Headteacher Dear Parents and Carers, I am delighted to be writing to you at the end of my first term as Headteacher at The Bishop’s Stortford High School. I feel I have really begun to experience and appreciate the strength of The Black & Gold spirit that exists in and around the school, that is encapsulated by the contributions the students make and the many wonderful opportunities and events made available to the students. My first impressions of the students and staff have been very encouraging. This school is blessed with a host of committed teachers who work very hard to provide an excellent experience for the students. In return the students show great appreciation and grasp the opportunities with both hands. I’ve managed to spend time in lots of lessons already and have been encouraged by the students’ engagement in learning. On the whole, they have conducted themselves in an impressive manner, often displaying excellent attitudes and outstanding leadership qualities. This has been exemplified by the outgoing sixth form leadership team, who have done a tremendous job this year with, and on behalf of, the wider student body and I look forward to thanking them in person in our final assembly on Friday, as we welcome in the new team. I thoroughly enjoyed my first series of Easter services this week at St Michael’s Church and was pleased to be treated to the same high standards of student performance that I have witnessed at many events already this term. The Music Festival Finalé saw some truly professional displays of talent, with Oliver Philcox proudly taking home the Young Musician of the year award, just ahead of Eli Haines and Remé Hannan. Equally impressive have been our very own Swing Band, who have already made several public performances in the local community, including the Stansted Airport anniversary celebrations and more recently the Civic reception at the Rhodes Centre. They are in much demand. I would like to thank the many families who have played host to overseas students this term as part of our extensive languages exchange programme. I’m sure you’ll agree the students involved gain a huge amount from it and it would simply not be possible without the hard work of the staff involved and the support we receive from parents. This is an example of how, at TBSHS, we value the close relationships we have fostered with schools and organisations around the world that have led to us receiving an International Schools Award, another great accolade for this school and recognition of the tremendous effort the staff and students make. Thanks must also go to those parents who give endlessly of their time and energy to support the school through the PTFA, the PSA and the Mitre Team. The funds you raise, through your heroic efforts on our behalf, make a massive difference to the students. As you will read below, our students continue to thrive in the sporting arena with notable successes being the boys of mixed age groups who helped to get two teams through to the regional karting finals in Kent next term and the Year 7 rugby squad who won the St Olave’s 7-aside tournament and this week became the 10-aside county champions, a very impressive achievement. It was also wonderful to see so many students involved in the House Football competition recently, with students from every year group acquitting themselves superbly in front of the many staff, parents and family members who came along to support them. Congratulations must also go to both the junior and senior Youth Speaks teams who represented the Bishop’s Stortford Rotarians at Essex County Hall in Chelmsford this term. They acquitted themselves superbly in representing the local area. Students have had no fewer than three opportunities to work with the BBC this term, starting with our hosting of The Big Questions for BBC1; interviews with former pupil and Radio 1 DJ Greg James for a BBC webcast marking the centenary of the outbreak of The Great War and most recently through the BBC News Day, where students recorded a series of bulletins and interviews to be linked to the BBC website. This week we have begun work to improve our connection to the mains water supply. Essential maintenance work will also take place next term to improve our drainage system and to replace the roof on a large part of the main building. Our site team will work very hard to ensure that any disruption is kept to an absolute minimum. All students in examination years will be well aware of the need to use their time wisely over the two week break. They have already put many hours into preparing for the summer exams, but the pressure will increase significantly as the exam season begins in earnest in May. I wish them all the very best of luck and must say a huge thank you, on their behalf, to our fantastic staff for working tirelessly to give the students every chance of success. Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a relaxing and enjoyable Easter break and look forward to welcoming you back, refreshed, in the summer term. Yours sincerely

Mr. Dale Reeve

Whole School Report Extra Curricular Community The Big Questions The BBC and ' The Big Questions' came to TBSHS http://www.tbshs.org/NewsArticle.aspx?NewsID=247

International Commonwealth Day 2014 Mr Reeve reads a message from The Queen on Commonwealth Day http://www.tbshs.org/NewsArticle.aspx?NewsID=266

International Award TBSHS re credited with the International Award http://www.tbshs.org/NewsArticle.aspx?NewsID=241

Academic Student Achievement Awards Evening 2013 High School Welcomes back Ian Shaw to Awards Evening http://www.tbshs.org/NewsArticle.aspx?NewsID=234

Mitre Fund Charity The Big Black and Gold Auction We are pleased to announce that the Mitre Fund Committee raised £2994 with items generously donated by local businesses, staff and parents. Many thanks to Lynn Law, Philip Godfrey, Jullie McDermott, all the staff at TBSHS and the parents who helped organise the auction.

Head of Faculty Reports Arts & Physical Education As the HOF for the Arts and PE I genuinely never know where to start or what to say. I can't pick out a single teacher for a heartier pat on the back than any other. They work so hard in the class, often late into the evening with pupils and on Saturdays and the occasional Sunday. I do not know where to apportion my congratulations where the student body is concerned either because so many of them respond warmly to the opportunities offered in our faculty. But then I suppose this is what defines our faculty, and I am glad that it does. Its not just within timetabled time that we do our level best to stretch your children, but the rapport enjoyed is such that we thoroughly enjoy stretching them outside of it too and I guess one buttresses the other. We've had concerts, revision sessions, productions and trips, sports fixtures and competitions and the spirit of the Black and Gold is certainly reflected in these endeavours. But as with all good things an end is needed, both for pupils and for staff. The break from one another is essential so that batteries can be re-charged on all sides. Next term is THE term. It is when excellence must become the norm in all activities but in particular with examinations. There can be no 'if's' nor any 'but's' about it. So please do encourage your sons and daughters to have something of a break over Easter, but expect us to expect nothing less than 100% from them throughout April, May and June, and please support all of us when the pressure we appear to be exerting on your children seems huge: we are just doing our jobs and we are guided by principle and vocation. In the meantime, have a wonderful Easter. Thank You, John Pearson-Phillips.

Art There has been more and more of a buzz developing throughout the second term in the art department. Extra curricular activities are growing in popularity and work from the autumn term has been built on and developed. Our Friday night trips have continued to keep the keener members enthused and challenged, and plans set out for the St Ives trip with Year 9's are all in place and will happen in May. Students’ work in and around the art department has been going up and is freshening the place up! Our Tuesday lunchtimes for extra curricular art has pretty much been extended to every lunchtime of the week. Boys from all year groups have been getting stuck in with painting, clay sculptures and exam development, and it is great to see different year groups working and socialising alongside one another. The first few of the ambitious 8’ x 4’ boards that the art scholars have been busy working on are nearly complete and will be ready to go up in the main corridor sometime soon after the Easter break. Trip Our most recent Friday trip saw us take a group of around 20 boys from Year 7, 8 and 10 to the Tate Britain. Once again the trip was a huge success and was thoroughly enjoyed by all. The boys represented the school fantastically well and after the gallery we had a lovely meal in the restaurant above the Morpeth Arms overlooking the Thames. The Art department is looking forward to May where we will be hosting a group of 20 Year 7 students from Dutch school Dorenweerd College. A workshop is being arranged and together with the Dutch students we will create a series of large scale sculptures that will encapsulate aspects of TBSHS and Dorenweerd College. The boys involved are: Lucca Martin, Nicholas O’Connor, Christian Stimpson, William Walker, Tahiyan Khan, Josh Walker, Josh Ellis, Joseph Woods, Oliver Stevens, Oliver Bontoft, Dan Matthews, Elliot Long, Sam Philps, Euan Caton, Connor Foord, Boyd Dunster, Simon Catchpole, Myles Chandler, Mattie Yeoman, Louis Sutherland Harry Hewitt, Robbie Johnson, James Hall , Bailey Albert , Josh Schlanker, Henry Rose

Sixth Form The 6th formers have been working hard with their examination preparation and there are lots of interesting and diverse ideas emerging. They have clearly established their studio space and are developing their own artistic voice. This term has been busy and enjoyable, and I wait in anticipation to see what the uptake will be like for Art this year with the current Year 8 cohort. It will be great to see the department grow and continue to flourish. Art Scholars Art scholars have continued to be involved with the extra-curricular typography project. The first lot of 8’ x 4’ boards are nearly ready to go up on display down the main school corridor. Trips since the last mitre have been to the Tate Britain and a trip to St Ives is planned and ready to go with Year 9s in May. We are running an Art workshop with a group of Dutch students in May with Year 7s. Students have been coming in on a daily basis to extend their artistic abilities. Work from all Key Stages is being uploaded to the Saatchi website for next year’s school prize. Paul Withyman

Drama It was another busy term in the Drama Department rich with extra-curricular clubs, rehearsals, theatre trips and the AS Monologue & Duologue performance evening. Please read about what the students in our department have been getting up to with many in upcoming television and local theatre productions. I would like to thank my colleagues Hayley Bart-Williams and Paul Pell-Ilderton for all their hard work and dedication to the students, the department and the extra-curricular activities that we run. A big thank you to those students who have helped us with clubs, events and productions.

Congratulations to the following students for receiving University Offers to read Drama, Theatre Studies, Performing Arts and/or Film Studies: Meghann Cook- Portsmouth University Jack Davison- Winchester University Lucy Cowell- Bath Spa University Rob Connor- Canterbury Christchurch University Issy Bright- Royal Holloway University Tom Dickerson- Winchester, Bath Spa and Anglia Ruskin and Roehampton University. The following students are currently auditioning for prestigious London Drama Schools: Remé Hannan, Issy Bright, Rob Connor, Lucy Cowell and Tom Dickerson. I would like to take this opportunity to remind you about our Drama Website: www.tbshsdrama.co.uk Please visit our website for an opportunity to view photos and write ups of productions past and present, extra-curricular opportunities, extra- curricular timetable, calendar of upcoming events and trips, curriculum information and newsletters. Thanks to Tony Hepworth for photography of Drama events this year. Have a great Easter! Natalie Maher Head of Drama.

Extra Curricular Clubs Report Drama Scholars

(Year 7-8) Friday lunchtimes. Studio 26 HXB

Elliot Sanfilippo Lewis Wilcox Logan Simons Tom woods Conor Davis James Gor Joseph Eringa Josh Davis Sean Wade Jordan Perry Sam Holloway Max Hadley Louis Charles Jackson James Nash Taran Panesar "It's the best way to end the week!" - Tom "The highlight of TBSHS" - Taran

The drama department would like to say a massive thank you to their scholars this term who have worked extremely hard. Their contribution is invaluable and their commitment to the department is exemplary. Hayley Bart-Williams “This term in Drama Scholars we have been focusing upon improvisation and how the students can devise their own pieces individually and working as a team. We are currently working on three group performances which have all been created around three different stimuli, one group’s being a pack of cards, the location Sicily and the theme of Crime. Issy Bright and myself, are pleased to handover our leadership roles to the capable hands of Alex Rankin and Jessica Roach, two year 12 drama students who will continue to run the club into 2015.” Tom Dickerson (13)

Technical Theatre Crew

(Year 7-13) Monday after school Studio 70 PPI

Technical Theatre Club has had a great start this year, some students have carried on from last year along with a couple of new recruits. They are all eager to learn and their creativity is starting to show. Here is a student’s thought on the club: “Technical Theatre club is great fun and very interesting. You get to go behind the scenes at all the big school events and climb ladders (under the supervision of Mr Pell-Ilderton). Recently we have been looking into how certain lights work and how they make those incredible patterns! If you like the look of the great light and sound for shows that Mr Pell-Ilderton does then come along to Technical theatre on a Monday after school and learn more!” Julius Field Paul Pell-Ilderton

Lower School Drama Club

(Year 7/8) Thursday lunchtime Studio 70 PYT Lower School Drama Club spent the first half of the term exploring melodrama. Students enjoyed exploring elements of ' exaggerated acting', including facial expressions, tone of voice and stock characters/storylines. Groups then devised and performed their own short melodramas. In the second half of the term, we have returned to improvisation and students have had fun adding elements to group freeze-frames and scenes. The challenge has been to think on their feet and go with the first idea that they come up with! Students also greatly enjoyed an improvisation session run by Mrs Stephens .Thanks go to Jodie Belcher and Sean Laycock for helping with Drama Club.

Tanya Panayiotou

Middle school drama club

(Year 9/10) Wednesday lunchtime studio 26 “The seemingly casual club held on Wednesday lunchtimes by Ryan Probyn and Eloise Baker, bursts into its own fervent element as the zealous young boys explore drama through role play, improvisation and process drama games. However, those walking past room 26 will notice an air of focus escalating from the door, for our boys have an aspiration; to perform their own plays. The band of 15 young men, have split into two squadrons, one claiming the genre “Horror” as their victim, whilst the other grip tightly to “Action”. The plays are entirely fashioned by the groups; however the Sixth Formers act as scaffolders to the main build, adding structure fractionally. Ryan and Eloise also enable investigation of characterisation by creating role-on-the-walls, hot seating - entwining A-Level practioner methods to each session. Overall the troop are teeming with passion for drama and are restless in the await of their performances . . . which date will be announced soon!” Eloise Baker

Production Report “Studio 70 was once again packed full of students, staff, parents and friends. There was a buzz in the auditorium as our year 13s took to the stage in their last performances at TBSHS. The standard of work was once again incredibly high and this was testament to hours of work inside and outside of lessons that they had put into research, development, scripting, creating, rehearsing and devising their own pieces. We saw a cult of cannibals in one piece with inspiration from the works of Berkoff and in the second piece we saw Studio 70 transformed into a smoky air raid shelter with all members of the audience made to wear masks influenced by the recent theatre trip we took them to see called “The Drowned Man”. We are very proud of their achievements and had great feedback from members of the audience.”

Natalie Maher

Carne Humana

“The 50’s is an era that was recognised for fashion, beauty and change. However, the way in which change has occurred here is not exactly what you would think. Through looking at life from the perspective of the upper class, we see how a cult is formed through their wealth and similar tastes. However are these similar tastes pushing the boundaries to another level?

Through this piece you will explore the dysfunctions that can occur within relationships, and how the representation of women creates a constant power struggle throughout. This cult is not what you would call ‘normality’; therefore we have used the practitioner of Steven Berkoff to show this extravagant lifestyle through a form of stylized drama.”

