Twycross Times Summer 2011 - Twycross House School

Autumn 2011 

TWYCROSS HOUSE SCHOOL 

TWYCROSS TW TWYC YCRO ROSS S HOUSE PRE-PREPARATORY SSCH 

SCHOOL CHOO OO OOL 

DofE AT TWYCROSS - 

THE FIRST SIX YEARS 

“Please can we do the DofE, too?” 

From the fi rst, the response to the Award Scheme was surprisingly enthusiastic. 

In 2005 we had planned to begin modestly with just one Bronze group in Senior 3, 

THE DUKE 

OF EDINBURGH’S 

AWARD 

TIMES 

but when Senior 4 got wind of it they immediately applied to form a group of their own, doubling bling our numbers num um u bers at a st sstroke. roke. Since Si Since then en 

just under 200 students have enrolled for Bronze, with over 120 going on to do Silver and 40 of these doing the Gold Award. 

The T shape of the Award and the underlying principles 

The T requirements of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award have changed very little since it was 

introduced in over fi fty years ago. Participants choose and gain recognition for a variety of 

activities ac they complete in their own time. Each section should be fun, but also develop 

positive p qualities and strengths. 

The T skill or hobby can provide achievement and also give young people a hinterland 

which w will enrich and stress-proof their lives in future. The physical activities can do 

the th same, and also improve health and resilience. Volunteering gives an opportunity 

to contribute to society, and also to gain some understanding of people whose life 

experiences ex have been very different from our own. Finally the expeditions - contrary to 

popular p belief - are not supposed to be a trial by ordeal. Rather they require reliability, 

planning, p teamwork and consideration. . 

What you get out depends depends on what yyou 

put in 

Those who have done best and had most fun seem to have a number of things in 

common. Firstly, they go into it with their eyes open, understanding that the Awards 

are respected qualifi cations which are only earned through effort and perseverance. 

Secondly, they choose activities which will stretch and challenge them. Finally, 

they take responsibility for their own progress: they help the staff to help them 

by respecting deadlines and seeking help when they need it. It is a privilege and a 

pleasure to work with young people like this. 

Thanks 

The DofE programme runs on the goodwill and generosity of its volunteers. 

Without the support of staff, partners and parents it would be impossible to 

offer this opportunity at Twycross House. 

Finally Fi 

All Al 

this sounds rather dry and factual. Let’s give the last words to 

two tww 

sixth-formers who went through Bronze, Silver and Gold 

with w the school and wrote this just after completing their Gold 

awards: aww 

“I’ve “II 

enjoyed the process of doing it. The Award is obviously 

something soo 

to put on your university application forms, but 

surprisingly suu 

I’ve found it has earned me a lot of respect in new 

situations. sitt 

Many adults know of people who have done the 

Bronze Brr 

or Silver Award, but when I said I was doing Gold that 

seemed see 

to impress them. And a number of people have told 

me m that it tends to crop up in job interviews after university. 

Employers Emm 

seem to understand the DofE and value it, and it sets 

you yoo 

apart from other applicants.” 

“In a way it was rather sad to be at the end of our last Duke 

of Edinburgh’s expedition: it isn’t the pain, weather or walking 

I will miss, but the team dynamics. There is something about 

being hungry, cold and wet, with blisters, but still being able 

to have a laugh with your friends... Besides, the expeditions 

give you memories, good and bad, that you will keep with you 

forever, and experience of people and group dynamics that will 

prove valuable for the rest of your life.” 

TWYCROSS HOUSE SCHOOL | THE GREEN | TWYC 

TWYCROSS | NEAR ATHERSTONE | WARWICKSHIRE | CV9 3PL | T: 01827 880651

Twycross Times 

A LEVEL RESULTS 2011 - ANOTHER OUTSTANDING YEAR 

20 students took a total of 75 A levels in 15 different subjects 

20% of the passes were at A* 

64% at A* or A 

87% at A*, A or B 

10 students achieved 3 or more grades 

all at A and A* 

The students, parents and staff are celebrating these exceptional results 

which are the culmination of enormous commitment and endeavour over er 

a number of years. Nine students achieved at least three A grades and 

one in fi ve passes were at the very highest level of A*. Achieving four 

A levels at the top grade will enable Alice Arnold and George Roberts 

to read Physics at Durham and Nottingham University respectively and 

Adnan Malik, Amy Samson and Stephen Parkes to go on and study 

medicine at Nottingham, Bristol and Leicester. In addition to these, 

a special mention must be made of Tanya Pankratova who has the 

distinction of collecting nine A levels, all at A and A* in: Maths, Further 

Maths, Physics, Chemistry, French, Russian, Latin and Greek - Classical 

and Modern. Tanya’s extraordinary breadth of talent could have taken 

her in any direction, but she has chosen to pursue p her passion p 

for 

Chemistry at Merton College, Oxford. 

Headmaster, Steve Assinder said: 

‘Every year we are amazed at the 

quality of the results which are a great 

credit to the students, their supportive 

parents and the teaching staff. For all 

the students here to have achieved an 

average of three A* grades is a source 

of great pride. 

I am delighted that Twycross has 

maintained its long tradition of high 

academic performance and wish all our 

students well for the future.’ 

TWYCROSS HOUSE 

BUSINESS CLUB 

LAUNCH OF A NEW PROJECT FOR SIXTH FORMERS 

BID FOR FUNDING CHALLENGE 2012 

Twycross House Business Club (www.twycrosshouseschool.biz) wish to put the money raised from their website 

directory to good use. They will be inviting sixth formers to put in their bids for funding to support deserving 

enterprise ideas or good causes. Full details will be confi rmed when Simon Wordsworth (CEO of The Aspiration 

Group and 59 Club) formally presents the project to the students early in the autumn term. Bids are to be pitched, 

either by groups or individuals, to a small panel of parents and staff from Twycross House and the Hollies with 

expertise in fund-raising, entrepreneurship and charity work. The winning team will receive funding for their idea. 

There will also be prizes for the most innovative or professional presentation. The panel will make their decisions 

after exams in June so that there is plenty of time for students to develop their ideas and presentations. 

GOLF DAY 

The Aspiration Group will be hosting their annual Charity Golf Day in 2012 and invite a 

Twycross House team(s) of parents, staff or pupils (depending on date) to participate and 

some of the money raised from the event will be used to boost the funds for the Sixth 

Form enterprise project. Full details are to be confi rmed so look out for further information 

or contact Simon Wordsworth on simon@59club.com to register your interest. 

www.twycrosshouse.biz 

2 

TWYCROSS HOUSE HOUSE SCHOOL SCHOOL | THE | THE GREEN | TWYCROSS | TWYCROSS | | NEAR ATHERSTONE | | WARWICKSHIRE | CV9 | CV9 3PL 3PL | T: | 01827 T: 01827 880651 880651

ATHLETICS & CROSS-COUNTRY 

This summer there have been seven separate athletic events 

from which Twycross has sent its best athletes to represent 

Nuneaton and District at the county athletics in Leamington 

Spa. Anthony Parkes, Natalie Milner, Olivia Jones, Seb Allen and 

Chris Lington were all selected. We also had two pupils, Olivia 

Jones and Seb Allen, who qualifi ed from the combined events 

(heptathlon and decathlon) to represent Warwickshire at the 

Midland Combined events. 

