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17/05/2012	Summer Serenade Category: Music The summer showers were forgotten for a few hours when Denstone College presented the annual Summer Serenade - a diverse evening of music from Santana to Schonberg. Denstonians, past and present, gathered in the Chapel on the evening of Thursday 10th May to enjoy an eclectic programme that demonstrated the depth and range of the music-making at the College. Orchestral, choral, swing, jazz, film scores - there was literally something for everyone. One captivated audience member said afterwards: “I was really impressed with the standard of playing and the range of ensembles that your students are involved in. I have always enjoyed the Summer Serenade; it really is a fitting shop window for the talent at Denstone” The evening was tinged with a little sadness for the Upper 6th students involved. The Serenade was their final formal musical performance after many years of involvement. In a touching moment at the end of the evening, they paid tribute to Musical Director Mike Skipper with a farewell presentation. Everyone at the College would like to say a warm thank you to all this year's leavers: Emily Jordan (leader of the Orchestra & String Quartet); Alice Bradshaw-Smith (leader of the Orchestra, String Quartet, Jazz Ensemble); Chris Norman (Orchestra), Ruth Taylor (leader of the Swing Band, Jazz Ensemble, Sax group and Orchestra); Lucy Dell & Will Walker (Orchestra & Swing Band); Ben Edwards & Charlie Brandon (Orchestra, Swing Band, Jazz Ensemble & Brass Ensemble); Will Barnett & Chris Kerfoot (Swing Band & Jazz Ensemble); Lottie Wright (Swing band & Girls' Choir); Isabelle Higgins, Kate Reynolds, Charlotte Kiely, Liv Newport, Fran Allen (Girls’ Choir).
17/05/2012	Picture Perfect! Category: General The results of the 2012 Rotary Young Photographer of the Year competition reveal that Denstone's student photographers are developing nicely. Arthur Joustra was winner of the age 6-11 'colour' category while first prize in the 'mono' section was snapped up by Adam Casey. Of the six "highly commended" photographs, five Denstone students were in the frame: Owen Charlton, Millie Dyer, Livy Witcomb, Josh Wright, and Fred Whitwell. In the older category, 6th formers Gi Sanders and Lauren Pass were also 'highly commended'. If you are interested in photography and would like to find out more, please contact Miss Plewes.
17/05/2012	Team Denstone show Olympic spirit Category: General Denstone College played host to eight schools and racked up a whole series of individual and collective victories at the District Athletics Championships on Wednesday, 16th May. Overall, the College finished in second place and Denstone's 3rd, 4th and 5th form boys claimed first prize in their categories with personal bests and stand-out performances galore. A proud, Director of Sport Mr Hill, commented, "This is a fantastic effort across every age range and discipline. Our students competed with great determination and team spirit". Congratulations to all who took part.
15/05/2012	An Invitation to Open Morning Category: General Denstone College is looking forward to welcoming prospective parents and students to our Open Morning. The event takes place on Saturday 26th May. Tea and coffee will be served in the Dining Hall from 10.00am with an exciting, varied and informative programme of events starting at 10.30am. Parents and children of any age are welcome to tour the College, take part in activities, and chat with students and staff alike.
14/05/2012	Murder, Mystery, Money...Mr Tyler! Category: General Head of History, Mr Tyler has won first prize in a prestigious national teaching competition for creating an imaginative video teaching resource on the theme of “Murder Mystery in Victorian Britain”. The competition, run by O2 Learn, has the slogan “Building Britain's Biggest Classroom” and seeks to reward teachers with the imagination to create the very best audio-visual teaching resources. Mr Tyler’s intriguing video focused on the little known murder of Lieutenant Bennett in 1838 as an exciting way of introducing students to the topic of Victorian crime and punishment. The expert judging panel were impressed not only by the originality and professionalism of the resource but also by the sheer number of students who voted for the video on the O2 Learn website. As winner of the competition, Mr Tyler will receive £1000 for the College to spend on student resources and £1000 for himself! It also means he will be considered for the O2 Learn Annual Award, which offers prize money of £30,000 for the College and £15,000 for the person that made it! A delighted and very modest Mr Tyler said, “I would like to say how extremely grateful I am to all the kind students who watched and voted for my video. My video would not have won the competition without your support.” If you would like to watch Mr Tyler’s prize-winning video, or check out the many other excellent videos, go to o2learn.co.uk
20/04/2012	Choir sing in Lichfield Cathedral Category: Music The choir sang Evensong on Monday evening 16 April in Lichfield cathedral. The 50 girls and boys, aged 11-18 who are choir members, had some intense rehearsal time at the start of term with Director of Music, Mike Skipper. They practiced the Nunc Dimittis and the Magnificat by Walmsley, which they performed in the service as well as singing “ Blessed be the God and Father” by Samuel Wesley. At the end of the service, two sixth formers, Charlotte Kiely and Ruth Taylor, Head Chorister and Deputy Head Chorister respectively, placed a wreath in the cathedral at the foot of the Shrine of St Chad, the College’s patron Saint. Mike Skipper was delighted by the choir’s performance. He said: ‘Our choristers certainly rose to the occasion and they were well received by the congregation.’
19/04/2012	Quartet play for Staffordshire Category: Sport Four Rugby players, who are all in the fourth form, represented the Staffordshire Under 15 team who played Kent on April 12. Edward Carr, still only 14, and Harry Pegg, Charlie Venables, and Joe Meakin, all 15 years old, played in a close match against a strong Kent side, which contained a number of Saracens EPDG players. Although Staffordshire lost 5-26, the four boys acquitted themselves well, playing with typical spirit and determination, and following the match they were all selected to play against Shropshire.
16/04/2012	A trio of Olympic torch bearers Category: General Three members of the Denstone College community have recently heard that they have been chosen to carry the Olympic torch on its journey around the country in readiness for July’s London 2012 Olympic Games. 4^th former Jack Pritchard, who is 14, Kieran Martin, aged 17 and in the Lower 6^th, and Imran Sherwani, Director of Hockey, will be part of the team of torch bearers, carrying the Olympic flame to London. Jack Pritchard will be carrying the torch around Lichfield in June. He has been involved in a number of recent charity events at the College. He helped out at last year’s Rock Concert, which raised money for cancer related charities. He also took part in the Denstone Mile and he has helped with a number of fund raising cake sales in the last year. Kieran Martin is the Youth Olympics bronze medal winner of 2010, who will be carrying the torch around Stoke on Trent in May. He has had a highly successful 2012, most recently when he was 1^st in the Under 19 RYA Youth National Championship in early April. This means that he will represent Great Britain at the 2012 ISAF Youth World Sailing Championships in July. His ultimate goal is to represent Great Britain in the 2020 Olympics. Imran Sherwani is a gold medal winner with the 1988 Great Britain Hockey team. He played a significant role in the final, scoring one of the goals which gave Great Britain a 3-1 win over West Germany. He will be carrying the torch around his home town Stoke on Trent.
16/04/2012	Dan plays for England in the Four Nations Category: Sport Daniel Darby, currently working hard for his GCSE exams in May and June, represented the England Under 18 hockey team, playing in goal in the Four Nations competition which took place in the Easter holidays. England played against Spain, Holland and Germany and won the final against the Dutch team to win the Four Nations. Dan played in the match against Germany. He has done particularly well to be playing at such a high level considering that he is still only 16 years old. James Hartley, Deputy Head said: " Dan is a talented goalkeeper. I congratulate him on this latest success."
14/04/2012	More Success for windsurfer Kieran Category: Sport Kieran Martin, a Lower 6^th form student and the Youth Olympics Windsurfing Bronze medalist of 2010, has received the Special Recognition Award from the Jaguar Academy of Sport for his recent achievements in Windsurfing. Just 17 years old and studying for his AS exams in Maths, Physics, Further Maths and Design Technology, Kieran has made the transition from Junior Techno Class to the Youth RSX in rapid time, not least due to his extensive training programme and fitness. Kieran received the award on the back of a highly successful 2011, in which he won the French National Championships, the Techno World championships, and the 2011 European Sailing Federation Youth Games. Following his award, Kiernan will receive a year of one to one mentoring from Anna Hemmings, MBE, two time Olympic Champion canoeist and six times World Champion. This help and support should be an invaluable experience and should help Kieran to develop further as a windsurfer and to achieve his sporting goals, which are to compete in the RSX World Championships and ultimately to represent Great Britain in the Olympic Games. 2012 has also started well for Kieran. He achieved a 2^nd place in the RSX Under 19s competition in the Mediterranean Cup held in Marseilles in February and he was 1^st in the RSX Youth competition at the RYA National competition in March. To cap that, Kieran was again 1^st in the Under 19 RYA Youth National Championship in early April. This means that he will represent Great Britain at the 2012 ISAF Youth World Sailing Championships in July, no mean feat for a young man who was only 17 in February. Headmaster, David Derbyshire said: ‘I am really pleased to see how well Kieran is doing in his chosen sport. He is a focused young man, who clearly has the potential to compete in windsurfing at the Olympic level. We wish him every success in the World Sailing Championships in July.’
14/04/2012	Associated Board Music Exam results Category: Music At the first Headmaster’s Assembly of the new Summer term, Mr Derbyshire presented certificates to 18 girls and boys, aged from 13 to 18, who have achieved Grade 5 or above in their chosen instrument. Frankie Banton ( violin), Nicole Higgins ( violin), Emma Hadfield ( piano), and Charlotte Godfrey ( singing) all passed grade 5. JJ Gallagher ( piano) and Rosie Cammack ( piano) passed grade 6 and Charlotte May passed grade 7 also on the piano. Helen Yianni (singing), Matthew Gibson ( piano), Lydia Blundell ( singing), Patrick Maguire ( theory), and Edward Hilton ( singing) passed grade 5 with Merit. Perry Eleftheriou and Emily Lewis passed grade 6 singing with Merit, while Ruth Taylor achieved grade 8 with Merit on the tenor saxophone. Emily Greatbatch passed grade 5 piano with Distinction, Simon Fearn passed grade 6 singing with distinction, and James Hopwood passed grade 7 clarinet also with distinction.
14/04/2012	Pupils perform at Royal Albert Hall Category: Music Three Denstone girls and one of the boys , who are all members of the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain ( NYCGB) Girls Choir and Boys choir sang in the Royal Albert Hall on Easter Monday. First former Yasmin Dugdale, aged 12, Siobhan Carlin, aged 14, who is in the 3^rd form, and Dani Brosnan and Will Langston, both 14 and in the 4^thyear, took part in a performance entitled “World Song”, which was a celebration of the unifying power of music, an appropriate theme for this Olympic year. The choir spent four days in rehearsal and on the day of the performance stayed at the Royal College of Music. They sang music from Africa, Asia, The Americas, Oceania, and Europe. They also sang a world premiere of the Magnificat and the Nunc Dimitis by the British composer Sir John Tavener. Deputy Headmaster, James Hartley said: “It is a great experience for these talented youngsters to perform at this level and at such a world famous venue. Well done to the three of you.”
