Excellent season for Rugby Club
Unbeaten 1st XV and two international caps

Bryanston's rugby 1st XV was unbeaten (Played 12, Won 12) again this year in school fixtures – the third time in the last six years that it has achieved this excellent result.

Two pupils, Jack Steadman and Ben Williams, played for England U18s against Australia U19 this term.
(15.12.05)
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Powerful Threepenny Opera captivates audiences

A cast of talented actors, musicians and backstage crew combined to present three powerful performances of The Threepenny Opera at the beginning of December.

Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill based their 1928 creation on the 1728 Beggars' Opera of Gay and Pepusch. Both were political satires set in London, aimed respectively at the Weimar Republic in Germany and the Walpole Government. With considerable flair, Director Jane Quan and set-designer Ian Lowes underlined the relevance of both plays to modern-day politics by transported this production to the year 2010. The world of beggars, thieves and prostitutes has a capitalist spin; greed, corruption, love and deception are the themes; and, as in 1728 and 1928, the audiences learns that if a society ignores its underbelly it will find itself morally bankrupt.

Gifted actors and musicians, who delivered some outstanding performances, superbly executed this difficult piece. The choreography was original and professional, the set exciting and the clever on-stage placing of the orchestra, under the baton of Musical Director Ian Lowes, brought the musicians to the heart of the action. The result was an enthralling production, with a poignant and profound moral message, worthy of the highest praise.
(14.12.05)
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Awards for Bryanstonians in Maths Challenge

In the recent United Kingdom Mathematics Challenge for secondary school pupils, fourteen Bryanstonians won awards. Kate Antrobus and Y-Tung Law gained Gold, Marcus Evans, Mark Woods, Ben Hosford, Tiana Jacout and Tom Kelley gained Silver, and Theo Evans, Iain Pearce, Harry Innes, Konstantin Kuhn, Emma Derry-Evans, Ashua Farrington and Guy Ridley gained Bronze.
(28.11.05)
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HRH The Duke of Gloucester visits Bryanston

His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester visited Bryanston on Tuesday 15th November to lay the Foundation Stone of the new Sanger Centre for Science and Mathematics.

After a short ceremony on site, during which Chairman of Governors Nicholas Phillips and The Duke of Gloucester made speeches, there was tea for all in the Cowley Room. The Duke was introduced to guests before being presented with a copy of the book Bryanston reflections.
(17.11.05)
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Choral & Orchestral Concert in London

Around 120 Bryanston musicians presented a concert of Choral and Orchestral music to an enthusiastic audience of parents and friends at St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge, London on 21st October. Choirs from all years in the school as well as the Chamber Choir and a Staff Choir performed pieces in styles ranging from Rock arrangements to Church Anthems by Duruflé. A String Trio playing Schubert and the String Chamber Orchestra playing pieces by Purcell and Bartok provided a contrast.

After an Interval for refreshment and an opportunity to greet friends, the evening concluded with a group of songs that were sung by the Combined Choirs - a stunning opportunity for all the musicians, pupils and staff, to make music together. Finally, pupils who live in and around London were able to leave for an early start to half term!
(3.11.05)
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Classics students attend Homeric Feast

The idea of the Homeric Feast is to try and recreate, as far as possible, the experience of the ancient Greeks who first listened to Homer, or bards reciting Homer's tales, after a sumptuous feast, as the night closed in and the magic of the stories: heroes, gods, love affairs and battles, enfolded the listeners.

This happened at Bryanston on 30th September. For the one hundred and fifty attending (mainly Latin and Classical Civilisation students), two whole lambs were boned out, filled with herbs and during the day slowly spit roasted over an outdoor fire. This formed the basis of the meal, and although the sweet, dark wine described by Homer was not offered, the two whole honeycombs provided by Bryanston's Bee Keeping Society and spread on bread baked in the school kitchens, was authentic enough.

The setting of the outdoor Greek Theatre and just above it the fire pit sheltered by trees, out of sight of modern building, all helped to create an atmosphere, which if not reminiscent of the Aegean, at least reconnected the guests with the natural elements. And while this is what makes it special, it also offers the threat of rain and cold. This year the temperatures were not chilling, although far fewer togas were sported, but a slight drizzle of rain looked like driving the feasters into the theatre. Luckily, the gods smiled on the assembled, and as the eating finished and the crowd gathered in the Greek theatre to listen to Daniel Morden, the story-teller, the drizzle stopped.

