A boarding A boarding - Epsom College

ISSUE 33 • LENT 2013 www.epsomcollege.org.ukA boardinglife for me?A global approach to further educationFood for thought

Academic wanderlustgrows as overseas universitiestick the right boxesStudents are looking increasingly to expand their horizons by going to study abroadAmbitious teenagers are lookingfurther afield than ever before intheir university choices, with anincreasing number taking the decision tostudy overseas.This trend is being reflected at EpsomCollege and in recent years students havechosen to pursue higher education atuniversities in the USA, Hong Kong,Hungary, Canada, Ireland, South Korea andSouth Africa.In 2012, six pupils chose universities outsidethe UK, including two gaining placesat the University of HongKong, one at the Universityof Budapest and three at USuniversities.Last year’s Captain of Golf, David Boote,for example, was the first European studentin over 10 years to be awarded a golfscholarship to Stanford University inPalo Alto, California. Two others arenow attending Berkeley and JohnHopkins Universities.Unusually, one pupil took up the offerof an Art Foundation course at theUniversity of St Andrews, which is acombined course run by Scotland’soldest university and the Collegeof William and Mary in Virginia.The course includes time studyingin the US during the secondand third years.This year, the College isdelighted to have its firstever offer of a place at an Italian university.Captain of Rugby, Craig Thomas, now in theU6th, attended the Summer School ofBusiness at Bocconi University in Milan lastyear and has now received and accepted anunconditional place for next year to studyEconomics. He speaks enthusiastically aboutthe Summer School and says he learnt alot from the experience and highly recommendsit to current L6th students.“Bocconi’s Discover Your Talent week was atruly amazing experience, not only becauseit was at the institution I had my sights seton, but also as it allowed me to evaluatewhere I was in relation to the competitionI was facing heading into my desired careerin finance.“This experience immersed me within agroup of highly talented individuals withwhom I have maintained both short andlong distance friendships. This is an experienceI can strongly recommend and I hopeothers will follow in my footsteps to reapthe benefits of such an excellent opportunity,”Craig said.College students were given an insightinto the benefits of an overseas degreecourse this term when a large group ofL6th formers heard a presentation by MarkHuntington from A Star Future, a specialistin non-UK university applications. His talkfocused on opportunities to study degreecourses taught in English in the Netherlands,Croatia, Spain and Italy, as well as courses inthe USA and Australia.He was accompanied by Veronica Sullo,Admissions Tutor from Bocconi University,who was able to give pupils individual adviceon the range of Bachelor programmes currentlyavailable and the possibilities forcombining study at Bocconi with courses inthe USA and Hong Kong.With an increasingly global jobs market,there are many personal and professionalbenefits to overseas study thatcan help students once they graduate.According to Jemma Davies, Organiser ofthe Student World Fair, studying outside ofthe UK means students have to adapt to anew environment and new teaching methodsand have to develop their interpersonalskills, all of which will benefit them once theygraduate.Learning to adapt in this way gives youngpeople confidence in their own abilities. Arecent report by Beatrice Merrick, Directorof Services and Research at the UK Councilfor International Student Affairs, noted:“Youhave to deal with situations outside of yourown experience. Even students who havetravelled a lot very often find that whenthey’re the one in the driving seat, everythingis a major achievement, from getting abank account to finding somewhere to live.”Studying overseas will serve students wellin the international job market, but that’snot the only benefit to overseas study froman employer’s point of view. “It’s not justlanguage, it’s having experience abroad that“ If you do a whole degree abroad it will very much change your view of the world.”2 The LINK Lent 2013

OE David Bootewho is studying atStanford University.INSET TOP TO BOTTOM:Craig Thomas in Milan;College of Williamand Mary,Virginia;Berkeley University,California; StanfordUniversity, Californiamakes employers think you’ll cope withbeing sent overseas,” the Merrick report said.Inter-cultural experience will also helpstudents work with colleagues from othercountries once they begin work, but thefocus doesn’t need to be purely on careerdevelopment. “Simply learning about anotherlanguage or culture for its own sake canalso have a profound effect on an individual.If you do a whole degree abroad it will verymuch change your view of the world,” theMerrick report found.One of the major concerns is often thelanguage barrier, but, as indicated earlier,increasingly this is not a problem as manyclasses across Europe are taught in English.Cost can be a factor too. While studyingin some countries is cheaper than in theUK, it can be significantly more expensive inothers like the USA.Individual universities may offer their ownfunding schemes and there are internationalscholarships offered by organisations suchas the Fulbright Awards Programme (forstudy in the US) or the CommonwealthScholarships and Fellowships Plan.Common sense dictates, of course, thatstudents should make sure that the qualificationsthey obtain from an overseas universityare recognised in the country wherethey ultimately want to work. Individualinstitutions should be able to clarify this,but it can be checked with the NationalAcademic Recognition Information Centre.“In the current competitive employmentclimate, and with the increased cost of a UKuniversity education, pupils are consideringall opportunities available to them beforemaking decisions as to where to apply touniversity. An international dimension to adegree course is increasingly popular withemployers and makes applicants stand outfrom the crowd,” said Roxanna Harrop, theCollege’s Head of Higher Education andCareers Guidance.For further information onstudying overseas:A Star Future: www.astarfuture.co.ukThe Student World Fair:www.thestudentworld.comUK Council for International StudentAffairs (UKCISA): www.ukcisa.org.ukFulbright Awards Programme:www.fulbright.org.ukCommonwealth Scholarships andFellowships Plan: www.csfp-online.orgNational Academic RecognitionInformation Centre: www.naric.org.ukLent 2013 The LINK3