04/04/2012	Footballers win championship Category: Sport At the end of term, both the 1^st XI and 2^nd XI were confirmed as winners of the Mercian League North. As such, they took on the winners of the Mercian League South, Malborough School, Wiltshire, playing for the League Championship, in two matches which took place in the first week of the holidays. Both teams travelled to Ludlow Town Football club for their respective finals. The 2^nd XI kicked off first, and though they played with their usual blend of skill and determination, they were beaten by a strong Malborough team. Nevertheless the boys can hold their heads high, after a terrific season which included wins over Bromsgrove and Loughborough Grammar School. The 1^st team kicked off under floodlights at 6.00pm, but found themselves 0-1 down at half time. With typical Denstone “never say die” attitude, the team came out in the second half with all guns blazing. The pace of Alex Hannan and Saeed Agboke began to tell, and with the midfield creating some great opportunities, it was not long before Agboke scored the first of his two goals, and, when James Baker scored, it put Denstone were 3-1 ahead. Malborough bounced back with a late goal and the Denstone defence had to keep their wits about them in the final minutes, but the team held their nerve to notch up an excellent 3-2 win. It was a great day out for both teams, and the much appreciated band of Denstone families who travelled to support the players. Along with a splendid trophy, the boys returned with the League Champions flag which is currently flying on the flagpole outside the new Adamson’s pavilion.
04/04/2012	New English block nears completion Category: General It is less than a year since construction began on the new English classroom block, situated at the front of school. Today, you can see from the photo how much has been achieved in the last ten months. The building, which will house the English Department, is nearing completion, and over the Summer Term it will be kitted out ready for lessons from the beginning of the new academic year in September.
16/03/2012	Tournament win for Under 14s Category: General The Under 14 A netball team took part in the Under 15 B plate competition held at Uppingham and came home with the trophy. The girls won three out of four of their matches in the group stage to take them into the semi final against Gresham’s School. This was a very close and exciting game which Denstone won 10-8 to get into the final. In the final Denstone faced the host school, Uppingham. Although they fell behind in the first quarter, the girls fought back. Maddie Pollen and Olivia Cridland shot with accuracy and Denstone won 7-4. Throughout the day the girls played some top quality netball. Emily Critchley and Ellie Green defended well, Yasmin Taylor and captain Francesca Duke played with enthusiasm and skill, and Libby Bull made some penetrating runs and supported the attacking duo of Maddie Pollen and Olivia Cridland who scored the vital goals to give Denstone a much deserved tournament win. Well done to all seven girls who played in all the day’s matches.
16/03/2012	"Charlie and the chocolate factory" Category: Drama A cast and crew of around 30 girls and boys who are in the 3^rd form put on two performances of the Roald Dahl classic ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ in the final week of the Lent Term. The play follows five youngsters who win a trip of a lifetime around the secret chocolate factory of Willy Wonka. They enter an amazing world of everlasting gob stoppers, blueberry chewing gum, and a chocolate river, and find nut cracking giant squirrels and orange faced dancing Oompa Loompas along the way. Will Woodings played the eccentric Willy Wonka, George Pountney was Charlie Bucket and Will Beardsmore was his Grandpa Joe. The spoilt Veruca Salt was played by Anna Howarth, Will Lowe was her long suffering father, and Siobhan Carlin and Ellie Green were the chewing gum obsessed Violet and her mum. Henry Hilton played the ever hungry Augustus Gloop, Helen Yianni was his mum, Mauricio Banados played the bullying Mr Strong while Dom Ekin was his son Max. Lydia Blundell and James Ekin were narrators and Megan Atkins, Hannah Myers, Emma Wye, Adam Casey, Luke Collins, and Izzy Purvis were the Oompa Loompas. A crew of girls and boys, mainly in the 3^rd form, were also involved with the lighting and sound team, lead by Maths teacher Tony Pearson, or were back stage and helped with make up. The play was directed by English teacher Mrs Sara Tovey with assistance from Old Denstonian Katherine Bradshaw Smith. Headmaster David Derbyshire said: ‘I am very impressed by the enthusiasm and confidence with which these girls and boys have performed. This was first rate entertainment and the cast have performed with a maturity beyond their years.’
12/03/2012	Denstone win the League.. twice Category: Sport Both the College’s First and Second Football teams were confirmed as winners of their respective leagues, following wins over Wellingborough College at the weekend. Both sides are undefeated in their respective leagues. As winners of the Mercian League ( North), Denstone’s 1^st XI will now play Marlborough College, Wiltshire, who won the Mercian League (South), in the Championship final to be played next week. Against Wellingborough, the top three College sides all had wins. The 1^st XI were 3-0 up by half time, following goals from AJ Agboke, James Kirkham, and Josh Miller. James Kirkham, Josh Miller and James Baker have all been chosen to represent the League’s “ All Stars” team. In the second half AJ Agboke added his second to seal a fine Denstone 4-1 victory. The 2^nd XI won thanks particularly to a convincing first half display. The goals were scored by Bertie Winstone, Joe Cliffe, and Harry Alderson for a 3-0 win which confirmed the team as winners of the Mercian Combination League. The 3^rd XI also had a much deserved victory over Wellingborough as they fought back from 0-1 to win 5-2. The goals came from Sam Toepfer, who scored a hat trick, Dom Burnett who scored 30 yard wonder strike and the fifth was added by Matt Hall. Joe Bokros was once again outstanding in goal. Over the season the 1^st XI, coached by Mr Sassi and the 2^nd XI coached by Mr Young and OD Chris Latham have gone from strength to strength. The First team began their League campaign with draws against RGS Worcester and Loughborough , a 4-4 thriller with goals from AJ Agboke (2), Alex Hannan and James Kirkham, and then they won all their remaining fixtures. A 5-2 win over Uppingham with a hat trick from Alex Thomson and one each from Tom Brzuzy and Josh Miller was a particular highlight. For the second team, particular highlights must be a 7-1 win over Bromsgrove, a 4-3 thriller against Loughborough, with 2 goals each from Joe Cliffe and Harvey Lowe, and a 1-1 draw against Uppingham, where the side fought back from 0-1 down, with Harry Alderson and Will Barnett playing particularly well in midfield and Jack Hughes in top form in goal. The 1^st team squad are pictured with coach Mr Sassi. They are ( top row l-r) Harry Morgan, James Baker, Tom Brzuzy, Alex Thomson, Ben Edwards, Louis Dewsbury, AJ Agboke, and bottom row ( l-r) Alex Hannan, Ben Jones, Joe Bellm, James Kirkham, and Josh Miller. The 2^nd team squad are pictured with coach Chris Latham. They are ( top row l-r) Ross Bennett, Tim Latham, Jack Hughes, Will Barnett, Will Mason, Henni Schmidt- Dencker, Josh Corbin, and coach Mr Young. On the bottom row are ( l-r) Bertie Winstone, Felix Higgins, Joe Cliffe, Jamie Oakes, Harry Alderson, and Harvey Lowe.
12/03/2012	Spelling Bee competition Category: General About a hundred pupils and staff packed into the Library to see the top spellers in the College battle it out in a Spelling Bee competition organized by Head of English, Mr Davies. Following a College wide spelling test, 41 girls and boys aged from 11-18, took part in the finals. Over a hard fought thirty minutes which involved the correct spelling of a whole variety of verbs, nouns, and adjectives only two pupils were still standing. They were Emily Meredith, aged 16, who is in the 5^th form, and Max Davis of the 2^nd form, who is 13. They shared the first prize and are the Spelling Bee champions for 2012.
09/03/2012	Magnificent 7 for hockey team Category: General The College’s Senior hockey teams have been in blistering form of late. This was certainly true of their fixture against Wrekin College. Both the First Team and the Second won with some style. The 1^st XI led 1-0 at half time, and then really poured on the pressure in the second half, scoring another six unanswered goals. Zac Sherwani scored a hat trick , Luis Bernstein grabbed a brace and both Tom Lush and Will Davy scored penalty flicks for a magnificent 7 -0 win. The 2^nd XI were also in top form against Wrekin. Alex Terry was outstanding in defence and the goals came from Lucas Tillman, Paul Christodoulou, Patrick Maguire, and Ian Raisbeck, who scored two for a well deserved 5-1 Denstone victory.
07/03/2012	Under 15s reach Sevens Final Category: Sport The Under 15s Rugby Sevens team reached the final of the Warwick Sevens Tournament last weekend, playing some exciting sevens and beating some well known opposition in the process. The team began in a tough group which also contained Sedbergh, Nottingham High, and Millfield, but right from the outset the boys played with commitment and skill. Five tries, scored by Eric Draycott( 2), Alex Holt(2), and JJ Gallagher, helped Denstone to an opening 29-0 win over Millfield, who were unable to breach Denstone’s determined defensive line. Against Sedbergh, Denstone came storming out of the blocks, going 12-0 up after only a couple of minutes with 2 tries from the flying Ben Cherry. Sedbergh hit back but a Charlie Venables try brought the half time score to 17-5. The final score was 24-10 to Denstone with Ben Cherry scoring his hat trick and conversions from Charlie Venables and Eric Draycott. Two excellent individual tries from Jake Pope and a third from Charlie Venables sealed a 19-12 Denstone victory over Nottingham, and a quarter final spot against Portsmouth GS, who were also dispatched with clinical precision with Ben Cherry scoring another hat trick for a 17-5 Denstone win. In the semi final against the host side Warwick School, Denstone took a 21-0 lead in to half time after tries from Charlie Venables , Ben Cherry and Eric Draycott, but then had to weather a Warwick storm as the hosts scored three tries of their own. The match ended 21-19 and put Denstone in the final against Solihull. Although Denstone lost the final, they never gave up, and indeed created a try with the last move of the match to make the final score 14-24 to Solihull. At the final whistle, the Denstone players were understandably disappointed to have got so far and not to have won the tournament. But they should be proud of their effort and performances and of their commitment and dedication throughout the day. The squad were Charlie Venables, Eric Draycott, Ben Cherry, Jake Pope, JJ Gallagher, Alex Holt, Ben Burrows, Harry Pegg, Joe Meakin, Andrew Donald, Austen Crump, and Will Hamplett.
05/03/2012	Footballers undefeated Category: Sport Both the College 1^st and 2^nd XI’s are top of their respective leagues and remain undefeated after weekend matches with Uppingham School. The First Team continued their excellent run with a 5-2 win. Alex Thomson scored a hat trick from the centre half position and both Tom Brzuzy and Josh Miller scored one each. They are now top of their League with only one match remaining. The Second Team were a goal down but bounced back with some determined and skilful play to equalize through a Bertie Winstone goal. Harry Alderson and Will Barnett bustled around in midfield, and Jack Hughes was in top form in goal and the match finished 1-1.
04/03/2012	Civil War at Denstone Category: General Girls and boys in the Second Form who have been studying the English Civil War in their History lessons, spent a day with an expert, finding out more about life in that period of time, when Roundheads were battling with Royalists for control of the country. Des Thomas, an English Civil War expert and enthusiast , came to the school, and he spoke to all 55 girls and boys in the Second Form, giving them a real insight into life in the mid 17^th century. He brought with him clothing and food from the time as well as armour and muskets and the girls and boys witnessed a live firing of both a musket and a cannon from that era. Jon Tyler, Head of History, said afterwards: “This has been a really productive day for girls and boys in the Second Form. They have deepened their understanding of the English Civil War, and of customs and culture of that time and they responded positively to Des Thomas and his team.”
02/03/2012	Practical A Level Drama exams steal the show! Category: Drama The Lower and Upper Sixth form Drama students have achieved oustanding results in their recent practical exams which took place on Thursday evening. Mel Oakes (Director of Drama) said, “This cohort is a very talented group of students who are particularly strong at performance. The excellent results are a testament to the students’ hard work and their dedication to this exciting subject.”
