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20/05/2013	Serenading the Summer! Category: General In true Denstone tradition, the month of May brings the annual Summer Serenade - the evening when College musicians are put through their paces to show off just how talented they are and how hard they have been working. This year was no exception and the Chapel was packed with an eager audience of almost 400 parents and friends. They were not disappointed by an exciting and varied programme that included performances by the Orchestra, Flute Group, Girls’ Chamber Choir, Saxophone Group, Swing Band, Jazz Ensemble, Concert Band, String Quartet, Brass Ensemble, Clarinet Group, Men’s Choir and the Cantemus Vocal Ensemble. More than a hundred performers took part!
16/05/2013	Springing to Life Category: General In what seems to have become a new Spring tradition, the Concert Band once again paid a visit to our “baby brother and sister school” and joined with the Smallwood Manor Wind Band in a short performance on 16th May. The Denstone Band gave crowd-pleasing performances of pieces such as Smoke on the Water (Deep Purple) and Tequila (C. Rio). The latter had the requisite raucous audience participation from the Smallwoodians! The Smallwood Wind Band was at its charming best with lively renditions of pieces such as Little Brown Jug.
12/05/2013	In Full Sail! Category: Music The annual visit of the Ashbourne Rotary Club is a chance for our musicians to show the range and versatility of their skills – and the audience was as warm and appreciative as ever. The Swing Band opened the concert with some exciting playing that had a “battleship in full sail” feeling about it. Amongst many others, they performed 'String of Pearls' by Jerry Gray (Glenn Miller Band) and 'El Manisero' by Moises Simons. The Jazz Ensemble (James Hopwood, John Kerfoot, Ed Vernon-Stroud, Harry Smith, Kirsty Edwards and Mr. Skipper) delighted the audience with works such as 'Unsquare Dance' by Dave Brubeck and 'I wish I knew what it was to be free' by Billy Taylor. By way of contrast, Elyse Mauger and Maddie Nicholson enchanted the visiting Rotarians with beautiful vocal solos.
10/05/2013	Army Scholarship for Rannoch Category: General Lower 6th form student Rannoch Linnell has received official confirmation that he has been awarded an Army Scholarship, which secures him a place at the Military Academy at Sandhurst.
01/05/2013	Summer Sports Ball Tickets on Sale! Category: General Please have your diaries at the ready for Denstone College’s “Summer Sports Ball” - an unmissable gala fundraising evening taking place on Friday, 14th June. This glamorous ‘black tie’ event includes a sumptuous meal followed by musical entertainment from “Mullit” – a highly recommended rock band who are guaranteed to have you up on the dancefloor. Tickets for the event cost £40 with all proceeds going towards the College’s 2015 Sports Tours. If you would like to support our sports teams and have a great evening out, please contact : Chris & Dawn Lewis c/o Denstone College, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire ST14 5HN by Friday 31st May 2013. Application Form
30/04/2013	Charity Rocks! Category: General The Charity Rock Concert took place in the School Room on Friday 26th April and raised £101 for Cancer Research. Dani Brosnan, Emily Greatbatch, Emily Lewis, Maddie Nicholson, Alex Grys, John Kerfoot, Barney Gardner, Rob McIntosh and Elliot Klein performed a varied programme that ranged from pop ballads, through blues standards and film themes to Britpop covers and some original compositions. Jointly organised by the MFL and Music departments, the acts were extremely well received by an enthusiastic audience.
21/04/2013	Paralympian Gold Medallist starts race at Denstone Category: General Denstone College was proud to join forces recently with Threshold Sports Ltd as the starting point for the Midlands Deloitte RAB (Ride Across Britain) Cycle Training Event. Riders began the third and final training event in glorious sunshine before going on to cover a gruelling 80 miles. The event is in preparation for the national cycle event from John O’Groats to Land’s End which will take place over nine days in June, in aid of the British Paralympic Association (BPA). Para-cyclist, Mark Colbourne MBE (pictured), who broke his back in a near fatal paragliding accident in 2009, took part in the training event and gave an inspirational speech to the riders in which he relived the memory of winning his gold medal - Team GB’s first - at the London 2012 Paralympics. The BPA is sponsored as a charity partner of Deloitte and is responsible for sending the best prepared Paralympics GB team to every summer and winter Paralympic Games. After the first two events in 2010 and 2011, the total raised for BPA is already over £800k and the event is on target to raise £1million this year.
16/04/2013	Denstone singers raise the roof at Royal Albert Hall! Category: Music On Sunday 14th April 2013, four singers from Denstone College took part in a concert at the Royal Albert Hall as members of the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain. Dani Brosnan, John Kerfoot, Yasmin Dugdale and Siobhan Carlin spent a week during the Easter holidays with their respective choir colleagues preparing for the performance of Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 and the world premiere of Exile by Mark Simpson in celebration of the NYCGB’s 30th anniversary.
14/04/2013	Choir returns to Lichfield Cathedral- by request! Category: Music April also saw the return of the Denstone College Chapel Choir to Lichfield Cathedral to sing Choral Evensong. The Canticles were by Walmisley in D minor, the Introit by Purcell and the Anthem by Gustav Holst. The Assistant Organist at the Cathedral, Nigel Argust congratulated the Choir on an excellent service and immediately invited them to come back again. It seems set to become an annual event! Photographs show the choir processing and a bird's eye view of the Choir rehearsing before the service.
10/04/2013	Plain Sailing for Kieran! Category: Sport Denstone College Sixth Former Kieran Martin was crowned RYA Youth National Champion in early April as the 2013 championships came to a close after five days of adrenaline-charged racing at Largs Sailing Club in Scotland. As well as picking up the 2013 title and defending his 2012 crown in the RS-X windsurfing fleet, 18 year old Kieran was named as one of the 12 sailors who will represent Great Britain as the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships. A delighted Kieran speaking after the event said, “It feels amazing to have won the Youth Nationals for a second consecutive year. I feel as though I am now ready to back to the Youth Worlds and improve on my result in 2012”.
09/04/2013	Easter Fantasia for U-14s Category: Sport A touring party of Under 14 rugby players won the EuroDisney Paris International Shield competition over the Easter holiday. 3rd Former Josh Hart won the Player of Tournament Award for his consistently strong performances. Mr Mayhew commented: “This is not a Micky Mouse tournament. Only a Dumbo would suggest that. Winning the tournament was a Cinderella story for our team and I’m proud of every one of them”.
30/03/2013	Mr Hill bows out in style! Category: Sport Denstone College 1st XV rugby team gave their revered coach Mr Hill a fitting send-off by reaching the last 16 of the National Schools 7s Festival Tournament at Rosslyn Park during March. Having beaten Abingdon with a thrilling try from Jack Fielding in sudden death extra-time, the team eventually lost 12-10 to Tonbridge who went on to reach the final and were runners-up. Head coach Nick Hill, in his last official tournament with the team said, "This is an amazing achievement and the boys should be very proud of their performances. On a personal note, it’s a fantastic way to bow out and finish my time at Denstone." Congratulations also go to Upper Sixth Formers Jack Fielding and Ashley Elvers who have both been called up to play rugby at higher levels. Jack has been invited to train with the Under-18 England squad whilst Ashley was selected to play for Worcester Warriors in the Melrose Sevens.
27/03/2013	Stars of the North Category: Sport Denstone footballing duo Alex Hannan and Bertie Winstone (pictured) represented the College in the ISFA Mercian League North v South fixture at Malvern during March. Both boys scored excellent goals to give the North the first half advantage. The South fought back well and scored a good goal to reduce the deficit. Fortunately, a solid Northern defence and several excellent saves from George Smith (Oundle) kept the South at bay and the North weathered the storm to win the match 2-1. Oundle keeper George Smith was awarded Man of the Match and presented with the match ball.
14/03/2013	Rachel reaches Fencing Finals Category: Sport Denstone College fencer Rachel Silvey achieved an excellent second place finish in the East Midlands Youth Championships (U16 Epee). Fifth Former Rachel, who has been fencing since she was 12, will now represent Staffordshire at the British Youth Championships in May. Speaking after the event Rachel was clearly delighted to have won through to the national finals: "When fencing was offered as an activity at school, I was curious to give it a go and I found I really enjoyed it! The national finals will be a massive challenge but I'm looking forward to competing at a higher level".
14/03/2013	Sizzling Season Starter for Rugby 7s Category: General Denstone College Rugby 7s season got off to a rip-roaring start with an impressive tournament victory at the prestigious Oakham 7s Tournament. En route to the final, Denstone beat Bedford, St Joseph’s Ipswich and Millfield before conquering Oakham themselves in an exciting final which ended 10-5. Every member of Denstone’s 17-man squad got a run out and a chance to impress in front of a lively crowd of parents and rugby supporters from all over the country. Charlie Venables and Eric Draycott proved their mettle as excellent leaders on the pitch and every squad member played their part with unflinching commitment to the cause. Director of Rugby, Nick Hill was delighted with such a convincing start to the season and commented: “This was an excellent day for the squad and a massive confidence boost to reinforce the hard work they are putting in to prepare for the National 7s”.
