For All The School Community . Pupils . Staff . Parents . Old Birkonians . Friends . Visitors

We are proud to say, BS is the ONLY school on the Wirral to qualify for the BBC’s list of the top 227 schools where more than 25% of students achieved at least grades AAB in ‘facilitating subjects’ – those needed for entrance to the competitive Russell Group universities. In fact 29% of Birkenhead School students reached this threshold.

Government Tables (A Level)

published Thursday 24th January 2013

A-level grade A* scores 300 points, A = 270, B = 240, C = 210, D = 180, E = 150.

Schools are also ranked by the average points score per entry. This indicates the quality of performance.

Again, one examination graded A* scores 300 points and so on.

*For the first time this year, the tables also include the number of students who gain good grades – at

least two As and a B – in so-called "facilitating subjects". These are subjects that are commonly seen as a

route into leading Russell Group universities. This is shown in the final column.

The measure reflects achievement in Maths and Further Maths, English Literature, Physics, Biology,

Chemistry, Geography, History and Modern and Classical Languages.

School names

Number

of

students

Av point

per

exam

entry

Av total

points per

student

*Percentage

achieving at least

AAB in "academic

A levels"

Birkenhead School 42 237.4 828.2 29%

Wirral Grammar School for

Girls 145 233.8 1054.5 23%

West Kirby Grammar School 164 235.8 1064.9 21%

Birkenhead High School

Academy 66 224.3 823.6 17%

Wirral Grammar School for

Boys 128 223.4 1084 16%

Calday Grange Grammar

School 236 212.8 958.1 14%

Pensby High School for Boys 34 199.1 604.8 13%

St Anselm's College 78 198.1 827.5 13%

Upton Hall School FCJ 96 219.6 967.9 9%

Birkenhead Sixth Form

College 355 203.9 719.4 1%

Well done indeed to the U15 Girls’ Lacrosse team who

won the North of England finals in February, and took

part in the National Championships in London earlier

this month. Unfortunately, though they won all their first

round games, they lost out in the knock-out round of the

competition. Full report in the next issue.

Art - pgs 22,23

Dreaming spires? - p4

HAC - pgs 10,11

Drama - pgs 9, 17

In Focus March 2013 Page 2

This year two Lower Sixth students attended a five-week series of

Nuclear Physics master classes at Liverpool University. Kevin Wong

and Thomas Finch worked on a series of degree level experiments

and attended university lectures. They also worked with Sixth Form

students from other schools to produce a piece of display work

communicating their research into aspects of nuclear physics.

This is the second year that students from Birkenhead School have

attended these master classes. Last year Harry McGee attended the

nuclear physics master classes and scooped second prize for his

work on using nuclear physics in security detectors.

Later on this year Lower 6th Physics students will attend a day of

lectures on Particle Physics at Liverpool University and will take part

in a two-day visit to the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in

Switzerland.

P Webster, Head of Physics

WIRRAL’S unsung heroes were in the spotlight at the end of

last year when their hard work was recognised at the first-ever

Wirral's Golden Globes Awards ceremony

held at the Floral Pavilion, New Brighton.

There were many categories but awarded ‘Young Hero of the

Year’ was Oscar Ratnaike in the Upper Sixth. He has stood by

and helped to care for his brother, Alex, who has severe and

complex medical problems.

Oscar walked alongside Alex when the latter was selected to

carry to the Paralympic Torch (featured in the last edition of IF)

and has also raised cash for Claire House where his brother

attends.

Oscar said: “I am so humbled to be here tonight. Loving and

caring for my brother isn’t a hobby or a job – it’s just a way of

life, whether he can walk or not.”

Several local celebrities turned out to pay tribute to all of

Wirral’s ‘heroes’. They included Great British Bake-Off TV star

Paul Hollywood, comedian Stan Boardman, singer Steve

McFarlane, renowned journalist and poet Peter Grant and

Radio Merseyside story-teller/musician Cath Roberts. Former

Brookside actress Suzanne Collins, country singer Charlie

Landsborough and celebrity blogger and star of Desperate

Scouse wives Jaiden Michael also presented awards. Frankie

Goes to Hollywood guitarist/singer Brian “Nasher” Nash

brought the ceremony to a thundering close with his powerful

solo rendition of the band’s 1984 number-one smash hit The

Power of Love. Radio Merseyside presenter Roger Lyon hosted

the event.

In Claire House t-shirts: In the chair Alex, standing

behind Alex, Oscar (R) and their father (centre)

Below l to r: Tom Finch, Harry McGee and Kevin Wong

In Focus March 2013 Page 3

We went to visit new Director of

Music, Mr Philip Robinson, to ask

him a few questions about both

himself and his hopes for the

future of the Music department

here at Birkenhead School. Having

spent the past three and a half

yea r s revo lu t ion i s in g the

department at The King’s School, Chester, he has now ventured

north, to the Wirral, with his wife Krista (also a Music teacher)

and seven month old son Hugo.

With responsibility for Music across the whole school, he hopes

to see existing groups continue to flourish and also give all

students in both Prep and Senior Schools as many opportunities as

possible to make music during their school careers. He decided

that Birkenhead was the place for him as soon as he felt the

school’s friendly and warm atmosphere and saw the great

opportunities that could be developed over time, in the Music

School, the Chapel and in the wider school community.

He has an incredible passion for music and performing, with his

main instruments being the piano and French horn. He would love

to share this passion with as many people as possible as he

believes music is something to be shared with and cherished by all.

He says music is his life beyond his family, but he also loves to

watch (and occasionally play) cricket, although unsurprisingly most

of his free time is now spent with Krista and baby Hugo. His

favourite composer (when forced to choose) is J. S. Bach, however

we couldn’t convince him to pick a favourite piece of music.

Despite this, when asked about his favourite musical, he answered

immediately: ‘Les Misérables’ – which he is massively keen to

produce as one of the first whole school musicals we have seen

here for several years. All we can say is: bring on 2014, Les Mis is

coming!

Hannah Triggs, Rebecca Davies,

Katie Laing and Amy Naylor, L6th

Mark Turner is the new

Bursar at Birkenhead

School. He shadowed

Clive Button, the former

Bursar in December, but

is now officially in office.

Mark grew up in Leicester

and went to Magdalen

College, Oxford, where

he studied Law. During

his time in college, he

played volleyball for East

Midlands, korfball (google

it!), squash, was the only

goalkeeper for the college

(3 teams), the cricket captain and the Christian Union leader. As

you can see Mark thoroughly enjoyed his time at university.

During his undergraduate days at Oxford, he spent two months

gaining work experience with the West Mercia Constabulary.

After leaving university, Mark decided to join the police service

with West Mercia (starting as a constable in Worcester). He

gained a place on the national accelerated promotion scheme

whereby, if he continued to perform well, he would gain

promotion to Sergeant and then Inspector. He continued to

perform and prosper and, at the age of just 34 he was promoted

to Chief Superintendant and ran policing across Herefordshire. He

is proud of the work he did to ensure the community felt safe and

to ensure that his police staff and officers felt valued whilst often

undertaking what might otherwise be thankless tasks.

Mark has kept up his passion for sport and at the age of 40 scored

his first ever century in cricket - then qualified as an umpire. He is

looking forward to the cricket season at Birkenhead School,

especially due to the view of School Field from his office. At the

moment he enjoys playing squash with Mr Edmunds and Mr Rule

most weeks.

Mark is an active Christian and applied for the job at Birkenhead

School because he feels that he had a vocation to change career

path to his current role. He had never before visited the area and

is currently living away from his family who still reside in Hereford,

but he is very much looking forward to them moving here later in

the year. Meanwhile, he is currently travelling down to be with

them at weekends. He said that he hopes they will be settled in by

the start of the summer, and his son David will be starting in the

Prep as well.

Mark is very proud of getting the job here at Birkenhead School,

but he understandably feels that his proudest achievement of all

time is being a husband and father to the best of his ability

Jordan Hart and Tom Green, Year 11

About the Bursar - did you know? … Mark has a number of gaming consoles, and enjoys playing his

Playstation 3 the most (his favourite game is Assassins Creed II). Mark

doesn’t have enough time to get into the online world of gaming, so

don’t start trying to search for his name on Xbox Live or Playstation as

you won’t get a chance to challenge him.

If Mark were on a desert island, alongside the Bible and the works of

Shakespeare, he would like to take his Play Station 3 set up, the book

‘Les Misérables’ and a kite. He has a passion for pinball machines and

in its prime, his collection had a grand total of 5 machines. At the

moment, however, he has only 2. Unlike his predecessor, Mark has no

real preference over cars... as long as they’re big enough to fit a pinball

machine in! His favourite dish is Toad in the Hole. Mr Robinson in a Chapel Choir rehearsal

In Focus March 2013 Page 4

I became interested in applying to The Queen’s College after

attending the Eton Choral Course over the summer that was held

there. I loved the atmosphere of the college and I was attracted by

the Oxford choral tradition. On the Choral Course we sang Howell’s

“St. Paul’s” service in the chapel. The power that the choir produced

made me feel that being part of the musical community in Oxford

would be an incredibly valuable experience.

I was interviewed twice at Queen’s and I also had an interview at

Merton College. The interviews were very intense, and all left me

unsure about whether I had been successful. The students at Queen’s

made me feel very welcome and were very helpful in answering any

questions I had. I also had a music faculty interview in which I

performed a piano piece. I stayed in Oxford for four days, and the

fact that the interviews were very spread out gave me the

opportunity to explore Oxford and parts of the College that I hadn’t

previously seen. The highlight of my experience was coming across

the upper library in Queen’s, which I had never seen before. The

serene atmosphere of this part of the College containing thousands

of ancient volumes really attracted me. I was able to do some work

in this part of the library while I was in Queen’s, which provided a

relief from the stress of the interviews.

Overall, I found applying to Oxford quite stressful as when you are

trying to relax in the college you get the impression that everyone is

constantly assessing you, even outside of interviews. Although the

experience was incredibly testing, studying at an institution such as

Oxford would be a very valuable experience.

Marco Galvani

After what seemed like an age of looking at university courses,

writing and re-writing my personal statement (helped along the way

by a lot of Mr Lindberg’s ‘constructive criticism’) and doing

admissions tests, I finally heard in early December that I had been

invited for an interview at Oxford. I had found it difficult to choose a

college – they all seemed to say they had high academic standards,

good facilities and that I would have a great time there – but

eventually settled on Hertford, applying to study Engineering. The

interview process was challenging but at the same time enjoyable. For

my first interview, at Hertford, the atmosphere was friendly: we sat

on sofas around a fire. The second, at St Peter’s College, was entirely

different – I was given a chair behind a desk in a bare room, sitting

opposite two very serious looking academics.

I was a bit surprised that I was asked barely anything about my

personal statement in either interview. They seemed to be much

more interested in whether I could solve maths and physics

problems, and I came out of the interview unsure of whether I had

impressed or not.

I was delighted to hear in early January that Hertford had made me

an offer of A*AA. Having looked round properly at the time of the

interview, it appeared to be exactly the type of college I wanted - not

too formal, close to the centre of Oxford, cheap bar... The whole

process was long, drawn-out and at times stressful, but definitely

worth it. For anyone thinking about applying to Oxford or

Cambridge, my advice would be to just go for it – there’s no reason

not to.

Harry Sturgess

Harry, Marco and Matthew all have offers and to secure

their place will need A Level grades of A*AA, AAA and

A*AA respectively.