Well done to all these athletes. 

At the S4 athletics the girls and boys both fi nished 4th in their 

respective sections against some much bigger schools. Natalie 

Milner came 2nd in the javelin, Olivia Jones 2nd in the long jump 

and Anthony Parkes won the 800m. In the relays the girls came 

3rd and the boys 2nd . 

The S3 girls had some good performances from Lucy Bainbridge 

in the high jump and hurdles, Chen Liu in the javelin, Amy Potts 

in the discus and Abbie Gardner in the 100m. 

U10 & 11 ATHLETICS REPORT 

We are The Champions…again!! Once again the Form 4 and 5 teams triumphed at the 

Nuneaton Primary Schools athletics meet. The rain held off as the teams travelled to the 

Pingles stadium in Nuneaton. 

The Th fi rst race saw Lilith Weston take a nasty fall 

injuring inj her knee and not being able to fi nish the 

race, ra but from then on things started to improve. 

In the fi eld events we secured three 2nd places from 

Hannah Ha Walker, Phoebe Hunt and Oliver Burrows 

in the long jump and a 4th in the throws from Freya 

Milne. M 

The Th sprints saw some excellent performances with 

1st 1s place for Tom Bryan in the 80 m and Rebecca 

Brayer Br in the 150 m, a 2nd for Charlotte Heggs in 

the th 80 m and 3rd for Jake Walton in the 150 m. 

Our 800 m runners were even even more impressive impr with 

Emily Negus and Max Lee both fi nishing 1st, Ethan 

Morrell 2nd and Alexandra Vero 5th. The last event of 

the evening was the relay team event, where we were 

narrowly beaten into 2nd place. 

With such great results it was inevitable that the fi nal 

results would be in our favour. Both Form 5 girls and 

boys secured a fi rst place in their team event. When 

all the points were totalled up Twycross were overall 

winners for the second consecutive year and were 

presented with the new shield by the Nuneaton Primary 

School Sports Association President, Judith Prisk. 

Well done and congratulations to all the competitors! Mrs J Thomas 

TENNIS REPORT 2011 

In a very short but busy summer term the girls’ tennis teams have played 11 matches, 

winning 7 and losing only 1. A very successful squad of players in the u12 and u13 teams 

who won all of their matches were Lucinda Roche, Sophie Randle, Olivia Shackleton, 

Bronte Dufour, Kate Gibson, Kate Henderson and Isobel Sinclair. Wins against Bablake, 

Dixie, King Henry and Market Bosworth helped to improve our doubles play and tactics 

whether it was a new or old partnership! A special mention must be made about our 

junior section of excellent players comprising Freya Milne, Anna Benton, Alex Vero and 

Olivia Milner without whose support some of the matches could not have been played. 

In S3/4 the u14s had a diffi cult time presenting a united team, losing against a more 

focused King Henry side, but with the additional help of some younger players they 

managed to win at Dixie. The u15s played King Henry and Bablake schools with Natalie 

Milner and Emma Marshall playing some very good doubles to win at both venues. 

Congratulations to all tennis players who have taken the time to improve by committing 

themselves regularly to the school matches. 

Finally, special mention must also be made to Bronte Dufour who has played for 3 

different teams from S1 to S3. Well done! Mrs R Sharrott 


A brilliant relay fi nish left the team with a very good fi nal place 

of 6th out of 12 schools. Unfortunately I cannot comment on the 

S1 athletics as they take place the day before we break up, but I 

am sure with the calibre of athletes we have, we are going to do 

very well. 

The Form 5 athletes also produced some impressive 

performances and won the championships in both boys’ and 

girls’ events. Well done to Charlotte Heggs, Rebecca Brayer, 

Emily Negus, Phoebe Hunt and Freya Milne. 

Finally congratulations to Maisie Ryan, Amy van Zyl, Kate 

Henderson, Mimi Henry, Emily Burrows and Fern Sherwin from 

S1 and S2 for representing Twycross at the area cross-country 

competitions. Congratulations also to the individual winners 

of the house cross-country competitions, Alice Gilman, Kate 

Henderson and Emily Negus. Mrs R Sharrott 

U9 CROSS 

COUNTRY 

Form 3 had their fi rst taste of competitive 

cross country in May. On a warm spring 

evening four schools competed. All of the 

children ran exceptionally well fi nishing in 

fi rst position over all. 

The boys’ team were fi rst with Tim 

Henderson, Ethan Shepherd and Alex 

Ottewell winning gold, silver and bronze 

respectively. James Blunt, Sebastian Hart 

and Ewan Clamp took 9th , 10th and 11th places. Well done, boys, on a superb start 

to your cross country events. 

The girls’ team fi nished in second position 

with Hannah Brayer gaining gold, Esme 

Hunt 5th and Jessica Whetton 9th. 

Both the boys’ and girls’ teams did very 

well and made a promising start to their 

Cross Country careers. Mrs J Thomas 

TWYCROSS HOUSE SCHOOL | THE GREEN | TWYCROSS | NEAR ATHERSTONE | WARWICKSHIRE | CV9 3PL | T: 01827 880651 3

4 


JUNIOR 

ROUNDERS 

REPORT 

After a weekend of glorious weather 

the day of the girls’ tournament arrived. 

Beautiful blue skies opened the day, but 

by lunch time the rain came down. It 

was one of those “Do we play or do we 

cancel?” dilemmas. In the end I decided 

not to cancel and this was the right 

decision as by 3.30pm the weather was 

dry once again. 

Thirty-two girls were making up three 

teams to represent the school, including all 

of the Form 4 and 5 girls and six Form 3s. 

The shield has been in place since 1999 

and before the tournament, the skipper 

of the A Team, Charlotte Heggs, was 

studying it. Noticing that Twycross had 

won every year she commented, “Not 

much pressure on us to win then, is there, 

Mrs Thomas!!” 

“None at all, Charlotte. Just do your 

best,” was my reply and they did. The 

A team were overall winners. They won 

all their games, amassed 33½ rounders 

and only had 13 scored against them. 

Twycross B1 team came joint second on 

points, but as the number of rounders 

they had scored was less than Chetwynd 

by only three, they came third overall. 

The B2 team had some very close 

encounters losing two games by only one 

rounder and fi nishing in fi fth position. 

