Headmaster's Newsletter Friday 29th MArch 2019
Dear Parents,
Today’s joyous Words and Music in Chapel caught much of what I regard as the essential spirit of NCS. Every age-group in the School was involved, singing with conviction, style and a desire to give of their best. And then also listening with attentive generosity as their friends gave poetry readings. They all set themselves, and achieve, high standards and I’m sure parents will share my sense of pride in such an accomplished conclusion to the term. The Hilary Term is always a busy one with significant opportunities for the boys in and outside the classroom. As ever, I’m grateful for the imagination and energy of my colleagues in encouraging them to develop their talents and interests in so many different ways. In my book, the overriding objective of education should be constantly to promote a happy intellectual curiosity in as many areas of life as possible. And, certainly, this term has again proved that the whole NCS community is more than willing to run with that objective.
Congratulations to the Chamber Choir and the Choral Society on a fine performance of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas last Saturday. The quality and spirit of the boys’ singing, which included some dextrous solo work, was widely appreciated and the boys clearly enjoyed the drama of the operatic themes. My warmest thanks Mr Neal and to the all who supported the venture in so many helpful ways.
Equally impressive was the French Play, La Folie de Mort, which delighted us all this week. The quality and panache of the spoken French and the assured acting and singing made for a memorable first production in our interim hall, which had been carefully adapted thanks to the good offices of the Maintenance Department. And the evening was rounded-off in style with the French Café (thank you parents for your input) and examples of further confident French-speaking. Huge thanks to Mrs Brown and Mrs Phillips who brought it all together so skilfully.
Sport. As another hockey season comes to a close, we can certainly reflect on what a fine term this has been for the boys. Throughout the School and right across the teams we have enjoyed great success at every level. It has been an absolute pleasure to witness the development of the U8 and U9 teams in their training sessions and then their games where they have had great wins vs MCS and Brockhurst School. All eight teams at this age group have been outstanding and again we have seen two or three goal keepers push themselves forward to keep the strong tradition of talented NCS keepers going. We have had an unprecedented season in the U11, U12 and U13 age groups with all three teams qualifying for the South of England Regional Championships! To achieve this, the boys have to compete in the Oxfordshire County Cup and, this year, the U13 team were runners-up but both the U11 and U12 teams were county champions. At the finals, the U11 and U13 teams both won silver medals in the plate competition which meant they were ranked 10th in the South, but the U12 team made it to the semi-finals of the cup competition and, as a result, finished in fourth place in the South of England. In all three of these tournaments we have faced some of the biggest and best hockey schools in the country and have not only competed with them but now we can confidently and proudly say that we are one of them! Every boy who played in these matches should be extremely proud of their efforts, but the following deserve special mention for their skill and endeavours: Joseph Conway, Ben Harkness, Dylan Jamieson and Fraser Mackenzie. In the experience of the Sports Department, these are four of the most talented boys to pass through NCS and it has been a pleasure hear of their memorable contributions. As well as the county cups, the boys have competed in the IAPS tournaments. The U13 team played at St Faith’s School, Cambridge where they narrowly missed out on qualification and the U11 team once again were at Haileybury School where for the fourth time in succession they qualified for the National Finals at Rugby School. The finals were a very tough round of matches and on this occasion the boys did not quite make the latter stages; but for a school of our size to yet again be there is a testament to the strength of hockey here. A semi-final appearance at the Stowe School festival and a second place at the annual Dragon School tournament capped off a fantastic season for the NCS and clearly shows that hockey will be in good shape for a few years yet!
Away from the hockey pitches, the Year 2 rugby team have been in impressive form lately having played first Summerfields School and more recently at the Moulsford Festival. In these fixtures the boys have experienced drawn games, defeats and of course the elation that comes with winning! In all of these experiences the boys have conducted themselves with impressive maturity and have learnt to be gracious whatever the outcome.
On the football pitches, the U11 teams competed in the U11 festival at Sibford School where the ‘B’ team managed a creditable ninth place overall and the ‘A’ team made it to semi-finals. Well done to all our sportsmen on the many remarkable achievements of this term
Good wishes to the choristers who departed today for their tour of the US which takes in East and West Coast America and several points between. I am sure they will be excellent ambassadors for the School and for the College and delight their audiences. I look forward to hearing of their exploits.
