Headmaster's Newsletter Friday 14th October 2022
Dear Parents,
As I write this newsletter I have, at my right hand, the five-volume ‘Life and Times’ of Anthony Wood. Published in the nineteenth century, in rather lovely blue OUP binding, the first three volumes cover 1632 to 1695 (the next two volumes are addenda, notes and indexes). I have these volumes as they were very generous gifts to me when I began studying for my DPhil in seventeenth-century cultural history. Little did I know that, one day, I would be headmaster of Anthony Wood’s old school. Wood was at New College School in the mid-seventeenth century. He was here during the civil wars, and it is through his writing that we know what we know about NCS at that time. (It had to move; the boys were distracted because there were guns and soldiers.) You can still walk Wood’s journey to school. I’ve inadvertently done it hundreds of times. He used to live across the road from Merton College lodge. His bedroom is still there. We once hosted a literature masterclass in it, with NCS Year 8s, just to tie up some historical loose ends. So I guess Wood walked down Merton Street, across High Street, and up Longwall. Or he just crossed High Street into New College. It doesn’t really matter – what matters is the fantastic sense of history that we have learning and teaching here.
I imagine many of you have got to this point still wondering who on earth Anthony Wood was. I don’t blame you. He was, at one point, probably England’s third-most-famous ‘diarist’ after Samuel Pepys and John Evelyn. He has, by now, probably been shunted down the diarist-league-table to fifth or sixth most famous seventeenth-century diarist. This is, perhaps, not helped by the fact that his observations are horribly waspish, and when he did get down to some ‘academic’ work, his Athenae Oxonienses consists of some really rather tedious antiquarian lists. His off-putting pretentiousness was also underlined when he inserted an ‘À’ in the middle of his name in later life. We are still proud that he is an old boy, though, and we have a rather nice folio copy of his major work in my study.
Wood was part of the 256th-ish generation of NCS pupils. On Wednesday in chapel we formally welcomed to the New College foundation the 643rd generation. There aren’t many schools in the world with such an unbroken history, and it is humbling to think of ourselves in such a historically rich context, enjoying the endorsement that such longevity provides, while also looking creatively to the future. Indeed, last Saturday’s open morning was abuzz with families looking around the place before they become the 644th or 645th NCS generations. They were universally wowed by the boys who showed them around; they are, after all, our best and most important ‘advert’. I would like to thank all of those boys who gave up their Saturday mornings to show families around, and also all those current NCS parents who so generously gave their time to chat to those families over tea and coffee. As I mentioned on Saturday, and as was underlined in chapel on Wednesday, we share a lot of things with New College (our chapel, choir, archives and so on) but perhaps the most important one is a sense of collegiality, and the NCS community was at its finest last weekend. Thank you!
Have a great weekend,
Matt Jenkinson
Congratulations to our Year 5 choristers – Jack, Andrés, Yoav and Arran – who received their surplices at a special evensong last Sunday.
We have now once again entered the pre-test season for 13+ entry to some of our senior schools; I wish all those boys involved the very best of luck! Details of our preparation in school can be found at https://www.newcollegeschool.org/future-schools.
We are looking forward to our Charity Week next week, arranged by Mr Morrison and the Charity Committee, in support of the Nalang Model Academy in Nepal. Full details of events have been sent out in a separate Parentmail.
This time last year, Mr Neal gave an online seminar for parents on the subject of music practice. The event was recorded and can be accessed via: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3wU7EwQhEU. ‘Old’ NCS parents will probably already have seen it, but it may be of use to those families who arrived in September. If you have any questions about the content of the seminar, please do not hesitate to contact Mr Neal directly: thomas.neal@newcollegeschool.org
From the Ewelme Exhibition Endowment: financial support for Year 6 parents. The Ewelme Exhibition Endowment exists to provide financial support to increase the educational opportunities for young people. They can offer financial support for young people in both state and independent secondary education for those with exceptional talent or specific educational needs. Support is flexible and assessed on an individual basis. Contributions can be made towards tuition and equipment for sports, music, the arts and towards travel and outside visits. Contributions can also be made towards school fees where an independent school has already offered a substantial award in order to widen access for young people who would otherwise be unable to consider an independent education. For further information, please visit www.ewelme-education-awards.info or Email ewelme.exhibition@gmail.com.