Well done to the B Team captains, Violette 

Pretorius and Olivia Milner, for sorting 

out team positions and substitutions 

throughout their games. All of the girls’ 

performances improved throughout the 

tournament. Special mention must go to 

the Form 3 girls who played very well and 

showed massive potential for future years. 

Mrs J Thomas 

HOUSE H SWIMMING GALA 2011 

The Form 3 swimming gala took place in May in a very excited atmosphere at the 

Hollies pool. Every participant in 3X and 3Y showed their best swimming to produce 

some very competitive results especially when one person nearly lost their trunks! 

In the individual medley Hannah Brayer just beat Ethan Tebbutt to secure a win 

for Drake and in the 3 lengths front crawl it was very close between Hannah and 

Ewan Bryan (although not all swimmers remembered how many lengths they were 

swimming!) There were more winning races from Abbie Lynch and Charlie Newey 

in the pick-up-a-brick and breaststroke events. Drake managed maximum points in 

both relays and so were eventual winners with Hillary second and Scott third. 

The Form 4/5 gala took place the day after. The Form 4s had an even closer fi nish in the individual medley 

event between Lucy Slater and Alex Vero and this time Hillary took the honours. Some interesting diving 

techniques resulted in Jonathan van Zyl just inching ahead to win for Scott in the plunge and glide. 

There were several tied places in the underwater swim and the 3 lengths breastroke between Edward 

Blackman and Jake Bhakta, and Alex Vero and Lucy Slater. Overall Drake just clinched 1st Th 

H 

e 

so 

In 

fo 

Ew 

sw 

in 

bo 

Th 

th i di id l dl 

ev e 

tee 

Th T 

BBl 

B 

place with Hillary 

se second and Scott third. 

TThe 

Form 5s produced some excellent swimming from Rebecca Brayer and Jake Walton, who won both their 

ra races, and Susie Leedham, Jo Copson and Anna Benton who have shown defi nite improvement in breastroke 

aand 

backcrawl this year at swimming club. The relays were very exciting and closely fought between Hillary 

aand 

Drake resulting in an impressive win for Drake 41 points, Hillary 37 and Scott 30. Finally the overall 

sw swimming cup goes to Drake with 124 points, Hillary 113 and Scott 89. Mrs R Sharrott 

MIXED JUNIOR 

ROUNDERS 

REPORT 

The U11 Mixed Rounders team was a 

late entry into the Nuneaton Primary 

Schools Tournament this year as despite 

having many good male players in Form 

5 only a couple attended any practices. 

A week before the tournament date six 

boys were persuaded to play! This meant 

that the team only had one practice 

with all of them present on the Monday 

before and a mini-practice at lunch-time 

on the day of the tournament. 

Despite this they played some 

outstanding rounders and gradually 

started working as a team as the evening 

progressed. Higham Lane School 

provided both the venue and umpires for 

this event and nine schools competed. 

Drawn in Section B unfortunately their 

fi rst game was against a well-drilled St 

Joseph’s side and they lost 6½ to 8½. 

They then went on to beat Milverton 12 

to 2½ and Middlemarch 9½ to 5. This 

put the team into second place in their 

league and into the semi-fi nal. This was 

against Chetwynd Junior School and was 

an incredibly close-fought game which 

Twycross unfortunately lost by one 

rounder. 

Some great individual performances 

were seen from the two skippers, Freya 

Milne and Luke Williams. Charlotte 

Heggs also deserves a mention with 

her splendid performance as back stop 

and Angus Osborne with his excellent 

batting skills. 

This was a great all-round performance. 

Just imagine how good we could have 

been if we had had a few more practices 

together! So, Form 4 boys, we will need 

you next year… Mrs J Thomas 

CRICKET SUCCESS 

Twycross U13 cricketers Rory Oliver, 

Toby Marshall, Harry Vaughan and 

Kieran Wordsworth helped Atherstone 

Town CC to win the U13 tournament 

at Nuneaton in the early summer. All 

players had to bowl one over each and 

smash the ball when batting in the quick 

moving 6-over 7-a-side format. The 

team won through to the semi-fi nal and 

beat Bedworth CC in the fi nal. They 

played really well as a team with some 

great individual performances. 

Other Twycross Twycross pupils playing at 

Atherstone and having a great season 

with bat and ball were George Arnold, 

Richard Austin-Bailey, Tom Smith, 

Will Evans, Johnny Paul and Alex 

Headington. 

On an individual basis at U15 level 

Callum Wordsworth represented 

Leicester Best of District (County B 

side) with his bamboozling leg spin. 

Kieran Wordsworth was selected for 

the U13 Warwickshire squad as wicketkeeper 

and six-smasher, while Harry 

Vaughan led the bowling attack with 

vicious pace and swing for the N. and E. 

Warwickshire District. 

For Atherstone junior cricket contact 

Mick Brooks: 07745 670882. 

TWYCROSS HOUSE SCHOOL | THE GREEN | TWYCROSS | NEAR ATHERSTONE | WARWICKSHIRE | CV9 3PL | T: 01827 880651

CRICKET REPORT 

Of the twenty-fi ve matches played across 

all age groups, Twycross House won 

fi fteen and lost ten with only Stoneygate 

U13s teaching us a cricketing lesson 

and winning the A and B team matches 

comfortably. The other defeats were fairly 

narrow ones, including a rare outing for 

the U18s against a strong KEGS outfi t 

who were able to take advantage of 

some slack fi elding to gain a close-fought 

victory. The U15s and U9s also failed 

to record a win but the U10s enjoyed a 

great run in the Kwik Cricket competition, 

winning the District Tournament and 

fi nishing fi fth in the County - well done 

to Luke Barrowclough and his team. 

The U12s also enjoyed a great run in the 

County Cup with captain Cameron Swan 

leading his side to victories against Bilton 

and Hamstead Hall before narrowly 

losing by 7 runs to the might of Stratford 

High School. The U13s went out to King 

Edward’s, Stratford in the fi rst round 

of the cup but enjoyed easy wins over 

St Crispin’s and St George’s. The U14s 

sailed through the fi rst two rounds of 

the County Cup but lost to the might of 

Rugby by 54 runs in a match that was 

more competitive than the scorebook 

would suggest. 

Congratulations to all the players 

who gained District and County 

honours, notably Kieran Wordsworth, 

Warwickshire wicket-keeper and winner 

of the Morrell Cricket Shield; Harry 

Vaughan and Campbell Mason, who 

captained his District side; and to Toby 

Marshall, the most improved player. 

Well done to the cricketers of Scott 

who won the House cricket trophy in a 

close-fought competition involving many 

of the younger players playing in an A 

and B team competition. C Perry 


SPORTS DAY 

On a beautiful summer’s afternoon, beneath a sky of 

scudding clouds and bursts of golden sunlight, the athletes 

of Scott house ultimately overwhelmed their rivals from 

Hillary and Drake to retain their grip on the House Athletics 

trophy. It had all looked so different after the fi eld events with 

Drake enjoying a comfortable lead and Scott trailing in third 

place, but Scott athletes turned it around on the day to fi nish 

winners by a narrow margin of 5 points over Hillary (403 

points), with Drake in their wake in third place on 387 points. 