L to R: Harry Sturgess, Matthew Rogers

and Marco Galvani

I was first attracted to Cambridge University after being

captivated by the serene singing and stunning atmosphere of

King’s College Chapel, as depicted on the annual ‘Carols from

King’s’ on the BBC. Up until that moment, an Oxbridge

application had never really entered my mind, due to the image

of supercilious public school boys and upcoming Einsteins often

associated with the two universities. However, the surreal

ambience and beauty of Cambridge, combined with the

opportunity to study a very interesting subject alongside singing

in a chapel choir, encouraged me to apply to the university.

My feisty views and love of debate first drew me towards Law

as a subject. This was confirmed after attending the Cambridge

Law Conference in March and reading a series of books on the

law, written by various Cambridge lecturers. Despite being a

little unsure about which college to apply to, a walk through the

ancient courts, Bridge of Sighs and spectacular chapel of St.

John’s College confirmed my choice. It was the mixture of a

beautiful setting, a world renowned choir and a vibrant

environment that made me apply to one of Cambridge’s finest

establishments.

I was understandably nervous on the day of interview, as I

braced myself for the rigorous assault course of two interviews,

some preparatory reading and a tricky Cambridge Law Test.

The subject specific interview was undoubtedly the hardest

aspect, involving some very thought-provoking discussion that

tested intellect, stamina and out-of-the box thinking. At the end

of the day, I really had very little idea about whether or not I

had done enough to achieve my Cambridge dream.

To receive the offer letter in January was a truly incredible

moment and one that I will never forget. I now hope to get a

choral scholarship in the choir of St. John’s College, potentially

with a gap year at Norwich Cathedral. My advice to any

Oxbridge hopeful would be to absolutely grasp the opportunity

and at least give it your best try. If anyone wants to catch me in

a few years time, I hope that the best places to find me will be

in the Chapel of St. John’s or in the Cambridge Union!

Matthew Rogers

In Focus March 2013 Page 5

On 17th November we opened the

doors for our Diamond Xmas Bazaar.

Once again we were lucky with the

weather which is always a huge boost to

our visiting parents, pupils and friends.

The committee had worked hard to

transform the Sports Hall and Prep Gym

into something a little more festive and

this was made easier as we adorned the

walls with commemorative bunting that

Years 3 to 6 made for the occasion.

We welcomed back many of our regular

franchise stalls and saw some new faces

too. Our school stalls, of course, looked

as good as ever, if not better. The Grand

Raffle, Chinese Raffle and Paper Auction

were a huge success and we would like

to thank all the parents and businesses

who donated prizes, hampers and gift vouchers for these.

One of the most popular stalls is the Mug Stall and this year we

welcomed a new face to our committee who took on the challenge

of running this. Together with a team of helpers they wrapped

hundreds of mugs and made the stall look as fantastic as always.

C a f e N o e l

co n t i n ue d t o

d e l i g h t i t s

customers with

good food and

excellent service. It

is now run with

military precision

and queues are a

thing of the past!

T h e g r o t t o

de l i ghted our

younger visitors

and Santa was kept

busy throughout

the day. We also

had the pleasure of

entertainment from Barline and the Big Band both of whom added

something special to the atmosphere.

The Prep Gym hosted the ever popular Bouncy Castles and Gladiator

Duel as well the games and stalls organised by the Cubs and Scouts

The Bazaar is a huge team effort, from the Committee, who have

been planning since July, to the families who donate toys, cakes, bric-

a-brac and prizes, the parents who turn up during the week to sort

donations and to run the stalls on the day and of course the Scout

Leaders who do so much work behind the scenes. We also had the

services of the First and Second Rugby Teams who helped with all

the lifting and carrying to set up the Bazaar and clear away at the end

of the day.

Our helpers are too numerous to mention individually but every

offer of help, however small, is greatly appreciated,

This year we raised approximately £4700.00 which will be split

between 20th Birkenhead Scout Group and the Parents' Association.

We hope that you enjoyed the day and look forward to the 61st

Bazaar in 2013

Denise Durband

Bazaar Committee Chairman

Well done and what an

achievement for George

Long of 5C who was

awarded his 1st Dan

B l a c k B e l t i n

Taekwondo in October,

2012 at the age of just

10.

George travelled to

Derby three times with

his father where, on

each occasion, he had

to undergo a 2-hour

assessment. Finally, he

had to go to Bristol for

the actual grading.

which consisted of

patterns, sparring and

self defence, together

w i t h a v e r b a l

a s s e s s m e n t i n

Korean. All the hard

work and commitment

to Taekwondo paid off,

though unfortunately

resulted in him missing

the commencement of

his rugby season.

George started his

Taekwondo training at

the age of 5 with the Jason Rodd Academy of Taekwondo in

West Kirby. George's instructor, Jason Rodd, commented that

"nobody works harder than George with his application and

dedication to his training." George’s dedication also resulted in

him getting third place in the English Sparring Championships

earlier last year.

easily in their beds that night knowing that the fine

figures of our cadets were ready to defend this blessed

isle in general and Birkenhead School in particular.

We moved on to the School Library where Mrs Reeve

was waiting to show off the range materials and

sources which are available to assist our studies. In

the Meeting Room above, Mr Davies was busy

conducting the School’s ‘Big Band’ which impressed

not only the parents but me too. They thoroughly

deserved the standing ovation they received, which is

perhaps easier to achieve when there are no seats for

the audience!

The parents I was showing around were interested in

putting their child into Year 7, so Overdale was the

obvious next stop. Ms Smeaton, the Head of Overdale,

and Mr Rimmer, the Assistant Head of Overdale, were

waiting at the top of the steps to the front door to

welcome visitors (how grand, just like something out

of Downton Abbey!). Inside Overdale, there was an

impressive display of work from past and current pupils and lots

of boards with photographs from some of the many trips

available to pupils during their 2 years in Overdale.

From Overdale, we could faintly hear the explosions resonating

from the science block; it appeared someone had let Mr

Hayward near something flammable again! We went to

investigate. Inside the Physics lab, Mr Webster was

demonstrating the solar powered cars which A Level students

have been working on. It’s a shame someone had overlooked the

roofing situation which prevented the sunlight from reaching the

cars! Also being demonstrated were explosive bubbles - visitors

were invited to set fire to bubbles of hydrogen which, of course,

exploded. Fortunately, everybody watching managed to preserve

their eyebrows. To my delight, in the Biology lab, boards of

dissected rats lined the back of the room. I’m not the keenest

biologist, but seeing the dissected rats was truly fascinating!

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed escorting people around the

School, it was a truly eye-opening experience, and I only wish I’d

taken part in an Open Day before! I felt proud to show visitors

the School that I attend and have grown to love, for Birkenhead

School is certainly full of opportunities to take advantage of and

make the best of oneself. Jordan Hart, Yr 11

In Focus March 2013 Page 6

Every year, Birkenhead School holds Open Days in April and

September to show off our wonderful grounds, facilities and

people. This year was my first time as a tour guide and so I was

unsure of what to expect. We arrived before any of the visitors

one Saturday morning in late September. At first, I was a little

apprehensive as to what was expected of me and, even worse,

I’m not the most confident of people, so I was actually rather

nervous about my role during Open Day. Shortly after our

briefing, I was paired up with my first visitors. It was up to me

now to show prospective parents all that the School had to offer.

For a change, it was a gloriously sunny and warm autumn day,

and the family of visitors seemed suitably impressed by what they

saw. We can never be complacent, I know, but I felt a little warm

glow as I escorted them around the campus and felt their liking

for BS grow.. To think, this is MY School!

Everyone had organised a huge range of activities to show off

what our curriculum has to offer both inside and outside the

classroom. The first stop on my tour was the CCF section,

where Mr Hill and Mr Frowe stood firmly to attention, ready to

talk to parents about the CCF. On display, they had an

impressive array of equipment including tents, camping gear,

stoves and more! I know some visitors will have slept more

Last summer Mr Rule encouraged a few Sixth Form Economists to enter the Institute

of Economic Affairs’ Essay Challenge. The main component of the challenge involved

writing a 1,400 word essay on one of a choice of three topics . The title I chose was

“Why do most economists favour free trade and freer immigration when polls suggest

the majority of people are against it?” Happily, on my return to School in September, I

found out that I’d been placed in the top 10% of applicants and was invited down to

the IEA in Westminster for awards and presentations during a day in half term. I was

awarded a Certificate of Distinction in the Dorian Fisher Memorial Prize by Stephen

Davies, the Institute’s Educational Director. The day itself was enjoyable and I hope

this will help me in my university application. I’d like to thank the dynamic Mr Rule for

encouraging me to enter the competition; I think he was more pleased than I was,

given that our School was awarded a selection of learning materials because of our

high number of participants entering the competition!

Nick Gill

Footnote: Congratulations to Nick who was also awarded a Distinction in

his LAMDA Grade 7 last year. He got the Silver Medal for his solo acting

performance. Following his performance in ‘The Infant’ in February, he

has also been selected for the Festival Company as part of the National

Students’ Drama Festival.

In Focus March 2013 Page 7

WOW! A staggering total of

£1,285.80 raised by Prep

children for Children In Need.

Thank you.

The Prep held various events to

celebrate Children In Need on Friday

16th November. Children from Years

1 and 2 up to Year 6 brought in a

mountain of cakes, cookies and

biscuits to sell to friends at break

times. This raised £353.42.

The children also brought in

donations on the day and wore

something spotty, green, yellow, blue

or orange. A FUN day was enjoyed

by all.

The School purchased Children In

Need wristbands and Pudsey Bear

key rings to sell to raise additional

funds for this worthwhile cause.

These proved very popular and

another £300 was added to the

fundraising total.

Several children held various

fundraising events out of school and

brought in the proceeds to add to

the pot. Isabella Heckstall–Smith, 3B,

made over 70 felt waistcoats for the

Pudsey key rings which she sold for

20p each, raising over £14. Well

We arrived at Noctorum Field around 2pm on a Saturday late

last year. It was freezing cold and pouring with rain and, while

some of us arrived on time, others appeared less inclined to

experience Duke of Edinburgh Expedition training days in such

adverse weather conditions. We all gathered around inside the

pavilion where Mr Hill explained why we were here and what

aspects of the expedition we would be covering during training

- the dreaded weekend had begun.

Mr Hill told us that we would be being briefed on each of the

rules of a D of E Expedition and how to go about carrying it out

successfully. The areas we spent time talking about were

clothing, cooking, setting up, taking down and packing away

tents, codes of conduct, health and safety and what we had to

do before, during and after the expedition.

After the briefing, we went off to do our first activities. Pitching

our tents was going well until the hail started, then we all got

soaking wet and cold yet again. Cooking our tea wasn’t much

better either. It was pitch black, apart from the light from a dim

torch held between someone’s teeth, and our hands were

freezing. In addition, we didn’t have the greatest of ingredients

for our meal to choose from, so it wasn’t exactly one of Jamie

Oliver’s amazing 15-minute meals, although, I’m sure he could

have done much better than we did! We did manage to cope,

however, but only just!

After we had finished tea, we went back to the pavilion to work

in groups and do some team-building exercises such as a

memory game, paper towers and bridges and the plank. These

were all extremely fun because most of us weren’t very good at

them. After this we went out to our tents and slept

(surprisingly), only to be awoken by Mr Hill at some unearthly

hour of the morning. Slowly we crawled out of our tents and

began cooking our breakfast. After we had eaten, we attempted

to put our tents away. This took time because the bags seemed

to have shrunk overnight whilst the tents seemed to have

become larger. In the end we managed to get the tents packed

away and the hellish nightmare was finally over. However,

looking back from the comfort of my floral armchair, I realise

that I went there that day as a boy, but I left it as a man ready

for whatever D of E had to throw at me, whether it be another

training day, the expedition itself or even a damsel in distress!

