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The Grange School // Summer 2012 // Newsletter
Inspirational Grange
Students Light the Way
See page 14
Anne of
Green Gables
international
week
leavers’ ball 2012
Coniston
The Drama Department’s
summer production was
‘Anne of Green Gables: The
Musical’, drawing its actors
from First to Fourth Years.
Pupils in The Grange Junior
School enjoyed a wonderful
programme of enrichment
activities as part of May’s
International Week.
Students from the Upper
Sixth began their study
leave in style with the
annual Leavers’ Ball,
a black tie event held
at The Portal Golf Club.
The children of Prep 4
relished the freedom of the
great outdoors during a fun
and adventure-filled trip to
Coniston Water in the Lake
District this May.
More info on page 10
More info on page 8
More info on page 3
More info on page 16
Head’s
message
Local News
By Christopher Jeffery
The occasional glimpse of the sun
and the odd necessary opened
window have been some of the
very few signs that this has been
the Summer Term. As I write,
both Sports Days have had to be
cancelled, as have numerous
cricket matches, and the annual
Old Roburians’ BBQ had to be
held indoors!
Other less climate-related clues
have also confirmed the time of
year: a brilliant Leavers’ Assembly
(followed by a lovely Ball), hours
and hours of public exams, and
huge numbers of reports to write
being among them. As I plough my
way through those reports, I am
struck as always by the hard work
and achievement of our pupils,
and by the enormous range of
activities that they manage to
pursue, despite the academic
demands at this time of year.
Most will fully deserve a long
and relaxing summer break, as do
my colleagues, who continue to
astound me with the work they
put in to helping our young people
in all this success and busy-ness.
May I remind you that we will
celebrate all this at Prizegiving on
Thursday September 6th; please
put the date in your diaries, as it is
a compulsory event for all children
in Prep 4 and above. My thanks
in advance for the arrangements
you will make to get your
children (and yourselves?) to
the Bridgewater Hall on that
important occasion.
I hope that your families will
be able to make the most of it
when the sun does eventually
shine properly, and thank you for
your continued support of all
things Grange!
£7,000 Raised During
Charities Week
As has become tradition at The Grange, the final week of the Spring Term was
Charities week, with the Charities Committee putting together a programme
of fundraising events to support our chosen charities – the Association for
Young People with ME, The SMA Trust, Charlie’s Wish at Clatterbridge Cancer
Centre and Project Gambia.
By Matt Lambert
The week began with the
Grand Bazaar where each form
from First to Fifth Year ran a stall.
Attractions ranged from a juice/
smoothie bar and chocolate
fountain (outside the Sports Hall,
to Miss Lawson’s relief!) to the
staples of Soak the Teacher and
Splat the Rat. The most innovative
idea was the Bubble Wrap
Popping competition, won by
Miss Yates.
The rest of the week continued
in a similar vein: staff provided the
entertainment on Tuesday as they
competed in “I’m A Teacher Get
Me Out Of Here”, with challenges
and trials every bit as tough as the
ones undertaken in the real jungle
Down Under. No surprise then
that Gap Year assistant Laura won
the day! Wednesday evening saw
the annual Talent Show, of which
more elsewhere, whilst Thursday
lunchtime was an opportunity for
the trivia kings and queens to
shine with the Big Fat Quiz of The
Grange, superbly put together by
Maz Worswick and compered by
our very own Mr Jones.
The final day of term was the
climax of the week, with students
competing in the Grange MiniOlympics. Each form was assigned
a country and took part in events
as varied as the Space Hopper
Relay, Shoot The Hoop, Mario Kart
Racing and a Tug-of-War. Students
were sponsored to take part in
events, and also encouraged to
wear the national dress of their
country, leading to some
incredible outfits, including ten
Lower Sixth Vikings supporting
Norway and Mr Sgroi dressed as
Captain America...
Overall, Charities Week raised
an amazing £7000, which will
contribute to our end-of-year total
to be announced soon. Well done
to all who were involved, and
particular thanks to the charity
committee for all their hard work.
2/3
Local News // The Grange School Summer 2012 Newsletter
Green Fingers in
the Eco Garden
Springtime saw the opening of the much
anticipated Eco Garden at the Junior School.
By Stephen Bennett
Over the course of the year, a
greenhouse, shed and raised beds
have been built, while Mrs Jones
and the Gardening club have eagerly
been waiting for the green light
to don their gardening gloves and
get stuck in!
Tomatoes, potatoes, runner
beans, strawberries, rhubarb, and
many herbs are but a few of the
things growing well in the garden
now. There is obviously much work
still to be done, but we have had a
great start. The two scarecrows keep
a watchful eye over the garden, but
have not yet managed to deter the
rabbits… I counted twelve in the
garden one morning. Thank
goodness for high raised beds!
We are very grateful to the
Grange School Parents Association
for sponsoring the Eco Garden.
Pre-Show
Community Lunch
Now in its Fifth successful year, the Community
Action Group continues to build and grow
The Grange’s community links. The wellestablished relationships with a variety of local
communities that the group has worked hard
to maintain have gone from strength to strength
this year, through a regular programme of events
and visits within the local and wider community.
Class of 2012 Sign Off in Style
By Andrew Reeve
Students from the Upper
Sixth began their study
leave in style with the
annual Leavers’ Ball, a
black tie event held at
The Portal Golf Club.
The usual excellent meal was
followed by hilarious speeches,
including some reminders of
Kindergarten poems, and
lighthearted awards. The evening
was tinged with sadness and a
measure of nostalgia, marking, as it
does, the end of an era, but the
overriding tone was one of fun,
and excitement for the future.
The evening ball, which the
students had organised themselves,
was attended by many members
of staff. Students were keen to get
their yearbooks signed with
messages of Best Wishes for
university courses and GAP years.
The day began with a formal
Leavers’ Assembly but ended with
the decidedly informal, yet
fabulously glamorous, party! Thanks
must go to the organisers of the
event who did a wonderful job.
To view more images please visit www.grange.org.uk
By Jacqui Hardy-Kinsella
On Wednesday 20th June,
the Community Action Group ran
a pre-matinee lunch for a group
of local residents, from Queen
Elizabeth House in Northwich.
The guests were invited along to
an afternoon tea and then front
row seats for the performance of
Anne of Green Gables in the
Grange Theatre.
The guests received a warm
welcome from the students who
worked hard to create a lovely
atmosphere in the theatre foyer
Freshly cut flowers and white
tablecloths, helped by the gleam of
sunshine, created a summer haven
for the guests to enjoy the
sumptuous buffet, which was
specially prepared by Mrs Marston
and the lovely ladies of the catering
department. The afternoon was
further enhanced by the beautiful
classical music played by the string
group who were led by Mr Madden
and Mr Millinchip.
The event was a great success
– the pupils made an impressive
effort in keeping the guests happy
– there was lots of friendly chat as
the pupils welcomed the guests and
made sure they were comfortable.
We look forward to welcoming
back our community guests in the
near future.