Whilst there were no 

new records in the 

fi eld events, a number 

were set on the track 

with fi ve out of the six relay teams setting new 

record times. Only the Senior girls’ relay record was 

not beaten as Drake junior girls, Hillary junior boys, 

Scott inter girls and Scott senior boys all laid down 

record-breaking times. Isobel Sinclair beat Helen 

Knight’s 100m record that had stood since 1989 

with a time of 14.26 seconds. Other record breakers 

were Luke Barrowclough in the junior boys’ skip, 

Rebecca Brayer and Ashley Blackford in the inter 

girls’ 3-legged, Ben Parkes in the senior boys’ skip, 

Vivek Tailor and Henry Banks in the junior boys’ 

3-legged, Tim Cotterill in the junior boys’ 300m 

and Ethan Morrell in the junior boys’ 600m. Declan 

Cartwright also equalled Anthony Parkes’ 400m 

record of 1min 5 seconds. 

Many congratulations to all the athletes for making 

this a splendid afternoon’s competition. A big thank 

you to the parents who gave the competitors great 

support and to the track marshalls and assistants 

who helped make the afternoon such a success. 

C Perry 

SPORTS PRESENTATION 2011 - AWARD WINNERS 

Female cross country champion - Alice Gilman 

Senior male cross country champion - 

Stephen Parkes, who has won this award for the last 5 years 

Victor Ludorum - Seb Allen 

Victrix Ludorum - Lucy Bainbridge 

Basketball Most Valuable Player - Joe Swift 

Basketball Most Improved Player - Harry Vaughan 

Ultimate Most Valuable Player - Will Allen 

Ultimate Most Improved Player - Natalie Milner 

Morrell Cricket Shield - Kieran Wordsworth 

Cricket Most Improved Player - Toby Marshall 

Goode Trophy for the top footballer - Anthony Parkes 

Football Most Improved Player - Callum Worsdworth 

Golden Boot - Seb Allen (22 goals for the U14 and U15) 

Ben Cosgrove Trophy - Dan Samson 

Hockey Most Valuable Player - Lily Bird 

Netball Most Valuable Player - Charlotte Lynch 

Rounders Most Valuable Player - Samantha Borley 

Most Improved Sportswoman - Mimi Henry 

Outstanding Contribution to School Sport - Charlotte Bartrick 


6 


GERMAN EXCHANGE 

On Thursday 7th April a packed coach full of expectant and 

somewhat apprehensive S4 pupils set off for Germany in the 

company of Mr Perry (and his son Sam), Mr Pullen, Miss Gregory 

and our German-speaking teaching assistant Lukas Donald. A tiring 

few hours later and having driven through France, Belgium and 

Luxembourg, they were receiving the warmest of welcomes from 

the Deputy Head of the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Gymnasium and a room 

full of German parents and their offspring in Schweich near Trier in 

the beautiful Mosel valley. 

The week started with a tour of a vineyard run by the family of one of the exchange students. That was followed by a visit to the Roman 

city of Trier, whose ancient sites were toured on a tourist train and whose modern shops were toured on foot and whose wonderful cafes 

and pastries were sampled en masse. A party at the school in the stifl ing heat of the spring evening allowed the students an opportunity 

to chill out and practise their moves on the dance fl oor, although the majority of the Twycross lads seemed happier to practise their 

football skills in the cooler air outside the venue. 

The weekend, in which many found their way to the local water park and to a professional basketball match, was spent with families 

whilst the staff enjoyed the warm hospitality of their hosts. 

GERMAN EXCHANGE 2011-2012: Update for Senior Four 

There are still places available for this year’s German exchange. Interested students and parents should see Mrs Holder or 

Mrs Cunningham at the start of term. A meeting about the exchange will be held in the New Hall on Wednesday 14 September 

from 4 - 4:30pm. All S4 students and parents are welcome. 

MR AND MRS 

SCHWIENING 

Our thanks 

to Mr & Mrs 

Schwiening 

of the 

Schwiening 

Language 

School in 

Market 

Bosworth 

who have 

supplemented our German teaching since 

the spring. Their experience and enthusiasm 

have been much appreciated. 

Monday of the following week saw a trip to the fairy-tale castle at Cochem, a beautiful town 

on the Mosel. This involved a steep climb that did not go down well with some of the less 

athletic members of the party, but they were able to recuperate and sunbathe as the river 

boat trip gave them the chance to relax and enjoy the scenery. 

Tuesday was spent exploring a forested area in a natural park near the border as students 

were divided into groups and issued with GPS devices to follow a route to reach various 

activities scattered throughout the area. The inclement weather rather spoilt this activity but 

it was followed by a visit to a restored bunker on the Siegfried line which went down a storm. 

The local fi remen who showed us around were deeply moved by the sight of German and 

English youngsters exploring the site together. 

Wednesday saw the youngsters enjoying German 

school life together and witnessed the only 

mishap of the trip, as an awkward fall by an 

overly exuberant pupil during a football match 

led to a trip to the local medical centre where, 

within two hours of the incident, he was seeing an 

orthopaedic surgeon. He was sent on his way with 

a DVD containing his X rays and a relieved look on 

his face on hearing he did not need an operation! 

All too soon Thursday morning and departure time 

came around and tearful goodbyes were being said 

as the girls hugged each other and the boys exchanged handshakes and high fi ves. The coach 

was much quieter on our journey back through the Low Countries and the tunnel as many sat 

in quiet refl ection, pondering on the great time they had had, the new friends they had made 

and the beautiful places they had visited, while others just slept, exhausted. C Perry 

LUKAS DONALD 

Last October we were pleased to welcome former 

student Lukas Donald back to the school. Lukas had 

completed an Honours degree in German at the 

University of Bristol and wanted to gain experience in 

teaching before applying for a PGCE course. 

From October to June he ably assisted with teaching 

German to a wide range of classes and his work with 

GCSE and A-level groups was particularly appreciated. 

His fl uent German also came in useful in April when he accompanied Senior 4 on the 

German exchange visit to Schweich, near Trier. Lukas will shortly begin teacher training 

at Goldsmith’s College, University of London. 

Thanks for everything you have done, Lukas, and all good wishes for your continuing 

studies. A. Holder 


SENIOR 1 CAMP 

The camp to Wales this year can be 

offi cially classifi ed as the wettest! However, 

that did not stifl e the group’s wonderful 

attitude and enjoyment of the activities 

during the weekend. On Friday, after a 

canal walk in Welshpool to purchase much 

needed sweetie provisions for the weekend, 

the group put up their tents in the pouring 

rain. The rain held off for a moment to 

allow food to be cooked and then after an 

evening walk, hot chocolate and cakes 

were in order before bed. 

