REPORT ON THE YEAR Founder’s Day Saturday, 30th June 2012

ACADEMIC REPORT

Exam Results This year’s A Level and GCSE results were very pleasing. At A Level 16% of the grades were at the recently-introduced A* level. 45% of the grades were A* or A, and 76% of grades were A* to B. One pupil achieved four A* grades and two others three A*s. 19 pupils had only A* or A grades. With a 100% pass rate, we were extremely pleased by these results. At GCSE, 31% of the grades were A* and two pupils achieved straight A* grades. 66% of grades were A* or A, 88% A*, A or B and there was a 98% pass rate, an excellent set of results. International Baccalaureate Since its introduction in 2006, the International Baccalaureate has been a great success. We received a highly complementary five-year-review from the IB, confirming that the IB is now well established at Fettes. The fourth set of results was achieved last summer in which the 39 students averaged a score of 36.3 points, our highest average score to date. 11 of the cohort achieved an impressive 40 points or higher, and 22 achieved 36 points or more. All the students obtained the Diploma. The current Upper Sixth Form students completed their exams in May and will receive their results in July. Numbers remain very positive. The CAS programme has produced some impressive initiatives and, in addition to the regular weekly work undertaken in Edinburgh, the highly successful international service trip to Peru last year will be followed by one to India this summer. University Entrance Oxford

6

Cambridge

3

This list includes offers held both for preferred and insurance choices at some of the universities most popular with Fettesians: Aberdeen Bath Birmingham Bristol Dundee Durham Edinburgh Exeter Glasgow Imperial College, London KCL Leeds London School of Economics Loughborough Manchester Newcastle

Offers held 12 5 2 10 1 10 13 9 11 4 8 13 4 6 5 8

Offers made 27 6 6 16 8 17 21 19 14 7 14 25 4 19 15 26

Northumbria Nottingham Oxford Brookes St Andrews University College, London Warwick York

4 2 3 10 6 3 2

10 2 8 13 13 6 10

The UK Senior Mathematical Challenge 129 pupils from the Fifth Form to Upper Sixth took part in this year’s UKMT Senior Maths challenge. Alexandra Bogatu, Beiran Zhang (Best in School), Eiki Norizuki, Kenneth Ko and Lin Tan all achieved gold awards with Beiran, Eiki and Kenneth all qualifying for further rounds. 25 pupils also achieved silver awards while a further 28 were awarded bronze. This is a great achievement for all those who received awards and huge congratulations are due to all those who took part. Upper 6

th

GOLD Alexandra Bogatu

SILVER Clarence Leong Jianpeng Yang Christine Heinen Megan Chan Julianne Chan Edward Callander Adam Chaang Elkie Lam Henry Whittle Stephan Barrett Joell Holland Jenkins Stuart Pringle Daniiar Bakchiev Cameron Lintott Dina Andrzheychik

BRONZE Laura MacNeal Nikita Krudryavtsev Ian Brotherston Sunny Jain Stefanie Li Robert Maitland Biddulph Hamish Dalgarno Kennith Mak

SILVER Louis Leung Jack Ho Alex Dai Hamish Baverstock Strathan Chun Zac Austin Fiore Davoli

BRONZE Helen Kwok Hyunsun Yoon Vasily Shenshin Alastair Sutherland Nicholas Rogers Balthazar Bilhou Nabera Kevin Cao Emma Weatherall Ampere Yiu Grace Robertson Max Rasmusen Marie Meierklodt Lauren Whitelaw Chris Wong Douglas Wilson

Lower 6th GOLD Beiran Zhang Eiki Norizuki Kenneth Ko

5th Year GOLD Lin Tan

SILVER Alexander Naile Ellen Macpherson Andrey Sadovnikov Poppy McLean

BRONZE William Edwards Francesca Skakel David Lian Jezneen Belleza Davis Martin

UK Intermediate Mathematical Challenge The Intermediate Maths Challenge took place in February this year and 31 pupils were awarded either Gold, Silver or Bronze awards. Many congratulations go to Alexander Naile who achieved Best in School and he, Lin Tan, David Lian and Robert Mather all qualified for the second round and are congratulated on their achievements. Well done to all those who took part. th

5 Year GOLD Alexander Naile Lin Tan David Lian

SILVER Rishav Dhar Ellen Macpherson William Edwards Wenrong Li Andrey Sadovnikov Harriet Walker Jezneen Belleza

BRONZE Natalie Lopatinsky Davis Martin Gerard Lam Marie Becker

GOLD Robert Mather Nian Li

SILVER Elliot Laming Alistair Munn Simon Thomas Angus Milne Matthew Sung Lucy Hodge Fenella James George Maridis

BRONZE Rishubh Palaniappan Chloe Lam Curtis Ng Ellen Young James Harrison

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE Tom Worlledge Lewis Ma

4th Year

3rd Year

On the strength of their performance in the UK Mathematics Challenge earlier in the year, Curtis Ng and Chloe Lam (Fourth Form) joined nearly 100 pupils from across Scotland at Edinburgh University for the Scottish Masterclass Day on 16th June. The day started with the students doing the Fun Maths Roadshow to warm up their brain cells for the day. They then attended a variety of workshops led by eminent mathematicians. Curtis and Chloe acquitted themselves very well as they also participated in a team quiz and were placed third. Both pupils really enjoyed being involved in such an event. They described the day as follows:

‘…it gave us exposure to a wide variety of Mathematics that is not in the school syllabus. Sequences, puzzles, the impossible and possible, partitions, patterns and mathematical trees etc were all introduced to us in interesting tasks and with useful explanations. Both of us were glad to be given this opportunity and we are pleased with the amount of knowledge we have gained from it’.

Congratulations to both pupils and it is hoped that this will inspire others to participate in such events in future. SOCIETIES

The Paramecium This has been a quiet session for the Paramecium, but in the second term there were two very lively discussions led by Duncan Hegan, on historical methodology and Josch Kamloth on foreign aid projects. Thanks to both these gentlemen for their thoughtful contributions. The Political Society This has been another busy year for the Political Society, with meetings with both academics and politicians. Dr Clare Mcmanus (Glasgow School of Central & Eastern European Studies) and Lord Sutherland (cross-bench peer) spoke in the autumn about their respective fields. The highlight of that term was undoubtedly Professor David Purdie’s end-of-term illustrated talk on the Scottish th Enlightenment, which connected the culture of 18 century Edinburgh and Glasgow to classical Greece and Rome, and to the Italian Renaissance, which may have come as a surprise to some in his audience. In January, we enjoyed an excellent talk by Professor Richard English (Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence, St Andrew’s). He gave a fascinating explanation of the ways in which a democratic society should attempt to deal with terrorism, and later complimented the school on how enthusiastic and good-natured the pupils were. In the Spring Term we welcomed back to Fettes Poppy Mitchell-Rose, who is now special adviser to the Chancellor of the Exchequer. She assured us that her activities were rather more respectable than those depicted in The Thick Of It, and excited envy by describing her colourful trips to foreign parts, which included a hair-raising helicopter ride in Afghanistan. As well as our speakers, we had an enjoyable evening at the cinema, organised by Miss McDonald, where the Meryl Streep biopic of Margaret Thatcher (still something of a heroine to some of our pupils!) was greatly appreciated. We hope to have a similar mixture of events next term, and warmly invite all pupils and staff to join us. Science Society The Science Society has once again had a busy year with both internal and external lectures, film evenings, quizzes and Barbeques as well as a dedicated Science week. Throughout the year many students had the chance to visit the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Royal College of Surgeons, the Royal Observatory and Royal College of Physicians to hear a variety of excellent talks on topics ranging from The Story of Alan Turing: Legacy of a Code Breaker given by the famous TV science presenter Prof Jim Al Kalili, to more medical topics such as lectures on blood pressure, the kidney and a symposium on medical ethics. This year’s film evening was an adaption of Michael Frayns Copenhagen – the story of the fateful meeting between Bohr and Heisenberg in 1941. It was enjoyed by both scientists and dramatists alike with the two departments’ coming together in the Kimmergahme Housemaster’s home for a viewing followed by refreshments and a critical assessment. The annual Science Society Christmas Quiz went off with a bang in its now permanent home in the Kimmerghame House Common Room and was won by some very impressive AS scientists going under the name of Stephen Hawking’s Illegitimate Children – Vasily Shenshin (dressed in a hundred light bulbs), Nick Rogers, Eiki Norizuki, Ali Gray and Beth Fletcher. Science Week was held during the Spring Term and was bigger than ever. It is mainly aimed at the Middle School years to encourage participation in more Science Society events and generate interest in science outside the classroom. The week started with a series of chapel addresses taken by members of the Science faculty as well as Dr Hall who represented Geography and ICT. The chapels examined the

role of Power and Responsibility in Science and covered such topics as the atomic bomb, Thalidomide and Google. This was followed by a series of lectures which started with an interactive talk on The Science of Extreme Sports for all the Fourth and Fifth form and was followed by an evening lecture entitled Understanding Animal Research by a retired member of Edinburgh University who dealt with the issues of medical ethics and the use of animals in drug testing. Later on in the week, an inflatable planetarium was set up in the drama studio. With three shows across the evening, 60 students were introduced to the wonders of the universe by post-graduate astrophysics students from the University of Glasgow. The show included a tour of our solar system and galaxy and ended with a movie showing a small portion of the universe and all the galaxies contained in it which moved around the planetarium as though they were whizzing around the heads of the pupils. In the middle of the week the whole of the Third Form visited the Chambers Street Museum where they could see the new museum in all its glory and spend time wandering around all the fascinating exhibits. They then proceeded to the Museum of Optical Illusions and the Camera Obscura where they had a wonderful time on the inter-active exhibits there. That same evening saw a sixth form lecture on the Mathematics of Juggling which was an extremely enjoyable and accessible talk. Thursday was the highlight of the week which started off with the Science Week’s competition, with £100 of Amazon vouchers on offer to the student who could answer six science questions based around experiments, calculations and knowledge of the Science laboratories. The winner was Vasily Shenshin who came extremely close to the staff’s answer. The evening was rounded off by a Flashes and Bangs Chemical Extravaganza which was a wonderful demonstration of all the most exciting bits of chemistry performed with aplomb by our very own Dr Whyte and Mr Goude. The excitement was palpable as pupils wondered if in fact they were attempting to blow up the theatre. All week during Science lessons the Third Form had been designing and building an ‘egg-mobile’. A machine that would propel an egg at least a few metres along the ground and enable them to take part in the Great Egg Race. We were once again privileged to have our Governor, Professor Kathy Whaler, a geophysicist from the University of Edinburgh, to judge the race on Saturday morning and present the prizes. The overall winner proved to be a crowd-pleaser as the team came from Set 6. Well done to Tom Wright, Cameron Mclellan-Watt and Angus Harley. The year ended with the usual end-of-term barbeque and treasure hunt as pupils (dressed up as pirates) ran wildly around the Science Block and grounds solving problems (such as how tall is the college spire?) and collecting a variety of scientific paraphernalia along the way while eating some dubious burgers cooked by the Science staff. This evening also included a fond farewell to the Goudes – David and Margaret who have served Science so well over the last 29 years in Chemistry and Biology respectively. We will miss them greatly. We also used this occasion to say a fond farewell to Mr Myles Dilzell who has been covering for Mrs Weatherly whilst she has been on maternity leave. We will miss his sartorial elegance and the Science block will be a much duller place without him. The English Department 2011-12 has been a really busy year of extra-curricular English. Perhaps the highlight was the visit, in June, of Edinburgh-based author, Alexander McCall Smith. He is one of the most prolific and popular novelists working in the UK today and he spoke brilliantly about writing The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series and his depiction of Edinburgh New Town life in the 44, Scotland Street series. Earlier in the year, we were very fortunate to have award-winning novelist, Keith Gray, speak to the Third Form and then return for two days in March as a ‘writer-in-residence’ in our library, working on imaginative writing with pupils right across the school. We were delighted to welcome Mrs Alison Baverstock to Fettes in March and she spoke with great candour and enthusiasm about the challenges of writing for a living and getting work published. A small number of pupils had the chance to attend an excellent writing workshop at the Scottish Book Trust run by novelist, David Almond, and the playwright, Douglas Maxwell. Freddie Green has won through to the final of the 2012 Gadda prize for detective fiction. The school’s sixth annual short story competition was won jointly by Willam Reid and Nicola Douglas.

At the start of this year our new Literary Society, led by Dr Walters, began an exciting programme of events. Pupils of all ages were engaged in a wide range of activities including shadowing this year’s Booker Prize and the TS Eliot prize for poetry. English teachers took pupils on theatre trips to see Equus in Kircaldy, Twelfth Night in Perth and Of Mice and Men at the Royal Lyceum. We ventured further afield at the end of the Summer Term on a two-day study tour to Stratford-upon-Avon. This was a tremendous opportunity for pupils to see behind the scenes at the refurbished RSC Theatre, visit the historic Shakespeare Birthplace Trust house and also enjoy two superb RSC productions, Richard III and Julius Caesar. It was a really memorable way to finish the year. The Historical Society The Historical Society, led by Francis Murray Brown, had a busy year as ever drawing on the University of St Andrews for two fine speakers in the shape of Dr Malcolm Walsby and Dr Frank Muller who lectured on the subjects of Sixteenth-Century France and Crown Prince Frederick William respectively. That said, it wasn’t all about guest speakers and a brilliant evening was spent with Modern Languages at the Filmhouse to watch the Spanish film Cria Cuervos. Still, the highlight of our year was unquestionably Lady Zahava Kohn, a Holocaust survivor, who together with her daughter Hephzi, addressed the whole of the Third Form on the horrors and tragedies that confronted her and her family during a very dark period of history. She spoke with great dignity and provided a message of hope and optimism to a room of captivated students. It was an evening long to be remembered. The year finished brightly with our very own David McDowell launching his book on the military history of Fettes College, entitled Carrying On. The Law Society The Law Society enjoyed a thriving year under Angus Richardson’s command. Nick Ellis QC was our first visitor with an engaging talk about his experiences at the bar and advice to would-be lawyers of the various possible approaches to a career in Law in England and Scotland. He was followed by the OF President Tom Usher in January whose experience of practice in Europe opened new ground for the Society, complemented later in the year by an intriguing talk from John MacRitchie QC about law in the Crown Dependencies and his plans for legal developments on St Helena where he has recently been appointed Judge. All of these speakers have connections with Fettes. One who doesn’t, Lord Clarke, very much enjoyed his first visit here when he talked of the life of a judge, in the making through to his current work in the Court of Appeal. Alongside these meetings were visits to the courts, attended this year by a large group of very committed sixth-formers. Debating Society There was the biggest ever entry in The Macleod this year and we also had many pupils eager to travel to events out of school. Several pairs spoke in the Aberdeen Union and the St Andrews University Union competitions. The two big finals of the Fettes debating year fell in the Spring Term. In The Macleod final on the motion This House would intervene militarily in Syria, fifth formers Nicola Douglas and Matthew Jackman triumphed, with Katie Robertson and Florence Woodrow runners up. In the final of the Senior House Debating Bucket, Moredun’s pair of Iain Kennedy and Geordie Milne successfully opposed This House would introduce performance-related pay for teachers; Katie Robertson and Florence Woodrow were again runners up. Hamish Baverstock, Nicola Douglas, Alexander Gillespie, Duncan Hegan, Clarence Leong and Callum Yourston competed in the Durham Union, the biggest schools debating competition in the country, with Duncan finishing 61st out of 258 speakers. Nicola and Callum represented Fettes in the Law Society of Scotland competition. Classics Society This has once again been a busy year for the Classical Society. The programme for the year opened with the ever-irrepressible Costas Panayotakis of Glasgow University, who kept us entertained with his thoughts on Petronius and the Roman Novel. Professor Douglas Cairns also came in the Autumn Term

to give a paper on the social conventions in Homer’s Iliad. In the Spring Term, a large and appreciative audience heard Charlotte Higgins, the chief Arts writer of the Guardian, give a presentation on her tour of Roman Britain in a Camper Van. Later that term, Dr Federico Santangelo of Newcastle University gave a paper on the use of religious imagery in the propaganda of the Emperor Augustus. In the Summer Term, our annual Middle School meeting was presented by Dr Nicola Royan of Nottingham University on the subject of Scottish Latin writers and translators of the Renaissance Era. The Geographical Society In October, a group of over twenty Fourth Form to Upper Sixth pupils, travelled to Edinburgh University to listen to Timothy Allen, the stills photographer from the BBC TV series Human Planet, deliver a spellbinding talk. His beautiful photographs took us thousands of miles to the high plains of Mongolia, the rainforests of the Congo, the mighty Mekong River, towns built entirely from mud in Mali and much more besides. Pupils were gripped by the tales that went with each photograph and by the personal relationships that Allen had established whilst doing what seemed like the best job in the world! Later in the Winter Term, a group of over twenty Sixth Form students attended a more academic lecture by Professor Andrew Watkinson from the Living with Environmental Change organisation. His talk focussed on climate change and discussed the historic and much more recent evidence of this fundamental indicator of the 'anthropocene' period. He highlighted the complexity of predicting the future extent and impacts of climate change as well as the essential need for an integrated approach in order to mitigate and adapt to this change. Unfortunately storm force winds cancelled the last lecture in the Winter Term and, due to the cancellation of another Royal Scottish Geographical Society talk in March, there was also only one outside lecture in the Spring Term. A group of IB pupils listened to Dr Nick Middleton, a renowned researcher and TV broadcaster from Oxford University, give an excellent synopsis of hot deserts as an extreme environment. He systemically explained their location, landscapes and the lifestyles of the indigenous people. By way of compensation for the cancelled talks, a group of pupils took the opportunity to see the film Manufactured Landscapes, screened as part of the annual Take One Action series at the Edinburgh Filmhouse. The film graphically highlighted the impact of industrialisation and globalisation on the people and landscape of China. Later in the term an ‘in house’ screening of the film Wasteland, about the world’s largest landfill site in Rio, was viewed by a group of fifteen Sixth Form geographers and artists. Whilst it may not instantly appear to be a source of entertainment, this film is a real eye-opener and tear-jerker rolled into one. It follows the exploits of one of Brazil’s top modern artists completing a series of large scale artworks, built from rubbish with the help of those who work on the landfill site picking through the rubbish to earn a living. Outside Service Throughout the year members of the Sixth Form have contributed in various ways to the wider community. Small groups and individual students have offered their services to different projects in the area. These activities have, as ever, enabled our students to gain valuable experience and broaden their understanding of life beyond the walls of the College. The School has received grateful thanks and good reports of the work that our Sixth Form have been carrying out and in turn the students have felt valued and that their time was well spent. Modern Languages This has been an intensely busy and productive year for Modern Languages with exchanges to Germany and Spain, Modern Languages Chapel Week, a full programme of Society events, Chinese New Year celebrations, and Immersion Mornings in French, German and Spanish. The start of term was brightened by the news that Poppy Empson had been successful in securing her place at Oxford to study French and Beginners Russian, an excellent achievement, while others went on to study languages at Manchester, Exeter, Bristol, Birmingham and Glasgow. We were also very pleased

to welcome several new arrivals to the department - Mrs Li Zhang our new Mandarin teacher, Frau Oswald the German Assistentin. For the final week in September we enjoyed chapels on a Modern Languages theme and delicious international cuisine at lunchtime. The Germans spoke about the confusion which arises when we get words wrong in another language, while Mrs Zhang spoke about Confucius and the importance of making the most of the opportunities presented to us to learn and understand other languages and cultures. There were prayers and readings in Chinese, German, Spanish and French and we sang hymns to tunes by French, German and Spanish composers. The Autumn Term also saw the arrival of a group of sixteen students and two teachers from our Spanish partner school in Madrid, the SEK Ciudalcampo, for a busy week of lessons, tourist visits and language learning at Fettes. The Spanish group gave a fascinating presentation in Chapel as well as to the Modern Language Society on the different aspects of life in Spain, and the similarities and differences between SEK and Fettes. Highlights of their visit included an introduction to rugby by Mr Harrison, a joint visit of Tantallon Castle as well as some solid Ceilidh dancing, which was a real ice-breaker and helped forge new friendships. Following close on the heels of the Spaniards came the Germans, twelve pupils from Wuppertal Grammar School, all of them girls much to the delight of Carrington Fourth Form studying German, as well as those in Glencorse and Moredun where they were hosted. After a welcome evening and a couple of days in lessons, the German girls went exploring, firstly into Edinburgh and then further afield to Glasgow and the Highlands. On the Wednesday night of their stay, the Department hosted a German evening. The exchange students presented different aspects of life in their home town and then attempted to dispel some stereotypes about the Germans. A really enjoyable evening, helped along with authentic German food and drink, culminated in some raucous German Karaoke sung on Miss Maguire’s specially modified Wii console. In late November, not wishing to be left out, members of the Lower Sixth studying French attended a five-schools French Immersion Day at Strathallan, where they participated in a series of workshops in French and a treasure hunt with a French theme. The event was a real opportunity for the sort of cultural exchange spoken about in chapel near the start of term and provided an appropriate circularity to the term’s events. As the Autumn Term drew to a close we had the customary trip to the German Christmas Market, as well as the chance for those who study German and History in the Fifth Form to visit Berlin and compare Princes Street with the real thing, not to mention the chance to witness the European capital city with the most turbulent modern history of all. In January 2012, Miss Gausinet addressed the assembled throng weaving together translations and mistranslations of famous lines from the great bard. The following week, two hundred Fettesians plus contingents of students from local schools gathered in the dining hall for Chinese New Year celebrations. We were treated to a Chinese banquet followed by performances from students from all four schools including Fettes. The night was a huge success and we plan to make it a whole school event next year. During the course of the Spring Term, sixth form Hispanists joined up with the Historians to visit the cinema and watch Carlos Saura’s masterpiece Cría Cuervos. This was followed by a theatre trip to see Bajarse al Moro, performed by students from the Spanish Department of the University of Edinburgh. As the play is set in Madrid, it gave our Spanish exchange students a nice foretaste of things to see on the Madrid Exchange. At half-term, the German and Spanish departments set off to Wuppertal and Madrid for the return legs of the exchanges. The German trip led by Mr Morris and Frau Selsen comprised pupils from Fourth and Lower Sixth Forms. They stayed in local families and attended German school in the morning. In addition there was also a full programme of visits to Cologne, Essen and the carnival. Pupils also went