29/02/2012	Ensembles concert Category: Music Girls and boys aged between 11 and 18 put on a music concert in the College theatre. Nine ensembles performed a variety of music, mainly classical and jazz, to an appreciative audience of fellow students and parents. Water seemed to be a theme running through the programme as not only did the Men’s Choir perform “Moon River”, but also the Saxophone Group played George Gershwin’s “ Swanee”, and the 22 strong Girls’ Chamber Choir sang “Cross the Wide Missouri”. The Brass Group, lead by saxophonist Ruth Taylor, played Hallelujah Drive, the String Group , lead by violinists Alice Bradshaw Smith and Emily Jordan, performed Benda’s Sonata in A Minor, and the String Quartet played Pachelbel’s famous “ Canon". The Vocal Ensemble sang “Cantate Domino” and the Murfin Percussion Ensemble belted out one of their own compositions, highlighting the creative talents of this group. The Swing Band, an ensemble of 18 girls and boys rounded off a most entertaining evening with their version of the Beatles’ classic “ A Hard Day’s Night” and “ Burritos to Go” by Victor Lopez. Deputy Head, James Hartley said: “ This concert underlines the musical talents of these youngsters. They played some challenging pieces and the result was a first class concert.”
27/02/2012	Medals for Musicians Category: Music Four students took part in the Denstone Factor, a local X Factor style competition to showcase musical and singing talent, which was held at the JCB Lakeside Club on the final weekend of half term. The event was a great success with nearly 400 people attending the show. Hope Brough, aged 17 and in the Upper 6th, sang unaccompanied, and was runner up to dance ensemble Karzima Krew, and rock band Broken String ( aka Barney Gardner, Alex Grys, and John Kerfoot, who are all in the 3rd form) played two of John’s own compositions and came third. Hope is no stranger to the stage, having had a key role in the school play for the last two years. She played Rizzo in “Grease” in December, and sang with real confidence and panache. The boys were also a hit on stage last year as they opened the College Rock Concert- no small feat for a trio who were all under 14 at the time. Deputy Head, James Hartley said: “The Denstone Factor was a well organized and enjoyable evening. On stage, there were some really talented youngsters- singers, dancers and musicians- who performed with great enthusiasm. Well done to Hope, Barney, Alex and John."
19/02/2012	Midlands Athletics Championships Category: Sport 5^th form students Gabi Burton and Tom Howarth took part in the Midlands Athletics Championships held on 11 February, at the Birmingham Indoor Arena. Gabi, who is still only15 years old, took part in the Under 17 60m hurdles and did particularly well. Running her first competitive hurdle race she easily qualified for the final where she came 6^th. Her time of 9.43 not only put her in the top 30 in the UK for the Girls Under 17 60m hurdles, but also means that she has qualified for UK Indoor Championships to be held on 26 February. Tom, who was 16 in December, competed in the Under 17 800m, where he also ran well. He too qualified for the final where he came 4^th in a time of 2.06, a Personal Best for indoors. James Hartley, Deputy Head at Denstone said: “It is great to see two of our top athletes doing so well. Well done to both Gabi and Tom, and best wishes to Gabi for the UK Championships.
10/02/2012	Drama Show at Denstone Category: General Eleven girls and boys, all in the 5th form and studying GCSE Drama, put on two 25 minute plays as part of their exam coursework. The emphasis was very much on fun and laughter as both plays were comedies, with the characters and storylines created by the girls and boys themselves. “D.W.A.G.A.M.s”( Darts wives and girlfriends and mums) was a comic look at an imaginary Great Britain Darts team and their supporters, who have had a few ups and downs on the way to the all important World championships. It starred Owen Charlton, Charlotte Ziff, Tom Howarth, Emily Johnston, Tom Thrower and Olivia Baines. There were also some poignant moments where each character in soliloquy looks back at a low point in their life. “Nannies on the Net” was about a group of nannies who discuss some of the more difficult families for whom they have worked. Izzy Stevenson Olds, Mia Broomhall, Lydia Grocott, Jamie Oakes, and Matt Hall each played a nanny , but in this multi role comedy they also took the parts of little children, other family members, and even dogs and cats in this amusing drama. There was also a serious side to the Drama as each of the nannies reveals a tragic moment in their personal life. Deputy Head, James Hartley said: ‘These girls and boys have shown great imagination and comic timing in what were two hilarious productions. Each of the students also performed a highly effective soliloquy with great confidence and maturity.’
09/02/2012	Netball matches played in spite of weather Category: General Although a significant number of sports fixtures have been cancelled because of the bad weather, the girls have managed to play some of their netball fixtures. Unfortunately all of yesterday’s football and Boys hockey fixtures were lost due to the hard pitches and ice on the astroturfs. However, the Junior girls’ netball teams played back to back matches in the warmth of the Sports Hall, against St Joseph’s Prep School, and the Under 15s and Under 14s played Chellaston. The Under 15s beat Chellaston 17-4. Holly Brown and Jo Carter shared time at Wing Defence, Eleanor Hodson Walker was strong at Goal Defence and Dani Brosnan was in good shooting form. For the Under 14s, who won 18-8, Maddie Pollen and Olivia Cridland were strong in the circle, and Millie Dyer and Libby Bull worked tirelessly in mid court. Although the girls lost all four fixtures against St Joseph’s, they played some fast and exciting netball, and both Harriet Duke and Maddie Nicholson played particularly well for the Under 12 A team. The photo shows the Under12 A half time team talk.
23/01/2012	Oxbridge Success Category: General Congratulations to Upper 6^th student Ruth Taylor, who has just heard that she has been offered a conditional place at the University of Cambridge. Ruth, who has already attained 10 A*s and 1 A grade at GCSE, has a conditional offer to read History at Homerton College. She is currently studying ‘A’ levels in History, Chemistry, and Economics. Ruth is also a talented musician who plays the saxophone and flute. She is in the College Orchestra, the Swing Band, and the Jazz Ensemble, and she is also a member of the College choir.
23/01/2012	Netball matches against Uppingham Category: Sport The girls played a block fixture of 9 fixtures against Uppingham School, Rutland, and Denstone won 3, drew 2 and lost 4. The Girls 1^st VII had an impressive 36-34 victory, with both Emily Coleman and Becky Brealey in top shooting form. For the 2^nd VII who lost by just one goal, Emily Lewis and Alice Woodings played particularly well and the 3^rd VII won 10-8 with some accurate shooting from Liv Baines, Hannah Syner-Fellows and Chloe Roden. The Under 15 A team was well beaten, but the B team took a well deserved draw with Jamie Birkett playing particularly well. The Under 14 A team also lost and again the B team fought hard for a draw with Yasmin Taylor superb in defence. The C team lost 10-17 in an exciting match in which Alice Bell made some timely interceptions. The Under 13A team also had a close game and came out victorious. Denstone were losing 7-10 going into the final quarter, but fought back with great determination for an 11-10 win. Izzy Hosein and Tamiya Cunningham played particularly well for the Under 13s.
10/01/2012	New buildings update Category: General Work on the new English classrooms and the pavilion on the Adamson’s pavilion continues. Indeed, the pavilion is nearing completion with all the internal tiling finished and internal decoration well under way. Under floor heating is being installed and the shower areas have been tiled, wash basins are in place and work on changing room seating has started. The contractors are working equally hard on the new English classroom block. The men are putting roof tiles in place and the windows for both the ground floor and first floor will be arriving shortly.
10/01/2012	Denstone trio play County rugby Category: Sport Three boys in the 3^rd form, George Boughey, Levi Davis, and Ben White, played for Staffordshire Under 14s against Shropshire last Saturday. Although Staffordshire lost, it was a close and exciting game and Levi Davis scored the county’s opening try after a determined run which saw him go over the line in the tackle. The final score was 17-12, Staffordshire’s first match of the season, and the boys enjoyed the occasion.
19/12/2011	1st XV rugby team undefeated Category: Sport The College 1^st XV Rugby team, captained by Chris Galloway, is undefeated for the second time in the last three seasons. The team played 9, winning 7 matches and drawing 2. Over the season, they scored a total of 23 tries and showed rock solid defence by conceding only 8 tries in those matches. There were some close and exciting matches through the season, including a 6-3 win over Kirkham Grammar School, a 22-10 victory over Bromsgrove and, most recently, a 38-7 win against King’s, Macclesfield. Two year’s ago the 1st XV was undefeated and last season the team lost only one match, so this caps three superb seasons where the overall record is played 33, won 29, drawn 3 and lost 1. During those seasons the team scored 146 tries and conceded only 31, a magnificent achievement by the players. Headmaster David Derbyshire was delighted by the team’s success: ‘Many congratulations to all those young men who have represented the 1^st XV with such distinction this term. They have played with flair and skill, and particularly impressive has been their defensive record. My particular thanks go to Director of Rugby, Nick Hill, and his 1^st XV co coach, Jon Tuxford.’
19/12/2011	Girls picked for National Youth Girls' Choir Category: Music Two girls have just learnt that they have been chosen for the National Youth Girls’ Choir of Great Britain, after auditions which took place in November. First former Yasmin Dugdale, aged 11, and Dani Brosnan, aged 14, who is the 4^th form, in her first year of GCSEs, are both members of the College Chapel Choir. Both Yasmin and Dani are also in the Girls’ Chamber choir. Director of Music, Mike Skipper said: ‘Congratulations to both Dani and Yasmin, who are both talented singers. I wish them every success with the National Youth Girls’ Choir.’
19/12/2011	College's Impressive Inspection report is published Category: General As far as inspections go, the report just received from ISI (Independent Schools’ Inspectorate) is probably as good as it is possible to be. “Excellence” is the dominant word being used to describe the education the school provides. It is particularly difficult to achieve an “Excellent” for the category of Teaching, which the College has indeed done. This judgement follows hot on the heels of the Ofsted Boarding Inspection, which found the College to be “Outstanding” with, unusually, no recommendations for improvement. Taken together, the two reports must surely put Denstone College at the top of the inspection tree. The report findings are testament to the hard work of staff and pupils at Denstone, where pupil numbers have grown by 350% over the last fifteen years, taking into account the abolition of assisted places. ISI Inspectors made the following observations: The quality of academic and other achievements The quality of teaching is excellent The quality of pupils’ achievement and of their learning is good with excellent features The quality of curricular provision is good with excellent features, and the quality of extra-curricular provision is excellent The quality of pupils’ personal development The quality of pupils’ personal development is excellent Pastoral care and the arrangements for welfare, health and safety are excellent Boarders enjoy an excellent* boarding experience* The effectiveness of governance, leadership and management The governing body’s support of the development of the school is excellent Leadership and management of the College are excellent* fully supporting the school’s aims* Links with parents are excellent Inspectors also made particular reference to investment in the development of buildings and facilities since the last inspection. The last few years have seen a new Music School, new classrooms, new Medical centre and work is currently underway on a new classroom block and a sports pavilion. All boarding areas and day living accommodation have been refurbished, with all senior boarding in the main school now being en suite, and girls’ boarding has been extended. Sports facilities have also been extended by the addition of two new synthetic turf pitches, new games pitches and new netball courts. The Inspection team remarked that ‘the pupils’ sporting success is a particular strength of the school, while those whose interests lie in more aesthetic pursuits also achieve at a high level.’ Headmaster David Derbyshire was particularly pleased when the Inspection team confirmed that ‘the College is highly successful in meeting its aims to develop achievement, confidence and happiness in its pupils.’ He said “the inspectors found what we already believed, namely ‘high academic achievement results from excellent teaching, and pupils are a delight to meet, courteous and engaging. They are grounded individuals who combine honesty and directness with a keen sense of compassion, reflected in their support for charities … they respect and celebrate each other’s individual strengths and interests.’ The results of this rigorous inspection are proof of the hard work and commitment of pupils and staff at Denstone.” For full details of the ISI report click on the link on the College home page.