Tom Green, Year 11

At the beginning of January Daniel Evans in Year 8 ran in the

Merseyside Cross Country Championship with his team, which

won. Daniel came 5th individually in the event. The following week,

running for the School, he finished to tie third overall in the

Merseyside Schools Cross Country League. Well done to Daniel

on his fantastic achievement at this level, where he is competing

against many runners much older than him.

It is remarkable that such a relatively large group of

BS girls play Lacrosse for Cheshire.

Congratulations to:

Victoria Wilkinson, Annabel Saverimutto, Lucy Rogers, Mil-

lie James, India Wild and Phoebe James who play in the

Cheshire U18 and U15 squads

And to Ellie Durband, Rosie Durband, Alice Gollins, Chloe

Hardisty, Sophie Hatherley, Connie Sturgess and Bella Wild

who play in the U15 squad.

done Isabella! Other children

joined in too, bringing in

their own waistcoats. Money

was coming in from all

corners of the playground!

Mrs J Waddell

In Focus March 2013 Page 8

I feel my nerves jumping about It is like I am on a roundabout I walk to the start of the race

In my head I know I will set the pace

Bang goes the starting gun Then we all begin to run

Faster and faster as the race goes on I can feel the line, I am nearly done

I hear cheering as I approach the finishing line If I don't win, I fear I will pay a deadly fine

Pain pulsating through my veins My energy dramatically begins to drain.

Explosions of relief and joy I truly am the golden boy

Now the race is past and done I can say, ‘I am Sam, the boy who won!’

Sam Cross, year 7 Well done to Sam whose poem above has been chosen by Young Writers to appear in a book - a collection of poems written by children all over the country - which come out in August. Then 12 individual finalists will be picked from the anthology and announced on the Young Writers’ website.

Last November, Year 9 went on a history trip to Manchester’s

Science and Industry Museum for the day.

Manchester was the world’s first industrial city and was famous for

its textiles and cotton trade. Cotton cannot be grown in England

and has to be kept at about 30 degrees, so it is normally grown in

countries such as India, the West Indies or the Deep South in the

United States. Goods needed to be transported as quickly as

p o s s i b l e t o

manufacture and sell

them, so when

r a i l w a y s w e r e

invented in the

nineteenth century it

was faster than using

canals.

I found the textile

d e m o n s t r a t i o n ,

which we had at

11:30, particularly

interesting as it

d e m o n s t r a t e d

a c t i v e l y h o w

dangerous and loud

the machines were

whilst showing us

how they worked. I

previously thought

that they would

throw the seeds

away along with the

parts of the cotton

that you can’t use

but I learnt that in

the ginning mill they would take the seeds out of the cotton and

then crush them to make oil which is still used in things like

shampoos. The seed could then be used to make animal feed

called ‘cattle cake’. And obviously the seeds can be planted again

for the next harvest of cotton. Before the demonstration I

understood how dangerous and loud the machines were but it still

came as a shock when they were turned on. And then we were

told that the noise would have even louder as the machines were

three times smaller than normal and in the 19th century there

would have been 50 of those machines all in one open-plan room.

I wasn’t surprised when the guide told us they used sign language

in the factories. Also the Speed Frames used to twist the slivers of

cotton to increase their strength spun incredibly fast and showed

us how easy it was for the children (who were employed for this

job as they had manual dexterity and small fingers) to get their

hands caught and amputated in the machines when sweeping in

between the flyers while they were running as the machines did

not have guards. I also found out that they were paid for how

much work they did, not for how many hours they worked.

We were told how orphans were usually employed as scavengers,

crawling on their hands and knees under the machines picking up

any waste cotton thread discarded in the process. This was

because they only had a few seconds when it was ‘safe’ to be

under the machine during the spinning process. There was a high

mortality rate and the factory owners knew orphans didn’t have

parents who would care if they died. The orphans often tried to

run away from the factories. There was a workhouse owner

nicknamed ‘Bloody’ Douglas who used to make sure they wouldn’t

run away and would tie runaways to the machine with a chain.

We were also told about the diseases that were a common

occurrence. The Blowing Room was nicknamed “The Devil’s

Room” as it got so hot and filled with cotton that you couldn’t see

anything. The cotton got everywhere in your eyes, up your nose

and in your mouth. The cotton the workers or “hands” inhaled

got into their lungs and slowly rotted causing diseases. Lung cancer

was also a common occurrence because of all the dust that built

up from the windows not being opened to provide a hot, damp

atmosphere for the cotton. Kissing shuttles were also unhealthy to

the weavers who used them as the cotton and dust would again be

inhaled many, many times as they sucked the cotton through the

hole. Also if there was blood on the shuttle and saliva it could lead

to diseases such as tuberculosis.

Although I found the textile demonstration very interesting and

informative, I also thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the visit. This

was mainly due to some of the interactive displays and the fact we

had to find the answers we needed in a sewer/basement instead of

being told about it in a classroom!

Ciara Williams 9PMW

In Focus March 2013 Page 9

Germany, 1938: The threat of the Nazis to their race is almost too

much to bear for the Jewish people, and they are desperate to give

their children any chance to escape the inevitable fate that they

are subject to. The Nazis agree that Jewish children may leave the

country to go to England, after an agreement made between the

two countries, but only if a substantial amount of money is paid,

and the children leave without their parents. These trains are

called the Kindertransport, Kinder meaning children. A small child,

Eva Schlessinger, is taken away to Manchester, and slowly strips

herself of her German and Jewish heritage, instead embracing all

that England has to offer. But when, more than forty years later,

Eva (who has by this point changed her name to the Anglicised

Evelyn) and her daughter come across the documents that reveal

her true past, Evelyn is torn... Should she undo all of her work

since having been in this country and accept that she is truly

German, or continue to run from the clutches of her past?

This is the basis of the play Kindertransport by Diane Samuels,

recently performed by Birkenhead School students. As a member

of the AS Level English group, and a keen actress, I was asked

immediately by Mrs McGoldrick if I wanted to take part, along

with Caroline Welsh and Becky Davies. This was the first time

since studying the play in English Literature that the School have

had enough girls to take part in it, as the play calls for a mainly

female cast. Throwing in Sian Round of Year 11 and Year 10’s

Eleanor Hilton, as well as Alex Karus McElvogue, the cast was

chosen and rehearsals started, flurrying past in a blur. Half term

came and with it, Sunday rehearsals. Finally, 22nd November

arrived, and the cast were all petrified. Ready or not, it was show

time...

The play would never have gone anywhere without the help of the

backstage crew; the highlights of both show nights were definitely

musical director, Luca Galvani, being “made over” by Katie Laing,

and Arran Byers trying his hand at putting make up on the cast!

Although we were worried about lines being forgotten and the

sensitivity of the subject not being addressed appropriately, it was

finally too late to care anymore, and the lights came up. Nerves

finally kicked in as the first line of the play, “What’s an abyss,

Mutti?” was uttered, and there was no going back. Making my way

on stage at last, I was shocked to see the sheer amount of people

in the audience: it looked like we had a hit!

Taking the audience on such an emotional journey can be a risk,

and there was a worry that the audience would fail to fully

understand the reasoning behind the simultaneous staging of the

play, or even the full concept of the story. Although fascinating

from a studying point of view, it was a major concern that we

would fail to portray the storyline effectively enough. However,

the play was a huge success! We did not anticipate the audience

size, or even the sheer amount of praise given afterwards. In the

words of Mr Hopkins, “the thing that struck me most was the

intimacy of the production; the audience were close enough to the

stage for the cast to really show their emotion when raising their

voices”. Even Mr Clark stepped in on the act, telling the staff that

he found the play “very moving”! Kindertransport is honestly one

of the best things I have ever decided to take part in – the small,

intimate cast meant that we all made some new, hopefully long-

lasting friends, and it is an experience that none of us will ever

forget!

Amy Naylor, L6th

The Hook of

Holland statue,

dedicated to the

Kindertransport.

Called Channel

Crossing to Life,

commemorates

the role played

by Dutch people

in helping to

save the lives of

Jewish children

fleeing Nazi

oppression.

The cast and crew of Kindertransport

Photo L to R: Adam Wells, Katie Laing, Becky Davies, Caroline Welsh, Chris Morris, Siân Round, Luca Galvani

(Composer & Musical Director), Eleanor Hilton, Amy Naylor, Bella McGoldrick, Mrs McGoldrick (Director), Alex

Karus-McElvogue.

In Focus March 2013 Page 10

Over 20 years ago Mr Lytollis, a youthful and enthusiastic Head of

Sport at Birkenhead School, had a vision that school sports need

not stop at the boundaries of conventional

school terms. No longer would pupils have to

roam the streets looking for mischief or indeed

the occasional game of ‘jumpers for goal posts’

in the park. The idea was simple: four weeks in

the middle of the summer holidays for students

between the ages of 4 and 14 to come and play

a variety of sports. Coaches were recruited

from teaching staff and former pupils and most

of those attending were pupils at the school.

Its popularity grew quickly and, unconstrained

by the current 21st century child safety ratios,

it wasn’t long before School Field was slewing

with hundreds of children from schools across

the Wirral and beyond. Indeed I was one such

pupil and remember fondly, with a certain

degree of rose tinted visual aid, those

scorching summers of the early 90s where

seemingly endless football tournaments were

only occasionally interrupted for Martin

Metcalfe performing karaoke outside the

Sports Hall or the promise of a Thursday

afternoon ‘water-fight’.

As numbers continued to grow and space

around School became scarce (after all there’s

only so many games of rounders you can have

inside the Bushell Hall before a precious

painting gets damaged) it was decided to

extend the courses to a full 7 week schedule

and offer an increasing variety of them. External staff were brought

in to provide specialist dance and drama tuition, with productions

taking place at the close of each week. The sports courses became

more specialised and students were able to book for a week to do

cricket, football, tennis, rugby or even golf. This diversification

meant that parents felt able to send all of their children to

Birkenhead School’s HAC, safe in the knowledge that there was

something for everyone. By this stage I was no longer a participant

of the courses but was working as an assistant, alongside my

brother and countless other OBs. This was something that became

common place and, even as I’m writing this, Charlotte Lytollis, a

current U6th former and formally an attendee of the HAC, is

assisting with a multi-sports week. Who knows, it might go full

circle and in a few years time she’ll be in charge of all the courses

and my kids will be running around. A shocking thought indeed.

The holiday courses have always been run with pupils’ and parents’

needs in mind and so around 7 years ago it was decided to extend

our operations to an ‘Early Morning Drop Off’ session from 8 am –

10 am and a ‘Late Pickup’ session from 4 pm - 6 pm. These were

aimed at helping our many working parents who wanted a full day

of activities for their children. Also, to reduce

the timeless burden of making children’s

packed lunches every morning, we introduced

a sit down lunch in the Dining Hall, which

provided a mixture of hot and cold food in a

bid to meet all requirements. About this time,

the courses were also extended to a 12 week

programme, which ran in every holiday period

excluding Christmas. This gave scope to

introduce new courses that were season

specific, so skiing was run at February half

term and Easter, and water sports courses

were run at the Marine Lake during the

summer. Our climbing wall also saw increasing

use and it is now a staple part of any of our

multi-sports course.

The idea of offering courses that were non-

sport specific flourished and by recruiting

more instructors and tutors from outside and

inside the School we were able to widen our

field of expertise and offer the full spectrum of

activities that the HAC now has. We currently

run over 60 courses during the year, with 17

unique activities taking place. Recent additions

to our course offering are cooking for the

Minis and Juniors and photography, film,

archery, horse riding, design & technology and

an art workshop for our Young Adventurers.

These courses are all run alongside our core

activities of multi-sports and climbing, which remain some of our

most popular courses.