on excursions with their host families and a great time was had by all; they all had more than just sausage and black bread to eat and a lot of German was spoken! At the same time, roughly nine-hundred miles further south, the Madrid trip led by Dr Delveaux, Mr Boettcher, Mrs Hansen and Ms Gausinet was in full swing and the seventeen Sixth Form students had a brilliant time staying with their exchange partners and their families, where they had to speak a lot of Spanish. The weather during the week in Madrid was fantastic and visits to the two most important art museums in Madrid, El Prado and Reina Sofia, as well as a tour of the Real Madrid football stadium and a day trip to Toledo, were absolute highlights. The Fettes students gave an impressive presentation about Fettes and Edinburgh in Spanish in front of roughly two-hundred Spanish students, who were visibly impressed. The trip was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone and quite a few exchange students have already forged plans to meet up again with their exchange partner over the summer. March saw the Lower Sixth German and Spanish staff and students mini-bussing it to Merchiston Castle nd School for the 2 Annual Five Schools German and Spanish conference. Staff led workshops in the target language and students spent the morning immersed in German and Spanish and meeting their peers from other schools. The event was a great success and was really capped off by an excellent keynote speech from Mr Timothy Steward, a businessmen with links to the whisky trade who spoke with great enthusiasm and highly convincingly about the benefits both for business and life in general of knowing foreign languages. His story of selling whisky to Gerard Depardieu will stay long in the memory. The Summer Term was understandably quiet as preparation for exams took over the department. However, we did find time to welcome the Albrecht Dürer Gymnasium from Hagen, where our former German language assistant Julia Klossek is a teacher of German and English, and the day visit was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone. This has been a busy and fulfilling year in modern languages, and we must say farewell to Mr Simon Herbert who leaves for Beijing, Dr John Hobbs who heads to Wellington College and Frau Oswald who is returning to Berlin. We also look forward to welcoming new members of the department in September. We will be joined by Mrs Caroline Davies to teach German, Miss Heather Loughlin to teach French and German, Frau Friederike Kaiser as German Assistentin and Señor Fernando Toledo as Spanish ‘asistente’. The Culture Club Scotland and France have often been the perfect partners in music as well as politics and Claude Debussy’s gorgeous sea symphony La Mer was the highlight of our first visit to the Usher Hall. Scottish star violinist Nicola Benedetti delighted the audience with Bruch’s irresistible Scottish Fantasy and there was a special piping welcome from the National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland. Christmas musical festivities can’t be more enchanting than Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker which was part of a programme entitled The Snow Maiden. This referred to the glittering world of RimskyKorsakov which was the glimpse of a Russian winter before the fairy-tale magic of The Sugar Plum Fairy and The Waltz of the Flowers. The New Year kept us in the world of Tchaikovsky with the ballet Sleeping Beauty performed with all the charm of a traditional set and exquisite costumes: a perfect first Saturday night of the term. Sibelius Symphony #1 and Beethoven Piano Concerto #2 were the core of the next concert: the Sibelius was new to many and the sheer elemental power of the music was a tempestuous storm on the soul. Porgy and Bess is Gershwin’s universally loved opera and was an unforgettable end to the term. Cape Town Opera brought this thrillingly to life in Edinburgh in 2009 and this was another vibrant and moving production.

CHAPEL The College Chapel Chapel continues, as it always has, to stand at the heart of the beginning of each day of Fettesian life. This year has been another outstanding one in so many ways but will perhaps be best remembered for the great and the good who came to the College to grace our large celebrations with their presence and inspiring words of wisdom. Chief among them no less than the Dean of Westminster, fresh from a Royal Wedding and the Minister of the Canongate Kirk – also fresh, as it turned out, from a Royal Wedding. As often before, this year we also had other distinguished church men and women as well as professional theologians and representatives of charities about which the College community is concerned. Chapel is not just about those who come to speak, thrilled though we were to have an excellent line-up in that department. It is also most critically about the way in which our students engage with what goes on there. This year not only have the Science and English Departments and all eight houses led weeks in chapel, but the singing of the School has been universally excellent, as ever, and we were fortunate in being led so splendidly by the Chapel Choir, which, under the direction of David Goodenough and with Nick Wearne at the organ always led from the front and continues to go from strength to strength. It is a source of considerable pride that the Choir was invited to the hallowed halls of both Durham Cathedral and Westminster Abbey to sing Choral Evensong. There were, however, other levels of engagement this session and two are worthy of particular record here. One concerns the way in which our students prepared for and came this year to be confirmed and certainly related to this is the number of the Fettes College wider family members who were baptised in the College Chapel. These occasions were all memorable. Another is the way in which the Chaplain makes himself accessible and is often in demand just to listen to the stories of students at different moments in their lives. Services in Chapel mark many significant moments in the academic year. On each of these significant moments we gathered as a community to remember with gratitude the past and to look to the future with renewed confidence and hope. Among the Christian festivals and seasons we kept this year were the Harvest Thanksgiving, Remembrance Sunday, Advent, Christmas, Candlemass and Lent. The College also has its own pivotal moments and we were fortunate to be able to welcome Andrew Murray, the College Archivist, as our preacher at the Commemoration Service and The Revd Rory McLeod OF at the annual CCF Chapel Parade. James Weatherby and two of our Australian pupils led the homage and remembrance of the College on ANZAC Day. On Founder’s Day the great celebrations began with a highly emotionally charged service in Chapel during which we began the day of at times tearful farewells to our Leavers. Among those leavers this year are the Chaplain himself and the aforementioned College Organist - Nick Wearne. Both are heading South - The Chaplain to the Senior Chaplaincy of Marlborough College and Nick to the post of Director of Music at the iconic St Martin in the Fields Church in Trafalgar Square. More happily, The Chaplain and the College Chapel also continue to be in demand for weddings and it is always a joy to welcome couples and their families for their big day – all the more so when they are Old Fettesians returning after many days away from Bryce’s Victorian masterpiece. The College Charity Committee This Committee continued to meet this year under the convenorship of the Chaplain. The purpose of the Committee is to monitor and oversee the charitable work of the College as well as to promote charitable giving through the organisation of events and the nomination of three charities (usually one overseas and two local) for the College to support during each academic year.

We are certainly very fortunate in having some wonderfully committed and enthusiastic students among our membership. During the year members played an invaluable role in deciding which of the very many appeals which come our way to support as well as organising a one or two major events. Chief among these was our support of the Rock Trust’s Sleepout in aid of their work with homeless people in the city. In addition, individual houses played their part in the charitable fundraising of the school through events as diverse as Carol Singing and not to omit to mention the numerous bake sales. Own Clothes Days remained steadfastly popular, of course, and are an easy and enjoyable way for the pupils to support charities of their choice. The highlight of the year was of course the Fettes College Run in which hundreds of our students raised in the region of £8,000 for our chosen charity – the Fet-Lor Youth Club. The Charity benefitted further this session from a whole school Ceilidh and from our impressive concert Rock for Fet-Lor. Perhaps even more encouraging than the financial support we could offer was the great football match played by a Fet-Lor XI and our school XI. Building on such a strong foundation, therefore, we look forward to next session with some confidence and to welcoming new representatives to serve on the Committee and to enhancing the work we do. Chaplain At Home We continued to hold a weekly get together after Prep on Wednesday nights at the Chaplain’s House in the new venue of Craigleith House this year. Fettesians generally being creatures of habit, it was unclear whether many would take to this new venue and how they would take to it, but from the beginning in fact this turned out to be an unnecessary worry. A really wide range and large number of pupils from across all the houses and across different religious traditions and none have joined us and have participated both quietly and vocally. It is important within the context of the Chaplaincy that the meetings are intended to be and actually turn out to be welcoming and inclusive of all those who come along and by and large this year we have been able to consciously maintain that experience. Of course it can be difficult with pupils from all the years present, but generally speaking we managed it! During the year we were engaged in discussions of a vast range of subjects and all were entered into with considerable gusto. The key to the apparent success of the weekly At Home is not particularly the focus on what we are discussing or learning about, but rather the way in which it stands as an offering of a rare space in the weekly life of the College for the pupils to come together, outside the boarding houses, in a relatively normal home and simply to be together there and to share together in whatever way they can. It is this precious gift of space and time that increasingly we have come to appreciate and enjoy. MUSIC REPORT This has been another very busy year for our musicians. The major annual events have once again come round with remarkable regularity and our young people have done an exceptional job of bringing a great deal of music to life for everyone who has heard them. We took our Autumn Concert to St Mary's Cathedral this year, where our players and singers tackled some challenging music by a wide range of composers. The Concert Band, under the direction of Mrs Charlotte Jardine and flautist Stephanie Leach’s leadership, started the evening with a performance of a medley of themes from the show Les Miserables. Our Concert Band is our large ensemble for players of all ages and abilities and those who heard them were very much in agreement that our Concert Band have once again raised their bar this year. It was great to hear our pupils playing so accurately and with such a good sense of ensemble. Our Symphony Orchestra, led superbly by Antoinette Tuckwell, under David Goodenough’s baton performed two pieces at the Autumn Concert: Nimrod, from Elgar's Enigma Variations and, in the run up to our Queen's Diamond Jubilee year, William Walton's thrilling Coronation March, Crown Imperial, which sounded absolutely phenomenal in that magnificent space

and with the Cathedral's massive organ underpinning the texture. Our brass players were in particularly thrilling form during that performance! With additional performances from our Brass and String Ensembles, the first half was crammed full of variety and some quite excellent performances. The second half of the Concert was a performance of Mozart's iconic Requiem Mass, given by the combined forces of our Concert Choir and Chapel Choir. It was a real tour de force; the fact that all of the major solos on the evening were performed by members of the Chapel Choir and that a number of our 'professional' orchestral players that evening were pupils speaks volumes for the quality of the music making which is such an important part of our Fettes community. At the end of the evening our Piano Trio (James Goodenough, Poppy Booth and Sunny Yoon) gave us an immaculate and most moving rendition of Frank Bridge's Valse Russe, which brought things, rather beautifully, to a close. During the Autumn Term, our Head of Piano, Colin Dundas took a minibus full of pianists to compete in an International Piano Competition which was being hosted in the Chapel at Loretto School. Hyunsun Yoon, James Goodenough, Ellen Young, Megan Leffek and David Oh all acquitted themselves brilliantly in the face of some extremely stiff competition from pianists from all over Europe. Congratulations go to James, who made it to the final three players of the Advanced category. The Spring Concert was held in St Cuthbert's Parish Church this year. The Symphony Orchestra performed Boildieu's The Calif of Baghdad wonderfully under the leadership of Antoinette Tuckwell. The Concert Band performed a selection of themes from The Pirates of the Caribbean. The Brass Ensemble was on magnificent form with an absolutely fizzing performance of a tricky Scherzo by Shostakovich and our String Ensemble gave a superb account of Mendelssohn's Sinfonia in B flat. At this concert, we took the opportunity really to showcase the quantity and the variety of the Chamber Music which we have on offer at Fettes. In a twenty-five minute sequence, no fewer than eight different chamber ensembles brilliantly performed some tricky music in a discipline where there really can be no passengers. They deserve every credit for their musicality, their accuracy and their very genuine sense of communication. In the second half of the Concert, the Concert Choir transported the audience to Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris with their performance of Louis Vierne's mighty Messe Solonelle. St Cuthbert’s is the only building in Edinburgh where this work, which requires two separate pipe organs (Grand et Petit!), can be performed with some authenticity, and it really was exciting to hear the work, which is only rarely performed as a concert item, sung so well. At the beginning of May, a number of our pupils gave a stunning evening concert for a large audience is St Giles Cathedral on the Royal Mile. Abigail Bolton, Stephanie Leach, Charles McGlone, Chloe Lam, Fiona Lin, Matthew Sung, Sophie Boyd, James Goodenough, Sunny Yoon and our amazing Cello Ensemble all played and sang beautifully that evening and very much enjoyed performing in that wonderful acoustic. Also during last month, a number of our pupils were invited to perform at a major event for the Church of Scotland in Princes Street Gardens. Trying to avoid heat-stroke and sun-burn that afternoon were Oliver Gray, William Neville-Towle, Matthew Jackman, Sophie Boyd, Stephanie Leach, Freddie Paul and Joell Holland-Jenkins who entertained the enormous crowds with a half-hour programme of light music. At College Guest Nights this year, we have once again been very fortunate to be able to call upon Joell's formidable talent as a guitarist and songwriter. With almost half of the School taking Instrumental Lessons this year the Music School has been bursting at the seams and it comes as little surprise that our Coffee Concerts season has been so busy and so full. The Music Department has staged twenty lunchtime concerts this year and it has been wonderful to see them all so well attended. Our thanks go to those pupils who have managed them this year, together with our congratulations to everyone who has taken part in them. Our Music Scholars have continued to set the standards in so many ways, not least in their performances in the Music Scholars’ Recitals. Amongst the many notable instrumental examinations successes this year, we must surely mention Oscar Chan who, whilst still in the 5th Form, has been conferred as a Licentiate of Trinity College, London, on the Double Bass. This is quite an achievement, given that this is a Diploma qualification which one would usually expect to achieve whilst an undergraduate, or at an even later stage than that. To achieve this whilst a member of the Middle School is unprecedented at Fettes and we offer to Oscar our heartiest congratulations.

A number of our Music Scholars will once again be giving a lunchtime recital as part of Edinburgh's Festival Fringe on August 29th and James Goodenough will be giving a full solo Piano and French Horn recital, also as part of the Fringe, on August 8th. We wish them all every success with those major public performances in St Cuthbert's Church when the times come. Our congregational singing in Chapel continues to impress and excite everyone who hears it; certainly, the sound of the College in full flight each morning is a very impressive sound and an inspirational way to start each day. The School has been in particularly good voice this year, and especially so during this final term. The Chapel Choir, under the direction of David Goodenough, has had an extremely busy year. Our Director of Music is absolutely determined that their raison d’etre remains the delivery of the music at the weekly round of choral services in the Chapel, but they have achieved so much more than that this year. This has undoubtedly been something of a vintage year for them, during which commentators have variously described them as being ‘world class’ and ‘surely the finest school choir in the UK today.’ Alongside the Choir's day to day commitments, Sunday evening Chapels and the annual Carol Service which, this year, we held in the magnificent (and warm!) surroundings of St Cuthbert's Church, the Choir paid a visit to Durham Cathedral to sing Choral Evensong at the end of March. With current and future Durham Cathedral Choristers amongst the Choir's membership (we look forward to their arrival in September very much, together with choristers joining us from Ripon Cathedral), it was appropriate that the Choir should make the trip south of the border to sing in that incredible space. At the end of the service, the Cathedral's Dean extended an invitation for us to return next year, and we shall do our very best to oblige! In October, we welcomed the Dean of Westminster, The Very Reverend Dr John Hall, to preach in College Chapel. During that service, Dr Hall heard our Chapel Choir sing and, in February, the Director of Music received a telephone call from his office inviting the Chapel Choir to visit Westminster Abbey to sing Choral Evensong whilst the Abbey Choir is away on tour in Italy. So, four days ago, the Choir embarked on what can only be described as the day-trip of a lifetime. To be given the opportunity to be a part of the daily worship in what must surely be the world's most iconic church was at once an immense thrill, a big challenge and an incredible privilege. It was a day that everyone who was involved will remember for many years to come. We were joined on the day by over one hundred parents and friends of the College who had made the trip to see us, and it was an overwhelming experience to process into the Abbey under the organ screen to see so many Fettes people sitting there waiting for us to sing. There is no doubt that this year's Chapel Choir leavers have been given the opportunity of a once in a lifetime send-off, singing their penultimate service as Chapel Choir Choristers in the Queen's church, surrounded by all of its amazing history. Finally, we bid farewell to our College Organist, Mr Nicholas Wearne, today and it is right and proper that we acknowledge the enormous contribution that he has made during his time with us. The College is Organist is one of the unsung heroes of our daily routine; he is someone who is very much heard but only rarely seen, and he is someone who performs such a vital whole-school role. Nick has been the Organist of Fettes College for five years, which makes him one of our longest serving incumbents during recent years. He has been a brilliant accompanist, not just of our renowned hymn-singing each morning in Chapel, but also in his very sensitive work with our Chapel Choir. We wish him every possible success as he moves to a prestigious new post as an Organist at the Royal Parish Church of St Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square, London. The various internal competition successes this year are as follows: Piano Competition: Senior: Winner: Highly Commended: Intermediate:

Winner: Highly Commended:

Charles McGlone Strathan Chun James Goodenough Ellen Young

Instrumental Competition: Senior: Winner: Highly Commended: Intermediate:

Winner: Highly Commended:

Singing Competition: Senior: Winner: Highly Commended: Intermediate:

Winner: Highly Commended:

Hyunsun Yoon (Cello) Louis Leung (French Horn) Oscar Chan (Double Bass) James Goodenough (French Horn) Walter Ruffle (Cello) Charles McGlone Stephanie Leach Abigail Bolton Duncan Robertson

As always, at the end of the year we must bid farewell to our musicians who are leaving us. This year, we are losing a particularly strong cohort of musicians at the top of the School and they are going to leave some very big shoes to fill. Our annual Leavers’ Recital at St Cuthbert’s Church was a quite superb evening which demonstrated very clearly the breadth of musical talent which our Upper Sixth Form pupils have brought to the College over the past few years. They have all brought so much time and talent to the Music Department and we wish them every possible success in the next stages of their lives. DRAMA The first two productions of the school year could not have been more different. College West gave us a beautifully detailed and intimate version of Jane Austin’s Emma, directed by Miss Fergusson and Dr Walters. Katie Robertson shone in the title role as Emma Woodhouse, with a performance that was neatly balanced between childish demanding and knowing elegance. We were treated to not one but four Jane Austins as the narrators with Alexandra Haslam, Grace MacLachlan, Morag McEwan and Pippa Worlledge keeping the show on track and rattling on at a good pace. College West cast their net wide to snare some male actors for the show, with Samuel Wightman as the romantic lead Mr George Knightley. Angus Begg, Jamie Eedle and Matthew Jackman all did excellent work with Hamish Baverstock as the distinctly creepy and lecherous Mr Elton. Georgina Spens put in a strong performance as Jane Fairfax and Iona Ralph showed that she has the makings of a fine comic actress with her hysterical and at times hyperventilating Harriet Smith. The costumes were exceptionally beautiful and Mrs Andrea Weatherby has to take great credit for helping to create the perfect atmosphere for the show. The Upper Sixth curriculum work would not normally be mentioned in a report of this nature but it has been of an exceptionally high quality this year. The A2 Level groups created some challenging work on the Holocaust and a subtle and nuanced piece on the effects of cancer, perhaps the finest work we have seen at A Level. For IB, Iain Kennedy performed War Monologues and Lucy Day produced a thought-provoking and immersive piece of theatre in the Dining Hall which got people talking about what it meant to be watched. They have set a very high bar for the younger years to live up to. Moredun House had sealed their reputation as the home of American Naturalism with their hardhitting and ambitious production of the Shawshank Redemption. Mr Jenkins and Mr Speedy put together a superb and difficult show with Tim Morrison and Freddie Fuller both believable, intense and dignified in the lead roles of Red and Andy Dufresne. Mohammad Attieh, Nathan Lawson-McLean and Alex Warren all did strong character work and Alex Naile made his portrayal of Brooksie fragile and weary. The scene when he leaves prison was a stand-out piece of excellent acting. Balthazar BilhouNabera took great risks with his outstanding portrayal of Bogs Diamond. He and Peter Bryant took on hugely challenging characters and performed them with genuine flair and real physical menace. They were brilliant and matched in terms of physicality and brutishness by Iain Kennedy. His ability to make every swear word feel like a genuine curse made his portrayal of Hadley the dark core around which the

show moved. Moredun were also keen to show off their abilities in tech and Dan Stirling and Julius Linden deserve mention for the look of the show, together with the army of set-builders. In all it was a brilliant and inspiring show that even the winter storms could not stop. The School Play was The Death of Baldr written by Mr Boulter-Comer and co-directed by him and Sam Wightman, who brought Laban-inspired influences to the show from his time with the National Youth Theatre. It was an ensemble-led piece of Physical Theatre that re-told the story of the murder of the Scandinavian god Baldr by Loki. The cast created a series of complex locations, using their bodies to represent everything from kitchen appliances to horses to the wastes of Hell. The production was lit by Jack Collister who, as well as making the show look spectacular, drove many aspects of the production using light symbolically as well as for decoration. Nicola Giffin led the cast as Baldr’s mother Frigg with an emotionally charged and deft portrayal of a woman losing her son. Joss Gillespie took the title role of Baldr, and created a dynamic and fluid performance which was as physically brave as it was well observed in terms of characterisation. The Drama Department forgives him for leaving for Glenalmond. The rest of the royal family of gods was given life by Iain Kennedy as Odin, Grace Low as Nanna and Alexander Gillespie in a stroke of casting genius as Baldr’s brother, Hodr. The main driving force of the show was the excellent Ensemble who worked tirelessly and took exceptional risks both artistically and physically. Balthazar Bilhou-Nabera was brooding and malicious as Loki and really set the standard in the cast for fearlessness and physicality. His approach epitomised the dedicated and energetic approach the cast took to what was a completely un-known quantity. The Middle School Play Festival continued last year’s tradition of actually including watchable drama and was based on the theme of Aesop’s Fables. All the plays were scripted by the Houses this year and the standard of writing was very encouraging. All the Houses should be congratulated on the serious and dedicated manner in which they approached the competition; it was impressive stuff. Andy Brierley, Casting Director for the BBC’s The Sarah Jane Adventures, Torchwood, Doctor Who and the forthcoming Aliens vs. Wizards, pronounced Kimmerghame the winners for their production which wittily used physical theatre and symbolic costume to create a neat, punchy comedy. The Summer Term saw the return of the Middle School Play which took the form of three separate sitespecific performances of Medieval Mystery Plays from the York Cycle, directed by Mr Boulter-Comer and Mrs Du Vivier. The strong ensemble cast performed tales from the Old Testament and took the audience from the Fall of Man in the Chapel which doubled for the Garden of Eden, through the destruction of humanity at the Flood in Callover Hall, into Pharaoh’s Palace and the Wilderness courtesy of the cloisters and front of the College. The cast coped excellently with speaking the Medieval English, a task that makes Shakespeare look easy, and once again Mrs Weatherby’s excellent and detailed costumes stole the show. Fine performances from Julia Heward and Ralph Shackleton as God, matched the intensity of Daniel Radzinski’s De Niro-esque Satan. Mortals were well represented with Samantha Leach and Alexander Warren as Eve and Adam. Lewis Reekie as Noah was joined at the very last minute by Nian Li who stood in excellently for Grace MacLachlan as Mrs Noah. Finally the statesmen Duncan Robertson as Moses and Karim Vellani’s Pharaoh brought new levels of comedy to their story of intolerance and genocide in Egypt. Auditions took place at the end of this term for 2013’s Phantom of the Opera and the company will be hitting the ground running in August for rehearsals for what will be the biggest show at Fettes for years. ART This academic year began with a trip for the Lower Sixth to Jupiter Artland, which inspired much of the work that followed in the Autumn term. The same group had a day-long life painting workshop with our Artist in Residence, Bella Hope; her introduction to oil paint added a new dimension to their portfolios. Other groups have enjoyed trips to the National Gallery of Modern Art, the Fruitmarket Gallery and other galleries in the city.

