1 They did it! - Taunton School · of Taunton School) and Chris Coleman (Prep School House Master)...

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CHALLENGE NURTURE INSPIRE

1September 23rd 2016

They did it!

Who wasn’t hooked by the Periscope videos of the pupils and staff bravely swimming the Channel on Monday?

We are all so proud of the amazing feat by Emma Hounslow, Emily Lawton, Skyla Coate, Ollie Halliday, Imogen Childs, Jonny Cole and Annabelle Lewes.

They went toe to toe with the elite of the British Military and came second after being pipped by the Royal Marines, who were just 3 minutes ahead, in the sprint for the shore just before midnight.

The pupils beat the staff team by 50 minutes but they also did a fantastic job, considering that not all of them are competitive swimmers.

A massive well done to Hayley Mortimer (Director of Co-Curricular / Director of Sport), Duncan Sinclair (Prep School Headmaster), Laura Paige (Year 4 Teacher), Ed Burnett (Deputy Head of Taunton School) and Chris Coleman (Prep School House Master) and parent Jonathan Lawton.

The pupils, all aged 13 or 14, swam the 22 miles across the English Channel in 15 hours.

For the last 200m all children swam to the shore together and were euphoric that they had made it.

The teams were spurred on after receiving messages of support from Olympic swimmer Rebecca Adlington, endurance adventurer Sean Conway and the world record holder for swimming the English Channel Trent Grimsey.

The race began at 9am on Monday 19th Sept, and they swam in relay, taking an hour each at a time, from Shakespeare’s Beach to Cap Gris Nez. It ended in the early hours of Tuesday morning in the dark on the shores of France.

The teams have also raised an impressive sum of money for the Royal Marines Charity.

Hamish said: “My boys and girls were magnificent and showed courage well beyond their years. Suffice to say that they were more courageous than most military teams I have taken across, none hesitated, none gave less than their best and all showed the selfless commitment that make great teams.”

Photos on P5



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SCHOOL CALENDARSaturday, September 24thDeadline for Year 11 Revised Predicted GradesU6 Fulbright’s USA College Day (London)8:00am-5:00pm Year 9 DT Visit to Supacat (Sport priority) (Dunkeswell)8:15am-9:30am Year 5, 6 & 7 Parent Information Event (Old Library & Arts Centre Foyer)8:25am-8:55am Scholars’ Programme (Academic, Art, Drama, DT, Music, Sport) (Arts Centre & departments)8:30am-9:15am Parents’ Breakfast (Informal) * (Chaplain’s House)10:15am-11:30am OTA Committee Meeting (Old Library)12:00pm-3:00pm Foundation 1847 Society Lunch (Old Library)1:30pm-5:00pm Basketball Mini Tournament (A) (Wellington School)2:00pm Hockey v King’s College (H) 15A 15B 14A 14B (A) 2 3 4 (depart 12:40pm; return 5pm)3:00pm Rugby v Wellington School (H) 1 2 SCA SCB (A) JCA JCB FA FB (depart 12:45pm; return 5:15pm)

Sunday, September 25th18th after Trinity8:45am-5:00pm Conservation Work (Stover Country Park, Devon)6:15pm-7:15pm Chapel - Boarding Houses: Harvest Festival Service (Prefects)Boarders’ cinema bus

Monday, September 26th8:30am-8:55am HM Assembly: Mr Neil Gush - India Expedition 2017 (Arts Centre)8:30am-8:55am Staff Chapel: Mr Burnett - ‘Hold to the Truth’ (WD)4:00pm-5:00pm Senior House Staff Meeting (Winterstoke Room)5:00pm Deadline for Tutor Reports - Years 11 and 135:15pm Boys’ Indoor Hockey v Queen’s College (H) U18 U16 (Sports Hall)6:45pm-8:00pm European Day of Languages (Old Library)

Tuesday, September 27th8:30am-8:55am HM Assembly: Mr Neil Gush - India Expedition 2017 (Arts Centre)8:30am-8:55am Staff Chapel: Mr Burnett - ‘Hold to the Truth’ (WR)9:45am-10:45am Year 11 Elevate (Old Library)11:20am-12:20pm U6 Elevate - Student Elevation (Old Library)3:30pm Football v Eton College (H) 13:45pm-4:45pm Year 10 Boys Yellis Tests (ICT1, ICT2, M3)4:00pm-5:00pm Horizons - Year 9 (Old Library/Arts Centre)5:00pm-6:00pm Whole School PSHEE Meeting (Winterstoke Room)5:00pm-7:30pm The Student World: International University Fair (Old Library)5:05pm-5:30pm Horizons Performances (Arts Centre Foyer)5:45pm Progressive Bridge Competition (C1)

Wednesday, September 28th 11:20am-12:20pm L6 Elevate - Study Sensei (Old Library)7:00pm History & Public Arts Lecture: Nicholas Crane (Arts Centre)U15 U19 National Swimming Relays, Regional Finals (depart 10am) (Millfild School)

Thursday, September 29thMichaelmas Day7:00am-7:00pm Year 10 Art Trip (Sculpture Gardens, Cornwall)3:30pm Hockey v Bramdean School (H) 15B3:30pm-5:00pm U6 EPQ Skills (SB2)4:00pm-5:00pm Horizons - Years 11, 12 and 13 (Arts Centre/Old Library)5:15pm-6:15pm Health and Safety Meeting (Winterstoke Room)7:00pm-10:30pm Netball & Hockey Tour Quiz Night (Old Library)

Friday, September 30th8:30am-8:55am Chapel - Middle School: ‘Chill@Chapel’ (Christian Mindfulness)8:30am-8:55am Horizons - Years 12 and 13 (Arts Centre/Old Library)9:00am Deadline for Effort and Achievement grades - Years 9, 10 and 139:00am-4:00pm L6 History Trip to Wells and Glastonbury3:15pm-5:00pm CCF RN Sailing at Wimbleball Lake6:30pm Sixth Form Open Evening (Arts Centre/Old Library)6:45pm-7:45pm Burke Debate (GWR)

HEADMASTERS QUIZBook your table for this years Headmasters Quiz on the 14th October at 19.00Tables of up to ten people for year groups, teachers, houses or groups of friends.