18/12/2011	Grease is the Word Category: Drama The Christmas Term at Denstone College ended on a high note with the School production of the musical ‘Grease’. Just over forty girls and boys were involved in the show which was performed over four nights in front of a total of 800 people. ‘Grease’ is set in Rydell High School in California in 1959. New girl Sandy has caught the eye of Danny Zuko, who, along with Kenickie, lead the ‘T-Birds’, a gang of super cool, leather clad teenagers. Sandy hangs out with the ‘Pink Ladies’, a group of girls under the leadership of the formidable Rizzo. 6^th formers Ben Edwards and Alice Bradshaw Smith played Danny and Sandy, while Harry Morgan and Hope Brough were Kenickie and Rizzo. Charlotte Kiely, Lottie Wright , Rosie Cammack, and Emily Beech were the rest of the Pink Ladies, and Ben Gosling, Dan Beardsmore, Chris Norman, and Tom Lush were the other T Birds. An ensemble of girls and boys aged 15-18 made up the rest of the cast who sang and danced their way through a series of well known favourites including ‘Summer Nights’, ‘You’re the one that I want’ and ‘Greased Lightning’. The finale of “We go together” performed by the whole cast was simply outstanding - a fitting climax to a superlative production. The whole cast threw themselves whole heartedly into the production and performed with great enthusiasm and obvious enjoyment to give a lively, colourful and thoroughly entertaining production, complete with live band and choreographed routines. The play was co directed by Mel Oakes, Head of English at the College, and Drama teacher, Viv Derbyshire, with musical support from Director of Music, Mike Skipper. Headmaster, David Derbyshire said ‘ Not surprisingly this was a complete sell out. Audiences were impressed by the high standard of both of the acting and the singing and dancing. The result was a highly professional production and I would like to thank the whole cast and crew for giving us such top rate entertainment.’
12/12/2011	Mr Sherwani to carry Olympic torch Category: General Imran Sherwani, Director of Hockey at Denstone College, has just learnt that he is going to be one of the Olympic torch carriers in the build up to the London 2012 Olympic Games. Imran won fame in 1988 as part of the Great Britain Hockey team who won the gold medal at Seoul, and he was one of the goal scorers in their 3-0 win over West Germany. He is one of 20 who will carry the Olympic torch around the city of Stoke on Trent at the end of May 2012. Imran said: ‘ I am honoured to be part of the London Olympics. I hope that the Games inspire people from this area to take up sporting challenges and achieve their goals.’
09/12/2011	Kristian selected for media project Category: General Lower 6^th form student Kristian Parton has been selected out of thousands of budding photographers to take part in the National “20-20 Vision” media project. The part-Government funded programme will take two years to complete and aims to show the links between healthy eco-systems and healthy living by using a variety of medium including photography. Only 20 “young champions” were selected in the UK wide project and Kristian, who is just 17, is the youngest participant. He has the unique and very exciting opportunity to work alongside acclaimed professional wildlife photographer Danny Green who acts as his mentor. With a particular focus on “Forests”, Kristian, who is taking AS level Art amongst his As subjects, has already started photographing red deer, owls, butterflies and badgers. The final project will be published on www.2020v.org next year.
09/12/2011	Under 12s watch Tigers in action Category: Sport Last Saturday, a squad of 20 of the College’s youngest Rugby players spent the day at Welford Road, home of the Aviva Premiership Leicester Tigers Rugby team. The boys, who are all in the First Form, went with their Under 12 Rugby coach Paul Brice and Director of Rugby Nick Hill. They attended a coaching session at the Tigers’ training ground in the morning and then watched the Tigers v Northampton Saints Premiership match in the afternoon. It was a thrilling end to end encounter which Tigers won 30-25. Nick Hill said: ‘This was a successful trip to the Leicester Tigers. Trips like these widen the boys’ rugby experience and helps to inspire our younger players .’
09/12/2011	Dan is selected for England Under 18s Category: Sport Hockey goalkeeper, Dan Darby, who is in the 5^th form, has just learnt that he has been selected for the final England Under 18 hockey squad for the 2011-12 season. Dan, who is still only 16 and taking his GCSEs in the Summer of 2012, took part in the England Assessment camp in November, and from that he was selected as one of three goalkeepers for the Under 18 squad. Director of Hockey, Imran Sherwani, was delighted by the news: ‘It is an amazing achievement for Dan to get into the Under 18 squad in view of his age. He is an incredibly dedicated player and we all wish him every success in the England set up.
08/12/2011	PE students inspired at Leeds Category: General Boys and girls aged between 15 and 18 who are studying PE at GCSE and A level, went to Leeds Metropolitan University on their annual PE department Sports Science experience day trip at the end of November. Just over 50 PE students spent the day on the Headingly Campus of LMU, where they were given a tour of the Sports Science facilities, took part in a battery of fitness tests and completed workshops on Body Composition and Spirometry. The day concluded with an inspirational talk from Tom Bosworth, a member of the Great Britain Race Walking team. Tom is an Olympic hopeful for London 2012, who combines his training with full time study at Leeds Met, and he was able to give our students an insight into the life of an elite athlete. Simon Francis, PE teacher and Head of Shrewsbury House said: ‘The boys and girls enjoyed the use of top class Sports Science facilities. They were excellent ambassadors for the College and the day was a roaring success.’
05/12/2011	Val retires after 28 years service Category: General Local woman , Mrs Valerie Redfern, the Domestic Services Manager at Denstone College, retires this Christmas, after 28 years of working at the College. Val, who lives in Rocester, and is originally from Hognaston, near Ashbourne, began working at Denstone in 1983. She was appointed Domestic Services Manager in 1989. In this role she is responsible for the domestic management of the entire College, from cleaning to laundry and to a multitude of other duties associated with the running of a busy School. She manages a team of 28 who tidy classrooms and polish corridors, run the laundry, and clean both Day and Boarding areas for the 590 girls and boys who attend the school. In the last ten years Val has also worked particularly hard during the Summer months when the College facilities are let out to visitors. This Summer, she was presented with a signed Manchester United Football shirt by the United Soccer School coaches in appreciation of her hard work during their stays at the College. Val, who has worked under four different Headmasters during her time at the College, is looking forward to her retirement. She and her husband, David, plan to spend time in Cornwall, a favourite holiday destination, and she is looking forward to spending time with friends and family. Deputy Head, James Hartley said: ‘Val is well organised, efficient, and approachable. She leads her team by example, she sets a high standard of excellence, and her attention to detail ensures that the College interiors always look excellent. In short, Val is a much loved and respected member of the Denstone College community. We wish her every happiness as the next chapter of her life begins.’
28/11/2011	Choir perform at Christmas Fair Category: Music Just over twenty members of the Denstone College choir took part in the Christmas Fair held at the Denstone Farm Shop, last week. The girls and boys, lead by Miss Jane Morris, sang a variety of Christmas carols to add to the festive spirit at the Farm Shop, where mince pies and mulled wine were served to shoppers, and youngsters had the chance to meet Santa. The event was a great success attracting a lot of visitors, including a number of parents and boarders who came down to join in the festivities after their supper. Deputy Head, James Hartley said: “It was a really well organised event, and with the choir singing some of the classic carols, it certainly put everyone in the mood for Christmas."
27/11/2011	Six out of six for Denstone Girls Category: Sport Denstone College’s girls’ hockey teams won all their matches in their weekend fixtures against Mount St Mary’s College, near Sheffield. In their six matches, Denstone scored a total of 32 goals, conceding only 3, displaying a potent combination of attacking flair and solid defence. The 1^st XI won their match 3-0. Denstone dominated from the start, passing well and creating plenty of scoring opportunities. Hope Brough and Liv Gallagher put pressure on the Mount’s defence and Lizzie Edgecombe and Lili Achterwinter were in commanding form in midfield. It was Lili Achterwinter who broke the deadlock with a powerful strike from the top of the D, and further goals were added by Mia Broomhall and Ricky Campe. For the 2^nd XI, Olivia Newport and Emily Johnston were energetic in midfield, and Charlotte Kiely and Annabelle Collingwood were strong in defence. Chloe Roden and Jenny Sheppard both scored two goals and Juli Francis scored another to bring the final score to 5-1 to Denstone. Both the Under 15s and Under 14s won their games convincingly. Elspeth Varley scored a hat trick and Niamh Cahill slotted two more as the Under 15s won 5-0. For the under 14s, great passing and support play were the keys to a comprehensive 7-0 victory, where Ellie Bokros was top scorer with four goals to her credit. The Under 13s created plenty of chances, thanks to some excellent passing from Emily Bailey and Isabelle Hosein. Goalkeeper Liv Whitcomb and Tilly Parkinson showed up well in defence with great saves and strong tackles. Tammy Cunningham had some great shots on goal and Molly Draycott scored a couple of backboard smashers to give Denstone a 4-2 win. The Under 12s played with excellent commitment and determination. Maddie Nicholson was dominant in midfield, Josie Brown was strong in the tackle, and the goals freely flowed. Harriet Duke and Georgia Wright both scored hat tricks as the Under 12s finished the match 8-0 winners and Denstone completed a laudable six out of six on the day.
24/11/2011	Rachel reaches Fencing final Category: Sport Rachel Silvey, a 4th form student, took part in the East Midlands Youth Fencing Championship, held last weekend in Loughborough, and she reached the final of the Under 14 Girls epee competition. Rachel, who fences at Denstone on a Saturday, and is a member of the 3 Blades Club in Ashbourne, came second and won the silver medal- an excellent achievement.
20/11/2011	Elloise makes the top 40 Category: Music 13 year old Elloise Houghton, who is in the 3^rd form at the College, entered this year’s National Young Drummer of the Year competition, for drummers aged 16 or under, and reached the short list of the top 40. She was the only girl to make the top 40. The National Young Drummer of the Year competition is in its tenth year. Those who enter have to compose and perform a two minute drum solo or drum piece which is filmed and submitted to the organizers. There were well over 500 entries this year from the country’s best young players, and the top list has been shortlisted from their video entries. A list of ten finalists will be published on 1 December and those finalists will perform in front of a panel of well known drummers and music industry specialists. Elloise’s drum teacher, Jon Broberg, who is a peripatetic drum teacher at Denstone, has three students in this year’s top 40. He said: ‘ I have been teaching Elloise for about three years, and she is a really talented player. She has worked very hard, and to be selected in the top 40 nationally at only 13 is a fantastic achievement.’