08/03/2013	History with a bang! Category: General Who in their right mind would invite a man into College with a worryingly large weapons collection, and a reputation for setting off explosives in schools around the UK...? In early March, the History Department invited an expert on the English Civil War to deliver a series of hands-on workshops to the entire Second Form – including firing a genuine cannon on College grounds. What could possibly go wrong? Under the expert’s careful guidance, pupils had the chance to sample popular food and drink from the period, dress up in civil war armour and even watch live firing demonstrations of a musket and cannon. The day-long programme of activities gave pupils a much deeper insight into not only the war itself, but also the customs and culture of the period. After the day, Head of History, Jon Tyler, was delighted with the level of enthusiasm shown by pupils and commented: “The cannon and muskets were incredibly loud. The looks of horror and fascination on the face of our students will live long in the memory and hopefully everyone will now remember a lot more about the English Civil War!”
07/03/2013	Domestic staff clean up! Category: General Domestic staff at Denstone College are celebrating after being awarded their NVQ Level 2 Certificates in Cleaning and Support Services at a ceremony in the College on Wednesday 6th March. The ladies were assessed by Local Learning on a number of occasions and all passed with flying colours. Erica Thacker, Domestic Services Manager, said “I am so proud of all of my ladies for achieving this qualification, and for the very high standard of cleaning that they maintain every day around the College”. Headmaster David Derbyshire added, “The domestic staff at Denstone are outstanding. I know I speak on behalf of the whole College community when I say congratulations and thank you for everything you do for the College”.
04/03/2013	Silver for Speed Queen Gabi Category: Sport Lower Sixth Form athlete Gabi Burton has won the silver medal in the 60 metre hurdles at the Midland Counties Athletics Championships. Speed queen Gabi, aged 16, was absolutely delighted not only to bring a medal home for Denstone, but also to smash her own personal best time in the process. The achievement pushes Gabi into the UK “Top 20” rankings and means she will be rubbing shoulders with, and competing against, some of the nation’s premier young athletes.
20/02/2013	Matthew Hall wins UK Youth Parliament election Category: General At a high profile event at Staffordshire Council Chambers last night, Denstone College student Matthew Hall (L6 Shrewsbury) was elected to the UK Youth Parliament to represent Stafford and South Staffordshire. He will serve for two years, representing Staffordshire in the West Midlands Youth Parliament, and also sitting on Staffordshire's Youth Action Kouncil (YAK), a decision-making body for the county's young people. There is a three day UKYP conference, and a whole day session in the House of Commons later in the year. The announcement on Thursday night was attended by over a hundred people including MPs, councillors and the press, and was also broadcast on a live webcast. Matthew worked extremely hard to gain votes from schools around the area, including addressing the whole school at Denstone. His successful campaign involved making an informative video and launching a website. In terms of policies, Matthew was elected on a platform to increase the minimum wage and maintain cheap public transport for young people, and an innovative proposal to develop an 'app' to provide information on services for young people in their area. Matthew beat candidates from many larger schools - a testament to his organisational skills, effective public speaking skills, and winning charisma. Speaking after his election, Matthew said, "I thank everyone who voted for me. I can assure all young people in the constituency, I will be working hard to tackle the issues that count for young people on a local scale and a national scale". Find out more about the Youth Parliament at www.youthbox.info
17/02/2013	Biology Olympians! Category: General Five young scientists from Denstone College have dazzled in the prestigious Biology Olympiad - an international science tournament chaired by high-profile geneticist Professor Steve Jones of University College London. Upper sixth former, Rosie Cammack, was awarded a bronze medal - a further feather in her cap after being offered a place at Oxford University earlier in the term. Caroline Furey, Laura Waterhouse and Nick Alkins, also in the upper sixth, were "Commended" while lower sixth former Isabella Hannay was placed in the "Highly Commended" category. With over a thousand schools entering the Olympiad and only a small handful of students achieving medals, Denstone's talented biologists deserve great credit - especially given this is the first year that the College has entered the competition. If you are a budding biologist, look out the Biology Challenge coming soon - a competition open to GCSE Biology students across the UK. See Mrs Wright for more details.
07/02/2013	Rising Rugby Stars Receive County Ties Category: Sport Five highly promising young rugby players from Denstone College were awarded their County Ties by Leicester Tigers and England back row forward Tom Croft at Wolverhampton RUFC recently. Third Formers Billy Smith, Tommy Collingwood, Angus Hamplett, Joshua Hart and Joshua Russell were the proud recipients of their ties after the boys took part in a convincing victory for Staffordshire U14s over Shropshire. Pictured are: Billy Smith (top), Angus Hamplett (middle) and Joshua Russell (lower).
15/01/2013	Rosie is Oxford bound! Category: General Upper Sixth Former and Captain of School, Rosie Cammack, has received an offer to study Biological Sciences at Oxford University. Somewhat appropriately, Rosie found the much anticipated letter waiting for her after returning from her...biology exam. A keen musician, actor and hockey player, Rosie declared herself, "Over the moon!" to receive the offer from such a prestigious university. A dedicated student, Rosie gained full marks in both her biology exams and is currently writing a special extra-curricular paper on the link between dopamine and drug addiction. The admissions panel at Oxford were clearly impressed with Rosie's passionate personal statement in which she testified to her lifelong interest in biology: "The root of understanding life on Earth is cell biology. It is incredible how billions of cells divide and specialise from just one fertilised egg to form a human being. The knowledge that the complexity of human life is based on the interactions between these cells and the outside world is phenomenal. Emotions; feelings of happiness, sadness, pain all originate from inside cells - mind blowing." Rosie will take up her place at St Hilda's College, Oxford in October 2013.
11/01/2013	3rd formers play for county Category: Sport Five boys, who are all in the 3^rd form, played for the Staffordshire Under 14 rugby team in their 19-5 victory over Shropshire, played on 19 December at Wolverhampton Rugby club. Billy Smith, who also plays for Tamworth Rugby club, played at fly half , Tommie Collingwood and Josh Hart, who also play for Burton Rugby club, were the hooker and outside centre respectively, and Angus Hamplett and Josh Russell played at scrum half and Number 8. They also play for Stafford Rugby club. Tom Croft, the Leicester and England back row forward, presented the teams with their county ties and signed team sheets after the match. From left to right on the photo are Billy Smith, Tom Croft, Tommie Collingwood, Josh Russell, Angus Hamplett and Josh Hart.
07/01/2013	Harry is offered place at Cambridge Category: General Harry Moran has just heard that he has been offered a place for September 2013 at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge, to read Social and Political Science. Harry, who is 18, left the College last Summer after his A levels. He attained A* grades in English Literature, History, and Politics, and he was also awarded the Politics prize and the Godfrey prize for his contribution to the Combined Cadet Force. Harry is delighted by the news. He said: ‘It is still sinking in that I have actually got the place . I am just pleased that all the hard work has paid off and I want to thank Dr. Norris and Mr. Porter for their advice, assistance, and support during the application process.’
21/12/2012	Under 16s reach National finals Category: Sport The Under 16 girls’ hockey team reached the national Under 16 finals after a convincing 4-0 victory over Spalding High School, Lincolnshire. In front of a large and supportive home crowd, Denstone created early chances, but could not get shots on target. Elspeth Varley and Mary Parrott were outstanding in defence and the ever improving Dani Brosnan refused to be beaten in the Denstone goal. Millie Dyer and Ellie Bokros were both on top form and the goals came from Emily Wolbers and Felicia Haehner, who each scored 2. The girls now progress to the national finals, which will be held on 26 and 27 February 2013, when Denstone will battle it out with the best in the country to see who will be national Under 16 champions.
20/12/2012	School play success Category: Drama A cast and crew of over 20 girls and boys , from the 4^th , 5^th and 6^th form performed the play “Kes”, based on the novel ‘A Kestrel for a Knave’ by Barry Hines and adapted for stage by Lawrence Till. ‘Kes’ tells the story of teenager Billy Casper, bullied at school , picked on by his elder brother at home, who finds and trains a kestrel hawk, whom he names Kes. The hawk gives Billy a sense of worth and responsibility, an opportunity to achieve something, at a time when he has achieved very little. Billy was played by Ben Gosling, his mother by Gi Sanders, and his bullying brother Jud was Louis Dunderdale. Sixth form students Tom Lush, Tom Howarth, and Nick Herbert played teachers at Billy’s school, while an assortment of girls and boys played Billy’s classmates and locals from the Yorkshire mining community where Billy lives. Deputy Head, James Hartley said : ‘The girls and boys have put on a first class production of this moving modern tragedy. Congratulations to them and director Mel Oakes, the Head of Drama at the College.’
