been possible without
the generous support of parental contributions to the
Development Fund.
There has been much press coverage of the government’s
plans to encourage schools to apply for Academy status.
The College along with other schools has registered its
interest with the Department of Education. However,
there are a number of key questions we are awaiting
answers to . The governors will discuss the matter further
and are hoping to hold a parents evening in September to
canvas parents views on the matter.
S Dennis
Some weeks have passed since Mike’s untimely departure and we would
like to take this opportunity to express our heartfelt appreciation to all
those who have been so very kind to us during a time in which we found
ourselves at our lowest ebb. Your thoughts, memories, prayers and
unyielding support have helped us cope with our loss and for this we thank you so
very dearly.
Mike was a beautiful man, blessed with many innate qualities - modesty, sincerity,
loyalty, reliability, confidentiality, fairness, patience and forgiveness and it was
these qualities which allowed him to address issues with calmness, maturity and
wisdom. To a fault, he was a humanitarian and giver.
Through the years and under his careful guidance, many young teachers excelled
rapidly to become heads of department in their own right, inspired by his
profound love for a profession which radiated from every fibre of his being. Mike
taught and managed his faculty by example, not dictatorship and for all those
whose lives he touched, it was clear that for him, there was no other way.
Mike was many things, but above all he was a simple man with very simple yet
powerful ideas for teaching languages, the results of which are evident in the
hundreds of letters and cards we have received, each a testament to the idea and
the man. Mike also pursued a lifelong dream of helping those less fortunate and
in this he never wavered or gave second best. In both the idea and the dream he
ensured better lives for so many people and we are and will always be, very proud
of him.
Nicole, Anna & Jeremy

New Appointments September 2010
Jasmijn Bloemert Teacher of English
Britta Boysen Teacher of Geography
Amanda Cattermole Administrative Assistant in Modern Foreign Languages
Tom Coleman Residential Boarding House Tutor
Will Conolly Residential Boarding House Tutor
Sarah Cowler Boarding House Assistant
Kay Dalby Teacher of Art
Sarah Davis PE Teacher
Ayako Gdula Teacher of Japanese
Darron Gillhespey Teacher of Mathematics
Tony Hill Teacher of Maths with Responsibility for Sixth Form Maths
Chloe Kingseller Science Technician
Les Melsome DofE Co-Ordinator
Hugh Michell Teacher of Italian with French
Emillie Peau Teacher of French
Sarah Peel Second in Department, English
Agnes Peraud Teacher of French (one year secondment arranged by French Embassy)
Ayesha Rana Teacher of English
Eleanor Roberts GTP
Stephanie Roberts Teacher of Biology
Richard Royal Teacher of History
Danika Stevenson Teacher of English with responsibility for KS3
Jessica Swann Teacher of Science
Jannene Waldock Science Technician
Janine Weatherley Boarding House Assistant
Kathy Yates Cover Supervisor
Internal Appointments/Promotions
Shamiela Davids Deputy Head of House (Winchester)
Mandy Dee Senior Science Technician
Anne Harris Deputy Head of House
Christopher Jones Deputy Head of House (Canterbury)
Julie Kheng Head of House (Roding)
Simon Vernon Deputy Head of House (Thames)
News from the Library
It has been a busy first year here at Hockerill and the
Library has seen some dramatic changes. At Easter it was
decorated and new carpet, curtains and lighting were
added along with WFI and sockets for laptops. New stock
has been purchased and this summer will see the arrival
of a new library management system called OLIVER which
includes a web-based catalogue. The introduction of DVDs,
Playaway audio books and a wide range of magazines and
newspapers has been a great success.
Library skills sessions have also been introduced across the
College and in February we took part in the Literary Festival
at Bishop’s Stortford College with Year 9 assessing eight
books and then voting in the Picture Book Award. A small
group attended the presentation by Children’s Laureate
Anthony Browne.
The Library will continue to grow and in September there will
be a Reading/Library Club for the Lower College along with
many other activities to look forward to. During the summer
holidays why not check out the Hockerill Library Wish List on
Amazon.
J Ballard
Year 9 trip to the presentation of the Picture Book Award at Bishop’s
Stortford College
HOCKERILL NEWS SEPTEMBER 2010 3

Our Trip to London
We sat there staring at the glorious blue sky on our way to London,
nervously awaiting our arrival at the amazing city. After what
seemed like days but was only a couple of hours, we finally arrived.