Ticket price just £15 per person to include a cheese ploughman’s supper. Tickets always go fast, email [email protected] to book your table now. Paul Billings

Sixth Form Open Evening

Friday 30th September6.30pm -9pm

Register your interest [email protected]



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(ICT) HEADS UP ON ... THINKING LIKE A COMPUTERThe start of this academic year has

seen the introduction of Computer Science iGCSE and iGCE A Levels at Taunton School. But what is Computer Science? Computer Science is an amazing field of complication, amazement, difficulty, but above all, fun.

Computer Science is the study of computation and computational thinking, and their application in the design and development of computer systems. It is a subject discipline, on a par with Maths or Physics. It covers the way computers and programs work and involves a lot programming and problem solving.

Computer Science can make almost anything possible and with statements like ‘Coders to solve cancer in the same way they tackle computer science problems” (MSFT, Tech30) now is an excellent time to start learning to think

like a computer.

Taunton School is the only local independent school offering both GCSE and A Level Computer Science Courses within the normal school timetable and along with exciting opportunities for students to learn about, robotics, cryptology and computer games design, it is an excellent time to start finding out what computer science is all about and where it could take you. Here are a few more reasons to consider computer science as an option at GCSE and A Level.

Reasons to study Computer Science. 1. The digital age needs computer

scientists.Like it or not we are living in the Digital

Age. Computer programmes have all infiltrated almost every aspect of our lives.

2. Computer science students have excellent career prospects.

Computer science students stand an excellent chance of being professionally employed.

3. Computer scientists earn big bucks. Computer scientists are highly sort after and their salaries reflects this.

4. Computer scientists are needed in every type of industry.

Every industry uses computers so naturally computer scientists can work in any. Problems in science, engineering, health care, and so many other areas can be solved by computers. It’s up to the computer scientist to figure out how.

Mr Simon Ryder (Head of Academic ICT and

Computing)

After a very close game of 15 to 14, Queen’s retained the James Willetts Memorial Cup. The annual rugby match, between Taunton School and Queen’s College, took place on Thursday (22nd Sept).

The schools were playing for the second time for a trophy introduced last year in memory of one of their former students James Willetts.

James passed away on September 9th 2015, shortly after his 18th birthday, following a brave fight against illness.

He attended Queen’s College from 2001-09 before moving to Taunton School and his parents, Mr and Mrs Simon Willetts, decided to purchase the cup for which the schools now compete annually. The heads of both schools were in attendance and Mr Lee Glaser presented the cup to the team from Queen’s College.

James Willetts Memorial Cup Game



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Open Events Sixth Form Open Evening Fri 30th Sept 2016, 6.30pm-9pm

Whole School Open Morning Sat 1st Oct 2016, 9.30am-12.30pm

IB Information Evening Thurs 13th Oct 2016, 6.30pm-8.30pm

Sports Open Morning Sat 19th Nov 2016, 9.30am-12noon

I am extremely proud of the achievements of our pupils and also of the commitment of our staff. Our exam results last year were outstanding and, in addition, there have been some amazing opportunities on offer to our students. There are very few schools that can boast of a cross channel swim, replicating an operating theatre and confirmation that Lord Winston will be visiting the school and giving a lecture next term. But the pride comes with frustration which is that not all children’s parents can afford to provide such a wonderful education.We are passionate about ensuring that all children with a desire to learn and compete can access an outstanding education. There are many bursaries on offer and many of our top performing students are bursary holders. The Keeling Bursary is open to Year 11 students whose parents need some financial support when their child moves into the Sixth Form. I want to ensure that Taunton School is able to support as many deserving children as possible so please do consider making an application or feel free to contact me if you would like further information. Lee Glaser

Established through the generosity of Old Tauntonians Henry Keeling and Jan Nuttall, the bursary is worth up to the equivalent of 50% of Day fees. It is primarily aimed at pupils, who in our view will benefit most from continuing their studies into the Sixth Form, but for whom this would be very demanding financially. It is therefore a bursary offering fee support rather than a scholarship and accordingly the School’s ‘Financial Circumstances’ form will need to be completed to ensure that applications may be judged in an equitable manner. Expressions of interest should be returned to Mrs Dale Sutcliffe (Foundation Office) [email protected]. Tel: 01823 703160 please by 7th October 2016.

The Keeling BursaryReminder to parents of all Year 11 form pupils of the existence of the Keeling Bursary



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CHANNEL SWIM PHOTOS



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Gold DofE Awards at the Palace On Tuesday, I was

invited to attend St James’s Palace to help marshal a DofE Gold Awards ceremony. I was very pleased to see some of our Old Tauntonians receiving their awards – Paddy Morshead, Sam Griffin and Milly Butters. In total, over 200 young people received their awards

and had the chance to meet Prince Edward. I am really pleased that 27 of our current Lower 6th students have signed up to meet the challenge of the Gold DofE and will have the chance, in a couple of year’s time, to attend the palace themselves. Speaking with the Young People who were there, I got a

sense that they would remember their day mixing with royalty; and visiting a Palace that is not open to the public. They also enjoyed swapping stories about the challenges they completed to achieve their awards.

Mr Philip Edwards (Dof E Coordinator)

Academic Development is changing......

Kate Walters, Head of Educational Progress, explains why:

We have renamed the Academic Development Department ‘Educational Progress’. This has been done in order to ensure consistency with support across all parts of the school from TPS, through the International Schools and into TS.

Our ethos remains focused on individualised support, encouraging our learners to be as independent as

possible. We aim to help all students, regardless of their ability, to recognise their own strengths and difficulties and take control of their learning.