20/11/2011	First teams Win again Category: Sport The Boy’s Rugby and Girls’ Hockey first teams beat Ellesmere College and Ratcliffe College respectively. The 1^st XV won 20-3 to maintain their undefeated season, while the Girls 1^st XI beat Ratcliffe 6-0. Against Ellesmere, the Rugby team had to work tremendously hard. Determined Denstone defence kept out the opposition whose only points came from a penalty, but particularly impressive was ball retention and skill in the contact area. Flanker James Wedgwood and Hooker Jack Fielding stood out in what was a superb all round team performance. Jack Fielding scored one try, and winger Saeed Agboke scored two, showing a fine turn of speed when put into space. Team captain Chris Galloway hit one penalty and one conversion to complete the 20-3 victory. The 1^st XI Hockey team, Staffordshire Under 18 champions, was also in top form with a convincing win over their Leicestershire rivals, Ratcliffe. The goals came from Hope Brough, Lili Achterwinter, Liv Gallagher and Ricky Campe and the team played particularly well in the second half. The 2^nd XI also beat Ratcliffe, with Juli Francis and Jenny Sheppard scoring the goals for a 2-0 victory.
20/11/2011	Shrewsbury House 'Help for Heroes' Category: General Shrewsbury House held a fund raising evening for the Help for Heroes charity on Friday 11 November to coincide with Remembrance Day. Over one hundred pupils, parents, and friends supported the evening which included a quiz, refreshments, and raffle to which parents generously donated prizes. Together with a money from a quiz that was held in the Tavern, the village pub, on Monday 13^th, a total of £693.56 was raised. The highlight of the Shrewsbury evening for many was listening to two informative and moving presentations made by Captain Richard Sawyer of 1 Mercian regiment and WO2 Gordon Dunderdale of the Royal Corps of Signals. Both have served recently in Afghanistan and they provided a real insight into the work of servicemen and women who are out there. Simon Francis, Head of Shrewsbury was delighted by the success of the evening. He said: ‘I would really like to thank everyone who attended for their generosity. It was a great evening in support of a very worthy cause.’
18/11/2011	Roof in place on new classroom block Category: General Grey November skies, but the work continues apace on the new Adamson’s Pavilion and Tookey’s, the new classroom block at the front of school. The roof trusses for Tookey’s have just been delivered and the men have started to build the brick work around the roof space. The building is scheduled to be finished in April 2012, after which it will be kitted out ready for teaching to begin there in September 2012.
14/11/2011	Young ODs watch Denstone victories Category: General It was great to see a huge amount of parental support for all the Rugby and hockey matches, which took place on a very busy weekend at Denstone. There was a total of 19 Rugby and hockey fixtures played, either home or away, with block fixtures against Ellesmere for the boys and Ratcliffe for the girls. It was particularly good to see a number of young Old Denstonians amongst the crowds who watched the 1^st XV beat Ellesmere 20-3 and the 1^st XI girls’ hockey team who had a 6-0 win over Ratcliffe.
13/11/2011	Under 14s are County Champs Category: Sport The Under 14 girls hockey team took part in the county finals, and following four wins out of four, they are now Staffordshire champions. The Under 14s are enjoying an excellent season which includes victories over Wrekin, Worksop and King’s School, Macclesfield, so they started the county finals with confidence. The girls played with determination, moving the ball with skill and pace and they won all their four matches against Stafford Grammar (1-0), Chase Academy (4-0), Newcastle School (1-0), and King Edward’s, Lichfield (3-0). The Denstone defence was in top form and the team did not concede a goal throughout the finals. The whole squad contributed to a really successful day and the girls will now represent Staffordshire in the Midland Zone final which will be played on Wednesday 16 November.
09/11/2011	Under 15s into 5th round of the Daily Mail Category: Sport Denstone College’s Under 15 rugby team is into the 5^th round of the Daily Mail Cup with a 10-8 victory over King’s School, Macclesfield. This makes them one the last 64 teams in this national competition. In a close and exciting match, the Denstone defence was outstanding. Alex Holt and Charlie Venables put in some timely tackles, particularly in the second half where the whole team had to fend off a spirited opposition. Eric Draycott led the attack with flair and poise and Ben Cherry scored two tries, one on either side of half time to give the win to Denstone. This is the first time that a Denstone team has reached this stage of the competition, so it was an outstanding victory for the Under 15s, which was the result of a powerful display from the forwards, who worked hard to create quality ball, and from the backs who defended and attacked aggressively. Congratulations to the whole squad.
09/11/2011	Cakes for the Xmas Fair Category: General A big thanks to all those parents who are already baking or have delivered cakes and biscuits for the Friends of Denstone Christmas Fair, which will be held in the Drill Hall on Saturday 12 November from 1.00pm- 4.00pm. We hope that parents and pupils will drop in during Saturday afternoon. A particularly big thank you already to Wright's Bakery, Stoke on Trent, who are delivering pastries and biscuits on Saturday morning for sale during the Chirstmas fair. If you would like to send in a cake, biscuits, mince pies, flapjacks etc, please ask your son or daughter to deliver them to the Lodge ( reception ) on Friday or Saturday morning.
06/11/2011	International Evening in the College Category: General Denstone girls and boys put on an International Evening last Friday. The aim was to showcase various countries around the world with which Denstonians have a particular contact. Girls and boys of all ages, both day pupils and boarders, set up stands for a variety of countries in the Schoolroom .They displayed maps and flags, brought along food and dishes particular to their country, and displayed information in a variety of colourful and creative ways. Amongst the countries represented were China, Germany, Holland, Mexico, Norway, Quatar, Russia, South Africa, Spain,Tanzania, and the USA. A little closer to home were the Isle of Man and Scotland. The International theme actually began in Chapel in the late afternoon: a number of the prayers in the 5.00pm service were read out in a variety of languages, including French, German, Spanish, Russian and Chinese, with the translations displayed for the congregation to follow. The evening itself, organized by Mr Norris, head of Senior School, actually began at 7.30pm. A number of pupils, staff, and parents walked around the stands, finding out about a wide range of countries, their languages and customs. They also had the opportunity to sample food and drink which included sweetmeats and humous from Quatar, Chinese tea, chorizo from Spain and biltong from South Africa, and breakfast toppings from Holland. Headmaster, David Derbyshire said: “ This is the first International Evening that we have held at the College. It has been a great success, giving students the opportunity to discover more about other nations, and I would like to thank all those who took part.”
06/11/2011	Under 16 girls are county champions Category: General The Under 16 girls hockey team are Staffordshire Champions, following victories over Newcastle and King Edward’s, Lichfield, in the county finals held last Thursday. Denstone first played Newcastle Under Lyme School. Niamh Cahill dominated from the centre midfield and Chloe Roden was in top form down the right hand of the pitch. Hattie Brandon scored a magnificently struck penalty corner, Holly Brown scored also scored a goal and Chloe Roden bagged two to give Denstone a 4-0 win. Against King Edward’s, it was a close and exciting encounter. Jamie Birkett and Hattie Brandon scored one each and a superb individual goal from Niahm Cahill sealed a 3-1 victory for Denstone. As Staffordshire Champions, Denstone will now represent the county in the Midland Zone finals which will be held on Monday 14 November.
05/11/2011	England call ups for Dan and Millie Category: Sport Dan Darby, aged 16, currently in the 5^th form in his GCSE year, and Millie Dyer, who is 13 and in the 3^rd form, have both received call ups from England in their particular sport. Dan Darby is an outstanding hockey goalkeeper. Following his attendance at the High Performance Assessment Camp for Under 17 England hopefuls, he has just learnt that he has been selected for trials for the England Under 18 squad. This is a huge achievement for a young man who is young for this age group. Dan, who is pictured here playing for England in a recent match against Belgium, is taking part in the Under 18 trials on 25 and 26 November at National Sports Centre at Lilleshall. Millie Dyer represents the Denstone College Under 14s in Rounders, Netball and Hockey. She has just found out that, following trials, she has been picked for the England Under 14 Rounders squad. Millie is currently injured (her wrist is in plaster following a fall on an astro playing hockey) but she is champing at the bit to get back into action. Congratulations to both Dan and Millie on these national successes.
29/10/2011	Denstonians impressive at Equestrian Finals Category: Sport A team of Denstone horse riders, aged from 11- 16, took part in the National Schools Equestrian Association (NSEA) finals on the weekend of 23 and 24 October. They represented the College in three classes- the Novice, Intermediate, and Open Show jumping with style classes. On the Saturday, a team of Will Prince riding on Riley, Lydia Parrott on Pip, Shannon Grainger on Teddy, and Mary Parrott on Chancer took part in the Intermediate Class (90cm). They produced three clear rounds and achieved a creditable third place. On the Sunday, Mary Parrott again riding on Chancer, Shannon Grainger again with Teddy, Katy Prince on Mell, and Georgia Wright on Fleur took part in the Novice Class ( 80 cm). The team achieved an impressive second place overall, and Mary Parrott, aged 14, did particularly well, achieving maximum style marks, never awarded before, to win the class and therefore become National Champion. A relatively young team (Katy Prince is just 12 and Georgia Wright is still only 11) performed enthusiastically, and Mary Parrott’s first place is particularly impressive.
17/10/2011	1st and Under15Bs are still undefeated Category: Sport The College 1^st XV and Under 15 B teams remain undefeated after weekend fixtures against Kirkham Grammar School, near Preston. A superb defensive performance by Denstone’s First team provided the backbone for an outstanding victory against a strong Kirkham side. Ferocious tackling by the whole team and excellent work by the forwards at the breakdown forced Kirkham errors and captain Chris Galloway kicked two first half penalties to give Denstone a 6-3 half time lead. Despite a scoreless second half, there was no shortage of excitement and nail biting action for a large crowd , which included a number of younger Old Denstonians as well as some from the 1960s, including representatives of the undefeated 1966 1^st XV. Excellent Denstone defence repeatedly repelled Kirkham attacks. In the final minutes Kirkham came close on several occasions, but Denstone held on for a much deserved victory. The 2^nd XV also won their fixture. Denstone went ahead 10-0 in the first quarter with tries from Bertie Winstone and Ben Bryan. However, Kirkham bounced back and Denstone had to be resolute in defence. John Proctor scored a try and Ed Meredith had two more, while James Kirkham kicked two conversions. The 2^nd team were a real credit to the College, working hard and playing with intensity throughout. Although Kirkham won most of the fixtures, the Under 14 A and Under 15 A results ( 5-7 and 19-22) were particularly close. The Under 15 B team put on a strong performance for a deserved win over Kirkham. Denstone lead 12-7 at half time and after the break the forwards really picked up the pace. Harrison Travis and Sam Castillo regularly broke the gain line and scored a try each. Tries also came from Josh Murcott, Henry Colley and George Bradshaw Smith (2), and Gareth Sandbrook slotted four conversions to keep the Under 15 Bs undefeated record intact going into half term.
13/10/2011	Drama at Denstone Category: Drama 22 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 emphasis was very much on fun and laughter as all three were comedies. The girls and boys themselves created the characters and storylines from scratch. “ The Mix Up” was set in a Boy Scout Camp, where the boys are disconcerted to find that the Brownies are there as well. Kirsty Edwards, Alice Walsh, and Holly Brown were the competitive Brownies, and Will Langston, Gareth Sandbrook, and Ollie Keeling were scouts. Ed Williams played their accident prone leader. In “Hen Party Horrors”, the “Bride to be” (Abi Jones), her mum (Tori Salt), and friend (Ellie Hampton) are going out for night of celebration. Along the way they meet up with a wacky mix of characters including hairdressers, clubbers, and dancers, all played by Caius Fitzgerald, Hector Christodoulou, Matt Astbury, and Charlie Wootton. The final play was “Dating Disasters”, in which therapists Alexa (Chloe Pearson) and Jenkins (Tom Cadman) are trying to boost the confidence of an assortment of characters looking for love, played by Jo Carter, Holly Hutchings, Harry Price, Ollie Hankins, Andy Donald, and Jack Pritchard. Headmaster David Derbyshire was impressed by the high standard of acting: “ These girls and boys have only just started their GCSE Drama course, and they have certainly shown a lot of confidence in this performance. An impressive start.”