In January we held the second Staff Art Exhibition which attracted many good reviews and was a lot fun in the darkest part of the year. Following that, the House Art Competition was won by College East. Alexa Hare, our judge, picked out work by Barney Waugh and Nicola Halliday for special mention and commented on the huge range and high quality of the work. The Gallery space has been well used this year by our pupils and we also hosted a wonderful exhibition by two Japanese artists; Takaya Fujii and Yoshihito Kawabata. The artists also worked with our Fourth Form art groups to produce some temporary installations in the grounds. On leaving, they gifted a piece from the exhibition to the department in thanks for the warm reception they had received from the school. The IB exhibition in April was the culmination of almost two years’ work by Kaitlin Tosh, Blaine Perston and Cameron Lintott. Their work reflected the wide range of interests and influences that they brought to it. The End of Year Art exhibition represents the work of around 70 students and the high standard they have achieved are a source of great pride. The exhibition includes works in almost every conceivable media from oil paint to melting ice. There seems to be no bounds to the possibilities considered by our creative students. Notable projects undertaken by our Upper Sixth group include an ambitious exploration of the symbolic qualities of water by Nathan Lawson Maclean, a painstaking deconstruction and reconstruction of a found book by Stefanie Li and Cat Waddell’s large scale experimental paintings. Congratulations to our prize winners this year: Pippa Worlledge and Harriet Walker in the Fifth Form and William Reid and Catriona Waddell in the Upper Sixth; all of these have produced outstanding work throughout this year. The exhibition continues throughout Founder’s Day in the main art studio, the Macleod Centre and in the Gallery. SPORT BOYS’ SPORT Rugby 1st XV Rugby can be a cruel game sometimes where effort is not always rewarded with results. Although the 1st XV results may look disappointing on paper, the team certainly has had its fair share of heartbreak with at least four of their games ending with a score difference of four points or fewer. Disappointment and frustration could have torn this team apart but it was quite the opposite for this group of boys. These boys trained harder, remained positive throughout and deserve a great deal of credit for the way they approached the weekly challenges head on. Senior players like Tom Gray, Hamish Dalgarno, and Chris Aird all made fine contributions over the course of the season and are to be commended for their efforts. Tommy Spinks took on the mantle of captain this season and he coped well with the responsibility, leading by example and cajoling his troops throughout the term. The notable performances of the season came against Glenalmond where victory was snatched from them in the last play of the game, and the victory at North Berwick. There is no doubt that a very strong future 1st XV is being built lower down the school, and it is up to those younger boys to recognise that only through hard work and the development of a winning mentality will success continue to come their way. 2nd XV Jack Collister, Henry Purbrick, John Ellis and Callum Thomson led by example throughout. Players coming up from the 3rd XV did really well. Key contributors were Barney Waugh, Caspar Macfie, Stewart Hannah, Baptiste Solente, Tom Angus and Chris Ralph (who was outstanding all season). New to Bigside this year were Duncan Skinner, Ross Welsh and Angus Reid, all of whom performed admirably. There was good competition for places, and the boys worked well in training producing a good spirit in the team. There were pleasing results against Strathallan, Robert Gordon’s and Glenalmond, with the Glenalmond game finishing a nail-biting 3 -0. Edinburgh Academy, Merchiston and Stewart’s Melville were too strong, but the team played with real determination and didn’t let their heads go down. It has been a good season.

3rd XV It was frustrating to play only five matches in the course of the term: even George Watson’s could not raise a 3rd XV on the day. Highlights of the season were the eight tries which the boys scored in beating Edinburgh Academy 50-0, the fact that we again did not concede a point in a 29-0 win at Strathallan and the 22-15 win against a previously unbeaten Glenalmond team. Top try-scorers were the wingers Theo Mordecai and Ken Ko. Nathan Lawson McLean led by example as captain, with Nikita Kudryavtsev and Tom Crowe forming a very effective partnership in the centre. Senior Colts A XV The Senior Colts had an excellent season, and clearly this group of players shows an enormous amount of potential for the future of Bigside rugby. No one else on the school circuit came close to matching them, apart from Stewart’s Melville (21-17) and Merchiston (14-0). That they did not concede a point in their last three matches (Glenalmond, North Berwick and Merchiston) was testament to some well organised and highly committed defence. The team was superbly led by Hamish Macleod, ably backed up by Rory Martin -both are outstanding prospects for next year. William Edwards and Alastair Grassie also played a big part in the success of this team, with Will having the distinction of dropping a goal against Robert Gordon’s from just inside the opposition half. Individuals aside, this was a team effort with everyone knowing their role and keen to contribute. The front row of ‘Lam, Lee, Lam’ typified the strong work ethic and will to win of this team. Their challenge is to take this forward into next year and establish themselves as the best 1st XV in the country. Senior Colts B XV Having started the term with only two matches in the calendar, the Senior Colts B ended up playing five matches and having one cancelled – a much more positive outcome. The squad trained and played with a marvellously constructive attitude all term. Craig Dalgarno and, while he was in the A’s for a while, Jamie Eedle led the team well and built up a very strong spirit. The whole team improved over the term and were so close to achieving a 4-1 record. A particular highlight was the win against Watson’s where the team came from behind to win 28-15; most had never beaten them before. Tries have been scored by Charles Tuckwell, Chai Chai, Ben Spencer, Denis Strazding, Sean Fullerton among others, but in most cases these have been after lengthy periods of good ball retention and recycling. Michael Sutherland has converted many including 6 out of 7 at Strathallan and hitting the post in the gale at Merchiston from the touch line; this would have saved the team from a hard-to-bear, last-minute winner by Merchiston. The forwards have played powerfully, recycling well and just needing to work on their inter-passing to increase their try count. Overall, this has been a very enjoyable term’s rugby with a team who will contribute much as they move up to senior rugby next year. Colts A XV This has been an improving season for the Colts A rugby team. Heavy early term defeats against Edinburgh Academy and Stewart’s Melville did not bode well as defensive frailties were cruelly exposed. Captain Robert Mather led by example in training and with other key players stepping up to the mark progress was made ahead of a successful trip to Robert Gordon’s (19-10). On the day Daniel Radzinsky carried the ball very well, the forwards combined to ruck strongly and Oliver Gray mopped up in the midfield, while Ralph Shackleton was a threat on the wing. The boys were gutsy in defeat against a strong Strathallan team, as they struggled to execute their skills under pressure and were unable to generate any real momentum. The visit to Glenalmond followed the best week of training the squad had produced, and it was no coincidence that they fought their way to an impressive 12-0 victory (despite losing Nick Aird to injury) with George Cuthbert and Elliott Laming touching down for fine scores. This was the first time where work done on the training ground was reproduced with any real certainty in a match, and was a huge confidence boost for the squad. Mistakes and an inability to execute effectively cost the team in 19-0 defeat against North Berwick, which reinforced the need to overlearn skills and team plays in training. Without the injured Nick Aird and Elliott Laming for the trip to Merchiston, the boys fought hard, but ultimately in vain, against a strong opposition and some horrendous weather. A number of boys showed real promise over the term, but Robert Mather was outstanding, and his ability to make decisions and play what he saw in front of him was first rate.

Colts B XV Although going down to defeats in the two tough opening games against Edinburgh Academy and Stewart’s Melville, the team was already showing their willingness to stand up to the more physical aspects of the game. The next three games certainly proved how much they had developed in this respect and they recorded some excellent wins against Robert Gordon’s, Strathallan and Glenalmond. The team conducted itself with a great deal of discipline and heart and can take pride in the improvement they showed over the season. Junior Colts A XV The JCA XV has achieved notable victories against Loretto, The Edinburgh Academy, Trinity Academy, Robert Gordon’s, Sthrathallan and North Berwick this term. The team has won games by different means. The first two games, against weak opposition, reaped 16 tries from 12 different scorers; this was a result of real ambition to pass and support, which allowed the boys to attack and find holes in all areas of the pitch. Against Strathallan, a much stronger outfit than we had faced previously, the boys won because of they started to coordinate their defensive pattern. The losses to Glenalmond and Merchiston, although disappointing at the time, were valuable learning experiences, complacency had crept in and the team simply did not work hard enough for each other – the boys must make amends next year. The week of training post-Glenalmond was more intense and focussed. The following game was the team’s best performance against a competitive North Berwick XV; each player took responsibility for arriving at the break-down first and hitting it harder than the opposition; the rest fell into place. It has been enjoyable to coach this successful side but they must understand that wins will be harder to come by next year and standards will need to be even higher in training than they have been this year. Special mention: Angus Harley who has captained the side exceptionally well and Rory Darling, an outstanding player who we will all miss greatly. Junior Colts B XV The Junior Colts B’s have had a strong season with a score sheet that does not truly reflect the excellent progress that the team has made. All of the matches were played with great heart and the team have become a strong rucking and mauling side. The season started well with a good win over Edinburgh Academy which boosted confidence and set the tone for the season. The draws against Glenalmond and Buckhaven Sharks were excellent to watch and in most matches the boys game back stronger in the second half, determined not to go down without a fight. Star players in the forwards have been Harry Owen and Kyle Martin, and Josh Abbot has led from the front as captain in the backs. Matthew Spencer also deserves a mention and will no doubt be an excellent player in years to come. Sevens Rugby In the Merchiston Sevens the U18 VII performed very well in reaching the final of the plate competition, where they unfortunately fell short of victory against Strathallan. The U16 VII beat Selkirk and The Edinburgh Academy in the group stage, before narrowly losing to Watsons 33-26 in a pulsating semi-final. Led by Hamish Macleod, this was a terrific effort. William Edwards, Davis Martin and Charles Tuckwell were standout performers. The U14 VII played three games, the first of which was against Merchiston. The Fettes side played very well indeed for the first five minutes and went a try up with a very well taken score by Hector Halford-Macleod, only matched by a surging run and a try from Zachary McCarroll in the game against George Heriot’s. Sadly, as the players tired, they started to slip off tackles and Merchiston ran in two tries in the second half. A promising opening was tarnished by a tournament-ending shoulder injury to the Captain Angus Harley. This caused the team to lose shape in their subsequent matches where their play became more ragged. However, this was, as intended, a very valuable learning experience for a group of players with much potential. Special mention must go to Harry West and Ruairidh Grossart who were outstanding throughout the tournament. Six Nations Schools Competition In March a squad of fifteen boys captained by Hamish Dalgarno participated in the second Six Nations School Tournament in London. Drawn against an enormous French side, the boys put in a spirited and brave performance, fronted up by Christopher Aird and Tom Gray, before going down 12-5. Well beaten by the eventual winners, Hampton School in game two, it was a real morale boost to register a

win against Downside School in match three. Tired, bruised and battered, it was a terrific effort to win that game in extra time, with Rory Dawson scoring the ‘golden try’. It won the team a place in the Plate semi-final the next day but they could not repeat such heroics, going down to the Welsh. At the end of the tournament the boys won the Sportsmanship Plate awarded in memory of a former London Scottish President. This triumph says everything for the way they conducted themselves on and off the field of play. Representative Rugby A number of our pupils were once again selected to take part in the SRU District Age Grade Program this season. Congratulations must go to Alasdair Grassie for his selection in the Edinburgh U16 team, William Edwards who was selected for the Edinburgh U17 team and Tommy Spinks for his selection in a very strong Edinburgh U18 team. Mention must also go to Hamish Dalgarno who only narrowly missed out on selection into the Edinburgh U18 squad. Tommy Spinks went on to cap an excellent season with his much deserved selection in the Scotland U18 squad for the Home Nations Internationals. Tommy produced a man-of-the-match performance at blindside flanker in the 20-8 loss to England, having come off the bench in the narrow defeat against Wales. He also went on to represent Scotland in a European tournament held in Spain where he excelled and enhanced his growing reputation. Tommy has continued his involvement in the Regional specialist skills sessions at Murrayfield this term and will be heading down to London in the summer to join London Scottish RFC currently playing in the RFU Championship. Hockey Hockey at Fettes continues to go from strength to strength. Following the successful girls season, the boys have also enjoyed their most successful term of hockey for many years. The statistic of 85% of all matches played being won or drawn (not including tournaments) says it all. 1st XI A good run in the Scottish Schools Cup provided the focal point to the season for the 1st XI. The boys were lucky to have all of their matches drawn at home and, as last year’s runners-up, they had a bye in the first round but unfortunately they were put in the stronger half of the draw. Having brushed past Strathallan 4-1 they faced a strong George Watson’s side in the quarter-finals. This was a tough fixture in which the team did well to stage one of their many ‘second half comebacks’ of the season. Fettes scored an equalising goal from a penalty corner in the final stages of the match giving a 2-2 draw at full time. A memorable penalty stroke competition followed in front of an appreciative home crowd, ending 6-5 in favour of Fettes. The semi-final was against a strong Glenalmond side who, as in the school fixture three weeks prior, were 2-0 up by half time. Fettes rallied in the second half again and managed to equal the score to take the match to penalty strokes. Unfortunately, Glenalmond were victorious this time winning 2-1 so another final at Peffermill was not to be. Glenalmond went on to win the Cup a few days later. In their regular season matches, the 1st XI had their best track record yet, although the increasing strength of all of the main competitors should not be overlooked. The semi-final cup loss to Glenalmond was the only defeat of the season. Particular highlights in School matches were beating Glenalmond 3-2 after being 2-0 down at half time and beating Strathallan twice. Special mentions must go to Connor Maxwell and Jack Collister, who captained and vice-captained the side admirably throughout the course of the season; Hamish Imrie, who was a constant menace to our opponents up front; goalkeeper Zac Austin who produced some stunning saves in a number of matches and Elias Bamidis who was a rock in defence. This year the team was selected from four different year groups with newcomer Ruaridh Grossart from the 3rd Form joining the squad for some matches. All of the players have improved significantly both individually and in their performance as a team. Both coaches, Mr Lambert and Mr Russell, enjoyed working with them immensely. Well done to all! 2nd XI It was an outstanding season for the 2nd XI, the best for many years. The team, excellently led by captain Freddie Fuller, and supported by a number of old hands as well as younger talents for the future, won every match it played, including some notable scalps such as Glenalmond (twice),

Strathallan and Edinburgh Academy 1st XI. Their standard of hockey for a 2nd XI was outstanding at times. The boys were a pleasure to work with and deserve congratulations for a season of such success and good play. 3rd XI The 3rd XI hockey team also had an impressive season. They were unbeaten and conceded only two goals in their seven matches. Lachlan Waddell was an outstanding captain, and vice-captain Jack Dingwall was the highest goal scorer. Highlights for the team this season were convincing wins against Loretto and Stewart’s Melville early in the term, as well as the vast improvement in the level of skill and communication of the whole team over the course of the term. th

4 XI The 4th XI, captained by Tim Morrison, did well this season with some fluid, well-crafted moves ending up with goals aplenty. The tally of 21 goals for and only 3 against tells the story. Wins were th recorded against two 2nd XIs as well as Strathallan, Glenalmond and Loretto 4 XIs. Every player brought something to the team, and they must be commended for the great teamwork they showed. The 4ths great tradition of work hard, play hard has been maintained again. Colts A XI The Colts A’s were well captained by Alex Warren. He, vice-captain George Cuthbert and Alex EgertonKing were the key players and the ones to watch for the future. Highlights of their season were the 4-0 win over Loretto in the return fixture after recording a 1-1 draw first time round, and a strong win against Stewart’s Melville. All of the players improved during the course of the season and made huge improvements in working together as a team. Colts B XI The Colts B’s performed well, captained on most occasions by Ed Forsyth but also by John Long and Daniel Radzinsky. There was a large pool of players, 19 in total, but the squad developed a good spirit, supported each other positively, and they had an enjoyable term of hockey. Junior Colts A XI The Junior Colts A’s won 4 out of 6 games but more importantly started to understand the demands of the game. Many members of the team made real progress to develop their footwork and range of passes and their work off the ball. They had good wins against Loretto second time round after being beaten in the first encounter, as well as Strathallan, George Watson’s and Stewart’s Melville. Lorne Milne, who captained the side, and Ruairidh Grossart were the key players showing fine individual skills and Benedict Morillo has the making of a very effective goalkeeper. Junior Colts B XI The Junior Colts B’s had an encouraging and an unbeaten season under the captaincy of Joshua Thomson. They improved their basic skills and their understanding of the strategies and tactics of this fast-moving game, and became increasingly effective in match situations. The boys achieved the ‘double’ against Loretto, and beat Cargilfield, before producing their best performance of the term with a 4-0 victory at Strathallan. Tournaments The U14 and U16 Chameleons six-a-side tournaments involving Glenalmond, Strathallan, Loretto and Fettes were held at Glenalmond. With three convincing wins, the U16 side won their tournament. The first team played in two 7s competitions, one at Stewart’s Melville and the other at George Watson’s. They finished second place at Stewart’s Melville and ended third overall at George Watson’s, where they were beaten in the semi-finals. District & National Representation There was a lot of participation by Fettesians in various Inter-District tournaments this season the first of which was back in November. Hamish Imrie and Lewis Rasmusen were members of the winning East