Saturday dawned 

rather wet and 

soggy but all the 

activities were 

enjoyed at the 

Redridge Centre. 

The instructors 

complimented the group on 

their resilience to all the wet stuff that 

Wales could offer! Back at camp the Lower 

Barn became base for the whole group with 

wet clothes hanging from the rafters and 

the log burner on full blast. 

After a delicious BBQ Mr Wright presented 

a slide show of the day’s activities, which 

provoked much laughter and comment as 

each slide was shown. 

The group unzipped their tents on Sunday 

morning to a beautiful sunny day! After 

cooking the full English (Welsh?) breakfast, 

picnics were prepared and tents packed 

away. The group headed for a river walk 

and lunch before returning to school. 


FRENCH TRIP 2011 

It was very early one May morning that a group of bleary-eyed Senior 

3 climbed aboard the waiting coach to start out on their French 

adventure….. The journey to France was extremely long and tiring, but 

there were lots of giggles on the way. Starbucks had a huge shock when 

practically the whole year ordered a Frappacino! Passing the Eiffel Tower 

was an added bonus to the journey. 

Our fi rst (early) morning in France included a trip to the circus where you 

could try out many activities from juggling to tight rope and diabolo. An 

added extra was a surprise water fi ght between Amy Potts and Philippa 

Thirlby! After that was a delicious 3-course lunch with water. There was 

a French lesson in the afternoon, but in no way was it boring! We then 

went to the swings or the table tennis courts or fussball table and enjoyed 

relaxing in free time before having a home-made 3-course dinner with even n 

more water. After a tiring day we went back to our bunk-beds and had some 

much needed sleep (or talk all night without the teachers knowing…) 

The next days all seem a blur. One of these was a very long, treacherous 

hike in the local wood where they purposely took us the wrong way for the 

sake of video footage. Also one day we had to go to a local farmers’ market 

and buy our own lunch there with only 3 Euros each! However, Isabelle 

Farrugia’s group managed to buy the whole of the supermarket with only 21 

Euros, so we think there may have been some cheating… Other activities 

included archery, mosaic-making and sculpture. We also visited a chateau full 

of paintings… Luckily there was a massive maze outside to entertain us, with 

people’s hidden competitive streaks coming out, especially Henry Jowett and 

Edward Miles. 

Our last night included a disco where Mrs Powell and Mrs and Mr Knight entertained rtained us s with their their… dancing skills 

skills… 

Also our ambassadors of the entire trip were Sebastian Allen and Molly Richardson. We’d just like to say a huge thank you to Malcolm, 

Mr & Mrs Knight, Elodie, Claire and Mrs Powell for a fantastic week. We’ll never forget it! Jennie Mortiboy and Molly Richardson 

THE HIKE 

The hike at Bradgate Park was amazing. 

There was all kinds of wildlife, ducks, 

foxes and even deer. There were some 

beautiful views. 

Mrs Powell told 

us about Lady 

Jane Grey as we e 

saw her house. 

There was a big 

pack of deer. It 

stood in front of f 

some red rocks 

which were 

weird. There 

were some big 

fi elds of fl owers 

and a lovely big 

lake. 

There was a 

kind of little fort t which had a little arch 

beside it. We all joked and said it was a 

teacup. There was a big run down a hill. 

It was scree and I nearly slipped. There 

was a forest which was very dark. We 

saw Fallow deer a lot around the park. 

The area was very hilly and had a lot of 

tall trees. Near the end of the hike people 

were groaning because they had walked 

up so many hills. At the end we had a 

very well deserved ice cream. The queue 

was very long and you got a bit bored. 

I had a Mister Whippy with one fl ake. 

It was very tasty and I really enjoyed the 

hike. 

Adam Dodd 4Y 


8 


Summer school was once 

again enjoyed by children, 

mums, organisers and helpers. 

The weather was perfect and 

special thanks this year to 

the Sixth form and Senior 5 

helpers who looked after the 

children and made the activities 

run so smoothly. 




10 


ECO RANGERS 

We were at the conservation club at 

Twycross Zoo for seven weeks. Our 

favourite week was the Reduce, Reuse, 

Recycle week. In this week we made paper 

from shredded paper. It was our messiest 

week but the most fun. We found it hard 

to decide which week to write about. 

We eventually decided to pick this week. 

This report is by Theo Zuzarte, the most 

enthusiastic person, Jemima Cockroft, the 

sunniest, Harry Calder, the most proactive 

and Lucy Slater, the bounciest. 

Editor’s note: In a fi nal presentation at 

the end of the course Amy Moore from 

Twycross Zoo presented the children with awards and appropriate titles. 

The other Form 4s who took part include: Georgia Hargreaves, the bravest, Chloe James, the most caring, Hannah Walker, the best 

paper maker, Jake Sanders, the most calming infl uence, Jake Bhakta, the best bug collector, Henry Banks, the best animal knowledge, 

Peter Nugent, the most inquisitive, Jonathan van Zyl, the best trail blazer and Adam Dodd, the most dynamic. 

GREEN FINGERS! 

Congratulations to members of Senior 3 

who have cleared an area of garden to 

grow vegetables. The group consisting of 

Charlotte Baum, Jack McKeown, Henry 

Jowett, Chris Lington, Samantha Borley, 

James Borley, Declan Cartwright and 

Seb Allen have been working with Mrs 

Woolmer as part of the Eco Group for the 

volunteering section of their Bronze Duke of 

Edinburgh award. The veg patch has already 

produced radishes, peas and lettuces. 

TWYCROSS 

FLOWER 

FESTIVAL 

Congratulations to all the children from 

Swallows Hill who exhibited their artworks 

at St James’ Church Flower Festival. 

TWYCROSS BEES 

The hot, humid days of spring and summer 

usually produce swarms of honey bees 

around the school buildings or grounds. 

Usually these swarms fi nd a new home by 

themselves, but occasionally a swarm will 

alight where it causes a nuisance. 

One such swarm was taken this June from 

the walnut tree in front of the school by Mr 

Holder and Mr Assinder. The bees proved 

very benign and forgiving of Mr Holder’s 

initial unsuccessful attempts to relocate 

them. Eventually the bulk of the swarm, 

including the queen, was transferred to 

a cardboard box and thence to a small 

hive. The worker bees began sending out 

chemical signals to attract any fl ying bees, 

and by 9.45 that evening they were all 

tucked up in their new home. 

JEWRY WALL 

MUSEUM 

Form 3’s history trip this term took us to 

the heart of Roman Leicester at the Jewry 

Wall museum. We had the privilege of 

holding Roman artefacts including a tile 

with a Roman dog’s paw-prints on, viewed 

the famous peacock mosaic and met Garius 

the legionary, trying out his weapons and 

armour. All this right next to the site of the 

Roman baths, just outside the window. 