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF ANEpsom College boarderRachel Soobiah is a 13 year old M4(Year 9) pupil in Wilson House. Shewas born in Gibraltar and has lived inSpain all her life. Before joining Epsom thisyear, she commuted across the border intoGibraltar every morning for school.“My parentsboth worked there and my two sistersboth went to school there too.There is onlyone secondary school in Gibraltar and thefacilities are not very good,” she said.Rachel’s father is an Old Epsomian andwas in Propert House from 1974 to 1979.“My father told me how special the Collegewas to him and he has fond memoriesof CCF expeditions, Founder’s Days andPrefects’ House suppers. Saturday eveningswere particularly memorable for him.Therewas a cinema club in Big School and twoboys from Crawfurd or Wilson would managea projector with large cinema reels andshow a film after supper on a large screenmounted above the stage. On Saturdaynights, everyone took a cushion with themfrom their Houses to supper, leaving themoutside the cafeteria in a big pile.These werethen taken to sit on in Big School during thefilm that would run for two hours or more.Apparently, James Bond films and anythingwith Clint Eastwood were great favourites.Entering senior school canbe daunting. For boarders,who may be away fromhome for the first time, it canbe even more challenging.The Link spent a day withan M4 full boarder to findout what life is really like“It was my father’s suggestion that I boardat Epsom because of the fantastic time hehad himself, but I have always loved sportand one of the main reasons I came herewas because of the huge range of sportsavailable,” Rachel said.Rachel’s grandfather and aunt live nearbyin Wimbledon. “I suppose if I had reallywanted to, I could have been a weeklyboarder but it seemed like an awful effortto pack up my things each week and makethe journey there just for one night,”she said.Rachel goes home to Spain everyholiday, excluding exeats. Her auntgives her a lift to and from theairport. The actual journey takes around 2hours 30 minutes by plane but she usuallyspends a night at her grandfather’s to catchup with her English family first.“I like being a boarder in Wilson becauseit is well situated and is very family-orientated.Our Housemistress – Kirsty Tod – andall the Tutors are very friendly and there’salways someone willing to lend a helpinghand if you need anything. I also love thelayout of the House as it’s very spacious, butalmost impossible to get lost,” Rachel said.Below, Rachel describes a typical Tuesdayfor a full boarding M4 girl:6.30am: Waking upI am always the first in the House to get up as Iam awake half an hour before the first bell goesat 7.00am. I like to be the first in the shower andtake forever to get ready! I leave my room andhead over to the Dining Hall for breakfast at7.30am with all the other Wilson M4s. There isalways a hot option, cereal or toast.8.20: Roll in HouseAt 8.15 one of the M4s rings the bell for roll call.It’s taken by the duty Prefect who calls ournames whilst we sit on furry Zebra beanbags,chairs or even the floor in the Wilson4 The LINK Lent 2013

With school food and catering in the headlines over recent months, The Link spoke tothe College’s Catering Manager, Bev Spencer, and discovered some interesting facts…There’s no doubt about it, schoolmeals are under scrutiny like neverbefore and rightly so. Knowledgeableparents are only too aware that what childreneat can affect mood, behaviour, health,growth and the ability to concentrate.On visiting the College’s vast and very wellequipped kitchens, it is clear that all thesefactors and more are very much at the forefrontof the Catering Department’s thinking.Led by Catering Manager, Bev Spencer,the team of nine chefs and 20 full-timeporters are dedicated to providing the verybest quality of food and variety of menus forthe whole school community.Since 2002, all catering at the College hasbeen in-house and with that have comeenormous benefits. All meals are cookedfrom good quality, raw ingredients on siteeach day, with regular deliveries from suppliersand careful monitoring of the goodsdelivered.“The advantages of in-house cateringhave been incredible. We are able to offerthe pupils a large variety of dishes and a vastselection of fruits and vegetables. All themeat, fish and fresh produce are sourcedfrom local suppliers, enabling them to bepurchased on a daily basis, if necessary byvisiting the supplier to collect. We visit oursuppliers annually and carry out our ownaudits. All our wholesale products are purchasedfrom a reputable company and wehave used them for many years,” Bevexplained.Visitors to the bright and airy open planDining Hall are always impressed by thewide range of healthy food options available.Well presented, the food tastes asgood as it looks, with so many choicesavailable there is something for everyone –even those with a discerning palate. Importantly,the food looks inviting and smellsgood with that homemade aroma so lackingin mass catering. The desserts satisfy thosewith a sweet tooth, but mountains of freshfruit are also available.All the meals offered to pupils are alignedwith current educational Food Standards toensure they receive the recommended dailynutritional requirements. “We nutritionallyanalyse all our daily menus, allowing forsome extra treats in the evening and atweekends. We feel this is essential for ourboarding pupils to offer some home comforts,”Bev said.For mums new to the boarding experience,the question “are they going to eatproperly?” is one of the biggest worries.This is something Bev understands only tooCatering…the factsOver 1800 meals prepared a day during term timeCatering Department runs with a team of 50 full time,part time and casual staff.Day to day operations are overseen by Catering Manager,Bev Spencer, Deputy Catering Manager, Elaine Yeatman,and Head Chef, Luc Audemard.The team includes a Head Chef, two Sous-Chefs and sixChefs. The six Chefs have been trained in-house, gainingNVQ 3 qualifications whilst working at Epsom College.There are 20 full time porters, who work shifts between6am and 8pm seven days a week. Many of these alsowork as waiters at functions. Porters have theopportunity to gain additional qualifications whilstworking through on job training. Currently portersare training for NVQ 3 Catering, Advanced levelApprenticeship in Hospitality and Catering, Diploma inHospitality and Leadership, Diploma in Customer service,Key skills in Communication, Mathematics and English.6 The LINK Lent 2013