U16 side and Matthew Jackman was in the East U18s. Alex Egerton-King, Alex Warren and Ruairidh Grossart made the final East U15 squad which won their tournament in June. All three boys acquitted themselves very well indeed. Ben Morillo and Sam Weissen from the Prep School were unlucky not to have made it into the final East U14 team, but Lorne Milne, Douglas Dawson and Matthew Spencer were selected. They were narrowly beaten in the final of their Inter-district tournament in May. Particular congratulations to Lorne Milne who caught the eye of the Scotland Selectors for the U16 Development squad during that tournament. He joined Ruairidh Grossart in this squad and played against the UK Lions in May and Ruairidh also played against Ulster at Inverclyde in June. Both boys have a selection weekend for the main U16 squad at the end of June. Hamish Imrie had a second season in the full Scotland U16 side. He played in Holland with them over Easter. He made a huge impact on the team’s success and he will be involved in his last U16 matches with Scotland on 7th and 8th July. Hamish has already been training with the Scotland U21 squad recently so he is clearly ready to ‘graduate’ upwards! Hamish also competed with Grange Hockey Club in the European Club Championship in Zagreb in May in the same team as Mr Lambert. Both players from Fettes were instrumental in their success in winning the play-off match which earned Grange promotion to a higher division in next season’s competition. The number of Fettes players who are playing hockey at a higher level whether it be in local Clubs, at District or International level is quite staggering and gives a clear indication that girls and boys hockey at Fettes is in good heart. All of the players involved deserve particular praise for the tremendous amount of commitment that they are showing and for all that they have achieved – well done! Cricket 1st XI With adverse weather leading to six 1st XI matches being washed out without a ball bowled, the season has inevitably been tinged with disappointment. The team, however, has performed well, losing only twice in seven matches, and showing steady improvement in a number of areas. The side has again had a blend of experience and younger players, meaning we only say farewell to five Upper Sixth boys. Of these, the captain Jack Dingwall, and vice-captain Jack Collister leave us with outstanding records in school cricket over a number of years, and have worked together very well in creating a positive spirit within this particular team. In the school matches, convincing wins over Edinburgh Academy and Dollar were characterised by good team batting, with Collister’s outstanding 151 against EA being the highlight of the season. The other win was in the Schools Cup, where we overhauled a challenging score of 148 in 20 overs against George Watson’s, featuring a fine opening stand by Jack Collister and Hamish Dalgarno who was undefeated on 41*. Unfortunately, in the semi-final after restricting Merchiston to 121 in their 20 overs, the boys fell just short, in what was the biggest disappointment of the season. The only other loss was against Loretto, when Fettes underperformed with the bat, on a tricky pitch – this almost matched the Merchiston disappointment, as the XI were well below their true standard. Winning draws (when batting first) were recorded against the XL Club, and Strathallan, where Fettes controlled both games. The batting was dominated by Jack Collister who scored one century and three fifties (v XL Club, George Watson’s and Dollar), in reaching 1,025 1st XI runs overall in the Dollar match, a fine achievement. In addition, there were solid contributions from all the top order, including Hamish Dalgarno, William Edwards and 50’s from Hamish McLeod (v Strathallan and Dollar) and Struan Robertson (v Edinburgh Academy). With the ball, Rory Martin and Nick Simpson developed an effective opening partnership, in the absence of William Edwards, whose 5 for 9 (all bowled) in the opening match gave us a tantalising glimpse of what might have been, before he was forced to stop bowling because of injury. Jack Dingwall’s bowling has been very good, if not producing the wicket returns he is used to, and his first over at Strathallan was as good as any I have seen at this level. Jack finished his four seasons in the 1st XI with 47 scalps to his name at an impressive average of 19.51 runs per wicket, and his ability to challenge the batsman as well as exert control will be greatly missed next year. Tom Darling has progressed nicely as an all-rounder, whilst Hamish Dalgarno has also picked up some useful wickets and again made a significant contribution in the field – we will certainly miss his allround presence next year. Daniel Dilzell and Hamish Imrie have also fielded brilliantly, and chipped in

with exciting contributions with the bat in selected matches. So it has finally been a good season, severely weather affected, but with plenty to look forward to from the younger players next summer. 2nd XI In a curtailed, but successful, season the only defeat was at Loretto in the first match, where 154 for 7 in st 25 overs was not quite good enough. Victories followed against Heriot’s 1 XI, when Barney Waugh’s 37* saw us through with two balls to spare, and against Edinburgh Academy by 130 runs after an even more impressive innings by Barney of 86 off 53 balls. The cancellation of six matches overall meant that the first home fixture came four days before the end of term, a comprehensive win by 70 runs over Merchiston. The other main run-scorers were Tom Angus, Henry Whittle (who was an excellent captain for the second year in a row) and John Ellis. The all-rounder award would undoubtedly go to Barney, who took most wickets in addition to scoring most runs. The other leading wicket-takers were Will Trainer, Hugh Dingwall and Lewis Rasmusen. 3rd XI The wet weather restricted the amount of cricket that was played this term. However, the 3rd XI has managed to maintain their reputation for being the most enthusiastic team in the school. The first match of the season was less than auspicious and the team was well and truly thumped by Loretto. On a ‘sticky’ wicket, the team was bowled out for 45, with Angus Reid’s high score of 21 eclipsing the next highest score of 3 by Stuart Pringle. This result was quickly forgotten and the team has remained unbeaten ever since. In the next match, against George Heriot’s, Peter Lee demolished the opposition batsmen with four wickets and the match never looked in doubt. Heriot’s were bowled out for 55 and this score was achieved with the loss of only 3 wickets. Hector McMicking top scored with 35 not out. In the third match of the season, against Edinburgh Academy, the team scored 191 and this score was never challenged. Angus Reid (60), Matthew Jackman (62 and 2 wickets) and Peter Lee (3 wickets) were the stand out performers. In the final match of the season the team played away at Merchiston. Fettes lost the toss and fielded first and managed to hold the opposition side to 99 runs in their 20 over innings. Credit must go to Michael Sutherland who took 3 wickets for 11 runs and Casper Macfie who took two wickets for 22 runs. In reply, the boys batted well and stuck to the target run rate of five runs per over. Christopher Greensit impressed with 20 runs and Matthew Jackman rounded off a superb season with the bat by scoring 30 runs as the winning total was reached with one over to spare. This was definitely the most impressive performance from the team this season. Colts A XI Despite the cancellation of three matches due to rain, this was a successful season for the Colts A. Downpours throughout May and June meant that opportunities for practice were limited, and it is to the credit of every individual that the team came back from losing its first two games (to Merchiston and Loretto) to win its last three on the trot (against Strathallan, Edinburgh Academy and George Watson’s). Captain Oliver Gray led by example with the bat, making major run-scoring contributions and finishing with an average of 30. The highlight of his season was the 46 against Edinburgh Academy. Honours for the most destructive batting and highest average (49) go to Robert Mather, whose 75 not out won the game against Strathallan. Edward Forsyth (37 against Edinburgh Academy), Alexander Warren and Lewis Reekie also made valuable contributions with the bat and worked hard to improve their technique throughout the season. Nick Aird led the way with the ball, bowling consistently good areas to apply pressure and frustrate the opposition. His figures of five wickets at 17 do not reflect how well he bowled, as he often found the edge with the ball not going to hand. He was supported very well by Oliver Gray (3 wickets at 30), Iain Haslam (5 wickets at 23), Robert Mather (4 wickets at 11) and Ruaridh Mackay (4 wickets at 27). Duncan Robertson also deserves a mention for taking a wicket with his only ball against Edinburgh Academy. As the season progressed, all bowlers improved in line and length and developed a much better sense of how to set fields to respond to different circumstances.

Ground fielding and catching were generally very good, with one or two real finds in Robert Mather’s close catching, Lewis Reekie's surprising anticipation and run-outs, and Alex Egerton-King’s shot stopping. Gray and Mather led the team well in the field, and all players, especially Duncan McEwan, provided excellent support throughout the season. Colts B XI The Colts B side captained by Ruairidh Stirling has had an enjoyable and successful season, albeit one lacking a sizeable number of fixtures due to the inclement weather. The team were quick to come together and establish their strengths, with Hector Inglis quickly showing himself to be a dab hand with both bat and ball. Angus MacKinnon soon found his line and length, becoming an attacking and confident member of the bowling side. Many hours were spent in the nets, where some of the boys had the time to look carefully at their batting form; Alexander Egerton-King showed particular improvement with the bat, batting with elegance and power when out on the wicket. Loretto were beaten convincingly with the home side failing to set a large target, while The Edinburgh Academy’s batting collapse led to their heavy defeat up on Youngs. Two squad members (Jaad Clayburn and Hector Inglis) were taken up by the Colts A side towards the end of the season. The final game of the season was a Twenty-20 game played in glorious sunshine at Myreside against Watson’s. The opposition took advantage of a small boundary and fast outfield to post a formidable total of 173. Fettes acquitted themselves well in the field, with Angus MacKinnon bowling a tight line and Angus MacLachlan collecting three wickets. A particular highlight was an instinctive one-handed catch by Elliot Laming at first slip. In reply, Stirling and James Gilbert formed a solid opening partnership, before Mackinnon and Daniel Radzinsky upped the scoring rate. Mackinnon grew in stature as the match progressed, firing an excellent 72 to put Fettes in a strong position. However, a fine spell of bowling by Watson’s left the boys needing 18 to win in the final over, and despite a valiant effort by the final pair, Tom Pringle and William Neville-Towle, they fell just five runs short. The squad should be congratulated for their approach to the season and their refusal to allow their enjoyment of the game to be dampened by the weather. Junior Colts A XI A promising group of cricketers emerged from the Third Form, and excellent victories over Merchiston, Strathallan, Edinburgh Academy and George Watson’s constituted a very good season. With the bat there were several stand-out performances, notably a fine 86 not out by Tom Worlledge, the lion’s share of a terrific stand of 145 with Matthew Spencer to chase down the target set by the Academy. Rory Martin, too, proved a destructive stroke-maker, scoring his runs very quickly and contributing several important innings. Towards the end of the season Harry West notched an impressive 60 against Watson’s, displaying a number of eye catching shots in the process. Add to this Lorne Milne, who despite limited opportunities looked very capable of playing a big innings, and we have the nucleus of a strong batting line-up in this year group. On the bowling front, Josh Thomson was erratic but quick and always picked up some early wickets. Matthew Spencer looks a very fine prospect, bowling leg spin and he picked up five wickets against Watson’s. Tom Worrledge, Hector Mclean and Tom Wright all bowled some excellent spells over the course of the season and were ably supported by Harry West behind the stumps. Two stumpings in the final three overs to win the game against Strathallan showed great skill and courage from Harry. The team was well led by Matthew Spencer, and they all worked hard throughout the season to improve their skills and learn some of the more technical aspects of the game. Angus Harley stands out in this respect, as one who re-modelled his bowling and batting style, and one hopes that he will push on to greater things next season. Junior Colts B XI A good season for the Junior Colts B’s was curtailed by the extremely bad weather. They managed to complete fixtures against Loretto, George Watson’s and Edinburgh Academy, and won them all.

Perhaps the most satisfying performance of the season came against Loretto when, having scored 68-5 in our allocated overs, the boys proceeded to bowl them out for 58. A notable performance with the bat during the season was Cameron McLellan-Watt’s 28 against George Watson’s. Other contributors with the bat were Cameron Galloway, Daniel Mullins and Douglas Dawson. With the ball, Connor Reid’s pace and bounce proved to be particularly effective, and Angus Bolton’s leg spin had opposition batsmen mesmerised. Representative cricket William Edwards is again involved with the Scotland U17 squad this summer. He will be hoping to participate in the ECB County two-day Championship and the ICC Europe Challenge Series after the end of term. William is also a part of the Eastern Knights U18 Academy set up, which should see him playing a number of regional fixtures in the holiday. Talented youngsters Tom Worlledge, Matthew Spencer and Lorne Milne are all part of the North Edinburgh U14 set up. Basketball Having lost the majority of the squad at the end of last year, the start of the year was spent rebuilding and mustering up a new team under captain Nick Simpson. New to the Lower Sixth, Mahmoud Khatib and John Sun entered the team at the start of the year, soon joined by Hank Lu and Kevin Cao, whose commitment to rugby did not stop them from playing in fixtures and joining in practice whenever possible. The team gelled quickly, and performed well in the Autumn Term, with highlights including winning the Merchiston Blitz cup and an emphatic 52-18 victory over big rivals Strathallan. The subsequent defeat to Merchiston was very disappointing and gave the team plenty to think about in the Spring Term. The work done by Mr Henry before Christmas paid dividends as the boys gained revenge over a very physical Merchiston team. Despite some very rusty refereeing by Mr Bates, the team kept its composure and ran out comfortable winners in the fourth quarter. The personal skill level of this team was impressive with Kevin Cao and John Sun leading the attack from the guard position, but the development of team interplay was the foundation of some comprehensive victories. Team cohesion and work rate for each other created lots of scoring opportunities and Mahmoud Khatib and Hank Lu did not let the team down under the basket. Captain Nick Simpson made up the regular starting five and led the team with great enthusiasm and determination and also scored many valuable points on rebound. The bench also showed great commitment and included some members of the 4th Form, Shao Min He, Nathan Yiu and Ryan Li, so the future of basketball looks very encouraging. Along with Calum Cowper, Heman Leung and Iain Kennedy they made excellent contributions when required. Fair play and sportsmanship has also been a very important aspect of this team’s success. Against Edinburgh Academy in particular, they coped extremely well with rule changes and the imposition of a restricted defensive organisation. The boys saved their best basketball of the season until their penultimate match against Strathallan, taking a 20 point to 2 lead in the first quarter by playing some very accurate and fast basketball. The opposition found it difficult to get the ball and, due to the pressure they were put under, panicked when they were in possession. The Fettes shooting was immaculate, particularly from Mahmoud, and they completely dominated. Fitness and concentration were exposed as the game progressed with Strathallan clawing their way back, but it was a very encouraging win in the end. Most of the starting five and the bench will be here for another season and if they can produce a similar standard of individual skill and improve their team play, they will again be a difficult team to beat. Nick will be a hard act to follow as captain - he has set high standards and it is certain whoever fills his shoes will continue his excellent work. Badminton The badminton club remains strong within the school, with the added bonus this year of the regular coaching input of ex-internationalist Andy Bowman from Scottish Badminton with a squad of around twenty of our best players. While comfortable wins in regular matches such as our school games against Strathallan have confirmed the improvement in our players, the rapid expansion in numbers and standard in the schools league has meant wins there have been much harder to come by. The mixed team

did well to reach the semi-finals of the under 19 Edinburgh Schools event, however, while our boys finished 5th and the girls 4th in their respective U19 leagues. The girls will particularly miss the number one and two players Stephanie Li and Alex Taylor who will leave this year after sterling service, including finishing girls doubles runners up in the ESBA individual event in which we fielded several representatives. In the same tournament, boys’ number one and two Strathan Chun and Stephan Barrett qualified to represent Edinburgh at boys’ doubles in the Scottish Schools event held at Ravenscraig – the first time any Fettesians have achieved this. Boys’ Squash Boys’ squash have on paper had a good team this year, only to be plagued by injuries and availability clashes for some important matches. However, they have still won three matches while competing well through the team with the strong Stewart’s Melville and George Watson’s teams who eventually dominated the league. With Lower Sixth boys Duncan Skinner and Strathan Chun now at 1st and 2nd positions on the team, we should retain strength at the top of our order, while leavers Robert MaitlandBiddulph, Stephan Barrett and Iain Morrison will have to be replaced by some younger players. Fencing It has been an encouraging year for the Fencing Club which has gone through something of a resurgence. Numbers are strong for the coaching sessions which take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays and they have been fortunate to have attracted a number of new members to the club, including Damini Bishnoi, George Lee and Francesca Skakel. Fencing at the Dundee Duel against other schools, universities and even international clubs and under the able and inspiring captaincy of Kenith Mak the team put in a very creditable performance and came away with their heads lifted high after an extremely hard fought day. In the Summer Term three members of the club took part in the Scottish Youth Championships at St Thomas Aquinas High School under the captaincy of Kenith Mak. In addition, Damini Bishnoi produced a great performance in the Scottish U20’s championships at the Edinburgh Fencing Club in picking up a bronze medal in the Ladies’ Epee. Elsewhere Kenith Mak finished a creditable 6th in the Men’s Epee and Coinneach Hutchinson was 8th. Football This has been an excellent season for the football team under the captaincy of Francis Murray Brown and the vice captaincy of James Murphy. For the first time in a decade, the team beat Merchiston twice in a term, 5-4 at home and 3-2 away, with a fantastic goal from Sean McCafferty from 30 yards in the away game. Not only did the team impress the Merchiston coach but also Old Fettesian Harry Reid who, besides supporting the team from the side line, has kindly donated a set of goals, and the team would like to thank him wholeheartedly. The boys followed this up with a third victory over Merchiston in the Spring Term (1-0), which is a great achievement. The team comfortably saw off Strathallan (4-1), and managed a draw (3-3) against a very strong Edinburgh Academy side after being down 3-1 at half-time, as Jake Wightman scored a hat-trick. The team spirit and morale have always been high, and there has been an excellent rapport within the side evident in games and training. A lot of credit must go to Edward Callander, Karel van Dam, Columban Young-Smith and James Murphy for an uncompromising defence, Francis Murray Brown, Josch Kamloth, Sean Mccafferty and Robbie Wyness for a creative yet disciplined midfield, and Jake Wightman, Marko Beko and Rory Christian for an excellent attack. Congratulations to Nikita Pietrow in goal, who produced many fine saves and contributed hugely to the success of the team. Middle School Football Moredun and Glencorse triumphed in the Boys Middle School Football Tournaments. Moredun beat Carrington 3-0 in the first final with the help of the two Lams and their captain Hamish Imrie. In the second tournament Elliot Laming scored two early goals for Glencorse against Moredun. Despite a late goal from Lewis Rasmussen the Glencorse defence held firm marshalled by goalkeeper Hamish McLeod. The first Girls tournament was extremely tight with College West declared the winners on goals scored. Whilst in the second tournament, the final was a very one sided affair with Phoebe Crosthwaite and Millie Brown helping the Arniston A team to a 2-0 victory.

Swimming A team of four swimmers qualified for the Edinburgh Schools’ competition and they all acquitted themselves with distinction. There were no medal winners on the day but Cameron Stewart, Sebastian Bulloch, Duncan McEwan and Helen Anderson all tried their hardest. The Autumn Term galas against Strathallan and Glenalmond were extremely exciting events and the quality of swimming on display was superb. Strathallan proved to be a very formidable team and they defeated us by 203 points to 123. The Glenalmond gala was a much closer event (161 to 156) and, going into the final race of the afternoon, either team could have won the gala. With all spectators screaming themselves hoarse, the Glenalmond 4 x 50 metre O16 team snatched victory for their school. The Spring Term is very much the ‘away’ fixture time of year and consequently the team has travelled to Strathallan, Merchiston and Glenalmond schools in order to compete in return fixtures against these schools. This year the format changed slightly and all the away fixtures involved three-way competitions. Glenalmond joined us at Strathallan this year and whilst our U15 girls’ and boys’ teams acquitted themselves with distinction we were overpowered by a very strong Strathallan team. Isabel Finlay and Helen Anderson were the standout swimmers on the day. The boys were very keen to compete against Merchiston as we have traditionally fared well against our South side neighbours. Unfortunately, this was not to be the case this year and we were narrowly defeated by a strong Merchiston team in the last race of the day. The final fixture against Glenalmond also involved Merchiston and although we returned without any silverware our U15 boys comprising of Tom Worlledge, Max Knight, Fergus Haig and Josh Abbott were narrowly pipped by less than a fingertip on at least five occasions. The strength in this age division augurs well for the years ahead. Fives 1st IV William Trainer led by example, playing consistently well in all matches and being selected for the Edinburgh Select IV v The Jesters. Stronger opposition at both Merchiston and Edinburgh Academy have meant two losses this term. The team will be much stronger next year with senior players in Upper Sixth and experienced Fifth Formers coming through, as well as a coach to help improve skills. Colts IV Led by Alasdair Grassie, the Colts have played well as a team and have made consistent improvement throughout the year. They overcame a strong Edinburgh Academy team but were again overpowered by Merchiston. With several 4th formers involved, there is strength in depth at this level, boding well for next year. The highlight of the term was a win in the Edinburgh Schools plate competition for Alasdair Grassie and Rory Dawson. Junior Colts IV Led by Matthew Spencer, the Junior Colts are currently the most successful Fives team in the College. After early losses against more experienced opposition, and strengthened by the addition to the team of Ruairidh Grossart, the team won an emphatic victory over Edinburgh Academy before Christmas. Apart from a very lacklustre performance against Merchiston, every member of the team has improved their skill levels and consistency, and both wins in the Spring Term (against Edinburgh Academy and Loretto) were achieved in very close-fought contests. Athletics The pre-season training sessions held at the end of the spring term prepared the athletes for the forthcoming athletics season. However, grey skies and a waterlogged running track put a halt to the girls’ first athletics meeting at Mary Erskine’s. The boys match, scheduled at Pitreavie all-weather track still

went ahead and the so called ‘time trial’ provided an excellent opportunity for the athletes to test themselves against the clock. The first inter-school meeting was held at Fettes on May 3rd against Glenalmond and Strathallan, with Edinburgh Academy providing additional competition for the girls. In the boys competition, Davis Martin won the 100m, Sam Wightman the 400m, Jake Wightman the 800m and 1500m and Tommy Spinks the discus. In the junior girls’ competition, Charlotte Lillington won the high jump and her sister Victoria the long jump. Leah Gale won the 100m and 200m and Martha Wightman the 800m and the 1500m. In the girls’ senior competition, Beth Fletcher won the discus and the shot, Poppy Booth the 800m and 1500m, Emma Jordan won the 100m and Millie Brown the 300m. The final combined score was Fettes 1st with 186 points, Strathallan 2nd with 157 rd points and Glenalmond 3 with 70 points. On Tuesday 8th May, Fettes hosted the annual boys meeting against Stewart’s Melville, Merchiston and Edinburgh Academy. Notable performances were Davis Martin’s wins in the 100m and 200m, Jake Wightman in the 800m and 1500m and Tommy Spinks in the discus. The overall score at the end of the st nd rd th competition was Edinburgh Academy 1 , Merchiston 2 , Fettes 3 and Stewart’s Melville 4 . The junior girls and boys had a second opportunity to compete at Pitreave and compete in a ‘free for all’ competition along with Strathallan and Glenalmond. The occasion saw some excellent performances from Ralph Shackleton in the sprints, George Cuthbert and Charlotte Lillington in the high jump, Leah Gale in the long jump and Martha Wightman in the 300m and 800m. As the term drew to an end, all attention was focused on the Edinburgh Schools and the Scottish Schools Athletics Championships. On Saturday 2nd June, Sam Wightman competed in the SSAA Pentathlon at Grangemouth. Sam’s versatility over a range of events put him in good stead for this competition. Despite his disappointing shot putt performance, he clawed his way back into contention by winning the 110m hurdles, long jump, 200m and 1500m to pick up the gold medal by 3 points, scoring 2865. nd

The Edinburgh Schools Championships were held on Wednesday 2 June, and despite being held in wintery conditions, produced some fine performances from the Fettes athletes. Connie Thurlow won the 100m, Beth Fletcher the shot and discus, Phoebe Crosthwaite came 2nd in the 1500m and Sam Wightman 2nd in the 400m. The accolades of the day went to Davis Martin for winning the long jump in a championship best of 6.24m and to Jake Wightman who won the 1500m in a championship best of 4:05.3. th th The Scottish Schools Athletics Championships was held over 2 days on 8 and 9 June and the Fettes th athletes performed at their best. On the first day, Davis Martin came 5 in the 15-17 Boys 100m, Beth Fletcher won a gold medal in the O17 Girls shot and Jake Wightman a gold medal in the O17 Boys 1500m. The following day, Davis finished 5th in the long jump and Jake won his heat in the 800m and followed this with a bronze medal in the final.