Well done do the Third
Years who showed admirable
commitment and effort to make
this event a great success and
most enjoyable for all!
News
A Little Goes a Long Way
First Year Personal & Social Education students
at the Senior School have been learning that a little
can go a long way!
By Christopher Jeffery
As part of a unit of work
exploring global inequality and
where they fit into the world, all
First Years were asked to bring in
£2, to see what difference such a
small sum might make in
improving the lives of people in
very different circumstances from
their own. Each class then
decided how to spend the money
they had collected from the gifts
on offer through the Present Aid
and Good Gifts catalogues.
Contributing an average
of £2.86 per pupil, the four
forms purchased between
them (among other things):
Prep 6 Girls’
Charity Disco
By Grace Leaitherland (Prep 6)
On Friday 25th of May a
group of girls in Prep 6
hosted a disco in support of
the Anthony Nolan Trust, a
charity that helps people
with blood cancers.
Everyone had a great time
dancing away to the newest tunes
and classic songs such as the
Macarena. My friends and I helped
out behind the ‘sweet bar’ and the
stock sold out fast. Behind the
‘DJ stand’ was Mr Alvin boogieing
the night away with Mrs Ratcliffe,
Mr Bennett, Mrs Lodge and
Mrs Taunton. Everyone left
smiling ear to ear, which we were
exceptionally pleased to see.
The disco was a great success
and we raised over £330. I would
like to take this opportunity to say
“thank you” to all the staff and
parents (including my Mum!) who
helped to make this possible.
• arsenic filtration units,
so that three families in
Bangladesh can be sure
of drinking clean and
un-poisoned water
• one male or female goat
for a village ‘goat bank’ in
Burundi, to provide milk,
fertiliser and the possibility
of kids
• 40 fruit trees to help
some of the poorest families
in Nicaragua diversify their
crops and improve their
standard of living
• the clearing of 10 square
metres of minefield in an area
of the world that has recently
experienced conflict
• sufficient pills to protect
200 Africans for a year from
losing their sight through the
disease River Blindness
• the books, stationery and
uniform that would allow one
Bangladeshi boy or girl to
afford to be able to go to
school for a year
• 3 chickens each for the
African war widows, to
provide eggs to sell and eat,
and possibly more young for
the future
• 4 families family-sized
mosquito nets for families
living in malarial areas
• a beehive to be sent on
our behalf to a farmer in
Bolivia, so that the honey
can provide a much needed
income for his family
• business training for three
women in Mali to enable
them to run their farms more
profitably and successfully,
hopefully securing the wellbeing of their families
The pupils were amazed to
see what their small contribution
could achieve, and were encouraged
to make such giving and awareness
a habit for their lives.
4/5
News // The Grange School Summer 2012 Newsletter
Art Exhibitions
French
Exchange
The Grange School
Modern Languages
Faculty was delighted
to welcome Christine Bitaillou
from Lycée Louis Barthou in Pau,
south-west France for three days.
By Simon Howells
The French Department have
been working with Christine
throughout the year to set up an
exchange programme between The
Grange and Louis Barthou. Christine
had the chance to sample life at The
Grange, to meet our prospective
exchange students and give them a
presentation about her lycée.
This exciting new venture is set
to take place in 2012-13 for pupils in
the current Years IV and V, who will
have the opportunity to spend a
week with a French family, take part
in daily excursions and experience
everyday life in France. Une
expérience à vivre!
By David Kerszteny-Lewis
The GCSE private view and
exhibition was held in the
vacated Lower Sixth studio,
which proved to be a fitting
location for such a strong
collection of GCSE art work.
Ranging from Harry Pickups’
soldier made from plastic toy soldiers,
Lily Falkinghams Tracey Emin inspired
embroidered cushion to Amelia
Horridges’ massive canvas made as a
response to Tiny Tempah’s ‘Pass Out’’.
The students certainly did
themselves proud with a very well
attended show, leaving parents and
grandparents very proud, and the Art
Department staff simply exhausted!
This years AS and A2 private view
and end of course exhibition was held
in the Sixth Form studios, but with the
Lower and Upper Sixth swapping
spaces in order to show their work off
to the highest standard. One of the
strengths of the department is the
range and diversity of work produced
and this year is no exception, with
some breath-taking traditional skills
such as painting and printmaking
combining with contemporary Textiles
and Graphics applications. A very well
done to Emily Ford and Kate Friar who
had to complete shows for both Art
and Textiles, and an even stronger
challenge for Talia Lipkin-Connor who
has completed, Textiles, Graphics and
Critical and Contextual Studies to A2
level. Its therefore no surprise she has
received such a fantastic offer to study
at Central Saint Martins in London.
Well done to all the students for such
an excellent show.
Skipping Workshop
Preps 2, 3 and 4 enjoyed a visit from Skipping Workshops
who aim to promote skipping for fun and fitness.
By Kathryn Dakin
Each class had a lively session with
the skipping coach who advised on
how we could improve our techniques
and also amazed us with superb
demonstrations of his speed skipping.
Skippers of all abilities were
encouraged to improve their
performance and learn new skills.
We now know how to ski, hop-skotch,
double bounce and keep the kettle
boiling, just with a skipping rope!
Fifty excited children later went
on to have fun at an after school
skipping workshop. Although some
legs were a little tired the next day,
the smiles were wide.
People Matters
Grange School Pupils fundraise
for Research into Disabilities
Fifth Year pupils have raised a staggering £1,600
for the SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy) Trust.
By Rick Hibbert
The year group was inspired
to raise the money in support of
their classmate Millie Hawes, 15,
having witnessed how she deals
with the severe difficulties
associated with SMA, yet manages
to lead a relatively normal school
life, despite being in a wheelchair.
Having set an original target of
£1000 for the SMA Trust, the pupils
soon surpassed this with a series of
events and initiatives. Raffle prizes
ranging from free scuba diving
sessions to tickets to Blackpool
Pleasure Beach were donated from
parents and local companies.
The Grange Fifth Formers – led by
George Gilby, Luke Clarkson and
Henry Offer – then created and sold
tickets to their fellow students. This
and other activities culminated in
‘Millie’s Quiz Night’ just before the
start of the GCSE exam period. The
entire Fifth year and many of the
school staff attended with a dozen
teams comprising both staff and
pupils. The whole evening was a
terrific success and lighthearted fun
before the pupils had to knuckle
down to exam revision.
Speaking about the success of
the fundraising, Head of Year Rick
Hibbert, said:
Young Nature Writers
Excel in Competition
By Pippa Watson-Peck
Young writers from the
Grange Junior School have
had their work recognised
and published in Cheshire
Life magazine through their
annual Wildlife Writing
Competition.
Anusha Rao was the winner of
the 11 and over category with her
beautiful piece entitled ‘Marbury
Park’; Joanna Ravenscroft was
runner-up in the same category
with ‘Alderley Edge’.