We are in the privileged position of having more staff this year and we are implementing a large amount of in class support. Research demonstrates that in class support has a huge impact on student progress and we encourage all students to ask for help whenever necessary. It is important that we ensure our learners appreciate that asking for help is a brave step, not an admission of failure.

Alongside in class support, we maintain a commitment to providing first class 1:1 lessons for those who need additional support with their learning. Our staff are well qualified and experienced and are committed to personalised learning.

I am now coordinating support across the whole school, focusing on ensuring we have a consistent approach that ultimately enables our learners to

succeed independently and supporting both students and parents with the key transition points. Sarah White continues to lead the TPS Educational Progress Department and the team are working closely to develop innovative approaches to support across the school.

We are in an exciting period of change and development and we welcome feedback from students and parents. If you have any ideas regarding Educational Progress, please do not hesitate to contact our administrator at [email protected]. We aim to continue our series of PTA events with some information evenings regarding specific difficulties and how to support your children. Please do let us know if there are specific topics you would like us to cover.



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Operating Theatre Live transformed our Old Library into a state of the art operating theatre for our aspiring medics and scientists. After getting scrubbed up, with pig organs as our subjects, full scale hands on anatomy dissections commenced.

We began by injecting a general anesthetic and then starting with the head of a pig, we focused on the nervous system looking at the structure of the skull and how the nervous system is broken down into the autonomic and somatic divisions. Most of us survived the first test of removing the brain and eyeball and went on to look at the gastro-intestinal tract. Whilst the stench was challenging we gained some interesting knowledge on Crohn’s disease. We moved on to cardiology where we built on our knowledge of the

structure and function of the human heart. We performed open heart surgery inserting a pacemaker and carried out a heart transplant.

Following the context of a trauma incident, the final session was a leg amputation. Using real surgical procedures and equipment we removed the muscle tissue surrounding the bone in the leg before stitching the leg closed and inserting a fluid drain.

As a first for Taunton School it was an amazing, unforgettable experience. Not only was it hugely informative but also we got the chance to carry out real life medical procedures. I hope the future Pre-med and science students will get the opportunity to experience this fantastic event.

Written by Andrea Gurr (U6)

Operating in the Old Library



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Why I’m choosing general practice‘I am very confident for the future of general practice, as the cavalry is com-ing.’ I was fortunate enough to listen to Sir Denis Pereira Gray speak recently at the University of Bristol GP Society’s an-nual conference, and this quote from this keynote address struck a chord with me.

As a potential GP, I feel that now is an exciting time to enter general practice – it is my colleagues and I who are the future; we are the cavalry.

Although this expectation comes with an amount of pressure, I relish the challenge – not just becoming a GP, but becoming an excellent one, and doing my bit to improve the quality of primary care in the UK.

When I started medical school, I wanted to be a surgeon. I thought general practice was dull. But that changed early on, with my first placement; I spent four afternoons in a small town practice, and realised that general practice encom-passed all of the reasons why I’d origi-

nally chosen to study medicine.

Firstly, the variety: how wonderful not to have to choose one speciality, but to be exposed to all areas of medicine in a single day. For someone who spent five years of medical school enjoying all placements, and having difficulty under-standing how we’re meant to choose just one area to focus on for the rest of our working lives, general practice is the perfect option. It’s a return to the tradi-tional noting of a family doctor – being an expert generalist.

Continuity of Care

There is continuity of care. One of the most unsatisfactory things I’ve found with hospital medicine is saying good-bye to patients and not knowing their final outcome. In general practice, you have the honour of getting to know your patients over a lifetime, and to be there through the ups as well as the downs.

I am overwhelmed by the opportunities available to general practitioners – I have spoken to GPs involved in training, com-missioning, research, out-of-hours care, as well as academic and leadership fel-

lows and GPSIs. My main concern about choosing a career in general practice is how I’ll choose from all of these options (and I think that’s a pretty good sign).

I am not however naïve; I know that being a GP is tremendously challeng-ing and hard work. We are at a point in time where enthusiasm for this area of medicine is more important than ever, as we are faced with recruitment crisis and junior doctors disheartened by contract disputes.

But all is not lost. As people such as Sir Denis remind us in a time of such nega-tivity, there is still hope when it comes to general practice, and it is this hope which continues to drive me.

I am passionate about this speciality, and I’m proud to tell people that I want to be a GP. I hope others feel the same way, and that we can continue to inspire stu-dents to consider general practice – that cavalry will look quite small if it’s just me.

Zoe Bush is a year 5 medical student at the University of Bristol.

Choosing General PracticeOld Tauntonian Zoe Bush is a fifth-year medical student at the University of

Bristol and recently won the GPonline/

RCGP Choosing General Practice

writing competition. Here is her winning

entry.



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At the end of last term, a new school publication, the ‘Taunton School Schol-ars’ Journal’ was launched in the Old Library.

The Scholars’ Journal has been launched out of a desire to facilitate, celebrate and promote student’s additional aca-demic research and to provide a forum in which to do so. Work beyond academic research is also welcomed and included in the journal, including poetry, crea-tive writing and visual artwork. Whilst the publication has been named the ‘Scholars’ Journal’ to best reflect the

scholarly nature of the journal and the expectation on school schol-ars’ to contribute, non-scholars with a scholarly interest in a particular area and from any year group have been, and are welcome, to submit work for publication.

Nearly all academ-ic research articles

are wholly detached from an A-Level, IB

or GCSE syllabus, providing contributors with an opportunity to research and to write out of pure passion or inter-est, as well as providing a more exciting publication for the journal’s readers. The journal’s many articles range from vastly different disciplines such as medieval history to biology to economic geogra-phy such as in ‘The Importance of King Edward I’s 1295 Model Parliament to Global Democracy’ (Kieran Bailey), ‘Mi-tochondrial Replacement Therapy and its current limitations’ (Hera Bradly) and ‘The most important place in the world’ (Liam Travers).