Boys’ Tennis As with our entire outdoor sports programme, boys’ tennis has been a reluctant victim of the extremely wet summer. It has been a great disappointment to the teams as the boys have made significant progress this term largely due to the expertise and input of our external tennis coach. The only fixtures to survive have been against Stewart’s Melville, Glenalmond and Loretto and, although only recording the single victory, both 1st and 2nd VI have been very competitive. Duncan Skinner has captained the 1st VI in a very positive fashion, playing some impressive tennis and leading by example at all times, particularly during practice sessions in the rain! His able lieutenant and partner during the season was Denis Shyrokov and together they have always got us off to a very good start. Balthazar Bilhou-Nabera and Kevin Cao have consistently filled the 2nd pair role and developed into a lively and very determined partnership as Tom Crowe has done with a variety of partners (Adam Chaang, Enzo Montenovesi, Kenneth Ko and Torridon Linskaill). The competitive attitude and sportsmanship shown by Tom exemplified the fantastic approach throughout the team; they never gave up and always played with a pleasing balance of humour and fun.

Enzo Montenovesi was the most improved player and quickly established himself as a powerful shot maker and gritty competitor. He kept his fierce competiveness just about under wraps but it was great to see it bubbling away just under the surface. The second VI was superbly led by Fredrick Fuller who instilled an enthusiasm and spirit that made the 2nd VI a very strong team. They often played above their ability, particularly in the tight game against Loretto, Freddie Fuller again outstanding in terms of attitude and spirit. He was very ably supported by Nikita Kudryavtsev with a canny variety of shots and great improvisation. It is a shame that the 2nd VI only managed to fit 2 matches into the season and ended without a win, but it has been a very enjoyable season despite the weather and the boys have been brilliantly patient and versatile. A very large proportion of this group will be back next season and it is therefore likely to be a more successful and productive one. Golf In common with most of the summer sports, golf too proved something of a wash-out. Only three school matches and the house matches were able to go ahead, the remainder falling to victim either to the weather or to difficulties of raising competitive teams during peak moments of the examination season. The house matches were conducted in miserably bleak early season conditions with Carrington winning the team event and Josch Kamloth shooting the low round of the day. Competitive matches followed, sometimes on rare beautiful days, against Strathallan, the OFs and Glasgow Academy, with Jamie Eedle, Stewart Hannah, Hugh Dingwall and the ever-reliable captain Jack Mackirdy forming the core of the side. The club loses most of these players this term and will have to focus for a year or two on developing the young golfing talent at the lower end of the school. Shooting The Fettes College Shooting Team has had another successful year. Captained by Elliot Graves, in the Spring Term the team focused its efforts on small-bore 25 metre shooting, improving technique and key skills. The team performed well in the competitions, with the ‘Eight’ and ‘Four’ teams competing in the NSRA small-bore postal competition, in which Eleanor Pomeroy and Elliot Graves succeeded in getting through to the second stage. Both gained further credit in being selected for the Scotland U21 Small-Bore B-Team for the annual postal competition. Furthermore, some very promising young shooters gained experience in small-bore shooting, which bodes well for the future of shooting at the College. The full-bore shooting team developed well over the summer term. Elliot Graves, Ian Brotherston, Eleanor Pomeroy, Vasily Shenshin and Poppy MacDonald all shot in the CCF Country Life Competition, winning the Gold medal, a fine accomplishment. In addition, Ian Brotherston has been selected for the CCF UK Team to go to Canada for four weeks, a reflection of his potential. Shooters such as Eleanor Pomeroy and Vasily Shenshin both have been developing well over the year, and are becoming key leaders of shooting at the College. In total there are ten enthusiastic shooters heading down to Bisley this year where they will compete in one of the largest shooting events in Britain. Cross-Country The cross-country team had its finest season yet! Racing opportunities were ample, providing the athletes with inter-school and inter-club competition. The commitment to training was excellent and the racing results for the runners have reflected their dedication and hard work. Jake Wightman competed in East District League races at Stirling and Livingston in October/November, finishing 10th and 13th respectively in the U20 men’s section. Fettes again had a good representation in the Scottish Schools Athletics Association Road Relays at Grangemouth on the 12th November. The course was run over 1 ½ miles and involved composite teams of four athletes (two under 16 and two over 16). The Medley Girls team of Anna Waddell, Martha Wightman, Leah Gale and Chloe Sutton finished 7th, whilst the Medley Boys team of Seamus O’Baoighill, Izzkander Zainol Izzet, Sam and Jake Wightman finished in an incredible 2nd place to scoop up the silver medals. After successful runs in the East District Cross Country League races, Phoebe Crosthwaite was selected to represent the East of Scotland in the Inter District Cross Country Championships at Holyrood Park in January. She finished in a fantastic fifth place in the U15 girls’ race and was the first East finisher.

In February, the athletes had the chance to test their track potential and compete in the SSAA Indoor Athletics Championships at the Kelvin Hall. Phoebe ran a tactical race in the U16 1500m heats to earn a place in the final and she did well to pick up the bronze medal. Jake ran an equally wise race in the O16 1500m heats to get into the final and subsequently won the gold to be crowned SSAA champion. The first inter-school competition was at Strathallan, comprising of a triangular meeting against Fettes and Glenalmond at the beginning of March. Fettes athletes took the opportunity to test out their training and were triumphant all round:- Phoebe Crosthwaite finished 1st, Martha Wightman 2nd, Anna th th Waddell 6 and Bea Begg 8 in the U17 Girls’ race, and they also won the team event. In the O17 Girls’ st nd th th event, Poppy Booth finished 1 , Alexandra Haslam 2 , Morag McEwan 8 and Sarah Montgomery 10 , and they also won the team event. Jake Wightman, Sam Wightman and Lachlan Waddell finished 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively and Angus Richardson 5th as Fettes won the U17 Boys’ race. Fettes hosted the Fettes Mile Relays the following week, changing the course slightly to include Youngs hill. Fettes U15 Girls’ and Open Boys’ teams won the team awards, with Phoebe and Sam claiming the fastest lap times in their respective categories and Poppy doing the same in the Open Girls’ event. The Glenalmond Cross Country provided another fine opportunity for the athletes to test themselves on the course that will host the Schools Home Countries Cross Country at the end of the month. In the U17 Girls’ race Phoebe, Martha and Anna finished 1st, 3rd and 5th respectively and Bea was in 9th place. Hector th st Inglis solely represented Fettes in the U17 Boys’ race, finishing 12 , whilst Poppy came 1 and Tati Spens rd 3 in the O17 Girls’ event. The results of the O17 Boys mirrored that of the Strathallan race; Jake, Sam, Lachlan and Angus 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th with Ewan McFarlane a close 7th. The finale to the season was the Scottish Schools Cross Country Championships on Saturday 10th March when 11 eager runners from Fettes College made their way to the west coast at Irvine, to race against athletes from the length and breadth of Scotland. Hector finished an admirable 52nd in the U17 Boys’ race and Martha 22nd in the U17 Girls’ race. In the O17 Girls’ competition, Poppy had an rd outstanding run to finish 3 with Tati and Morag chasing her in 17th and 37th place respectively. In the O17 Boys’ event, Fettes were out to get a team medal and the magenta vest was ever present in the top half of the field. Jake planned his race tactics with precision and after the first of three 2000m laps, pulled away from the field to finish the clear winner. Sam came home in 13th, Lachlan 16th, Angus 27th, Eiki Norizuki 28th with a courageous effort by Sunny Jain bringing up the rear. Despite their efforts, Jake, Sam, Lachlan and Angus had to settle for the silver team medal, narrowly missing out to Glasgow School of Sport by two points. However, this did not take away the success of the day and the results reflected the hard work all the athletes had put into the season. GIRLS’ SPORT Hockey 1st XI The 1st XI played some high calibre hockey this year. They produced a set of results to match, featuring some excellent wins in an increasingly competitive circuit. After the success of their tour to Australia last summer, the squad was established quicker than usual which helped develop cohesiveness and enhanced team organisation. The combination of Laura Macneal as captain, and Kirsty Haig as vicecaptain was instrumental in creating a positive environment for a team which unusually spanned four year groups. There were outstanding contributions from the other Upper Sixth players (Sophie Stoneham, Connie Thurlow and Kaitlin Tosh), while the Lower Sixth players Emma Jordon, Iona Haig and Carrie Ledden fulfilled important roles within the team. Outstanding defender Anna Murphy along with goalkeeper Naraina Bonar-Campbell gave consistently strong performances. The other places in the team were taken by youngsters Emma Weston and Millie Brown (Fifth Form) and Phoebe Crosthwaite (Fourth Form) who was been the youngest girl for some years to play regular 1st XI hockey. st The 1 XI had wins over Loretto, Strathallan (an outstanding result), Robert Gordon’s College, St George’s School, Firhill HS and Trinity Academy, scoring a remarkable 32 goals in the process. We drew with a very strong Dollar Academy team, and against Glenalmond, with the return match at home

the low point of the season, ending in a 1-2 loss. Other losses, against the strong day schools of George Watsons College, Mary Erskine’s in the East District Knock-out Cup and George Heriot’s were disappointing, but not without merit in terms of the overall match performances. In this season’s tournaments, the team reached the last four of the East 1st XI Tournament but lost in the semi-final against the eventual winners, George Watson’s. The Independent Schools tournament held at Strathallan was played as a Round Robin. Despite not having lost a match or conceded a goal in six matches, Fettes ended up as runners-up to Strathallan on the ‘goals for’ rule. Millie Brown was nominated by the tournament organisers as Player of the Tournament. st

The 1 XI season continued in the Spring Term with the East Plate competition. Following their second round defeat to Mary Erskine’s in the District Cup in November, they went into the East Knock-out Plate competition. Fettes beat Balerno HS in the first round so this gave them a focus for their hockey in the Spring term. Fettes then faced Currie HS at home in the semi-final. They gave a great performance against this strong hockey side. A creditable win meant that they booked their place in the final at Peffermill for the fourth consecutive year. This time Firhill HS were the other finalists. In this match, Captain Laura Macneal scored the opening goal with a drag flick from a penalty corner, and Kaitlin Tosh added a second after a scramble in front of the goal. Just before the break, Firhill pulled one back so we knew that the second half was going to be tough. After the re-start Firhill continued to pressurise the Fettes defence. They had to work hard to keep the Firrhill forwards at bay but luckily it was Fettes who managed to breach the Firhill defences. The final score was 5-1 to Fettes which pleased the Fettes crowd who had braved the elements to support. All the players had worked hard and gelled well together all season and this was a fitting end to an excellent season. This has been a genuinely good team, playing some of the side’s best hockey for years, and showing a high level of outstanding spirit and sportsmanship. 2nd XI nd The 2 XI had an excellent season and recorded only one defeat in a very frustrating match against St George’s. There were slightly disappointing draws with Strathallan and Glenalmond but overall some fine wins, notably against George Heriot’s School and Dollar Academy. However, the highlight of the term was undoubtedly coming back from being a goal down to win 2-1 against a very strong George Watson’s side for the first time this century – Mr Harrison’s victory dance on the touch line was a sight to be seen! The 2nd XI was well captained by Pippi Russell and other notable performers showing good skills and resilience in defence were Caitlin Healy, Molly McElney and Beth Moreland who supported goalkeeper, Claudia Bannatyne, well. There was some great play down the left wing and some key goals from Katie Barnet and youngster Freya Williamson showed great promise. 3rd XI It took a while for the 3rd XI players to feel comfortable in their various roles on the pitch but there was a definite point midway through the term when everything clicked into place. They collectively grew in confidence and understanding of the game. They enjoyed convincing wins against Strathallan, Trinity Academy and the second encounter against Glenalmond which was testament to their determination and teamwork in the four week gap between the two fixtures. Molly Maclachlan was a good captain and supported the team well. Judy McNicol proved to be a key goal scorer in attack, scoring three terrific goals in the match against Trinity. Other ‘younger’ players, Rose Younger and Emily Younger, worked hard and developed well. 4th XI The 4th and 5th XIs worked hard during practice sessions, developing fitness and improving hockey skills. The squads have been incredibly versatile with training on the changeable surfaces of the grass pitches. The 4th XI had victories against Loretto and Dollar Academy early in the term. They recorded a draw against Strathallan and their first encounter against Glenalmond but their second match against Glenalmond was quite an event. The pitch was extremely muddy and both the players and the ball were uncontrollable! However, Fettes managed to stay on their feet marginally more and ended the season with a 2-0 victory. Iona Bennie did a magnificent job, stepping in as goalkeeper and attacker Holly Foster executed some great shots at goal. They continued to show great team spirit and strong

communication. The captain, Emily Dovey-Hudson and vice-captain Beth Fletcher displayed decisive and effective leadership. Nicola Douglas showed great resilience and tenacity in goal. 5th XI The 5th XI started their season with a defeat against George Heriot’s but, eager to learn from their mistakes, they then went on to win their next three matches against George Watson’s College, Strathallan and Glenalmond. The 5th XI’s final match against Glenalmond at home resulted in a 1-0 victory, and was a great way to end the season. As captain and vice-captain, Lucy Day and Catherine Cooper displayed great leadership skills and a good standard of play. Mairi Corbett and Sarah Montgomery were impressive with their battling instinct as attacking players and Laura Flynn for her relentless defensive work in goal. U15A XI At the junior end of the club, the U15A team has had a very successful season. The standard of individual players is very encouraging and there are many talented girls who show great promise for the future. The team have trained at high intensity and during training they have had extremely competitive matches against the 1st and 2nd XI teams. Towards the latter stages of the term, Anna Waddell and Ellen st Young were selected for 1 XI matches. Rachel Coupland also showed outstanding promise in goal, and was unlucky to narrowly miss the final cut for East District U16 team. As the season has progressed the girl improved their level of play, playing with more structure and sharpness on the ball. They have recorded excellent wins against Loretto, Strathallan, Glenalmond, Dollar Academy and St George's School. The team’s highlight was scoring five goals against Dollar in addition to a successful tour to Northumberland in October. The top goal scorer of the season was Kate Waddell, closely followed by Captain Emma Dalglish. The disappointment of the season was a 0-1 loss against George Watson’s College. Video analysis, thanks to Mr Pillinger, has helped the girls to improve their awareness of structured play, along with identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the team and individuals. U15B XI Their coach found the U15B XI a joy to work with. They had strong wins against Loretto, Strathallan and Glenalmond home and away. They had tough encounters with the big day schools, George Watson’s College, George Heriot’s School, St George’s School and Dollar Academy, but the team played very well despite their losses. Charlotte Lillington captained the side well and played a very good standard of hockey. Anna Whitely began the term on the C team and gradually worked her way into a starting position on the B team and so showed the greatest improvement of them all. U14A XI The U14A XI struggled to record many wins this season but they made good progress overall. The highlights were their 2-0 wins over Dollar Academy and 1-0 against Glenalmond. Also, they were pleased with a 1-1 draw with George Heriot’s School. Caroline Getley captained the side well and improved considerably throughout the course of the season. Sophie Cooper, playing in the central midfield role, was one of the key players and Charlotte Steele made an invaluable contribution in the forward line. Leah Gale also scored lots of goals at crucial times. The squad approached training with enthusiasm. U14B XI The U14B team had an extremely successful season, winning the majority of their matches. The skill level and determination in matches improved through the season and they benefitted from training regularly with the U15B squad. The girls also benefitted from a weekly fitness programme which helped them approach each match with an increasing level of competitive spirit. The key players were Sally Kerr and Maisie Harley in the mid-field, Lucy Robertson in the defence and Flora McMicking was the top goal scorer. The U15C and U14C numbers were greatly boosted this year. Both groups worked with great enthusiasm throughout to develop their ball skills and understanding of the game but with there are few schools on

the circuit which can field C teams so they were only able to play two fixtures each. Their match records were the same, that is, one win and one loss. The U14C’s win against George Watson’s College was particularly pleasing. District and International Hockey Girls Despite stiff competition, the following girls were selected for the East U15 training squad in May – Anna Waddell, Kate Waddell, Lucy Hodge, Rachel Coupland, Ellen Young and Emma Dalglish. This was the greatest number of Fettesian pupils that have ever been selected for the girls’ District training squad. It was very pleasing when Anna, Rachel and Ellen made the final squad and acquitted themselves well in the Inter-District Tournament in June. Millie Brown and Phoebe Crosthwaite were members of the East U16 final squad who won their InterDistrict Tournament. On the strength of their performance in this, and at the subsequent Scottish trials, both girls have been selected for the East Performance squad and the Scottish U16 National squad. It is only one year ago that we were celebrating Millie as being the first Fettesian girl to be involved in the game at such a high level in ‘living memory’ so to now have two is an outstanding achievement not only for Millie and Phoebe but also for Miss Johnston. She has devoted a huge amount of hard work, commitment and encouragement of both girls in their quest to catch the eye of selectors. Unfortunately, a prolonged illness restricted Phoebe’s participation but Millie played for the U16 Scottish side in Wales in April. Further congratulations to Millie as she was also nominated as the Captain of the side in Germany in May, which is another ‘first’ for Fettes! Millie has a busy schedule of training and matches in June and July including two sets of matches in Scotland later in June and Ireland in July so the School wishes her well for those. Lacrosse Lacrosse has thrived at Fettes this year. The juniors’ records are outstanding, in particular the U14A’s unbeaten season, thus showing great promise for the future of lacrosse at Fettes. The seniors also did extremely well, with both the 1st and 2nd XII narrowly missing out on the SCT and Ryden Rose Bowl Cups. It is impossible to mention lacrosse and Fettes without thinking of Connie Thurlow. Connie has been an outstanding ambassador for lacrosse at Fettes and has raised the profile of the sport at school and in Scotland. Her unending passion for the sport has influenced the players around her more than I think she realises. Her dedication and time spent despite all of her other commitments and responsibilities have made an enormous difference to the sport and have inspired those around her. We will really miss her next year and thank her for her contribution to lacrosse at Fettes. 1st XII The 1st XII have had a tremendous season this year. They have improved exponentially as the term has continued. With many matches crammed into such a short term, the girls should be commended on how quickly they have learned everything. The team had a number of training sessions before the first match against arch rivals Glenalmond, but had not yet tested themselves against a tough opposition. Emotions were high throughout the match and although the team were winning by one goal at half time, Glenalmond managed to score a few goals in the second half and Fettes were unable to respond. On a more positive note, the match highlighted to the whole team, just what aspects of the game they needed to work on so they set themselves the task of covering transition and settled attack more closely in the following weeks. The second match, against St Leonard’s, was an easy win and the girls proved just how much they had learned from the Glenalmond match. They returned refreshed after half term to face Loretto. Having lost to them last year, the girls were keen for revenge. They played on a less than ideal pitch, and managed to hold on to a 8-5 win. They cruised through the next week with two easy wins against St Leonard’s and St George’s. It was the perfect way to head into the first trip to the National Schools Tournament in London. The National Schools Tournament was a real test of how much the girls had learned over the term. They knew that we were going to face much tougher opposition than they had come up against back in Scotland. The girls rose to the challenge brilliantly, winning three matches on the first day and their placing in Division II on the second day, was higher than any of the other three Scottish schools

attending. Despite the girls being absolutely exhausted, they dug deep and had another outstanding day, losing by one goal to Sherbourne, who went on to win the division, and drawing with Rendcombe, who were the runners-up. The experience of going down south and playing against excellent English teams was incredibly beneficial for the team and each and every one of them came back to Scotland as better lacrosse players than when they left. The team unfortunately had a disappointing result in the Scottish Closed Tournament at Glenalmond, finishing as joint first place on points with Glenalmond, although scoring two fewer goals throughout the day. This therefore meant that Glenalmond sadly took home the trophy. However, Fettes was the better team that day and unfortunately with such short matches, the best team does not always win! The team could not have asked for a better captain than Connie Thurlow. She led and organised the team brilliantly and it often felt as if the team had an assistant coach as well as a captain. Not to mention her skills on the lacrosse pitch, with her speed and agility she was deservedly the leading scorer on the team. Vice-captain, Kaitlin Tosh was also an integral part of the team. Her improved left hand and excellent crease rolls scored her many goals this term. Her re-defending was also outstanding with many of her turnovers resulting in goals. Katie Barnet led the attack with her excellent drives from behind the goal as well as setting an excellent example to the younger players. Tara Kinahan was a superb goalkeeper for the 1st XII this year. Particularly at National Schools, Tara stepped up and often kept the team in many matches with some critical saves. She also played brilliantly at the Scottish Closed Tournament, holding Glenalmond to only one goal in the last match. Her patience on her clears also improved throughout the term. 2nd XII Although we have not enjoyed an unbeaten season this year, we have been a very positive and determined group and the younger additions to the squad have learned a great deal from the training and leadership demonstrated by our Upper Sixth players. Despite having to rethink our positioning and strategies, we quickly came together as a team and have enjoyed a highly successful season, convincingly beating all Scottish Schools with the exception of Glenalmond (sadly a frustrating way for us to conclude the season) and coming a close second in the Ryden Rose Bowl tournament. The team was led with great enthusiasm and determination by Arabella Bradley, ably supported by a strong group of Upper Sixth players who will all be sorely missed next season. The younger team players learnt a lot from the experience and inspiration of these Upper Sixth girls. Izzy McMicking and Stephanie Leach (and Claudia Bannatyne before the 1st XII requisitioned her) was consistently outstanding players and their speed and strength have been vital in the success of the attacking play. Beth Fletcher was a tremendous asset as goalkeeper and Alex Taylor directed the defence very effectively. However, it was very much a team effort in every match and the team worked together to win some great matches at the end of the season. 3rd XII The 3rd XII squad has made good progress this season, developing and reinforcing the basic techniques of passing, cradling and shooting. The girls have improved their tactical awareness and team spirit during games and their match results reflect the hard work they have put into the sessions. Their first real test was against Glenalmond, led by Aime Hunter, where they played to their strengths, trying to retain possession and constantly defending their goal area. Despite some great tactical work from Lalsa Budhwar and Dina Andrzheychik and frequent breakaways from Marie Becker, the side had to settle for a 7-8 defeat. The girls learned a lot from their first match, reinforcing team positioning and tactical manoeuvres. However, they had to wait a while before meeting their next challenge when they played Loretto on home soil. The 3rd XII dominated the first quarter of the match and quickly positioned them into a formidable attacking pattern led by Melody Moore, Kendra Tallentire and Marie Becker. Although Loretto did manage to get five goals into their net, the Fettes midfield players and defenders led by Jennifer Gentleman and Bronte McMyn, successfully held off any other threats and the final score was 8-5 to Fettes.