well and, with her many years experienceof working in a boarding school, she canaddress any concerns parents may have.“At breakfast, boarders can have cerealand toast or grilled bacon and scrambledegg. If they are really hungry they can haveall of them. The same goes for supper; weoffer a main course, but if they are hungrythey can have more and help themselves toas much fruit as they want.“Sunday is brunch day. We offer a fullEnglish breakfast and Danish pastries between10.30am and 12.30pm.The boarderscan stay as long as they like and have asmuch or as little as they like,” said Bev.Everyone eats in the Dining Hall, whichis the hub of the school. Breakfast, lunch,tea and supper are all served there, withteaching staff and support staff all diningtogether.The social mix is excellent and seenas an extension of the pastoral side of theCollege, allowing pupils and staff to talktogether in an informal, relaxed setting.To ensure that pupils are happy with whatthey are getting, the Catering Departmentrecently sent a survey directly to eachboarder to canvass their views on supper.Feedback was very good and after Easter asimilar survey will focus on breakfast.Once a term, the Catering Departmentalso meets with the College’s Food Committee,where a representative from eachHouse is asked for feedback about the likesand dislikes of members of their House.“The feedback from these meetings helpsus to produce the next term’s menus, whichrun on a three-week cycle and offer a vastselection, catering for vegetarians as well asthe everyday choice,” Bev said.Increasingly, children are requiring specialdiets to address allergies and, as the Collegecaters for pupils from around the world,different foods and customs need to betaken into account.“At the start of September, we are toldby the College’s Medical Centre of any allergiespupils may have. Nut allergies are fairlycommon so for the sake of safety, we havea no nut policy in school. Gluten-free andlactose-intolerance are among numerousspecial diets we cater for,” Bev explained.Special events like the Queen’s Jubileeand seasonal celebrations see the CateringDepartment go into overdrive.The staff arekeen to be involved in the life of the Collegeand do everything they can to ensureeveryone has a good time.“We do go all-out at Christmas, offering afull Christmas lunch with crackers, candycanes and chocolates, and Catering staffeven dress up in festive costumes.“Just recently, we celebrated ChineseNew Year with the boarders; we decoratedthe Dining Hall with dragons and snakes andprovided them with fortune cookies andlucky coins,” Bev enthused.Catering at Epsom doesn’t stop at 7pmwhen supper for the boarders is over. Mostevenings and weekends the team caters forfunctions or society events.Perhaps testament to the excellent foodthe students enjoy whilst at the College isthe fact that so many return to Epsom, notonly to marry in the Chapel of St Luke, butalso to hold their reception. “Over the past18 months, we have the pleasure of cateringfor the wedding receptions of three OEs,”Bev said.The last word on Catering at the Collegemust go to a current parent. “Most SaturdaysI can be found travelling to matchesat schools across the country and after samplinga vast variety of fare, there’s definitelya higher standard of cakes and sandwichesat the parents’ tea at Epsom,” he said.Lent 2013 The LINK7

The Beggar’sOperaA review of this year’s School Opera by College Organist and Visiting Music Teacher Martin EllisWritten by playwright John Gay, with musicarranged by composer Johann ChristophPepusch, The Beggar’s Opera has had acontinuous tradition of performance since 1728and heavily influenced later British musical comedy,not the least the satire of WS Gilbert in the latenineteenth century.For this year’s School Opera, the Music Departmentchose to use the imaginative 1948 adaptationof The Beggar’s Opera by Benjamin Britten, whoharmonised and generally rearranged the originalmusic so that it was practically a new work,although the skeleton of the popular tunes of theeighteenth century remained. The orchestration iscolourfully given to a band of 12 instrumentalists,including a harp.In the hands of a first class team led by StephenOliver and Graeme Lodge, this quality production,performed over two nights in Big School, broughttogether some outstanding talent from within thestudent body. From the very beginning of thepiece, the Beggar (Jack Harrison), an actor whoknows how to play up to an audience, left us inno doubt that we were in for a most enjoyabletwo hours.Mr Peachum (Jake Seabold), ably partnered byMrs Peachum (Amy Symons), are powerful actorsand excellent singers, as are Polly Peachum (AbigailMarrow) and Lucy Lockit (Felicity Green). In thescene in Act 2 with Macheath (Henry Warne), asinger with a very promising voice, the two womendisplay some subtle acting and the interactionbetween the three is both amusing and powerful.The scene in Newgate Jail, where the twowomen connive to free Macheath, is made to beeven more amusing when both Peachum andLockit (Harry Kersley) lose all their dignity and areleft sprawled on the floor. Harry Kersley is yetanother very promising voice and no mean actor.It was good to see a wide range of ages involvedin this production. An excellent chorus, who sangwith great maturity and musicianship consideringthe diversity of ages, ably supported the principals.In this piece there is room for vignette parts,such as Filch (Anne Hogarth), Matt of the Mint(James Hedge), Jenny Diver (Ellie Percival) and thegin-soaked Diana Trapes (Lara Treherne), aportrayal that was nothing less than superb andwould doubtless have satisfied John Gay himself.Altogether it was an excellent productioninvolving first class teamwork.8 The LINK Lent 2013

A satire that shook the foundationsof musical entertainmentThe Beggar’s Opera is set in London in the 1720s, a place whereevery other property was a grog (gin) shop, some offering “pennydrunk or tuppence dead drunk and straw to lie on!” Crime was rife,especially pickpocketing.There being no middle class, the upper class musicalentertainment of the day was Italian opera with its bevy of starsingers and adoring followers and highly ornamented vocal lines,which were calculated to show off the talent of the performers.John Gay produced The Beggar’s Opera as a satire aimed at theupper classes and their fascination with Italian opera,simultaneously setting out to lampoon the notable Whig statesmanRobert Walpole (alias Bob Booty) as well as other politicians andnotorious criminals of the day.It will not escape the listener that the piece deals with the vastsocial inequality of the times. Instead of the recitatives and arias ofItalian opera, Gay used folk melodies taken from a collection of1725, The Gentle Shepherd, as well as French carol tunes andpopular melodies by Handel.At the first performance, at Lincoln’s Inn Fields Theatre inJanuary 1728, these were intended to be sung withoutaccompaniment; however, a week before the opening night, thetheatre manager, John Rich, insisted that the composer, JohannChristoph Pepusch, write an overture in the French style andarrange the 69 songs with accompaniment.It ran for an historic 62 consecutive performances – the longestin that theatre’s history. It also fatally undermined the Italian operaof Handel, which went into sharp decline from 1729 onwards.Lent 2013 The LINK9