Moreover the journal provides an excel-lent opportunity for students to develop key skills in academic referencing and to write with structured freedom rather than obsessing with government-pre-scribed exam methodologies. As John F. Kennedy said, ‘The purpose of education is the advancement of knowledge and the dissemination of truth.’ Sometimes it can be too easy to forget that, and in the micro-management of preps or test papers, to lose sight of the greater pic-ture and the purpose of scholarships and fundamentally, of schooling.

It is a privilege to serve as the journal’s Editor, and thanks must be given to former Head of Academic Enrichment Dr Aidan Cruttenden for facilitating the jour-nal’s creation, to the contributors and to the Heads of Department who reviewed and commented on submissions. The journal is to continue as a twice-yearly, interdisciplinary publication which we believe will be of significant interest to current and prospective parents, scholars and educators as well as raising the pro-file of contributors. Fundamentally, the Scholars’ Journal provides an explosion of passion and we hope all readers will be inspired! Copies of the journal are available through the school.

Kieran Bailey, Editor

Scholar’s Journal launched

On Wednesday the 14th September, 28 GCSE Geographers visited Minehead for the day to investigate the success of the coastal management strategy being deployed there. Enjoying the warmth of the Autumn sunshine the students walked the length of the sea front (twice!) collecting primary data concerned with ‘flood risk’ and ‘cost

benefit analysis.’ The day inevitably ended with a few questions being asked to the public and with a starter of fish and chips, and a main of burgers being ‘washed down’ by a dessert of ice cream. Once back at school the students then spent three hours making a start on typing up the investigation (their controlled assessment worth 25% of their GCSE). Thank you to the students for being so focussed (in the main!) and thank you to Mrs Whaley and Mrs Coomber for their help and support on the day. Well done!

Year 11’s Minehead Geography Trip

Back row: Hera Bradly, Dan WoolstencroftFront row: Nick Brown, Kieran Bailey (Editor), Oscar Rihll



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Deputy Head Girl Sara about Dan:In my humble opinion, Dan is the most English person you can met. Everything about Dan reminds me of what I believe a typical Englishman encompasses. Dan is polite in all circumstances, well spoken, has a delightful smile and a posh accent. He plays 1st team rugby and tennis, and loves a cup of freshly brewed tea, not to mention his epitome of an aristocratic last name; ‘Woolstencroft’.

However, what sets this Pom apart from his counterparts is his interests. Studying Art, Economics, Geography, Critical Thinking and Mandarin, it is clear that Dan has a truly global outlook on life. I asked him why he decided to study Mandarin, debatably one of the hardest languages to learn, and he replied that he is very interested in the future of China as an international super power. Dan hopes to further explore his curiosity in Asian culture by taking a gap year to travel, specifically to China and Nepal.

On a more local note, I rarely see Dan around school, except for meetings and official instances. Though I believe that is because he is doing every activity that is humanly possible to cram into one school day. From Geography Society, which he tried to tempt me into joining because you get a ‘badge’, Cultural Studies and playing the saxophone in a countless number of school bands, Dan certainly has his time cut out for him! And yet, in the last week Dan has added yet another activity to this list; the school’s musical Evita, in which he is playing the leading role of Ché.

So what does our favourite Englishman bring to the round table of prefects this year? I believe that Dan brings a commitment to school life that cannot be questioned, leadership skills and a passion for great tasting food that will surely see an end to the infamous packed lunches.

As much as it is cliché to say so, I am really looking forward to getting to know Dan and working with him this year. Who knows? Maybe he could teach me a thing or two about the mother land.

Deputy Head Boy Dan about Sara:Sara is an Aussie girl in a very English school. She may not be able to spend her afternoon’s ‘chasing the swell’, but she’s found some pretty good vibes in Amnesty International and the Feminist Society- two of her passions. However, her secret heartthrob, so I’m told, is our own Jude Law but she may have to settle for what T.S can offer.

Sara may have only been at the school for a year, but she has made a big impression on us all. She’s kind, charismatic, intelligent and sophisticated. She plays a big part in school life, with senior debating and volunteering in the prep school. An IB whizz, Sara plans to return to Oz to study International Relations at university after a period of intensive Spanish in Argentina in the summer.

Meet The

Prefects

WOODYER House embarked on their 1st house outing this term to Wimbleball Lake to take part in raft building and team building challenges, including orienteering and tight rope walking. Once built the girls raced the rafts on the lake and displayed their competitive spirits the fun filled day ended with a house BBQ in the garden.

Raft building at Wimbleball



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A few hours after the conclusion of Commemoration on 1st July, eighteen Year 10 pupils boarded a coach for the Spanish trip to Barcelona. Via Bristol airport and Easy Jet, they headed off for an intense language experience in the fabulous Catalan capital, Barcelona. Accompanied by Miss Manley, Mr Tredwell and our fabulous Spanish assistant María, the group had a non-stop, active and linguistic holiday in

Barcelona. The group stayed in a central hostel and travelled around the city on public transport. The many highlights of the trip included visits to Camp Nou, la Sagrada Familia, the water park Illa Fantasia, the beach, Poble Espanyol, las Ramblas and the fountains at Montjuïc. The famous food market offered the students a fascinating range of foods and drinks. Perhaps to their surprise, all students had a fabulous time during their

Spanish lesson and came out positive and enthusing about the vast amount of new Spanish they had learnt. The weather was inevitably hot and sunny and our students showed their usual enthusiasm for language trips. Culture, food, sun, beach, fun and Spanish were the key elements of this successful trip.

Kate Stent

Hola Barcelona



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On Saturday, 17th, Mr Roberts (Head of Geography) spoke to the Academic Scholars on National Sovereignty, an issue that has gained much publicity since the Brexit vote in June. His lecture was informative, balanced and highly enjoyable, raising many thought-provoking questions about Britain’s economic and political future in a post-Brexit world.