10/12/2012	Hockey Girls Undefeated Category: Sport In Girls’ hockey, both the 1^st team and the Under 14s are undefeated this season after their matches against Trent College at the weekend. The 1^st XI, captained by Charlotte May, put on an impressive performance against Trent. Mia Broomhall and Emily Wolbers were a constant threat in attack, while the midfield trio of Felicia Haehner, Alex Doerell, and Alina Schoengart worked tirelessly, keeping the pressure on the opposition. Mary Parrott, Elspeth Varley and Charlotte May played with great composure, and Hatti Brandon and Toni von Melville also put in good defensive work as well as supporting the attack. Goalkeeper Dani Brosnan and substitute Imogen Newport played with typical commitment, and two second half goals from Emily Wolbers and Felicia Haehner were enough for a 2-0 victory. Although they did not play against Trent, Giveny Sanders, Niamh Cahill, Annabelle Collingwood, and Kirsty Edwards have also made a significant contribution to the 1^st XI’s undefeated season. Throughout the season, the 1^st XI has played with great commitment and energy. They won 10 and drew 2 without losing in a twelve match season. Highlights of the season include a 4-0 win over Solihull, and a 6-0 victory over Manchester High, where Emily Wolbers scored a hat trick and further goals were added by Hatti Brandon (2) and Mia Broomhall. Two draws against strong opposition were also memorable moments for the team. They drew 4-4 with Malvern in September, having fought back from 0-2 down, and had a 4-4 draw in November with Worksop College, in a match where Alina Schoengart was outstanding and Mary Parrott, Elspeth Varley, and Dani Brosnan performed some defensive heroics to keep Denstone in contention. On Saturday, the Under 14 XI drew 1-1 against Trent. They fought back from 0-1 with a well worked goal from Tami Cunningham to earn a draw and end the season undefeated. No less than fourteen players have represented the Under 14s who won seven and drew three, scoring 38 goals and conceding only 5 during their ten match season. They are Olivia Whitcomb, Megan Corbin, Hannah Burnhope, Jessica Nicklin, Tilly Parkinson, Verity Hodson Walker, Emily Bailey, Alicia Taylor, Ellen Hill, Molly Draycott, Tamiya Cunningham, Isabelle Hosein, Maria Birkett, and Emma Ratcliffe. In addition, Under 13 players Georgia Wright, Maddie Nicholson, and Katie Evans joined the squad for tournaments. There are a number of highlights of the season, especially the Under 14s weekend northern tour early in the season with wins over Sedbergh ( 3-1) and Rossall (5-0). Other victories include a 5-0 win over Ratcliffe and 4-0 against Mount St Mary’s. A particularly memorable moment was winning the Under 14 Staffordshire county championship after victories over The Friary, Newcastle Under Lyme, and King Edward’s, Lichfield. This put the team into the Midland’s Zone, where they came runner’s up and so made it to the Midland’s final where they lost narrowly in the semi final. Deputy Head, James Hartley said: “It is a great achievement to go undefeated in a season and these two different age groups can justifiably be proud of themselves. Our thanks go to coaches Chris Lush ( 1st XI) and Gemma Brown ( Under 14 XI) for their hard work during a very busy term, and particular thanks to the girls for their commitment and skillful and entertaining hockey. Well done to everyone involved with the Under 14s and the 1^st XI.”
08/12/2012	4th formers find success Category: General Three boys,who are all in the 4^th form at Denstone, have recently had success outside school in their chosen activity. Earlier this term, Matthew Gibson, pictured on the left, a talented musician who has a Music Exhibition at Denstone, and who plays the organ, had an audition at Derby Cathedral. After he played for Peter Gould, the Master of Music, Matthew was asked to play Evensong at the cathedral, starting in January 2013. Rory Smithson, pictured in the centre, is a member of the College Under 15 Rugby team, and he also plays with Stafford RUFC and is a member of the EPDG, the Emerging Players Development Group. He was recently invited to attend a training session, which was lead by England Rugby World Cup winning defensive coach, Phil Larder, who is currently Defensive coach at the Worcester Warriors Aviva Premiership team. John Kerfoot, pictured on the right, is also a musician, who is a skilled and enthusiastic drummer. For the third consecutive year he reached the final 40 in the Young Drummer of the Year competition, for which there were over 400 entries this year from drummers aged under 16.
04/12/2012	Junior School Music concert Category: Music Junior School girls and boys aged between 11-14 put on a concert in the chapel in front of an audience of fellow students and parents. Fifteen students performed solo pieces, playing a variety of instruments including the clarinet, flute, violin, and trumpet. Six girls and boys sang vocal solos, including Ben McCosh who performed the Bruno Mars hit ‘The Other Side’ , and Philip Matty who sang a rousing version of ‘cockles and mussels’. Becky Gunn played a Mozart piece on her clarinet, Emma Ratcliffe performed Schubert’s ‘Ave Maria’ on the trumpet, and Ben McCosh beat out the Kaiser Chief’s ‘Never Miss a beat’ on his drums. Deputy Head James Hartley said ‘There is a lot of young musical talent in the Junior School, and it is great to see them getting a chance to perform in public.’
29/11/2012	Magnificent Seven for Denstone girls Category: Sport In the seven matches that the girls hockey teams played on Saturday against Mount St Mary’s College, Denstone won 6 and scored 33 goals, conceding only 3. The 1^st XI attacked from the opening whistle and won 4-0. Mia Broomhall made some incisive runs on the right, Elspeth Varley was dominant at the heart of the defence, Alex Doerell and Alina Schoengart were typically industrious and creative in midfield, and Niamh Cahill played well at centre half. Hatti Brandon and Felicia Haehner scored two each and Mia Broomhall scored once. The 2^nd XI worked hard as a team and strung together some excellent passes to unlock the Mount St Mary defence. Kirsty Edwards scored twice, and Emily Johnston and Jaime Birkett scored one each as Denstone won 4-1. The Under 14 XI lead 1-0 at the break , but then really turned on the pressure in the second half. Tight defence from Megan Corbin and Hannah Burnhope, strong midfield play, and goals from Tami Cunningham, Molly Draycott (2), ansd Emily Bailey helped to secure a 4-0 Denstone victory. The Under 13 A VII dominated their match. Georgia Wright was clinical in fornt of goal, Ellie Furnival and Katie Evans played really well supprting both the attack and the defence and the goals came from Georgia Wright (5), Katie Evans ( 3), and Millie Atherton as the A team ran out 9-0 winners. The Under 13 B team, captained by Freya Anderson, also won 9-0. Laurie Macdonald dictated play from the middle, Monica Atkins created some great opportunities and Yasmin Dugdale scored 5 goals, with Alex Longley and Jordi Grainger adding two goals each. Although the Under 12B VII lost 1-2, the girls played with typical enthusiasm, and the stand out players were Megan Dent and Megan Fenwick. The Under 12 A team won their match 1-0, in a game where Jessica Harding and Milla Kalling Smith played particularly well to finish a successful day for the College, who played seven and won six of their matches.
29/11/2012	Swing Band Concert Category: Music Last Saturday, the College swing band put on a concert in Rocester Village Hall, as a fund raiser for St Michael’s Church. The 18 piece band, made up of mostly 2^nd – 5^th form pupils, who are aged between 12 and 16, put on a 2 hour concert during which they played some toe tapping favourites which included Beatles’ classics ‘Hard Day’s Night’ and ‘Hey Jude’ and also ‘Fly me To The Moon’, made famous by Frank Sinatra. Deputy James Hartley said: ‘This is a relatively young swing band and there is a lot of new talent on display. These girls and boys really stepped up to the mark, playing with great confidence and gusto.’
23/11/2012	Outstanding YELLIS test results Category: General Denstone College has just received feedback from Durham University’s Centre of Education Monitoring ( CEM) which demonstrates that last year’s 5^th form students exceeded expectations in their 2012 GCSE exams. This information has been taken from the YELLIS tests run by the CEM, and which is used by schools each year as a performance indicator for future GCSE attainment. It places Denstone College comfortably in the top 5% of participating schools for “value added”, the progress beyond their expected level. On average, Denstone College 5^th form students attained nearly a whole grade better than predicted, based on the performances of similar students in other schools across the country. Nearly one thousand secondary schools participate in the YELLIS Tests and this is the fourth year in a row that Denstone has been placed in the top 5%. Headmaster David Derbyshire said: “This is most pleasing news and fits in perfectly with our recent ISI report which highlighted the excellence of the teaching and learning here at Denstone.”
22/11/2012	Under 16 success at Midlands Finals Category: Sport The Under 16 girls’ hockey team had a successful day at the Midlands Finals, held at Rugby School on Monday. They reached the final, and although they lost on penalties, they were runners up of the Midlands Finals. In the group matches, the team started strongly with a 2-0 win over Shrewsbury High School, with goals from Ellie Bokros and Emily Wolbers. Against Trent College Dani Brosnan was outstanding in goal, although Denstone lost 0-1. Denstone got back to winning ways in their final group match against Wellingborough. Elspeth Varley and Mary Parrott were outstanding in midfield and the goals came from Felicia Haehner. In the semi final the score ended 1-1 against Malvern, with Ellie Bokros equalizing in the second half. Millie Dyer and Dani Brosnan both played particularly well, and Denstone progressed to the final after sudden death penalties. The final against Trent College ended goalless, and went to penalties which Trent ultimately won 10-9. Although the girls were disappointed, Denstone are Midlands runners up, and will play a National Finals qualifier against one of the other regional runners up. The winners of this match will go through to the National Finals which will be held in March 2013.