In the 10 and under category,
Bree Livesey and Maisie Rowlinson
were joint runners-up with their
pieces entitled ‘Royal May Day on
Knutsford Heath’ and ‘Walton
Gardens’ respectively. Charlotte
Lloyd’s ‘Granny’s Hill Through the
Seasons’ scooped a ‘Highly
Commended’ accolade.
All of the pieces, published in the
May 2012 edition of Cheshire Life,
were beautifully written and
contained impassioned appeals that
these special corners of Cheshire
countryside should be protected
and cherished.
“In Marbury, the seasons come
alive - without it, every day would
seem like the last,” wrote Anusha
Rao in her winning entry.
“Everyone is very proud
of the 2012 Fifth Year.
They have shown
great creativity,
determination and a
sense of fun in raising
this tremendous total.
More importantly, they
have done it to help a
cause championed by
one of their fellow
class mates. It is typical
of the inclusiveness
and generosity we
expect of our pupils,
and they should all be
very proud of their
achievement.”
A tribute to
Fred Appleby
hardworking Governor for 34
years. He was instrumental both
in supporting the Senior School
through its earliest stages and
also in helping it to develop its
building programme over many
years. Mr Appleby is still the only
Governor to have received The
Day Cup for outstanding service
to the school, and still turned
up to as many concerts and
productions as he could at the
age of nearly 85. He will be very
greatly missed by many of us,
and all at The Grange owe him
a genuine debt of gratitude
for all that he gave to help the
school’s success.
By Christopher Jeffery
Many of us at school were
saddened to receive news
over Easter of the death of
Fred Appleby, a great
Grange figure.
Mr Appleby (whose four
children came to The Grange long
before it grew a Senior School)
was an immensely loyal and
6/7
People Matters // The Grange School Summer 2012 Newsletter
Fond Welcome
for Old Friends
By Tom Neilson
The annual Old Roburian’s
reunion barbeque was
bigger and better than
ever this year as over 150
of our former students
defied the less-thanbrilliant weather to join us
for an afternoon of good
natured sporting
competition, followed by
an evening filled with food,
music and happy nostalgia.
This year’s reunion celebrated
30 successful years of the Duke of
Edinburgh Award scheme at the
school and was therefore planned
to tie in with the Queen’s Diamond
Jubilee. The D of E scheme has
become such an important and
memorable part of the Grange
experience for so many students
that a more fitting theme for a
Roburian reunion could not be
imagined. Union Jack bunting and
balloons of red, white and blue
provided the backdrop for the fun
and festivities whilst the smell of a
hog roast tantalised taste buds.
So
Long…
Many of our guests had worked up
an appetite earlier in the day as
they enjoyed renewing rivalries
with staff on the football fields.
Leaver’s Day is always tinged
with sadness for the staff as the
young people that we have got to
know so well leave us to make
their way in the wider world; it is,
therefore, wonderful to be able
to welcome back so many of our
old students and treat them as
the special guests that they are.
Thanks must go to those who
worked so hard to make the
event such a success.
GSPA Dinner Dance
By Susan Scarr-Hall
The GSPA (Grange
School Parents
Association) Dinner
Dance was held in the
spectacular setting of
Vale Royal Abbey’s
Great Hall in June.
The baronial Great Hall
provided a wonderful
atmosphere; parents and friends
relaxed together, enjoying a
delicious meal and the chance to
dance the night away with a disco.
Our annual auction created
tension as bidders battled for
unique items, and we are most
grateful to all those parents and
businesses who generously
donated gifts for the raffle.
The added attraction of a
photo booth, allowing friends to
take away happy memories of
their evening, added an element
of fun. The Dinner Dance was a
sparkling success, and we look
forward to hosting further social
events in the Autumn Term.
To view more images
please visit www.grange.org.uk
By Christopher Jeffery
As ever, the end
of the school year
sees a number
of farewells to both
pupils and colleagues
who leave our
community for
new challenges.
This year the Senior School
has bid a fond farewell to two
colleagues. Mrs Pam Tideswell,
who takes a very well-earned
retirement after 23 years at The
Grange teaching French, and
acting as Assistant Exams officer;
just as significantly, she opens the
opportunity for Houses other
than Bollin to win the House
Shield, such has been her
effectiveness and success as
House Leader! Also, Mr Mat
Hughes emigrates to Australia
with his wife after four years in
the Biology Department and
terrific commitment to school
football and the D of E scheme.
From the Support Staff, we bid
farewell to Rachael Leaitherland,
our Legal Manager, who has been
an invaluable support to the
school’s leadserhsip team and
individual members of staff
since 2006.
Two colleagues leave us
temporarily for Maternity Leave
– Miss Nancy Beardsall is
expecting her second child and
Mrs Kate Osorio her first – and
we congratulate Mr Matt Lambert
in advance on his wedding to
fiancée Naomi in August.
Education
An Enriching
International Week
Pupils Inspired
on ‘Voyage to
the Planets’
By Harriet Ellery
The Junior School Sports Hall
was temporarily transformed
into a fully functioning
planetarium during the visit
of a representative from the
Science and Technology
Facilities Council.
During a fascinating talk, our
visitor pointed out the planets and
the stars and constellations that we
saw twinkling in the dark night sky
above our heads. The talk, entitled
‘A Voyage to the Planets’, was
organised to augment and enhance
a science topic called ‘Earth, Sun
and Moon.’
By John Land
Pupils in The Grange Junior
School enjoyed a wonderful
programme of enrichment
activities as part of May’s
International Week.
Pupils took part in a range of
activities aimed at increasing their
awareness of different cultures and
their place within the world. Events
included building tepees with canes
and blankets; orienteering and
remembering the latitude and
During the captivating talk the
children heard many interesting facts
from “if you shouted in space, even
if someone was right next to you,
they would not be able to hear you,”
to “if you attempted to count all the
stars in a galaxy at a rate of one
every second it would take around
3,000 years to count them all!”
longitude; making dream-catchers
and boomerangs; drumming to the
beat and much more.
Primary Youth
Speaks
One of the highlights of the
week was the Everest challenge; a
fun activity which saw pupils
competing against others from their
year group to carry the equipment
around the track in a relay for 45
laps (9000m), which is just a little
further than Everest is high.
By John Land
Junior School pupils from
Years 5 and 6 exhibited their
usual degree of enthusiasm
as they represented the
school in the Primary Youth
Speaks competition in June.
International Week was a new
venture this year and its success
can be judged by the happy, smiling
faces of excited children at the end
of each school day.
Prep 5 Visit Salt Museum
A Group of Prep 5 pupils went on an educational and interesting trip to the
Weaver Hall Museum and Workhouse (formerly the Salt Museum) in April.
By David Jackson
The museum helps pupils to
become more aware of the history
and industry of West Cheshire
through a number of films,
exhibitions and interactive activities.
After watching a short film on the
history of salt mining in the area,
pupils enjoyed making white, edible
salt from a mixture of salt, sand,
stones, mud and water.