Mr Roberts posed that the Brexit vote

was entirely fuelled by the electorate’s belief in ‘regaining our sovereignty’, both in the straightforward sense of clawing back powers from Brussels, but also premised on the idea that immigration was seen to be affecting Britain’s autonomy. The primary focus of the lecture was the question of whether by leaving the EU would Britain get any or all of its sovereignty back. Mr Roberts started by outlining the shift in the EU from something that was originally meant as a vehicle for free trade, to the current much larger organisation that encompasses the economic and political union. In essence, one of the key issues is: if we leave the EU, are we taking away enough of that higher power from the ‘very, very dangerous people in Brussels …happy to destroy democracy’ (sic. Nigel Farage), that Britain can actually regain its sovereignty in any event?

Mr Roberts argued that, in some respects, Britain would be more of a sovereign state out of the EU: it would have control over labour movement into the UK and political decisions could be exclusively made in Britain and not Brussels. Yet, it quickly became clear that Mr Roberts thought the issue a far more complex matter than this. He went on to contend that preventing the free flow of ideas to and from Europe in an increasingly globalised world

would prove increasingly difficult to achieve. As a result, some of the less acceptable (and distasteful) ideas, such as fundamentalism, which can destroy sovereignty would continue to pervade British society and politics with or without Brexit.

In addition, pressure groups are still able to powerfully lobby governments and affect key decisions making, thus undermining (or augmenting, depending on your viewpoint) national sovereignty. Thirdly, the problem of controlling capital in Britain is extremely relevant to the sovereignty debate, in particular foreign investment in Britain. This capital can, it was argued, mean that Britain is still unable to control its own decision-making: 50% of the office blocks in London are foreign owned and 10% of houses in central London are purchased through offshore companies to list just a few examples of the extent of foreign stake holds in Britain.

This foreign investment and its potential to undermine sovereignty is particularly relevant in the light of the recent Hinkley Point decision, with an £18 billion investment, nearly all of it from French and Chinese money. Added to this is British dependence on transnational corporations (TNC’s), such as EDF and Starbucks, which create new development opportunities but which can also erode sovereignty.

The questions at the end of the talk then raised the idea of whether any country in the world is completely sovereign. The answer seems to be: certainly not. No nation, regardless of how far flung and censored they are, is ever completely immune to outside influences; sovereignty is something a country should aspire to, but is also something

we must realise will never be completely possible.

Mr Roberts ended his talk by advertising his Geography Book Club and its book of the moment, ‘Prisoners of Geography’ by Tim Marshall, which deals with the subject of sovereignty, as well as geopolitics in general. Anyone interested in joining the club should drop him an email.

Finally, when asked if anyone in the audience would have voted for Brexit, only one person raised their hand. The truth is that, for me at least, Brexit was an incredibly complex subject and I was that lone hand…

The Academic Scholar’s Programme runs every Saturday morning from 8:30 in the Arts Centre Theatre. Please note that submissions for the second edition of the Scholars Journal are due by September 30. Just remember: Get Interested! Cras es Noster.

Nick Brown, U6 Academic Scholar

Academic Society: Get Interested



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Fairwater refurbOver the Summer, Fairwater Boarding House has come to the end of an extensive refurbishment programme. As with many refurbishment programmes in old buildings, we came across a number of both structural and compliance challenges. The compliance issues were mainly around changes of legislation associated with Fire Safety - when the building was designed some of the modern day constraints simply didn’t exist! Although this caused some delays, we are pleased to say that these challenges have been successfully overcome. We now have a boarding house that would be the envy of any school in the independent sector. The next boarding house for development will be Wills East and West, which will be fully refurbished over the next 2 years.

Alex Murray

Fairwater refurb

Plans for EvansTo all those who are in Evans House. Hopefully, by the end of this term, you will have a new house. On the surface you will have new walls, floor, electrics, work spaces, furniture, TVs…in fact pretty much everything! Behind the scenes the house will be rewired, a new Fire detection system installed and lots of other invisible stuff that can’t be seen. The design has been done in partnership with your Housemaster, and the work will be completed by a local building company owned by a Taunton School parent. To give you an indication of what it will look like, I attach a couple of the designer’s sketches.

Work is going to start today (Friday 23 September) – to minimise disruption to pupils and staff it will take place in 4 phases. No more than 2 rooms will be worked on concurrently. I’m hoping the whole lot will be completed this term, but I

don’t want to commit to any promises, in case we come across any problems when we start ripping floors up etc.

However, there will be disruption…please bear with us…some patience is going to be required. The work will continue during term time, albeit we are working with the builders to make sure as little disruption as possible occurs.

We will start with the Year 12 room and the Housemaster’s study, then make our way through the rest of the house.I will be around and about – if you have any questions, do please collar me and I’d be delighted to answer any queries.

Alex Murray, Operations Manager Taunton School



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This year we travelled across to Outposts, an outdoor activity centre based on the Quantocks, about 30 minutes from Taunton. With over 20 different nationalities from all around the world it was a great way to introduce them to the South West countryside, something that many have never seen before. They were split into four groups consisting of around 20 students where they all rotated from one activity to another. The activities included raft building, archery, survival skills and command tasks. Each group participated in every activity which ran over the two days. The variety in tasks allowed for students to work together as a team, learning names and understanding

each others key strengths and values. The raft building activity caused much laughter amongst the groups with several students ending up separated from their raft in the not so warm water, as they soon discovered. Friday evening also consisted of a BBQ around the campfire which was a great way to look back at the day’s activity and to enjoy a full moon lowering behind the hills in a spectacular surrounding. The two days spent at Outposts were thoroughly enjoyed by all with the activities aiding the settling in process which can be daunting for many, especially those who have just left home for the first time from the age of 15. TSI