So what about the future? Well Birkenhead School remains one of

the largest and most successful activity course providers in the

North West of England and our aim is to keep it that way. We are

currently looking to move our booking and payment systems

online, to reduce the burden of form filling from our parents and

we are always on the lookout for new courses that will give

students an even wider variety of opportunities and experiences.

Our philosophy has always been to employ enthusiastic and

motivated staff, whose priority is to ensure that all students,

regardless of age or ability, will have the best possible time whilst

in our care. This remains the case and I am confident that students

will be having as much fun on the courses now as I did 20 years

ago.

Rupert Rule, i/c HAC

In Focus March 2013 Page 11

Children enjoy our unique campus and

fantastic facilities.

And parents can rest assured

their children are in a

safe environment taking part in a

range of challenging and exciting

activities!

Adventurer and Explorer courses

provide a great range of activities for

boys and girls from 4 to 15 years.

Early drop-off, late pick-up Fun Club

Freshly prepared 2-course lunch

Dates:

Easter 2 - 12 April

May half-term 28 - 31 May

Summer 8 July - 23 August

October half-term 21 - 1 November

For more details,

visit the HAC website:

birkenheadschool.co.uk/

holiday-courses

In Focus March 2013 Page 12

Recently, the Year 9 Ancient Greek class had

the opportunity to take part in a very helpful

interactive workshop. One of the things we did

was to try on some Greek armour and learn

about its origins. I was able to try on the armour

and I have to say I would struggle to run around

wearing it. The set included chainmail, a chest

plate, a helmet, a shield and, of course, a sword.

An optional addition was a pike. We learnt that,

after a battle, soldiers would gather up new

equipment which was better than theirs from

the slain rather than having to pay for new

armour or weapons.

Another activity was to write our name on a

piece of papyrus in Ancient Greek. Mine just

said, ‘Matthew’. It is quite difficult to

transliterate words into Ancient Greek due to

the complexity of the alphabet and the fact that

they had letters we don’t have and we have

letters they didn’t.

The next and most popular activity was the

Tunnel Excavation, which entailed crawling

through a tunnel to find ancient Greek artefacts

such as pottery pieces and coins. Then we had

to put together all the artefacts we found like

the pieces of a puzzle. Even though I didn’t

participate because of my addiction to another

activity, I was told it was good fun.

My favourite activity was an Ancient Greek

version of Dungeons and Dragons. The object of

this game is to find a tunnel (made of card)

which allows you an escape from the labyrinth.

Most students attempted this game but

eventually gave up when they couldn’t find a way

out, whereas I was determined to succeed and

hence missed the excavation tunnel.

Unfortunately, the workshop was only two

periods long, so I didn’t have time to find my out

in the end, but it was good fun anyway.

Other activities included making your own chain

mail (which is incredibly difficult), identifying

different dates pottery was made and gluing

artefacts back together.

All in all, it was an enjoyable and interesting

workshop, which I learnt a lot from, and I think I

can also say that the rest of my class felt the

same.

Matthew Macdonald, Year 9

Year 9 Greek explored Ancient Greece in a hands-on workshop. After a short

introduction by our instructor Tony, we got down to work. There were multiple

activities to try, all interesting and all with something to teach us about Ancient

Greece - it was great fun and really well constructed.

The workshop consisted of activities including fortune telling, pottery work, Greek/

Roman weaponry and armour, writing on Papyrus and an ancient game that the

Greeks used to play.

Personally, my favourite ‘station’ was the one consisting of ancient pottery, some

genuine. I found this particular intriguing because of the amazing craftsmanship of the

pottery so long ago. There were activities based on archaeological digs, which I

thought were cleverly organised.

It was obvious many enjoyed the weaponry and armour, with swords and spears,

breast plates and helmets, shields and chainmail. We were invited to wear the

chainmail, which was heavier than expected and required help to put on. We were

also able to try on the breast plate and helmet, and wield the sword.

An ancient game was confusing and I didn’t fully comprehend it at first, but I gave it a

go. Eventually, I understood; you had to find pieces of connecting tunnel, laying them

from your starting piece until, finally, a chamber connected to the tunnel. Once you

had reached the chamber, the character you were playing had to face an adversary,

usually a demon. Then we rolled a dice in order to acquire cards on which were the

means and devices to defeat the enemy. We never did finish this game!

The fortune-telling was certainly interesting and sparked speculation about some

people’s characters! We picked four stones, or ‘runes’ and turned them over one by

one. The symbol on each corresponded to a personality trait, which was described

in the book we were given. In this area there was also space for a wooden maze

game, which was extremely difficult to solve.

Finally, we wrote on papyrus which had a strange texture and was the material that

the Greeks would have used to record

information on (or wax tablets) but it was

expensive stuff, so they tended to miss out

punctuation and write in continuous letters

to avoid wasting space.

I hope another opportunity for a workshop

arises again this year. It was a great

experience and, although we learned nothing

of Greek grammar or vocabulary, we learned

about Greek culture and civilisation, which is

arguably equally difficult and as important as

our classroom work. My thanks goes out to

everyone who organised this workshop on

behalf of the group too, especially to our

instructor Tony. I know we all had fun and

learnt something.

James Budworth, Year 9

In Focus March 2013 Page 13

Whilst on holiday in Dubai

over half-term, Marcus

Sambucci, Year 8, wasn’t

content just to spend his

days by the pool, so he

decided to try the Scuba

diving course on offer at

t h e n e a r b y P A D I

(Professional Association of

Diving Instructors) centre.

He didn’t just stick with the

basic course, however; instead over the 5 days he completed and

passed the Junior Open Water Divers’ Course.

This involved a series of five confined dives in a swimming pool,

learning how to use the aqualung properly, and three open water

dives. In addition, Marcus had to read and remember five chapters

of the PADI Divers’ Manual for the written test.. The practical

side tested Marcus’s diving techniques and he had to demonstrate

that he had learnt the survival skills he had been taught.

With his PADI certification, Marcus is now eligible to dive up to a

depth of 18 metres. He said that, at first, it felt the most

extraordinary thing to be able to breathe under water. He also

explained that it is sometimes very difficult to see underwater -

debris, wash-up, currents and weather, and even scuffing up the

sea-bed with an ill-judged flipper, can all affect visibility

underwater. Marcus admitted didn’t see much during his open sea

dives, rather he felt the prickles of sea urchins as he swam close

to the rocks to which the were clinging.

On completion of the course, Marcus was allowed to swim with

sharks, though only in a tank at a sea-life centre in the resort.

Marcus says the sharks he encountered there were harmless

varieties - black tipped, white tipped and Angel sharks. In the

same tank Marcus also saw two clown fish which, apparently, are

very rare. He says he was very surprised that they were so small

and that they are brightly coloured because their natural habitats

are coral reefs. Is this another Jacques Cousteau in the making?

We shall look forward to hearing about Marcus’s further diving

adventures in future.

Black tipped shark

Clown fish

White tipped shark

Angel shark

Marcus in the tank

Congratulation to Mr Edmunds who has been appointed by the

RFU to referee one of the U18 Daily Mail Cup Finals at

Twickenham later this month. The annual rugby tournament for

Schools finishes with a Finals Day on Saturday 23rd March.

With over 1000 teams entering the competition at the start of

the academic year, the main competition and vase competition

finals are played out in front of a crowd of just under 10 000.

This year is the first time the finals have been held on a

Saturday. Mr Edmunds said “this is the fifth time I have officiated

at Twickenham, but the first time I have refereed the U18

Schools Final. The refereeing is the easy part. In one of my

recent visits I was appointed as timekeeper. This role involved

being at the highest vantage point in the stadium operating the

large stadium clock keeping time for the game and stopping and

starting the clock on the instruction of the match referee. I

can’t tell you how difficult it is to get this right whilst relaxing

enjoying the game with a beer in your hand!”

Mr Edmunds has been on the RFU National Panel of Referees

for the last 15 years and is stepping down from this role at the

end of this season. He said “ sadly I am now the oldest referee

on the panel and it is time to let those younger than me take

over.”

In Focus March 2013 Page 14

T h e B S

team won through to the Rotary Club’s District final of the

'Youth Speaks' competition, which was held at Theatre

Clwyd on Friday 8 February, presenting Ben Appleby’s well

-written and well-argued piece about the Internet. They

did well and were placed 3rd overall. Each received

certificates and a WH Smith voucher.

Or to put it another way have we become too dependent on the

internet? And are we enslaved to technology?

[Introduction]

To put it bluntly, I believe we’ve been enslaved to technology and

have come to rely so heavily on the internet that our generation is

in danger of being brought up by computers.

Everyone is now able to get instant access to whatever they want,

which has shortened people’s attention spans so they lose the

ability to stick to a job.

Video games provide entertainment but they come with draw

backs.

People have succumbed to the evils of social networking, believing

the idle gossip on Twitter.

And the internet gnaws away at one of our most precious modern

resources, TIME.

[Argument]

Let me explain what I mean.

Life has changed a lot from a couple of decades ago. Back then you

had to go to a library and read a book and actually do a little bit

work to find something out. But now all you need to do is type into

Google what you’re looking for and, in a couple of seconds, an

answer appears that might not even be correct. Because

information is now so easy to access it has meant we don’t need to

work hard to get this information e.g. trawling through a library.

This has shortened our attention spans, so we lose our ability to

stick at a job.

The internet also allows you to copy and paste everything in an act

of mass plagiarism; however, some or all of the content may be

unverified. So you could be handing in a history homework that you

didn’t write, might not have even read and is maybe completely

incorrect. The art of research and writing down your assignment,

leads to an understanding of the topic which cutting and pasting can

never achieve.

The internet is also a prevaricator’s heaven, if you are inclined to

put off doing work or if you work from home, then what harm

could a little surfing or checking your Facebook do? For those with

weak willpower, an application has been developed to self-restrict

your browsing time. You set the clock and feel very virtuous that

you are not spending all day watching funny kitten videos on You

Tube when there is real work to be done. Apparently, it is a big hit

amongst home workers and authors who are trying to meet a

deadline.

I believe children of the next generation are already being brought

up by computer games. There is a product called the Leapster,

aimed at pre-school age, early learners and it is marketed as an

‘educational’ learning tool. But mostly children just use it for playing

games. And would you want little children to learn by pressing

buttons and not from real life experience?

I now want to talk about video games. They offer the player,

normally teenagers or kids quick and easy entertainment which

often shortens their attention span and their tempers. Trust me,

I’ve watched my 8 year old brother get extremely angry about

something which isn’t important in the slightest and it actually

worries me how angry he gets. All video games have a PEGI rating

from age 3 to 18 years and they also show if a game contains

violence, bad language or other inappropriate material. These

ratings provide guidance not about how hard a game is, but how

suitable they are for children. Most of the time people seem to

disregard the guidelines. All of the kids I know at school play

video games which are not in their age range.

When we first discussed having the internet as our topic the

subject of racism in football was all over the news. This issue was

made even more controversial by indiscreet Tweets from

premiership footballers. It seems to be a case of ‘tweet in haste

and repent at leisure’. Their off-the-cuff comments on Twitter

were given a microphone far more powerful than any television or

newspaper broadcast and because their comments were instant, it

was often their ‘tweets’ that made the news or the next day’s

newspaper headlines.

There have been other scandals where people have been wronging

accused of dreadful crimes via Twitter; it’s almost a trial by

Twitter. One such example involved Sally Bercow, the wife of the

Speaker of the House of Commons. She hinted, using her Twitter

account, that Lord McAlpine was a paedophile but this accusation

was completely unfounded. All these unwitting ‘tweeters’,

including Mrs Bercow, are now facing legal action for their

mistaken, slanderous words.