Towards the end of the term, the 3rds played in the Ryden Rose Bowl Tournament at Glenalmond. Fettes were the only 3rd XII to enter the tournament, so the whole team should be proud of their ability nd to compete against other 2 teams. The team played commendably throughout and had a lot of fun, supported by the Chaplain’s outstanding team talks. Unfortunately the girls did not manage to win any of the matches but had some close results, especially against St Leonard’s 2nds and Loretto 2nds. The rd Fettes 3 XII were named as ‘Team of the Day’. The most valuable player, by some margin, was the indefatigable Marie Becker, a star in every way. Junior lacrosse Junior lacrosse has developed exceptionally well this term, with all Third and Fourth Form girls working effectively to develop their core skills during pre-season training in the Autumn Term. It is so encouraging to see Fettes able to field competent A-C teams at both year groups. A massive well done to all the girls who have put boundless effort into lacrosse this term! U15A XII The U15A team has applied maximum effort and made excellent progress throughout the season. Jameelah Barnard has led the team admirably and has had great support from her vice-captain, Anna Waddell. Every player deserves a mention for their fantastic commitment and skills, but Kate and Anna Waddell along with Ellen Young have been particularly exceptional. Both defence and attack have been playing to the highest standard. Over the season the girls improved enormously and this was rewarded in a crowning glory of winning the Scottish Schools U15 tournament after a very tough match against Loretto. All in all, this was a great season and the team was very strong on the circuit recording great victories over Loretto, St Leonard’s and St George’s. U15B XII Aside from their loss to Lorretto Bs in the St Leonard's tournament, the Under 15B team were unbeaten this term in full school fixtures. To say the team went from strength to strength is an understatement; they started tentatively, but nonetheless convincingly, with a win against Glenalmond in January, and went from there to develop skills and gamesmanship that enabled them to outshine and outplay opposition all season. Roxie Stevenson-Brown and Nian Li demand a mention for their generosity of spirit as captain and vice-captain of this talented side, but the side as a whole is most deserving of praise for their rigour, spirit and sportsmanlike conduct. U14A XII The U14A team has had an outstanding season. They have very quickly developed excellent stick skills and strategic play. This has been the most promising junior lacrosse side for numerous years at Fettes and they show excellent potential for the future. The team has been comfortably unbeaten all season, recording 7 excellent wins out of 7 against all Scottish schools. The girls continued their success to deservedly win the Scottish Schools U14 tournament. Sally Kerr has demonstrated excellent leadership skills as captain and as a result the girls have consistently carried out the loudest and extremely effective warm ups! In attack, Charlotte Steele has been the highest goal scorer; special mention must be made to her scoring 10 goals in one match. Special mention must also go to Olivia Longstaff, Leah Gale and Caroline Getley who have been outstanding in midfield. The whole team should be extremely proud of their progress and achievements. U14B XII The U14B girls have had a very good season and made promising progress in developing an understanding of the game and improving their basic stick skills. They have recorded two good wins against Glenalmond, although lost to Loretto who have an added year of experience in playing lacrosse. The Loretto matches however were both high scoring and very close. The team also put up an excellent fight to beat St Leonard’s A team during the season. Lucy Robertson and Katrine Bennie deserve a special mention for their excellent defensive skills throughout the season. Other players to watch out for in the future are Fiona Lin, who has developed a

beautiful cradling technique and has become a good strong attack wing, and Sophie Thomson, who has been the top goal scorer of the season and has really developed her dodging and crease rolls. U15/U14C XII The combined U14 & U15 C team, captained by Victoria Halliday, have performed well throughout the Spring Term. Both of their two fixtures against Loretto were won with comfortable margins of 8-0 and 6-2. The players showed good team cohesion and great enthusiasm. The ability of the attacking players has improved a great deal, with a special mention to Jessica Lee and Olivia Nicholson who posed a persistent threat to the opponent’s goal in both fixtures. For the first time ever, a C team was entered into the Scottish Lacrosse tournament, a real credit to the players’ ability and coaching staff's enthusiasm. The girls performed well against B team opposition and gained a great deal of extra playing experience. Representative Lacrosse Fettes lacrosse is in a very competitive and healthy state and therefore it is no surprise that this year has also seen the highest number of Fettesians selected to represent Scotland. Nine Fettesians played for Scotland in the Junior Home Internationals at Peffermill Playing Fields on March 18th. The efforts of both teams show much promise for the future of lacrosse in Scotland as well as for the developing U19 Squad. Hopefully a few of the 4th form Fettesians selected for the ‘B’ Squad will be in the Scotland U19 Team playing in the 2015 Junior World Lacrosse Championships, an exciting prospect for the future. The following girls were chosen to represent Scotland in the Home Internationals: ‘A’ Squad - Connie Thurlow (vice-captain) ‘B’ Squad - Katie Barnet (captain), Molly MacLachlan (vice captain), Tara Kinahan, Ellen Young, Lucy Hodge, Grace MacLachlan, Anna & Kate Waddell Netball st 1 VII The 1st VII are a very talented group of girls and they deserve all the success that they have had this season. They have been determined and eager for victory, which has seen them fight, on many occasions, from several goals down and ended up with very impressive wins. The team has been undefeated throughout the season, recording great wins against Kilgraston, Glenalmond and Strathallan. The highlight of the season has been winning the Independent Schools’ Netball Tournament, which saw the girls go from strength to strength during the tournament. This is the first year Fettes has won the tournament and all credit goes to captain Pippi Russell, vice captain Caitlin Healy and their talented team. The team also played competitive matches against university sides. The match against Edinburgh University saw the girls raise their game significantly and this was one of the best matches the girls have ever played. It was impressive to see the team learn to adapt their game from school girl netball to high level club netball. The result of 27-27 was a phenomenal achievement. Caitlin Healy and Nina Smith both scored some amazing goals and kept calm under huge pressure. Georgia Hunter has to be singled out as the most valuable member of the team. She takes control of the court and leaves her opposite number bewildered as she intercepts passes whilst in defence and is always finding the available spaces whilst in attack. Her speed at passing into the circle and her continual support of the two shooters has been exceptional and been a major contributing factor to the success the team has had this year. 2nd VII The 2nd VII have had an interesting season with a very convincing win against Kilgraston at the beginning followed by a very unlucky and unfortunate loss against Strathallan. The highlight of the season has to be the match against Napier University which saw the girls working hard as a team rather than individuals on court and Napier were shocked by what they were up against, so much so that they had to bring on one or two of their First team players in order to pull themselves up to end with a 3434 draw.

Heather Blair needs to be singled out as she has been versatile enough to play in a number of different positions and has adapted brilliantly, perhaps her best game being as Goal Attack where she was able to not only position herself superbly in the circle but also slot some incredible goals. Emily Hudson has been a tremendous captain and she deserves special mention for playing against Napier University with a broken finger. Despite this she played, probably, the best netball she had played all season. Georgee Holmes, Charlotte Scott and Zandie Haslam all deserve to be singled out for their excellent play amongst what is a very talented squad. U15 VII The U15A team have played two matches this term. They started the season with a disappointing loss to Strathallan. They continued with a very close match against Kilgraston where they just lost out on a win. Throughout the season Hattie Harley has been both a strong centre and captain for the team. U14 VII The U14A team have played three matches this term. They started the season with a disappointing loss to Strathallan. They continued with a draw against Glenalmond and a very close match against Kilgraston, where they just lost out on a win. Throughout the season the defence team have been very strong, in particular Alison Waugh and Caroline Getley. Thanks also to Susie Watts for captaining the team in her enthusiastic manner. Tennis 1st VI Senior girls’ tennis continues to be extremely popular, with large numbers of girls training and competition for team places remaining high. The 1st VI & 2nd VI have developed their skills & tactical awareness of match play very well this season, despite the results tally not reflecting this. The girls have trained extremely well, thanks to our new external coach Adrian Nicklin, who has found the senior girls' teams extremely enjoyable to coach. The 1st VI has been extremely unfortunate to narrowly lose 4-5 to several schools. Tara Kinahan and Laura MacNeal have been the driving force of the team where a combination of Laura’s powerful serve and her winning groundstrokes and volleys, along with Tara’s great consistency, have made the girls an effective first couple. Katie Robertson and Iona Haig have been the most improved players; both girls are extremely athletic and effective players. Katie and Iona have been the most successful pair, regularly winning 2 out of 3 sets in every match. Claudia Bannatyne and Ele Robertson have stepped up to play third couple in their first year in senior tennis. Throughout the season the girls have grown in confidence and are starting to replicate their level of play in training to matches. The younger girls will be in a positive position next year with the excellent improvements and experience they have gained this year in the 1st VI. Tara, Laura and Katie have contributed extremely well to tennis at Fettes and will be missed next year. 2nd VI Molly MacLachlan has led the 2nd VI team with great enthusiasm, leading by example with Izzy McMicking. The highlights of the season were the team’s emphatic wins over Loretto and St George’s. Matches lost were very closely contested, in particular against Strathallan where the team put in a great performance, playing some excellent tennis, although were unfortunate to go 4-5 down. Beth Moreland and Georgia Hunter in their final year have had some fantastic results; their contribution to the tennis team will be missed next year. Emily Onslow, Nina Smith, Carla Bannantyne and Anika Mohammed have all really developed their match play and look very promising for next year. 3rd VI The 3rd VI has had an outstanding season, highlighting the great depth we have in the tennis squad. The girls have won 6 out of 6 matches, recording emphatic wins over all schools in the circuit – Glenalmond, Strathallan, George Watsons, Dollar, Loretto and St George’s. Zandie Haslam has led the team in her nd composed manner and played tenaciously, despite playing for the 2 VI on many occasions. Heather Blair, Lalsa Budhwar, Freya Williamson and Francesca Skakel have all been very dedicated and enthusiastic players. Freya Williamson has been the most improved player, improving her net play

considerably throughout the season. We have also fielded 4th and 5th VI throughout the season, although due to other schools’ lack of numbers, we have had a limited number of matches. U15 A VI Junior girls’ tennis is in good health. Both year groups have been very enthusiastic and dedicated. The U15 tennis team has had mixed success this year. The ‘A’ squad was captained by Lucy Hodge who did a great job keeping everyone happy and getting in excellent match reports in a timely manner. All three squads had outstanding matches against Strathallan, St George’s and St Leonards. Unfortunately, the girls faced tougher matches against Kilgraston and Glenalmond. Emma Dalglish had a tremendous tennis term, moving from a ‘B’ squad player up to a standout ‘A’ squad team member. Jameelah Barnard and Grace MacLachlan led the ‘A’ squad as first couple and they were a force to be reckoned with. Molly Ewing, Julia Heward and Georgie Spens also made invaluable contributions to the ‘A’ squad, with great attacking play and serving. U15 B VI Kate Waddell captained the ‘B’ squad extremely well with her unending enthusiasm and love for sport. Ellen Young and Eliza Le-Roy Lewis were a consistent second couple, using their athleticism to win many matches. In the ‘C’ squad, Hattie Harley captained a great group as well, nearly beating Glenalmond. The U15 tennis squads, show great promise for their future in senior tennis at Fettes. U14 A VI This has been a very successful season for the U14A’s even though on paper the results don’t tell the same story! The girls fought well in all their matches playing some tremendous tennis and were unlucky not to record more wins. All matches were very close and most could have gone either way. The team has learnt a great deal this season setting them up well for next year. Alex McKelvie captained the side well and was one half of a powerful first couple with Iona Warren. U14 B VI The U14B team was very strong and competed well against good sides, just narrowly losing the 4 out of 6 matches. Captain Camilla Robertson together with Chloe Sutton were a very consistent first couple; Olivia Longstaff’s powerful serves notched up several points throughout the season. The U14C team has had an unbeaten season and have enjoyed the fixtures they have had, despite other schools not being able to provide C teams to compete against. Laila Petra’s natural ability at tennis saw her move from the C team up to the B team and also playing one fixture in the A team. A highlight for the juniors this season was the Glenalmond mixed doubles tournament held on a Sunday. The Fettes couples dominated the tournament, winning 2 out of 3 trophies against a range of competitive schools. Well done to Alex McKelvie and Harry West winning the A couple tournament, and to Iona Warren and Mathew Spencer winning the B couple tournament. Sadly, this was the first year that the girls were not able to compete at the Kilgraston U14, U16 and senior tournament, due to our half-term dates. Athletics The pre-season training sessions held at the end of the spring term prepared the athletes for the forthcoming athletics season. However, grey skies and a waterlogged running track put a halt to the girls’ first athletics meeting at Mary Erskine’s. The boys match, scheduled at Pitreavie all-weather track still went ahead and the so called ‘time trial’ provided an excellent opportunity for the athletes to test themselves against the clock. The first inter-school meeting was held at Fettes on May 3rd against Glenalmond and Strathallan, with Edinburgh Academy providing additional competition for the girls. In the boys competition, Davis Martin won the 100m, Sam Wightman the 400m, Jake Wightman the 800m and 1500m and Tommy Spinks the discus. In the junior girls’ competition, Charlotte Lillington won the high jump and her sister Victoria the long jump. Leah Gale won the 100m and 200m and Martha Wightman the 800m and the 1500m. In the girls’ senior competition, Beth Fletcher won the discus and the shot, Poppy Booth the 800m and 1500m, Emma Jordan won the 100m and Millie st nd Brown the 300m. The final combined score was Fettes 1 with 186 points, Strathallan 2 with 157 rd points and Glenalmond 3 with 70 points.

On Tuesday 8th May, Fettes hosted the annual boys meeting against Stewart’s Melville, Merchiston and Edinburgh Academy. Notable performances were Davis Martin’s wins in the 100m and 200m, Jake Wightman in the 800m and 1500m and Tommy Spinks in the discus. The overall score at the end of the st nd rd th competition was Edinburgh Academy 1 , Merchiston 2 , Fettes 3 and Stewart’s Melville 4 . The junior girls and boys had a second opportunity to compete at Pitreave and compete in a ‘free for all’ competition along with Strathallan and Glenalmond. The occasion saw some excellent performances from Ralph Shackleton in the sprints, George Cuthbert and Charlotte Lillington in the high jump, Leah Gale in the long jump and Martha Wightman in the 300m and 800m. As the term drew to an end, all attention was focused on the Edinburgh Schools and the Scottish nd Schools Athletics Championships. On Saturday 2 June, Sam Wightman competed in the SSAA Pentathlon at Grangemouth. Sam’s versatility over a range of events put him in good stead for this competition. Despite his disappointing shot putt performance, he clawed his way back into contention by winning the 110m hurdles, long jump, 200m and 1500m to pick up the gold medal by 3 points, scoring 2865. The Edinburgh Schools Championships were held on Wednesday 2nd June, and despite being held in wintery conditions, produced some fine performances from the Fettes athletes. Connie Thurlow won the 100m, Beth Fletcher the shot and discus, Phoebe Crosthwaite came 2nd in the 1500m and Sam nd Wightman 2 in the 400m. The accolades of the day went to Davis Martin for winning the long jump in a championship best of 6.24m and to Jake Wightman who won the 1500m in a championship best of 4:05.3. The Scottish Schools Athletics Championships was held over 2 days on 8th and 9th June and the Fettes athletes performed at their best. On the first day, Davis Martin came 5th in the 15-17 Boys 100m, Beth Fletcher won a gold medal in the O17 Girls shot and Jake Wightman a gold medal in the O17 Boys th 1500m. The following day, Davis finished 5 in the long jump and Jake won his heat in the 800m and followed this with a bronze medal in the final. Girls’ Squash The girls’ season ended with the team in third place in the league competition, and that was a fair reflection on a season where the team was comprised entirely of Upper Sixth girls somewhat ran out of steam in the Spring Term, after lots of effort and hard work over the last two years. Well done to Alex Taylor who has led the squash team this year, and thanks to Scottish no. 1 player Lisa Aitken for her coaching input. Badminton The badminton club remains strong within the school, with the added bonus this year of the regular coaching input of ex-internationalist Andy Bowman from Scottish Badminton with a squad of around twenty of our best players. While comfortable wins in regular matches such as our school games against Strathallan have confirmed the improvement in our players, the rapid expansion in numbers and standard in the schools league has meant wins there have been much harder to come by. The mixed team did well to reach the semi-finals of the under 19 Edinburgh Schools event, however, while our boys finished 5th and the girls 4th in their respective U19 leagues. The girls will particularly miss the number one and two players Stephanie Li and Alex Taylor who will leave this year after sterling service, including finishing girls doubles runners up in the ESBA individual event in which we fielded several representatives. In the same tournament, boys’ number one and two Strathan Chun and Stephan Barrett qualified to represent Edinburgh at boys’ doubles in the Scottish Schools event held at Ravenscraig – the first time any Fettesians have achieved this. Rounders Senior rounders sadly has been disrupted this year due to the poor summer term weather and a lack of schools being able to provide teams for fixtures. The juniors have had a very successful season, despite many practice sessions being disrupted with the weather. The U15A team, Lucy Hodge, with her enthusiasm and skill, and Sophie Scott, with her great determination, led the team by great example

against Kilgraston and Glenalmond. The girls won both matches successfully with great fielding and batting. Special mention must go to Jameelah Barnard in a batting role and Fiona Lin in fielding. The U14A team was ably led by Olivia Longstaff and Charlotte Steele; both matches were played with great sportsmanship resulting in one narrow defeat and a resounding win. An excellent season for all involved. Fencing It has been an encouraging year for the Fencing Club which has gone through something of a resurgence. Numbers are strong for the coaching sessions which take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays and they have been fortunate to have attracted a number of new members to the club, including Damini Bishnoi, George Lee and Francesca Skakel. Fencing at the Dundee Duel against other schools, universities and even international clubs and under the able and inspiring captaincy of Kenith Mak the team put in a very creditable performance and came away with their heads lifted high after an extremely hard fought day. In the Summer Term three members of the club took part in the Scottish Youth Championships at St Thomas Aquinas High School under the captaincy of Kenith Mak. In addition, Damini Bishnoi produced a great performance in the Scottish U20’s championships at the Edinburgh Fencing Club in picking up a bronze medal in the Ladies’ Epee. Elsewhere Kenith Mak finished a creditable 6th in the Men’s Epee and Coinneach Hutchinson was 8th. Cross-Country The cross-country team had its finest season yet! Racing opportunities were ample, providing the athletes with inter-school and inter-club competition. The commitment to training was excellent and the racing results for the runners have reflected their dedication and hard work. Jake Wightman th competed in East District League races at Stirling and Livingston in October/November, finishing 10 th and 13 respectively in the U20 men’s section. Fettes again had a good representation in the Scottish Schools Athletics Association Road Relays at Grangemouth on the 12th November. The course was run over 1 ½ miles and involved composite teams of four athletes (two under 16 and two over 16). The Medley Girls team of Anna Waddell, Martha Wightman, Leah Gale and Chloe Sutton finished 7th, whilst the Medley Boys team of Seamus O’Baoighill, Izzkander Zainol Izzet, Sam and Jake Wightman finished in an incredible 2nd place to scoop up the silver medals. After successful runs in the East District Cross Country League races, Phoebe Crosthwaite was selected to represent the East of Scotland in the Inter District Cross Country Championships at Holyrood Park in January. She finished in a fantastic fifth place in the U15 girls’ race and was the first East finisher. In February, the athletes had the chance to test their track potential and compete in the SSAA Indoor Athletics Championships at the Kelvin Hall. Phoebe ran a tactical race in the U16 1500m heats to earn a place in the final and she did well to pick up the bronze medal. Jake ran an equally wise race in the O16 1500m heats to get into the final and subsequently won the gold to be crowned SSAA champion. The first inter-school competition was at Strathallan, comprising of a triangular meeting against Fettes and Glenalmond at the beginning of March. Fettes athletes took the opportunity to test out their training and were triumphant all round:- Phoebe Crosthwaite finished 1st, Martha Wightman 2nd, Anna Waddell 6th and Bea Begg 8th in the U17 Girls’ race, and they also won the team event. In the O17 Girls’ event, Poppy Booth finished 1st, Alexandra Haslam 2nd, Morag McEwan 8th and Sarah Montgomery 10th, and they also won the team event. Jake Wightman, Sam Wightman and Lachlan Waddell finished 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively and Angus Richardson 5th as Fettes won the U17 Boys’ race. Fettes hosted the Fettes Mile Relays the following week, changing the course slightly to include Youngs hill. Fettes U15 Girls’ and Open Boys’ teams won the team awards, with Phoebe and Sam claiming the fastest lap times in their respective categories and Poppy doing the same in the Open Girls’ event. The Glenalmond Cross Country provided another fine opportunity for the athletes to test themselves on the course that will host the Schools Home Countries Cross Country at the end of the month. In the U17 Girls’ race Phoebe, Martha and Anna finished 1st, 3rd and 5th respectively and Bea was in 9th place. Hector Inglis solely represented Fettes in the U17 Boys’ race, finishing 12th, whilst Poppy came 1st and Tati Spens 3rd in the O17 Girls’ event. The results of the O17 Boys mirrored that of the Strathallan race; Jake, Sam, Lachlan and Angus 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th with Ewan McFarlane a close 7th.