0n a cold, dry day in March, the College wasdelighted to welcome Lieutenant GeneralSir Robert Fulton, KBE, President of TheCombined Cadet Force Association and formerCommandant General of the Royal Marines, as theReviewing Officer at the Combined Cadet Force’s2013 Annual General Inspection (AGI).Lieutenant General Fulton’s Aide de Camp for theday was recent OE Abilius Wong, RAMC (V), whohad the opportunity to meet up with some of hisformer teachers and CCF instructors.After inspecting the Guard of Honour, drawn from5th form cadets, Lieutenant General Fulton welcomedthe parents, guests and OEs in attendance, anumber of whom are serving or former servingofficers in the armed services, as well as pupils fromlocal prep schools Aberdour and Priory, whoattended the morning events.“Having inspected the Honour Guard, the trainingspeaks for itself and if this is an indication of the restof the day, we have much to look forward to,” he said.The proceedings continued with a Muster Paradeof the Contingent, followed by the Inspection andMarch Past, supported by the Band of the RoyalLogistic Corps and the College’s own ContingentBand.The morning events concluded with a display bythe Advanced Drill Team made up of cadet volunteers,who work in their free time to practise drillmovements.After a buffet lunch, enjoyed by CCF staff andguests in Big School, cadets took part in an Inter-House competition involving skills that demonstratetheir training achievements.The competition is madeup of 18 separate activities, including watermanship,map exercises, field craft, camp craft, first aid, rifleshooting and weapon assembly, a confidence course,obstacle course and initiative exercises.Rosebery House won the junior competition andCrawfurd House the senior competition, with theoverall CCF Winning Shield going this year to theCrawfurd girls.Individual awards went to Tony Choi (GuardCommander), Gus Meyer (Band Director) and OliverFox and Ben Mitchell (Parade Commanders), whilethe trophy for the best cadet in the NCO cadre wentto Emily Hailstone.In the evening, Lt Col Mike Hampshire, CommandingOfficer of the Epsom College CCF, hostedthe Annual CCF Dinner in Main Hall.Crawfurd: winners of the Inter-House competition10 The LINK Lent 2013

Celebrating 25 yearsof service to the CCF“Having inspected the Honour Guard, the training speaks foritself and if this is an indication of the rest of the day, we havemuch to look forward to,” said Lieutenant General Sir Robert Fulton, KBELt Col Mike Hampshire is celebrating25 years of dedicated service to theEpsom College Combined CadetForce (CCF).Mike was commissioned inDecember 1982 and was appointedCommanding Officer of the EpsomCollege CCF Contingent in April 1988.He also became Award Manager of theDuke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme atthe College at the same time.He has served on the London DistrictShooting Committee and has been aReserve Forces and Cadet ForceAssociation Representative for GreaterLondon on the Combined Cadet ForceAssociation Committee since 1993.In 1998, Mike joined the NationalExecutive Committee of the CombinedCadet Force Association, of which heis also a Trustee.He was promoted LieutenantColonel in December 2002 and in 2004was awarded the Commander-in-Chief’s Commendation for MeritoriousService in the New Year’s Honours List.I n 2010, Mike was selected as theCCF Cadet Force Adult Volunteer toaccompany Cadet Ambassadors for anaudience with Her Majesty The Queenand His Royal Highness the Duke ofEdinburgh to celebrate the 150thanniversary of the cadet movement.He was appointed Vice Chairman ofthe Combined Cadet Force Associationin December 2011.Mike’s particular interest is indirecting youth leadership exercises.He has organised month-longexpeditions to Morocco, India,Pakistan, Bolivia Borneo, Costa Rica,Mongolia, Uganda, Zambia andEcuador. He is currently organisingan expedition to Namibia in 2014.Lt Col Mike HampshireLent 2013 The LINK 11

Harry AllenJack GriffinNick TaffinderZayed Cricket Stadium Abu DhabiCricket’s growing profile at Epsom College is reflected in thefirst overseas tour to be undertaken for a number of yearsFormer Kent, Sussex and England Acricketer Neil Taylor is putting hisyears of professional experience togood use in an effort to raise the profile ofcricket at Epsom College.During half term, Neil, assisted by cricketcoach Mike Hobbs, led the 1st XI cricketsquad on a tour of Dubai and Abu Dhabi –the first overseas cricket tour to beundertaken by the College for many years.The main aim of the tour was to allow the16 1st team squad members to work attheir game and identify specific areas forimprovement, both technically and tactically,in preparation for the start of the seasonproper in April.As with all sports tours, there was alsotime for the boys to broaden their horizonsby sampling the local culture and enjoying arange of team-bonding social activities andvisits.After a late night arrival, the first full dayof the tour saw the squad take part in netpractice at the Sevens Stadium in Dubai, thevenue for the Dubai Rugby 7s and numerousother sports including cricket andfootball. A disciplined two hour session inthe heat was followed by a Desert Safari,including camel riding, and an evening swimbefore an early night in preparation for fivematches over the next six days.The first match against local rivals ReigateGrammar School, who were touring at thesame time, resulted in a disappointing 6wicket defeat but there were plenty ofpositives to build on. Batting first, Epsomscored a below par 130 with Matt Nolantop scoring and Myles Pittam, James Bookerand Calum Watson the other main contributors.Alex Waterman, Nick Taffinder,Harry Allen and Amal Patel each took awicket as Reigate chased down the total.The disappointment of losing was easedsomewhat by a visit to the Karama marketwhere “genuine” designer watches, walletsand sunglasses were much in evidence.Day Four involved an early start for atwo hour drive to Abu Dhabi for the nextmatch against Zayed Academy. En route, theparty visited one of the biggest mosquesoutside of Mecca where some of the boyswore the local gown known as the dishdash.12 The LINK Lent 2013