[Conclusion]

So the internet looks like it’s here to stay and it is an integral part

of most people’s daily life.

The internet is not all bad; it has brought good to many people’s

lives. It can spread news quickly, there are some jewels of

information just waiting for us to discover and if it hadn’t been for

the internet and Facebook there would have never been an Arab

spring. But on the subject of the internet stealing our time, I can

speak from bitter personal experience: even when I was trying to

write this speech, it was hard to resist the Siren song of online

games, just waiting to entice me to spend a few minutes, which can

oh so easily become a few hours of idle amusement, and is much

less [cerebrally] demanding then actually doing any work.

So my advice is to use your prize wisely, the internet is indeed a

source of boundless information. We must learn to surf safely and

pick out the true nuggets of knowledge from the endless drifts of

dross. We must value our free time and give our attention only to

those who deserve being listened to, otherwise we might risk

becoming Facebook fools or Twitter twits! Ben Appleby, Yr 9

Photo L to R: Sam Keenan - Vote of thanks, Otto

Dawes - Chair, and Ben Appleby - Speaker.

In Focus March 2013 Page 15

As a Greek-Cypriot who has never been to Greece, I believed that

a week-long classics trip to Athens and its surrounding cities

would be something I would easily relate to and have a passion

for. However, this was severely questioned after a comment made

by Mr Hopkins on one of my English Literature essays; “You old

Puritan Nathan, where’s your Mediterranean passion?” With this

in mind, we landed with a great sense of excitement at the home

of Democracy… Athens. However, our arrival included a slight

drizzle along with a chilly wind, accompanied by on-going riots in

the capital which, unfortunately, we were not allowed to

participate in, with the threat of being sent home, if we did.

Moreover, the visit to the cable car which, along with the

Acropolis, has been undergoing reconstruction since the 1970s did

not fulfil my expectations. However, the weather improved during

our visit to the Parthenon, which is still the building most closely

associated with Athens. Our visits to the Theatres of Epidaurus

and Dionysus on the second and third day were thoroughly

enjoyable and intellectually stimulating throughout, particularly

having studied plays such as ‘Oedipus Rex’ and ‘Antigone’, which

were performed there thousands of years ago. This was enhanced

further by Mr Smale, aka ‘The Knowledge Machine’, whose

information regarding Ancient Greece is unrivalled.

Other intellectual visits included the outdoor museum in Olympia,

which involved an in-depth study of the Greek Gods and the

temples that housed them. We also became heavily involved in a

200m sprint inside an ancient Olympic stadium, proposed by Mr

Smale and graced by many would-be Olympians. This was

immensely humorous for his sheer enthusiasm, as well as the

intensity of the sprint, sparking the revival of his long-term

hamstring injury three-quarters into the race and creating a

noticeable limp for the remainder of the trip.

Our final destination was Tolo and the Hotel Minoa. Despite the

hotel itself being positioned on the beach, not even I with my

ancestral history dating back to the ‘300 Spartans’ could battle

against the freezing cold sea. This was also due to our extremely

busy schedule of visiting various ancient sites particularly in Acro-

Corinth, where we studied the Doric, Ionic and Corinthian

artefacts and columns which dominated the various museums we

visited. Plus, our knowledge of the Greek Gods vastly improved

which was a crucial help, especially when taking Classics as an A-

level subject. However, many students who have not studied

Classical Civilisation at any point still participated. One example

was Aarush Sajjad, currently studying Chemistry, Biology and

Maths, who successfully duped his parents into believing that a

classics trip to Greece would enhance his future career in

medicine because it has its roots in

Ancient Greece.

Overal l , the Class ics tr ip

broadened my knowledge of both

Modern and Ancient Greece,

which has enabled me to vigorously

challenge the argument with my

fellow students - that we Greeks

single-handedly caused the downfall

of the world economy. Despite this

deluded opinion, I thoroughly

enjoyed my time in Greece and

strongly recommend this trip to all

pupils.

Nathan Demetrios, U6th

Photo right: Modern Olympian

aka Nathan Demetrios

In the ancient stadium at Olympia

The theatre at Delphi

In Focus March 2013 Page 16

We’ve reached the turning. From here on out it’s an uphill trek

over a path with a surface about as smooth and easy-going as the

moon’s. On and on it goes, higher and higher, the sheer

embankment blanketed in dusky purple heather running to the left

of us seeming steeper and steeper the further we rock and bump

along. To the right, the embankment rises up, littered with sheep

chewing slowly and gazing blankly towards our struggling Land

Rover as it drags itself over pothole after pothole.

Outside, the strangled call of frantic grouse cuts through the

steady hum of bleats and baas, the occasional low from disgruntled

cattle. Inside, within leather and chrome interior, the husky vocals

of Amy Macdonald and Paolo Nutini swell over folk guitar,

narrating our journey with Caledonian lilt. Intertwined, a Scottish

cornucopia.

Suddenly, it’s apparent we have a battle for road space on our

hands as a few brave, brainless sheep find themselves in the path of

a two-and-a-half tonne mass of black metal and glass. There’s a

standoff. The snarling car edges closer and closer in fits and starts

towards the staring stock-still sheep. Five metres. Four metres.

Three. Two. One. The sheep are away, scattered like clouds in a

hurricane. Our journey resumes. Onwards. Upwards. The roads

wind us around the hill, deeper into the grassland, moors and

forests of Kilfinan, further from civilisation, closer to our promised

haven.

Our path is blocked once more. Something bigger, darker, heavier.

A vast mass of burnt orange, long hair that omnipresent rain has

tangled into waves and knots. Magnificent, sweeping horns swerve

outwards from a head hung low, dragged down under its own

weight. A Highland bull. The sheer size of the beast stuns us into

awed silence. We’re passive now; a tin can faced with living,

breathing muscle and bone. We’re close enough to see the clouds

of steamy breath billowing from flaring nostrils, glimpse black eyes

from under a rug of shaggy auburn hair. Had we had the thought

or courage to wind down a window we would have heard the

rumbling timbres of grunts and growls echoing from deep in his

broad chest.

We wait. He watches. Minutes pass as we sit admiring him, his

majesty. Finally he turns, his huge frame carried by stocky legs to

the side of the sloped path. Here he resumes his stance, standing

strong with steady calm. As the car stumbles past, his eyes follow,

and for a fraction of a moment the glass, the metal and machinery

fall away and there is nothing separating us- man and beast, eye to

eye. We drive on.

The view on our left is changing. What was earlier an open view, a

seemingly infinite horizon of dark, hazy hills behind a scattered

patchwork of fields drenched diluted sunlight, mossy greens and

golden browns in haphazard arrangement, had now disappeared.

The ground to either side has levelled and now a forest surrounds

us, armies of trees looming above us. The path is narrowing, the

turns tightening. The remnants of the sundown have trickled away,

replaced with a navy sky blotted by dark charcoal clouds spitting

half-hearted drizzle. Looking ahead, through the trees, we can see

the first flickers of amber light that tells us we’re nearly home.

A cautious left turn and we’re off the treacherous path that

brought us this far and over a bridge that takes us into the

grounds of our new home for the next week or so. In the

gathering darkness, the car glares white light at stone walls, the

ruins of a settlement from another time, another world, throwing

shadows in every direction.

Past the silent ruins and all at once there it is, a great white house,

a country palace, looming above us. All around, nothing but

endless dark fields. Amber light pours from every window,

welcoming and warm. The car slows to a stop and everyone is out

into the frigid, silent air. We walk up to the door, ready to get

inside, get home. Suddenly our eyes are caught. Something white

and wild, flashing against the deep dark sky. An owl, a pure white

owl, sweeps across the sky. We watch it float higher and higher,

disappearing into the night. Sally Boffey, L6th

The ‘Acharrossan’ piece was selected by Liverpool

Athenaeum Literary Competition to be put forward for

their ‘Writer in Residence’ Award. 51 boys and girls

representing 14 schools across Merseyside entered. The

Competition is supported by Liverpool Post, Radio

Merseyside, Liverpool City Council and The English

Speaking Union.

Sally was presented with a beautifully framed certificate.

One Sunday in the lead up to Christmas, five unicyclists still managed

to cut quite a dash on the streets of Liverpool even when they joined

a crowd of 8,000 other Santas on the annual Liverpool Santa Dash for

charity. However, not many people were using this extraordinary

mode of transport; indeed, the vast majority of Santas were on foot.

Mr Guinness, Head of D&T, who began the BS Unicycle Club and led

the Santa group, said it was great fun weaving their way in and

amongst the crowds on the streets. For the skilled rider, unicycles

are wonderfully manoeuvrable in a small space.

In Focus March 2013 Page 17

“Well, that went pretty well didn’t it?”

The above statement from the director of the show, Adam

Wells, could well be classed as understatement of the month.

The play “The Infant” was written by Oliver Lansley and

showcased some of the best acting that Birkenhead School has to

offer, courtesy of the small, but no less incredible cast, made up

of Siân Round, Alex Karus-McElvogue, Nick Gill and Greg Young.

It is a dark comedy, about two detectives, as, in a fictional re-

imagining of Britain under a totalitarian and secret police-based

regime, a man (Greg Young) is brought in for questioning

concerning a picture found in his house which threatens to bring

down the government and to end society as they know it.

The man insists that he is innocent and that the picture was

drawn by his four-year old son (voiced by Sebastien Wilkes). His

wife (Siân Round), meanwhile, is convinced that their child could

not have drawn the picture. Who is telling the truth? What is the

truth? And does the truth even matter?

As Castigan (Alex Karus-McElvogue) and Samedi (Nick Gill)

desperately try to uncover the truth, the audience is taken on a

rip-roaring, laugh-out-loud journey, in which nothing is what it

seems.

The Infant was an exciting new venture for Birkenhead School

because it the first play that has ever been submitted by the

School for consideration buy the prestigious National Student

Drama Festival.

Overall the play was a great success, receiving positive comments

from all who came to see it. I would say it went far more than

“pretty well”, I might even go as far to say that it was one of the

best student performances that I have ever seen!

Congratulations and thanks to all involved on stage and to those

who were backstage and out of sight, including Chris Morris

(Producer and Technical Manager), Caroline Welsh (Stage

Manager), Katie Laing (Hair and Makeup Artist) and Becky Davies

(Publicity).

Rebecca Davies, L6th

It was a long and frustrating wait for the beginning of the Black

Belt sparring competition. After over a thousand or more junior

rounds, the most experienced fighters were called forward to

battle it out for the coveted title of British Tae Kwon Do

Champion. Nervousness had to be quickly conquered as Jack

Smith, a Year 10 student, was called first for a bout against a

second degree martial artist.

After an epic first round, in which no clear winner could be

determined, the fight was extended into extra time - not once,

but twice. Through flying kicks to the head and chest and

crunching punches coming from all angles, Jack finally won

through with a powerful kick to the pelvis. Already exhausted,

Jack passed through to the next round. His next fight was

similarly intense, but this time the outcome was not in doubt - a

win to Jack. With little or no time for recovery, the competitors

were being quickly whittled down and Jack soon found himself

in the semi final. Both opponents were clearly feeling the effects

of earlier bouts as legs and arms began to weigh heavy for the

battling fighters. Yet again, it was only after extra time that a

winner could be named but this time it was Jack whose arms

remained by his side, as the glove of the eventual gold winning

champion was raised.

However, Jack didn't feel too disappointed. After practising his

sport for 10 years, he was now the proud owner of a British

Championship bronze medal. Jack was further honoured this

week, when he was awarded student of the year by his

Taekwondo school. D Smith

Jack in action at the championship and with his instructor

Mr Tony Littlejohns.