Cast List Henry Thompson – Arthur Remé Hannan – Vanessa Lucy Cowell – Maggie Clara Kightley – Catherine Rob Connor - William

Sheltered

“Set in World War 2, Sheltered is a piece of immersive theatre that challenges the audience’s perception to keep a focus on the main narratives while also being part of the action. Inspired by Artaud’s “Theatre of Cruelty” and the Punch Drunk piece “The Drowned Man”, we explore the boundaries of class, gender and age through the struggle of the sexist times of the 1940s, juxtaposed with the claustrophobic feel of being trapped inside a bomb shelter. The inclusion of gas masks, having scattered groups of seating and singling out certain members of the audience really pushes the comfort zones of those watching.” Cast List Jack Davison- Frank Tom Dickerson- Tom Issy Bright- Kathy Meghann Cooke - Lily Teddy Treble- Dennis

Trip Globe Theatre Tour and Museum followed by Henry V starring Jude Law at The Noel Coward Theatre Wednesday 5th February 2014 Unit 4 of A2 Theatre and Drama Studies is the written examination worth 60% of the A2 year. For their examination, students have to compare a modern Shakespeare production with how it would have been performed in the original performance conditions. We chose Henry V and saw Jude Law playing the title role. “On Wednesday 5th January a group of year 13 students went to the Globe theatre in London. The purpose of this trip was to show us what the theatre was like in Shakespearean times, so we could compare it to a modern theatre production. During the course of this visit we had a tour of the Globe and then we looked around the museum. When we first got there we were given a short introduction by the tour guide and then we went upstairs where we were told about the history of the Globe and how this is the third Globe. We also learned that when remaking the Globe they tried to make it as close to the original as possible, even using the same wood as the first Globe. After this we went inside. There were a group of students rehearsing their version of a Shakespeare play. The tour guide tried to talk around the students screams. We initially stood in the area called the pit, we were told that this was the place where people could stand and watch a show for just a penny, the people who stood here were called ‘groundlings’. She then explained to us that as you go up each tier the tickets would be more expensive, until you got to the royal boxes where the monarch would go to ‘hear’ the play. We went and sat at the lowest tier of seats where we watched the students rehearse a bit more and where the tour guide explained more about the globe. While we were here we were told about how plays would have only been during the day, because they needed the sun to light the stage. We were also informed that the area called the ‘Heavens’, above the stage, was where all the sound effects were made. In one performance in 1613 a cannon in the heavens created a fire that destroyed the first Globe. The tour guide led us up to the third tier into one of the boxes where we learned a bit more about who went to watch the shows. We went up one more tier and sat in one of these areas, while up here we were told about the actors of the time. We learned that there were no women actors so boys from the choir schools had to play the female parts, at this point one of us was told we would make an excellent Juliet. We then descended the Globe and looked around the shop, thus ending our tour. After a short look around the museum, where we saw some Shakespearean costumes and some model reconstructions of 17th century London, we headed to The Noel Coward Theatre to see a modern adaption of the first play shown at the Globe, Henry V.” Jack Davison Year 13 “On Wednesday the 5th of February, ten Year 13 drama students headed off to London to visit the Globe Theatre for a tour and to look at the museum. After dinner out at Prezzo we went to watch ‘Henry V’ staring the very famous Jude Law. We were all very enthusiastic; as it is part of the syllabus for our A2 exam. It was a fantastic production with great use of staging, lighting and costume. With some of our minds boggled at the puzzling Shakespearean language, we left the Noël Coward theatre to brave the return journey with tube strikes. We arrived just in time to catch the last train home after running through the streets of London at 11pm with Ms Maher shouting “once more unto the breech dear friends, once more”. We arrived home at nearly 1am exhausted, but exhilarated from the experiences gained during the course of the day and evening. A big thank you to Ms Maher for organising this trip for us.” Teddy Treble Year 13

Workshops/ Talks Actor Workshop : Darren Murphy

Wednesday 29th January 2014

“On Enhancement Day, Wednesday 29th January, TBSHS Drama Department held a monologue/duologue workshop for the current Year 12 Drama and Theatre Studies Students, which was led by a guest visitor; actor Darren Murphy. During the 2 hour workshop, he rotated around the class, aiding the Year 12s with their monologues and duologues, which will count for 30% of their AS grade when they perform them on Tuesday 2nd April. Darren was an excellent critique for bringing our performance to life; he broadened the horizon for us and allowed us to think creatively with how we portray our character and their emotions. Darren’s advice and words made my own monologue develop enormously within the blink of an eye; he also helped us to visually set a foundation of our performance which we could then build on. Darren also gave us useful tips on intriguing the audience and maximising the impact that they feel. Overall, the workshop was extremely helpful and useful, our knowledge and understanding of our performance, and our techniques were boldly enhanced by Darren’s invaluable advice.” Sean Laycock

“Whilst in the middle of performing, in walks an actor. Automatically he spies our mistakes with eagle-like precision and swoops in to iron out our flaws. Darren Murphy, came to visit the privileged classes of Year 12 in order to help sculpture and perfect the AS level monologues and duologues in preparation for the 2nd of April. Jack Tulloch and myself (Eloise Baker) were amongst the few on which Mr. Murphy (or as he preferred – Darren) focused. Although a little daunting at first due to his high level of expectation, his outgoing manner and casual tone coaxed us into a more comfortable level. His first protocol was safety. Using new exercises he taught us to stretch our muscles and relax before reassuring our technique with the more complex lifts. His work with us progressed rapidly, as we explored “moments of tension” – dramatic pauses sporadically placed within rapid violent physical sequences to create a highly strung atmosphere. The physical sequences were intensified when Darren introduced “Emotion memory” – taking a personal memory and reliving it within the mind to induce a more realistic emotional response. By the end of the session we were sufficiently exhausted: sweaty and ready to collapse, however the work was beyond rewarding and I can only give my gratitude to Darren and his patience with us.” Eloise Baker Here are some other responses from Year 12 students about their experience of the workshop: “Darren influenced what was previously a static scene consisting of two characters having a conversation. By honing our attention to the specific delivery, purpose, and context behind each line, we were able to effectively enhance the strength of our individual characters.” Cameron Hogan “Darren made my performance relevant to my life- which has allowed me to develop my understanding of my monologue and caused me to really focus on areas of improvement” Sarah Snowdon

“It was wonderful to see a friend of mine who is working in the profession to come in and impart his knowledge and experience of auditioning and acting to my students. The 4 hours of dedicated workshop sessions really

benefitted my A level students and I could see the progress that they had made in their work. It instilled a confidence in their work. Darren also did a talk/ Q&A with a selection of all the Gifted & Talented Drama students from Years 7-11 about what it is like to work in the Acting Industry and give them tips and advice on their forthcoming West End and National Youth Theatre Auditions”. Natalie Maher

6th Form Productions AS Monologue & Duologue Performance Evening

At the point of going to print the performance evening has yet to occur however if the dress rehearsals and mock examinations are anything to go by, the performances are going to be of an incredibly high standard. The performances take place on Wednesday 2nd April from 6pm-9pm where our AS Edexcel examiner will be in attendance in Studio 70. Performances span several theatrical styles from comedy to naturalism to stylised pieces to physical theatre with beautiful movement sequences. We have picked works from Peter Shaffer, Steven Berkoff, Bryony Lavery, Abi Morgan, Edward Bond, Polly Stenham, Sharman Macdonald, Philip Ridley and Martin McDonagh. Natalie Maher / Hayley Bart-Williams

Here are a selection of photos from the dress rehearsals:

Actor Talk: Rufus Wright Tuesday 25th March 2014

“I was delighted to welcome an old friend of mine from Warwick University, Rufus Wright to come and talk to the entire cohort of AS and A2 Drama students along with a few budding stars from Year 11. It was a joy to hear him talk so enthusiastically and passionately about his profession. He showed the students his showreel and took them through his journey from Warwick University, to Central School of Speech & Drama, to his first jobs in acting, to TV, Radio, stage and film. He was brutally honest about how resilient you have to be to work in the industry and gave them tips on how to survive. He was modest about his achievements, talked about the myths and the highs and the lows of working as an actor. Rufus has been in Quantum of Solace opposite Judi Dench, worked with Robert Redford, been in Extras, Miranda, The Bill, Eastenders and recently played David Cameron alongside Helen Mirren as the Queen in The Audience at The Geilgud Theatre. He is currently performing in The One at The Soho Theatre with great reviews! “ Click on the link to see his showreel: http://www.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK//video/demo_reel/vi4164462617/ Natalie Maher “What a great bunch of students- really attentive, intelligent, polite and sharp. A credit to you!” Rufus Wright

“On Tuesday 25th March, actor Rufus Wright visited the TBSHS Drama Department, and delivered an incredibly useful session to current AS and A2 Drama and Theatre Studies students, about the prospect and life of being an actor. Before commencing his talk, he presented a video compilation of all the professional work he has done within the industry of both theatre and television, which included roles in the hit-sitcom Miranda and the box-office smashing Bond movie Quantum of Solace. At the moment, several A2 students are in the midst of drama school applications and AS are researching the prospect of applying; Rufus’ visit provided a perfect window for the students to see a clear outlook on taking the route of studying at a drama school, and then later going on to pursue professional work. Rufus was incredibly open to questions at the end of his presentation, which was insightful and helped current students to broaden their minds with ways in which they can work within the industry and the type of people they might meet. “ Sean Laycock Here is some feedback from students about Rufus’ presentation; “Although it was exciting to see a professional actor - a relatively famous one at that - the session was fairly hard-hitting. It enabled us to perceive the reality of acting and dismiss stereotypes meanwhile showing us the many pathways to the stage door.” Eloise Baker “Rufus’ session was hugely beneficial to all of us, his talk really opened my eyes and made me realise how tough or competitive the industry can be as well as simultaneously explaining the exciting opportunities which can appear without expectation.” Jodie Belcher

Auditions National Youth Theatre and National Youth Music Theatre Auditions

We now have 2 students in NYT- Lily Boulter and Ryan Probyn. Thank you to Lily Boulter who is a member and has been helping in the audition workshop sessions. Congratulation goes to Ryan Probyn, Year 12, who has gained a place in the National Youth Theatre. Having auditioned alongside thousands of young people, this achievement means Ryan is now performing at the highest level, in the footsteps of household names like Matt Smith, Hugh Bonneville and David Walliams. Ryan recently took part in a two week course with NYT giving him the chance to learn from the best and most qualified mentors.

Several students have auditioned for National Youth Theatre and National Youth Music Theatre this year and we eagerly await to hear the outcome of these.

Natalie Maher

Wall of Fame The following TBSHS students have auditioned for and got parts in shows and are currently performing in: ...

“The following students took part in the recent BSMTC Juniors Grease production at the Rhodes Centre; Rob Connor, Tom Dickerson, Ben Graseman, Claire Lowbridge, Evie Murray, Josh Queeney, Alex Stevens & Nick Wood. From the 13th-15th March 2014, eight students from TBSHS performed the much-loved classic ‘Grease’ to a sold out audience every night! With rehearsals beginning in September and only lasting 4 hours every Sunday, the production managed to “step up to the mark” with convincing acting and fast paced dance routines. The Herts and Essex Observer quote: “In short, BSMTC Juniors’ production of Grease left me wanting to rush home and watch it all again and I haven’t stopped singing Grease Is The Word since!” Tom Dickerson

Look out for: Rob Connor is playing the role of Javert in Les Miserables at Harlow Playhouse May 29-31. Also appearing in the show are Josh Queeney who is playing Marius and Campbell Fricker.

Robin Franklin has been given the part of Maurice in the National Youth Music Theatre’s 2014 show Brass by Benjamin Till. The production will open at the city Varieties Music Hall in Leeds and run from 20-23 August.

Student Success William Price and Elliot Sanfillippo have once again been auditioning for West End Shows we eagerly wait to hear how they have gone.

Congratulations to Harry Bennett (Year 7) for passing his Grade 4 LAMDA exam with Distinction.

Congratulations to Meghann Cooke who won her Preliminary Championship competition last weekend. This has qualified her to dance in the Open Championships. Good luck as she prepares to dance as part of a Ceili team at the Irish Dance World Championships to be held at the Hilton London Metropole at Easter.

We are very proud of all their achievements. Break a leg!

Upcoming Drama Productions

GCSE Production Examination Performance Evening of 5 Plays Tuesday 29th April 6pm

6�� Form Production - Black Comedy & Two

Tuesday 6th May 6pm

6th Form Production - Pool No Water & EAST Wednesday 7th May 6pm

Anglo-Dutch Drama Festival Wednesday 4th June

Please do not hesitate to contact the drama department for further information [email protected] [email protected]

Media Film Making Club This term has seen the continuation of Film Making Club and although numbers have dwindled the commitment and interest from dedicated members has not waned. Students have been working on creating their own advertisements and although still in the editing and planning stages I am sure that these films will be of the same calibre as their ‘What Christmas Mean to Me’ films and last terms ‘Our School Music Videos.’ We will now be saying goodbye to Jess Cantrell and Brennan Backs who will hand over to the Year 12 Media Leaders Matthew Houston-Oakley and Kitty Hawkins. We look forward to the new ideas that they will bring but say a hearty thank you to Jess and Brennan for their commitment every Monday evening over the last two years. Media students were also involved in the BBC Big Questions debate, and the BBC School News Report, both events were an inspiration to our students!

TBSHS Black and Gold Oscars We have also reintroducing TBSHS Black and Gold Oscars. In the past this has been a red carpet evening showcasing the amazing talent of students through screening their films to parents and friends. Students are given trophies for ‘Best Director,’ ‘Best Actor,’ ‘Best Cinematography’ and so on. This year Kathleen Toner and Abigail Natali have been given the leadership challenge to bring the Oscars back. We also look forward to including GCSE student’s work on the evening as last time the Oscars ran we only had A level Media and Film Students. Year 13 Magazine Front Covers and Film Posters will also be on display alongside Year 11 Video Game Concepts. This is a night not to be missed – date to be announced early next term.