We stepped out of the bus, blinking at the light of the sun and our
ears just adapting to the hustle and bustle of the exciting and exhilarating city.
Thousands of buildings loomed around us, casting shadows across the road like
a grey army that makes up this metropolis. Hastily we went to our groups and
slowly started strolling towards the National Portrait Gallery. As we walked I
seemed so tiny compared to this massive city.
We arrived at the gallery and the building itself seemed almost like a work of art.
In the foreground was the famous Trafalgar Square. In the centre was a fountain
that spurted water, glistening in the sunshine. At the front of the square stood
Nelson’s Column. There were also a variety of very interesting sculptures, like a
fascinating wooden model ship about two metres long in a huge glass bottle
which seemed to balance precariously on top of a tall column.
In the background there was the grand building of the National Portrait Gallery.
On the outside it was fairly bland and grey but had intimidating large front doors.
We walked into a quite lush reception which seemed to smell very strongly of
washing up liquid. We stumbled in a tight mass up the staircase to the first room.
What hit me first was the variety of different styles of portraits. Art work ranged
from the modern to the abstract, to old and new and time worn portraits.
After we had a quick look around we walked to the Tudor section. I was hugely
impressed and almost frightened of the huge portrait of King Henry V111. He
was standing in all his glory. There were portraits of all his wives, too, and striking
portraits of Queen Elizabeth I wearing incredibly tight dresses and her face almost
white with make-up. We moved on to the Stuart section and talked about the
symbolism used in the portrait of Bonny Prince Charlie.
Our next stop was the remarkable reconstruction of the Globe Theatre which
seemed just like the real thing but perhaps slightly spoilt by CCTV cameras and
an obvious sprinkler system on the thatch roof. We had a guided tour around and
although it was not the original it is amazing to think that over 400 years ago
Shakespeare and his actors would have acted there.
After we finished our tour of the Globe we went to have lunch in the dazzling
sunshine in a park next to the Millennium Bridge. With our strength back we
crossed over this super piece of modern architecture to St. Pauls Cathedral.
This was probably my highlight of the whole trip. We entered through a small
door behind the cathedral into the Crypt where we listened to an absolutely
fascinating, interesting and captivating talk about the cathedral. I found out so
many things I never knew about St Paul’s, for example it was not the first but
actually the sixth Cathedral on that site.
We then walked up a narrow twisting staircase to the whispering gallery because,
if there is no disturbance, you can whisper at the centre and hear a person on the
opposite side of the dome.
We then climbed up more steps up a twisted rusty metal staircase which had
holes in the steps so when you looked down you could see the dizzying view of
the staircase below.
We arrived at a doorway and climbed up the staircase through and door and the
ascent seemed to take forever. The view at the top was amazing. A great urban
landscape of the city of London stretched out before us with the sun sparkling
through the windows .we saw the Gherkin and the London Eye.
Finally we made our way back down into the Cathedral cloister, went to the bus
tired and exhausted we slumped into our seats, we said good bye to London and
drove back to the college.
4 HOCKERILL NEWS SEPTEMBER 2010
Nicholas Campbell Year 7
India Trip 2010
Images from the trip to India this Summer

CCF
Congratulations to Stephanie Drew 12DLe who
has obtained a RAF Sixth Form Scholarship. She
recently attended an interview and medical at the
RAF Careers Office in Cambridge were she was
successful in obtaining her scholarship. When Stephanie
finishes her IB studies she intends to study Medicine at
University before applying to become a Medical Officer in the
RAF. Congratulations and Well Done Stephanie.
N Ashlee-McCrae
Performing Arts: Equipe
After delays due to volcanic ash the Equipe performing Arts competition
finally took place on the 8th of May. It was the strongest competition
yet with the IB Theatre students leading their Equipes as Directors, Set
Designers, Stage Managers, Choreographers and Scriptwriters.
This event formed a crucial part of their course. Goethe were victorious
with a weird, wonderful and original version of Alice in Wonderland. Other
performances included a dynamic, foot tapping version of The Blues Brothers by
Da Vinci; a beautifully choreographed version of The Jungle Book and a hilarious
version of Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Our judges, actor Charlie Davies; dance
teacher Louise Coates and musician Roger Abraham thoroughly enjoyed the
evening and were astounded by the talent.