Daniel did not disappoint. He started and stopped his performance by striking a brass bowl; there was barely a cough in the intervening hour. From the birth of owl-eyed Athene, through Thetis's entrapment by Peleus, to the Judgement of Paris, the stealing of Helen and the commencement of war on the beaches below Troy, the audience listened with rapt attention as the first autumnal leaves spiralled across the spot lit theatre.
(12.10.05)
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Large turn-out for reunions

Over 100 Old Bryanstonians accompanied by a further 100 spouses/partners, children and staff, attended the reunions on 24th September for the classes of 1985 and 1995. (More pictures)

Celebrations began with a reception for all in Cowley, after which the year groups split to eat separately in Grosvenor and Dorchester. Lunch flowed seamlessly into tea, some managing a quick visit to the playing fields between the two and others preferring to stay where they were, engrossed in conversation. There was an wonderful impression of excitement at being back at Bryanston and at meeting old acquaintances again and it certainly seemed as if a good time was had by all.
(28.9.05)
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Ladakh Trip Summer 2005

On 16th July eleven pupils, three members of staff and a doctor set out for India. The eight boys and three girls on the trip had chosen to take on the toughest challenge we have yet attempted in the Himalayas, a 19-day trek culminating in the ascent of Stok Kangri which, at 6,000 metres, overlooks the town of Leh. The staff, Peter Hardy and Sarah Stacpoole were relieved to have with them an experienced climbing Medical Officer, Toby Richards and Rigzin, our Ladakhi resident, who has climbed the mountains around Leh since his childhood and who holds the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute’s Certificate of Advanced Mountaineering. (Longer report)
(22.9.05)
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Over The Wall comes to Bryanston again

Over The Wall is a charity that provides residential activity camps for children affected by Cancer and other serious illnesses. The camps held at Bryanston during the holidays are run on a ratio of 1 adult volunteer : 1 child and have medical supervision 24 hours a day. The camps allow these disadvantaged children to have one glorious week of fun.
(18.7.05)
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1300 OBs, Parents and Friends celebrate at Bryanston

The Midsummer Party was a wonderful occasion and a fitting farewell to Tom and Ros Wheare. (Pictures)

The evening's programme began with the launch of the book Bryanston: reflections. Julian Platt from Third Millennium described his publishing business and his delight with the way the book had turned out; Angela Holdsworth, the book editor, spoke warmly about the school and the many members of the Bryanston family with whom she had worked; and Tom Wheare expressed his gratitude for an outstanding publication. The book was on sale afterwards, but those who have not yet received a copy may still do so at a special offer price. For further information please email brysoc@bryanston.co.uk.

The Midsummer Party followed immediately afterwards. Nicholas Phillips (C '56) paid tribute to Tom's outstanding period as Headmaster and expressed the gratitude of the whole Bryanston family for what both he and Ros had done for the school. He presented them with two gifts from the Bryanston Society - a generous cheque towards the music room and a tree for the garden at their new home. He then unveiled a marvelous portrait of Tom commissioned by the Governors and painted by former Bryanston parent Henrietta Young.

The buffet supper, which followed, was delicious, the Catering Department as always coming up trumps, and there was time aplenty to eat and catch up with old acquaintances. The evening finished with a magical performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream in the Greek Theatre, a short and vaguely Shakespearean comic interlude being provided by members of staff.

For the 1300 Old Bryanstonians, parents and friends who attended, and for Tom and Ros, it was a memorable evening. The Wheares, who were accompanied by their daughters Clare (Ht '97) and Frances (Ht '99) and Tom's mother (90 this year!), wish to reiterate their thanks for the party, for the kind and significant gifts and for twenty-two years of very great happiness at the heart of the Bryanston family.
(4.7.05)
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Nicholas Phillips (C '56) appointed to post of Lord Chief Justice

Nicholas Phillips, Old Bryanstonian (C '56) and Chairman of the Governors, has been appointed to succeed Lord Woolf as Lord Chief Justice. Nicholas is currently Master of the Rolls.
(30.6.05)
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Bryanstonian qualifies for the English Schools' Athletics Championships

On Saturday 18th June, Lee Christopher (Sh) gained the qualifying standard to represent the Dorset team in the English Schools' Athletics Championships at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham on July 9th. Running in the South-West Championships in Bournemouth, Lee recorded a time of 11.1 seconds to enable him to take part in the most prestigious meeting for schools' athletes in the track and field calendar. Only 25 athletes from the Dorset area have been selected, as the standard is very high.

This result places Lee in the top thirty senior schoolboy sprinters in England, which is an achievement in itself, but made more noteworthy by the fact that he is only in the first year of a two-year age band for competition. He has a great opportunity now to gain more championship experience after competing in last year's English Schools', and also to target personal bests in high-quality races. We wish him luck and congratulate him on his achievements so far.
(4.7.05)
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Bryanstonians succeed in Audi Young Designer Competition

George Catto, Henry Dodson, Chris Haslam, Ben Samuels and Will Samuels were selected from a field of 250 to attend the regional final of the Audi Young Designer Competition in Taunton. For five Bryanstonians to reach this stage of the competition is a feat in itself and all candidates drew good comments from the judges.

Pride of place, however, goes to Henry Dodson whose folding travel guitar won him first prize and a place in the national finals in Gateshead in September. This is the second year running Henry has won the regional final.
(2.6.05)
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Radio 4’s Today Programme was broadcast live from Bryanston on Saturday 30th April

A capacity audience watched Carolyn Quinn and Steve May on the Coade Hall stage, while a video link on a large screen behind them showed Sarah Montague and Corrie Corfield in their BBC Studio. Pre-election discussion covered local as well as national issues and members of the audience were invited to ask questions as well as to contribute to the day’s horse racing selections.