Music It’s been an extremely busy term in the Music Department (aren’t they all?), with a variety of school and public performances as well as our biggest event of the year, the Music Festival, not to mention the fact that we’ve had a change in staffing within the department with Miss Woods replacing the long-serving Mr Ingrey. This year’s Music Festival, the first in the school for both Miss Woods and I, was a hugely enjoyable experience. In addition to the usual competition element, with heats in a wide variety of categories and covering a vast array of musical genres, our students also enjoyed the opportunity to receive feedback from, and in some cases attend workshops with some truly fantastic visiting musicians. Workshops were delivered by: world renowned session saxophonist, Snake Davis, Dawn Johnston, one of the country’s leading exponents of early string instruments such as the Baroque Guitar, Lute and Theorbo, David Guest, session bassist with a wide variety of professional performing experience, David Eringa, record producer and engineer who has worked with The Manic Street Preachers and Wilko Johnson amongst many others and John Campbell, trumpet soloist and brass group conductor and arranger. These workshops were all extremely enjoyable and informative and I’m sure that those students who attended will benefit from the expertise which these outstanding musicians shared. I was genuinely amazed by the quality of our student’s performances throughout, and there wasn’t a single visiting adjudicator who left the school without commenting upon the student’s behaviour, conduct, preparation and of course, the high standard of musicianship. For the Finalé evening we were privileged to welcome Dr David Skinner, Osborn Director of Music at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge as our adjudicator. As well as some superb performances by our finalists, the audience enjoyed music from the 2nd Concert Band, TBSHS Choir and the newly formed Soul Band. It was an extremely enjoyable and uplifting evening of exceptional musicianship and I must take this opportunity to congratulate all of the finalists but in particular the following: Oliver Philcox Piano – Winner Eli Haines Trombone – Highly Commended Remé Hannan Vocals – Commended Oliver’s performance of Rachmaninoff’s Prelude Op. 3 No. 2 in C# Minor was truly outstanding, combining superb technical virtuosity with a genuine musicality and a strong understanding of the style and period of the piece – a wonderful achievement. Other highlights of the term have included the Swing Band’s performances at Manchester Airport Group’s anniversary evening at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford. It was one of the more unusual gigs I’ve personally been involved in; sitting under the wing of Concorde is a fairly surreal setting for a school band performance. The Swing Band also performed impeccably at Councillor McAndrew’s Civic Dinner at the Rhodes Theatre on 21st March where they were joined by the String Group; Sixth-Form vocal harmony pop group, Rumours and soloist Issy Bright. All of the performances at this event were extremely professional and received great praise from the audience.

Away from the extra-curricular side of the department life, our exam groups have been working hard to complete their coursework and to prepare for forthcoming GCSE and A-level exams. Their hard work and dedication at this time of year will, I’m sure, reap great benefits when the results are released in August and I wish them all the best of luck for the exams although I’m sure they won’t need it.

Forthcoming Concerts Looking forward, I’m planning a music tour in the summer of 2015 and letters will be distributed to students regarding this very soon. Finally, I’d like to draw your attention to the dates of our forthcoming concerts:

April 23rd:

A-Level Recital Evening

May 14th: Staff and Student Concert June 17th Past Pupil Concert July 8th:

Summer Concert

In conclusion, it’s been a busy but hugely rewarding start to life at TBSHS for me. The breadth of musical interests and talents demonstrated by the students makes this a really fun place to work and an exciting environment in which to spend time, both for the staff and the students.

Glen Johnson

Head of Music

Music Spring Term Report I’d like to take the opportunity to say thank you to all staff and students for such a warm welcome to the TBSHS Music Department. It’s been a busy term, with the Music Festival and a few external events, such as playing at Duxford and the Rhodes centre, but it’s certainly been a great way to get to know the students quickly!

We now have a new school ensemble for Year 7’s, the Samba Group. They’re a fun bunch, energetic and exceptionally loud! Hopefully this group will preview at the Summer Concert, so get the date in your diary (8th July), come along and enjoy the carnival spirit!

Judith Woods ,Music Teacher (joined January 2014)

Civic Dinner, Rhodes Centre Friday 21 March Having transported and set up the equipment at the Rhodes Centre in the early afternoon, all acts had a rehearsal, during which the other acts had a good dig around the building and its backstage passages, looking for a way out that could be used that evening.

The girl group, Rumours, consisting of Eve Murray, Jess Roach, and Gemma Myers, entertained the guests as they arrived, with their covers including 'Say Something' by A Great Big World and a 'Timbre/Rather Be' mash-up from artists Kesha and Clean Bandit respectively, being well received.

The school's string group run by Miss Woods, came next with a performance of 'Four Seasons' by the composer Vivaldi, followed by Issy Bright, accompanied on piano and guitar by the Head of Music, Mr Johnson. A couple of songs from their repertoire include the songs 'A Case of You' by Joni Mitchell, and 'The Nearness of You' by Hoagy Carmichael.

Once the receiving acts finished and the guests were seated, a fanfare composed by Mr Litchfield was performed as the head table followed a procession of flags to their seats. This was followed by speeches, toasts and a game of 'heads or tails' before dinner was served and the swing band began to perform. Conducted by music leader Oliver Philcox, a few of the songs performed were 'Caravan', 'Pennsylvania 6-5000', and 'Tuxedo Junction', among others, before finishing with 'Locomotion'. The band were taken notice of far more than is usual for dinner entertainment, with many of the pieces receiving applause from the diners. Having finished we quickly cleared the stage of music, instruments and equipment, and made our way through the passages found earlier in the evening before the post-dinner entertainment.

Overall, the evening was a huge success and we hope the Chairman of the Council, and School Governor, Mr McAndrew, enjoyed our music. Kat Toner Music Leadership Team

Student Success We are delighted to share our student’s success and wish to congratulate the following students who passed their examinations at the end of last term.

Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music

Isaak Phillips – Guitar Grade 1 Freddie Jonas – Trumpet Grade 2 Mitchell Farquharson – Piano Grade 3 Tim Leeman – Clarinet Grade 3 Thomas North – Classical Guitar Grade 3 Freddie Shortland – Trumpet Grade 3 Ioan Parry – Piano Grade 4 Ethan Stacy – Classical Guitar Grade 4 Samuel Harding – Classical Guitar Grade 5 Matthew Neil – Piano Grade 5 Elliot Clark – classical Guitar Grade 5 Kerem Tosun – Classical Guitar Grade 5 Lewis Oakey – Clarinet Grade 5 Luke Tang – Violin Grade 5 Callum Ross – Piano Grade 6 London College of Music

Issy Bright – Musical Theatre Grade 8 Claire Jonas

If you have a student success story, do please let us know so that we can share their achievement email [email protected] A Quartet of Grade 8s

Four Distinctions at Grade 8 for four TBSHS students

http://www.tbshs.org/NewsArticle.aspx?NewsID=237

Young Musician of the Year 2014 The 35th Annual Music Festival

http://www.tbshs.org/NewsArticle.aspx?NewsID=269

Music Theory Report This term has seen the advent of Music Theory classes in the school. Running on Friday lunchtimes, they consist of six students who attend every week to learn the basics of Music Theory; everything from scales to cadences and from figured bass to key signatures. As well as enhancing GCSE music lessons, they prepare the students for their upcoming ABRSM music theory examinations and there are students of all years working at all levels, from Grades 1 to 6. Thank you to all the students who spend their Friday lunchtimes in the club; it has been a pleasure to work with them.

Oliver Philcox

Physical Education Olympic Volleyball Player visits TBSHS Rachel Laybourne, Team GB 2012 Olympian visits school http://www.tbshs.org/NewsArticle.aspx?NewsID=243

U12 A Football Report The football season started with a bang! A 4-2 win for U12 A’s against Saffron Walden County High School. Despite games being cancelled due to bad weather we were off again! A well fought 4-4 draw versus Brentwood School was followed by a competent 4-0 win against Goffs. We played Hockerill in a quarter final 11-a-side District tournament, on 3rd March and comfortably won 4-1 after going behind. The 14th March saw the U12’s team competed in the 6-a-side District tournament. They faced Saffron Walden, Birchwood B and Helena Romanes in their pool. Winning 1 out of the 3, it went down to the wire. The results came in and TBSHS had scraped through on goal difference. We faced Hockerill in the semi-finals. After the 7 minute match we had come out the victors with a 3-1 win. We were going to the Final. Our opponents were Edwinstree Middle School who had won the tournament a year before. Because it was a final, it was a 10 minute match. The game was uneventful with few opening chances. It entered extra time. A tense 5 minute decider was not decided. It went to penalties. Edwinstree were to take the first penalty. They missed but it had to be retaken. They missed again. Tension built as we stepped up to take the penalty. We missed to a good save. They scored, and then we followed by making it 1-1. They crucially missed their 3rd penalty. We scored our final penalty and won the tournament! The day after we had our Inter-House Football with Dane winning overall. The following week we were up against King Edwards Grammar School. With a 4-0 lead at the break it looked an easy win but they showed resistance creating few chances. Despite their best efforts we put another two past them making it a 6-0 win. After our proficient win over Hockerill in the quarter final we faced Edwinstree yet again in the semis. Taking the lead midway through the first half put them on the back foot put we still had a lot to do. Another quick goal after halftime made it 2-0; but a flukish goal got it back to 2-1. In response we scored two more before another before full time giving TBSHS a 5-1 boost into the final yet to play. To end the football season we played Hockerill again and beat them for the third time. The Football season was a positive! From Joshua Schlanker (LR2)

Year 7 Rugby Report Spring 2014 The Year 7 Rugby squad have been on a steep learning curve since they arrived back in September and they have never failed to impress me with their desire to improve and their ability to adapt and overcome. I don’t think I can remember a selection process being as tough as it has been this year as there is so much talent across the year group. There has been some movement between A and B team squads and this has created a healthy but competitive environment for the boys to thrive in.

The boys have demonstrated a sound ability to play the 15 a-side game, but have been tested in learning the Sevens variation and now even the 10 a-side discipline. Each format requires a different strategy and they have coped well with adapting their style of play. Both the A and B team have remained undefeated this term (unless you want to count the games against Year 8 sides that we had to arrange to truly challenge them!), which is testament to their hard work and focus. The Sevens Squad looked very strong at the New Hall Sevens competition and their handling was superb, playing a very exciting and open game, but unfortunately a mix of naivety and nerves got the better of them in the Plate Final. However, they clearly had learnt from this experience and competed well against some very large and well drilled sides at the St Olave’s tournament. The competition was fierce, but we showed true composure, winning all games and being crowned champions! A well deserved win. This was the first time we had entered this tournament, so we hope to still be invited back next year! However, this was not the only championship the U12s won this year. On Tuesday 1st April they competed in the County Championships against the best schools in Hertfordshire. After a wobbly start they soon got into a rhythm and by the semi-finals and finals they were unstoppable. It was an absolute pleasure to watch them play some of the best U12 rugby I have seen and over the course of that day alone they scored 194 points, conceding only 17. I am very much looking forward to seeing this side develop over the years as I think they have an exciting future ahead of them. I think what has made this season so successful is the teamwork and camaraderie amongst the players. They are a well-rounded team, displaying sensational handling, ferocious contact skills, pace in several areas and a good tactical understanding. The vast majority never played rugby before joining TBSHS and I am very grateful to the parents who have fully supported their transition into rugby. Thank you to all the staff, particularly Mr Hale and Mr Walker for helping to train the Year 7s and all of the parents for their unwavering support on the sidelines this year. The boys should be very proud of their achievements and I am sure they will continue to progress well next year.

Mr M Brunker T

Year 8 Football Unfortunately a number of games were lost through the weather this term however it was good to see the commitment boys gave to training in the hope of being selected for one of the teams. There has been fierce competition for places in both the ‘A’ and ‘B’ teams. Players that committed to training and performed well in matches were given the opportunity to play ‘A’ team football and through their performances have demonstrated our strength in depth. Both teams have had successful seasons, starting with 2 tough games away at Brentwood. The ‘A’ team drew 1-1 and the ‘B’ team lost. Since then the ‘B’ team have looked particularly strong with notable wins coming against GOFFS 2-0 and KEGS 6-0. The A team have had some closer matches losing to GOFFS0-1 and drawing with KEGS 3-3. The ‘A’ team have really shone within the district cup and are into final against Birchwood. Their route included beating HRS 6-0 in the semi-final, Hockerill 4-0 in the group stages and SWSC 3-0 in round one. Good luck for the final!

Year 8 Rugby 7’s report This year the year 8’s have been lucky enough to enter a lot of Rugby 7’s tournaments, our first tournament was at Bedford modern (Mr Brunker’s old school) we had a slow start but at the end we were playing really well, and got in to the plate final against Q.E Barnet and we won. Our next tournament was at Berkamsted this was a hard tournament, in the morning games we came 2nd in our pool, and then we were able to play for the plate, we won 2 of our games and then got knocked out by New Hall at the quarter finals, losing only by 2 points. Next we were off to the collage for another tournament it was another slow start losing our first game, however we got in to it and we were put into a pool where we could win the plate, we won the rest of our games and we were in the plate final against St Columbus. In the end we won the game comfortably conceding not points. And over all in the tournament we came 5th. Our last tournament was at was an early one, arriving at school at 6 in the morning, to travel to Rosslyn park, this was a very tough tournament and unfortunately we lost all three of our morning matches which meant we were knocked out and we had to travel back home. I know our whole team would like to say a big thank you to Mr Simpson for coaching us and organising our transport and matches, without Sir it wouldn’t have happened.

Year 11 District Rugby 7s With very little preparation time due to academic commitments at training times the district 7s was going to be a tough competition. The U16 performed very well at the Hertfordshire 7s, winning their group (unbeaten) and then progressing through the semi-final to the Final against tournament favourites Berkhamstead. After giving the opposition 2 early scores, we woke up and started to compete. Final result 24-43 Loss. Our game of the tournament was against Watford. 17-0 down at half time but with a fantastic effort second half we scored 27 unanswered points. Will Marklew was man of the match with 2 Trys and man of the tournament scoring in both the semi and final too. Group 1 TBSHS St Columbus

31 5

Semi Finals TBSHS Richard Hale

26 20

TBSHS Watford

27 17

Berkhamstead Watford

28 21

TBSHS Kings Langley

38 0

TBSHS Hitching

40 7

Mr Paine

Main Final TBSHS

Berkhamstead

24

43

Communications English The Literary Society is back!