From Mr Bishop: As we edge ever closer to the end of an amazing half term, the football on show here at NCS has really gone up a level. I have been amazed with the progress of Years 3 and 4 in their training sessions and, in particular, the U9 boys as they travelled across to Cothill on Tuesday afternoon. The NCS boys were in dominant form in the match and, despite the teams being mixed up and a friendly game played out, the intensity and dedication from the boys never wavered. Some superb performances came from the likes of Thomas M, Benedict B and Christian N. Olly L was named player of the match by the Cothill staff and deservedly so.
In the upper part of the school it was a busy afternoon for the U11 boys with four teams playing in three different locations. The A team were away to Bruern Abbey and Mr Rose informs me that the boys played a terrific game of football and ran out 4-0 winners. Xander S was on good form with a brace of goals and was his usual powerful self as he dominated the midfield. In the B and C team home matches, again against Bruern, the boys were really keen to keep up their good work of recent weeks. The B team narrowly lost but fought until the very last with Olly B and Samuel J at their usual tireless best. In the C team game, we enjoyed a fantastic win thanks to a Jack D hat-trick! This was a great game with a fantastic individual performance from Jack on the way to being named player of the match. Away from home the D team were under the watchful eye of Mme Phillips at Cothill. Laurence P-A deserves a special mention thanks to his control and turns when attacking. Despite a 3-0 loss the game was more in the balance than the score line reflects and Michael S really deserves his player of the match award thanks to his heroics in goal.
The senior boys were also on the away trip to Cothill and the boys put in a real hard-working shift throughout the teams. In the C team game Herbie H was in great form, seemingly covering every blade of grass. A narrow loss was a slightly bitter pill for the boys to swallow but Mr Hanson assured them all that they should be proud of their efforts and that on another day they could have taken the game. In the B team game, Mr Swanepoel’s work on mindset and fitness has really begun to form these boys into a great team; they have spirit and are working hard for one another. A 2-2 draw was a special result and one that they should all be very proud of, especially their captain Benji, who led his troops superbly all afternoon.
I was lucky enough to witness the U13 1st XI game having missed their 3-0 win over D’Overbroeck’s on Monday. On this occasion we were facing a Cothill 2nd XI that had recently beaten their own first team by 3-0 and so we steeled ourselves for a tough and physical battle. After only 2-3 minutes though it was quickly becoming clear that all the hard work was starting to pay off. The NCS boys were winning the second ball battles, out-pacing their Cothill rivals in all areas of the pitch. Going in at half time with a 1-0 lead thanks to a brilliant Alexander R assist to the captain, Rishaan, we were confident of taking the game. I had not seen the team play so well this season and duly told them so. After such an inspiring half time team talk they went out and played even better with Didrik and Alexander both getting on the score sheet to take the game 3-0. As usual, Dan C was dazzling the defenders with his skills on the ball. The player of the match this week was a player who battled hard and won more than 90% of his challenges: Jacob W was absolutely brilliant and my goodness he was tough! This has been a top-class week as we move into the final week of half term and across the school the progress is amazing.
Upcoming events
Monday, 17 October 2022
Charity Week Begins
Tuesday, 18 October 2022
9.00 Year 1 to visit the Botanic Gardens
Wednesday, 19 October 2022
Orders issued
9.00 Chapel. Speaker: Thomas Simpson, former NCS pupil
14.30 U13A-C Football vs Cothill, Away
14.30 U11A-C Football vs Cothill, Home
14.30 U10A&B Football vs Cothill, Away
Thursday, 20 October 2022
Pre-Prep QED Day
Friday, 21 October 2022
Years 5-6 French Day
Home Clothes Day
8.30 Cross Country Presentation, Hall
Saturday, 22 October 2022
Start of Half Term
Sunday, 30 October 2022
13:30 Henry V rehearsal, Years 7-8, sports hall (end 16.00)
Monday, 31 October 2022
Return from Half Term
14:00 Henry V rehearsal, Years 7-8, chapel (end 15.45)
Tuesday, 1 November 2022
14:15 U8A&B Football vs Manor Prep, Away
14:15 U9A-C Football vs Manor Prep, Away
Wednesday, 2 November 2022
9.00 Chapel. Speaker: Mr Matthew Albrighton, Headmaster, Burford Grammar School
14.00 U11A-E Football vs Summer Fields, Home
14.00 U13A-E Football vs Summer Fields, Away
15.45 Henry V rehearsal, Years 7-8, chapel (end 17.15)
Saturday, 5 November 2022
13.00 Henry V rehearsal, Years 7-8, chapel (end 15.30)