Headmaster's Newsletter Friday 1st April 2022
Dear Parents,
We have come to the end of our first ‘normal’ Hilary in three years. When lockdowns first began in 2020 the first events to go were our French Play and end-of-term Words and Music event in chapel. So it was especially enjoyable to have these events firmly back in the calendar this week, bringing Hilary to a triumphant end rather than a Covidy whimper. What these performances showed in abundance was the confidence with which NCS boys approach the spoken and sung word, in whatever language the word happens to be. I wrote a few weeks ago about getting the right balance of confidence and humility – something that can sometimes go a bit wonky in the independent sector – and I was pleased to see just the right level of confidence on display. Confidence in communication, in presentation, in the boys being themselves – but a humble appreciation of the performances and abilities of others. I am fortunate to work with an incredible team at NCS, and that team includes all of the boys as well as my colleagues. I would like to thank all of those colleagues who have contributed so much extra to ensure that these events could go ahead after a bit of a hiatus.
That the clocks went forward an hour last weekend seemed a little cruel in the context of all that we have been doing over the past few weeks; how nice it would have been to have an extra hour rather than one less. But I hope that the little extra tiredness as we come to the end of term can be abated by the prospect of a few weeks away from Savile Road, with a little longer in bed (not for some, I concede), and hopefully a change of scenery. For a lot of us, we will be starting to travel a little further afield for the first time since the pandemic began. I wish you all a happy and safe vacation, whether you are travelling or staying a little closer to home.
It only remains to thank you all for your support over the past term – a term that seems like it started only a couple of weeks ago. That the time has zoomed by is testament to the joy and buzz of working at NCS, where we get to fit in a huge amount around the core academic timetable. It is that richness which makes NCS such a special place to work and to learn, and we couldn’t do it without the good-humoured support of such a positive and cohesive parent body, which in turn provides us with such fantastic boys with whom to work. We look forward, then, to continuing in Trinity. But enjoy a little bit of a break, if you can, first!
Have a great Easter,
Matt Jenkinson
Many congratulations to Timon who has added to our awards haul once again, with a sports scholarship to MCS. This brings our awards so far to: Harry, music scholarships (Radley and Abingdon); Benedict, sports scholarship (Abingdon); Timon, music and sports scholarships (MCS); Kian, academic exhibition (MCS); Nahum, music exhibition (MCS); James, music scholarship (Harrow) and music exhibition (MCS).
Staffing update: From September 2022, Mr Morrison will be taking on more pre-prep PE/games; Year 6-8/8S geography teaching will therefore be taken on by Letty Peppiatt. Letty attended UWE and Nottingham University and she has taught Geography at Bromley High School, Burford School, Sibford, Forest Farm, and Oxford International College. She is a qualified Duke of Edinburgh instructor and has run several field trips around the UK. In the games department we will be welcoming two Sports Assistants. The first is Dylan Swanepoel, who joins us from D’Overbroeck’s where he currently coaches sport and assists in the boarding house. Dylan is a county-level specialist in hockey and cricket. The second is Xav Gardner, who may be familiar to some of you as a former NCS pupil. Xav is currently at Abingdon where he is a CCF leader. While both Dylan and Xav will be on the sports field in the afternoons, they will be on site in the mornings as well to assist us in classroom-based lessons, and also to contribute to duties and activities.
Congratulations to our language ambassadors – Timon, Ben and James – who taught their lessons to pupils at our partner school, St Michael’s, in Marston on Monday. The boys taught full lessons to rapt classes and they have already been touted as PGCE students in the making! We are very proud of them for taking on this extra initiative and clearly doing it so well.
Well done to our winners of this year's poetry recitation competition who performed their poems so beautifully in today's Words and Music: Hugo (Year 3), Andres (Year 4), Tristan and Jack (Year 5), Thomas (Year 6), Max (Year 7) and Luca (Year 8).
Our Holloway Lecture from a couple of weeks ago by Professor Ashleigh Griffin is now available to watch online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AURrM38Pik
You can also watch the first gig by our Year 7-8 band (the first in living memory at NCS!) here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpAQCzhfQ98
Don’t forget that, on Saturday 2 April at 19.00, the NCS Chamber Choir and Choral Society will be performing under the baton of Mr Neal in New College Chapel, with works by Gabriel Fauré, Maurice Ravel, James MacMillan and Lili Boulanger. Tickets are available via https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/faure-requiem-tickets-254737676247.
From Miss Krebs: This Easter break there is a new photography challenge for those who want to interact with nature over the holiday. The aim is to take as many photos of as many different flowers as possible. Take your photo of the flower (or bud) and then try to find out the name of the flower or the plant. Try to collate your pictures and send them with the names of the flowers to the school (emma.krebs@newcollegeschool.org). There will be prizes for the top entries in pre-prep, Years 3-5 and Years 6-8. Please submit your entries by Friday 29 April at noon. Please also find attached to the newsletter Parentmail the most recent issue of The Eco-nomist, with contributions from the boys.
This year we are very keen to participate as a school community in the ‘Oxford Town and Gown’ on Sunday 8 May. The unique route is the only closed-road City Centre 10k in Oxford with a glorious stretch along the River Cherwell and finish in the University Parks. In 2019, the run was awarded ‘Best 10k in South East England’ by the Running Awards. There is a 3k race for anyone aged 9 and above, so we’d love a strong contingent of older boys to enter. There will be some brave staff members running, so please do join us yourselves and we will provide you with an NCS t-shirt. All you need to do is register either yourself or your son (or both!) on the website https://www.townandgown10k.com/oxford/. We will be raising money as a school for Muscular Dystrophy, the nominated charity of the event, and it would be great if we could use one Just Giving Page so we can monitor our total sponsorship; further information will follow about this. Please let Mrs Hayter know if you are participating and would like us to order you a t-shirt, for you or your son, by Monday 18 April. Please do join us for what will be a fabulous community occasion. New College School will have a gazebo near the finish line in the University Parks. Any queries, please do contact Mr Bishop (craig.bishop@newcollegeschool.org) or Mrs Hayter (victoria.hayter@newcollegeschool.org).
Upcoming Events
Sunday, 24 April 2022
Start of University Term
Monday, 25 April 2022
Staff INSET
Tuesday, 26 April 2022
Staff INSET
9.30-11.00 Years 3-4 pre-season cricket training, Field (optional)
11.30-13.00 Years 5-6 pre-season cricket training, Field (optional)
13.30-15.30 Years 7-8 pre-season cricket training, Field (optional)
Wednesday, 27 April 2022
Start of School Term
9.00 Chapel. Speaker: The Headmaster
12.00 Yr 6-8 Wellbeing: How to prepare for assessments while staying happy and healthy, led by the Headmaster
17.00 Year 7 Leadership Evening (ends 19.00)
Thursday, 28 April 2022
12.00 Junior Mathematical Competition, led by Mr S Young
Friday, 29 April 2022
Pre-Prep 20th Birthday Party (Reception-Year 2)
Saturday, 30 April 2022
19.00 Pre-Prep 20th Birthday Party Drinks (ticket only, Founder's Library, New College)
WEEK 2 (university week 1)
Monday, 2 May 2022
School and bank holiday
Wednesday, 4 May 2022
9.00 Chapel. Speaker: Imam Monawar Hussain, Founder of the Oxford Foundation
8.15 Eco Committee Meeting, library
14.30 U11 A&B Cricket vs MCS, away