We are about to re-launch the prestigious TBSHS Literary Society. This society, which has a long history at TBSHS, is a forum for students to meet and discuss literature, be it books, plays, poetry or film. It is a lively society which encourages debate about literature, ideas and philosophy – as well as taking the lead in shadowing the national CILIP Carnegie Medal Book Awards, setting up writing and poetry competitions, producing a literary magazine and recommending the books we ought to be reading at TBSHS. We meet every week or two, and try to ensure that the lunchtime meetings don’t clash with other events. Attendance at all meetings is not compulsory, but prizes are awarded for ‘Clubmen of the Term’ and attendance is taken into account, as well as how the members have taken a leading role in running the Society. Lunch passes are issued to members. Here are some of the debates we have had in recent years: Is the CHERUB series violent enough? Should we ban Jacqueline Wilson novels? Is Dan Brown a bad writer? The book I would save from a burning library. The Hunger Games is better as a book than as a film. Recent events run by the Literary Society: WOW!125 writing contest TBSHS Poetry competition (run and judged by students) The Literary Society Reader of the Year Invited guests put ‘on the spot’ ( we hope our new Head will be the first of these guests) Carnegie shadowing We now need to get on with the Carnegie shadowing (boys read up to eight books in the next few weeks, then decide which is best and attend an inter-school discussion in the summer term). We have already begun inviting students who we know are avid readers in Years 7 – 10, but if you think your son would be interested in joining, and he hasn’t yet received an invitation, do please let his English teacher know. Simon Macneill

DEBATING – The English Speaking Union (Mace) Debating Competition This term we took a team to Southend to debate in the 2nd round of the competition at Westcliff High School for Boys. Our team of Alice Leadon (Year 13) and Monty Gould (Year 11) were up against New Hall School debating the motion, This House would Ban All Individuals Who Have Advocated or Used Violence in Order to Further a Political Cause From Standing for Election. This 2nd round clash was made up of two debates, the other being between Westcliff and Southend School for Girls who debated the motion, This House would End All State Funding for Artworks That Cannot be Recognised as Art By an Average Member of the General Public. One team would then go through judged across both the debates. Despite using some telling arguments, our team were pushed into third place overall and failed to proceed to the next round. Westcliff were excellent hosts, providing a debating workshop for our students – supplemented by the redoubtable Jon Platts as speech writer and aide – before the debate itself. We will return to the competition next year much the wiser for this year’s experience. Other Debating Competitions This year we entered the Oxford University Schools competition for the first time. Conveniently for us, our regional round was held at Hockerill Anglo-European College, attracting over 40 teams, mostly from selective or independent schools. Some of them, for instance Norwich School and Oakham School, had travelled over 80 miles. Our two teams, David Bloomfield (Year 12) & Monty Gould (Year 11) and Penny Hart (Year 12) & Scarlett Stock (Year 13) had all done some debating in the British Parliamentary style, where speakers only have 15 minutes to prepare their five-minute speeches, before, but the motions were very demanding. The first was “This House Would Take Large Scale Active Steps to Ensure that the Ethnic Makeup of Schools Reflects the Surrounding Area”, followed by “This House Would Abolish Term Limits for Elected Leaders”. Both teams spoke well, putting forward powerful arguments and taking on the points made by their opponents, but unfortunately they did not achieve the “top eight” placing required to gain a spot on Finals Day. I learned afterwards that they had certainly been under consideration for such a ranking. As always, thanks are due to the four speakers and their supporters, who included fellow students Megan Ridout and Joe Dias as well as parents.

Year 9 Trip – The Merchant of Venice, The Globe Friday 21st March

Around 30 Year 9 students along with Mr Patterson, Ms Jopson and Miss Huttlestone visited the Globe theatre on London’s Bankside to take in a performance of The Merchant of Venice sponsored by Deutsche Bank and specifically produced for a student audience.

Although initially sceptical of Shakespeare-for-teens, the production proved to be full of life and vigour, refusing to compromise. The story is a simple one. Antonio – the merchant of the title – is awaiting the arrival of his ships into Venice which will make him rich. In the meantime, he is happy to lend his friend Bassanio money to woo Portia. In order to do this, he borrows the money from the Jew, Shylock. His ships founder, he cannot afford to pay Shylock back and Shylock demands that Antonio meets his bond: he will have a pound of Antonio’s flesh. As we all know, Shylock is defeated in court by Portia – dressed as a man and playing an advocate – and is forced to not only give up his riches but also convert to Christianity. It is classed as one of Shakespeare’s comedies and certainly the company played up the humour of the writing with a physicality and energy which brought plenty of applause from the audience. The production itself, part promenade, part thrust was various and direct enough that nobody was unable to engage with the action. Our feelings about how Shylock is portrayed are somewhat ambivalent: it is a difficult thing to be in a theatre where the Jew gets hissed! In Year 8, the Department takes all the students to the Globe for a day. This was a good experiment to see whether it would be possible to take younger students to a Shakespeare production. The 100 minutes of this play was perfect and the Department will look to see whether they can take more Year 9 students to the Deutsche Bank production next year.

A masked Year 9 member of the audience

Next term, Year 13 students will be back at the Globe to see Shakespeare’s bloodfest revenge tragedy, Titus Andronicus. Advertised as better than a Tarantino – the audience were fainting when it was last produced – it should be a sight to see. [Picture below as a gory taster!]

French Year 12 French Exchange Towards the end of the Spring Term we were delighted to welcome Isabelle Fabre to TBSHS with her 10 French students for 5 days as part of the return visit for the Year 12 Exchange. The 2013/2014 Year 12 French Exchange has been very successful as both French and English have had a fantastic linguistic, cultural and personal experience. Again, I would like to express my thanks to Mrs Kitching for her support and also last but not least, to all the parents and students involved in the Exchange who have been fantastic hosts to our French friends during this busy and exciting period. Merci!!

Year 10 French Exchange Towards the end of the Spring Term we were delighted to welcome Annie Julliard and Sophie Bouton to TBSHS with their 20 French students for 10 days as part of the return visit for the Year 10 Exchange. The 2013/2014 Year 10 French Exchange has been a resounding success as both French and English pupils alike have gained enormously from the experience - from a linguistic, cultural and personal point of view. I would like to express my thanks to Mrs Kitching, Dr. Horgan and Mrs Nattress for their support and also last but not least, to all the parents involved in the Exchange who have been fantastic hosts to our French friends during this busy and exciting period. Merci mille fois et jusqu'à l'année prochaine!

Humanities It has been an extremely busy term within the Humanities Faculty. After spending February half-term in the Austrian Alps with fifty Y8 and 9 students, I found myself staying in Willie Lott’s Cottage (the one in ‘The Haywain’ by John Constable). On this occasion there were only thirty-six Y12 geography students to share my time. This scenario seems to be the lot of a teacher in the Humanities Faculty! In this section of ‘The Mitre’ you will be able to get a sense of the varied opportunities that we offer our students. From trips abroad - Russia (History) and New York (Politics), to televised events and guest speakers. We have concentrated our extracurricular efforts on the older students as they prepare for their exams, but the younger students will have more opportunities next term. The staff of the Humanities Faculty understand the value of extra-curricular events and we work hard so that all students can experience a full learning experience here The Bishop’s Stortford High School. The Easter break is a much needed one!

Mr J. P. Griffiths

Geography It’s been another busy term in Geography with exam preparation now in full swing. Year 12s took to the coast to put their fieldwork skills into practice and Year 13s had the opportunity to talk to two experts who kindly share their insights into development issues with our A-level students.

Geography Lunchtime Lectures

Daniel Graymore, Head of DfID, Uganda

This term, the year 13 geographers attempted to do what was previously thought impossible; to use technology, with only a few minor connection issues, to interview Mr. Graymore by Skype. Although this name will mean very little to most of you, he is the Head of the UK’s Department for International Development (DfID) in Uganda and as development issues are a key part of our A-level studies, this was a fantastic opportunity.

He was a great source of information. We managed to thoroughly question him and gain his opinion about the importance of aid, as well as the role of British aid in Uganda. More specifically he elaborated upon the role of trade in pulling countries out of poverty and some of the challenges to developing Uganda’s trade capacity. A particular focus of our course is on the development gap within countries and we learnt how women in Uganda are getting a particularly raw deal at the moment. It was useful to hear about his career path which had started in the NGO sector in London before moving across to work for the government.

All of the year 13 geographers would like to thank Ms. Winterburn for arranging this meeting with Mr Graymore, and of course Mr Graymore himself for taking time out of his busy schedule to talk to us.

Toby Rich, Year 13

Alice Dutton, ‘The Global Poverty Project’ In addition, the Year 13 geographers were treated to a presentation by former student Alice Dutton. After leaving school last summer, Alice joined a charity called ‘The Global Poverty Project’ whose aim is to try and eradicate poverty in the world.

Alice’s presentation was based around the Millennium Development goals and the problems which people face when trying to break out of poverty. She started off by talking about what the charity does for people, and then told us some facts about poverty in today’s world. Did you know that tonight 1 billion people will go to bed hungry, 780 million won’t have access to water, 2.5 billion won’t have access to a toilet and every 3 seconds, a child will die of a preventable disease? These figures are quite startling and Alice went on to tell us how the UN set out the Millennium Development goals to try and end these tragedies. The two main goals she focused on were the ‘Empowerment of Women’ and the ‘Eradication of Extreme Poverty’. She also explained the barriers that we face in achieving these goals from corruption in governments, to the unfair markets in which poor countries trade which are controlled by the richer, more affluent ones.

Again all the geographers would like to thank Alice for coming in to give us this talk which we all found very useful and insightful.

Find out more: http://www.globalpovertyproject.com/1-4-billion-reasons/

Year 12 Trip to Flatford Mill

Even after the cold of Russia, many year 12 lads couldn’t handle a day out on a windy British beach in February. Fortunately the girls led the way and quickly mastered use of a theodolite and ranging pole and set about sampling sections of the beach at Walton-on-the–Naze. The first day of the field trip was designed to analyse the effectiveness of coastal management, a critical issue for the UK and particularly the East Coast after this winter’s storms. James found a valuable shark tooth fossil. Then lost it again.

The next day in Harwich we evaluated the impact of a proposed international container port which will involve Harwich’s shoreline being extended and an area of salt marsh, an important ecological area, being destroyed. We were dropped off round the town to conduct fieldwork in small groups to assess levels of deprivation and potential impact the port might have on the environment and on jobs and local residents.

Back to Walton on the Wednesday, which enabled us to assess the need for rebranding of the town. Most excellent fish and chips sustained us, stale rock was bought by the teachers for their colleagues and Bella even had time to buy a dress; best bargain buy of the season and quite a surprise given the age profile of the residents. By the fourth day interviewing strangers was becoming second nature and we assessed the success of redevelopment in Ipswich.

Flatford Mill was a beautiful gem of a place to stay and we stayed in Willie Lott’s Cottage – a building made famous in Constable’s paintings. Unfortunately Harry tried to destroy his bedroom by walking into a low 16th century beam, but a midnight visit by the paramedics declared the building fine. All-in-all, we failed to convince the teachers that we had a less than terrible taste in music, were exhausted by the 12- hour days in the fresh air despite copious amounts of cake and couldn’t cope with nature: “I woke up every day to listen to the birds sing by the lake” Dan Williams (Biologist)

The trip is enabling us to answer critical exam questions and brought to life many of the issues we are studying. Thanks to all the teachers who made this possible and who put up with our grumpiness and desire to play clubbing music at 10 am; Sam may become a DJ yet.

By Aaron Cooper & James Murfitt

History World War 1 Child Soldiers BBC Child Soldiers Documentary, with Greg James filmed at TBSHS http://www.tbshs.org/NewsArticle.aspx?NewsID=252

Professor Drayton Profesor Drayton Guest Lecture http://www.tbshs.org/NewsArticle.aspx?NewsID=258

Russia Trip 2014 Our Russia Trip 2014 – by Jack Clarke and Harrison Costi http://www.tbshs.org/NewsArticle.aspx?NewsID=260

Professor Lieven visits TBSHS History Department host Professor Lieven http://www.tbshs.org/NewsArticle.aspx?NewsID=240

Mathematics, Computer Science & Business Education As the exam season is nearly upon us, all departments in the Faculty are working hard preparing students for the stressful time ahead. Mr Boxall and his Maths team are hoping to maintain a string of excellent results at GCSE and are busy preparing Easter GCSE revision sessions with A level revision and exam ‘warm up’ sessions starting at the start of next term. Lunchtime drop-in maths clinics for all students are also in full swing at on Thursday lunchtimes at 1:20. On Thursday 3rd April, the Maths department will be welcoming Dr Colin Wright to the school. In his talk he will be demonstrating a selection of the patterns and skills of juggling while at the same time developing a simple method of describing and annotating a class of juggling patterns. It has been a busy term in the Business Education department with Mrs Parr and Mr Solomons taking 14 year 12 and 13 students to New York at half term on a combined Business Studies and Politics trip. (see report) Mr Beran ran The Tenner Programme, funded by Young Enterprise, which provides capital for students to set up social enterprising projects in March each year. Year 9 raised several hundred pounds for a variety of charities and the highlight was a group of year 9 students led by Max Bannister organising and successfully running five aside football for charity with about 8-9 year 7 teams for an hour one luncthime in the gym. (See report) Economics and Politics students attended the annual Keynes Society and Politics Society debate at Eton College on Budget Day to hear diverse and pleasingly challenging political and business speakers debate the future of the UK economy. Highlight was when the audience unanimously voting to approve independence for Yorkshire (proposed by an exasperated David Blunkett). (See report) The Computer Science Department is building on the successful entry of microelectronics into key stage 3 with extra kit being purchased to provide more advanced applications to be developed by students such as robotics and remote sensing. Mr Halawi is arranging a trip to Bletchley park next term for 50 Year 9 computing students where they will see a fully working version of the Colossus computer which allowed Alan Turing and his team to crack the German Enigma code during the second world war. Mr Mullen runs a Lego club every Thursday Lunchtime and uses Lego Mindstorm NXT kits which is an advanced form of Lego. These come with a programmable microcomputer that can handle multiple inputs and outputs and can be programmed using a PC with the appropriate software. Mindstorms can be used to build a variety of robots that can do all manner of things. When used as a learning tool it can help students work on their programming skills. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all Faculty staff for their commitment and enthusiasm this term and wish them a relaxing Easter break. Steve Abbott Head of Maths and Computing Faculty

Business Studies & Economics The Tenner Programme, March 2014 http://www.tbshs.org/NewsArticle.aspx?NewsID=273

Eton Trip The Bishops Stortford High Sixth form, thanks to a secret contact of Mr Beran, was lucky enough to be invited to Eton College on the 19th of March to witness a debate about the future of the UK Economy including topics such as the Recovery, Scottish independence and the role of the state in the economy. At 3:40 we set off towards Eton College a little apprehensive about both the debate and Mr Beran’s driving ability. On the way fellow Student Edward T. Morrell was ‘surprised’ by a tiny spider and the Unicorn faction of Year 13 Economists suffered a blow as Alex Keene announced he would join the Honey Badger faction. A short while later we arrived at McDonalds to have tea before the debate. When we arrived at Eton we were given a short tour by a student called Gabriel (who Mr Beran had wrongly assumed was a lady called Gabby) of the College including being shown the College library, Chapel and a statue of Henry VI. In addition to the fancy buildings which look like the estate of a palace when compared to TBSHS we also saw the uniform of Eton Students which included elaborate waistcoats and silk bow ties. Charlie Richards managed to dance his way around a statue much to the amusement of the students and slight irritation of the Eton head, whose offices and accommodation overlook the new dancing area.