The broadcast was lively, varied, and incredibly polished and the audience, which included a fair number of Bryanstonians, felt privileged to have been present.
(5.5.05)
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Classical tour for Sixthformers

For the first week of the Easter holiday the Classics Dept took 29 of its Sixth Form pupils to Greece for a Classical tour.

Athens was the starting point, with excursions to the island of Aegina, to the ancient silver mining region of Laurium and to the promontory of Sounion, with its famous landmark, the temple of Poseidon. Many of the sculptures studied for Classical Civilisation could be viewed ‘face to face’ in Athens’ museums, which greatly enhanced an appreciation of the art. There followed a tour of some of the greatest sites of Southern Greece, including Delphi, with its panoramic mountainous sanctuary of Apollo, and Olympia, recently smartened up for the Olympic Games. The final two days took in the ancient citadel at Mycenae, the sanctuary of Zeus and stadium at Nemea (wrestling and running de rigeur), and the awe-inspiring theatre at Epidaurus – whose acoustics were duly tested by a variety act of singing, recitation and acrobatics!

The whole week was bathed in warm sunshine, a real pleasure after the damp and gloom of an English Spring term.
(21.4.05)
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Bryanston pupils in final of National Chamber Music Competition for Schools

Two Bryanston ensembles reached the final of the National Chamber Music Competition for Schools, which took place in St John's, Smith Square, London on 20th March. Charlotte Kingston (violin), Katie Littlemore (violin), Emma Richards (viola) and Kat Sayles ('cello) played Dvorak's 'American' String Quartet. They were joined by Andrew Littlemore (horn) for Mozart’s Horn Quintet.

The purpose of the Chamber Music Competition is to encourage the appreciation and performance of chamber music in schools. All finalists are considered winners and the 20th March was an opportunity for the public to enjoy a marvellous concert by some of the countries best young instrumentalists.
(24.3.05)
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Awards in Intermediate Mathematics Challenge

In the recent Intermediate Mathematics Challenge, 36 Bryanstonians won certificates for their performance. Top achievers were Ben Hosford, Rupert Davis, Thomas Kelley, Alex Daniel, Isabel Murray, Guy Ridley and Alex Renton who all received Gold Certificates. Ben, Rupert, Thomas, Alex and Isabel have been invited to proceed to the next, European, round of the competition, whilst Alex, who is still in Year 9, qualifies for the Junior Olympiad competition.

The Mathematics Challenge is a national competition for children of all ages. The Intermediate Competition, for children aged up to 16, this year attracted a field of 186,000.
(3.2.05)
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Success for Bryanston girls' ski team

The Bryanston team of Jess Oundjian, Issy Smith and Tamsin Hartley took part in the British School Girls' Skiing Championships in Flaine, France, in January, competing in the non-registered (amateur) category. An early accident sadly put Issy out of the competition but Tamsin and Jess skied superbly to finish 6th out of 50 teams.

In the individual competition, Tamsin retained the cup she won last year for the Best British based skier. In order to do this, she finished first in the Giant Slalom for her age group, and second in the Slalom, winning two gold medals, one silver and two trophies.

Competition in this event is tough and Tamsin and Jess are to be congratulated on their excellent performances.
(3.2.05)
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Record turn-out for cross-country races

On 27th January, Bryanston hosted the 49th annual Ken Baily cross country races. 513 runners aged from 11 to 18 completed the six races, with entrants from 34 different schools. This must rate as one of the biggest schools cross country races anywhere in the country.

The course ran from the School Church along the various tracks towards the front gate and back, providing a variety of terrain and underfoot conditions.

Bryanston teams were hampered by injury and a packed race schedule but nevertheless came 5th in the Senior Boys Team event. Alice Kelway-Bamber (currently in the C year in Purbeck House) came 20th out of nearly 100 runners, an achievement worthy of note as she was competing with girls up to age 18. This follows up her performance as fastest girl in the whole school in the recent House relay races. Girls from Sir John Colfox school produced the best team performance of the day with runners finishing 1st, 3rd and 4th in the race for Year 8 and below.hat pupils should fulfill or exceed potential is what Bryanston aims for ... and achieves.
(3.2.05)
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Bryanston in top ten for value added

Value added shows the progress made by an individual or a group compared with the average progress made by similar pupils nationally between Key Stages.

For some years, there has been evidence that Bryanston adds value in terms of pupil performance both at GCSE and A Level.

It is therefore particularly pleasing to note that recent Department for Education and Skills performance tables place Bryanston 7th in England on the basis of value added from KS2 (age 11) to KS4 (GCSE).

That pupils should fulfill or exceed potential is what Bryanston aims for ... and achieves.
(13.1.05)
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