TSI head for the hills

The benefit of Book GroupsOne of my favourite quotations about reading is, “Reading is a solitary activity; yet it breaks barriers with the world!” (Hazel Rochman). Of course there is the fun of recommending favourite reads to a friend and learning about the books they have discovered recently, or finding common ground with a new acquaintance. Being able to talk about a range of books is an often underestimated but extremely useful social skill.For some, however, the solitary aspect of reading may be a key reason why they don’t read as much as perhaps they

know they should.For these reluctant readers, the added social aspect of a book group may be a useful motivator. For those with a distinct preference for one genre, it can be a fun way to explore different types of story without the formal academic analysis of a class reader. The Carrington Library has a selection of young adult fiction in sets of 6, perfect for reading groups; and I would be delighted to develop this with titles of your choice – not just young adult books, but anything you want to read with your friends.So if you and a friend or two (or five) would like to expand your reading

horizons by setting your own targets and getting together to discuss the fictional world you are exploring, please come and see me for support in setting up a group. Tie this in with volunteering activities – running a group could give you useful material for reflection as well as expanding your reading horizons.Whatever motivates you to read, come and explore the Carrington Library shelves. And if we don’t have what you’re looking for – just ask!Keep reading!

Amanda Lockwood, LRC Librarian

Bookworms’ Corner



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On Friday the 16th the years 11, 12 and 13 Drama students were treated to a 6-hour workshop run by the theatre company Frantic Assembly, whose performances combine movement, design, music and text to create a unique physical style that reflects contemporary culture. Having toured extensively throughout the UK, currently with The Curious Incident of The Dog in The Night Time (of which many Drama students are going to watch on the 22nd) Frantic Assembly has built a remarkable reputation as one of the most exciting companies in the country, have worked in 30 different countries across the world.

Throughout the morning we were kept on our toes as we were given an insight into their morning exercises, including circuit training, learning how to execute different types of lifts, performing an extract from their touring play and exploring how they come together to devise new material. It was an excellent day in which, as a group, we all learnt new skills to which can be applied to the pieces we are currently devising in

our own lessons.

Harriet Bawden, a year 11 student, described the experience as a “really great day, learnt a lot, and made me realise how much work goes into the physical aspect of performing”

Cassie Grace, year 11, also commented that is was “a very enjoyable experience that has helped us improve our skills for drama in the future, as well as learn new techniques”

“I really enjoyed the day and it has encouraged my love for physical theatre” Year 11 Fran Hill finalised.

We all have Mrs Stamp, who organised the whole thing, and Amelia Cardwell, the specialised practitioner, to thank for providing us with such an outstanding experience to which we benefited from greatly and will remember for a while to come- as long as our muscles still ache!

By Abigail Casson and Louis Large

Frantic Drama Students

Tea time concertsTuesday Tea-Time concerts returned this week featuring bright new talents and music scholars from Lower Sixth and Year 11 performing music from Beyonce to Bach. Rosie Stacey began with a haunting rendition of Hugo Wolf’s lied Das Verlassene Mägdlein, followed by two movements from Bach’s Cello Suite in G major by Music IB student Callum MacIntyre. Both students are actively involved with the musical life of the school with Callum MacIntyre pursuing music at higher level for IB, and Rosie Stacey recently gaining the understudy part of the lead role in this year’s musical, Evita.

Bringing Motown roots to the mix, Music IB students Samantha Groves performed an impassioned version of Beyonce’s “Listen” from the musical film Dreamgirls, before flautist and music scholar Edward Topp brought the concert to a close with Gabriel Faure’s renowned “Pavane”. Edward Topp is entering for Grade 8 Flute this year and plays a key part in the Wind Band, Orchestra and Chapel Choir.

Next week, Year 9 and 10 music scholars take to the stage to show their talents. Please note we are in the GWR for one week only, before returning to the Arts Centre Foyer on October 4.



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You’d be forgiven for thinking that you’d walked onto the set of Star Trek when you enter our new computer room ICT1. The old benches and computers have vanished, and it has been transformed into a state of the art learning space with all new hardware.

After being inspired by the learning spaces on show at the Apple education conference in London, Simon Ryder was keen to implement change and plans were put in place for a revamp and refresh.

Zioxi came in to design the bespoke classroom, changing it beyond recognition.

The classroom now has standing desks and tall chairs to use so that students have the flexibility to move around and not always stay in the same seated position.

There are booths to the side so that students can bring in laptops or tablets to use and vibrant colours have been used in the furniture to

make it interesting.

The Star Trek inspired bit comes from the central console that contains screens that lower seemlessly down into the desk, revealing a huge work table that is perfect for conferences.

There is also a Skype corner set up for students to get online and speak to experts from industry and you cannot miss the touch screen Genie board that mirrors onto another screen so that everyone in the room can see it from all angles.

Simon said: “It has gone from a plain classroom to a multi use space for students to learn in. There is that wow factor when the students come in. It is a fantastic looking room. The students can choose their preferred way of learning and the equipment that we have now means that we can do alot more such as high end computer games design and robotics. It really is exciting.”

By Simon Ryder

New computer room wows students & staff



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Hockey Match reportsCourier Sport starts here ...

JRPC Tier 1: 15 of our Taunton School players have been involved with JRPC over the sum-mer, this is regionally based and involves players training over 6 sessions for selection into the Tier 1 tournaments. An astonishing 13 of our 15 players man-aged to make it to Tier 1 tournaments this year in their bid to reach national selection for their relevant years. They have already competed over half the phase playing last weekend and we wish them well in their final tournament this Sunday. A great achievement for all involved good luck! Elliot Foweraker

Match reports V Dean Close:

1XI Lost 3 - 0The 1XI worked hard throughout their match on Saturday against a well organ-ised Dean Close side. The girls created early pressure but were undone by some individual skills from the opposition. Some outstanding goal keeping from Maddie James and some hard work in the middle from Millie Tyler helped Taun-ton to get a foothold back in the second half however they couldn’t find the net. We welcome Kings College on Friday night under the lights for what I am sure will be a great game of hockey!