In Focus March 2013 Page 18

After a year of planning and preparation, the 1st and 2nd X1 hockey

teams set off for their tour of South Africa, with a tough schedule

of 16 games (8 per team) to be played over the next two weeks.

This was the fourth time the senior Hockey

teams have toured South Africa in the last 16

years.

The squad was captained by James Knight

(circled in photo above). As the squad set off,

2nd team goalkeeper Rob Chapman (see insert

above) was already acclimatising to the altitude,

having arrived a week earlier with his parents

for a family holiday.

After enduring the tedium usual on long haul

flights and transfers, the team arrived on a

beautiful sunny day in East London, South Africa.

We were met by Craig Goodenough, our Tour

operator from Bundu Bashers Travel, who have

looked after us for the last three tours to South

Africa. After an afternoon spent shopping, we

made our way to Stirling High School, our hosts

for two nights. The following day gave us the

opportunity to practise for a few hours on their

Astro Turf, under the watchful eye of some

Stirling HS students who came out

to cast an eye over the opposition.

The afternoon was spent at the

beach learning to surf in the

Indian Ocean, sand-surfing down

the steep dunes and even a bit of

snorkelling. Whilst it was sunny

and warm on the beach, it was

winter in South Africa and the

ocean was extremely cold.

That evening saw our first

matches and, like all the teams we

would come up against, none of

the games were going to be easy.

The 1st X1 lost 2-1, with our goal

from James Knight, and the 2nd X1

drew 1-1, with the goal from Ian

Loch. Support in the stands from

the Chapman family, who were on holiday in East London, was

most welcome.

After leaving Stirling High School the following morning, we had

arranged a visit to Mpongo Private Game

Reserve. Here the boys got up close to a

Rhino which was 10 metres from the coach

blocking our route. We also spied a hippo in

the water 15 metres away and got even closer

to some 3-month old lion cubs. The

photographs, like many of the things we saw,

do not do justice to the experience!

Our next game against Cambridge High

School was played on an Astro Turf just

outside the local Township on a wet, windy

and chilly day. Our preparations for the match

did not go as we would have liked as Olly Mills

ran headlong into a gate during his pre-match

warm up (the photograph does not reveal

how stupid he felt!). Cambridge were a well-

drilled and very fit side, consisting mostly of

Township boys who really did play a fast-

paced game. The 1st X1 lost 3-0 and the 2nd

X1 drew 2-2, with goals from Josh Bramwell

and Michael Smith.

Saturday came as a

welcome break from

hockey; the team headed

off for an overnight stay

at the Kareiga Game

Reserve. This proved to

be one of the highlights of

the tour. There were

close encounters with

African wildlife during the

game drives on Saturday

afternoon and early

Sunday morning. The

superb chalet lodges also

p r o v i d e d a g o o d

opportunity to relax and

enjoy the great facilities

The squad about to set off!

Hungry Hippo

Surfing in the Indian Ocean

Hungry Hippo

Olly incognito

In Focus March 2013 Page 19

and open log fires. Looking at the tired faces next morning, some

had clearly continued ’relaxing’ into the early hours!

Sunday was a short transfer to Kingswood College in Grahamstown.

This was a School we had played on the 2009 tour and which we

feared would be one of our strongest opponents. The 1st X1 lost 3-

0 and the 2nd X1 lost 4-3 in a really close fought game, with goals

from Olly Mills (2) and Luke Weller. Team moral was a little low at

this point - we had now played six games and not managed a win.

Schoolboy hockey in South Africa is of a high standard. After our

post-match barbeque at Kingswood, we headed back to our

conference centre at Makana where even a team beer did not help

boost moral!

Next morning, we headed off to Port Elizabeth to meet up with Mr

Clark and to transfer to Woodridge College, which would be our

third visit in the last 6 years. Woodridge is a boarding school on the

outskirts of Port Elizabeth. Their hockey has improved each time

we have visited them and they now have their own Astro Turf with

outstanding views of the local mountains. Having beaten them on

our last tours, we knew there was a chance to get a win for both

teams. Sadly, this was not to be the case. The 1st X1 lost 4-3, in a

close game with 2 goals from James Knight and one from Andrew

White who, though he came off the field covered in blood, was none

the worse for it and is to be commended for his hard work and

determination to try to win the game. The 2nd X1 lost 2-1, with a

goal from Olly Mills. Oliver Gilding’s father and grandfather, who had

kindly provided sponsored shirts for the tour, were at the game to

lend support.

We were almost midway through the tour and the next day set off

for the start of our meander along the scenic Garden Route towards

Cape Town. Most of the squad had fun on a high wire zip-line

experience across a gorge near Tsitsikamma. We all watched as

“The Magnificent Seven” got kitted up for their bungee jump from the

Bloukrans Bridge, the highest bungee jump in the world at 216

metres. You have to see it to believe it! Andrew White, Josh

Bramwell, Ian Loch, Alex Davies, Oliver George, Tom Beaumont and

Bruno de Blaquière all jumped. Madness, but great fun to do,

and even better fun to watch! Our accommodation that

evening on the banks of the ocean at Tsitsikamma National

Park was stunning. A team meal, a few beers and the fact we

had not won a match yet seemed to drift from our thoughts.

The next day we headed from Tsitsikamma to Kynsna for a

sedate trip on

the Lagoon to

the Two Heads

of Kynsna, a

dangerous inlet

from the ocean.

Well, the cruise

was sedate on

the outward

journey but less

so on the

return. Andrew

White was given

control of the

boat and opened

full throttle……

what goes on on

tour stays on

tour! Following an enjoyable lunch, we headed on to the

large town of George to meet our hosts from Glenwood

House School. Glenwood is a relatively new School - it was

founded 6 years ago - but already has 600 pupils. Before our

scheduled afternoon match, we set off early for a whale

watching trip off the coast of Mossel Bay. We were rewarded

for our early rise with a close-up of some Southern Right

Whales at play just off the coast. Trying to photograph them

was not easy, as you can see! The games against Glenwood

were played at the Astro Turf of neighbouring York High

School and both teams secured their first wins of the tour.

The 1st X1 won 4-1, with goals from James Knight, Olly Mills,

Andrew White and Tom Beaumont. The 2nd X1 won 5-2 with

goals from Olly Mills, Luke Weller and three from Alex Davies

who was making an unusual appearance up front, rather than

in goal.

Following the game, we headed to Oudtshoorn for a visit to

the Cango Caves with an overnight stay at a hotel, a team

meal and a few drinks to be ready for an early morning

departure heading for Stellenbosch.

We incorporated a quick visit to an Ostrich Farm where a few

brave students rode the ostriches - not an easy thing to do!

Our drive to Stellenbosch was to play our next matches

against Bridge House School, whom we had beaten twice on

previous tours. This encounter did not go to plan because,

after arriving late, the games had to be significantly shortened.

Fortunately, even after a four-hour drive and going straight

A very wet Andrew White

‘captains’ the boat

Whale watching

In Focus March 2013 Page 20

onto the pitch at the end of it, the 1st X1 won 3-1, with goals from Jack Granby, Olly Mills and

Tom Beaumont, and the 2nd X1 drew 1-1 with a goal from Luke Weller (who damaged his

shoulder in the game). Our Sponsors from Trucape South Africa watched the games with our

team playing in their bright orange kit, displaying their business logo.

An early morning departure from Bridge House School saw the squad heading for Cape Town

on the final leg of the tour. Our first day in Cape Town gave us the opportunity to tour Green

Point Stadium, a new football stadium used for the soccer world cup in 2010 and take a trip to

Robben Island where Nelson Mandela spent nearly 20 years in harsh prison conditions. The

evening was spent enjoying some good food at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront.

Our Sunday morning we visited Langa Township. This was an extraordinary experience for our

students who were given a guided tour and saw first-hand the lifestyle of those living in a

township. The squad visited a house and an art studio. They were entertained and given

lunch. It was the most welcoming of places. The matches against the Township teams saw the

1st X1 draw 3-3, with goals James Knight, Alex Barria-Norton and Tom Beaumont, and the 2nd

X1 win 5-0 with two goals from Michael Smith and Luke Weller and one from Ben Hughes.

The Township side played in a new kit provided by a non-uniform day held at School earlier in

the year.

Our penultimate day was spent on a tour down to Cape Point, Boulders Beach and Hout Bay -

arguably the most scenic part of the Cape Peninsula - prior to meeting our last hosts at

Life in Langa Township

In Focus March 2013 Page 21

Edgemead High School. Both our Hockey and Rugby teams have

played against their teams on previous visits to South Africa. At

this stage of the tour, a number of players were extremely tired

and a few injuries had caught up with us. Despite working hard,

the 1st X1 lost 3-2, with goals from Olly Mills and James Knight,

and the 2nd X1 won 3-0, with goals from Luke Weller.

On our final day in Cape Town our scheduled trip up Table

Mountain was cancelled because the cable car had to be closed

due to the windy conditions. We enjoyed some last minute

shopping instead before the long journey back to School.

Despite losing more matches than we would have liked, the trip

as a great success and many thank are due to those who helped

support the tour - the Ladies Committee, Parents’ Association,

parents, local businesses and friends of the School. The

experience will live long in the memories of the boys who took

part.

D R. Edmunds, Deputy Headmaster

RESULTS 2012

4th BERESFORD

G Sudderick 25 Ave 23 pts

E Bainbridge 23

T Dodds 21

3rd BIDSTON

D Knight 31

C Way 31 Ave 25 pts

J Black 13

2nd SHREWSBURY

D Quinn 26 Ave 27 pts

A Karus-McElvogue 28

1st KINGSMEAD

J Walsh 33 Ave 28.5 pts

G. Kirkby 24

Overall average 25.5 pts

Individual winner Joe Walsh 33pts

1st XV v Langa Township

Advanced Tutorials continue for the 5th year, helping students reach their

full potential in the Sixth Form and beyond.

The Advanced Tutorial Groups are for those students who are aiming for

highly competitive universities and courses, providing advice and

information on how to make the Personal Statement in particular and

university applications in general, the best they can be.

With mock university interviews, extra projects related to chosen subjects

and relevant book lists all provided, the Advanced Tutorial Groups (or the

ATG as the ‘cool kids’ are calling it) are every dedicated pupil’s dream. The

groups are designed to enhance the students’ chances of being accepted at

top universities and on competitive courses, and so it is necessary that their

true passion for the subject comes through and that they can reach beyond

their subject’s ‘exam specs’.

There are two different groups, and each is led by two very experienced

members of staff; Arts students (with some ‘hybrids’!) are tutored by Mr

Hopkins and Mr Smale, whereas Science students are tutored by Mr Britton

and Mr Armstrong this year. Advanced Tutorial groups have a brilliant

success rate within the School, and even if pupils do not reach their

preferred university, ATG allows them to explore their passion further and

enjoy themselves whilst they’re about it!

Amy Naylor and Rebecca Davies (L6th)

In Focus March 2013 Page 22

In Focus March 2013 Page 23

Year 10’s atmospheric landscape

studies from preparatory art

work done at Thurstaston.

Students took photos and made

preliminary sketches on site

which they developed in their

lessons.

Year 10 art students also visited

Tate Liverpool’s ‘Turner, Monet

and Twombly’ exhibition to help

them get ideas about how to be

more expressive and create

mood and atmosphere in their

work.

E. Wilday

In Focus March 2013 Page 24

The Parents’ Association is continuing to work together to

organise events for Pupils, Parents and friends. Our aim is to

enhance the community of the School with social events and use

any funds raised to buy those little extras that can make a

difference.

Events held in 2012.

Discos for pupils Years 3 to Year 6.

Prep Uniform Sale held in April and at the Bazaar. These

are very well organised and parents welcome the

opportunity to buy Uniform, most of which is in excellent

condition and at much reduced prices. We are hoping to

extend the service to include good quality Senior School

Uniform and will write to Parents with details of this.