22/11/2012	Official Opening of new buildings Category: General On Tuesday, the College’s latest new buildings, Tookey’s and the Adamson’s pavilion were officially opened. Tookey’s, the new English and RS classroom block, was named after Terence Tookey, sometime Second Master and Head of English at the College. It was a great honour that his wife, Penelope, agreed to open the building. After she cut the ribbon, guests were able to go into the building and see the new facilities. A number of Old Denstonians, past teachers, building contractors, School Governors and staff were amongst the guests at the opening. The Adamson’s pavilion was named after John Adamson, who was a master at the College for over 30 years. During his time at Denstone, John Adamson was a classics and English teacher, was Head of Philips House, and was Master in charge of cricket and had also time as Master in charge of the Rugby 1st XV. The original pavilion was demolished last December and replaced with a stunning new building, complete with changing rooms, dining area and viewing area from where parents and guests can see both the cricket square and the Astroturf hockey pitch. The Adamson’s pavilion was opened by Old Denstonian Jeremy Snape, who was school captain in 1990-91. He has gone on to be a successful cricket player, representing Northants, Gloucestershire and England during his illustrious career. His coaching positions include a spell with the South African national team, and he is about to go to Australia where he will coach the Melbourne Stars cricket team. After the opening Jeremy gave lecture to some of the College’s current elite sports women and men. His fast paced and informative presentation was about “the winning mindset and how to achieve it” and was very well received by the pupils and staff who attended in the College Schoolroom. The Headmaster, David Derbyshire, thanked all those attending and gave particular thanks to Main contractors G F Tomlinson Building, architect Mark Eddison of MEB Design, Quantity Surveyors Ainsley and Partners, Mechanical and Electrical contractors, Morecrofts and the all weather surface contractors Bernhard’s Sports Surfaces. The photo shows Penelope Tookey and Jeremy Snape, flanked by this year's Captains of School, Rosie Cammack and Kristian Parton.
18/11/2012	Hockey Boys are Under 18 Indoor Champions Category: Sport The College’s Under 18 Boys’ hockey team are Staffordshire County Indoor Champions. They retained the title that they won last year, after convincing wins over Queen Mary’s, Walsall and Newcastle under Lyme School. The squad was captained by Tom Lush with 4^th former Levi Davis in goal. The outfield players were David McMaster, Rannoch Linnell, Tom Blundell, Tom Lush, Ole Bernhardi, Tom Cadman, Ian Raisbeck, Josh Sherwani, Ed Carr, and Nat Partridge, who is also a 4^th form student. The team beat Queen Mary’s 5-1 and then defeated Newcastle 4-0, and as County champions they have qualified for the Midlands finals which will be held at Aldersley Stadium, Wolverhampton at the start of December.
18/11/2012	Under 15s go to Aviva/ Daily telegraph awards Category: General Last Wednesday, members of the Under 15 XI cricket team travelled to Lord’s for the Aviva/ Daily Telegraph School Sports Matter Awards. They were nominated for the Team of the Year Award and they were accompanied by their coach Mr Porter, and Miss Morris, Director of Cricket at Denstone. The Under 15s had an excellent season, which culminated in July with their victory in the Lords Taveners’ Under 15 national competition in which over a thousand schools take part. Unfortunately in the Awards ceremony, the boys came second to Dulwich College’s imperious 1^st XV, but Denstone were ‘highly commended’ and the event organiser, the Daily Telegraph ‘s Gareth Davies, noted that it was “privilege to recognise the team and the school at Lords Cricket Ground, the home of cricket.” In what was a celebrity laden awards ceremony the boys mixed with Olympian Gold Medallists such as Jess Ennis, Jonathan Edwards, and Duncan Goodhew. Many of the stars from the Paralympics were also there including Ade Adepetan, Richard Whitehead, Robert Blake and Sarah Storey (all of whom signed the Denstone cricket bat!). The awards were hosted by Sally Gunnell and Will Greenwood, who interviewed the boys on stage about their award. Many congratulations to the team who are Connor Baines Holden, Ben Burrows, Ben Cherry, Austen Crump (c), JJ Gallagher, Alex Holt, Rory Jackson, Siraj Khaliq, Ben Motley, Jack Nicolle, Adam Purcell, and Ben White. Headmaster David Derbyshire said: “We are all really proud of this team’s achievement not only in winning the Lords Taveners’in 2012, but also in achieving “highly commended” at the School Sport Matters awards.”
16/11/2012	Army Scholarship Award Category: General Lower 6^th form student Rannoch Linnell has just heard that he has been awarded an Army Scholarship, which secures him a place at the /spanRoyal<>MilitaryAcademy, Sandhurst, where he will study to become an Army Officer, after he has completed his time at school and university. Rannoch, who is currently studying AS levels in Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Geography, attended the Army Officer Selection Board last month, and completed two days of rigorous tests, which included interviews, leadership tasks, fitness tests and problem solving exercises. Rannoch clearly rose to the challenges that he faced at the Selection Board. Earlier this term he faced a slightly different challenge when he took part in the Exmoor 30:30, which involved marching 30 kilometres carrying a pack weighing around 30lbs over some of the notorious Exmoor hills. He was joined by his mother, some family friends, fellow student James Higgs, and Father Ru Jarvis, the school chaplain. In the Summer holidays, he was a member of a party of 10 Denstonians who went to the Galapagos islands on a World Challenge expedition. Rannoch is also a member the College CCF and the 1^st XI hockey team.
15/11/2012	Under 14s reach Midlands Finals Category: Sport The Under 14 girls’ hockey team played in the Midlands Zone final and after a victory, a draw and a defeat, they progressed to the Midlands finals, which will be held in early December. The girls started slowly against St Martin’s School, and, although Molly Draycott scored a goal, Denstone lost 1-2. In the next two games Denstone really came to life and began to play some flowing hockey. They drew 1-1 against King’s School, Worcester, and then defeated Uppingham School 2-1 in an exciting and hard fought match. Throughout the day the whole squad made a massive contribution on the field with determined play, as well as positive encouragement and support for each other. Livvy Whitcomb was in top form in goal, while defenders Jess Nicklin, Verity Hodson Walker, Hannah Burnhope, and Tilly Parkinson tackled hard and cleared well out of the D. In midfield, Emily Bailey, Alicia Taylor, Katie Evans, and Maria Birkett were constantly on the move, supporting the defence and moving up with the forwards. Excellent midfield distribution helped to create attacking opportunities. Forwards Molly Draycott, Izzy Hosein, and Tami Cunningham worked hard throughout the day, pressurizing opposition defences and making scoring opportunities. Ellen Hill was brilliant on the sideline and Maddie Nicholson and Georgia Wright really stepped up to the mark when they came on to the field. Psychology teacher Gemma Brown who coaches the Under 14s was delighted by the day’s play:’ The girls worked tremendously hard, particularly after losing their first match. They thoroughly deserve to be in the Midlands Finals.’
14/11/2012	Money raised for 'Help for Heroes'. Category: General Shrewsbury House held a fund raising evening for the ‘Help for Heroes’ charity on Friday 9 November, immediately after the College Remembrance Chapel Service. More than 80 pupils, parents and family supported the evening which included a quiz, refreshments, and a raffle, to which parents generously donated prizes. A total of £713.88 was raised for ‘Help for Heroes’. Simon Francis, Head of Shrewsbury, was delighted by the success of the evening. He said: ‘ I would like to thank everyone who attended for their generosity, and in particular thank you to Louis Dunderdale, House Captain, and Nick Herbert, Vice Captain of School, who organized the quiz. The evening was a resounding success in support of a very worthy cause.’
13/11/2012	Under 16s reach Midlands Finals Category: Sport The Girls Under 16 hockey team continued their excellent run of good form by winning their three matches in the Midlands Zone to progress to the Midlands Finals. In their opening match, the team beat Oundle 1-0 thanks to an Ellie Bokros goal, and then defeated Rugby School by the same margin. Excellent defence by Elspeth Varley and Mary Parrott and some good forward play, particularly from Emily Wolbers and Felicia Haehner helped to secure the Denstone victory. In their final match, Denstone ran riot against Moreton Hall, winning 7-0. Emily Wolbers scored a hat trick, Kirsty Edwards hit in 2, and further goals were added by Ellie Bokros and Felicia Haehner. The girls will now play in the Midlands Finals against the best of the Under 16 teams across the area. The winners of this round will feature in the National finals.
13/11/2012	College remember the Fallen Category: General This year’s Remembrance Service took place in the College chapel, with over one hundred parents and family joining the school to remember those young men and women who died in action in the service of their countries. This year, the guest speaker was award winning author Joanna Trollope whose most recent novel, “The Soldier’s Wife”, was published earlier this year. She spoke of the strain and pressure that is placed on a family when a loved one goes to war. Her words were particularly poignant as there are a number of girls and boys at the College who have family who have just returned or are about to go out to Afghanistan. During the service the names of the 272 Denstonians who died in the two World Wars were read out, while the whole congregation walked outside to the War Memorial to plant crosses in memory of all who have died in conflict. As the congregation left the chapel, poppy petals were dropped from the organ loft. Headmaster David Derbyshire said: ‘This is a particularly moving service, particularly when the names of the young Denstonians who died are read out. It reminds our girls and boys of the terrible human cost of war.’
12/11/2012	Clean sweep for Denstone girls Category: Sport The girls’ hockey teams won all their weekend matches against Ratcliffe College, Leicestershire. Six teams played, and scored a total of 37 goals and conceded only 5. The 1^st XI was in blistering form. Emily Wolbers and Felicia Haehner each scored a hat trick and further goals were added by Alex Doerell, Mia Broomhall and Hatti Brandon for a convincing 10-0 win. The Under 15A team won 5-2. Ellie Bokros was clinical in front of goal, scoring 4 of the 5. Marie Kleinerueschkamp was strong in midfield, Frankie Banton played well on the right, and Millie Dyer, who looked dangerous going forward, scored the fifth goal. The Under 15B team played some exciting hockey and were 2-0 up by half time, thanks to goals from Abby Wedgwood and Chloe Cottle. Ratcliffe pulled one back before Tilly Gough and Nicolle Higgins scored one each in the second half for a 4-1 final score. For the Under 14 XI Megan Corbin and Hannah Burnhope were brilliant in defence and the goals came from Molly Draycott who scored 4 and Izzy Hosein who added the fifth for a well deserved Denstone victory. The Under 13s also dominated their match. Katie Evans scored 5, Georgia Wright hit a hat trick, and Maddy Nicholson and Ellie Furnival scored one each as Denstone cruised to a convincing 10-2 win. The Under 12s started strongly and played well as a team, working hard for each other. Susie Brossler was strong in defence and Laurie Evans scored a hat trick as Denstone won 3-0 to end a most successful set of Saturday fixtures..