The finale to the season was the Scottish Schools Cross Country Championships on Saturday 10th March when 11 eager runners from Fettes College made their way to the west coast at Irvine, to race against athletes from the length and breadth of Scotland. Hector finished an admirable 52nd in the U17 Boys’ race and Martha 22nd in the U17 Girls’ race. In the O17 Girls’ competition, Poppy had an outstanding run to finish 3rd with Tati and Morag chasing her in 17th and 37th place respectively. In the O17 Boys’ event, Fettes were out to get a team medal and the magenta vest was ever present in the top half of the field. Jake planned his race tactics with precision and after the first of three 2000m laps, pulled away from the field to finish the clear winner. Sam came home in 13th, Lachlan 16th, Angus 27th, Eiki Norizuki 28th with a courageous effort by Sunny Jain bringing up the rear. Despite their efforts, Jake, Sam, Lachlan and Angus had to settle for the silver team medal, narrowly missing out to Glasgow School of Sport by two points. However, this did not take away the success of the day and the results reflected the hard work all the athletes had put into the season. Swimming A team of four swimmers qualified for the Edinburgh Schools’ competition and they all acquitted themselves with distinction. There were no medal winners on the day but Cameron Stewart, Sebastian Bulloch, Duncan McEwan and Helen Anderson all tried their hardest. The Autumn Term galas against Strathallan and Glenalmond were extremely exciting events and the quality of swimming on display was superb. Strathallan proved to be a very formidable team and they defeated us by 203 points to 123. The Glenalmond gala was a much closer event (161 to 156) and, going into the final race of the afternoon, either team could have won the gala. With all spectators screaming themselves hoarse, the Glenalmond 4 x 50 metre O16 team snatched victory for their school. The Spring Term is very much the ‘away’ fixture time of year and consequently the team has travelled to Strathallan, Merchiston and Glenalmond schools in order to compete in return fixtures against these schools. This year the format changed slightly and all the away fixtures involved three-way competitions. Glenalmond joined us at Strathallan this year and whilst our U15 girls’ and boys’ teams acquitted themselves with distinction we were overpowered by a very strong Strathallan team. Isabel Finlay and Helen Anderson were the standout swimmers on the day. The boys were very keen to compete against Merchiston as we have traditionally fared well against our South side neighbours. Unfortunately, this was not to be the case this year and we were narrowly defeated by a strong Merchiston team in the last race of the day. The final fixture against Glenalmond also involved Merchiston and although we returned without any silverware our U15 boys comprising of Tom Worlledge, Max Knight, Fergus Haig and Josh Abbott were narrowly pipped by less than a fingertip on at least five occasions. The strength in this age division augurs well for the years ahead. Shooting The Fettes College Shooting Team has had another successful year. Captained by Elliot Graves, in the Spring Term the team focused its efforts on small-bore 25 metre shooting, improving technique and key skills. The team performed well in the competitions, with the ‘Eight’ and ‘Four’ teams competing in the NSRA small-bore postal competition, in which Eleanor Pomeroy and Elliot Graves succeeded in getting through to the second stage. Both gained further credit in being selected for the Scotland U21 Small-Bore B-Team for the annual postal competition. Furthermore, some very promising young shooters gained experience in small-bore shooting, which bodes well for the future of shooting at the College. The full-bore shooting team developed well over the summer term. Elliot Graves, Ian Brotherston, Eleanor Pomeroy, Vasily Shenshin and Poppy MacDonald all shot in the CCF Country Life Competition, winning the Gold medal, a fine accomplishment. In addition, Ian Brotherston has been selected for the CCF UK Team to go to Canada for four weeks, a reflection of his potential. Shooters such as Eleanor Pomeroy and Vasily Shenshin both have been developing well over the year,

and are becoming key leaders of shooting at the College. In total there are ten enthusiastic shooters heading down to Bisley this year where they will compete in one of the largest shooting events in Britain. CCF and SHOOTING CCF There has been the usual range of activities in CCF with all Sections fully involved on Wednesday afternoons throughout the year and Field Days well used despite certain frustrations caused by our arrangements with the military not working out as planned! Two thirds of the Fifth Form opted to continue at Christmas when their participation became voluntary which is most encouraging. The Navy has included sailing and power boating as well as using the model yachts and speedboats on Inverleith pond. Mr du Vivier was promoted to Lieutenant and will continue to run the Section next year, despite becoming a Housemaster and the loss of his sterling helper Sub Lt Campbell. Full sets of uniform have not been easy to obtain but the Section has done its best to maintain standards regardless. The Army has had the support once again of our enthusiastic volunteer 2nd Lt Kerr as well as 2nd Lt Gausinet and 2nd Lt Platt being fully involved. 2nd Lt Lambert has worked hard for the Section and will be missed although it has been very good to have the experienced Lt Nicol back running the Pre-CCF in the Summer Term for the Third Form. Major Morris has run the Fifth Form Company, the highly successful Potential Sergeants’ Course and frequently manned the range to enable shooting to proceed. The ‘Country Life’ Competition small-bore shooting team excelled themselves winning the gold medal to follow up on their bronze of last year. Congratulations to the team members Ian Brotherston, Ellie Pomeroy, Vasily Shenshin and Poppy MacDonald. 2nd Lt Kerr has initiated an ‘activity CCF’ with his Advanced Cadet Training Section for Fourth Form volunteers on a Tuesday afternoon. This has proved a popular and useful addition to the activities of the CCF with the regular members of ACTS making the most of the developmental opportunities provided. The RAF began the year without significant adult input and Cameron Stewart and Sunny Jain did a terrific job of keeping things going until the arrival of our excellent volunteer Miss Baker who is really getting the Section fully back on track. Flying opportunities at RAF Leuchars all too often fell foul of the weather this year but those cadets who have managed to fly all returned sporting huge grins! We are sorry to have lost Flt Lt Battersby after his years of service to the Section. Full-bore shooting has also been hit by the weather and availability of ranges and transport so that few if any of the usual Scottish competitions have taken place. Nevertheless, a determined and experienced nucleus will be making the annual pilgrimage to Bisley, five of whom are planning to stay on for the Imperial. Ian Brotherston achieved the distinction of being invited to join the Athelings UK Cadet Rifle Team to tour Canada this summer and Ellie Pomeroy took part in Ex “Maple Chase” with a view to selection next year. The Army Section Camp at Nesscliffe in Shropshire during the first week of the summer holidays will involve over 50 Cadets this year – by some way the highest number opting to attend Camp this century. None of what has been achieved would be possible without the fine leadership of the Heads of Section Caitlin Healy, Frances Murray Brown and Cameron Stewart and the excellent Head of CCF Tim Morrison. The whole thing is glued together by the tremendously hard working SSI, Mr Burns, who has done a superb job masterminding the mountains of kit and equipment our 300+ strong CCF needs as well as leading the NCO Cadre Courses to train up the leaders of the future. Shooting Fettes shooting has had another highly successful year. It has been taken up by a record number of rd young pupils over the course of the year, over 50 in the 3 form alone, learning and refining their skills in the sport as well as providing great promise for the future of shooting at the College.

We have had a number of our pupils shooting in competitive international competitions, with Eleanor Pomeroy participating in Maple Taste, and Elliot Graves and Ian Brotherston both being selected to shoot for the Scottish Cadet team in Canada in the summer. Another resounding success for Fettes shooting, our cadet team performed exceptionally well on the CCF Country Life shoot, gaining a top score in the competition. Further, in the Autumn Term the small-bore team competed in shooting competitions against Kelvinside Academy and Merchiston, performing exceptionally in both events. Indeed, through the course of the year, we have also participated in two nation-wide postal competitions, as well as a friendly match in the Summer Term versus Ardvreck. Finally, this summer there are ten Fettesians heading south to shoot at Bisley, the pinnacle of the shooting year. With such strong numbers of new pupils coming into both large-bore and small-bore shooting, the sport as a whole at Fettes has never been stronger. It has been a very pleasing year of shooting for all those involved. PIPES & DRUMS This has been a superb year for Fettes College Pipes and Drums during which we celebrated our Centenary Year, 2012. The actual date of our foundation is still a subject of debate, but as a result of some excellent detective work by Mr Andrew Murray, we can be certain that the CCF was formed up in 1908 and the year 2012 is also of course the centennial anniversary of our annual 1912 Society Recital concert. One of the great features of this year’s events actually originated at the end of the previous year. The summer term of 2011 saw Fettes College hosting the Scottish Schools CCF Pipe Band Competition. The entry lists were huge in all competitions, with several school entering two bands and a multitude of soloists. Our great success of the occasion was when Lower Sixth Former Elliot Graves won the Drum Majoring competition, as the final event of the day, on the Headmaster’s Lawn. In doing so, he beat some serious competition and more importantly, set himself up as the man to lead out the Schools Massed Band in this year’s events. With a great many UVI form leaving last year, from a band that had been together for some time, we started back in September with many new faces and the prospect of some hard work. The Autumn Term saw Ross Welsh promoted to Pipe Sergeant and Lawrence Croll following in the footsteps of his older brother, as Drum Sergeant. Open Day and Commemoration weekend is the first run-out of the year and a chance to hear what the band sounded like on-parade. The first school Guest Night came rapidly in October and a chance for our top pipers to roll out their repertoire and get a ‘dry run’ before the CCF Quartets competition in November. The School Remembrance Service is always a key moment in the first term and this year was no exception As usual, P/M Rafferty played Flowers of the Forest at the War Memorial following the wreath laying ceremony and the band played outside the dining hall as OF Veterans arrived for a formal lunch. The back end of the Autumn Term sees a huge push towards preparing for the annual 1912 Society Concert. This event showcases each and every part of the band, from new recruits right through to our top bands and soloists. The standard of this event is rising every year and this was no exception. In addition to a solo set by P/Sgt Welsh, we were also able to showcase the newly acquired talent of Seamus O’Baoighill on both Highland Pipes and Small Pipes. Seamus has come to us from Plockton High School and as a Third Former, we are blessed to have such a musician join us, who can set new standards and increase awareness of what is possible within school piping. On this occasion it was wonderful to be able to promote Ross Welsh to Pipe Major. Sebastian Bulloch was awarded the Oliver Mace for ‘Most Improved Drummer’ and Matthew Sung the Colonel Grey Sgian Dubh for ‘Most Improved Piper’.

In the Spring Term, the first event was the annual Inter-House Competition. This again was a very good and competitive evening showing the huge depth of talent in the school, with many new and aspiring players coming out of the woodwork to defend the honour of their House. The annual school Burns’ Supper was its usual success with Dr Hall once again running of the event for 2012. The Pipe Band made its contribution to the evening and then in addition we managed to provide pipers for an additional five Burns Suppers in and around Edinburgh. The second half of the Spring Term was dominated with preparations for the big Centenary Reunion Weekend. Over 50 former members of the Pipe Band, with vintages spanning over 60 years managed to return to the College for this event, with many more sending their best wishes, photographs and apologies for absence. The weekend provided tours for the OFs and their families, a full Beating Retreat on the Queen’s Lawn for the mixed band, (OFs and our current band), the unveiling of a Pipe Major’s Honours Board in the main college and a splendid formal dinner in the evening. It seems that more than ever, the Pipe Band holds a special place in the hearts of many of our OFs. The Summer Term always provides its own structure, with the key events being CCF in nature. We start with Field Day, the CCF Biennial Inspection, CCF Chapel Service, the CCF Beating Retreat and finally the CCF Summer Competition. For the CCF Chapel we were delighted to make the re-acquaintance of Rev Rory MacLeod (OF) and former Pipe Major, who gave us the sermon. The really big event from this list was the CCF Beating Retreat. We had specially negotiated that Fettes should host this event at Edinburgh Castle, on the year of our Centenary. Despite booking over a year in advance, we were disappointed to learn that with a week to go, the Castle would not be available and we should have to stage the event on the college back pitches. In the event, Lt Col Alexander orchestrated a wonderful display, with a great many suggesting that in fact it was entirely fitting that we had hosted it on our own patch. The event saw a wonderfully warm summer evening with our own D/M Elliot Graves as Lead Drum Major, stepping off at the head of the entire massed bands of the Scottish School CCF. The pitches provided a wonderful setting with Westwoods and the Bryce building as a backdrop. It also allowed a great many more of our own pupils to see the spectacle and to feel part of what was a great occasion. Elliot then proceeded to repeat the exercise with great aplomb, the following evening at Holyrood Palace. Unfortunately the Summer Competition, fell across our half term (unusually late due to the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations) and along with several schools, we were unable to attend. Still to come in this year is the final outing for the Band at Founders’ Day. It has been another very good year for the Band where the work and progress brought on many of the players to a higher level of performance. Thanks must go to the tireless energies and patience of our three instructors; P/M Joe Rafferty, Jim Walker (drumming) and Norman MacLeod (tenor drumming). The coming year will be an exciting one as we shall be building further and fundraising towards a proposed tour, back to Hong Kong, for the rugby 7s and possibly with an extension to Dubai on the way home. OUTDOOR PURSUITS 4th Form Field Weekend at Loch Eil The Fourth Form travelled to the shores of Loch Eil, near Fort William for a four-day course at the Outward Bound centre. The aim of the course was to build up teamwork skills through a set of group challenges in canoeing, kayaking, climbing, hill walking and wild camping. We were blessed by generally good weather, with little rain and enough breeze to keep the worst of the midge swarms away. The youngsters were out on the water within an hour of arrival and the pace never slackened. The groups are organised as clans, which worked together, ate together and did almost everything else together. All the activities were scored for teamwork and the points accumulated to

guarantee kit and rations for the expedition - so there were few slackers. Some of the exercises were scary, such as getting all group members over Jacob's Ladder. Others were more cerebral, at least at first, such as the raft building. It was good to see that lots of youngsters are now skilled in paddling as kayaking and canoeing have become quite popular as a form of transport in the Duke of Edinburgh’s expedition journeys. We had a big barbecue and ceilidh on the lochside on Saturday night when a vast amount of rolls and burgers were consumed. The Orcadian Strip the Willow almost ended in the loch. The expeditions were tough. The Western Highlands is steep ground and the initial ascents were in light winds and clouds of midges. Each clan had to carry in kit to a high elevation - with the idea that they would be camping above the midges. After pitching tents, some clans then went to the summit of the nearest mountain, with one group reaching Stob Ban. The following morning during the walkout, when the groups were starting to relax, they were confronted by river crossings, which require careful coordination and rope work, or the need to row across the loch. A final challenge was to evacuate a colleague who had simulated injury. It was great preparation for the Duke of Edinburgh Silver Expeditions at the end of term. The instructors had good things to say about the Fettesians and vice versa. A lot of pupils really enjoyed the trip and would have returned the following weekend, given half a chance. The only sadness was that Mr Dowey, who had organised everything in advance, was unable to join the trip. Third Form Field Week On 15th June, one hundred and four Third Form students and fifteen members of staff travelled up to Abernethy Outdoor Centre in Nethybridge for the Third Form Field Week. The trip was a huge success, with students taking part in a variety of activities from rock-climbing, kayaking, Duke of Edinburgh expedition and of course, the Biology, Geography and Art field work. In the evening, students also took part in exciting teambuilding exercises involving rope courses and logic puzzles deep in the Abernethy forest. The group learned a lot from the trip and bonded as a year group, something that will stand them in great stead for the remainder of their time at Fettes. Many thanks have to go to all the staff running the trip whose patience and boundless enthusiasm make this exhausting week such a success. The students were fantastic and we were once again amazed by their energy, motivation and togetherness. Everyone should be very proud of their efforts. A massive thank you also has to be made to Mr McCowan Hill and Mr Ward for organising the trip this year. Sailing We expanded the sailing programme this year into the Autumn Term. A small but gallant crew of keelboat sailors used the 707 class yacht at Port Edgar to learn crewing skills. By the end of the season at half-term, the sailors were able to sail with a spinnaker. As ever, the summer term saw dinghy sailing at Port Edgar. The first go at sailing on the Forth can come as a bit of a disappointment to some of our pupils. They imagine sailing at Antigua: sun sparkling on the waves and beautiful people wearing raffish yachting gear faded by salt and sunshine. The reality of early April at Port Edgar is people in woolly hats and a former minesweeping base with lots of mud. However, as usual the pupils gave it their best shot and the instructors all commented on their cheery enthusiasm. Port Edgar is not, in all honesty, an easy place in which to sail dinghies, but our intrepid sea dogs fearlessly bobbed about learning how to rig, launch, sail and recover their dinghies. DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD The DofE Award Scheme continues to be very popular at Fettes. Completion of the award at the three levels of Bronze, Silver and Gold give a wide variety of learning opportunities and the accumulating experience makes achievement of the Gold Award both easier and more significant. The Gold Award has for a long time been well-regarded by future employers and this is especially the case in the prevailing market conditions where the Award can be used to distinguish between lots of graduate applicants

chasing limited numbers of job opportunities. With a bit of thought and discussion with parents, tutors and others at the start of their award, students can choose activities that will genuinely add value to future university and job applications. 370 students in total have been actively engaged in Awards at the different levels this year, about 66% of all senior students. 106 in the Third Form, where the award is compulsory, have undertaken the Bronze award this year. The Silver Award, undertaken during the Fourth and Fifth Forms, has 78 Fourth form students registered while 52 members of the Fifth Form have just undertaken their assessment expeditions around Glen Garry and Glen Tilt and will have only their expedition report to prepare next term in order to complete the task. The Gold Award had 67 Upper Sixth students complete their expedition at the end of last summer holiday while 69 Lower Sixth students signed up this year and will do their assessment expeditions at the end of this summer holiday. 36 of this year’s leavers have successfully completed their Gold Award and are to be congratulated. However this represents only 54% of those who completed their Gold Expedition at the end of last summer holiday – so we hope some more can get their awards completed before they turn 25 and lose the chance. At Silver level, 82% of last year’s Fifth Form participants finally completed their awards. Approximately 87% of this year’s Fifth Form participants are on course to complete their award while almost 100% of the Third Form have achieved their Bronze award – albeit after some very ‘active’ encouragement for a minority from their house master or mistress – which is a record. The very full activities, sport and music programme at the College makes it much easier for Fettes students to meet the criteria of each award than their counter-parts in state schools. Students are given extensive support to achieve their awards but it is their responsibility to get themselves organised and satisfy all the requirements. Students have done a wide range of activities as part of their awards. For Residential activities, these have ranged from the IB service trip last year to Peru, drama workshops and residential courses, volunteering at youth camps in several parts of the world and teaching in Kenya. Volunteering/Service activities have included leading CCF training, working in charity shops at the weekend, helping with Prep school sports and activities. Expeditions take full advantage of the varied opportunities of the Scottish Highlands for walking, canoeing and cycling expeditions. Bronze and Silver expeditions have been in Cairngorm, Loch Rannoch and Tayside areas while Gold expeditions have ranged over more of the Highlands in some tough weather conditions this year. The wide range of activities would not be possible without the organisation of Mr Philip Heuston (i/c Outdoor Activities), the considerable support of Fettes staff and the external instructors from St Andrew’s Ambulance, Telford College and Beyond Adventure. To all of them we extend our very grateful thanks. TRIPS & EVENTS CAS Trip to Peru After a long but uneventful flight, the group arrived in Lima for an overnight stop before the short hop to Cusco the following morning. The initial part of the trip allowed time to acclimatise to the altitude, and there were very few problems with this. The two days in Cusco were spent having Spanish lessons with an organisation that trains and employs single mothers. After grammar lessons, the Spanish teachers took the group to markets and museums to apply their new found skills. The pupils also had salsa lessons and visited the Inca site, Sacsayhuamán. They then travelled to Machu Picchu. Despite the photos they had all seen in advance, their first glimpse of the archaeological site, just as the sun crested the mountains, was spectacular. They had an excellent tour and walked up the Sun Gate for a few more photo opportunities. After this, the true purpose of the