2XI Won 2- 0The 2XI were dominant throughout their game. They applied pressure from the start only allowing Dean Close to enter their half twice in the first half. The sec-ond half the girls stepped up and man-aged to find the net, first through Nirva Patel and then Amy Lloyd-Jones made it 2-0. A great team effort well done to all.

3XI: Lost 3-0A good team performance from the 3XI they worked as a team throughout and were unlucky not to get a result. The girls worked hard to create some good chances in the first half but were unable

to break the deadlock. Dean Close man-aged to take the lead and despite a late rally held to win the match. Plenty of positives for all we are looking forward to a match with Kings next week! 4XI: Won 2-0 The team played with confidence and as a team to create lots of chances. The girls were on form for the whole match and defended hard as well as attacking together a real team effort from the girls well done to all involved. U15A Lost 5-0After a heavy defeat last week, the U15A s re-organised to take on Dean Close. With far more structure & understanding the girls defended well and were 0-0 at half time. Particularly pleasing was the fact that we had not conceded a penalty corner. Dean close put us under fur-ther pressure in the second half and we crumbled for a 5 minute period to go 3-0 down. All though the girls continued to work hard, we conceded another 2 goals making the final score 5-0. More work to be done girls and get ready for the big game against Kings College on Saturday at home.

U15B Lost 5-0The team gained in confidence and commitment as the match progressed, however, Dean Close’s superior fitness and structure made it a tough fixture. They played with great team spirit and good humour throughout and I am sure will tackle their weaknesses with cheer-ful determination.

U14A Lost 4-2The U14a team made a great start to the game, playing with energy and enthusi-asm as they committed to attack. Goals came early on from Flora Collier and Jade Cantrell and all looked positive. However, fitness began to tell and Anna in goal who was too often left exposed. However, we went into half time still well-placed at 2-1 up. Injuries to some

players and some wayward defending unfortunately meant we were unable to hang on to our lead through the second half; the final score being a 4-2 loss. Lots of positives but still plenty to work on if we are to concede fewer goals.

U14B Lost 4-0The U14Bs started well with some early pressure, they created some nice passing moves but we unable to match Dean Close in the first half. They played really well as a team and are improving week by week, we welcome Park School this Thursday for a fixture at home. Well done to all.



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This week’s Rugby

1st XV Lost 22pts-0A disappointed start of the season. Boys played with passion and determina-tion but Kingswood forwards beat us at the breakdown which allowed them to keep possession. Our defence went well most of the game and boys should feel confident and build from it. Score doesn’t reflect the game and all credit to Kingswood. Boys can learn from their mistakes and I am sure more victories will come. Man of the match Luis Parades-Tarazona.

2ndXV Lost 36pts-10 Tries:Callum McIn-tire, Charlie Bonner2nd XV were as good as Kingswood and the game was even until Taunton gave away three penalties which all led to tries. They won their share of ball but struggled to gain momentum when attacking. They tended to receive the ball standing still so found it difficult to make ground. I was impressed at how the team approached the second half scoring two tries in a spell of 20 min-utes where they dominated in all areas. Calum McIntire carried well and scored a try. Charlie Bonner scored the other with a blind side run from a driving maul. Man if the was Josh Hall for his strong carries and recycling. Man of the match Callum McIntire.

3rdXV Lost 40-5pts Tries: Jack IrishFirst game of the season for the 3rd XV. The game was always going to be a test of determination. Although up against a much strong side, all of the team

played with pride and gave there all. Silly mistakes allowed Kingswood to take the lead after 15 minutes into the game. Jack Irish scored a fantastic 50 metres try over the corner. Boys played with a fantas-tic spirit and great commitment. Man of the match Jack Irish.

SCA Won 17pts-22Tries: Harrison Coonick, Will Perry (20, Nahum MeriganConv: Nahum Merigan A real game of two halves with King-swood dominating the opening 20 minutes and we were perhaps lucky to be only 0-12 down at this time. We had three clear cut chances to cut the deficit in the last 10 minutes of the first half but we could not convert them in to points. We came out with a bang at the begin-ning of second half and Coonick scored a good try down the left converted by Merrigan. We then lost concentration and defend-ed a kick poorly leading to them scor-ing a third try to go 7-17 up. However, the last quarter was all TS with some much improved scrummaging and some quality ball from Kitchen in the line out. Merrigan and Perry made real inroads in attack well supported by the rest of the team. Three tries from Perry (2) and Merrigan gave TS tight but de-served 22-17 victory. Man of the match Harrison Coonick.

SCB Lost 31pts-0 A deceptive scoreline, for the majority of the match, a very evenly matched contest, both sides displaying some excellent rugby. With a half time score

of 5-0 Taunton were very much still in the game. Some excellent defensive work from Win Kanjana, Jake Kingston and Logan Foster and some descruptive runs from Histro Asenov and Ed Topp keeping the score close through the end of the first half and during the start of the second half. Decisive scores from Kingswood sealed the match during the the middle of the second half. Taunton displayed grit and determination throughout. Man of the match Ed Topp.

JCA Lost 10pts-12 Tries: Alex Brown, Eugene MilskyConv: Alex BrownA tough start to the season for the 15A against Kingswood at Home. Within 10s of KO if we lost our starting Hooker to injury. However, the boys all lifted and worked hard together. After some impressive defensive efforts from both sides, Kingswood added the pressure on Taunton scoring first off an Interception. Shortly after Alex Brown scored in the corner to make the half time score 7-5 to Kingswood. Not long into the second half Tyler Goosen came off due to injury. This was further followed another injury to Jack Keegan. The score still close Taunton pushed hard and Eugene Milsky managed to dive over the corner to put us in front for the first time. With 5 min-utes left, Kingswood managed to get the ball wide and score shortly after in the corner. With a minute left the boys ran out of time to get another score.Man of the match Archie Campbell.