09/10/2011	Magnificent seven for Denstone Category: General Denstone College’s Rugby teams won six out of their seven fixtures against Worksop College, Nottinghamshire, at the weekend, scoring a total of 208 points, and conceding only 37. Denstone’s 2^nd XV were 0-3 down at half time, but really turned on the style in the second half, scoring 5 tries to end the match 27-3 winners. The forwards scrummaged superbly and the front row of Kyle Yeomans, Charlie Brandon, and Anthony Burgess were outstanding. The try scorers were Bertie Winstone (2), Matt Carrick, Callum Nicholls, and Dougie Oldham. James Kirkham added a conversion. Denstone’s 3rd team, the Crusaders, were 7-5 in the lead at the start of the second half, but then added another 17 unanswered points. James Longman scored 2 tries, Ross Bennett and Andrew Kearns scored one each and Ben Edwards slotted 2 conversions. Direct running from Harry Morgan and Ben Jones and solid defence particularly from Matt Burnhope, James Higgs, and James Longman secured a 24-5 Denstone victory. The Under 15 A team lost their match 7-24 but the Denstone front five were tireless and the backs, lead by Ben Burrows, showed real ambition. James Parker was fearless in the tackle and Ben Cherry scored the Denstone try, converted by Charlie Venables. The Under 15 B team won a close game. 0-0 at the break, the B team came out for the second half all guns blazing , no doubt fired up by Mr Jones’ half time talk. Tries by Sam Castillo and Rory Jackson, who also hit a penalty and a conversion, secured the 15-5 win. Not to be outdone, the Under 15 C won 55-0. There were tries aplenty with Josh Prince scoring a hat trick, and one try each from Tom Wilcher, Oliver Keeling, Charlie Wootton, Andrew Lush, Matt Astbury, and Jamie Teather, who also hit 3 conversions. The Under 14 A team also completely dominated their game, giving a excellent display of running Rugby. Tries came from Tom Ward (2), Austin Coates (3), Levi Davis ( 2), and Rory Smithson. Ben White hit 3 conversions and Elliot Klein added another to bring the score to 59-0. The Under 14 B team were tied at half time, but after the break the tries came from Sam Brown, Jack Jones, and James Hopwood, duly converted by James Tonks and Will Godfrey (2). Henry Hilton dominated up front as the team won 21-0.
09/10/2011	Denstone girls wreak havoc at Wrekin Category: General The 1^st and 2^nd girls’ hockey teams playing away at Wrekin, in Telford, won their fixtures scoring 12 goals in total, while the Under 15s and 14s won their matches at home. No goals were conceded by any of the Denstone teams. The 1^st XI won their match 9-0. 1-0 up at half time, the Denstone girls added another 8 in the second half. The midfield trio of Lizzie Edgecombe, Emily Beech and Laura Schwieren were in dominating form and controlled the centre of the park . Liv Gallagher and Hope Brough scored two each, Mia Broomhall and Laura Schwieren got one each, and Ricky Campe scored a hat trick. Two of her goals came from penalty corners, and the last was a superb solo effort in the last move of the match. The 2^nd team poured on the pressure with eight penalty corners in the first half, but in spite of good possession and territorial advantage it was scoreless at half time. Paige Green then broke the deadlock with a well taken goal and Emily Coleman added two more for a 3-0 Denstone victory. For the Under 15s, Hattie Brandon was a constant thorn in the Wrekin side, harrying and pressurizing the opposition and winning possession for Denstone. The goals came from Amber Holegate and Jamie Birkett and Denstone won 2-0. The Under 14s moved the ball with confidence and pace. Francesca Duke scored a hat trick, and Megan Dawson and Frankie Banton got one each. Both Megan Atkins and Siobhan Carlin played brilliantly on their debuts for the team, as the Under 14s emerged 5-0 winners to end a highly successful afternoon for Denstone, with a total of 19 goals scored, none conceded, and all four matches won.
09/10/2011	1st Xv Undefeated Category: General The 1^st XV had a tight and physical encounter against Yarm School, County Durham, but Denstone emerged with their 100% record intact with three wins out of three. Yarm were a strong and determined opposition and powered into the lead with a try after 23 minutes. Denstone remained positive and reduced the deficit through an Alex Thomson penalty. Right on the stroke of half time, after great work from Louis Dewsbury and Josh Miller, Ashley Elvers, forced his way over for a try to give Denstone an 8-7 half time lead. In the second half the lead changed hands four times in a nail biting and exciting encounter where Denstone’s defence had to be well organized and tenacious. In the end, the power, desire, and determination of the team and the boot of Alex Thomson, who added another 3 penalties, saw Denstone emerge 17-13 winners. They are now looking forward to a home fixture against Kirkham Grammar next Saturday.
09/10/2011	James wins tennis tournament Category: General Congratulations to 5^th form Tennis player, James Wetton, won the Stone LTA tournament at the weekend. He played for 8 hours in the pouring rain and he played a number of opponents who were higher ranked on the LTA ratings, beating the top four seeds to take the tournament title. During the half term break James is off to Los Angeles for winter coaching in sunny California. He will play and train at the exclusive Riviera Tennis Club in Los Angeles and he will also have the opportunity to train with Pete Sampras, the American tennis ace of the 90s, who is a member of the Riviera Club.
07/10/2011	Good weather sees Second floor construction Category: General During this spell of unseasonally good weather, the contractors are now building the second floor walls on Tookeys, the new English classroom block. Work on the construction of two new buildings began at the College at the end of June. They are the brand new English classroom block, which is going up at the front of the school, and a new pavilion which is being built on the Adamson’s playing fields. In addition to this work, the Adamson’s Astroturf has been resurfaced and two new netball courts have been constructed beside it. Headmaster, David Derbyshire said: ‘With 590 girls and boys currently in the school, we have reached capacity and there is a real buzz about the place. The completion of the new English block will contribute further to the teaching and the learning process at Denstone.”
01/10/2011	Under 15s in next round of Daily Mail Cup Category: Sport The Under 15 Rugby team have made a successful start to their season. They are undefeated and they won through to the next round of the Daily Mail Cup, after victory over St Joseph’s School, Stoke. Following their 17-5 win over Adam’s Grammar School, the Under 15s played St Joseph’s on a sunny afternoon at Denstone. Early mistakes meant that Denstone gave the ball away in the opening exchanges, but they soon got going. Excellent rucking from the forwards produced some quality ball, which ultimately lead to seven tries. Ben Cherry scored a hat trick, Charlie Venables scored 2 ( and 3 conversions) and Alex Holt and JJ Gallagher scored one try each , with Jake Pope slotting a conversion to earn a 43-12 victory and a meeting with King’s School, Macclesfield in the next round.
30/09/2011	Tournament win for girls' hockey Category: Sport The girls 1st hockey team went to Wrekin College, in Telford, to compete in the their 7 a side tournament, from which Denstone returned victorious, having won all their matches and not conceded a single goal throughout the tournament. A squad of ten players all had playing time and 7 of the 9 outfield players all scored at least one goal during the tournament. The team was lead by Lizzie Edgecombe and Lili Achterwinter, Emily Beech, Mia Broomhall, Hope Brough, Ricky Campe, Lucy Dell, Gaby Ford, Liv Gallagher, and Laura Schwieren all had playing time either in the group matches or in the knock out stages. Strong defence and outstanding goalkeeping from Lucy Dell, meant that Denstone went into the knock out stages with confidence. In the semi final Denstone beat Wrekin 1-0 thanks to a Lili Achterwinter goal, and they progressed to the final to meet Ellesmere, a side that they had already beaten in the group stages. In the final Denstone won 3-0 with goals from Emily Beech, Lili Achterwinter and Lizzie Edgecombe. They returned home victorious with the trophy.
26/09/2011	Girls hockey teams make an impressive start Category: Sport The girls Middle and Junior hockey teams have made a very impressive start to their season. Against King’s School, Macclesfield five out of six teams won, scoring a total of 26 goals and conceding 7, and, most recently, the girls won all their fixtures against Lady Manners School, Bakewell, scoring 19 goals and conceding only one goal. The under 15s beat King’s School 4-0 with goals from Holly Brown ( 2), Hattie Brandon, and Mary Parrot. The Under 14 XI won a comprehensive 9-0 and the Under 13B team won 3-0 thanks to a Lillian Mitchell hat trick. The Under 13 As won 4-2, with Molly Draycott scoring all the goals, and some fine inter play between Emily Bailey and Isabelle Hosein leading to the fourth. Although the Under 12 A team were beaten 3-5, they played some sparkling hockey and Josie Brown scored Denstone’s opening goal. The Under 12 B team won 3-0. Yasmin Dugdale scored 2 and Millie Atherton added the third to end a successful day for the girls. The Under 13s, 14s, and 15s also had fixtures against Lady Manners. The Under15s won 4-0: Jamie Birkett scored twice and Hattie Brandon and Kirsty Edwards scored one each. For the Under 14s, both Ellie Bokros and Francesca Duke scored hat tricks in their 9-0 victory. The Under 13A team won 4-0 with goals coming from Molly Draycott ( 3) and Tamya Cunningham, while the B team won 2-1 thanks to tight defence and 2 goals from Jessica Nicklin.
23/09/2011	The cranes are here Category: General The second floor of the new classroom block is currently being constructed, and two cranes have been brought in to move large concrete blocks into place, as work continues on the two new building projects, the Tookey’s English classrooms at the front of school and the Adamson’s sports pavilion. On Tuesday, a 90 tonne crane arrived at the front of school. One of its jobs was to pick up and position a concrete staircase, which was quite a spectacle for the whole school, who were coming out for the full school photo at that time. The 50 tonne crane (pictured) came on Wednesday to help the workers as they prepare the second floor in Tookey’s. Meanwhile the roofing has gone onto the Adamson’s pavilion.
22/09/2011	James is all set for LA Category: General Tennis player James Wetton, who is in the 5^th form, has just been invited to attend a coaching session in Los Angeles, California, during the October half term. During the Summer break, James spent four weeks playing tennis in Barbados. One of the coaches there also works at the exclusive Riviera Tennis Club in Los Angeles and James has been invited to play and train there in October. He will also have the opportunity to train with Pete Sampras, the American tennis ace of the 90s, who is a member of the Riviera Club. James, who has recently been selected to play for the Staffordshire County tennis team, is really looking forward to the chance of having some rallies with ‘Pistol’ Pete, one of the tennis greats of the last twenty years.
20/09/2011	George gets invitation to England coaching Category: Sport Congratulations to 5th form student, George Prince, who has just received an invitation to attend an England scrum half coaching session The session is for potential England players at Under 16, Under 17 and Under 18 level, and it will take place in Leeds next Tuesday. George, who is still only 15, is the 1^st XV scrum half and played in the team’s first match of the season, a victory against Adam’s Grammar School, last Saturday. Last season he represented the Leicester Tigers Under 15s in the national 12s.