Bonfire Night.

Christmas Bazaar The Diamond Bazaar was organised in

partnership with the 20th Birkenhead Scouts on 17th

November. We were delighted to see many new &

enthusiastic helpers and hope that they will continue to

help next year. The Bazaar was well attended and was

our biggest fundraiser for 2012

Pampered Chef held a Pampered Chef cookery

demonstration in the Mac Field Pavilion in June

Peel 2 Save Vouchers These were sold across school

during March and were well received by those who

bought them. Everybody agreed that it was very easy to

recover the initial price of the card by using just one

saving sticker.

Items bought in 2012

Funds raised by the Parents’ Association are used to purchase

items across the entire school from Prep to Sixth Form and we

try hard to buy a mix of items across the curriculum.

Friday 22 March Prep Uniform Sale 3:30pm Prep Gym

Friday 26th April Drop in Coffee Morning Mac Pavilion 8:30am - 10:30am

Thursday 13th June Ladies Evening Mac Pavilion 7:30pm

Friday 4th October TBC 7:30pm

Bazaar Raffle

In 2012 we have contributed to the following items:

Baritone Sax Stand for Big Band;

3 Large Unicycles;

Green house for Prep Gardening Club

Equipment for Prep Playground (Little School)

Lego Mindstorms for DT department

TV screen for Overdale

Contribution for the Hockey Tour Shirts

We held our AGM in January were delighted to welcome some

new faces and sorry to see some of our team step down due

to other commitments.

We have already been busy planning events for the coming

months. The dates are listed below for your diary and we will

send full details out in due course.

Our next meeting is on 22 April 2013 in the Meeting Room

above Senior School Library.

We would be delighted if you could join us to share your ideas.

Alternatively you can email (ddurband@btinternet.com) me to

share any ideas you may have.

Denise Durband

PA Chair

Photo l to r: Clive Black, Sean Kirkby, Karl Quinn, Graham Sudderick,

Graham Edwards, Stuart Fay, Rupert Rule, Yvonne Sudderick, Jim McGrath,

Gill Bainbridge and Richard Parkinson.

Staff and parents took part recently in a golf match v

pupils for the Danny Garforth (a former BS Bursar)

trophy at Caldy Golf Club. The staff/Parents team

were the winners with best scores from R Parkinson

and G Edwards.

Results:

R Parkinson 35 Ave. 29.9 points

G Bainbridge 26

S Fay 28

G Edwards 35

K Quinn 27

G Sudderick 30

Y Sudderick 30

C Black 27

S Kirkby 30

J McGrath 31

R Rule 30

If any parent, or

even grandparent,

would like to take

p a r t i n t h i s

wonderful event,

please contact:

J McGrath at

School.

In Focus March 2013 Page 25

The 13th annual Target Two Point Zero - the Bank of England

and The Times Interest Rate Challenge - got underway, with 295

teams from across the United Kingdom competing for the

Challenge Trophy and £10,000 for their school or college.

Birkenhead School’s Target 2.0 team won their regional heats

held at EA Technology, Chester, taking them through to the

North of England final held in February, with the National Final

being held in March at the Bank of England. The U6th team,

consisting of Charles McCulloch, Nick Gill, Ashley Williams and

Tom Woollons (who stepped in for original team member,

Alastair Forster, who had fallen ill just days before the

competition) recommended an interest rate of 0.5% compared

with the Bank of England’s official rate of 0.5% set by the

Monetary Policy Committee on 8 November 2012. They also

recommended a total of £375bn of asset purchases under the

Asset Purchase Facility, compared with the £375bn agreed by the

MPC on 8 November 2012.

During the 43 regional heats, teams of four students, aged 16 to

18, analysed UK and global economic data and their possible

impact on inflation and the economic outlook for the UK - just as

the Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee does each

month. The teams then decided whether current monetary

policy is appropriate or needs to be adjusted to meet the 2.0 per

cent inflation target set by the Government. In a presentation to

a panel of Bank of England judges, the team explained their

decision and then justified it through their answers to questions

from the panel. The chair of the judging panel, Neil Ashbridge,

said “I have been a judge in this competition for over 12 years,

and I can honestly say that I have been impressed by the standard

of this year’s presentations.”

BS beat Yale College, Wrexham, who were runners-up, Calday

Grange Grammar School, Merchant Taylors’ Boys’ School, Rydal

Penrhos School, Sale Grammar School and Wirral Grammar

School for Boys.

Unfortunately, the team lost out in the North of England Final

and did not secure one of the top three places to go forward to

the National Final. However, they learned a lot through taking

part in the competition and were a credit to the School.

R Rule, Head of Economics

The Boys’ Hockey Wirral Cup Final was held at Calday

GS. Birkenhead School’s U14 (with some members from

the U13 team) played against Calday for the cup.

The U14 hockey squad has continued where it left off last year,

comprising a group of highly dedicated, enthusiastic and

determined individuals. Competition for places on the team has

been high and, once again, everyone has shown maturity in the

selection policy. With the squad being a combination of Year 8 and

9 pupils, there is a mixture of both ability and size. They have gelled

well and progressed as a group.

For the first time in several years, they reached the Wirral Cup

Final, where they were unfortunately beaten by Calday Grange GS.

However, this entitled them to progress to the Northwest Finals.

Being grouped with two of the strongest schools in the North of

England was always going to be a challenge. Nerves got the better

of them in the first two games, narrowly losing 2-0 to Rossall and

1-0 to Altrincham Grammar. In the final game, the players

performed to the standard they had set all year and comfortably

beat Windermere 4-1. It was a fantastic experience for all involved,

and an opportunity for some boys to experience tournament

hockey for the first time.

Thanks to all parents who turned up to support, and special thanks

to Ed Thomas for umpiring.

We will be back !!!!

A Aldred, Hockey Coach

In the 45th International Chemistry Olympiad 2013, run by the

Royal Society of Chemistry, two BS students submitted papers.

Congratulations to Harry Sturgess (below left), who was awarded

Gold and Jonathan Welsh (below right), who gained Silver in the

UK Round 1 of the competition. These awards denote a very high

standard of achievement.

In Focus March 2013 Page 26

At the end of last year, Reception took part in Children in Need. We came

dressed in something spotty and in the afternoon we took part in a Scooter-

thon. In teams we had to complete 4 laps of the course on a scooter. We had

great fun taking part and raising money for such a good cause.

JQ Mayers

Kian Husseyn, Year 3, was

recently awarded the Stableford

Shield by the Post Sunlight Golf

Society.

Having had golf lessons for the

past year, Kian has been

practising hard and, during a

closely fought “chipping”

competition, was finally the

worthy winner.

As this is the final year of the

competition, Kian is delighted to

be able to keep the shield.

Mrs V Belchier

The Beyond the

Curriculum Science

g r o u p d i d a

workshop at Avalon

School recently.

They amazed the

children with the

pops and bangs and

left Avalon still

standing. No

wonder the BtC

Science group’s

f ( l ) a m e i s

spreading!

In Focus March 2013 Page 27

Steve Parry is our Head of Year 10 and is

also the School Assessment Manager. He is

undertaking a charity sea kayaking

challenge to raise money for the Royal

National Lifeboat Institute and the

Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust. Steve

and his family have lived on the Wirral for

three generations and his father, Dr Gareth

Parry, passed away in May 2012 after a 6-

year illness. During his long working career

in West Kirby, Dr Parry was also the

voluntary lifeboat doctor for Hoylake and

West Kirby crews over a 25 year period. In

2012 he was awarded the Gold Medallion

for service to the RNLI although he was not well enough

to receive this great honour in person. After losing his

father, Steve Parry decided that he wanted to undertake

a charitable challenge to raise £4000 by sea kayaking the

gruelling 30 miles from the lifeboat station in Llandudno

along the Welsh coast and ending at the Hoylake lifeboat

station on the Wirral. To make this challenge even more

impressive Steve had an operation on his back 9 years ago

and his first time in a sea kayak was in November 2012.

Diary of a Sea Kayaker

Since losing my Dad last year, I have found life pretty hard going.

The impact of losing someone that you are so close to is

something that you never get over or indeed should feel that you

have to but, to help me focus on the positive things

in life, I decided that I would set myself a challenge

to raise £2000 for the RNLI and £2000 for the

Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust. My father

supported the RNLI during his life by being the

doctor to the Hoylake and West Kirby crews and he

was also on stand-by in case there was ever a need

to have a doctor on board during any of the

emergency call outs. My father had volunteered

these services for almost 26 years and as a result he

was awarded the gold medallion for length of service

early in 2012 which is something that he was

extremely proud of. In 2006 he was diagnosed with

Myeloma and during his illness the doctors used the

skills and medical techniques that the Anthony Nolan Bone

Marrow Trust have developed: I have also been on their donor

register since my Grandmother died from Leukaemia when I was a

teenager. They are a fantastic charity and save lives every day by

matching voluntary donors with patients suffering from a wide

range of blood disorders.

In November 2012, I and Steve Guinness (Head of Design and

Technology) went to Anglesey to do a sea kayak course with

Adventure Elements. We arrived on Anglesey early in the morning

and only had a short wait before

James Stevenson from Adventure

Elements arrived in his van. His happy

demeanour calmed us both instantly

and the fun was soon to begin. We

got down to business with some

excellent background teaching from

James. Tidal information and kit details

were coming thick and fast. The boats

looked huge, 17 and a half foot to be

exact, much bigger than anything I'd

ever seen before. We loaded up the

van and headed across the island to

Moelfre on the east coast. We kitted

up and got down to the waters edge.

Within minutes we were on the

water. I was extremely glad that the

sea was so calm as it was going to

make things a lot easier for a couple

of novices on our first sea kayaking

outing. Once on the water I was amazed at how wobbly

everything felt. I was twitching like mad to keep things level and

the immensity of the challenge that I had set myself was starting to

sink in. After a quick introduction on the water from James and a

Please remember that Birkenhead School is

a DOG-FREE CAMPUS. Sometimes,

however, parents do accompany their dogs

to watch sports matches at Mac Field and

Noctorum Field over the weekend. If your

dog does enjoy coming to the odd sports

fixture, please ensure any of its deposits are

scooped up and taken away with you .

Thank you.

In Focus March 2013 Page 28

bit of forward paddling technique we were off

along the coast. I was amazed at how quickly

we settled into moving the boats around; I

think it was all down to the expert tuition of

James and not any in built skill on our part. As

we headed along the coast the lifeboat siren

sounded, I took this as a sign of approval to my

challenge to raise money for the RNLI but

there was a full launch of the lifeboat and it

sped off around to the North end of Anglesey.

I hope no one was in serious danger. We

carried on heading South East and stopping in

the bays as we went for pointers on technique

and balance. I loved it and felt at home on the

water. There is something special about

powering yourself along and that feeling of

being on the sea, looking back at the land. I felt

like I had left all my daily stresses and strains

behind, it was simply magical. As we approached lunchtime, Steve

Guinness started looking a bit grey as he was feeling a bit worse

for wear. The undulating tide had not done him any favours so we

headed back in so that he could have a bit of time to recover by

the van. James and I headed back out past the lifeboat station and

around a small island to have a play in the tide. It was very exciting

and with some waves to contend with I could see this was getting

to be very addictive. I was grinning from ear to ear although

starting to feel quite worn out. Lots of trunk rotations and

paddling was starting to show that my swimming and press ups

preparation was no match for the effort needed for kayak fitness.

As we came back into the bay at the end of a great day we were

greeted by a beautiful rainbow which Steve Guinness managed to

snap on his phone. What a way to end the day!