Tom StandenMatt NolanAfter lunch, it was off to the ZayedCricket Stadium, the ground used byPakistan for Test and ODI games. Inspiredby the venue, the College side dismissedZayed Academy for 153 with Harry Allentaking 4 wickets and Nick Williams 2. Inreply, Myles Pittam was dismissed for a wellcompiled 36 before Matt Nolan joinedHarry Allen to see Epsom through to aconvincing 9 wicket win.The following day saw another early startwith a visit in the morning to the BurjKhalifa, the world’s tallest building, and amatch against Repton School Dubai, therecently opened satellite school of Reptonin the UK. This match was a real test ofEpsom’s progress as Repton had beatenReigate Grammar a few days earlier.The boys certainly showed they were upfor the challenge. The College side battedfirst and scored 182, with Myles Pittam topscoring with 42. Epsom then reducedRepton to 35 for 6 with Alex Watermanreturning figures of 5 for 14 in an outstandingspell of fast bowling. The Reptonnumber 5 caused Epsom a few flutters withsome powerful pulls and drives before JackGriffin weighed in with three wickets tosecure a 33 run win.The euphoria of the win against Reptonwas shortlived, however. Thefollowing day Epsom posted 130 for7 against Dubai College in theirallotted 25 overs. In reply, DubaiCollege showed exactly how toplay this format of the game,racing to their target with the lossof just one wicket. A painful lessonbut a useful one nonetheless.After a rest day spent at the WildWadi Waterpark and the DubaiJazz Festival, the final day of thetour involved a match against ayoung and talented DesertCubs team. Batting first, theCubs were pinned down by theEpsom bowling and were restrictedto 137 in their 30 overs.The Collegeside finished the tour on a high noteby knocking off the runs for the lossof 3 wickets to secure a 7 wicketvictory.AlexWatermanFor coaches Taylor and Hobbs, comingout of the tour with a positive record ofthree wins to two losses was a bonus. Morepertinently, a number of areas have beenidentified where further work is neededto ensure that the College can competeeffectively on its regular circuit in thelimited overs form of the game.To this end, group skillssessions are being initiatedto help players gain a greaterinsight into the game, and anappreciation of the need for regularpractice and training, and moreHouse matches will be played duringthe summer to encourage greaternumbers to play.The College is also fostering closerlinks with Surrey County Cricket Cluband its Player Pathway programme in aneffort to push more players through toCounty representation. 1st XI captain HarryAllen is already part of the Surrey Academy,while fast bowler Alex Waterman is in theSurrey U17 squad and M4 Ben Holder amember of the County U14 team.Lent 2013 The LINK 13

One of Yumi Au’s photos that won herfirst place in the Epsom Rotary ClubYoung Photographer CompetitionTop placings for CollegephotographersCollege photographers took firstand third places in the EpsomRotary Club Young PhotographerCompetition.Submitting entries to the seniorsection of the competition, Yumi Auwas placed first and will now goforward to the District Final of theannual event to be held in April.The judges were impressed withYumi’s work and made the followingcomment: “The interpretation of AnnieLeibovitz’s work was exceptionaland it is clear that a great deal ofwork and effort went into the wholeportfolio. The pictures and the detailscombine well to convey the messageof peace and the portfolio showsgreat technical skill and excellence.”Third place went to FrancescaDakin-White and Toni Okuboyejowas highly commended, with bothstudents being praised for thedetailed work in their photos.A taste of the weird and wonderfulat Medical Society DinnerBudding College medics were delighted to attend theOE Medical Society’s annual dinner at the HunterianMuseum at the Royal College of Surgeons in March.Before the meal, the 16 6th form students, who areconsidering careers in the medical profession, wereable to view the museum’s weird and wonderfulanatomical, pathological and zoological specimens thathave been amassed over four hundred years, thenucleus of which is the collection of 18th centurysurgeon and anatomist, John Hunter.In his first year as President,Tony Narula spoke ofhis plans to increase the activities of the OE MedicalSociety and said he looked forward to supporting theCollege’s medical careers programme. He gaveparticular thanks to the members who subsidisedplaces at the dinner for their young College guests.U6th former Anna Halstead, who set up theCollege’s Medical Society last year and has receivedan offer to read medicine at Southampton University,thanked the President on behalf of the students forthe opportunity to attend the event.Ellouise Bishop (left)and Anna Halstead withOE Medical SocietyPresident Tony NarulaHORIZONS EXTENDED AT SOUTHAMPTON UNIVERSITYA large group of 6th form Extended Project studentsvisited Southampton University this term to get a taste ofuniversity-style research.Accompanied by Maureen Odendaal, Head of ExtendedProject, the group attended a lecture given by Chris Fuller,Southampton’s Learn with US Coordinator and Lecturerfor the UK Student Recruitment and Outreach Office.He explained what universities are looking for fromschool leavers and emphasised that getting an A or A* inan Extended Project is a great indicator that a particularstudent will be successful at university. He also talkedabout the best types of books and articles to read whenresearching.Following the lecture, the students were let loose inthe Hartley Library to carry out research on theirindividual projects.The day proved to be very successful with most studentsfinding excellent resources.They also had an opportunity toexperience student life whilst lunching in the students’ union.14 The LINK Lent 2013