“We were astonished at the
awful working conditions of the
miners and shocked to learn about
the houses sinking as salt was taken
from under them. When we got
back everyone was chatting about
what we had done and the best
bits; all in all we had a fantastic
day,” commented a Prep 5 pupil.
The Grange entered two teams,
one of whom presented on
‘Technology: A Force for Good,
or The Dark side?’, whilst the
other were given the title of simply
‘Poverty’.
After weeks of deciding what
they wanted to say and practicing
their delivery, the pupils were really
looking forward to the big day.
There were, understandably, a few
nerves, but, when the time came,
both teams spoke with eloquence
and real verve.
It was great fun to prepare
our speeches and take part.
All of the pupils represented
themselves and the school
excellently.
8/9
Education // The Grange School Summer 2012 Newsletter
Sixth Form Student Wins
Equine Science Award
Grange Sixth Form student, Hannah Birch, beat off competition
from undergraduate and postgraduate students to claim first prize
at an international veterinary research conference in Aintree.
By Heather Linnell
The ICEEP (International
Conference on Equine Exercise
Physiology) is dedicated to
advancing the “understanding of
the physiology, function and health
of athletic horses through
promotion of scientific research”.
It is unusual for a Sixth Form
student to be asked to present
their findings at the conference;
let alone to have their presentation
named as the conference’s best.
Hannah’s research project
assesses the possibility of adding
fibre to the diets of obesity prone
horses. Many leisure horses
suffer from obesity due to the
disruption of the grazing habits
that they would naturally exhibit
if allowed to roam free. The full
title of the research project is,
‘The effect of addition of fibre to
forage balancer on subsequent
haylage ration consumption rate
in obesity prone horses’.
“I’m still in a state of shock. To
win the overall first prize at such
a prestigious conference is
amazing,” said Hannah.
Hannah carried out her research
as part of her EPQ (Extended
Project Qualification) offered at
the Grange School. The EPQ is a
relatively new qualification that
allows students the freedom to
research a topic of their choice and
personalise their learning. This may
be an extension of a topic studied
at AS, a topic that spans the
different curriculum areas, or
something completely different.
www.iceep.org
Team Beast success in the Alan Turing
Centenary Cryptography Competition
By Catherine Hill
Four teams from The
Grange took part in the
nationwide Alan Turing
Centenary Cryptography
Competition for 11-16
year olds.
The competition set up in
celebration of Alan Turing’s
genius as code-breaker,
mathematician and father-figure
of computers, and, in recognition
of the fiendishly difficult
problems he solved, was anything
but easy. Taking place over three
months, it required a great deal
of persistence, patience and
willingness to think laterally.
Out of 605 teams who competed,
only 38 managed to solve
all the stages.
Many congratulations are
therefore due to Team Beast –
Lachlan Chavasse, John Nesbitt,
Blaise Hickson and Alex Goldie of
I BKM – who finished in 19th
place, an outstanding
achievement given that they
were one of the youngest teams
in the competition.
Rocket Science
By Hannah Yates
Fourth Year students
at the Senior School
enjoyed designing,
building and launching
their own solid fuel
rockets during an
enrichment day held in
support of their iGCSE
Physics course in June.
Space technology company,
Starchaser, touched down at the
school for the day and provided real
industry expertise. The day was
great fun and students benefitted
from seeing some of the principles
of physics being put into practice.
Despite adverse weather
conditions, students managed to
design and build rockets that
reached impressive heights before
deploying parachutes and floating
safely back down to Earth.
Music & Drama
Avonlea comes to The Grange
By David Jones
The Drama Department’s
summer production was ‘Anne
of Green Gables: The Musical’,
drawing its actors from First
to Fourth Years. It sets to
music the opening novel of
Lucy Montgomery’s much
loved ‘Anne’ series, depicting
the arrival at idyllic Avonlea
of orphaned Anne Shirley:
red-haired, feisty, talkative
– and romantic! The story
develops around Anne’s
impact upon the quiet village
community, following her
adoption by the elderly
Cuthberts.
This unashamedly heart-warming
tale featured a breathtaking set
constructed by Mr Edwards and Mr
Bamber, centred on a genuine,
two- storey Green Gables! With superb
period costumes and props, sensitive
lighting, and the lovely touch of white
picket fencing to enclose the orchestra,
we were transported to Prince Edward
Island in the years before the First
World War.
It always seems unfair to single out
individual performances but the bigger
injustice would be to omit a mention
of the principals. Steph Weaver
brilliantly captured the charm, vivacity
and independent spirit of Anne – with
an ‘e’ of course! Holly Gabathuler was
stunning as Marilla Cuthbert, and she
was superbly complemented by Sandy
Williams as her kindly husband
Matthew. Natasha Shanley played to
perfection Mrs Lynde, “one of those
capable creatures who can manage
their own concerns and those of other
folks into the bargain”. Kate Blayney
was delightful as innocent and
generous Diana; Jack Roberts excelled
as Gilbert Blythe – you just knew that
he and Anne were destined for each
other in a later story... eventually!
The other members of a
tremendous cast of 40 provided
strongly characterised support which
was bursting with energy. The
admirable orchestra accompanied
them with style and a fine sense of
balance. Congratulations go to: Mrs
Sunners as Director and Mr Millinchip
as Musical Director; the magnificent
young company; their superb
musicians, and to the outstanding
production team. Space does not,
unfortunately, permit reference to the
evening’s countless memorable
moments – both of comedy and
pathos. Suffice it to say that there were
a few tears in the eyes of the audience
at the end – mine very much included!
10 / 11
Music & Drama // The Grange School Summer 2012 Newsletter
Fierce competition
in Talent Show
By Matt Lambert
As ever, the Wednesday
night of Charities Week
provided an opportunity
for The Grange School to
show off its talents.
This year, for the first
time, the event was held
in the theatre, with the
technical expertise of Mr
Edwards and Mr Bamber
contributing to a truly
memorable night.
This year, the competition
was as fierce as ever. Lower Sixth
students Jack Williams and Phil
Jackson recreated the Frank
Sinatra/Sammy Davis Jr duet ‘Me
and My Shadow’; Patrick Jordan
and Stephen Szczepanek from the
Fifth Year played three different
songs in one go, whilst First Year
Will Prior caused a stir with his
beautiful version of ‘Talking to
the Moon’.
The runners-up, chosen by
judges, Mr Milne, Mr Madden and
Mrs Duke, were Sarah Roberts, who
sang Christina Aguilera’s ‘Beautiful’
and Duncan Lee for his version of
‘I Don’t Mind’. The eventual
winners, however, were four
Second Year girls – Charlotte
Briegal, Olivia Brougham, Georgia
Williams and Holly Gabathuler who
performed an exceptional a capella
version of ‘Candyman’.
The evening was presented,
organised and run entirely by
members of the Lower Sixth and
they deserve great credit for what
was, undoubtedly, one of the most
successful and well-received Talent
Shows that the school has seen.
We raised almost £2500 on this
one night alone; well done to all
involved!