Holiday Diaries. Holiday diaries/ newspapers/scrapbooks are always welcomed from all ages in the School. I look forward to hearing of many holiday exploits next term.
Boys in Year 8 are reminded that their Easter revision guide will be available on the VLE, in case they claim to have forgotten…
I trust parents will have safely received Orders (Years 3-8), and a letter from the Warden of New College with details of next year’s school fees. If your son has been absent, these will be posted. Please let Mrs McCusker know if you have not received them.
Very best wishes to Mrs Jo Atkinson as she takes maternity leave today. We wish her well in the final stages of her pregnancy. As previously notified to parents, her maternity leave will be covered by Mrs Victoria Hayter. Mrs Hayter took her degree and Post Graduate Certificate in Education from Oxford Brookes and has recently been teaching at Headington Prep School. She is also well-known to us as an NCS parent. Best wishes, too, to Mr Tom Neal whose wife is also expecting a baby over the holidays.
Dates for Next Term. I attach with this mailing next term’s calendar and sports fixtures, for your reference. These are also posted on our website. Please, in particular, note the following dates: Wednesday 1st May, Sports Hall 6.00 – 8.00pm. Parents’ Evening for parents of choristers and boys who learn musical instruments to meet the Organist/Assistant Organist and Visiting Instrumental Teachers to discuss your son’s progress. The Music Department will be in touch early next term to fix appointment times. On Thursday 23rd May at 6.00pm there will be a whole school celebratory concert in the Sheldonian Theatre on, followed by a reception in New College. Every boy from Reception to Year 8 will take part. The centrepiece will be a performance of Camille Saint-Saëns’s Carnival of the Animals. All NCS families present and past are warmly invited: tickets will be available from the School Office at the start of next term. Wykeham Day, which will include a morning concert by current and former NCS, a cricket match on Field with a barbecue lunch, and then our Summer Fête, will take place on Saturday 22nd June.
Louise and I wish all NCS families a very happy and restful Easter holiday. Thank you for all your support this term which has, as always, enabled so many good things to happen here.
Robert Gullifer
Forthcoming Events
Tuesday, 23 April 2019
Staff INSET
14.00 Pre-season cricket practice, Field
Wednesday, 24 April 2019
Start of School Term
10.00 School Service, New College Chapel. Speaker: The Headmaster
Coffee afterwards in the Undercroft for parents and visitors
13.00 Yr 7 PSHCEE: How to revise for exams, led by the Headmaster
17.00 Yr 8/8S Leadership Evening (ends 19.00)
Friday, 26 April 2019
18.15 First Evensong
14.30 1st X1 Cricket vs St Hugh's, Home, 2.30pm
Saturday, 27 April 2019
Chorister Parents' Supper, Sports Hall, 7.30pm
Sunday, 28 April 2019
Start of University Term
Eton Academic Scholarship Exams
Monday, 29 April 2019
Eton Academic Scholarship Exams
19.30 NCS Choral Society Rehearsal, Sports Hall
Tuesday, 30 April 2019
14.00 U12/13 Athletics, Abingdon, Away
Wednesday, 1 May 2019
Eton Academic Scholarship Exams
10.00 School Service, New College Chapel. Speaker: The Revd Professor William Whyte, Tutorial Fellow in History and Vice-President, St John’s College
Coffee afterwards in the Undercroft for parents and visitors
12.00 School Council Meeting
14.00 Year 5 Synagogue Visit
18.00 Parents’ Evening with Visiting Music Teachers and Organist/Assistant Organist, Sports Hall
Thursday, 2 May 2019
14.00 Young Art Oxford: Exhibition Open, Ashmolean Museum
17.30 Young Art Oxford: Opening Night – Prize Giving, Ashmolean Museum
Friday, 3 May 2019
10.00 Young Art Oxford: Exhibition Open, Ashmolean Museum
14.00 U9 Cricket vs MCS, Away
Saturday, 4 May 2019
No Saturday Morning Music School
10.00 Young Art Oxford: Exhibition Open, Ashmolean Museum
17.30 NC Choir: Amicabilis Concordia Evensong, King's College, Cambridge