Special mention must go to Oliver Palierakis in Year 10 for winning Best Actor,
Eloise Pederson in Year 10 who won Best Music for her vocals and Freya Lawson
in Year 9 who won Best Dancer.
This event has become increasingly popular with the students, at least 250
students were involved this year, and every year the tickets sell out quicker. It
demonstrates the fantastic talent Hockerill has in Music, Dance and Drama and
is a special occasion for these art forms to combine and show what we can do
together. Who will win next year...? We hope to see you there.
V Marsh
GCSE Art
On the 7th June the visiting moderator for GCSE
Art and Design assessed the year 11 students
work at the Rhodes Centre. The students received
very complimentary comments and we now look
forward to the results with our fingers crossed for a large
percentage of the students achieving the highest grades.
The evening of the 7th saw the private view. This was well
attended and was an opportunity to celebrate the talents,
dedication and hard work of the students.
May I take this opportunity to inform you about a new
appointment within the department. Kay Dalby shall be
joining us in September and aside from classroom teaching
she will be developing the photography at Hockerill so
students can look forward to workshops and an ever
broadening of opportunities.
J James
HOCKERILL NEWS SEPTEMBER 2010 5

Sports Update
This year has proven yet again to be another fantastic sporting year for the Hockerill students. Below we have highlighted some of the
outstanding achievements:
• The year 10 Hockey team ended a tremendous
season as runners up in the county cup league
to Queenswood and the year 7 Hockey team
managed an unbeaten season and won the
district final against local rivals Newport.
• We gained district Rugby titles in 3 of the 5
tournaments we entered. Year 8, year 10 and year
11.
• The creation of successful dance clubs and
equestrian teams at Hockerill.
• The year 10 boys managed to win the district
basketball title and after a gruelling season won
the Hertfordshire Rugby Cup at Old Albanians
Rugby Club.
• The creation of an U13 girls rugby team proved
successful when they qualified for the regional
finals. Eight girls have gone on to represent
Bishop’s Stortford Rugby Club U15’s and win
the County 7’s tournament.
• The year 8 Netball team maintained an unbeaten
season and won the district final against Bishop’s
Stortford College.
• The 1st X1 Football team after two excellent seasons
won the district final.
• We hosted two athletic meetings with local schools
and Hockerill finished second overall. With notable
performances from Ed Rowbottom in the Discus and
Shotput, Titus Ogbannayo in the 100 and 200m and
Kate Willis in the 1500m.
• With the arrival of Mr Mackenzie we have seen a real
boost in our cross country performances with regular
attendance of 40 plus students training and representing
the College.
The College resumed cricket fixtures this year performing well
against local schools and the Year 8’s winning a close encounter
with the BSHS. The College look forward to an increase in
competitive cricket next year.
The Staff Cricket team played three fixtures. They were well
captained by Mr Clark who was assisted by Mr Gillmore. Mr Mackenzie topped the batting averages with Ms Brown being the leading wicket
taker. Victories over St Mary’s and TBSHS were extremely pleasing and the finale saw a Gillmore select XI defeat Clarks’s Superstars at Farnham
Cricket Club.
• 21 Year 11 students successfully passed the Sports Leaders Level One.
• 430 students attended the Annual Sports Dinner making it the largest event yet.
• Sports Day was a huge success with the efforts and competitive spirit being marked by the fact that we managed to set 24 new College
records. Well done
As you can see it has been a very busy sporting year and Staff and students have worked incredibly hard in making this happen. We would like to
say thank you to Mrs Hodder for all her valuable work in the PE Department as she moves into the Science Department but she will remain firmly
committed to HAEC Hockey, coaching more teams to success next year
We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Will Ekong on achieving a scholarship to play for and to be educated by Tottenham
Hotspur.
The College is hugely grateful to Mr Vic Cook (Great Uncle of George, Daisy and Tallulah Birchenough) who very generously bequeathed the PE
Dpeartment £140,000 in his will. It was Vic’s wish that the money be used for the continuing improvement of sports facilities at Hockerill.
6 HOCKERILL NEWS SEPTEMBER 2010
R Vernon