Musical Treats
at Charity Concert
Students Inspired by
Theatre Trips
By Andrew Millinchip
By Fiona McRoberts, 7OL
The Grange’s
musicians delighted as
they worked their way
through a varied
programme of pieces
during their final
concert; raising nearly
£900 for a very good
cause in the process.
For many years the final concert
has been known as the Romania
Concert and has raised funds for
a charity working in a Romanian
children’s home. However, that
charity’s work is now drawing to a
close and we decided to transfer
our support to Dr Graham’s Homes,
a wonderful Indian school in the
foothills of the Himalayas where
former pupil Ben Millinchip taught
during his Gap Year.
During the concert Ben
spoke movingly about the
school and in particular
the current situation after
a serious earthquake
damaged many of the
buildings last Autumn.
Theatre trips become a part of life for the Sixth
Formers studying drama at The Grange. The final
one seems to creep up on you as you begin to
prepare for your exams.
The musical items ranged from
classics such as Match of the Day
from the Training Orchestra, Holst’s
Brook Green Suite from the String
Ensemble and Leonard Cohen’s
Hallelujah from Can Rob Seniors.
Hannah Fry, who is off to the
Royal Northern College of Music
next year, performed with the
orchestra her Grange ‘swan song’:
the Concertino for Clarinet and
Orchestra by Weber, not forgetting
her own ensemble, ‘Hannah’s
Saxophone Army’, a group of no
less than 16 saxes performing
Hawaii Five-O!
The concert provided an
opportunity to say goodbye to
our leavers and present them
with certificates and souvenir
programme books. A retiring
collection raised a very
impressive £878 for the Homes.
With the opportunity to see one of
the A2 texts, ‘Lady Windermere’s
Fan’ by Oscar Wilde, at the Royal
Exchange in Manchester, both the
Upper and Lower Sixth made this
final journey on 16th May.
As is the tradition, this final trip
includes a meal out for students and
teachers, with this year’s choice of
restaurant being Croma. The large,
noisy group of students were tucked
in the corner out of the way of other
restaurant goers. Conversation over
dinner reflected upon moments
from rehearsals and performances
from the previous years.
The play was enjoyable and
useful for the students preparing to
take the exam in a few weeks. At the
interval and end of the play we
shared our opinions and ideas about
the production in our typically
exuberant manner.
The Upper Sixth drama students
would like to take this opportunity to
thank the drama staff for organising
such an excellent and enriching
programme of theatre visits over the
duration of our AS and A2 course.
Music & Drama
AJIS Piano Festival
The Grange Junior School Music Department continues to develop new outlets for pupil
performance and has worked hard to create opportunities for gifted musicians to meet likeminded pupils to share a creative experience and push the boundaries of their performance.
By Liz Jones
In 2009, the Junior School held its first
AJIS Proms, which was an opportunity
for talented musicians to come
together, under the AJIS umbrella, to
form an orchestra for one day, finishing
with a ‘Last Night at the Proms’
showcase concert in the evening. This
proved to be very successful and was
repeated last year.
I felt it was now time to highlight
the many talented pianists, so from last
summer, set about arranging the
festival with the aid of Mrs Mandy
Shaw and guided by Mr Nicholas Oliver.
Mr Oliver is Joint Head of
Accompaniment at Chetham’s School
of Music in Manchester and is also
the parent of Toby in The Grange
Senior School.
Fifteen schools were able to
participate in the festival and The
Grange Junior School was represented
by Justin Chan and James Todd.
The children prepared solo
performance pieces and were given a
selection of piano duet parts relative to
their level of playing. This enabled
pupils to get to know each other,
have fun and learn how to play with
sympathy for another part.
The children broke the ice as
soon as they arrived, as Mr Oliver
opened the afternoon with some
fun musical games. They were then
introduced to their partners and
practise began.
By the end of the afternoon,
Mr Oliver had given every child the
opportunity to have a mini master
class for their solo performance and
was able to really enhance each
individual performance with many
encouraging comments and helpful
tips. After a short Piano quiz, the
pupils exited the theatre and
enjoyed a well-deserved tea break
in the Dining Hall.
The pupils changed into their
best concert clothes and prepared
to stun their audience in the
evening performance.
Mr Oliver had arranged for a
guest soloist, Callum McLachlan,
to come to inspire these wonderful
pupils to strive for even greater
heights. Callum is a pupil at
Chetham’s and was born in
Stockport in 1999. He started taking
piano lessons at the age of six and has
since performed in many festivals,
passing grade 8 before entering
Chetham’s in 2010. Last year, he won
second prize in the junior division of
the Chetham’s Yamaha competition
and was chosen to play the lead in a
short film called ‘Vibration’. In it he
plays the part of Alex, a deaf prodigy
pianist who struggles to overcome
concert anxiety.
Callum thrilled his audience with
two outstanding performances. He
played ‘Prelude and Fugue in B Flat
Book 1’ by Bach and ‘Rondo Brilliante’
by Weber.
It was a pleasure to host such a
wonderful event and all of the pupils
were a credit to their schools. They left
having established new friendships
and hopefully determined to build on
their already glowing successes.
The school has established strong
links with Chetham’s and we really
appreciated the considerable time and
effort, given so freely, by Mr Oliver.
“It was a
pleasure to
host such a
wonderful event;
all of the pupils
were a credit to
their schools.
They left having
established
new friendships
and hopefully
determined to
build on their
already glowing
successes.”
12 / 13
Music & Drama // The Grange School Summer 2012 Newsletter
Alderley Edge Festival
of Drama and Speech
The principles of the Alderley Edge Festival are
‘Enthusiasm – Enjoyment – Encouragement!’
Bearing this in mind, we decided that it would
be the perfect venue for our talented and keen
Drama and Speech students to showcase a
variety of their skills.
By Katy Tomlin
The festival took place on
Saturday 12th May, in and around
the Alderley Edge School for Girls.
Approximately 80 of our most
committed and eager Drama and
Speech students performed in a
variety of classes such as Verse
Speaking, Sight Reading, Solo and
Duologue Drama and Shakespeare.
As well as the students having the
opportunity to perform, they also
benefitted greatly from watching
other performers and gained
valuable feedback from the
adjudicators.
Classes contained up to around
15 competitors, therefore it was
no easy feat to obtain 1st, 2nd or
3rd place. However, as you can see
from the results, our students rose
to the challenge! Of course, we are
very proud of all the students who
made the effort to attend and look
forward to seeing an even larger
cohort of Grange School students
next year.
One adjudicator was so
impressed with Scarlet Peck and
Alice Maxwell-Reid’s duologue
piece taken from The Wizard of
Oz that they were asked to
perform in the festival’s showcase
performance that evening.
Well done and thank you to
all the students who took part; you
represented The Grange superbly!