A large number of parents, friends and Old Epsomiansheard Chapel Choir sing Evensong at the iconic St Paul’sCathedral this term.The evening’s music was chosen to suitthe acoustics of St Paul’s and its organ. It included Evensongcanticles by Thomas Walmisley and the anthem, The Spiritof the Lord, by Elgar, reflecting the season when the churchcelebrates the baptism of Christ. Prior to the service,some 60 members of the College community, includingHeadmaster Jay Piggot, gathered for afternoon tea hostedby The Education Trust in The Restaurant in the Crypt. Inrecent years, Chapel Choir has performed in many of thecountry’s leading cathedrals including Westminster Abbey,Canterbury, St Albans, Southwark and Portsmouth.College musicians advancein RIBI competitionThe College was delighted to host a local heat of the RIBI(Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland) YoungMusician Competition in Big School this term.Attended by the Mayor of Epsom and Ewell, CouncillorChristine Long, this was the first time that the EpsomRotary Club has held a local heat of this national event.The RIBI Young Musician competition, which is open toyoung people aged under 18, provides a stage for musicaltalent to shine. Starting with local level competitions,winners progress to district events followed by regionalcontests with the hope of appearing at the national finaland winning the title of RIBI Young Musician of the YearThe competition is in two categories – Instrumentaland Vocal.The College put forward five entries in eachcategory – Priscilla Kweon (M4), Juyeon Oh, Rachel Kuand Will Goddard (U4) and Bryan Lao (5th form) in theInstrumental category and Ben Marrow (5th form) JakeMcGrath, Henry Warne and Izi Thomas (L6th) and TomWilliamson (U6th) in the Vocal category.The College musicians performed extremely well, withWill Goddard winning the Instrumental category playingthe second movement of the Sonatina by LennoxBerkeley and Pan and the Shepherds by Jules Mouquet.Jake McGrath won the Vocal category singing Du bistdie Ruh by Schubert and The Vagabond by VaughanWilliams. Bryan Lao was runner up in the Instrumentalcategory and Ben Marrow in the Vocal category.AteamChemists perform well innational competitionof College chemistrystudents took part in the thirdregional heat of the national Topof the Bench competition, finishingin a commendable second place.The competition for 14-16year olds, sponsored by the RoyalSociety of Chemistry, involvesteams of four students, comprisingtwo from Year 9, one from Year 10and one from Year 11, whocomplete a combination of practicalchallenges and multi-choice tests.The College team was made up ofM4s Thomas Booker and CharlesColeman, U4 Timothy Lazarus and5th former Hannah Taylor.The total score for the team isused to rank them and select theregional winner that will go on to thenational final. The Epsom team, witha combined score of 105, beat Cityof London Freemen’s School, SirWilliam Perkins, St George’s, Christ’sHospital and St John’s, but finishedin second place to the host school,Charterhouse. The Epsom studentswere each awarded £10 vouchersin recognition of their achievement.Epsom’s score beat all theschools in the first regional heat,which included Trinity, Tiffin andWhitgift, and the only school tobeat their score in the secondregional heat was Brighton Collegewith 106 points.Lent 2013 The LINK 15

The English Department recentlystaged a qualifying round of thenational Poetry by Heart poetry recitationcompetition in Main Hall.The competition is an initiative of thePoetry Archive, designed to encouragestudents in schools and colleges inEngland to deepen their enjoyment ofpoetry by memorising and recitingpoems in public.Each entrant recited two poems fromthe Poetry by Heart anthology, onepublished before 1914 and one publishedafter 1914, in front of an audience thatincluded Headmaster, Jay Piggot, EnglishDepartment staff, parents and other pupils.Judged by head of English, NickRussell, and former Head of English,Jane Bathard-Smith, first place wentto U4 pupil Will Slough, who gave aconfident recitation of Oscar Wilde’sThe Ballad of Reading Gaol (lines 1 - 36)and John Betjeman’s The Arrest of OscarWilde at the Cadogan Hotel.Head of EnglishNick RussellcongratulatesWill Slough onwinning thecompetitionPoetry from the heartWill now goes forward to the Countystage of the competition with the aim ofqualifying for the national finals to be heldthe National Portrait Gallery in London.Second place went to U4 HarryRoberts, who recited Robert Burns’sSong: ae Fond Kiss, and Then We Severand Paul Muldoon’s Meeting the British.Fifth former Philip Fiuza took thirdplace with his performance of JohnMilton’s Paradise Lost (Book 1 lines 242 -270) and Choman Hardi’s Two Pages.“We were delighted with the event. Allstudents displayed considerable poiseand courage and it was clear that theyhad engaged intimately with their choiceof poem, fragments of which will remainin their hearts for the rest of their lives.“Will Slough was a worthy winner.He had commendable presence and akeen sense of dramatic timing. We areconfident he will give a strong accountof himself in the County finals,” saidNick Russell.An introduction toWINE TASTINGMembers of the U6th form will have a betterchance of telling a Chardonnay from a SauvignonBlanc following a wine tasting session in February.Organised by the Sixth Form Committee inconjunction with Sixth Form Coordinator, JonWhatley, and Catering Manager, Bev Spencer, andhosted by Majestic Wines, the informal sessionprovided the students with a fun and educationalintroduction to wine and wine tasting.A member of each House was invited to theevening and learnt how to judge the appearance,bouquet and “nose” of a selection of red andwhite wines from around the world.A Majestic Wines expert showed the studentshow to taste wine like a professional, distinguishbetween the different components of a wineand identify different styles of wine.They also learnt about the different grapevarieties used to make wine and how to choosea wine to complement various types of food.Gordon Harris andVladimir Grabarnikassess the ‘nose’ ofa white winePUBLIC SPEAKING TEAM WIN THROUGH TO DISTRICT FINALLEFT TO RIGHT: Andrew Kersley, Zoe Olsen and GeorgeHancock have won through to the Guildford andDistrict Final of the ESU Public Speaking CompetitionThe College Public Speaking team has won through to the Guildfordand District Final of the English Speaking Union (ESU) Public SpeakingCompetition for the fourth consecutive year.In the qualifying round, held in February in Main Hall, 5th formerGeorge Hancock’s winning speech made an informed and passionateplea that Governments Should Keep their Pre-election Promises. Georgewas ably supported by U4 pupils Andrew Kersley and Zoe Olsen inthe roles of Questioner and Chair.All the competitors from Box Hill, Rosebery, Howard of Effinghamand Sutton High impressed the judges with the quality of theirspeeches on diverse topics ranging from gender stereotyping to delaysin the delivery of justice in magistrates courts.16 The LINK Lent 2013