Mrs J Rose 


HEARTS OF GOLD 

In July, thirteen members of the Lower Sixth successfully completed 

the expedition section of their DofE Gold Award in the area around 

Great Whernside, Pen y Ghent and Ingleborough in West Yorkshire. 

This was a demanding exercise: the weather was very wet and 

stormy at times, and the routes were more diffi cult than in previous 

years. But the two groups’ cohesion and teamwork stood them in 

very good stead. 

All the group members had made good progress through the other 

sections of their Award, and for a good number the expedition 

section was the last stone in the arch: they will complete the Gold 

Award in time for it to be of maximum benefi t to them as they 

prepare to enter higher education. 

Our Gold participants have always impressed us with their 

determination, maturity and consideration, but never have the 

groups attracted so many appreciative comments as they did 

this year. Each day we were approached by campers, camp site 

owners and walkers, eager to tell us about the ‘friendly’... ‘polite’... 

‘considerate’... ‘lovely people’ they had just met. 

For the staff it was a privilege and a pleasure to work with these 

groups, and a splendid end to the school year. The last word goes 

to our [independent] assessor, who prepared a written report on 

each participant. 

WINNING ART 

Congratulations to Joanne Copson who 

has recently had a piece of artwork 

selected to be displayed as part of an art 

exhibition for one year in the courtyard 

of the Sumo bar in Braunstone Gate, 

Leicester. 

Joanne explained about the competition: 

‘It all started off with mum bringing 

home a leafl et about an art exhibition. I 

thought I’d have a go, so kept thinking 

of different designs for ‘looking through 

someone else’s life’. When we got back 

from holiday I was so happy to hear 

that my artwork had been 

chosen for the exhibition 

- I was also the youngest 

artist! One of the artists 

is called Stewart Pawley 

and is colour blind. There 

were 20 lucky artists, 

some English and some 

international. The artwork 

can be seen for one year 

and then will be auctioned 

off to raise money for the 

MS Therapy Centre in 

Leicester.’ 

Pictured here is Joanne with Deputy Mayor of the City Council, 

Abdul Osman, and also with the other participating artists. 

Congratulations! 


Top row: E. Chant, J. Fryer, K. Abbott, L. Bird, L. Sharpe, T. Low, J. Hughes, 

M. Raybould. Second row: H. Marven, W. Jackson, D. Elliott, W. Allen, R. Lau. 

This one was typical: ‘XXXX played a full part in the planning and 

preparation of this very successful expedition. The group worked 

well together and supported each other, in often diffi cult weather 

conditions. XXXX was an effective leader; he was always patient 

and encouraging, keeping people motivated.’ 

TWYCROSS HOUSE SIXTH FORM SUPPORT ILEAP 

During the spring term the Sixth Form raised £1000 by organising a sponsored head-shave and Easter 

fair to support the charity ILEAP in their work. 

They chose the charity ILEAP (Inclusive Leisure, Education, Activities Project) which offers leisure 

opportunities such as sports, games, arts and crafts, music, dance and drama to young people with 

learning disabilities. ILEAP project manager, Peter Bazeley, visited the school to talk to the Sixth 

Form about the work of the charity and was thrilled to receive the cheque. Sixth Former Will Allen 

commented, ‘We really enjoyed organising the events and thank you to everyone who supported 

us. We wanted to support the ILEAP charity as it offers opportunities to young people with learning 

disabilities in Warwickshire. A number of the Sixth Form are also hoping to continue to support the 

charity by working as volunteers on some of the activities’. 

WIRE WORKS 

We welcomed wire artist Sue Clewes s 

again this term. She worked with a 

group of pupils from S1 to produce 

wire lanterns decorated with beads, 

feathers, coils and springs. p g 


12 


STAGES OF LIFE 

In Form 5 we have 

been studying the 

‘Stages of Life’ in 

different religions. 

There is one stage 

of life that all 

hold, honour and 

celebrate, although 

in slightly different 

manners; this is 

marriage. 

We acted out this symbolic act and learned 

that guests are there to be witnesses not 

just to have fun! 

The main people at a Christian wedding are 

the bride and groom, the vicar, bridesmaids 

and father of the bride. I brought in the 

dresses for the bridesmaids and they looked 

really pretty. We all enjoyed the whole 

experience, especially the party afterwards! 

Thank you, Mrs Alves and Mrs Powell. 

Isabelle Chastney Form 5X 

RE TAKES OFF 

‘Every colour tells a story’ by pupils 

in Form 3Y during an end of term 

Religious Education lesson. 

JOSEPH REVIEW 

”All I need is an hour or two, to tell the tale of a dreamer like 

you. We all dream a lot, some are lucky, some are not, but 

if you think it, want it, dream it, then it’s real, you are what 

you feel. But all that I say can be told another way in the 

story of a boy whose dream came true…” 

In our version of Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat 

performed on May 26 th 2011, the dazzling colourful coat 

was proudly worn by Joseph Dugas S1Y who was supported 

by a strong cast made up of pupils from Form 4, Form 5 and 

S1. Members of Form 5 directed by Mrs Wortley admirably 

provided the chorus to tell the story of Jacob and his sons. 

There were more than eleven stars that 

night as the brothers shone with clarity 

and enthusiasm whilst selling Joseph to 

the angelic Ishmaelites (Chloe James, 

Fiona Simpson and Isabelle Underwood 

Form 4). Once the smoke had cleared 

from Joseph’s prison cell the Pharaoh 

King (Oliver Blackman S1X) and his 

butler (Amy van Zyl S1X) leapt onto 

the stage and entertained everyone 

with an amusing Elvis style dance whilst 

explaining his crazy dreams. 

Joseph’s youngest brother Benjamin (Maisie Ryan S1Y) was accused 

of stealing yet acted a perfect portrayal of innocence in front of all of 

his brothers. Joseph then swapped his glittering golden Pharaoh coat 

for his multicoloured cloak symbolising the rekindled honesty between 

the family. Without the aid of his walking stick energised Jacob (Euan 

Tebbutt S1X) was proud to return to a reunited family which led into 

a colourful rendition of the fi nale song “Any Dream Will Do”. If you 

don’t have a dream, how can you have a dream come true? 

Well done to everyone involved for a very enjoyable performance. 

Mrs Garbett 

AHEAD OF 

SCHEDULE 

Earlier than anticipated the work has started 

on the new biology and classroom block. 

Work on the fi rst phase will be completed 

by Christmas. Then Berryfi eld will be 

demolished and the second part of the 

building built and joined with the fi rst. 


JUNIOR MATHS 

CHALLENGE 

Once again the school participated in the 

National Junior Maths Challenge. 