20/09/2011	Kieran wins medal in European championships Category: Sport Kieran Martin, who is in the Lower 6^th, and is currently World and European Under 17 windsurfing champion, has just had more success in the European championships. Kieran has just returned from the championships, held in Bulgaria last week, with a bronze medal in the Under 19 age group, quite an achievement for a young man who is still only 16 years old. Kieran also achieved considerable success in his GCSE exams. He had 11 passes ( grades A-C) , including 2 As and 5 As. Not surprisingly, one of his A*s was in Physical Education!
15/09/2011	World challengers paddle down the Thames Category: General Three 5^th form students, Simon Fearn, James Higgs, and Rannoch Linnell spoke in Tuesday chapel about their 135 mile canoe trip down the Thames. The boys took six days of grueling paddling to travel from Cricklade, the first navigable part of the Thames, to the beginning of the tidal section at Teddington Locks. They undertook the trip in the second week of the Summer holidays, immediately after their CCF camp. The aim of the trip was to raise money for their World Challenge expedition to Ecuador and the Galapagos islands next Summer, and they also donated 25% of the money raised to Cancer Research UK.
14/09/2011	Cadet Force win silver Category: General A team of girls and boys from the Combined Cadet Force (CCF) took part in the Brigade Shooting competition at the Kingsbury ranges last weekend, winning both individual and team honours. A team of eight (Charlotte Kiely, Jak Abrahams, Alex King, Macauley Pass, Cameron Macpherson, James Higgs, Tom Thrower, and Rannoch Linnell) spent the day shooting at targets at different distances. At the end of the competition Denstone was placed as the second highest CCF, close behind Malvern School. Macauley Pass, in the Lower 6^th, was the top CCF cadet and winner of a silver platter, and Charlotte Kiely and Jak Abrahams were the second CCF pair. It was a windy day, making it a challenging shoot, and Macauley did exceptionally well to score 68 out of 85, while Charlotte and Jak scored 63 and 61 respectively. Mr Menneer, master i/c the CCF for over 20 years now, and Mr McCammon, CSM and School Marshal, coached the team, who returned to the College, tired but elated at their success.
11/09/2011	Laura is a top player in pre season matches Category: Sport The girls 1^st team hockey squad took part in a pre season tournament at Oakham School in Leicestershire. We came up against some strong opposition, not least the host team. After narrow 0-1 defeats to Bedford School and Gresham’s, Norfolk, the girls had a good 3-0 win against Wellingborough and a 1-1 draw with Wellington, Berks. Laura Schwieren, playing in midfield, was spotted by the talent scouts, who named her one of the three ‘ players of the tournament’. She was presented with a glass trophy, which she is holding in the photo.
10/09/2011	U14s are county cricket champions Category: Sport The College Under 14 cricket XI played in the final of the Staffordshire county cup against Alleynes School in Stone and had a convincing victory to become county champions. In a 30 over match, Denstone batted first, posting a score of 250 for 4. Austin Crump ( 116 not out) and Ben Motley ( 82) were in top form and Connor Baynes- Holden chipped in with 20 off 11 balls at the end of the innings. The Denstone team then dominated in the field. Both Alleynes openers were run out and then the wickets tumbled. Joe Meakin, Austin Crump, and Connor Baynes –Holden all bowled well, but it was leg spinner Adam Purcell who did a huge amount of damage, taking 6 wickets for 2 in 6 overs, four of which were maidens. Alleynes were all out for 43 and Denstone were presented with the trophy as county champions. The Denstone team will now represent Staffordshire in the National Under 15 competition in 2012 and, no doubt, they will be looking to emulate the 2011 Under 15s who reached the final of this prestigious competition.
10/09/2011	Under 13s are Staffordshire champions Category: Sport The College’s Under 13 XI had a tough match against a strong team from John Taylor School in the final of the Staffordshire cricket competition. John Taylor batted first and made 95-6 from their 20 overs. Two outstanding catches from Denstone’s Harry Kettlewell took the top two batsmen and some good ground fielding kept the final score down to a reachable total. John Taylor then bowled and fielded very well, limiting Denstone with some pacy bowling. With typical grit and determination the Denstone batsmen managed well under pressure. John Kerfoot and Ben White were the pick of the bunch. Into the final over, George Boughey stepped up with Denstone needing 3 from the last three balls. He hit four runs to seal victory and see the College crowned as Under 13 Staffordshire champions.
10/09/2011	Under 12s win the county cricket final Category: Sport The College’s Under 12s played John Taylor School in the final of the county cup. In a low scoring but exciting match Denstone won to become this year’s Staffordshire county champions. In their 20 overs, Denstone scored 74-9. The pick of the batsmen were team captain Ed Barlow who scored 24 and Josh Hart who hit 13. Denstone needed to take early wickets, and that is exactly what they did. Ed Barlow ‘s tight bowling set the tone and the two bowling stars were Josh Hart ( 3 for 4 off 4 overs) and Alex Godfrey ( 3 for 8 off 4). A whole team effort in the field helped to secure victory as John Taylor were all out for 41 in 18 overs, and Denstone celebrated the win as 2011 county champions.
10/09/2011	Incredible treble for College cricketers Category: Sport The College’s Junior cricket teams are celebrating a unique treble. All three teams not only reached their age group finals, but they all won, making Denstone the 2011 Under 12, Under 13, and Under 14 Staffordshire county cricket . All three finals were played at the start of September. The Under 14s won against Alleynes, Stone by a convincing 207 runs, while both the Under 13s and Under 12s beat strong opposition from John Taylor School, Burton. Indeed the Under 13s won their match in the final over. The Under 14s will go through to represent Staffordshire in next year’s National Under 15 competition, in which the Denstone 2011 Under 15 team were not only crowned Midlands champions, but also reached the national final. The College has never before had all four age groups as Staffordshire county champions in the same year. Director of Cricket, Jane Morris said: 'This is an impressive clean sweep. I am really proud of our boys and their coaches.' Headmaster David Derbyshire was delighted by the news: “I congratulate all our boys who played some outstanding cricket in these pressure matches. Denstone cricket under the inspirational leadership of Jane Morris is going from strength to strength. At Junior level a combination of excellent coaching and hard work from the players is producing some outstanding young cricketers who I hope will go on to represent not only the College and County but also gain international honours.”
06/09/2011	Building projects update Category: General In spite of the Autumnal chill in the air, work continues apace on the two new building projects, the Tookey’s English classrooms at the front of school and the Adamson’s sports pavilion. Both the external and internal walls are going up in both buildings, and the next major step will be the roofing. As ever, the Tomlinsons construction team are working hard despite the unseasonal storms and cold. Deputy Head, James Hartley, said : ‘It is particularly good for the girls and boys to see these buildings already taking shape. This time next year they will be having lessons in the Tookey’s classrooms.’
01/09/2011	Outstanding Ofsted Boarding report Category: General The headmaster was delighted to announce in his end of year Speech that the provision for girls and boys who are boarding students has been judged “outstanding” and ‘of exceptionally high quality’, following an Ofsted inspection, carried out at the end of June. The Ofsted inspection team spent three days in the College. The team observed the daily routine, and spoke to many of the 140 students, who are boarders in the school of 570 girls and boys aged from 11-18. They sought the views of parents and also interviewed teachers and support staff including catering and medical staff at the College. In a detailed report, the inspection team recorded their findings. They wrote that ‘All boarders are valued and supported by effective and sensitive pastoral care’, and ‘boarders receive outstanding personal support from staff’. They confirmed that “boarders’ health and welfare needs are being actively promoted through established and effective services”. The report includes quotations from boys and girls. They include ‘staff really care and are great at challenging us to make a difference in the world’ and ‘catering staff are great and they work really hard,’ One boarder said: ‘I could not be at a better school, we have a great time and there are fantastic facilities here. There is no better place to board than Denstone.’ In the summary of their report, the Ofsted inspection team said: ‘The management of the boarding provision is very effective with skilled, experienced, and dedicated boarding staff, and, as a result, the college is providing an outstanding service to its boarders'. This is summed up by the parent who said “of all the schools we considered, it was the boarding arrangements at Denstone that set it apart from the others. Quite simply, superb!” Headmaster David Derbyshire said: ‘We are delighted by this Ofsted report, which confirms the effectiveness of our boarding arrangements at the College. Our aim is to ensure that all our girls and boys feel positive and confident. I am particularly pleased that the hard work of our support staff, the catering, domestic, and maintenance teams and our medical staff has been recognised in this report.’ The full Ofsted report is available here: 2011 Ofsted Boarding Report
01/09/2011	Harvey gets cricket success Category: General The College’s 1^st XI wicket keeper, Harvey Hosein, who is still only 15, was selected for the Midlands team which won the 25^th English Schools Cricket Association (ESCA) Bunbury Festival held at Monmouth School. The Bunbury Festival is a cricket competition for the best Under 15 players in the country. During the competition, Harvey won Best Wicket keeper and was awarded one of four scholarships to train for one week with the full England squad. He is also one of twelve players who have been invited to join the England Development Programme (EDP) starting in September. Jane Morris, Director of Cricket at the College, was delighted: “This is excellent news. Nine of the current England test team played in the Bunbury Festival when they were younger, so it highlights just what an outstanding player Harvey is. We wish him every success with his training with the EDP.”
25/08/2011	Excellent GCSE results Category: General 5^th form students at the College should be congratulated after achieving some outstanding results in their GCSE exams. 53% of all exams taken resulted in A* or A grades and an impressive 18% of all exams taken were As. Girls and boys did particularly well in a number of subjects. In Drama 91% of the students attained either A or A grade, and in Art 82% attained A* /A. In both Biology and Chemistry 87% of the girls and boys attained A/A. A number of girls and boys achieved some outstanding results. 13 students attained all A or A grades in the subjects that they studied: they are Tom Blundell, Becky Brealey, Rosie Cammack, Gemma Cozens, Lidia Everstova, Benedict Gosling, Nick Herbert, Tom Lush, Will Mason, Charlotte May, Kristian Parton, Colette Stewart, Annie Teather, and Alex Terry. Rosie Cammack did particularly well, attaining ten As and an A, while Tom Blundell, Lidia Everstova and Tom Lush all achieved eight As and three A grades. Headmaster David Derbyshire said: “We are delighted by the achievements of all our girls and boys. 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 51% A*/A at A level.'
22/08/2011	Kieran is World Champion Category: General 5th form student Kieran Martin, aged 16, is the new Under 17 World windsurfing Champion, and he also came first in this Summer’s Euro Games. Following his 2010 success in the Youth Olympics where he won a bronze medal, Kieran travelled to San Francisco, in July, full of confidence and the desire to improve on his third place. In the Techno 293 racing competition he had to fight all the way in every race but his tenacity was rewarded and he was crowned World Champion. At the beginning of August he competed in the Euro Games, held at the beautiful Lake Garda in northern Italy. Once again Kieran showed his class and skill to win the competition and he now the Under 17 European Windsurfing Champion. He has hardly had time to savour his success as he is currently in Plymouth training and next week he has been invited to attend the Ladies Olympic development squad training as he is not old enough to train with the Men’s squad. All this training is focusing on and preparing for the 2020 Olympics when Kieran will be 25 years old. Kieran said: ‘I can’t quite believe that I am Under 17 World Champion. I am really grateful to Oli Wilcock, my coach. I shall just keep working hard and hopefully keep improving.’ David Derbyshire, Headmaster, is delighted : ‘We are all really pleased that Kieran has achieved this success. He showed typical determination in competition and it is a fantastic achievement to be number one in the world in his age group.’