LEFT: Jodie Koep with College squash coach,Neil Frankland and 1st V team mates (left toright): James Parkinson, Ben Kuhler, OliverCostain,Alistair Green and George PiggotA girl in a boy’s worldL6th former Jodie Koep plays a mean gameof squash and has deservedly earned aplace alongside the boys in the College 1st V.Jodie, who has played for the girls’ 1st Vsince joined the College as an M4, hasbeen part of the boys’ team since she wasin the U4s. “I enjoy it. I like coming upagainst tougher opponents than I do in thegirls’ game,” Jodie said.Squash is clearly in Jodie’s blood. Shewas encouraged to take up the game in hernative South Africa by her father, Roger, aSouth African international, who was No 2 inthe country. As a junior he won all the SouthAfrican national titles.“My dad and brother played so it wassomething I always wanted to try,” said Jodie.Her playing career started when she wasnine and competed for her school. From thereshe was selected to play for her local countyteam in South Africa when she was 10.Jodie moved to England six years agoand now lives in Ashtead with her parentsand two brothers. She is coached byScottish international Neil Frankland, thesquash professional at the College, whocoaches both the boys’ and girls’ teams.“I have coached Jodie since she was apupil at Danes Hill School. She is a talentedplayer with a superb skill set and has wonher place in the College 1st V boys’ teamthrough determination and ability. Definitelyone to watch,” Neil said.In addition to playing for the Collegesquash teams, Jodie also representsLondon and the South East and Surrey.Currently studying Chemistry, Biology,Spanish and Physical Education at A level,Jodie hopes to study Sports Science orBiology at university.But she has no plans to give up her sportingcareer. “I am planning to continue to play bothsquash and hockey at university,” she said.SPORTS BRIEFSOE Joe Trayfoot has beenshortlisted for this year’s LV= CupBreakthrough Player Award. The22 year old Harlequins flanker wasadded to the shortlist following anoutstanding performance in Round3 of the LV= Cup in January whenHarlequins beat Premiershipnewcomers London Welsh 23-6 atThe Stoop.Four College players have wonplaces in the Surrey U15 rugbysquad this term. Elliot King andNiall Saunders played in the firstCounty match of the season againstHampshire in February and werejoined by Will Kibblewhite in thesecond match against Sussex inNiall Saunders,Will Kibblewhiteand Elliot King in their Surrey kitMarch. Jamie Palmer, who missedout on the Sussex match throughillness, is expected to play in the thirdmatch against Middlesex in April.Fifth former Phoebe Gibsontook first place in the South EastRegion 13+ Grade 4 TumblingCompetition held in February atthe William ParkerSports College inHastings. She willnow represent theSouth Eastagainst some ofthe best tumblersin the country at the NationalTumbling Competition finals to beheld in June at the Fenton ManorSports Complex in Stoke-on-Trent.Both the 1st and U16 netball VIIsreached the semi-final stage of theSurrey Schools Netball Tournamentheld at Croydon High in March. The1st VII topped their group, beatingthe ultimate winner, Guildford Highin the process, but narrowly missedout to Coloma Convent Girls’ Schoolin the semi-final. The U16 VII lost inHannah King 1stVII netball captainthe semi-final by a single goal toCranleigh. Apart from GuildfordHigh, Epsom was the only otherschool to have a team in the semifinalin more than one age group.The College swimming teamtook part in the Weald andDownland competition at TonbridgeSchool this term, winning the U14girls’ trophy and narrowly missingout in the U14 boys’ event. TheU14 girls swept to victory bywinning both the 4 x 50m freestyleand 4 x 50m medley relays, whileVogue Phelps won the individual50m butterfly and Georgia McGraththe 50m breaststroke. In the U14boys’ event Nick Phizackerley wonboth the 100m freestyle and 50mbutterfly individual events and theteam won the 4 x 50m freestylerelay, but Epsom lost out by justtwo points to King's Canterbury.The inaugural Propert House GolfDay was held on the Championshipcourse at Kingswood Golf Club inMarch. The team of Tristan Bartlett,Julian Bartlett, Alex Watermanand Propert Housemaster AndyWolstenholme took the overallteam prize, while the foursome ofJulian Mount, Oli Noble, Ed LongPropert golfersand Simon Long won the Yellow Ballcompetition. Andy Wolstenholmewon the Putting competition, AndyHolder recorded the longest drive ofthe day, Ben Kuhler won Nearest thePin and Julian Mount won Nearestthe Pin in Two on the 18th hole.Lent 2013 The LINK17

Along-established and much-loved feature in the Collegecalendar brought pupils and staff together to cheer on therunners in this year’s Great Pancake Race.In keeping with tradition, the bells of St Luke’s Chapel weretolled at 4pm to mark the start of the races. Runners from theCollege’s 12 Houses raced around the Chapel triangle, flippingtheir pancakes as they went and passing the frying pan on ateach corner before making a dash for the finish line.Despite their fun nature, the races are always keenly contestedand this year was no exception as teams of junior, intermediateand senior students competed for points for their Houses.Organised by Senior Chaplain, Fr Paul Thompson, the annualPancake Day races are held to celebrate Shrove Tuesday, the daybefore Ash Wednesday, which marks the start of Lent.At lunch, before the afternoon races, pupils enjoyed eating theirway through over 2,000 pancakes served with lemon and sugar orchocolate sauce. Over 240 eggs, 20kg of flour and 24 pints of milkwent into their making.In the junior race, Propert House took first place with Holman anarrow second. Propert also took the spoils in the intermediaterace, with Carr in second place, while in the senior race Robinsoncame in first with Holman second.The overall winner of the 2013 Great Pancake Race was Propertwith Holman in the runner up spot.Learning new tricksFOR TELEVISIONA group of College L6th form rugby players had stars in their eyeswhen they took part in the filming of an episode of the popularBBC1 drama New Tricks.New Tricks follows the work of the fictional Unsolved Crime andOpen Case Squad (UCOS) of the Metropolitan Police.The 15 boyswere invited by Old Epsomian,Alex Kaye-Besley, who is anAssistant Director on the programme, to act as extras in somerugby scenes filmed for the 10th series.The filming took place in Battersea Park and involved the boyssetting off at 6am for a 7.15am start. Following a cooked breakfastin a mobile catering van, they were called to the field in bitterlycold, muddy conditions with snow falling.The scenes involved them playing rugby alongside actors KeithRamsay and Denis Lawson. Keith took part in some of the rugbyscenes and admitted to being slightly anxious after watching theability of College players as he had not played much rugby at school.“After a couple of hours, and many takes, we completed our job.The boys were excellent and received much praise and thanks fromall involved with the project,” said College sports coach, Neil Taylor,who accompanied the group.18 The LINK Lent 2013