Once the debate began around 7pm TBSHS was treated to a rare treat of observing the likes of former Home Secretary Labour MP David Blunkett MP, Conservative MP Kwasi Kwarteng, Lord Bilimoria, Green Party Leader Natalie Bennett and Johnathon Portes of National Institute for Economic and Social Research (NIESR). The debate featured a review of the state of Britain’s economic recovery, including comments of the causes of the recovery, the long-term sustainability of the recovery and questions over whether the recovery was not just another housing bubble.

Next the debate raged over the position of the UK Government in the economy. The Panel argued over the levels of Corporation tax charged by the Treasury and if this should be reduced to reduce the burden to households and reduce the reliance on revenues from Income tax which accounts for 50% of the Government’s revenues. Whilst Kwarteng and Bilimoria were deadlocked with Blunkett and Bennett the audience voted that taxation in the UK was ‘just right’ and that the role of the state in the British Economy was neither too big, nor too small. In the process the phrase that Britain wanted ‘Swedish-style welfare with American-style taxes’ came to light by Green Leader Natalie Bennett, however her excellent phrase was later mitigated by claims that the ‘NHS was being privatised’ and that the ‘Privatisation of the train lines cost Britain £1.5 Billion a year’. In addition Mr Beran later raised an issue over why Taxation rates never exceeded more than 38% as a percentage of GDP. However when Mr Beran was answered by Kwarteng he was labelled the ‘rude man in the blue shirt’ for not paying attention. In his defence he was contgratulating Nathan Yacoub on his faultless and unusually non comedic delivery of the question Eton had asked him to deliver to start the third session.

Later on, the issue of wealth and inequality was brought up. Queue Question-time style Ideological debates over welfare, Spending and the Minimum wage. Whilst Bennett claimed that radical taxation measures were needed to reduce inequality in Britain which is as bad now as in the 1920s; that the top 5 richest families in Britain owned more wealth than the poorest 20% in Britain, Lord Bilimoria rebuffed Bennett continuing to argue that higher taxes such as a ’Mansion tax’ would only increase inequality through subsequent reduced economic growth.

Then the debate moved on to whether the UK Government was doing enough to promote Economic recovery. TBSHS’s very own Nathan Yacoub asked the Panel whether the Government was doing enough to support the recovery, thus starting the debate. In the end the Panel concluded that whilst the current budget supported businesses through sustained infrastructure spending, more needed to be done to remove red tape and promote the productivity of the UK’s workforce through greater education and training in order to sustain the recovery.

Finally the debate finished over whether an independent Scotland would be wealthier and if Scottish independence would threaten the recovery. Whilst Lord Bilimoria, Blunkett and Kwarteng were against Scottish independence, Green Party Leader Natalie Bennett expressed support for Scottish independence as she believed it would bring about ‘real democracy’ which Britain lacked as Britain doesn’t have a single constitution. However Lord Bilimoria, Kwarteng and Blunkett were able to settle their differences and unite against Scottish independence, when the audience voted on the matter Scottish independence was firmly defeated by a 90% vote against. However Mr Blunkett later claimed that if the Union was ended, then he would campaign for ‘Yorkshire’s Independence’. This was a joke and most of the audience laughed and voted for its immediate implementation.

Overall the debate was a real indicator of the Economic and Political policies being discussed by Politicians and Economists at the moment and was useful for both Economics and Politics students, thanks once again for Mr Beran and Mr Solomans for taking us to Eton.

Dan Pearse (with a little editorial advice from Mr Beran)

Mathematics The Intermediate Mathematical Challenge, February 2014 The Intermediate Mathematical Challenge took place on Thursday 6th February 2014. Fifty two students participated: 23 from Year 11 and 29 from Year 10. Seven students won a Gold certificate, 15 Silver and 16 Bronze. These students will receive their certificates early next term. Monty Gould from Year 11 scored 101 marks out of 135 and is therefore the Best in School and the Best in his Year. Angus Learmonth from Year 11 scored 80 marks and came second in this challenge. Oliver Hougham from Year 10 scored 95 marks and is the Best in his Year. Anirudh Suresh from Year 10 came second with 80 marks. All four were automatically qualified for the European Kangaroo Mathematical Challenge which took place on Thursday 20th March 2014. The results will be known by early May. Well done to all the participants!

Happy Easter. Ben Appasamy (Maths Department)

Here is a question from the Kangaroo challenge for the Easter break.

After walking 8 km at a speed of 4 km/h, Shayna starts to run at a speed of 8 km/h. For how many minutes will she have to run in order to have an average speed of 5 km/h over her complete journey? A 15

B 20

C 30

D 35

E 40

Oxbridge Mathematicians This year, two of our Further Mathematicians applied to Cambridge University. Oliver Philcox, who wants to specialise in Astrophysics eventually, has been offered a place at Emmanuel College to read Natural Sciences (Physical). He achieved an A* at A Level Maths last summer and now requires As in Physics and Further Maths and a B in Chemistry (a very generous offer by Cambridge standards) to secure his place. James Pohl applied to Christ’s College to read Mathematics. Unfortunately he did not receive an offer, even after being placed in the Inter-College Pool for students who came close to a place at their college of choice. However he has received an offer from another institution with an excellent international reputation, University College London. James also got an A* in Maths in Year 12 and now needs an A* at Further Maths and an A in either Physics or Chemistry satisfy UCL’s requirements. Both Oliver and James put a lot of hard work into their studies and this summer they will be taking an extra AS Level in Further Maths, for which they have prepared independently outside lessons, with very little input from their teachers. We wish them every success at A Level, in their university careers and beyond.

Science & Technology Much of the Spring Term in the Science & Technology Faculty has been dominated by AS & A Level mock examinations and the completion of controlled assessments in both GCSE and A Level courses. Year 11 Design and Technology students have worked tirelessly on completing 60% of their overall GSCE in Research Materials, Food Technology and Graphics. If the students are not glad to have finally finished, I’m sure parents are!

However, amidst the daily routines, there have been many wonderful examples of how our children develop into resilient, determined and proactive learners. Subject clinics in all departments of the Faculty have been extremely well attended and it must be noted that the commitment of so many Year 11 students, since the beginning of the year, has been admirable. There is no greater pleasure in the teaching profession, than knowing you have played your part, however small or large, in helping to shape a bright future for our young people. A great deal of thanks must be conveyed to the teachers, technicians and teaching assistants, who always give of their time so freely, to support the students, inside and beyond the classroom.

With my very best wishes and a Happy Easter, Wendy Butler Head of Science & Technology Faculty

National Science and Engineering Week 2014 National Science & Engineering Week is a ten-day celebration of science, engineering and technology, with events, experiments and activities across the UK. As part of the celebrations, six Year 10 students; Jack Williams, Soloman Shortland, Matt Kingsland, Robert Avontuur, Hugo Kodesh and Anirudh Suresh, represented TBSHS in The GSK Science Quiz at GSK, Ware. Although the boys didn’t win their competition, they performed extremely well and were awarded lots of points for good teamwork. Congratulations to all the boys and sincere thanks to Mr. M. Smith for accompanying the boys and Mrs. C. Jonas, for her continued support and excellent organisation, to a wealth of enrichment activities.

Year 10 Science Quiz to GSK, Ware On Thursday 20th March, myself and 5 others students (Matt Kingsland, Robert Avontuur, Solomon Shortland, Anirudh Suresh & Hugo Kodesh) visited a GSK centre, to participate in a Year 10 Science Quiz in Ware.

We travelled by minibus with Mr.Smith kindly offering to drive us, and had an enjoyable journey aided by some chocolate which Ms.Butler generously supplied. Upon arrival we got a brief glimpse at the modern facilities, especially the free automated drinks machine which everyone enjoyed.

There were 3 parts to the quiz; a biology task, a physics task and the academic quiz and first was physics. We had to design and create a “vortex cannon” capable of knocking down a pyramid of 10 cups. We struggled at first but all worked together and in the end managed to knock down a few cups. Although, in the cup ranking we were low, we salvaged some score through originality, design and teamwork points.

The biology task took us to the bio-chemistry labs which had great equipment, we got kitted up in lab coat and gloves and began. We first recapped our knowledge on DNA and then had to extract some. This process included direct extraction from the mouth and then Ethanoic acid and a water bath. Overall we carried it out well and our DNA sample got points for quantity but dropped some points for purity. Overall we performed quite well in this task and enhanced our knowledge on DNA.

The last section was the quiz, it included a biology, chemistry and physics section each worth 10 marks. We all applied our individual pieces of knowledge and excelled in this quiz. 6/10 in biology, 10/10 in physics and 9.5/10 in chemistry and showcased our talent for raw academic skill in this task. Our score of 25.5/30 in the quiz was 5/16 teams and we were proud of that.

Overall however, TBSHS came a respectable but slightly disappointing 10th out of 16 participating schools. Our lack of experience in the style of tasks let us down. However in a strong line up including Richard Hale, John Warner, Chauncy, St Ed’s and Hockerill, we are still proud of our achievement. Highlights include being informed directly that our teamwork skills were among the top scores out of the whole competition reflecting the TBSHS work ethic and beating other local schools giving us the highest science achievers in the immediate area.

Thank you to Mr Smith and hopefully TBSHS will participate again future years.

Jack Williams, Year 10

Silver & Gold CREST Award Update

There are four levels of CREST Award; Discovery, Bronze, Silver and Gold. TBSHS students in Year 10 are moving towards their completion of the CREST Silver Award, which involves 30 hours of project work. Sam Longden, Year 12 is currently completing the CREST Gold Award which requires around 70 hours of work. The final evaluation of the project on Relativity will be carried out by a second industrial or education evaluator which is selected by the CREST Local Coordinator and in conjunction with Sam’s mentor Dr. Brian Steadman. Dr. Steadman, on his recent visit to TBSHS said that Sam’s project is “far beyond the commitment of many of the projects” he has seen and expressed his greatest admiration for Sam’s commitment and the long hours of research he has placed into it so far.

We wish Sam and all the CREST students the very best of luck in their completion of the Awards.

W. Butler

Silver Industrial Cadet with Glaxo Smith Kline The Bishop’s Stortford High School proudly acknowledges the achievements of Charlie Jonas, Sam Longden and Megan Walford, having graduated as the first ever Silver Industrial Cadets after a week’s work experience hosted by global pharmaceutical manufacturer Glaxo Smith Kline.

A level Science students, Charlie, Sam and Megan didn’t not spend their half term relaxing, but were hard at work learning about life in a modern hi-tech pharmaceutical company. Over the week GSK delivered an array of activities to give the students an insight into the company and into careers in science and engineering disciplines.The trio were placed in different sites within the company; Charlie went to Harlow and focussed on Chemistry, Megan and Sam were in the Ware branch of the business, learning about GMS (Global Manufacturing & Supply) and R & D (Research & Development) respectively.

Sam Longden (left), Megan Walford (centre), Charlie Jonas (right).

During the week, pupils got a chance to see cutting edge technology, seeing how drugs are discovered through to the production pipeline of new treatments. And at the end of the week, they become the first ever year to graduate as Silver Level Industrial Cadets as part of a new national accreditation scheme run by education charity EDT. Megan said "My week of work experience in the engineering department was fantastic! It's encouraged me further along that direction and given me great insights for a potential future career and the best route to take to get there. I improved many skills such as team work, team management and working under pressure for some activities. It was very interesting to see what it is like to work for a huge corporate company like GSK and it revealed many aspects of the company you would usually take for granted!" Dr Rhiannon Lowe, senior scientist at the GSK Ware’s research and development (R&D) site, said: These students “have shown their dedication to their future careers by being willing to sacrifice a week of their free time to find out more about careers in science and engineering and to develop the skills that future employers are looking for. We know how seeing science in action outside of the classroom can help inspire students to carry on with their science studies and we’re delighted to see so many of them here.” It is wonderful to see students, such as these, taking responsibility for their own learning. They must be credited with not only the achievement of their awards, but in their drive and determination towards their future goals. Congratulations and best wishes for your future endeavours.

Maths & Physics Society – Latest News The Society is going from strength to strength and we now have a regular cohort of 15 or so members each week – all from Year 12. We have listened to individual presentations on a wide range of subjects from nuclear weapons to the Riemann zeta function. All have provided stimulating and interesting discussion as well as broadening our learning and feeding our passion. As we headed towards the Christmas holidays, we welcomed back some ex-students of TBSHS who are first year undergraduates and learned a little of what it is like to study Maths, Physics, Engineering and Computer Science at University. We have also taken a couple of trips out:

Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge

In January, the Society went on the first of what we hope will be many trips, to the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge attending one of the Outreach lectures for members of the public. The lecture, entitled ‘The Ever Expanding Universe and Dark Energy’, was delivered by Professor Carolin Crawford and gave a brief introduction to cosmology and Einstein’s equations of gravity and relativity. We were introduced to the cosmological constant and density parameter to describe the end fate of the universe and its expansion. Last week we returned once again to the Cavendish for yet another interesting lecture, this time entitled ‘The Physics of Spin’. After taking our seats in the Pippard Lecture Theatre, we listened to the brilliant Professor Mark Warner explaining in detail about angular velocity, mass and momentum. Several fascinating demonstrations involving home-made gyroscope made from bicycle wheels were carried out to demonstrate the conservation of angular momentum, often resulting in audience members precessing on a chair to illustrate the forces exerted by a spinning object. The lecture concluded with a look at quantum spin and an explanation of ½ spin particles and integer-spin bosons. After a Q & A with Professor Warner, we caught taxis back to the Leisure Park where a well-deserved meal was had by all at Pizza Hut where our discussions naturally turned to the physics of pizza topping and dough. We feel extremely fortunate to have such an amazing facility relatively close to us and look forward to more trips in the near future. If you are interested in joining the Society, please come along on Friday lunchtimes. For more information speak to Charlie Jonas or Robin Franklin. Charlie Jonas, Year 12

Physics Professor Lepage and Professor Horgan Two Professors speak to the Maths & Physics Society http://www.tbshs.org/NewsArticle.aspx?NewsID=274

Royal College of Science Union

Students at TBSHS were recently invited to enter a completion run by the Royal College Science Union in conjunction with Imperial College, London. The Science Challenge is the Royal College of Science Union's annual science communication competition. It requires entrants to demonstrate their skills in scientific debate and reasoning, the Science Challenge tests the ability of today's young scientists to teach the public about the science that affects their lives. Year 12 student Hannah Coop received some exciting her essay titled The Nature of Time was selected for the final which took place in London on Monday 17th. March in the Churchill War Rooms. We are very proud to announce that Hannah came third in her category. Well done Hannah. Mrs Butler & Mrs Jonas

The challenge includes writing an 800 word essay or producing a short video to answer a scientific question; such as: Write a letter to my five year old daughter, Charlotte, about how one or more areas of science, technology, engineering or medicine that fascinate you will have developed by the time she is at University and which subject you would encourage her to study and why? How should we decide which species to prioritise for conservation? Explain a scientific concept of your choice in a 3-minute video. What are the scientific challenges facing the development of pathogens against vaccines with hyper-variable genome sequences? Is public debate a good forum for discussing science issues such as climate change? Why are so many students being put off studying science at school?