Senior Results
Junior Results
Circle Sight Reading
Year 7 and 8
George Hull – 1st place
Haydn Cawley – 2nd place
Solo Drama Year 7 and 8
Fisayo Williamson-Taylor
– 2nd place
Thomas Swallow – 3rd place
Verse Reading Year 7 and 8
Grace McKenna – 1st place
Thomas Swallow – 2nd place
Annika Ormerod – 3rd place
Duologue Performers
Year 7 and 8
Ellie Matthews and
Kirsty Nolan – 1st place
Angus Ewing and
James Hamer – 2nd place
Shakespeare Solo Year 8 – 10
Annika Ormerod – 2nd place
Solo Drama year 10 – 11
Marie-Elise Worswick
– 3rd place
Duologue Year 4 and Under
Scarlet Peck and Alice
Maxwell-Reid – 1st place
Jasper Ure and
Liam Mccleery – 1st place
James Jones and
Henry Joliffe – 2nd place
Ella Browne and
Mia Gifford – 3rd place
Sophie Jones and
Harriet Lawrence – 3rd place
Duologue Year 5 and 6
Neve Bradshaw and
Emily Hill – 2nd place
Sight Reading Open
Bree Livesey – 1st place
Carys Cummins – 3rd place
Verse Speaking Year 6
Jodie Sale – 2nd place
Aemilia Cooper – 3rd place
Verse Speaking Year 5
Abigail Higgs – 3rd place
Solo Drama Year 6
Jodie Sale – 1st place
Olympics Special
The Grange Olympic Summer Fete
In true Grange spirit, the inclement weather could not stop hundreds of
eager children, parents, staff and friends rallying together to create an
afternoon of fun, skill challenges and treats!
By Susan Scarr-Hall
opportunity to relax and chat to
friends; smiles and happy voices
were in abundance.
Children flocked to ‘zorb’ –
rolling around the Gym inside giant
plastic balls; families enjoyed the
circus skills displays and had a go at
plate-spinning and juggling. Offering
a tasty barbecue, cakes, ice-cream
and strawberries, we tried to
create a little bit of summer! The
refreshments tent provided the
The opportunity to use the
excellent facilities of the Junior
School, in particular the new Sports
Hall, was much appreciated by the
Parents’ Association. What seemed
like a truly Olympic feat – moving
the stalls and attractions inside –
in fact created a super, lively
atmosphere, which was clearly
enjoyed by all. We are delighted to
be able to announce that, in spite
of the weather, we have raised in
excess of £3,500 to benefit the
school. Sincere thanks to Mr Adrian
Jeffery for all his support with the
mechanics of organizing the Fete,
and to all members of the school
family who worked together to
pull off such a memorable and
successful day.
We were delighted to have
Sharky join us from Sale Sharks
to open the fete; Sharky then
proceeded to have a go at some
of the varied activity challenges
devised by children in Preps 3 to 6!
Supported by their Form Teachers,
the pupils ably managed their stalls,
interacting and exhibiting skills
which would surely make Sir Alan
Sugar smile! Their efforts are much
appreciated.
Olympic Art at
Junior School
By Tarma Richardson
Visitors to the Junior School may have noticed
some large sporting figures decorating the outside
railings of the school during the summer term;
the colourful display is the result of a Prep 5
Olympic-themed Art project.
After exploring the history of
the Olympic Games, pupils took
photographs of themselves in
various sporting poses, and
researched sporting silhouettes on
the Internet. The next stage was to
find and print copies of the flags of
all the countries taking part in this
year’s games; this proved to be a
real challenge as there are well
over two hundred.
Pupils then worked in teams on
each figure, drawing out the flags
onto 19 sporting figures which had
been cut out from MDF.
The most fun was had during the
actual painting of the figures, with
a very messy Art room and very
messy pupils! The final stage
involved Prep 6 pupils helping out
and varnishing all the figures to
protect them against our British
‘summer’.
The Olympic figures were
hung up on the school railings,
just in time for the Junior School’s
‘International Week’ and the much
anticipated visit of The Grange
School’s very own Olympic torch
bearer, George Blackshaw.
14 / 15
Olympics Special // The Grange School Summer 2012 Newsletter
Inspirational Grange
Students Light the Way
By Pippa Watson-Peck
The Olympic flame zigzaged
its way around the UK,
carrying its message of
hope and inspiration,
and heralding the coming
of the ‘world’s greatest
show’; but an inspirational
message needs
inspirational messengers.
George Blackshaw, 13, and Charlie
Witter, 17, were chosen to help
spread the Olympic message as torch
bearers for the flame. Both the boys
were chosen to carry the flame due
to their personal stories of triumph
through adversity.
George, who carried the flame
through Knutsford, is a double
amputee who lost half his arm and
half his leg in an accident as a child.
Leg prosthesis has allowed him to
develop into an extremely talented
sportsman, playing football for the
school and Cheshire’s Disability
Development Squad. He never
allows his disability to hold him
back and he is an example of what
can be achieved.
Sixth Form student, Charlie,
carried the flame through Shrewsbury.
Charlie was diagnosed and treated
for a brain tumour during his GCSE
exams; unwilling to let his illness
get the better of him, he achieved
6 A*s and 3 As. Charlie has set up a
fundraising account for the hospital
and is helping to promote the
Mersey Moonwalk.
Travel
France
Coniston
Haworth
Some of our
adventures from
the past half term
France
Poignant trips to First
World War battlefields
and museums were
balanced out with lighter
trips to cheese farms and
aquariums as 72 children
from Preps 5 and 6 were
immersed in history,
language and culture on
a thought-provoking
and stimulating trip to
France in June.
After a visit to the Nausicaa
sea-life centre in Boulogne, the
travelling party arrived at their
base, the magnificent Chateau
de Chantereine in Criel-sur-Mer,
near Dieppe in Normandy, on
the Friday afternoon.
On Saturday they had a guided
walking tour of Rouen, the historic
capital of Normandy, taking in the
magnificent Cathedral, Notre Dame,
and the memorial to Joan of Arc’s
execution. Later on in the afternoon,
they called in at the Neufchatel
cheese farm and learned how the
cheese was made, the whole
demonstration conducted entirely
in French.
Sunday was the most poignant
time for all. It included a visit to the
Somme Trench Museum in Albert,
situated in a maze of tunnels
beneath the town, re-creating life in
the trenches; an emotional visit to
the Cemetery for the 9th Devonshire
Regiment; and the Lochnager Crater
which was made when 60,000lbs of
explosives were detonated on 1st
July, 1916.
The pupils also had the chance to
sample French food including frogs’
legs and snails, and were allowed to
let their hair down with a disco and
mini Olympics.
16 / 17
Sport
Music Trip
In June, 47 members of
Cantores Roborienses
Juniors, our Year 7 to 9
selective choir, visited
Haworth for a weekend
of music-making. The
choir stayed in the
palatial surroundings of
YHA Haworth, which
afforded great rehearsal
spaces, recreational
facilities and (most
importantly) food!