I must congratulate all the children who 

took part. The questions are quite unlike 

any maths taught in school. It must be 

quite daunting but everyone did very 

well. We had three winners this year and 

one ‘near miss’. 

The Gold award and best in school went 

to Euan Tebbutt from S1X. A Silver 

award went to Joe Morgan from S2Y 

and a Bronze award to Oliver West from 

4Y. Simon Wright from S1X just missed 

out on a Bronze award - but is looking 

forward to trying again next year. Good 

for you, Simon! 

For the fi rst time ever we had an entrant 

to the Junior Maths Olympiad. This is 

only open to those with the highest 

marks from all the entrants in the Junior 

Maths Challenge across the country. Well 

done, Euan! We were thrilled to hear 

on the last day of term that Euan had 

achieved a certifi cate of distinction and 

a book prize - only awarded to the top 

5%. He also was awarded a Gold Medal 

as overall he achieved good scores across 

both sections of the test. 

Well done! I do hope that those who sat 

the Challenge will try again next year. 

J K Angus 

JILLY BEANS 

UNIFORM 

www.jillybeans.co.uk 

The Jilly Beans website is now up and 

running. Parents can order online all uniform 

and accessories which are currently available 

in the school uniform shop. Orders can then 

be collected from the shop or posted out to 

a specifi ed address. 

We are hoping that this will provide a 

more convenient service for parents who 

are unable to visit the shop during normal 

opening hours. 

The shop is open at 8-9am and 3-4pm 

weekdays during term time selling uniform, 

school and sports shoes, accessories and 

stationery. For fi ttings outside shop opening 

times please contact Bridget Allen on 01827 

881396 or 07967 619645 


SWALLOWS WINNERS 

Junior Sports Presentation 2011 

Junior Tennis Tournament winner - Luke Williams 

Most Promising Male Athlete - Oliver Burrows 

Most Promising Female Athlete - Rebecca Brayer (right) 

Most Improved Swimmer - Lucy Slater 

Junior Footballer of the Year - Max Lee 

Junior Cricketer of the Year - Angus Osborne 

Junior Most Promising Games Player - Sam Everson-Crane 

Nuneaton and District Athletics Cup (Primary Schools) Form 4 & 5 boys and girls 

Kirkpatrick Challenge Cup - U9 boys, captain Ewan Bryan 

David Hunt Challenge Cup - U11 boys, captain Max Lee 

Honour Mark Cup - Sebastian Hart 3Y (above right) 

Nuneaton and District Rounders Cup (Primary Schools) - Form 4 and 5 girls 

Form 5 girls won District Netball Tournament 

Form 5 girls and boys came joint fi rst in District Mixed Hockey Tournament 

Form 4 and 5 boys won District Cross Country Trophy 

Form 4 and 5 girls came second in District Cross Country 

Swallows Hill Winners (right) 

Olivia Rawlins - Form 4 Darts Tournament 

winner; Adam Dodd - Top Trumps 

tournament winner; Josh Zuzarte - Form 

3 Darts Tournament winner; Vivek Tailor - 

Form 4 and Overall Chess Champion; Jack 

Pickering - Form 3 Chess Champion 

Junior House Captains (below) 

Junior House Captains 2011 / 2012 - Tom 

Leyland, Ethan Morrell, Edward Blackman, 

Jaya Deshpande, Lilith Weston, Olivia Rawlins 

Photo winners (above) Junior Hike 

Photographic Competition winners - 

Theo Zuzarte, Tom Leyland, Ewan Clamp 

GOODBYES 

Colleagues present and past gathered one evening towards the 

end of term to bid farewell to Mrs Kay Angus, who retires this 

term. Looking back to the start of her long career here, she told 

us that someone had suggested a part-time teaching post as 

a remedy for the fatigue she felt in caring for her three small 

children! On a visit to the freezer centre which was then located 

in Twycross, she saw that a new school had opened on the 

village green and went across to investigate. Mr Kirkpatrick offered her a job as teacher 

of maths and over the years she taught the subject from Form 3 to GCSE and became 

Head of Maths. For many years she was also in charge of Swallows Hill. 

Mrs Angus spoke of her fondness for the school and the many colleagues whose 

friendship and mutual support she had cherished over the years. We shall all miss her 

experience, wisdom and wry sense of humour very much and wish her a long and 

happy retirement. 

We also say goodbye to Mrs Jane Maugham 

who has been teaching early-morning woodwind 

lessons at the school since 1988. Unfortunately for 

us her job with Staffordshire County Council has 

become full-time. We wish her well and thank her 

for her contribution to music in the school and the 

encouragement she has given to so many pupils over 

the years. 

TWYCROSS HOUSE SCHOOL | THE GREEN | TWYCROSS | NEAR ATHERSTONE | WARWICKSHIRE | CV9 3PL | T: 01827 880651 

13

14 

The Hollies 

THE FIRST YEAR 

The highlight of the summer term has been our trip to 

Twycross Zoo. We all set off with great excitement in the 

minibuses armed with our packed lunches and even managed d 

not to eat them on the journey! 

We had a very interesting talk from one of the staff about 

animal adaptations and saw animals from both hot and cold 

habitats. We loved stroking the tortoise and Rico the rabbit but ut 

we were relieved that the grumpy red-kneed tarantula was 

kept safely in her tank! The elephants were in a very playful 

mood but the funniest animals were the chimpanzees who kept 

themselves entertained by throwing mud at us over the side of 

the enclosure. 

We rounded off our visit with a quick ride on the zebra 

roundabout and then an exciting train ride. As always, the 

children’s impeccable behaviour made the accompanying staff 

very proud. Mrs Makin 

TRIP TO 

TAMWORTH 

CASTLE 

The third year trip to 

Tamworth Castle was 

a huge success. The 

children thoroughly 

enjoyed the ‘role 

play’ activities 

which helped them 

understand what life 

was like living in a 

castle in the past. 

Joe in class 3o could not believe how 

heavy the armour was as he tried to lift 

it. He could not imagine having to wear 

it for any length of time. Jacob in class 3y 

remembered learning about a ghost who, 

it is said, ‘haunts the staircase and one of 

the bedrooms’. He felt the cold chill as we 

walked through that area of the castle. 

We ended 

our visit with 

a Castle 

Quiz and the 

hope that 

our parents 

would bring 

us back to the 

castle during 

the holidays. 

On our return to school the experience has 

led to lots of imaginative writing and many 

pieces of art work: making castle models, 

family coats of arms and impressive shields. 

THE SECOND YEARS 

In the second year we have 

been fi nding out how to make 

pictures using watercolours. 

We have combined this with 

our geography topic to produce 

paintings of the seaside. We 

also made amazing sea creatures 

out of playdough - our teachers 

don’t think they would be brave 

enough to go into the sea again 

if our creatures were real! 

We have been developing our skills as scientists by carrying 

out an investigation into the best conditions to grow cress. 