11/11/2012	Christmas Fair & Christmas Dinner Dance Category: General Christmas is fast approaching and the Friends of Denstone have organized two festive events, the Christmas Fair on Saturday 24 November and the Christmas Dinner Dance and Casino night on Saturday 1 December, an exeat weekend. The Christmas Fair will be held in the Drill Hall from 1.00- 4.00pm on Saturday 24 November. There will be stalls selling a variety of Christmas gifts and there will also be refreshments. Both pupils and parents and families are welcome on what is a busy Saturday fixture day. As in previous years we hope that parents will be able to support the Christmas Fair by baking a cake, making some biscuits, mince pies, or anything that might be sold from the refreshment stalls. Please can parents leave such items in the College Reception in the week leading up to Saturday 24 November. The Christmas Dinner Dance and Casino Evening is for parents and their friends and will be held in the College Dining Hall and the Schoolroom on Saturday 1^st December. Application forms were sent in the half term mailing, and there are spare copies of it in the Reception area. As in previous years, we hope that parents will be able to support the event by donating anything that could be put into a Christmas hamper and raffled, either bottles and /or produce. Please can parents leave such items in the College Reception in the week leading up to Saturday 1 December. Please can parents note these two dates in their diaries. For the Christmas dinner dance, please get in your applications soonest as space is limited in the dining hall.
10/11/2012	International Evening At Denstone Category: General Girls and boys of all ages put on an International Evening last Tuesday in the Schoolroom. The aim of the event was to showcase various countries from around the world with which Denstonians have a particular contact. Girls and boys, both day pupils and boarders, set up stands for a variety of countries. They displayed maps and flags, brought along food and dishes typical of their country, and displayed information in a variety of colourful and creative ways. Among the countries represented were Holland, Spain, Germany, Norway, Qatar, South Africa, Russia, China, and the USA. For the first time India, New Zealand, France, Italy, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Thailand, Cyprus, and Singapore were represented. A little closer to home, both Wales and Scotland each had a stand. Stands were set up by girls and boys aged 11-18. It was particularly good to see a number of stands organized by first form pupils, eleven year olds , who are in their first term at Denstone. The evening was organized by Mr Norris, head of Senior School, and it began at 7.30pm. A number of pupils, staff and parents walked around the stands, finding out about the countries, their languages and customs. They also had the opportunity to sample food and drink, which included apples and biscuits from New Zealand, sweetmeats and delicacies from India and Qatar, and paella from Spain. Headmaster, David Derbyshire said: “This is the second International evening we have held at the College. There have been a greater number of countries this year, and the evening has been a huge success, giving students the opportunity to discover more about other nations.”
09/11/2012	Silver medal for Kieran Category: Sport Over half term Upper 6^th form student Kieran Holmes Martin took part in the Under 19 World Windsurfing Championship in Taipei, and he has returned with a silver medal. This is another great achievement for the seventeen year old, who won a bronze medal in the Techno 293 windsurfing competition in the Youth Olympics held in Singapore in 2010. Kieran is currently working hard towards his A levels in Maths, Further Maths, and Design Technology, but he is also setting his sights on the 2020 Olympic Games, where his goal is to represent Great Britain in the Windsurfing competition.
08/11/2012	Under 13s win tournament Category: Sport The girls’ Under 13 hockey team returned victorious from the Packwood Hockey Tournament, which took place at Packwood Haugh, near Shrewsbury. They came top of their group, and then won both the semi final and final to win the whole tournament, in which fifteen other schools took part. The Denstone team dominated their group in the opening stage of the competition. They won six out of seven of their matches and drew against St Anselm’s to top their group. They had wins over Moffatt’s School ( 2-0), Stonyhurst, St Mary’s Hall (1-0), Thomas Telford (1-0), Queen’s, Chester ( 2-0), Packwood Haugh Bs (2-0), and Stafford Grammar (1-0). The semi final against Abberley Hall School was nail bitingly close, and a well contested match, which ended 0-0 and went to penalties. Charlotte Kennedy in goal pulled off some magnificent saves to help Denstone into the final. In the final, a well worked goal from Katie Evans put Denstone ahead against Moor Park School, and some excellent defence and some great goalkeeping gave Denstone both the match and the tournament. The squad was lead by Maddie Nicholson, with Charlotte Kennedy in goal, and the outfield players were Millie Atherton, Harriet Duke, Katie Evans, Ellie Furnival, Maddie Nicholson, Josie Brown, Georgia Wright, and Katie Prince. During the tournament Katie Evans scored six goals, Georgia Wright hit in 3 and Ellie Furnival scored one goal. Imran Sherwani, coach and Director of Hockey at Denstone was delighted: “This is a great achievement for the girls. The whole squad put on an awesome display of skill, hard work and determination. They played well under pressure in both the semi final and final and thoroughly deserve their victory.”
02/11/2012	Girls are County Champions Category: Sport The girls 1^st XI hockey team are Staffordshire Under 18 county champions, following a thrilling final against King Edward’s, Lichfield. In a match full of drama and excitement, both sides produced some first rate hockey and some spectacular goals. Denstone trailed 0-1 until the last minute of the first half when Becky Brealey fired the ball in the net to level the scores at 1-1. In the second half it was Denstone’s turn to take the lead through Emily Johnston before King Edward’s leveled the scores in the final minute to take the match to extra time. In extra time Denstone scored the all important goal thanks to Rosie Cammack and then held on in the face of strong pressure from King Edward’s. The whole Denstone squad played with typical effort: Mia Broomhall played an outstanding game, Alice Woodings was heroic in defence, and captain Charlotte May lead Denstone to a magnificent 3-2 victory to become Staffordshire county champions.
18/10/2012	College choir perform with Pugin Singers Category: Music The chapel choir put on a music concert in the Chapel with Cheadle based choir, the Pugin Singers. They also raised money for The Friends of Amasango, a UK based charity which works to support street children living in the Grahamstown area of South Africa. The choir, directed by Mike Skipper and accompanied by Nick Horan, alongside the Pugin Singers, conducted by Harry Hitchen and accompanied by Alan Hayes, performed a mix of secular and sacred pieces which included two works by Gustav Holst, “Calme Des Nuits” by Saint-Saens, and “Madrigal” by Gabriel Fauré. The two choirs came together for the finale, a powerful performance of Handel’s “Zadok The Priest”. A retiring collection was made for The Friends of Amasango, and raised £531. Money raised goes towards buying food, toiletries, and clothing for children who are living on the street in Grahamstown in South Africa. In addition, the charity helps to support a number of those children who graduate into mainstream High School. Deputy Head James Hartley said after the concert: “Both choirs were on top form and it was a really entertaining concert. I was particularly impressed by the commitment of the Denstone choir, a number of whom have also recently been involved in other activities, including sports fixtures and Drama. It is also great to raise over £500 for the Amasango charity”
16/10/2012	Cricket team shortlisted for award Category: Sport Denstone College’s Under 15 cricket team have been shortlisted for Team of the Year in the Aviva/ Daily Telegraph School Sport Matters awards, in recognition of their excellent season which culminated in victory in the Lords Taveners’ Under 15 national competition, where they beat Tonbridge School, Kent, in the final. The shortlisted nominees at this year’s Aviva/ Telegraph School Sport Matters awards’ ceremony - to be held at Lord’s cricket ground on November 14- are probably the most decorated group of young athletes ever assembled. The line up for these prestigious sporting awards includes several medal winners from the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Director of Cricket Jane Morris, Under 15 coach Matt Porter and some of the players will attend the awards ceremony in November. Jane Morris said:’ We are delighted that the Under 15’s cricket team has been recognized in this way. Denstone cricket is going from strength to strength. Last year’s Under 15s also reached the final of the Lords Taveners’ competition, and of course this year’s team has won it- a remarkable achievement.’
15/10/2012	4th form Drama Show Category: Drama 24 girls and boys, all in the 4^th form and studying GCSE Drama, put on three short plays in their first public performance of the year. The plays were all comedies and came from storylines and characters created by the girls and boys in the first weeks of term. “Masterchef Madness” was about a TV cookery show where the hosts are hoping that everything will go well, but the contestants can’t seem to get anything right! It starred George Pountney and Robin Grey as the hosts, and James Ekin, Hannah Myers, Adam Casey, Siobhan Carlin, Tom Ward, and Emma Wye as the contestants. The second play was entitled High School Hiccup, a comedy set in a US High School where the kids are preparing for a Chemistry Test. Will Beardsmore plays the teacher, and Sam Lewis, Ellie Green, Henry Hilton, Lydia Blundell, Luke Collins, James Tonks, and Will Lowe are all students. The final play, “The Spy Academy”, takes place in a School for Spies where there is only a little time to prepare the recruits for their first mission. Tom Banks and Dom Ekin play Dimitri and Victor, Will Woodings and Anna Howarth are Agents F and X, and the new recruits are played by Marco Van Deventer, Levi Davis, Tilly Gough, and Nicole Higgins. Headmaster David Derbyshire said after the show: ‘This is a group of talented performers, many of whom were in last year’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”. They have certainly all made an impressive start to their GCSE Drama Course.’