During a series of singing
workshops the choir was put
through its paces by Music Captain
Hannah Fry in a series of energetic
warm-up exercises, and then
challenged by the task of presenting
a performance of ‘Captain Noah and
his Floating Zoo’, which seemed
particularly appropriate given the
torrential rain through which we
travelled to Yorkshire. On the
Saturday afternoon, we visited the
Brontë Parsonage in Haworth,
where the choir learnt all about the
talented family through visiting the
house and the village and
participating in drama workshops
based on the first few chapters of
Jane Eyre.
Coniston
The children of Prep 4
relished the freedom of
the great outdoors
during a fun and
adventure-filled trip to
Coniston Water in the
Lake District this May.
Activities, all of which were
expertly lead by the centre’s
instructors, included canoeing,
orienteering, climbing and gorge
walking.
“Although we were away from
home, we wish we could do it all
again. The activities were tiring but
great fun, we loved the instructors
and the food was good. We really
enjoyed our weekend in Coniston
and will remember it for the rest of
our lives!” said Alice Norman and
Emma Scarr Hall.
“Our highlights were: jumping
off a jetty after canoeing, jumping
off a cliff into water, and escaping
from a ‘human shark’! The worst
part of the whole weekend was
going home!” continued the girls.
“Saturday
evening’s talent
show was
fast-paced and
high-octane
and the winners,
the Third Years
singing Don’t
Stop Believin’,
performed their
winning song
at the concert
for parents on
our return.”
The parents were also treated
to a complete performance of
‘Captain Noah’ (giving Mr Madden
a chance to play God again) and
Amelia Shackleton masterminded
a series of presentations including
a custom-sprayed music stand
they had made for Mr Millinchip.
A great weekend was had by all.
To view the full gallery of images
please visit www.grange.org.uk
County
Minors
By Helen Lawson
The school took 15 athletes who had been selected for
Mid-Cheshire because of their excellent performances in
the area competition. The standard in these championships
is always very high so just to be selected is a great
achievement, but to gain a top ten place is outstanding
and the every one of our athletes managed to do this!
10th Alice Gerard 9th Charlotte Oglesby
5th Alex Bentley
3rd Claudia Baillie * Charlotte Hart * Matt Walsh *
2nd Rachael Ozsanlav-Harris * Harry Craven *
800m
1500m
High jump
Hurdles
High jump
Javelin
Shot
Javelin
The following became COUNTY CHAMPIONS!
Fisayo Williamson-Taylor * 100m and Relay
Matt Bate * Hurdles and Relay
Alasdair Higgs
Relay
Felix Pearson
Relay
Lissy Millington * Javelin and Relay
Olivia Chadwick Relay
Hannah Jones Relay
Claudia Baillie Relay
For the first time ever in this age group, Cheshire rewarded the top
three athletes in each event (other than the relay) by selecting them for
an inter counties match against Merseyside on 2nd July at Ellesmere Port.
This meant that the eight athletes with a * after their name were
selected for the county, a wonderful effort!
First team footballers to
welcome Eton College!!
By Neil Cufi
The U18 football team
have been drawn in
the first round of the
Independent Schools
Football Cup against
Eton College.
The match is to be played at
home on Thursday 27th September
2012 with a 2.00pm kick off. I am
sure the boys would appreciate any
support on the day from anybody
within The Grange community.
Sport
Athletics Report – Summer Term
By Tom Tindale
May and June
proved to be busy
and successful
months for The
Grange athletics
teams, with the
school being ably
represented in a
number of
competitions and
providing a host of
county champions.
We took over 45 athletes to the
NISA Athletics Championships in
June which featured athletes from
schools all over the North of
England. There were some excellent
individual and team performances
and special mentions must go to
Lissy Millington who broke the
championship record for the
Pre-junior girls javelin, Harry Lord
who was awarded the Phillip Green
Memorial Trophy for the
outstanding male athlete of the
championships, winning the Junior
boys javelin, hurdles and long jump
and Fisayo Williamson-Taylor who
won the 100m, 200m, long jump
and relay. We would have made a
clean sweep of all the team
competitions but the Pre-junior
girls were disqualified from first
place in the relay and lost double
points as a consequence.
The County Athletics
Championships that took place in
Macclesfield saw students from
Junior to Senior level competing
against the best from the county.
The Grange provided 15 members
of the Mid-Cheshire team with
James Webster (Senior 400m
hurdles), Will Semple (Inter Long
Jump), Katie Gerrard (Inter 1500m)
and Harry Lord (Junior Javelin) all
winning their events to become
County Champions!
Our Year 1 pupils competed
in the Mid-Cheshire Minor’s
Championship at Leftwich High
School and came away with the
Girls’ team as champions and the
Boys’ as runners up. This is always
an exciting competition with many
students representing the school
for the first time.
Finally, in the ESAA
Championships in May, a team of
Third and Fourth Year students
competed admirably, producing
many fine individual performances,
despite a number of injuries and
late withdrawals from the squad.
Callum Represents
England in Skiing Event
By Pippa Watson-Peck
Callum Begg of 3NC was the fastest English boy in
the Alpine skiing discipline at the recent
International Schools Sports Federation (ISF)
event in Gressoney, Italy.
Callum was selected to
represent England in the
international competition which
is a mixture of winter sports
competitions and cultural
exchanges between students from
the participating countries, running
along the lines of a mini Olympics.
He achieved a very credible 19th
position overall against world class
racers from over 18 countries
including the traditional alpine
nations. The England boy’s team
managed an 8th position which is
no mean feat for a ‘Lowland’
country.
It was a great experience which
Callum hopes to repeat in 2014 at
the next winter sports ISF.
Grange Plays Host to
Cambridge Rowers
By Graham Jump
Grange pupils
benefitted recently as
the school hosted a four
day training camp for a
squad of Cambridge
University rowers.
Grange pupils trained alongside
the University rowers and also
benefitted as the squad delivered a
talk on life at Cambridge and advice
on university applications.
The squad from Murray Edwards
College benefitted from working
with some of the school’s coaches
with Lower Boats captain Mollie
Jones commenting that she felt all
of the squad had “improved our
technique massively.” The training
camp culminated in a race at the
Northwich Spring Head in which the
Murray Edwards team put their
improved technique into action.
“The weather was kind and we wish
them well for the rest of their racing
season,” said Graham Jump, head
rowing coach at The Grange.
18 / 19
Sport // The Grange School Summer 2012 Newsletter
Junior School Shines
at Athletics Competition
By Hef Jones
The Grange Junior School had an excellent day at the ISA (North)
Athletics Championships at Robyn Park, Wigan in June.
There were some fine individual
performances with many children
finishing 1st, 2nd or 3rd. Highlights
on the track included Decklan
Hodson finishing first in the Year 3
60m, Harriet Hill winning the Year 6
80m, and Joanna Ravenscroft
coming first in the Year 6 150m.
In the field events, Francesca
Bentley was first in the Year 6
rounders ball throwing, Bree Livesey
won the Year 6 long jump and
Kindergarten
Skiers Melt
the Chill
Overall, The Grange finished
first in five out of the eight team
competitions.