Welcome back to our rugby season!

We started our season against a strong Kingswood school. Our fitness level increased and some players improved their skills over the summer. Most of the players show good attitude on/off the pitch during the our first week.

Our 1ST XV team defended very well but struggled to keep possession against a powerful Kingswood side. Boys wants to get better and worked hard at the breakdown during this week training. 2nd and 3rd XV struggled to get momentum by losing possession too easily and made too many mistakes to win their games. Great attitude though!

Mr Chatterton and Mr Mason should be pleased by our SCA who dominated Kingswood. Fantastic effort! SCB trained hard this week and will look for a win on Saturday. U15 have been unlucky with injuries and lost their first game of the season at the end of the game. Boys will learn a lot from this game. Brilliant performance from our JCBWell done to our FA teams who won their first games at the senior school. Great effort! FB still need to work hard on basic skills like passing and tackling. Attitude has been spot on Saturday. Keep going!

Next week’s game against Wellington. Thank you very much for your support. Nic Sestaret



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Bottom picture: From left to rightWilliam Edwards: Bath Academy/ Somerset team (U15)Oscar Samuel: Bath Academy/Somerset team (U15)Flyn Drury: Somerset team (U18)Archie Robinson: Bristol Academy (U15)Alex Brown: Exeter Chiefs Academy/Somerset team (U15)George Perry: Bristol Academy (U15)Nahum Merigan: Bath Academy/Somerset team (U16)Toby Squires: Somerset team (u18)Thomas Jeanes: Bath Academy (U18)Thomas Wyatt: Somerset team (U18)Tyler Goosen: Exeter Chiefs Academy (U15)Jack Keegan: Somerset team (U15)Ben Mouzouri: Bristol Academy (U15)Matthew Alvarez: Somerset team (U18)Jack Houston: Somerset team (U18)

Team selections Top picture: From left to right.Gabriel Hayal Bath Academy (U14)Samuel Stevenson: Bath academy (U14)William Perry: Bath Academy/ Somerset team (U16)Archie Prosser: Bath Academy (U14)Missing from photos: Olly Halliday: Bristol Academy (U14)

1st XV lost 14-15pts. Tries scored by Will Bird, Max Brind. Converted by Luke Budnyj (2).Very tight game against a strong side. We played very well in the first 25 min-utes by scoring two beautiful tries. Our defence kept Queen’s away from our try but our penalty count cost us the game. Taunton school should be proud of our 1st XV who played with commitment and passion. Tomorrow will be another difficult game against Wellington and hopefully we will end up with a win.

Thank you all for your support.2nd XV won 47-0pts Tries scored by Lu-kas Tapson, Charlie Bonner, Ed Mathius, Jake Holder, Pietro Beretta Covacivich, Josh Hall, and Tom James. Converted By Johnson (6)The 2nd team were far too physical and athletic for Queen’s to cope with and they quickly dominated all aspects of the game. Tries scored by Lukas Tapsen, Charlie Bonner, Ed Mathius, Jake Holder, Pietro Beretta Covacivich, Josh Hall, and Tom James.

U15 won 51-0 against Queen’s (Tries Brown 3, Dietz 2, Gazla 2, Samuel, Perry Converted by Samuel (3)A good team performance which al-lowed players from the extended squad to show their power and pace. Forwards driven on by Dietz and the impressive White, allowed good ball for the backs to pass and run, with Robinson kicking for position well, and Brown and Gazla taking all their opportunities. Some interesting team selection ahead!

TS Vs Queens

JCB Won 57pts-0 Tries: 9 tries A very powerful performance from our JCB. Boys defended hard for the full game and didn’t concede a try. Well done and good start of the season. Man of the match Matt HollandFA Won 24pt-7 Tries:Sam Stevenson (4) Cons: Ben Jack-son (2) A committed performance from the Under 14 As saw them run out 24-7 winners against Kingswood. Strong running from Sam Stevenson and Ben Jackson yielded a number of try scoring opportunities, and the team reached half time nineteen points to nil in front. Kingswood responded after the break, however, and committed defence was needed for much of the second half to maintain this lead. The victory was

sealed by a late try from Sam Stevenson – his fourth of the match – following ex-cellent build up play from the forwards. Spirit and endeavour were in evi-dence from all, not least referee Richard God-frey, who was struck down by a mystery, short-lived virus following an end-of-sea-son cricket club function. But he com-pleted the match, and if such levels of determination are matched by the Foals, this might well prove to be a successful season. There is plenty to work on, nota-bly with regard to keeping pos-session, but this was an encouraging start. Man of the match Sam Stevenson.FB Lost 12pts-42 Tries: Phillip Pullicino. In the first game of the season the 14Bs came up against a strong side in King-swood. With many fresh faces, some of which had very little rugby experience

the game was the first time many of the boys had played rugby together. All in all despite being beaten the boys really got stuck in and gave it their all, which bodes ex-tremely well in terms of their devel-opment as a team throughout the year. Some definite strengths from the game was the tackling, which at times was particularly gutsy against some power-ful Kingswood players. Other strengths included the handling within the backs and some excellent offloads. A particular focus for next week will be our work rate and tech-nique at the breakdown, ensur-ing we can retain our own ball and even turn the ball over if the opportunity presents itself. Overall the game was a success with many positives that can be built on throughout the season. Man of the match Rupert Dean



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QUIZ NIGHT IN AID OF HOCKEY AND NETBALL TOUR

TO SINGAPORE/AUSTRALIA

THURSDAY 29 SEPTEMBER OLD LIBRARY

TAUNTON SCHOOL 7PM START

TEAMS OF 4-6 £2 PER HEAD

BAR AVAILABLE

RAFFLE BRING YOUR OWN SNACKS

TO BOOK

OR FOR MORE INFORMATION RING

NIGEL MANLEY 01823 270922 OR COME ALONG ON THE NIGHT.

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