11/10/2012	Daily Mail Cup win for Under 15s Category: Sport Following their victory over Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Ashbourne, a fortnight ago, the Under 15s played Walton High in Round 3 of the Daily Mail Under 15s cup competition. Although Denstone conceded three tries in the match, they created plenty of attacking moves, running from deep and making good use of space and support. Denstone’s ambition was duly rewarded with a total of nine tries and a place in the 4^th round of the cup. George Boughey and Sam Lewis had stand out performances in the pack and they also both scored a try each. The other try scorers were Tom Ward (2), Austin Coates (2), Levi Davis (2), and Billy Smith who scored one. The final score was an impressive 47-19 victory to Denstone.
11/10/2012	Under 16s are county champs Category: Sport The Under 16 girls’ hockey team put on an awesome performance in the County Cup finals, winning all three matches and scoring 24 goals without conceding one, to become Staffordshire Under 16 champions. A squad of sixteen girls played in Denstone’s three matches. Denstone beat Newcastle Under Lyme 7-0 in their opening match with a hat trick from Emily Wolbers, and a goal each from Felicia Haehner, Ellie Bokros and Millie Dyer. They followed this with a 4-0 victory over Stafford Grammar and in their final match a convincing 13-0 win over Lichfield Cathedral School, where Felicia Haehner scored 4, Emily Wolbers scored 3 , Ellie Bokros hit in 2 and further goals were added by Alex Doerell, Antonia von Melville, Millie Dyer and Marie Kleinerueschkamp. Denstone defence was typically strong, headed by goalkeeper Dani Brosnan, who kept a clean sheet all afternoon. The squad were Emily Wolbers, Hattie Brandon, Alina Schoengart, Naimh Cahill, Felicia Haehner, Antonia von Melville, Alex Doerell, Mary Parrott, Elspeth Varley, Kirsty Edwards, Dani Brosnan, Eleanor Hodson Walker, Millie Dyer, Ellie Bokros, Marie Kleinerueschkamp, and Charlotte Goodwin.
11/10/2012	Under 14 girls are Staffordshire champions Category: Sport The Under 14 girls’ hockey team played four matches in the Staffordshire county tournament. They scored a total of 9 goals and conceded only one, winning all four matches to become Staffordshire County champions. After a slow start, the team got going in the second half against The Friary School, winning the match 2-0. They followed this with a victory over Newcastle Under Lyme 3-0, and two wins over King Edward’s, Lichfield 2-1 and 2-0. Georgia Wright and Katie Evans gave a good account of themselves making their Under 14 debut, Emily Bailey and Alicia Taylor were strong in midfield, Tilly Parkinson scored from a short corner, and Megan Corbin and Hannah Burnhope were strong in central defence. The goals came from Tami Cunningham who scored 3, Molly Draycott (2), Georgia Wright (2), Tilly Parkinson, and Emily Bailey. The whole squad contributed to a successful afternoon. They are Livvy Whitcomb in goal, Jess Nicklin, Megan Corbin, Hannah Burnhope, Tilly Parkinson, Verity Hodson Walker, Emily Bailey, Alicia Taylor, Ellen Hill, Molly Draycott, Tami Cunningham, Izzy Hosein, Emma Ratcliffe, Georgia Wright, and Katie Evans.
10/10/2012	Girls come third in tournament Category: Sport The Under 13 Girls Hockey team had an excellent result at the Oakham 7 a side Hockey tournament, held last Saturday. Denstone finished in 3^rd place overall. The whole squad played with typical determination and enthusiasm throughout. The team was captained by Maddie Nicholson, and also featured Millie Atherton, Josie Brown, Yasmin Dugdale, Harriet Duke, Katie Evans, Ellie Furnival, Charlotte Kennedy, and Georgia Wright. They won two matches, drew two, and narrowly lost 0-1 to the host team. Katie Evans scored 3 goals and Georgia Wright and Ellie Furnival scored 2 each during the tournament. Maddie Nicholson was voted one of the players of the tournament and received a trophy from Katie Long, who is currently a member of the GB hockey squad. The Under 12 team also took part in the tournament, playing against slightly older opposition. Maddy Grocott was in good form in goal, Jessica Harding and Lexie Linnell played particularly well in the mid field, and the goal scorers were Milla Kalling Smith and Emily Wagstaff. The whole squad were Laurie Evans, Millie Frost, Madeleine Grocott, Jessica Harding, Milla Kalling Smith, Lexie Linnell, Isabel McManus, and Emily Wagstaff.
04/10/2012	Award for A level Art performance Category: General The College has been named as the top school for A level Fine Art performance in this year’s Good Schools Guide. The Art Department has won the awards for best points scored at Fine Art A level at an English school, in both the boys and girls categories. This follows yet another year of outstanding Art A level results, where all the girls and boys who took Art attained either A* or A grades, with 43 A*s and 7 A grades in total. Tim Bell, Director of Studies at Denstone said: "This is an amazing achievement. The Art Department has won this award for boys’ Art A level performance every year since 2007, and this is the second consecutive year that Denstone has won the award for girls’ performance at A level.” Headmaster, David Derbyshire, said: “These Good School Guide Awards are just recognition of the consistent high standards of our Art Department. I congratulate Tom O’ Brien, Director of Art, who teaches Art to AS and A level, and Art teachers Barry Gillions and Caterina Mathieson.”
01/10/2012	Four out of four for Denstone tourists Category: Sport The girls Under 14 and Under 15 hockey sides faced Sedbergh and Rossall in a weekend trip up the M6 to the North West . They returned victorious on Sunday, having won all four of their fixtures. The U14s were the first to face Sedbergh, and found themselves under some early pressure from fast paced opposition. However, Denstone adapted quickly and were 2-0 up at half time with goals from Molly Draycott and Tami Cunningham. Emily Bailey distributed the ball well in midfield, and Hannah Burnhope put in some great passes from the defence. Molly Draycott continued to play some great hockey and slotted our 3rd goal before Sedbergh scored a deserved goal in the final two minutes of this evenly fought match. The final score was a 3-1 win for Denstone. The Denstone Under 15s also had to work hard to overcome a well organised Sedbergh attack. In the first half Denstone went ahead through a Millie Dyer short corner l from the top of the D, but then had to weather a Sedbergh storm to take the goal advantage into the break. At the start of the second half Olivia Cridland moved into midfield and firm tackling and distribution work particularly from Emily Critchley and Charlotte Goodwin kept Sedbergh away from our D . Midway through the second half, Millie Dyer won the ball on the 25 yard line, skilfully drove to the top of the D and clattered the back board with a firm strike to effectively seal the 2-0 Denstone victory. After a night at the Premier Inn outside Preston and a photo shoot beside the crashing waves of the Irish Sea, the two teams travelled to Rossall, outside Blackpool. For the Under 14s Jess Nicklin got the team off to a strong start, scoring 2 goals in the first half. The midfield trio of Ellen Hill, Emily Bailey and Alicia Taylor provided great strength and goal scoring opportunities for Molly Draycott and Tami Cunningham. Three more goals (a hat trick from Molly Draycott) brought a 5-0 win to Denstone. For the Under 15s, the first half was their best play of the weekend. Superb defence by Helen Yianni and Charlotte Goodwin, great work in attack from Marie Kleinerueschkamp, great centre forward play from Frankie Banton, and Megan Atkins' positioning helped Denstone go 4-0 up with 10mins to go. Although Rossall scored two late consolation goals, the final score was 4-2 to Denstone with a goal each from Millie Dyer and Frankie Banton and 2 from Marie Kleinerueschkamp. The teams were led by their coaches Mr Duerden and Miss Brown. Mr Duerden said: "Both teams worked hard in their matches and were great company off the pitch. They are delightful young ladies who are a credit to the College. It was a really successful and enjoyable two days."
24/09/2012	Denstone triumph in Exmoor 30:30 Category: General Three members of the College community, together with a parent and two friends made up a six person team, the Denstone Harriers, which took part in the Exmoor 30:30 challenge. They returned to College triumphant, having won the 30k title and beating serving soldiers and male-only teams in the process. The challenge, organized by, and in aid of, the Royal British Legion, requires teams of up to six to march 30 kilometres carrying packs weighing 30lbs excluding their rations over the notoriously difficult Exmoor hills. In the course of the 7½ hour marathon they had to deal with wild ponies, navigational challenges, and a river crossing supervised by Mountain Rescue specialists in dry suits. The team was led by Lower 6^th former Rannoch Linnell who first spotted the challenge. Team members included Rannoch, James Higgs, also in the Lower 6^th, Revd Ru Jarvis, College Chaplain and Mrs Nia Linnell, Rannoch’s mum, alongside two family friends. The team showed great determination and excellent navigational skills to maintain a good pace and they won the event in style, coming in over an hour ahead of their nearest rival. A weary but elated Rannoch said, “We are all chuffed to bits with what we did on the hill, and relieved about the map-reading, especially at 5.30am when we set off in the wrong direction from the start! We’ll definitely be back next year with a College team, and the 30 mile race over Special Forces training routes firmly in our sights.”