“This is an amazing achievement.
We are very proud of all our pupils
both as individuals and as team
members. Congratulations!” said
Mr Bennett, Head Master of the
Junior School.
Grange Shines in
Rugby Tournaments
Mini-skiers, Archie PriceSiddiqui, Luke Proctor, Ella
Stephens and Charlie Stephens
benefit from expert instruction
whilst practicing their slalom skiing,
racing against the clock, and
generally having fun on the slopes.
Whilst these future stars of
the slopes certainly benefit from
learning new skills and being active,
the emphasis for the Kindergarten
ski team is on fun and enjoyment.
All of the children agree that they
love skiing and intend to carry
on in the future.
By Paul Grattage
The Grange rugby players
have been showing that they
are a force to be reckoned
with in tournaments across
the age groups and in
different forms of the game.
The U12 team are proving to be
a talented and dominant group.
At the recent North West finals the
team demonstrated the ability to
score against all opposition and
was fierce in defence, resulting in
no tries conceded. Their attitude
and commitment helped them to
win the tournament and become
Northwest Champions.
The U16 7’s team recently took
part in the Cheshire 7’s
tournament. A lack of preparation
was counteracted with 100% effort
By Ben Madden
On Sunday 29th April,
after a gruelling
4 hours 51 minutes
battling the rain, wind
and cold, I dragged
myself – drenched and
exhausted – across
the finish line of the
Greater Manchester
Marathon.
Jensen Weir won the Year 5 cricket
ball throwing.
By Pippa Watson-Peck
At The Grange we feel it’s
never too early to start being
active and learning new skills.
As such, the Kindergarten ski
team have been practicing
their skills at Manchester’s
Chill Factor-e and the Runcorn dry ski slope.
Mr Madden’s
Manchester
Marathon
Madness
and team spirit on the day. Wins
against Bramall, Kings Macc and
Wilmslow took the team to the
‘Plate Final’ where the last act of
the game saw The Grange have a
try controversially disallowed.
Runners-up in the Plate Final is a
tremendous achievement for
the team and has established
The Grange as a school that can
compete at the highest level.
Finally, our U18 senior players
took part in the recent Senior Vale
Royal 10’s competition. Four wins
including those against Fallibroome
and Christleton saw the team win
their group and progress to the final
against Neston where they won
20-7 becoming the area champions.
The team displayed an excellent
attitude with some fine quality
rugby played; the team were well
deserved winners.
I’m writing this short piece
firstly as a way of saying a huge
thank you to so many in our
school community for their
generous sponsorship, and
secondly to record my thanks and
admiration for the members of
Form IBKM who, between them,
organised a fundraising campaign
that has raised £650 for this
year’s School Charities.
“It was a great
motivation to know
before the race
that I was doing it
all for a cause
much bigger than
my own personal
goal of completing
the event.”
This was my first marathon;
I’ve (foolishly?) already signed up
for next year’s!
Grange School Charities 2012:
> The SMA Trust
> Charlie’s Wish
> Association of Young People
with ME (AYME)
> Project Gambia
20
Sport
Indoor Rowing
By Stephen Bennett
This year’s indoor rowing teams once
again competed well in the Concept 2
Indoor Rowing League.
Rohan Swings National
to Success
Schools’
Rowing
By Tom Neilson
Regatta
Rohan Laing, a Second Year
pupil at The Grange, had
considerable Golfing success
in June. In a weekend of
competitive golf, Rohan
beat off competition from 85
members of Delamere golf
club to win the Delamere
Centenary Trophy; he then
followed up his success by
winning the Junior Stableford
competition the following day.
The Centenary Trophy is the
Delamere club’s major annual
competition, so to win it carries a
certain amount of prestige. As such,
Rohan will be presented with an
engraved trophy at an awards
ceremony in December. His name
will also appear in gold letters on
the Centenary Board at the club.
In particular, the Girls 4’s
League, with 71 teams competing
from all over the country, provided
the platform for ‘The Grange
Gazelles’ team to shine. Libby
Prescott, Annabel Matthews,
Elizabeth Lord and Joanna
Ravenscroft performed consistently
well over the six events to take the
Silver Medal overall.
Many congratulations to the
girls who really put everything into
each event and a huge vote of
thanks to the Sixth Form rowers
who gave up their lunchtimes to
come down to the Junior School
and coach our young rowers.
Rohan only started to play golf
in April 2011 and at the time was
given a handicap of 38. He has
improved considerably in the last
year and is now a regular member
of the Delamere junior team. He
won his first medal competition
earlier this year, qualifying for the
Queen Elizabeth II competition in
September. Remarkably, his
handicap now stands at just 12.
“I feel like I’ve made good
progress in a short amount of time,”
said Rohan. “I’m now working to
reduce my handicap to 8 next year.”
Stop Press! Stop Press! Stop Press! Stop Press!
By Graham Jump
Rowing star, Emily Ford,
has taken the Junior singles
title at the Women’s Henley
Regatta on 17th June. After
powering her way through
the rounds, she produced a
very mature performance in
her final to win by a clear
four lengths. Meanwhile,
former Grange Rowing Club
Contact
The Grange Senior School
Bradburns Lane, Hartford
Cheshire, CW8 1LU
T 01606 74007
F 01606 784581
E office@grange.org.uk
captain, Kat Heine,
emerged victorious from
the ‘Academic Eights’
competition as part of the
Cardiff University squad.
Mrs Hackett adds: “It was a
great privilege for me to be
able to umpire Emily’s final
race and see the school’s
first ever win at this the
most prestigious regatta for
women in the country”.
The Grange Junior School
Beechwood Avenue, Hartford
Cheshire, CW8 3AU
By Graham Jump
The Grange School sent
its largest ever squad to
compete in the National
Schools’ Regatta in May
this year. That squad
showed their depth of
quality and consistency
of performance, with 10
of our 12 crews making
the semi-finals and four
of those winning through
to compete in the finals
for their events.
Highlights included our boys’ J15
A and B quads that both picked up
Bronze medals; and our girls’ J15
quad that, despite huge effort and an
excellent attitude, missed out on a
place in the final by the most slnder
of margins after a dramatic race.
The J15 ‘eight’ displayed
excellent conduct and performance
and will come back stronger for the
performance; Emily Ford made it to
the final in her solo event but
appeared to have her ‘final’ in the
semi; and Scott Ozsanlav-Harris
came up against a particularly
strong field in his semi. On the
Friday both the boys’ J14 and girls’
J15 doubles were whisker away
from their finals.
The standard of junior rowing in
the UK seems to improve with every
passing year, a perception that was
borne out during this regatta with
over thirty records being broken
over the weekend. One of the
records broken belonged to former
Grange students Ed and John Ford
who set the benchmark in the J15
x2 until this year.
Further events of life
at The Grange can be
found on our website:
www.grange.org.uk
T 01606 77447
F 01606 784581
E prep@grange.org.uk