What does science tell us about the nature of time? Hannah Coop, a Year 12 Physicist decided to tackle Professor Fay Dowker's question, ‘What does science tell us about the nature of time?’

Prof. Dowker is a Professor of Theoretical Physics at the Department of Physics, Imperial College London. She completed her PhD under Prof. Stephen Hawking, and has previously lectured at Queen Mary, University of London.

The Nature of Time by Hannah Coop

In our everyday world, time seems to just keep moving forward at a constant pace. In science fiction it can be changed and manipulated. It can be stretched and changed by the doctor or various other fictional characters. But to us it’s the one unchanging thing we have: time.

However as Lorenz and Einstein discovered, it is not time which is constant but the speed of light. Light travels incredibly fast in fact it is the fastest thing in the universe. The speed of light is over 800000 times faster than the speed of sound which is why you always see lightning before you hear the thunder. Time and even space go all wibbly wobbly timey wimey to keep the speed of light constant to all observers no matter what. Space and time get bigger and smaller, dilate and contract in order to make light travel the same distance in the same amount of time. To us time appears to be constant because we are nowhere near the speed of light, we are travelling so slowly in comparison that we don’t notice time dilating and space contracting. But it does always go forwards, right?

Well, maybe not! Antimatter also sounds like the kind of stuff found in science fiction but this, like the rest of this crazy nonsense, is also real. A positron is the antimatter equivalent of an electron. If an electron and a positron interact, a photon is exchanged and the positron turns into an electron and the electron a positron. This interaction is described by the following diagram.

The ϒ is a photon being exchanged when a positron and an electron interact. Notice however that the y axis represents the passing of time and the arrows the direction that the particle is travelling in space-time. The positron appears to be travelling backwards through time and this is exactly what all antimatter is doing.

This is a symmetry of time much like the symmetry in shapes where one side completely balances out the other. CPT symmetry is the fundamental symmetry of physical laws and it explains how antimatter moves through time. When charge conjugation (C) is changed, there is a parity transformation (P) and time is reversed. A change in charge conjugation changes matter into antimatter and vice versa. A parity transformation reflects all positions in an imaginary plane. This means that antimatter moves backwards through time. When time is reversed it negates many other physical processes as well. This includes negating velocity and linear and angular momentum. It also negates magnetic fields and the density of electric currents.

Although antimatter travels backwards through time, matter can’t so we can’t just hop in a time machine and go to visit the birth of our planet. Time cones restrict our movement through time. A past time cone is the area of space-time that an object could have been in and reach its current location in space at the present moment without exceeding the speed of light which is impossible. Similarly, the future time cone is the area of space-time that an object at a point could reach in the future without exceeding the speed of light. Past and future time cones prevent the possibility of matter travelling backwards through time as the future time cone of an object will never go into the past. The closest it can ever get to going into the past is at the event horizon of a black hole. A black hole is an area of space in which the gravitational pull is so big that once any matter or radiation reaches the event horizon, it can’t ever escape. It is sucked into the centre. At the event horizon, the entire future time cone is facing into the centre of the black hole. The time reversal of a black hole is a hypothetical white hole in which the past time cone at the event horizon faces inwards and the future time cone faces outwards, away from the centre. This would mean it couldn’t be entered and pushes everything away from it.

The way in which the universe and even our planet appears to us isn’t how it actually works. From not being able to see microwaves to not seeing dark energy or antimatter, believing we have order when entropy means the universe naturally descends into chaos. On a human scale, the universe tricks us into thinking time is the same for everyone, moving at a constant speed in one direction. This isn’t the case and the cosmos will continue to amaze and surprise us for as long as we continue to study it.

Space & Time from Newton to Einstein - Lecture with Dr. Brian Steadman STEM Ambassador & Gold Crest Coordinator On 25th. March, as part of the National Science & Engineering Week, Dr. Brian Steadman delivered a lecture to sixth Physics and Applied Science Students. After a short review of Newton’s ideas of space and time, Einstein’s special relativity was described, mainly by using GCSE-level algebra. An introduction to Einstein’s theory of gravitation followed, together with black holes, cosmology and gravitational waves. Students found the lecture insightful and thought-provoking and we all greatly appreciate the work of STEM Ambassadors, such as Dr. Steadman. Whilst here, he was kind enough to review Hannah Coop’s competition entry and provided her with the following feedback: “I have read it more than once and I really enjoyed the chatty and slightly irreverent style which made it so easy to read whilst imparting an astonishing amount of information in such a short essay. I would like time to re-read it a few more times before sending proper feedback, especially as I need to revise my rusty memories of CPT theory to do justice to the antimatter paragraphs.” “On re-reading Hannah's essay I still like it very much. She describes our subjective perception of time, time in special relativity, time reversal in quantum field theory, time near black holes, then time in the universe at large - just in case anything was missed! ‘The section on antimatter inspired me to re-visit CPT theory’ Dr. Brian Steadman

A great deal of thanks must be given to Claire Jonas who has helped to arrange such exciting and enriching experiences and Pauline Beszant, the Director of SETpoint, Hertfordshire.

W. Butler

Design Technology Food Club Eight budding and talented KS3 chefs have been taking part in this three week Easter edition of Food Club, whilst gaining new skills or developing pre-existing ones. The pupils have been making some spectacular and delicious creations in an exciting hour and a half. From mouth-watering Easter chocolate nests to scrumptious Easter biscuits and chocolate éclairs, our pupils are next endeavouring to whip up some delightful cakes, which will be sure to be a triumph! Food Club will be back after this edition for KS3 in the new school year with the run up to Christmas where pupils will be making some tasty treats. Written by Miss Lucy Hoepelman

Silver Industrial Cadets Three A Level students graduate from GSK Work Experience Scheme http://www.tbshs.org/NewsArticle.aspx?NewsID=264

Psychology and Science Poland, Krakow and Auschwitz Trip Sixthform Psychology and Science trip to Poland, Krakow, and Auschwitz, February 2014 http://www.tbshs.org/NewsArticle.aspx?NewsID=254

Head of Year Reports Sixthform I have thoroughly enjoyed my first term as Head of Sixth Form and it has been pleasing to see the students make sound academic progress, whilst balancing a remarkable amount of additional opportunities. Our curriculum has been enriched by a plethora of ‘super-curricular’ activities this term, ranging from the newly founded Law Society to the well grooved Medicine, Maths and Physics societies, alongside external speakers in a variety of areas such as Theatre Studies, History and Maths. Whilst our tutorial programme has focused on more tailored support for each individual student, it has also included university taster sessions covering areas such as Physiotherapy, Business and English, to name but a few. Student experiences also spread as far as New York, Russia and Poland over the half-term ‘break’. Our Year 13 students have been receiving their university offers and completing the final stages of the apprenticeship process, setting a good example to the Year 12s, who have just begun their Post-18 process. Events this term have certainly lived up to our aim of providing a well-rounded education. There was fantastic support at Battle of the Bands for our very own Project 33 and The Rise; followed by Interact’s hugely popular Live Lounge in the Sixth Form Centre, and, of course, the whole school Music Festival, during which Oliver Philcox was crowned Young Musician of the Year. Whilst the heavy rain prevented our Senior Football team from playing in the first half term, we were busy testing our ability in the Senior Youth Speaks District Finals and then later in the term using our brain power in the Senior Inter School Quiz competition. The cohesion amongst the students has strengthened immeasurably this term and a number of events have really brought the Sixth Form community together. One of the highlights was certainly Charities Day where we collectively honoured the memory of Caroline Johnstone and Alex Cheer, raising nearly £800 for Cazfest and Help for Heroes. There was maximum participation in events such as Dodgeball, the Assault Course, Boys vs Girls Netball and the unforgettable Miss TBSHS (all whilst dressed as fairies or soldiers).

A real strength of our Sixth Form is the amount our students do for others and Interact really have set the bar high; not only raising a phenomenal amount of money for worthy causes, but also by organising activities such as our regular blood donation scheme with the National Blood Service. This busy term finishes with the inaugural former student Rugby, Football and Netball matches, which will be highly competitive and well-spirited as always. The current Senior Team will also hand over the reins to the new Year 12 leadership team. Although they have a tough act to follow, I am confident that the transition will be smooth and they will lead our Sixth Form to further success.

Mr M Brunker

Community Operation Stomp Sixteen students and Deputy Head Girl recognised for their commitment http://www.tbshs.org/NewsArticle.aspx?NewsID=271

Interact Blood Donation Scheme http://www.tbshs.org/NewsArticle.aspx?NewsID=276

Student Achievement Oxbridge beckons for Oliver TBSHS Student Oliver Philcox receives an amazing offer from Cambridge University http://www.tbshs.org/NewsArticle.aspx?NewsID=250

Extra Curricular Extended Project Presentation Day Year 13s present their Extended Projects http://www.tbshs.org/NewsArticle.aspx?NewsID=233

Year 11 It has been a busy term for Year 11, with the exams looming, students have been completing coursework and controlled assessments. There have been a record number of students attending revision classes at lunchtime and after school. 45 students are involved in a mentoring programme. It was pleasing to see so many Year 11 students participating in the recent music festival. Joe Day, George Cook and Jonathan Platts all reached the final and performed at the finale concert. Many others also entertained us during the evening. It was such a wonderful evening. Further details are available in the Music report. Sporting fixtures and the efforts of Year 11 are detailed in the Sports section. The participation on Saturday 15th March and the Interhouse was tremendous. Over 80 students either played or supported from the side-lines. The atmosphere was electric, there was a great deal of humour and friendship. Meads were clearly identified by their matching T-shirts and Twyford wearing their moustaches An absolutely fantastic way for the Year group to end their Interhouse activities. There have been many other activities involving Year 11 which are reported elsewhere in the Mitre. We look forward to hearing about the Year 11 history visit to Berlin taking place Friday 4th April until Monday 7th April.

Year 10 The spring term has seen Y10 carry on the strong foundations laid down in the Autumn term, once again picking up in January in much the same way that they finished in December. The term started with ARD, that very much helped the boys to focus on the impending challenge of their Y10 examinations, that were to take place the following week. I was enormously impressed by the boy’s mature approach to this vital exam practice in terms of their preparation before the day, as well as the way that they carried out the exams themselves. From the publication of the results in February, it was clear that the boys hard work had paid off in most cases, and the experience of the examination process (as well as how to succeed at it) has shown boys the level of work required to succeed in the coming 18 months and beyond. The terms has also seem an increase in the number of coursework and controlled assessments that boys are facing as part of their GCSE courses. It has been very pleasing to see that boys have been very active in accessing extra sessions being put on by staff across the range of school subjects in preparation for these crucial parts of their overall course assessments, and I’m sure that this work now will pay great dividends in terms of eventual grades at the end of this year and next. Towards the end of January, our second Enhancement Day of the year saw boys take part in a day of off timetable activities, workshops and talks in the subjects to support the overall PSHCE curriculum on the subjects of Sexual Health Mental Health and Drugs Education. From speaking to staff and boys involved, it was felt that all involved got much out of a very packed and intensive day of activities, often about very hard hitting subject matter. In the Performing Arts of Music and Drama, the year group has been well represented in the Music Festival, with a number of boys winning categories, or being judged as commended or highly commended. One Year 10 boy, Eli Haines , made the finalé concert and came second in the overall competition. On the sports field, the year group’s Rugby squad got through to the last 32 of the NatWest National Vase Rugby competition, playing away at the end of January away at Stowe School in Buckinghamshire, having trained over the Christmas holidays, as well as after school and on Saturdays in preparation. The boys unfortunately lost narrowly after putting up a valiant fight for the entire game, with the difference between the two sides just 3 points until the final play. They were a genuine credit to School Rugby, and performances such as those shown on the day bode extremely well for the boy’s transition into Senior Rugby next year. In football, we were knocked out of the County Cup in the semi-final, being beaten by a very physical Mount Grace side. We are still in the District cup and are currently awaiting our semi-final against Freeman College as this report is written. Boys from the year group have also represented the school at Swimming this term, putting in creditable performances in the district championships, as well as at an invitational gala at The Bishop’s Stortford College.