24/09/2012	1st XV off to a flying start Category: Sport The 1^st Rugby team have got their season off to a flying start, winning their opening two fixtures against tough opposition. The first match was against Adam’s Grammar School. The scores were tied at 0-0 at half time, and then Denstone scored the opening try through Jack Fielding. It was converted by full back Charlie Venables, making an impressive debut for the first team, who also scored three penalties to give Denstone a 16-7 victory. In their second match, against Leicester Grammar School , Denstone went up 21-0 in the opening 17 minutes, but then had to weather a strong Leicester comeback which saw the scores at 21-19 early in the second half. In determined fashion Denstone fought back to emerge 43-19 winners. The tries came from Ashley Elvers who scored a hat trick, Oscar Bunce who scored two, and flankers Marcus Taylor and Oli Glasse. Charlie Venables slotted four conversions to end a successful afternoon for the 1^stXV.
21/09/2012	High scoring hockey girls Category: Sport Girls’ hockey teams scored a total of nearly forty goals in their midweek fixtures without conceding a single goal. The 1^st XI played Manchester High School and won 6-0. Alina Schoengart was excellent in midfield, Mia Broomhall worked hard on the right wing, and Emily Wolders scored a hat trick before half time. Further goals were added by Hattie Brandon (2), and Mia Broomhall for a much deserved victory, following the team’s 4-4 draw with Malvern last Saturday. The Under 15s scored a total of 12 goals against Lady Manners. Superb distribution from Charlotte Goodwin and Millie Dyer put the team into scoring positions and Ellie Bokros netted 5, Fran Duke scored a hat trick, Frankie Banton hit in 2 , and one each came from Millie Dyer and Marie Kleinerueschkamp. The Under 14s had a closer match against Lady Manners. Hannah Burnhope and Megan Corbin were in top form in defence, Emily Bailey worked tirelessly in midfield and Molly Draycott scored twice for a 2-0 win. The Under 13 A team had an excellent start to their season. Katie Evans scored 4 goals on her debut for the team, Georgia Wright scored 6 , 2 came from Ellie Furnival and one each from Millie Atherton and Maddie Nicholson to secure a 14 -0 win over Lady Manners. The Under 12 A team also beat Lady Manners. Mille Frost scored 2 and Megan Fenwick added another for a 3-0 win. The girls played some very attractive hockey with Lexie Linnell the player of the match to end a very successful afternoon’s hockey.
17/09/2012	A busy first week Category: General The College has recorded a notable start to the 2012-13 year. In a busy first week, we have welcomed over 140 new students, a record number in the last 15 years. This includes 25 girls and boys who have joined the 6^th form, and 64 who make up the 1^st form. Along with the usual start to lessons for the majority of the school, the Lower 6^th took part in an induction lead by Head of Senior School, Miles Norris, who highlighted the challenges ahead for the 92 students who are starting their AS courses. Mr Norris said “the aim of the morning is to help our girls and boys recognize the big step up they are into the Sixth Form so that they capitalize on this important year leading to their AS exams.” For the first time, girls and boys throughout the school have had English lessons in Tookey's, the newly built classroom block, which holds both the English and RS departments. The College swimming pool has reopened, following work carried out in the Summer holidays, and boarders had their first experience of the pool on last Thursday evening. Following pre season Rugby and hockey training for the 1^st team squads and some other age groups, boys and girls of all ages have begun their sports and activity programmes. On Saturday, the Rugby Development squad and Under 15s played pre season matches against John Cleveland School and the 1^st XI Girls hockey team played a mixed team of Old Denstonians, Staff and pupils. On a sun baked Saturday afternoon girls and boys of all ages took part in training sessions. Headmaster David Derbyshire said: “Girls and boys have had a productive week, both in and out of the classroom. Of course we have had some excellent A level results, which has put us 34^th out of those coeducational Independent Schools which featured in the league tables published by the Times newspaper. We had a record 60 % of all exams taken at A* or A grades, and 29.45% at A. Regarding our percentage of A grades alone, we appear to be 30^th in the country, inclusive of coed, boys’ schools, and girls’ schools again according to the tables published in the Times. I congratulate last year’s Upper 6^th, and I am proud of their success. However, we should not rest on our laurels and current Denstonians should be aware of the hard work and challenges that lie ahead for them during the year. We have made a really positive start to the year.”
10/09/2012	Cricketers in County Cup final Category: Sport On Thursday 6 September the Under 13 Cricket team played in the final of the Staffordshire county cricket competition, but narrowly lost to John Taylor School. It was a close and competitive game which Denstone started well, restricting John Taylor to 92 runs in their allotted 30 overs. The team fielded well and Joe Timmis and Ed Barlow bowled particularly well. There were some good batting displays from Denstone. Jake Elliott was top scorer with 19, but wickets fell regularly and despite an energetic display by Josh Hart, Denstone narrowly lost the match by 7 runs.
09/09/2012	World Challenge to Galapagos Category: General Ten boys currently in the Lower or Upper sixth spent four weeks of the Summer holidays on a World Challenge expedition to the Galapagos and Ecuador. Lead by Dr Cocker, Head of Biology, the group consisted of Ross Bennett, Josh Corbin, Simon Fearn, Ben Gosling, Nick Herbert, James Higgs, James Lucas, Rannoch Linnell, David McMaster, and John Wharmby McKail. Straight after the end of term, the group travelled to Ecuador and then caught a plane to the Galapagos. Once there they took part in a conservation project and spent time working in a giant tortoise sanctuary. They also visited the bay where Charles Darwin landed on HMS Beagle. The group then moved to mainland Ecuador. They spent three days in the Amazon rainforest, during which they learnt something about the medicinal qualities of some of the plant life. They also had a white water rafting trip and spent four days hiking in the foothills of the Andes. Dr Cocker said : “This was a really valuable educational trip. The boys had a fantastic time and the wildlife on the Galapagos was simply stunning.”
23/08/2012	Excellent GCSE results Category: General 5^th form students at Denstone College are very pleased after achieving some outstanding results in their GCSE exams. 53% of all exams taken resulted in A* or A grades and an impressive 22% of all exams taken were As. Girls and boys did particularly well in a number of subjects. In Biology 98% of candidates attained A or A grade, while in Chemistry and DT 91% achieved A* or A grade. 94% of Art students and 88 % of Music students achieved A* or A grade. Girls and boys achieved some outstanding results and 12 students achieved all A* or A grades in the subjects that they studied. They are Tom Bokros, Daniel Darby, Simon Fearn, Harvey Hosein, Emily Johnston, Emily Lewis, David McMaster, Clare Meredith, Emily Meredith, Lydia Parrott, Jessica Syred, and Becky Watts. Simon Fearn did particularly well attaining all A* grades and Tom Bokros and Emily Meredith attained ten As and an A. Tim Bell, Director of Studies at Denstone, said : “In what were some very encouraging results, I was particularly pleased by the core subject results. In Mathematics, for example, where the whole Year group took the exam, 25% of the girls and boys achieved an A grade.” Headmaster David Derbyshire said: “ I am delighted by the achievements of these girls and boys, who clearly worked conscientiously throughout their GCSE courses. As this year group move into the 6^th form, they will be very aware of the effort and focus that is needed. I am sure that they will aim high in both AS and A level, where this year’s Upper 6^th have just attained a record breaking 60% A*/A at A level.”
16/08/2012	Record A level results Category: General Upper 6th girls and boys are celebrating after achieving outstanding record results in their A level exams. A record of 60 % of all exams taken resulted in A* or A grades, while an impressive 29% were As, also a record and an improvement of 8 percentage points from the previous record set last year. 28 girls and boys out of a year group of 87 achieved all A or A grades in their exams. These include Christopher Norman who attained four As, Isabelle Higgins, Harry Moran, Ruth Taylor, and Will Turner, who all achieved 3 As. Ruth Taylor’s grades secure a place to read History at Homerton College, Cambridge. Students did particularly well in a number of subjects. In Art, 100% of candidates achieved either A* or A grades, and in Geography 88% of students achieved A* or A, while in History 83% achieved those results. Maths and Economics students also did well with 71% and 73% respectively achieving A*/A grade. Headmaster, David Derbyshire, said: “ These record breaking results confirm that Denstone’s momentum continues at pace, following on from our excellent ISI inspection report earlier in the academic year. I am delighted that these highly motivated and hard working girls and boys have achieved record results at A level and we wish them continued success as they move on to Higher Education.”
11/07/2012	Under 15s win Lord Taveners' final Category: Sport The College Under 15 cricket team won the Lord Taveners’ Under 15 national competition, beating Tonbridge School, Kent, in the final. The final was played at Oakham School on the first Monday of the Summer holidays. Denstone won the toss and batted first. The opening pair passed 50 with little real concerns, but then the Tonbridge left arm spinner got going and dismissed our top three in quick succession. Things were not looking good for Denstone, but some plucky end of innings batting saw the College to a competitive total of 149 for 9 in the allotted 40 overs. Denstone went to field in determined fashion and very soon, led by Austen Crump, the team were exerting tremendous pressure on the Tonbridge batsmen. Adam Purcell’s spell of leg spin bowling was particularly impressive as the wickets began to fall. Tonbridge kept battling well and they were still very much in a winning position with four overs to go. However, some excellent bowling by Connor Baines Holden and Ben Cherry and some energetic fielding from the whole team saw Denstone home to a much deserved victory by 8 runs. The team were well supported by a large group of parents and staff, who included Miss Morris, Director of Cricket, Miss Plewes, Mr Brice, Mr James, Mr Pearson, and Mr Peel. Parents’ support for the boys through out the season is much appreciated. Many congratulations to the team who are Connor Baines Holden, Ben Burrows, Ben Cherry, Austen Crump (c), JJ Gallagher, Alex Holt, Rory Jackson, Siraj Khaliq, Ben Motley, Jack Nicolle, Adam Purcell, and Ben White. Deputy Head, James Hartley, said : ‘Well done to all the boys who have made a massive contribution to the team’s success, not only to win the final but also throughout the season. A special thanks also to Under 15 coach, Matt Porter. This is the second year in succession that he has taken the team to the Lord Taveners’ final. Well done to you all.’