We know that tests have to be fair and that we have to record our fi ndings carefully. 

We are even starting to predict what might happen in the experiment. We found out 

that cress without light went yellow and very smelly and that cress without water 

shrivelled and died. We declined an offer of cress sandwiches that day! 

In art we have been looking at the work of 

Edgar Degas and Sonia Delaunay. We designed 

T-shirts using techniques employed by the artist. 

Sonia Delaunay style: ‘You have to colour inside 

the lines which is hard’ (Rico Hrozny). ‘It took a 

long time but it looked fantastic at the end. 

I would like a T-shirt like this’ (Hollie Pickering). 

‘It’s more neat than the smudgy ones and it’s a 

bit more colourful’ (Ethan Tomkins). 

Edgar Degas style: ‘We smudged colourful 

chalks to make a pretty design. It was very 

quick to do and looked good. It was fun!’ 

(Ethan Baugh). Look out for the designs 

at next year’s London Fashion Week! 

Mrs Henderson and Mrs Leake 

INSPIRED BY ART 

In the third year we have been learning about a famous artist by the name of Vincent 

van Gogh. We have looked at the style of his painting and produced our own ‘works of 

art’ inspired by his painting of ‘Irises’ and ‘A starry, starry night’. 

THE HOLLIES | THE GREEN | TWYCROSS | NEAR ATHERSTONE | WARWICKSHIRE | CV9 3PQ | T: 01827 880725

4 TH YEAR CONCERT 

The Hollies hall was transformed back in time to a Victorian 

childhood museum, as a small group of modern school children 

were visiting. There were four scenes: the wealthy household, the 

working children, the street children and the Victorian school room. 

Each in turn came to life and gave us a wealth of knowledge 

about their life in Victorian times. How very lucky our children 

are today! 

BOSWORTH 

FESTIVAL 

The title for this year’s competition 

was ‘Energetic Earth’. The whole 

school produced some fantastic 

models of volcanoes, ice-caps, 

earthquakes, waterfalls, the jungle, 

rainforests, animals and our 

planet. Well done, everyone! 

WILLOW ART 

Once again we welcomed Tom Hare, 

willow artist, to the Hollies in the last 

day of term. The fourth year children 

enjoyed their work outside learning 

about how willow is grown and 

cultivated for Tom to use. The children 

then created their own dragonfl ies and 

butterfl ies before working on group 

pieces for display in the Hollies garden. 

The Hollies 

With straight backs and heads held high we produced some 

incredible singing which as always made us all at the Hollies 

very proud. 

The music award was presented to Tanatswa Kubara and the art 

award to Holly Limer. Well done to all the 4 th years. 

Mrs Mead 

VLAD BUCK 

During the fi rst half of the summer term at the Hollies we were fortunate to welcome Vlad Buck as a 

temporary assistant. An ex-pupil at Twycross House School, Vlad is currently in his second year at the 

University of Derby and is considering teaching as a career option. 

He was a real hit with all age ranges from the fi rst to the fourth year. Vlad approached all tasks 

throughout his work experience with real enthusiasm and good humour and left us with his desire to 

enter the teaching profession still intact! We all wish him the very best of luck in his future studies. 

Mrs Makin 

THE HOLLIES | THE GREEN | TWYCROSS | NEAR ATHERSTONE | WARWICKSHIRE | CV9 3PQ | T: 01827 880725 

15

16 

The Hollies 

SHUGBOROUGH HALL AND THE VICTORIANS 

The 4th years have again enjoyed learning about life during Victorian times. 

It is a very interesting period in history and the children have responded 

well to it. They have studied the life of the rich and poor, and have 

thoroughly enjoyed watching historical videos and linking the topic with 

their artwork. 

The Victorian topic was really brought to life by our visit to Shugborough 

Hall in May. It was an enjoyable and very informative trip. We spent time 

in a Victorian classroom, with a very strict teacher, who really gave us 

an insight into how school has changed. We also spent time as the new 

servants under the watchful eye of Mrs Stern, the cook. We did chores, 

made biscuits and learned about the day to day running of the kitchen in 

such a big house. 

Our trip was then rounded off with a visit to the laundry and a look at the 

horse-drawn carriages in the Lichfi eld collection. The children and staff had a 

wonderful day which really helped us understand more about Victorian times. s. 

MARY-ANNE BOSTOCK 

Mary-Anne Bostock was fi rst known to us at The Hollies when her eldest son Adam 

came to the Hollies in 1993. She joined the teaching staff in 1999 when she taught 

children in the younger years. Her enthusiasm for the children and her job knew no 

bounds; she was always one of the fi rst to volunteer for any tasks discussed, from 

sorting out jumbled paper cupboards to accompanying skiing trips and Duke of 

Edinburgh camping trips. Not a natural camper she was teased by those who knew 

her that walking boots did not have kitten heels, were rarely in shades of pink and 

never had sparkly bits. This was typical of her enthusiastic attitude to life; even out of 

her comfort zone she was keen to offer her help and always added to any group with 

her positive attitude, sense of humour and reliable nature. 

Mary-Anne became deputy head taking her role very seriously with the dedication 

and depth that was her hallmark. She gave intense thought and time to making the 

school a place of excellence. She loved her job, worked hard and expected high 

standards from both the pupils and her colleagues. She was quick to praise and 

encouraged both pupils and staff; she was hugely respected by all. She recognised 

that every child should celebrate their own achievements. Mary-Anne could be relied 

upon to do the right thing and always have the children’s best interests at heart. 

She was a safe pair of hands in any situation. Mary-Anne took delight in and enjoyed 

teaching the reception age and she was frequently teased, as it was owing to her love of all things colourful colo lourful and glittery 

that she understood the minds of her charges so well. She taught alongside Mrs Makin, a friend and colleague from her previous school. 

Laughter and music were often heard during the day and sure enough the children would emerge clutching some wondrous works of 

art, masks, sunglasses, crowns - we were never quite sure who had enjoyed these lessons more, staff or pupils. 

Mary-Anne’s untimely death has left her family at school totally bereft. Her funeral on what was to have been the last day of term was 

attended by every person currently working at The Hollies and many who had left. Her loss to us as a school and to us as friends is 

enormous. The school was a better place for her presence, but without her we shall do what we know she would want: put the children 

fi rst and carry on. 

Mrs R T Assinder 

AIR AMBULANCE 

Thank you for all your generous contributions to the Air Ambulance in memory of Mary-Anne Bostock. The donations from 

sports teas, sales of cakes, staff, Swallows Hill games day, Duke of Edinburgh and the ski DVD have totalled £2185. 

THE HOLLIES | THE GREEN | TWYCROSS | NEAR ATHERSTONE | WARWICKSHIRE | CV9 3PQ | T: 01827 880725

Twycross Times Summer 2011 - Twycross House School

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?