trip began, and the group travelled to the village of Chinchero. They stayed with Roxana (who coordinated the voluntary work) and her sister-in-law in two large houses. The rooms were comfortable although the cooking and washing facilities were pretty basic. This village, on the high Andes plateau, does draw some tourism to its Inca ruins and thus part of the work was the promotion of a weaving cooperative that hopes to attract tour groups. A previous volunteer had designed leaflets following their visit, and the pupils arranged for these to be printed in Cusco before their arrival at the village. The ladies at the cooperative gave lessons in dyeing and weaving the wool, and the students single-handedly funded the economy with all the gifts that they bought to bring home! The students also taught English in a local school and were enthusiastic teachers. They brought lots of resources with them and were an instant hit with the children. Some of the students also taught English to the teachers in the hope that these lessons would continue after they had left. The final aspect of the volunteer work was building bathrooms for three families. These families had up to twelve children in very basic conditions with no toilet or washing facilities. The work involved digging septic tanks and channels to connect pipework. This was back-breaking work but the students didn’t falter, and seeing the elated families with their finished bathrooms made it all worthwhile. It was an eye-opening experience to see the very basic conditions that they had to contend with. At the end of the trip, some of the students participated in a two-day trek, which was a very memorable experience for those involved. The camping can only be described as luxury, with three-course meals and hot water delivered to the tents for washing. However, the highlight was undoubtedly the stars – seeing the Milky Way spread out above us in the perfect darkness of the Scared Valley made a big impression on all of the students. The last night was a great celebration that ended the trip on a high. The group watched traditional dances and sampled some of the many Peruvian delicacies we had yet to try. Rome Trip A party of 19 pupils and three staff visited Rome from 15th-20th October 2011. A packed itinerary included the major ancient sites, including the Forum, Palatine and Colosseum, the Circus Maximus and the Baths of Caracalla. Baroque and Christian Rome was not neglected, with visits to both St Peter’s and St John Lateran and the extraordinary S Clemente, where three levels of religious practice over the centuries are laid on top of one another: two Christian churches and a Mithraic temple. Museum visiting included both the Vatican and Capitoline museums. One day was taken out of the city itself, to Tivoli, where the Villa of the Emperor Hadrian was complemented by the extraordinary water gardens of the Renaissance Villa D’Este. The evening walks included the Trevi Fountain and the Piazza Navona. There is never enough time in Rome and always something round the corner that you are sad to have missed, but the young people had an unforgettable time. Thanks must go to Miss Longmore and Miss Leech for accompanying Dr Girdwood on this trip. Berlin Trip A party of 38 Fifth Formers and five staff returned home in December after four very busy and enjoyable days in Berlin. They crammed an enormous amount into that time, visiting some very important historical sites such as Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp and the former Stasi Prison in East Berlin. The pupils had the opportunity to walk around a city steeped in modern history, locating the site of Hitler’s bunker and later tracing the last remaining remnants of the Berlin Wall. Poland Trip Over in the October half term, 42 Sixth Form pupils and five staff visited Krakow in Poland for a very successful history trip. Time was given to exploring the beautiful renaissance city, its historic churches and impressive castle, all of which can usefully be compared to their equivalents in Scotland at the time. The flamboyant baroque churches certainly have no equivalent here, and the great town square, the largest in Europe, was a reminder of the extent of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth’s power and prosperity.

The group was given a tour of the former Emalia factory, where during the Second World War German businessman Oscar Schindler employed and rescued hundreds of Jews from the nearby Podgorze ghetto. The factory is now a fascinating and detailed museum which brings to life the harshness of Nazi occupation and the ingenious ways in which the Poles tried to undermine it. A day trip to Auschwitz, with its harrowing collections of victims’ shoes, suitcases and even hair, brought home the reality of what happened during the occupation. A crowning moment of the trip was meeting Mr Henry Czubaj, a veteran of the Polish resistance and concentration camp survivor. He was very like our OF veterans in his unassuming, modest manner, and in his hope that the pupils to whom he was speaking would not have to see the terrible things he saw. Soon after returning, the group discovered that Henryk Czubaj had died, at the ripe old age of 89. He had had the last laugh on the Nazis, but it was a reminder to all of us that we must take the opportunity to learn from this generation. Fettes Half Marathon, 10km and 5km Charity Runs for Fet-Lor Once again, Fettesians hit the streets of Edinburgh for this the tenth Charity Event. This year we were raising sponsorship for the Fet-Lor Youth Centre, the main charity beneficiary. 60 runners took part in the Half Marathon, leaving via the South Gate for their 13 mile challenge and a run that took them along the Water of Leith, through the cycle paths up to Barnton and Cramond and a lovely run along the Forth through Silverknowes. On a sunny clear day many runners forgot the pain in their legs as the views opened up out to sea. First home, revelling in the absence of his brother this year, was Sam Wightman in a time of 1 hour and 29 minutes. Closely following him was last year’s 10km winner, Lachlan Waddell, in a time of 1hr 30:14, a great run, shortly followed by Angus Richardson and Geordie Milne a minute or so later. Mrs S Wightman led the staff runners home again, repeating her success of last year, in a time of 1.31 with Dr Mark Davies coming in a minute later. Poppy Booth was the first Fettes girl home in 1hr 45, an excellent time that many of the boys running would have been proud of achieving. The 10km runners left an hour later with a field of 300 runners taking the 10km challenge. This large field was quickly dominated by Duncan Skinner, coming home in the amazing time of 38:09, followed by Hector Inglis in 39 minutes. Martha Wightman was the first lady home, completing a Wightman dominance of this event, in 45:42, an superb run from this talented young runner. Mr Boettcher, Dr Hobbs and Mr Hawes brought the staff runners home collectively in 45.42, an impressive time, especially for Dr Hobbs, running with a broken arm! The 5km field left slightly later with 240 runners departing for their fun run around the campus, many in fancy dress and high spirits. It was amazing to see so many of the Fettes community come together to support Fet-Lor. Ski Trip to Vermont 2012 saw the Fettes Ski Trip fly seventeen Fettesians to the USA for a week of snow fun in Vermont. The trip was once again a huge success with students taking part in activities such as snow-tubing and ice skating along with the usual five full days of skiing in the fantastic resort of Mount Snow. The students were brilliantly behaved as always on these trips and we managed to survive the week nearly entirely injury free. Considering the region had experienced the lowest snowfall in 20 years, the resort had managed extremely well to produce enough artificial snow to keep runs open and running well. Students made the most of the five hours instruction each day and all improved their technique, skiing superbly on the last few days. One of the highlights of the trip was the visit to New York where the students had a chance to shop and sight-see after a very physical five days. There was a chance to visit the Statue of Liberty and the newly opened 9/11 memorial. Staff to thank are Mr Ward for organising the trip, and Mr Henry and Miss Holmes for giving up their holiday to help make everything run so smoothly. The Scottish Island Peaks Race The SIPR is a hardcore adventure race combining sailing and running. The race starts with a hill run around Oban. Then competitors sail to the Isle of Mull, where the runners paddle ashore in a rubber boat and run 18 miles up Ben Talladh and back to the boat; then the yacht sails through the night to the Isle of Jura, where there is a 14 mile run across the trackless wilderness; then the yacht sails round the

Mull of Kintyre to the Isle of Arran, where there is a 19 mile run up and down Goatfell before the final voyage to the finish at Troon. This is an adult event, and only three schools were able to enter the youth race this year. Huge thanks go to Mr Chris Carver of Great Glen Holidays, who teamed up with Fettes and allowed us the use of his magnificent 42’ ketch Lydia. The SIPR involves huge dedication, too, from the runners. All six sixth formers put in hours and hours of training, in term-time and in holidays, to take part in this unique, very demanding race. Angus Richardson and Sam Wightman ran Oban and also ran on Mull with Mrs Wightman; Ewan Macfarlane and Sarah Montgomery ran on Jura with Dr Davies; David Milne and Christian Stelfox ran on Arran with Mr Morrison. The cheery way the runners dealt with seasickness was very impressive; carrying their food, drink and kit; their navigation skills; and, above all, the sheer endurance of the routes on the hill. At least they got views from the summit this year; the weather was bright, but wind for the sailing was in short supply. The hard decision was made to put the engine on and motor some of the way on the boat, which meant that we retired from the race – otherwise we’d have been drifting round the Firth of Clyde for an extra 18 hours or more. Alas, this gifted the race to the dreaded Lomond School, so we shall try again in 2013. If there is anyone reading this who has a boat that could be in Oban in May 2013, please make yourself known to Mr Loudon. It is a great event, but we do need a boat… Chinese New Year On Saturday 28th January, 150 Fettesians were joined by students from Broughton High School, Edinburgh Academy and Leith Academy to celebrate the Chinese New Year of the Dragon. Following a delicious Chinese supper the guests enjoyed a spectacular programme of songs, plays and music performed by students from all the schools involved. Model United Nations Conference On 12th June, thirteen Lower Sixth IB and AS pupils travelled to the Borders to represent France and China at Earlston High School’s annual Model United Nations Conference. They were joined by schools from Edinburgh, Glasgow, the Borders and East and West Lothian; or rather delegations from Sweden, Afghanistan, North Korea, Syria, Brazil and Russia, amongst many others, to discuss the pressing issues currently facing the world. This term Fettes MUN participants have worked on preparing for the conference and have been researching their countries’ positions on issues as wide ranging as organised crime, water supplies, the issue of the world’s rubbish, child labour, and whether or not democracy should come at all costs. Pupils were divided into four committees in the morning – Political, Disarmament, Human Rights and Environment. The debates in these committees were lively and often controversial with North Korea, for example, suggesting the legalisation of organised crime and implying that at times murder was not that bad! Insaf Mirghani and Christopher Wong were both commended for their contributions to the Disarmament Committee. After a ‘working lunch’, where delegates spent time building relations with like-minded countries and lobbying to get support for their Resolutions, the General Assembly convened. The topic of the GA debate was centred on the responsibility of member nations to deal with the issue of clean water supplies across the globe. Sweden took the floor to argue the case for their resolution. Fettes’ Chinese delegation took the floor to protest against this resolution which saw Patrick Milne and Christopher Wong eloquently state their case and field questions from other delegations. It was pleasing to see so many of the delegates from France and China raising their placards to speak during the debate and France Mainardi, Kitty Raven, Emily Thomson, Nicholas Schwald and Callum Yourston all spoke on behalf of France whilst Patrick Milne and Christopher Wong tried to put forward China’s case. The opinions of China were not always met with agreement and China and North Korea were evicted twice from the conference floor! Over lunch the delegates also learned the topic of the ‘emergency debate’ which they were expected to respond to later in the afternoon. This year’s emergency was the kidnap of the Pope and his Cardinals

by Syrian rebel forces. Delegates were expected to draft Emergency Resolutions and aim to gain support from five other countries. France did very well and managed to accrue signatures from five other countries; however, unfortunately their resolution was not chosen for discussion and instead Syria took to the podium to suggest changing the name of the UN peacekeeping force to ‘Rebel Slayers’ and allowing the UN peacekeepers to take a more active role in rescuing the Pope. There was lots of topical discussion about the nature of the rebels and pupils proved themselves very well informed on current events in Syria. In the end, the Syrian resolution failed but not before France, Kitty and Callum had been on the floor arguing against an amendment. The Conference was very successful and a testament to all the pupils involved in MUN this year who have gained a valuable insight into how the United Nations works and also increased their awareness of international issues. This is very much a pupil run activity and is further evidence that you only get out of something what you put in. This group of Fettesians put a great effort into the conference preparation and as a result got a whole lot out of it. The chat on the bus on the way home was all about the discussions they had held during the day. Who says today’s youth are disillusioned? Glencorse House Charity Talent Show Glencorse put everything into their annual Charity Talent Show which was superbly supported by parents and guests, raising over £420 for Maggie’s Cancer Centres, a cause chosen by the boys in House. Burns Supper A fine evening of verse, song and music was enjoyed one Saturday night in January. Mr McDowell and Miss Gausinet set Burns in a European perspective whilst Duncan Hegan and Laura Maclean focussed on the lads and lassies of Craigleith. There was exceptional singing from Sophie Boyd, a fine piping trio and an unforgettable fiddle session from Seamus O’Baoighill. Our thanks go to Mr Collister for laying on a super meal. Green Gang/Eco-committee This has been an extremely busy and productive year for the Green Team. The team continued to recycle paper, plastic, aluminium and batteries on campus and also helped with the recent Book Project, collecting old text books from Departments and Houses for our book charity, Rag Bag. However, the Green Team’s greatest achievement this year has undoubtedly been Energy Saving Week, a project spearheaded by Duncan Hegan and Hamish Dalgarno to reduce our carbon footprint. The idea was that for one week each boarding house would pay close attention to its energy output and reduce energy waste, for example students turning off electrical equipment when leaving the room or closing windows when the radiator is on. Each of the boarding houses finally achieved a 15% reduction in energy output, which equals a saving of nearly £2000. With Smart Meters having been installed in each of the boys’ Houses, next year’s focus will be on reducing energy use more consistently in addition to minimising food waste in the Dining Hall. Thanks must go to the whole team but in particular to Duncan Hegan, Hamish Dalgarno, Julia Lotze, Ruth Stelten, Christina Kruse, Josch Kamloth and Elias Bamidis. Technical Theatre and Events This year has been a strange one for the Tech Team with the Whole School Play The Death of Baldr only requiring two technicians and the Middle School Play’s York Mysteries happening outside with only three Stage Managers involved. Luckily the team has been kept busy with some spectacular social events including some impressive disco lighting. This year we say goodbye to a number of the senior techs who have served the school so well over the years: Chris Irvine, Elliot Graves, Jack Collister, Megan Chan, Julius Linden and Ian Brotherston. It is time for the new generation to take control. Rock for Fet-Lor With this year being an official year of fundraising for the Fet-Lor Youth Centre, it was decided to hold a rock concert in the Theatre and thus R4FL was born. We started the night with Fettesian performances from Jezneen & Jackman, Nian & Co., MIMC and Climax who got the audience nicely warmed up for three outside bands. They all donated their time for free, very kind for bands of their calibre, and the night finished on a high with the band just voted Scottish New Music Awards Group of

the Year 2011. Money was raised for Fet-Lor and there’s already a buzz about R4FL2 next year. Bigger, better…louder.

The Fettesian This year Dr Walters took over from Mr Jenkins as the editor of the Fettesian and she was quickly brought up to speed by the dedicated Sixth Form editorial team. The students have generated copy that is stimulating, relevant, and assiduously researched. Our biggest challenge has been evading, with the help of Ken Gray’s excellent design, the hike in postal charges. Expect the 2012 Fettesian to broadly follow the house style established by Mr Jenkins, but expect too the new editorial team to have put their mark on it! Old Fettesian Association (OFA) The Old Fettesian Association is a flourishing organisation which has branches throughout the UK and in many parts of the world. The purpose of the OFA is to provide opportunities for Old Fettesians to meet for social and sporting occasions anywhere and everywhere; to assist Old Fettesians wherever possible, particularly when they travel to a new area or new country and to maintain and encourage communication between the School and all Old Fettesians. An annual OF Newsletter keeps Old Fettesians in touch with Fettes and each other. The main event of the year is the Commemoration Weekend which is held each October at the College but local branches also hold lunches, dinners and other social events, both in the UK and overseas. The OFA is especially pleased to welcome new Old Fettesians at any of its events - there are only a few places in the world where an Old Fettesian might find him or herself in a strange place and have no-one to get in touch with. The hub of this organisation is the OFA office at Fettes, tel: 0131 311 6741 / email: [email protected], managed by Mrs Dawn Beaumont, which is also the home of the database accessible to Old Fettesians through www.oldfettesians.com or through the link on www.fettes.com. This enables Old Fettesians not merely to keep in touch with one another and the school, but to update their own records as their circumstances change. Through the Old Fettesian network the OFA office can provide a career helpline and information service to all Old Fettesians and, in particular, to those who have recently graduated from University. Many OFs in business and the professions have indicated a genuine willingness to assist leavers in what is, currently at least, a very difficult job market. The Fettes Foundation Sir William Fettes left a bequest to The Fettes Endowment for the Education, Maintenance and Outfit of Young People. His generosity, foresight and vision led to the creation of Fettes College, which is now one of the leading independent boarding schools in the United Kingdom. Philanthropy remains an integral source of funding and is an important part of the Fettes College ethos. Throughout the College’s history many generous individuals have made significant contributions at times of need and expansion. Since its inception in 1998, the Fettes Foundation has formalised and promoted philanthropy throughout the broader Fettes community to foster a culture of giving. Support for capital projects, the Scholarships and Bursaries Fund and the Annual Fund ensures that our pupils have access to the tools required to enhance their experience whilst at school. In the last fourteen years, almost 40% of the Fettes community has contributed to the Fettes Foundation raising £7 million to support Fettes College and its pupils. Investment in our pupils over the last decade has enabled us to attract and educate the highest calibre of pupil. With the school roll full to capacity, offering these limited places to the most talented young men and women, regardless of financial constraints, remains a priority. Each year many gifts are received in response to a letter from the Headmaster, and parents kindly donate their son’s or daughter’s school

deposit when they leave, to an area of their choice. These donations provide valuable funding for scholarships and means-tested bursaries as well as other areas of immediate need within the College. In the past year, the Fettes College Pipe Band celebrated its centenary, 1912-2012, with a 100-strong member band performing on the Queen’s Lawn, comprised of current and former band members. To celebrate the occasion, a generous donor sponsored a set of attractive Pipe Major Honour boards which were unveiled during the centenary weekend. During the Easter holidays, a dozen recent leavers staffed another Telephone Campaign, raising £70,000 for the Annual Fund to support Scholarships and Bursaries, the new Fettes Fitness and Conditioning Suite and a roaming Science Lab for the Prep School. The Foundation has received significant funds from bequests during the past year from former pupils and their families, and the funds will be used in accordance with the donor’s wishes. The Scholarships and Bursaries Fund has also received a valuable bequest from Miss Jean Lindsay who had a desire to support education – a truly remarkable show of generosity as we have come to learn that she had no previous history or relationship with Fettes College. Philanthropy continues to be fundamental to the realisation of the Governors’ ambitious future development projects at Fettes College. We are currently engaged in securing the capital funds needed to begin building the first phase of Fettes North, which will provide over 20 new state-of-the-art classrooms, technology suites and language labs and a new Art school. Fettes North is a commitment to academic priority, and these exceptional new facilities will offer the best possible experience for our pupils. If you would like more information about the work of the Fettes Foundation, please contact Elisabeth Anderson, Foundation Director, at [email protected] or (0131) 311 6960.

Carrying On Following the growth in popularity of in-depth, primary-source-rich histories, such as the work of Dominic Sandbrook and David Kynaston on post-war England, the School is proud to announce an addition to this genre with Carrying On – Fettes College, War and the World 1870-2010. This was finally published at the end of the spring term, after five years of research.

Carrying On looks at the Fettes experience and understanding of war and empire from the days of the founder, Sir William Fettes, a child of the Enlightenment who became a war profiteer, through the days of the 19th century Empire-builders, the two World Wars, the Cold War and subsequent conflicts. The story is told through the letters, books, and poetry written at the time, and through the reminiscences of Old Fettesians. As well as telling the story of what it was like to be a school cadet and then a soldier in the real world, it addresses the political and cultural attitudes of previous Fettes generations, to put into context their enthusiasm (or lack of it) for military and imperial adventures. There is a great cast of characters – eccentrics, explorers, warriors and statesmen, as well as cheeky schoolboys slogging through the mud with the cadet corps and writing satirical poems about hallowed institutions. As the first major study of its kind (over 800 pages), it is a unique treasure-trove of source documentation, and is both an important piece of social history and the entertaining story of how a slice of Scots society saw and experienced the great events of the past centuries. It is only available from the School Shop. Marketing Marketing & PR at Fettes continues to provide a wealth of new initiatives and developments to ensure that Fettes is promoted with a consistent message both at home and abroad. There have been several visits throughout the UK and around the world to meet with potential parents and pupils as well as hosting Friends of Fettes receptions to which current and past parents, OF and prospective families are invited. For the future, we are also developing a number of new ideas to connect our current parents with those in their local areas in both the Preparatory School and the College.

Event such as Latin Day and Sporting Talent Day are going from strength to strength, providing a superb opportunity for us to show our facilities and staff expertise to visiting children and staff. Working with feeder Prep schools remains important and I thank the staff within the College who have given their time so willingly to visit these schools to preach, referee or deliver informative, subjectspecific talks. This year has also seen the introduction of a greater level of research and analysis with regards to prospective parents and these findings will help to shape future communications such as the new prospectus as well as website development. New Media is unsurprisingly playing an ever-increasing role in the lives of our current and prospective parents and I hope parents will agree that the introduction of both Flickr and Twitter has created a new, more immediate way of disseminating news and information. The Fettes Films Youtube channel has now had over 21,000 views and we hope you enjoy the range of events we put up there. We have plans to update our current website further to make it even more interactive and informative for parents. Fettes College June 2012

Carrington Road, Edinburgh EH4 1QX 30th June 2012