The next morning the planning could begin. I needed a boat, a set

of paddles and some kit. I had been given some contacts by James

from Adventure Elements and quickly managed to source a boat

on long term loan from Liz at P&H Sea Kayaks in Runcorn. They

manufacture plastic and composite boats that are truly stunning in

design and visual appearance. I was also put in touch with Lance

Mitchell who runs a family business in Chester called Mitchell

Blades. After a few emails and phone calls I met up with Lance and

he has made me a custom set of carbon fibre paddles. They are

truly exquisite in design and are as light as a feather too which will

make life a bit easier when I am out paddling. I quickly realised that

the kayaking world is a very friendly place with people bending

over backwards to help me out. After a bit of grovelling with a

company called Peak UK I have also managed

to get some discount kit to wear in the boat,

so I am good to go and will be out and about

on the water training as much as possible over

the coming months.

I have set up a web blog at:

www.charitypaddler.co.uk

I also have a Just Giving site at:

www.justgiving.com/teams/charitypaddler

If you would like to follow my progress or

would like to sponsor one of my causes, I

would be extremely grateful. It is also possible

to text a donation to one of my 2 charities if

you would like to support me on my challenge.

If you text the code:

CHPA88 £5 or CHPA88 £10

To 70070 you can donate to my RNLI target

If you text the code:

CHPA99 £5 or CHPA99 £10

To 70070 you can donate to my Anthony Nolan target

In Focus March 2013 Page 29

At the end of 2012, with some reluctance, we allowed Clive Button,

our Bursar for more than twelve years, to retire.

He joined us in 2000 from a career with British Nuclear Fuels and

bravely offered to bring his business experience to bear on the

challenges of an independent school. From the start he has

supported the Governors and guided the Headmaster to keep their

eyes on the strategic issues for the business of the School – indeed,

within weeks of his arrival, he was writing memoranda to the then

Chairman highlighting things which needed guidance from the top!

Clive has a passion for older cars – a recent issue of In Focus told of

one of his adventures in his Wolseley – and he set to work to ‘tune

the engine’ of Birkenhead School so that we kept cash flow under

control and could plan for a succession of capital projects.

In addition to seeing through a rationalisation of the School’s legal

structure, he oversaw the sale of land in the northeast corner of the

site and, amongst other things, the building of Little School, the

upgrade of the class rooms in Big School, the modernisation of the

McAllester building, the Sixth Form Centre and the pavilion at Mac

Field as well as the construction of the new classrooms of the Prep

Extension and the installation of the photovoltaic array on the

Sports Hall roof.

The Bursar has

direct responsibility

for the estate, for

catering and for the

f i n a n c e a n d

administration in

the School. Clive

has worked closely

with his lieutenants

who lead these vital

departments. A

smart and safe

campus does not

look after itself,

lunch does not

appear from nowhere and bills, bursaries and contracts certainly

need professional supervision. Clive watched over all his empire with

an engaging style and a quiet competence which we will miss.

Over time Clive ventured over the line into some quasi-academic

duties. He enjoyed running regular courses for Year 7s on useful

aspects of social etiquette and good manners; his Business Clubs for

the Lower Sixth explored business administration, executed

small commercial ventures and had contact with the ‘outside

wor l d ’ an d l a t e r

developed into the

Bursar’s Apprentice.

We are most grateful to

him for his many

contributions to the

School and particularly

for leaving the business

stable and without debt –

ready to plan for the

next phase of its

development.

Knowing that he wanted

to take up bee-keeping,

the governors presented

Clive with a new hive and

all sorts of equipment to

start him off – and await

an invitation to taste an

early bottle of honey

from the Button-bees.

Clive was keen to have

completed the hand-

over to his successor by

the end of 2012 as he

knew that his next

career was imminent.

Indeed, as with many of

his projects, the timing

was perfect and his and

D e b b i e ’ s f i r s t

grandchild, Wilfred,

arrived on 1 January to

initiate a new and

rewarding phase in their

services to the next

generation.

Andrew Sutton,

Chair of Governors

Clive’s Pride and Joy - his 75-year old Wolseley which once

belonged to Lord Nuffield. Last summer, Clive went on a

fund raising tour to help the National Trust in its fund-

raising for Nuffield Place, a recently acquired property and

once the home of Lord Nuffield.

Sports Hall roof solar panel array

Grandpa and grandson

The Headmaster straps Mr

B u t t o n i n t o h i s n e w

beekeeper’s kit.

Cub Scouts from Birkenhead, Meols and Hoylake, with

parents in tow, attended Birkenhead School recently to

work towards their Science badges. BS students from

the 6th Form Beyond the Curriculum Science Research

Group, the Solar Group and Junior Science Club helped

the cubs who have to complete 6 activities from a range

of scientific experiments. For example, they must be able

to demonstrate that hot air rises, or recover dissolved

substances from a water solution, or identify

constellations or perhaps set up and observe a wormery.

The session was great fun and it was good to see

everyone working together.

M Hayward, Head of Science

In Focus March 2013 Page 30

On a cold but dry day, the senior rugby squad gathered at McAllester

Field in anticipation of the eagerly awaited House Sevens competition.

Shrewsbury were the bookies’ favourites and began strongly with a

victory over Beresford. Kingsmead made hard work of beating Bidston,

eventually winning 34 – 14.

In the second round of matches Shrewsbury made short work of

Bidston, winning 47 – 0, and Kingsmead also beat Beresford.

So Beresford and Bidston played off for third place and in a very

competitive match Bidston beat Beresford, who struggled, having lost

their paceman Alex Watkins early on in the competition.

The final brought together the two unbeaten teams but Shrewsbury

were just too strong for Kingsmead and took the trophy with an

impressive victory.

Many thanks to Mr Rule and Mr Hayward for their sterling efforts with

the whistle and to the small crowd that turned up to watch.

D Hendry, i/c 1st XV

In Focus March 2013 Page 31

On 5 February, our U10 and U11 athletic teams made their way to

Robin Park in Wigan. It seemed a long journey but we finally

arrived ready to race and try to win some medals. There were

approximately 30 schools there that we would be competing

against.

Our events started off with Block One, the U10 girls’ field events

and the U11 boys’ track events. The field events were made up of:

the balance, vertical jump, speed bounce, long jump, triple jump,

javelin and chest push. The track events consisted of one- lap and

three-lap races. Shortly following these events, we moved onto

Block Two, the U10 boys’ field events and the U11 girls’ track

events.

The results from the first block were then announced, and we won

two medals. Matthew Diaz-Rainey won the U10 boys’ speed

bounce, breaking the record from last year, and Jaime Stanton

gained third place in the U11 girls’ one-lap.

We still had two more blocks to go, with the opportunity to win

more medals, but we couldn’t have done it without having our

lunch first. After this energy boost, we carried on with Block

Three, the U10 girls’ track events and the U11 boys’ field events.

Following on from these events, we moved smoothly onto the final

block, the U10 boys’ track events and the U11 girls’ field events.

To finish the day’s athletic activities, there were the U10 and U11

boys’ and girls’ obstacle relays and the parlauf race.

Our day was now almost over but we still had to keep our

heads up and remain focused because the results for the

afternoon were yet to be announced and we were full of

anticipation and excitement.

In the U10 girls’ track events, Abi Saverimutto was first and

broke the record in the one-lap race and Emmelline Barry

came third in the three-lap race. Unfortunately, the U10 boys

didn’t win any individual medals in the track events but, with a

display of great determination, managed to take 3rd place in

the obstacle relay. The successful members of the team were

Matthew Diaz-Rainey, Luca Infante, Samarth Kumar and Timur

Alcock. In the U11 girls’ field events, we gathered two more

medals. Molly Rogerson-Bevan took third place in the soft

javelin and Jaime Stanton came first, breaking last year’s record,

in the chest push. Just as successful as the girls, the U11 boys

won two medals in their field events. Adam Dutton came third

in the chest push and Miles Morton came first in the vertical

jump,, breaking last year’s record.

All in all we had a fantastic day. We had four first places, all

gaining records in the process, and came home with nine

medals overall. A very well done to everyone who took part.

We had an amazing day and on behalf of the athletics team, I

would like to thank Mr Corran for making this event possible

and also Mr Stockdale for helping us get there and supporting

us. Jaime Stanton, 6H

Birkenhead School thanks all those involved on the committees and in the

organisation of the former School Bus Clubs for their dedication and hard

work. For many, many years they were responsible for organising the

transport of children from all areas of Wirral to both Birkenhead School and

Birkenhead High School. Since the latter became an Academy and alternative

transport arranged, the Bus Clubs have been wound up. The Bus Club

Committee decided to donate half of the Bus Club’s operational funds (over

£7,500) to the School to help with its transport costs. This will be a

tremendous boost when BS needs to purchase a new minibus and the School

is most grateful.

In Focus March 2013 Page 32

After a very good season, with the only disappointment being the

number of games cancelled due to the weather, the 1st XV approached

their Cheshire Cup semi-final with real confidence but also respect for

the opposition, Lymm, last year’s runners-up.

We kicked off on a beautiful sunny day but after a brisk start Lymm

scored under the posts. After this, we put our heads down and took

control of the game and the ball, and after 20 minutes we were 17 – 7

up, with tries from Walker, Crosby, and Maddox. Then came a period of

heroic defence, as Lymm pounded away on our try line, until the referee

blew his whistle for half-time.

A low scoring second half, dominated by defence, saw Lymm score wide

out, to take a 19 – 17 lead. A penalty by Crosby put us back in front 20

– 19, with only 13 minutes left.

Lymm had looked dangerous every time their backs got the ball and they

could quickly turn defence into attack. It was after some fine handling

that they scored another try to take a 24 – 20 lead.

However, the School picked themselves up and attacked from their own

tryline. Two minutes later, with full-time nearly up, Patrick Cannon wriggled over the tryline at the bottom of a ruck, 25 – 24… BUT

… the referee could not see the grounding and the ‘try’ was not allowed! Then followed the final whistle.

Both teams had given everything and contributed to a fantastic game of rugby. We wish Lymm well in the final and now we move on to

the Sevens season, a report of which will appear in the next In Focus. D Hendry, i/c 1st XV rugby

On Friday and Saturday, 1 and 2 March, competitors from BPS took part in

the Wirral Festival of Music, Speech and Drama.

Competitions everyone took part in were: Sight reading, Prose reading,

Character study, and Poem and Bible reading. The adjudicators all had

different views on how the set pieces should be performed.

Everyone tried their hardest and some won trophies, including: Harrison

Brodbelt in Year 2 for his Prose reading and Poetry reading; Shannon High

for Year 4 Bible reading; Ted Ford, Year 5 Bible reading; Grace Harvey, Year

5 Prose reading; and Shuban Kumar for Year 4 Prose reading.

We would like to thank our drama teacher, Mrs Gwynn, for all the teaching

and support she gave us and we would also like to thank all the competitors

for taking part.

We think that the whole competition was a great success.

Grace Harvey and Jessica Brodbelt, Yr 5

Photo above:

Back Row L to R: Adam Aly 4R, Emmeline

Barry 5B, Grace Harvey 5C, Jessica Brodbelt

5C, Edward Ford 5C

2nd row from back L to R: Shannon High 4C,

Shuban Kumar 4W, Aoife Moore 4C, Freya

Hannan-Mills 4C, Cerys Evans 5B

3rd row from back L to R: Eoin Moore 2A, Na-

thaniel Ford 2A, Ethan Brown 2H, Oliver

Brennan 3B, Suzy Aly 3B

Front row L to R: Jacob Williams 2M, Hayden

Collins 2A, Luca Dawson 2M, Harrison Brod-

belt 2H