In other areas, boys from the year have also represented the school at debating, as well as in a number of inter-school quizzes since February half term, competing against some of the best schools in the region in all of the state, independent and selective sectors. A feature of all of the accompanying staff on these ventures has been the raft of complimentary comments I have received on the boys level of performance they have put in on the day, as well as their team work, as well as their exemplary behaviour. Boys will have a busy Easter Holiday ahead of them, with revision being once again a primary concern for many boys, who will be sitting their first GCSE public examinations in the summer session, starting in May. Boys will need to be using their Easter Holiday productively in order to be in the best position possible to tackle these Exams, so that their results in August are doing justice to their individual potential. May I take this opportunity to once again thank the Y10 tutor team for all of their daily support to all boys in Y10, as well as wish you all a very restful Easter, and look forward to welcoming boys back for the all-important summer term. Ross Wheatley Head of Year 10

Year 9 Year 9 have had a term full of buzz and excitement. The Tee Corridor in school has been swamped with Year 9 students looking to make profits for charity with the Tenner Project run by Mr Beran. During lunchtimes you will find companies run by year 9s selling cakes, doughnuts and chocolate. They all have had to demonstrate marketing, negotiating and budgeting skills in order to make profits. Archive Lovegrove and Brandan Barker have been particularly impressive with the selling efforts. On the sports field Year 9 have the football season disrupted by bad weather, so sadly there have been very few fixtures completed. However commitment at training has been very good with 40-50 boys regularly in attendance. The Year 9 A team started with a few disappointing results - a draw against Saffron Walden, followed by defeats to Goffs and Brentwood. However, things improved with a convincing victory over KEGS and a run to the District Final (due to be played on the 1st of April). Unfortunately for the B team, they have only had two matches so far - one victory and one defeat. Mr Dickens has remarked on some impressive performances from a large number of players. Alec Chappel, one of the best all round sportsman in Year 9, was given in a new role in centre midfield. Ryan Stewart has been very consistent on the right wing and Joe Stanborough has been very commanding after his move back into defence. Congratulation to the Year 9 team on getting to the District Final. Year 9 also took part in “Show Racism the Red Card” during Enhancement Day. Show Racism the Red Card are a charity that uses top footballers to educate against racism. Year 9 were very fortunate to have former Watford, Milan and England player Luther Blissett lead some footballing sessions with former Charlton Atheltic players leading the classroom sessions. It was an enjoyable day and students learnt a lot about the role of the media in expressing racist views and how to combat prejudice. As the Easter term approaches, Year 9s have a lot of reason to be excited. There will be Personal Challenge Week in June where students will attempt to canoe, beatbox, paintball and organise a tournament all in a space of week! There will also be a large number of Year 9s joined by 9D’s tutor Paul Withyman venturing to Ghana during the Easter holidays. I look forward to writing about their exploits next term. All in all Year 9 have had a very positive term and I wish them all a restful and enjoyable Easter Break. Mr Stark

Mixed Year Groups Student Achievement Commendation Teas Year 7 - 11 Commendation Teas http://www.tbshs.org/NewsArticle.aspx?NewsID=244

Head of House Reports Chantry It has been a very successful, and busy, term for Chantry with our first victory of the year coming in the Music festival. The three-week event saw great participation from Chantry, both in the early stages and right through to the finals. Such was the participation and success of the boys from Chantry that we had won the house trophy before the evening finale event. We had a range of winners, highly commended and commended awards through all the instruments and categories; highlights include Louis Abbot winning the Beginners shield, Jack Briggs and Shem Jacobs being awarded Highly Commended and Commended respectively for the Joyce Shellard Memorial Trophy Cup and a whole raft of boys who won their respective instruments. Thank you to all who took part and represented your house.

The term’s success does not stop at music; February saw the annual Inter-house Drama competition. This year’s theme was Location, Location, Location – all of the productions based around a beach hut. The standard of all the houses productions was very high, and Chantry’s effort was no different. Led by Shem Jacobs, who wrote and directed the show, the cast put on a very entertaining and moving play. Shem was rewarded with Best actor and we were unlucky to miss out to Waytemore for best play.

The final competition of the term was House Football; 74 students from year 7 to 13 turned up to play and support the house. The standard of the competition was excellent and Chantry were unlucky to find ourselves placed fifth overall; with some fine performances from the year 8, 9 and 11 teams – all placing in the top three for their respective year groups. A huge thank you to all who came and supported and played. The next sporting event is the house cricket in the summer term, I look forward to seeing as many of you there as possible!

Dane It has been busy term for the Students in Dane House. With the House Drama, Music Festival and Interhouse Football plus a plethora of other events and competitions there have been opportunities to earn those allimportant house points at every turn.

House Drama A difficult set up – A beach hut around which the entire play had to be based – made for a real challenge to the Creative Talents of some very willing and able year 11 students, who dedicated time to write, produce, direct and cast this year’s entry to the Interhouse Drama Competition. A huge thank you must go to all the cast that took part and supported the house and to Tommy Tancock (who narrowly missed best director.) For writing our script. I think all the cast will agree he was an excellent director.

Music Festival With some great talent within the school as a whole it was nice to see so many students in Dane displaying their gifts and abilities and performing some quite stunning pieces of music. Special mention has to go to George Cook (Year 11 - pictured) who not only won his category (Advanced Percussion) but also performed at the Finale Concert.

Other performances of note included: Highly Commended: Oscar Saggers (Year 11)- Beginner Woodwind Commended Lewis Oakley (Year 9)- Intermediate Woodwind Highly Commended: Miles Bruce-Jones (Year 11)- Advanced Woodwind Commended: Henry Stuart-Turner (Year 10)- Advanced Woodwind Highly Commended: James McIntyre (Year 8)- Beginner Classical Guitar Commended: Frank Archer (Year 8)- Beginner Classical Guitar Commended: Robert Avontuur (Year 10)- Upper intermediate Classical Guitar Highly Commended: Elliot Clark (Year 10)- Advanced Classical Guitar Commended: Alexander James (Year 7)- Beginner Brass Commended: Max Yates (Year 9)- Intermediate Brass Highly Commended: Lewis Oakey (Year 9)- Higher Intermediate Piano Commended: Oliver Nancarrow (Year 8)- Higher Intimidate Percussion Winner: George Cook (Year 11)- Advanced Percussion Commended: Henry Hudson (Year 10)- Advanced Percussion Highly Commended – George O’Dwyer (Year 11)-Advanced Contemporary Guitar Winner: Max Yates (Year 9)- Beginner Vocals Highly Commended: James Gor (Year 7)- Beginner Vocals

Interhouse Football Jobber’s Wood was the setting for another hard fought battle of Interhouse football o the 15th March; Dane house was well supported, creating a fantastic atmosphere which impacted on our teams who with fighting spirit gained 1st place. Thank you to everyone that came to Support the house on that day either by playing or just cheering at the side-lines. every one of you helped to contribute to the success of our house.

A Fond Farewell From the moment I took on the role of Head of Dane I have been fully supported by a fantastic team. There help in assemblies and the organisation of events have been fantastic. It is getting close to that time when they must pass the baton on and with that I would like to send a special thank you to: Tommy Tancock, Miles Bruce-Jones and Oscar Saggers for all they have done for Dane.

Final note: We are now on the way up with a win under our belts. Let’s keep up this fighting spirit going into next term. Can all of you please remember to collect your tokens? Every little helps. It has been a pleasure becoming your new Head of House.

WELL DONE DANE Mrs Bart-Williams Head of Dane

Meads Due to some excellent work the Mighty Meads are in a good position to push in the summer term for top honours. Looking at the token collection point it is clear that Meads are currently leading this event but we must now all push to ensure that we stay in front of the other Houses and gain these valuable overall points. I am confident that we can perform well in the Cricket and hope that we can improve on sports day by ensuring we fill every spot available. I would also encourage you to consider taking part in the quiz as last year this was a disappointing event for the house.

As for last term it was great to witness so many Meads students getting involved and contributing to our overall total. The Music festival was an outstanding success and we had some wonderful individual performances. It was fantastic to have 4 of the 9 finalists competing for the overall musician of the year. They were Eli Haines (Brass), Remé Hannan (Vocals), Joe Day (Contemporary Guitar) and Christopher Platts (Strings). Other notable performances were from Oliver Medhurst who was commended for his Piano and highly commended in the advanced Brass category. Adam Ahmed won the lower intermediate percussion section and Freddie Shortland was highly commended for his performance in the intermediate Brass section. Dillion Twitchett proved an all-round performer with highly commended in both the intermediate Electric Guitar and Woodwind sections. Remé was not the only successful singer as Dan Betts was commended in the intermediate section along with Rob Connor gaining highly commended and Onur Sevigen achieving a commended both in the advanced category. Well done to everyone who took part as your contributions resulted in 3rd overall for Music. Finally congratulations to Eli and Remé for being awarded highly commended and commended in the final. House Drama required students to create a play based around a single beach hut. Meads play was a detective story and was very well performed. It proved a real challenge for Charles Barrett who played 3 different characters and Charlie-Luke O’Connor who was the police officer trying to solve the case and remember who Charlie was at any given time. They were ably assisted by Ashley Lavery who stepped in at short notice to provide lighting support. Sadly their efforts were not truly rewarded and they only picked up 10 points for the overall total. However congratulations should be given for writing, performing and lighting this production and I thank you for your efforts. House Football proved to be an excellent event for Meads. After a hard day of Football the house finished in a creditable joint second. However, this is slightly disappointing as attendance numbers proved the vital factor. Before the points for those attending were added Meads held first place. However, it was great that a lot of the house members joined the fun and it was really pleasing that the year 11 had the biggest turn out for their competition. The additional 6 points this brought almost made up for their lack of footballing ability. Having to cope with only 9 men didn’t stop the year 10’s finishing second but questions must be asked about why others didn’t play. Year 8 continued to prove what a fine sporting group they are with an excellent record of 4 wins and 1 draw which resulted in them winning the year 8 competition. The year 9 team totally dominated and it was wonderfully to witness an excellent spirit within the team. Well done to all those who attended and thank you to the parents and staff who took time out to get behind the teams.

It has been noticeable that Meads are starting to become more competitive this year I would like to thank all the Meads tutors and the Angus along with his deputies for their efforts. It has been really nice to welcome the Sixth form members to the assemblies and we hope that they will play a much bigger part in the future. It is clear from the music festival that we have a talented group. Finally I would like to encourage all members of Meads to keep working hard in the hope that we can finally lift the house trophy. Happy Easter M J Hale Head of Meads

Rhodes It has been another busy term for the Students in Rhodes House. With the House Drama, Music Festival and Interhouse Football plus a plethora of other events and competitions there have been opportunities to earn those all-important house points at every turn.

House Drama A difficult set up – A beach hut around which the entire play had to be based – made for a real challenge to the Creative Talents of some very willing and able year 11 students, who dedicated time to write, produce, direct and cast this year’s entry to the Interhouse Drama Competition. The standard was high and we were pleased to get a joint 4th place overall. Many thanks to William Lee and Edward Tomlinson Morrell (pictured) who both had large speaking roles, and also to the many other students involved both on and off of the stage.

Music Festival With some great talent within the school as a whole it was nice to see so many students in Rhodes displaying their gifts and abilities and performing some quite stunning pieces of music. Special mention has to go to Greg Leeman (Year 13 - pictured) who not only won his category (Advanced Classical Guitar) but also performed ‘Birds Flew Over the Spire’ by Gary Ryan at the Finale Concert. Other performances of note included: Charles Lockie (Year 9) – Winner – Beginner Strings Sean Miley (Year 8) – Winner – Beginner Contemporary Guitar Jake Twitchett (Year 8) – Commended – Intermediate Contemporary Guitar Sam Harding (Year 12) – Highly Commended – Advanced Classical Guitar Thomas Abbott (Year 10) – Highly Commended – Beginner Brass William Lee (Year 11) – Highly Commended – Beginner Piano Elliott Sanfilippo (Year 7) – Commended – Lower Intermediate Piano William Barnardo (Year 12) – Highley Commended – Advanced Piano Alex Stevens (Year 12) – Highly Commended – Intermediate Vocals

Interhouse Football Jobber’s Wood was the setting for another hard fought battle between the houses on the 15th March, this annual event started in the traditional way by ‘warming up’, (not the athletic ‘warming up’ that we all know we should do to prepare our bodies for the onslaught of physical competition, but getting enough jumpers, coats and scarves on to keep us comfortable in the mini Arctic that is Jobber’s Wood). Fortunately as the day progressed the temperature became more forgiving, fuelled in part by the heat of Interhouse rivalry. A splendid turn out from all years ensured a few victories and a good day was had by all. We came 4th overall, beating our 6th place last year. Many thanks to all those who attended and all of the parents who came to support. A Fond Farewell In any walk of life we have those moments that we all dread, and here is one of the worst for a Head of House – saying goodbye to the team who have ably supported me in my role throughout the year. I owe so much to their dedication, support and commitment. My most enormous thanks have to go to William Lee, Matthew Port and James Whitby as House Captains, with Owen Edwards and William Powell as Deputies. I look forward to introducing you to the new team at the end of the Summer Term.

William Lee

Matthew Port

James Whitby

Owen Edwards

William Powell

Student Achievement At TBSHS we expect all students to achieve, we expect all students to push themselves forward to achieve the very best that they possibly can, and we like to recognise these achievements in the form of Credits. These credits contribute to the House Points which ultimately contribute to the standings in the annual House Trophy Competition. Here are my thanks to those students from each year group that have excelled themselves and achieved the highest number of credits this term.

Year 7 George Crimes

Year 8 Mohamed Adam

Year 9 Charles Lockie

Year 10 Hugo Kodesh

Roaming Rhodes Badge - TB61N2M For anyone out there with an interest in Geocaching (A global treasure hunt using GPS devices) we now have our very own Travel Bug called ‘Roaming Rhodes Badge’. The mission of this travel bug is to make its way to Zimbabwe, to the gravesite of Cecil Rhodes (after whom our house is named) visiting places of interest and collecting photos on the way. If you would like to track its progress use reference ‘TB61N2M’ and if you would like to know more about Geocaching then please visit the website www.geocaching.com.

Many thanks and I wish you all a very happy and healthy Easter.

Matthew Smith Head of Rhodes House

Year 11 James Whitby

Twyford Twyford are currently having a mixed performance in the competition to become the House Champions, as we currently sit in third place with 190 points, 70 away from first. We have performed extremely well in some competitions but have fallen short during others such as: Inter-House Football, the Music Festival and the TBSHS bake off. Although we may not have performed well in these events, the commitment from the members of Twyford who took part could not be questioned, so well done in that sense. Remember, you still get points for turning up. But in terms of successes, Twyford have won two sporting events in the form of Inter- House Rugby, which took place on 16th November, and Inter-House Swimming. This could not have been done without all of the support from the Twyford House members who came to play or watch in these competitions. So, thank you to anyone who was involved in those events. Huge congratulations must be given to the members of the Twyford Inter-House drama team, who performed a short play based on the setting of a beach hut. Although they were pipped to the title of best play by Waytemore, several individuals from Twyford won individual awards. Jeremy Moulton (Y11) was given the Best Writer award, whilst Jonathan Whitmore and Sam Bojakowski (both Y12) were given awards for outstanding performances. A massive thank you is in order to the whole team that took part in the event. I am also pleased to say that Twyford won the audience award for House Drama, so another thank you must be given to everyone that came and supported the team. Finally, on Wednesday 22nd January, Twyford held “Wear it Orange Day” in support of our chosen charity “THIS STAR WON'T GO OUT”, which supports children with cancer. The day was a huge success with everyone wearing a piece of orange clothing, and in total, we raised £363.07, which is an excellent achievement. Thanks go to everyone who wore an item of orange clothing and donated and to everyone who helped to organise and run the day. In the future we have many events including: Inter-House Cricket, the Inter-House Quiz and Sports Day, all of which are an opportunity to boost Twyford up the house table and into first place, so make sure you get involved as much as possible! Teddy Oliver – House President

Charity Wear it Orange Day School joins together for Wear it Orange Day http://www.tbshs.org/NewsArticle.aspx?NewsID=242

Waytemore It has been a really successful term for Waytemore. Starting from a lowly 4th at the beginning of the term Waytemore have surged with outstanding performances across all the events that have taken place this term, not finishing below second. Waytemore started the term practicing the house drama play. A piece that was devised by the students brain storming and putting ideas together during lunchtimes. This led to a hard hitting piece about the memories of a teenager on a beach each year before his eventual death at the end of the play, portrayed by the beach hut door closing to the sound of a heart monitor failing. Ronnie Healey put in a skilled performance and was highly commended by the adjudicator. On the night the Adjudicator selected Waytemore as the best overall play, this was the first solo Waytemore victory and the first time we have come higher than 4th in a number of year.