03/07/2012	Unstoppable Under-15s! Category: Sport Denstone's unstoppable Under-15 cricketers have done it again! On Wednesday 27th June, they overcame Sedbergh to secure a place in the prestigious Lords Taverners National Final for the second year running! Batting first, Denstone made 199-8 from their 40 overs with Austen Crump top-scoring with 82 runs. Sedbergh's response was limited to 85 all out by some powerful bowling from Denstone. The win was secured with over 20 overs of Sedbergh's allocated 40 remaining. Denstone will compete for the national trophy in the final at Oakham on Monday 9th July. It has been a season to remember for the Under-15 squad who are now Midlands and Northern Champions. The boys have the support of everyone at Denstone as they battle to bring back the national trophy and round off a truly historic season.
25/06/2012	The Scrum Factory Category: Sport In preparation for next season, Jack Fielding and Ben Bryan, both 1st XV Rugby front-rowers, attended the RFU Scrum Factory session, led by England Womens' Assistant Coach Graham Smith. Lower Sixth Former, Jack Fielding is pictured with Graham Smith - coach of the Womens XV who won the recent Six Nations Tournament.
23/06/2012	4th form drama show Category: Drama 22 girls and boys, all in the 4^th form and studying GCSE Drama, put on four short plays as part of their coursework portfolio. The first play was an extract from Dennis Potter’s ‘Blue Remembered Hills’, set in 1943, in the middle of World War II , and follows a bunch of 7 year olds who play out in the fields and farms near their homes. Their fun is laced with a cruel streak which emerges as the play progresses. Holly Hutchings, Kirsty Edwards, Hector Christodoulou, Ollie Keeling, Harry Price, Matt Astbury, and Caius Fitzgerald starred in this funny and disturbing extract. ‘Find Me’ by Olwen Wymark, is a true story of a girl, Verity, who is psychologically damaged, and it shows the struggles that her family has against prejudice, the medical world and the judicial system. The role of Verity was played by three actors, Chloe Pearson, Alice Walsh, and Abi Jones, while Jo Carter , Will Langston, and Jack Pritchard played Verity’s Mum, Dad, and brother respectively. The cast also used masks to interpret a variety of other roles in this powerful extract from the play. After the interval, Tom Cadman, Ellie Hampton, Holly Brown, and Ollie Hankins performed scenes from ‘Last Tango in Little Grimley’ a comedy about a hopeless amateur dramatics group who are struggling with a lack of funds and a distinct lack of talent. The cast showed great comic timing in this amusing focus on a failing group of actors. The final play was ‘Jeffery Bernard is unwell’, by Keith Waterhouse. Andrew Donald played the central character,Jeffery Bernard, a famous Sports writer, gambler and drinker, who was often too hung over to write his column. Gareth Sandbrook, Ed Williams, Charlie Wootton, and Tori Salt also performed in this multi role comedy in which the audience sees the thoughts and memories of Jeffery Bernard come to life on stage. The evening was great success, highlighting the many talents of this group of fourth form students. The girls and boys performed with great confidence and maturity , showing that they are very capable actors.
21/06/2012	Stars of Track and Field Category: Sport No fewer than twenty Denstone College athletes were selected to compete for the Staffordshire Moorlands team at the recent County Athletics Championship held at the Northwood Stadium in Stoke-on-Trent. On the track, Gabi Burton (pictured) won the hurdles and came second in the 100 metres whilst both the 3rd Form relay teams finished in a creditable third position. And there was even more success in the field events where Dani Brosnan came second in the discus and shot putt whilst Alex Hannan claimed second place in the long jump. Other notable performances included: Abbie Wedgwood (800m - 5th place) Izzy Purvis (1500m - 5th place) Sam Woods (1500m - 9th place) Levi Davies (Triple jump - 5th place) Bertie Winstone and Levi Davies (100m finalists) Tom Ward and George Bradshaw-Smith (200m finalists) To cap off a wonderful day, Gabi Burton, Dani Brosnan and Alex Hannan were all selected for the County team to represent Staffordshire at the Divisional Championships in the Mason Trophy. Speaking after the event, a delighted Director of Sport, Mr Hill said, "Our athletes competed with great desire and determination. Every single one of them should be proud of themselves for the way they prepared and performed".
21/06/2012	Hot Shots! Category: General Denstone's young photographers are in the spotlight again. Having won the local Rotary Photographic Competition, our School Portfolio - including work from students aged between 11 and 16 - was entered into the district competition and awarded first prize. Considering that the competition covers a very wide area, encompassing Dudley and Stafford, this is genuine recognition for a group of very talented young photographers. Third Former Adam Casey was 'Highly Commended' for his individual work. Pictured right is a selection of their varied and ambitious portfolio. If you are interested in photography, whether you are an experienced snapper or an absolute beginner, please speak to Miss Plewes.
19/06/2012	The Maker's Markos Category: General Young designer Peter Markos was awarded first prize in the Uttoxeter-Cheadle-Blyth Bridge area Young Innovator Competition in an event held at Painsley School, Cheadle on 14th June. Peter's design - a Light Table for viewing X-rays and for use in technical drawing or graphic design - garnered plaudits from the panel of expert judges. Currently studying Design Technology in the Lower Sixth at Denstone, Peter now goes through to the Competition Final at Bromsgrove School on 8th July.
19/06/2012	Under-15s are Midlands Champions! Category: Sport Denstone's unstoppable Under-15 cricketers continue to exceed all expectations. On Wednesday 13th June, they completed a confident victory over Bedford to become Midlands Champions in the Lord's Taverners national competition. Batting first, Denstone rattled off 150 in their allotted 40 overs with Ben Burrows, Connor Baynes Holden and Alex Holt all contributing useful knocks. Bedford were held to 134 all out in 37.4 overs largely owing to the consistent bowling of Austen Crump, Connor Baynes Holden, Ben Motley, Jack Nicolle, and Ben Cherry who bagged a brace of wickets each. Special mention should go to Jack Nicolle who took the key wicket of Bedford's opening batsman just when he looked set for a big score. The adventure continues with a national semi final at home against Sedbergh on Friday 22nd June. This talented team are also through to the national Twenty20 semi finals against Nottinghamshire next week. Can they go all the way? Do come and support the boys as they bid for glory on two fronts.
10/06/2012	Last Over Triumph in the Taverners Category: Sport Denstone College Under-15s Cricket XI beat Loughborough Grammar School by four runs in a nail-biting finish on 1st June to make it through to the quarter-finals of the Lord's Taverners National Cricket Competition. Batting first, Denstone made 185-7 off 35 overs with Ben Motley top-scoring with a stylish 63. Loughborough's spirited response, in front of a home crowd, included an impressive 98 not out from Chopra, to set up a thrilling finale. With Loughborough requiring 15 runs from the final over, Rory Jackson bowled with a maturity beyond his years to frustrate the home team and hand Denstone a famous victory. Stand-out bowling performances came from Austen Crump (3 for 17) and Connor Baynes-Holden (3 for 38) together with some exceptional fielding throughout the team. A delighted Director of Cricket Miss Morris commented, "With over 1400 teams entering this prestigious bi-annual competition, the achievement of reaching the last eight is nothing short of phenomenal". The Under-15s - a squad who are gaining strength and confidence with every match - can now look forward to a quarter-final encounter with Bedford School.
26/05/2012	Under-15s 20/20 Champions! Category: Sport Denstone College under-15s cricketers romped to victory against The Friary School in the final of the Twenty20 County Cup held at Stone Cricket Club on Friday 25th May. Denstone's upper order batted with control and power to post a daunting total of 209-6. Austen Crump top-scored with 67 supported ably by a sparkling 48 from Ben Motley. The Friary's response was limited to 58 all-out owing mainly to a fearsome spell of bowling from Connor Baynes-Holden who bagged four wickets for only two runs. Crump showed his all-rounder credentials taking three wickets for an economical 14 runs. Denstone's excellent performance means they now go on to represent Staffordshire in the national competition where an exciting fixture with Lincolnshire awaits. Thank you to Richard Rathbone for organising the competition.
24/05/2012	Chris plays guitar on CD Category: General Guitarist Chris Kerfoot, who is in the 6^th form, has been playing with local semi professional rock band Split Sofa. He played lead guitar on two of their tracks for their forthcoming album, which they are hoping to release later this year. The invitation to play with Split Sofa came after one of the band members heard Chris playing with younger brother John, who is also a keen musician ,a guitarist and drummer, and who is currently in the 3^rd form. Chris, who also plays baritone sax in the swing band, performed at the College rock concert earlier this month alongside fellow sixth formers Ben Edwards and Will Barnett. Chris thoroughly enjoyed playing with Split Sofa. He said: “ This was the first time that I have played with an adult group, and it was really professional- a great experience.”