Charities benefit from tourfundraising effortsA cheque for £1,850 waspresented this term to Make-A-Wish Foundation UK followingthe fundraising efforts of seniorgirls, who went on on last year’snetball and hockey tour.Prior to the summer tourto Singapore and Australia, theteams threw themselves intoraising funds and allocated apercentage of what they raisedto charities selected by the girlsthemselves.For the third year running theychose the charity Make-A-WishFoundation UK, which grantsmagical wishes to children andyoung people aged 3-17 fightinglife-threatening illnesses.Having learnt more about thework of the charity, the girlswere delighted to offer theirsupport again this year.Keven Baughen, a localvolunteer with the charity, visitedthe College to collect the chequeand spoke to netball captainHannah King, hockey captainEliza Melville and members ofthe touring staff about the workof the Foundation.In February, a cheque fromthe tour fund for £1,250 waspresented to local charity CherryTrees, which provides home fromhome respite care for childrenand young people with severelearning and physical disabilities.Keven Baughen from Make-A-Wish receivesthe cheque from Director of Sport Fi DrinkallSkiing and the BIG APPLEA trip to the USA gave 21 6th formers the opportunity forsome excellent skiing in Vermont followed by sightseeing andshopping in New York.The annual Senior Ski Trip this year comprised students fromboth the Lower and Upper 6th forms. Staying at the ski resortof Killington, three hours from New York, for the second yearrunning, the party was fortunate to have perfect conditions forskiing and snowboarding. Covering six mountains, with 71 milesof varied trails and an average annual snowfall of over 21 feet,Killington has earned a reputation as the “Beast of the East”.Throughout the week, the students attended a series of skiand snowboarding classes on the slopes after which they wereable to unwind in a heated outdoor swimming pool.Towards the end of the trip, the party took in somesightseeing in New York, staying at a hotel on 6th Avenue inManhattan.They visited Times Square,The Hard Rock Cafe,the 9/11 Memorial Site, the Statue of Liberty, Macey’s and theApple Store and took a ride up the Empire State Building.GIRLS RAISE THE BAR IN HENDELAH WALEY COMPETITIONHeadmaster Jay Piggot wasdelighted to present the winner’strophy at this year’s keenlycontested Hendelah WaleyMemorial Cup competition.Now in its 32nd year, theannual sports challenge, whichis open to all girls in the L6th, isheld in memory of HendelahWaley, a talented, all-roundsportswoman, who died whilst inthe 6th form at Epsom College.A large group of girls gatheredin the Sports Centre to testtheir sporting abilities in sevendisciplines, including rowing,step-ups, hockey, agility, 50mswim, netball and sit-ups.The Hendelah Waley Cupalways produces a high standardof competition and this year wasno exception, with some notableindividual performances.Just 5.5 points separated thewinner, Rachel Williams on 80.5points, from Becky Saundersand Fliss Green, who tied forsecond place on 75 points, withMaria Mikhaylova fourth on74 points.Lent 2013 The LINK 19

EXCELLENT RATINGS IN ISI REPORTEpsom College has received a glowingreport from the Independent SchoolsInspectorate (ISI) following an inspectioncarried out at the end of January 2013.The Inspection team especiallyacknowledged and appreciated the level ofself-evaluation and careful reflection thatthe College has been through, noting thatthere is now a clear set of objectives and astrategic direction, based on an effectiveSchool Development Plan.“New priorities to guide the next stageof the school’s development have beenidentified and have benefited fromconsultation with, and input from, staffand parents. These will form the basis ofthe school’s new strategic plan,” theInspectors said.In their report, the ISI Inspectorsconcluded that Epsom College is highlysuccessful in fulfilling its mission andachieving its stated aims. They drewparticular attention to pupils’ exemplaryattitudes to work and the great enthusiasmshown for the subjects they study and theactivities they pursue outside of class.The Inspectors noted the excellentpersonal development of both day pupilsand boarders throughout the school andthe highly effective governance and qualityof leadership and management at all levelsthat ensure that Epsom College provides anexcellent education for pupils of all ages.The report found that the school fullymeets its aims to provide pupils with amodern and stimulating academiccurriculum and to offer a wide range ofco-curricular activities that give pupils theopportunity to develop their interests ina variety of contexts.“Provision for sporting participation is astrong feature of the school and there aremyriad opportunities for pupils to take partin music, drama, debating, ballet and otherperformance activities,” the report said.The report described the spiritual, socialand cultural development of pupils asexcellent and moral development asexceptionally strong. The quality of pastoralcare was similarly rated excellent, with pupilsvaluing “the harmonious and cohesivecommunities promoted by the strongHouse system, with its sense of family andunity that lies at the heart of the school.”The College received a further boostthis term when it was ranked in the Top25 UK independent, co-educationalboarding schools on the basis of its 2012A level results.The 2012 Independent BoardingSchools League Tables were publishedby www.best-schools.co.uk andwww.privateschoools.co, both of whichare operated by Education Advisers Ltd.The College was placed 25th in therankings based on the percentage of A*and A grades scored at A level and 21stbased on the percentage of A*-B grades.The Independent Boarding Schools LeagueTables are seen as the most accurate andcomprehensive available. They are compiledafter the first set of re-marks and includeresults from schools that do not submittheir results to the national press in August.Epsom College, College Road, Epsom, Surrey KT17 4JQ Tel: 01372 821234 Fax: 01372 821237 e-mail: news@epsomcollege.org.ukweb: www.epsomcollege.org.uk Editor: Corinne Munford Design: Deborah Reader Print: Summit Print