This success was quickly followed by an outstanding show in the music festival. The number of Waytemore students that took part was exceptional and each one deserves credit. Many came highly placed in their catergory and earned the house points. This led to Waytemore coming second overall, an outstanding effort and well deserved. Overall musician of the year went to Ollie Philcox, a dedicated Waytemore student.

To top of the high flying season so the house football. Again all year groups put in a fantastic appearance and allowed Waytemore to come joint top with Dane. The sixth form did us very proud on this day with a fantastic turnout from the boys and the girls, who I think clearly enjoyed the taking part.

Waytemore are now top of the overall house points and we look to build on this with next terms events, such as the quiz, sports day and interhouse cricket.

Go Waytemore

Mr Darren Neesam Head of Waytemore

Charity Wear it Red Day School joins together for Wear it Red Day http://www.tbshs.org/NewsArticle.aspx?NewsID=261

Extra Curricular International New York On Thursday 13th February 2014, 14 students headed to Heathrow airport for an eagerly anticipated trip to New York. 12 hours later in the middle of a snowstorm we arrived at Times Square, which looked as bright as day even at 1am in the morning. After not much sleep due to all the excitement, we had an early alarm call of 8am so we could make first visit was to the NASDAQ’s Opening Bell Ceremony (NASDAQ is the world’s second largest stock exchange). This was a good experience however did not last very long; so we then headed to the world’s largest department store, the famous Macy’s, to have a tour about the trading history of the store. By this point we were all extremely tired, yet we continued on our busy day to go to the New York Supreme Criminal Court. James Golden and Danielle Holder had originally thought this was where the basketball was held and were surprised when we were sat in a courtroom watching criminals receive their sentence. This was one of the best parts of the trip, despite us all being scared that we were sat on the same benches as the criminals.

The next morning we had another early awakening, ready for 10am to have a tour of Wall Street. By this point we realized that Mr Solomons wasn’t actually a teacher on the trip but was in fact the 15th student for Mrs Parr to look after. It was snowing again so some of us were reluctant, however the experience was one to remember and we learnt a lot of things, including how much of a good tour guide Nathan Yacoub is. Still shivering, we then got on a boat to go to Liberty Island and Ellis Island. Seeing the statue of liberty was an experience we will never forget, despite it being much smaller than it comes across on TV. After seeing the statue, we got on another boat to Ellis Island, where we walked around the building and then a group of us watched a film on when Ellis Island used to be an immigration island. Well, I say watched a video, Danielle fell asleep through the whole thing but at least the rest of us watched it. We then had a group dinner at Shake Shack and were let to go and do some more sightseeing but we couldn’t wait to get back to the hotel for some rest

Sunday started with a visit to the top of the Rockerfeller centre. This was brilliant as we had a stunning view of New York, despite it being freezing cold and the snow blocking some of our views. We then went to watch a basketball game with the Harlem Globetrotters, which was an interesting experience. This was where we learned that Americans really live like they do in the movies. Pearl Striker managed to spot Ben Stiller from the other side of the stadium, which caused us all to get distracted from the game for a good half an hour. The game ended and Megan and I couldn’t resist running down and getting a photo with one of the basketball players, our claim to fame.

The next morning we had a more relaxing day. We walked to the 9/11 memorial, which was quite an upsetting visit as you can imagine. Despite the tragedy, the memorial looked amazing and I think we all felt lucky to have been able to visit it. This as the final day to do some shopping but by this point we were all running out of money. Our evening meal was at the Hard Rock Café in Times Square for another delicious burger Here Mrs Parr and Mr Solomons received gifts to thank them for the trip. Mr Solomons’ obsession with Led Zepplin was brought back to life as he saw a shop full of all of their merchandise – we eventually gave in to our excited child and bought him a Led Zepplin top. In the morning after squeezing everything into our suitcases we left for a tour of the New York Public Library, where you can’t actually take books out, American madness and then on to the Federal Reserve Bank. We then had a tour of the United Nations, which was a strong bonding moment the three politicians of the group. After this it was time to go and get our bags, making sure that we hadn’t forgotten anything and make our way back to the airport for the long flight home.

Even with hardly any rest, this trip was one of the best experiences any of us will ever have, including Mr Solomons. It was definitely a trip full of laughter that we will never forget, so we would like to thank Mrs Parr and number 15, you know who you are, for this incredible experience.

Mixed Year Groups Quiz Inter-School Quiz 2014 Bishop's Stortford Rotary Inter-School Quiz http://www.tbshs.org/NewsArticle.aspx?NewsID=262

Ski Ski Trip February 2014 Ski Trip to Wagrain in Austria, February 2014 http://www.tbshs.org/NewsArticle.aspx?NewsID=253

Debating DEBATING SOCIETIES Sixth Form debating continues to flourish on Wednesday afternoons, with regular attendances of over 30 students. After a brief hiatus to accommodate mock exams, competitive debates have covered topics as varied as the banning of boxing, allowing parents to choose the gender of their children and whether animals have rights. At the time of writing, we have reached the semi-final stage, with the following debates to come: First semi-final “This House Believes that the Government Should Control Media Outlets in Times of War” Proposing: Felix Abramson & Alex Stevens Opposing: Robin Franklin & Josh Queeney Second semi-final “This House Would Make All Secondary School Students Learn at Least One Foreign Language” Proposing: David Moss & Katie Brigden Opposing: Abi Davis & Annabelle Percy Final

“This House Would Legalise Assisted Suicide”

In addition to those listed above, valuable contributions, both speaking from the floor and chairing debates, have come from Will Ashley-Fenn, Ed Ray, the redoubtable Jonathan Whitmore and many others. Another pleasing feature has been the large number of individuals who have made their debuts as main speakers. We look forward to more well- argued debates next term including, hopefully, one during Sixth Form Induction. Middle School debating has inevitably taken something of a back seat as GCSE exams grow nearer, but we look forward to a good crop of Year 11 debaters taking the opportunity to enjoy debating during Sixth Form Enrichment and/or representing the school in competitions in the future. The Junior Debating Society has benefited from widening its pool of debaters to include a number of new firsttime speakers. A whole range of interesting motions such as “This House Believes Awards Ceremonies are a Bad Thing”, which was defeated after a spirited debate, have been considered. We have just started our own in-school competition, with the first debate taking place last week and we look forward to resuming the competition after Easter. A big thank you to all those who have contributed to debates, by giving main speeches, chipping in from the floor or just coming to listen and applaud. Tony Fraser, Nick Patterson, Susie Morris & Paul Williams

Speaking up for TBSHS! Youth Speaks District Finals http://www.tbshs.org/NewsArticle.aspx?NewsID=259

Gifted and Talented Here is an insight into what has been going on across the school regarding our Gifted and Talented students:

Year 10 Gifted & Talented Trip to Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge “On Monday 24th February, myself and 14 other students (Jack Williams, Solomon Shortland, Daniel Fernandes, Anirudh Suresh, Billy Teather, Daniel Cotton, Oliver Hougham, Oliver Medhurst, Jamie Rushworth, Henry Stuart-Turner, Robert Avontuur, Tyler Ackerman-Mond, Thomas Childs and Charlie Doyle) were invited to spend the day at Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge, on a “Challenge Day”. The day was designed to encourage students to apply for Cambridge University and to get students thinking about their academic futures.

We all met at Bishop’s Stortford train station to catch the 08.47 train to Cambridge, we were joined on the trip by Ms Maher and Mrs Jonas. Once there it was a 15 minute walk to the College, and when we arrived we were greeted and taken inside by a University professor and Graduate. Here we were told about what kind of place University is and about all the different universities there are. We were next met by two undergraduates who took us on a tour around Cambridge showing us significant places where scientific discoveries had been made, for example, the Cavendish Laboratory which in 1897 the electron was identified by J.J.Thomson. After the tour we returned to the college where we had lunch in the main dining hall, alongside current undergraduates. As we walked towards the library we passed the room in which Stephen Hawking was planning his next scientific breakthrough! The library was extremely large and was filled with a multitude of books on every subject you could possibly think of alongside many silent studying undergraduates. The visit ended with advice about the best subjects to study to help us to achieve a job after graduating and the best way to get accepted into the very top Universities (hard work, dedication and ultimately getting the very best grades). The day was an extremely informative experience and we all felt very privileged to be invited into the inner workings of one of England’s, let alone the world’s greatest Universities.

Matthew Kingsland, Year 10

International Competition for Young Debators 2014 The International Competition for Young Debaters is the foremost national competition for students aged 15 and under. In the regional round held at the Cambridge University union, Joe Eringa, Harry Rogers (both Year 8), Charles Lockie (Year 9), Hugo Kodesh (Year 10) took on 42 other teams from schools all over East Anglia and further afield, 39 of which were from independent or grammar schools. All speakers had to take part in three debates, in which they only had 15 minutes to prepare once they had been told the motion. In each room, two teams speak for the motion and two against. The judges (all experienced university debaters) then award team placings from first to fourth, along with individual speaker points, as well as a lot of very detailed feedback, both general and individual In the first debate “This House Believes That The Government Should Control Media Outlets In Times of War”. Hugo and Charles, speaking as the second Opposition team were placed first in their room, partly because they were the only speakers who considered the nature of warfare and the media in the 21st century. Meanwhile Joe and Harry gained a very creditable second place, narrowly beating a team who went on to win their next two debates. In the next debate, Charles and Hugo found themselves in a very strong room proposing that “Prisoners Should Be Allowed to Raise their Children in Prison”. Their interpretation of the motion did not go down well with the judges and they finished fourth. Harry and Joe snatched an unexpected victory in their room, mainly due to their readiness to talk about the deterrent nature of prison sentences. In the final debate, both our teams found themselves in the tricky position of supporting “This House Would Allow Householders to Use Lethal Force to Defend Their Property”. Speaking as the second Proposition team was especially difficult, as the few obvious arguments had already been used by the first team. Nevertheless, Hugo and Charles salvaged a third place, but Joe and Harry had to be content with fourth in their room. In the final reckoning Harry and Joe finished 24th out of 44 teams, with Charles and Hugo not far behind in 29th. I was very pleased with these results as none of the boys had any previous experience of the British Parliamentary format of debating which is used at ICYD and many of their opponents were much more seasoned debaters, and in many cases, a year or even two older than the TBSS speakers. The boys really enjoyed the cut and thrust of competition in such a famous venue. It was a really long day, but the students were a real pleasure to be with throughout. They competed with great spirit, without getting too intense about the whole thing. They listened attentively to feedback from the judges so they should have learned a lot from the experience. Many thanks to Monty Gould and Harry Whish, who gave up their time to advise our speakers, based on their own ICYD experiences and for parents who came along to support. http://www.tbshs.org/NewsArticle.aspx?NewsID=267 Tony Fraser International Competiton for Young Debaters ICYD Debating Competiton http://www.tbshs.org/NewsArticle.aspx?NewsID=267

Music Charity TBSHS Battle of the Bands Project 33 go through to the Area Finals http://www.tbshs.org/NewsArticle.aspx?NewsID=238

Charity Project 33 Project 33 face stiff competition to gain 3rd place http://www.tbshs.org/NewsArticle.aspx?NewsID=248

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PTFA Charity PTFA Black & Gold Quiz 2014 Maths Department win Black & Gold Quiz http://www.tbshs.org/NewsArticle.aspx?NewsID=251

Karting This term has seen the start of the British Schools Karting Championship. Building on the success of last year we entered a fantastic eight teams, up from the five last year. The students ranged from year 8 to year 13 and showed the great talent they all possess. At the practice event some of the students clearly found it tough to get to grips with some of the corners, but they were determined and many consistently improved their times. Unfortunately we did have one accident that meant a short evening trip to Romford Hospital, however the student was alright and released relatively quickly. This did not dampen the spirits to much and the students looked forward to the race. The district round race took place in damp and cold conditions and tested the students skills to the limit. A total of 20 teams were competing, with of course TBSHS making up a good 40% of all teams taking part. The students thoroughly enjoyed themselves and took great pride in not beating other teams but in beating some of their friends around the circuit instead. The top six teams went through and we managed to have two teams finish in this bracket. The A team finished second and was made up of: Joe Wiggin, George Garrett and Jamie Rushworth, whilst the B team finished sixth made up of: Angus Rankin, Thomas Wharton and Thomas Lukies. All the other teams put in a sterling effort with the G team coming 9th, within a few points of qualifying, next year we hope to be able to qualify at least 3 teams as the karting team and experience grow. Thanks must go to Mr Smith and Mrs Haines for driving minibuses and Mrs Kitching for tolerating the number of requests I have on her time. Also a huge thank you to Mr Garrett for sponsoring the karting at school, it will help to build a bigger team identity. We all look forward to the regional round on the 4th May at Buckmore Park, Kent Mr Darren Neesam Karting team manager

Art Art scholars have continued to be involved with the extra-curricular typography project. The first lot of 8’ x 4’ boards are nearly ready to go up on display down the main school corridor. Trips since the last mitre have been to the Tate Britain and a trip to St Ives is planned and ready to go with Year 9s in May. We are running an Art workshop with a group of Dutch students in May with Year 7s. Students have been coming in on a daily basis to extend their artistic abilities. Work from all Key Stages is being uploaded to the Saatchi website for next year’s school prize.

Paul Withyman

Drama A series of professional actor talks and workshops have been happening in the Drama department this term. Darren Murphy did a talk with a Q&A session for a selection of the Gifted & Talented Drama students from Years 7-11. He spoke about what it is like to work in the Acting Industry and gave them tips and advice on their forthcoming West End and National Youth Theatre Auditions.

Natalie Maher

Coming soon… Ellen Legget the Gifted & Talented Co-ordinator at Herts & Essex and myself are looking to collaborate and organise an Oxbridge speaker for an evening session with Yr10 students and their parents in the summer term. Please contact me [email protected] if you would like your son to be involved.

Natalie Maher (Gifted & Talented Co-ordinator)