22/08/2011	New buildings taking shape Category: General Construction work is off to a flying start at the College, following the demolition of the old Adamson’s pavilion and the turreted building at the front of school. G F Tomlinson Building Ltd have made good use of the Summer weeks, and the two buildings, the Tookeys classroom block and the new Adamson’s pavilion, are beginning to take shape. On Tookeys, which will house ten new classrooms at the front of the College, the foundations have been laid and building work has been started on the super structure. On the Adamson’s pavilion, blockwork is up to head height and ducting work for water and electrical services is being carried out. Not only is this building work taking place, but the College is also refurbishing the Astroturf hockey pitch and building new netball courts close to the new Adamson’s pavilion. Deputy Head, James Hartley, said ‘It was exciting for me to return after a few weeks away to see how much further advanced these projects are.’
18/08/2011	Record A level results Category: General Upper 6th girls and boys at Denstone College are celebrating after achieving record results in their A level exams. 51 % of all exams taken resulted in A* or A grades, while an impressive 20% were As. 14 girls and boys out of a year group of 74 achieved all A or A grades in their exams, including Georgia Rought Whitta who got 3 As and secured a place at Wocester College, Oxford to read Chemistry and Sam Alderson whose 2 As and 2 As confirmed his place to read Economics at Gonville Caius College, Cambridge. Georgia Gough, Christian Green, Natasha Murcott, and Isla Trewin all achieved 2 A* s and one A grade. Students did particularly well in a number of subjects. In Art, all 45 students attained A* or A grades, and in Mathematics 71 % of students achieved A* or A grades, while in Economics 80 % of students achieved A*/A. Headmaster, David Derbyshire was delighted by the results: “This is an excellent set of results from a highly aspirational and hard working year group. I am really pleased that these girls and boys have achieved record results at A level and we wish them continued success as they move on to Higher Education.'
17/07/2011	Leavers Service and Ball Category: General This year's Leavers' chapel service was a moving and uplifting experience for Denstonians and parents and staff alike. The College Chaplain, Father Ru Jarvis, led the service and gave the leavers' address. He referred to a magazine article '25 things you should know by the time you are 18' to encourage the leavers to never stop learning and to always strive for the best that they can. Each sixth form leaver was presented with a bible by the Headmaster, David Derbyshire, who read out the Leavers charge, which includes the exhortation to 'seek through the lessons you have learned in this place to enhance the lives of those around you and to eliminate injustice and strife'. After which the Leavers turned to the exit and processed out of chapel for the last time, an emotional moment for many. Following Sports final in the afternoon, the Leavers and their parents reassembled outside the pavilion for the Leavers Ball 2011. Organised by Miles Norris, Head of Senior School, it was a fantastic black tie event, enjoyed by both parents and their children, which took place in the Sports Hall. At 1.00am, the music stopped and the Leavers bid a final emotional farewell to the school to draw to a close a successful Summer Term and school year.
17/07/2011	George is a young innovator Category: General Sixth form Design student, George Tyler, aged 18, came first in the local final of Young Innovator and Designer of the Year competition, which was organized by the Uttoxeter, Blythe Bridge and Cheadle Rotary Clubs. George’s entry piece was titled ‘Surface Sync’, a modern coffee table, made from Ash, glass, MDF and Frosted Acrylic, incorporating a Bluetooth speaker, wireless charging pads for phones, and sockets for charging laptops and electrical appliances. George’s coffee table was then entered into the Regional Finals, held at Bromsgrove School, and organized by the Rotary Districts 1060, 1100, and 1210, which includes not only Staffordshire and Shropshire, but also West Midlands, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Wiltshire. He was awarded second place and he received £100 prize money. Not surprisingly, George who is studying DT, Physics and Economics at A level, wants to continue with Design at University. His first choice is to study Industrial Design at Loughborough University, commencing this October. George was delighted by this success in the Rotary Club competition: ‘The feedback I received on both my A2 and AS projects was priceless. I received good advice on how to approach manufacturers and retailers.’
11/07/2011	Prize giving at Denstone Category: General This year prizegiving at Denstone College took place in the Sports Hall, in front of an audience of more than 900 parents, pupils and staff at the College. Prizegiving marks the beginning of the final 24 hours of the Summer Term, which concludes with the Leavers’ Chapel Service, Athletics finals and Leavers’ Ball. The prizes were presented to more than 80 girls and boys, by Sean Kerly, MBE, one of Britain’s most famous hockey players, who was part of the Great Britain team which won Olympic Gold in Seoul in 1988. He was a team mate of Denstone’s Director of Hockey, Imran Sherwani and between them they scored all the goals in Britain’s historic win over West Germany to clinch the gold. Prizes are presented for individual subjects at A and AS level and GCSE, and for general attainment and effort lower down the school. In his speech, Sean Kerly referred to his experiences of international hockey and encouraged girls and boys to always be well prepared and focused and to give their best in every situation. A review of the year by Headmaster, David Derbyshire, and a number of 6^th form pupils forms a significant part of the prizegiving ceremony. This year Sam Alderson, Sam Gosling, Oliver Hilsdon, Hannah Raisbeck and Isla Trewin focused on various aspects of school life, including academic work, drama and music, sports, and trips and activities. Chair of Governors, Mrs Pippa Gee, also addressed the school and the final speeches were made by Captains of School, Georgia Rought Whitta and Jack Sampson, who, on behalf of their year group, bid farewell to the pupils and staff.
06/07/2011	Outstanding Ofsted boarding inspection Category: General Staff at the College have just heard that the provision for girls and boys who are boarding students has been judged “outstanding” and ‘of exceptionally high quality’, following an Ofsted inspection, carried out at the end of June. The Ofsted inspection team spent three days in the College. The team observed the daily routine, and spoke to many of the 140 students, who are boarders in the school of 570 girls and boys aged from 11-18. They sought the views of parents and also interviewed teachers and support staff including catering and medical staff at the College. In a detailed report, the inspection team recorded their findings. They wrote that ‘All boarders are valued and supported by effective and sensitive pastoral care’, and ‘boarders receive outstanding personal support from staff’. They confirmed that “boarders’ health and welfare needs are being actively promoted through established and effective services”. The report includes quotations from boys and girls. They include ‘staff really care and are great at challenging us to make a difference in the world’ and ‘catering staff are great and they work really hard,’ One boarder said: ‘I could not be at a better school, we have a great time and there are fantastic facilities here. There is no better place to board than Denstone.’ In the summary of their report, the Ofsted inspection team said: ‘The management of the boarding provision is very effective with skilled, experienced, and dedicated boarding staff, and, as a result, the college is providing an outstanding service to its boarders'. This is summed up by the parent who said “of all the schools we considered, it was the boarding arrangements at Denstone that set it apart from the others. Quite simply, superb!” Headmaster David Derbyshire said: ‘We are delighted by this Ofsted report, which confirms the effectiveness of our boarding arrangements at the College. Our aim is to ensure that all our girls and boys feel positive and confident. I am particularly pleased that the hard work of our support staff, the catering, domestic, and maintenance teams and our medical staff has been recognised in this report.’ The full Ofsted report is available here: 2011 Ofsted Boarding Report
04/07/2011	Art Department in Good Schools Guide again Category: General The Art Department at the College has just been recognized in the Good Schools Guide, winning two awards which reflect the outstanding results achieved by girls and boys taking A Level Art. The two awards are the Good Schools Guide award for best results from Boys taking A level Art and Design (Fine Art), and also the award for Girls taking A level Art and Design (Fine Art). It is the 5^th award from the Good Schools Guide in the last 5 years that the Art Department has won. David Derbyshire, Headmaster at Denstone College said: ‘I am delighted by this news. The Art Department is a beacon of excellence in the College. Last year at GCSE Art, 30 out of 31 students attained A* or A grade, and at A level, 37 out of 37 boys and girls attained A* or A grade. This clearly underlines not only the talent of those students but also the excellent teaching at both GCSE and A level by teachers Barry Gillions and Tom O’Brien, who is our Director of Art. Mr O’Brien’s inspiration and encouragement at A level has clearly brought out the best in these girls and boys.’
04/07/2011	Demolition - going, going, gone Category: General Work continues apace on the construction of the new English classroom block. At the end of last week, demolition of the turreted building in front of school was completed in a matter of less than one hour.The speed of the demolition was very impressive. One minute it was there and it seemed that half an hour later the old building was just a pile of stone and rubble.
01/07/2011	Work on new buildings begins Category: General Work on the construction of two new buildings began at the College at the end of June. A brand new classroom block, which will house ten classrooms, is going up at the front of the school, and a new pavilion is being built on the Adamson’s playing fields. Before construction can begin, both the old pavilion and old changing rooms at the front of school have to be demolished. The main contractors, G F Tomlinson Building Ltd of Derby, have already brought down the old Adamson’s pavilion and are making swift work of the old changing rooms and turreted building in front of the school. The new pavilion, with space for six changing rooms, should be ready for use at the start of January 2012, and the classroom block, which will be specifically used by the English department, should be completed and ready for fitting out by April 2012. Headmaster, David Derbyshire said: ‘I am very excited about these two projects. The new classroom block will give us new state of the art teaching space and the pavilion will improve on the existing sports facilities that we have.’
29/06/2011	U15 Cricketers march on to the final Category: Sport The College’s Under 15 cricket team have reached the final of the Lord Taverners’ national schools’ cricket final, after a semi final victory over King’s School, Chester. Denstone opened the batting and immediately found themselves 29-2 with both Will Burrows and Harvey Hosein out. However, Austen Crump and team captain Ian Raisbeck steadied the ship, putting on 127 for the 3^rd wicket. Raisbeck scored 46 and Crump went on to hit a powerful 70. A late flourish from Josh Sherwani and Bertie Winstone took Denstone to an imposing 219 in their 40 overs. The Denstone bowlers have been in excellent form throughout the season, and today was no exception. Will Burrows took a wicket in his first over, and the King’s top four batsmen fell swiftly to accurate Denstone deliveries. They had 12 runs on the board for the loss of 4 wickets. Harvey Lowe bowled particularly well, taking 5 wickets for 21 runs, while spinners Austen Crump and Matt Myers moved the ball superbly to tie down the opposition batsmen. King’s were all out for 96 to leave the victorious Denstone team to face Portsmouth Grammar School in the final. Denstone’s Director of cricket, Jane Morris, said: “The Lord Taverners’ involves over 1400 schools over two year’s of competition, beginning with Under 14s, so to get to the final is a phenomenal achievement. All the boys who have played for this team over the last two seasons have contributed to this success.”
28/06/2011	Prizewinners go to Nottingham Category: General A coach load of mostly Junior pupils spent the afternoon in one of the largest bookshops in Nottingham choosing their prize books, which will be presented to them next Friday, 9 July, on Speech Day. Altogether 45 boys and girls, including a number of A level students who have finished their exams, browsed around the four floors of Waterstones, choosing a variety of books. While a lot of Juniors opted for fiction, a number of the Senior girls and boys chose reference books which will be useful on their University courses this Autumn. On Speech Day itself, all the prize winners , nearly ninety in total will receive their books from the guest speaker, Sean Kerly, MBE, a member of the 1988 Olympic gold medal winning Hockey team. The event will also include a review of the year presented by sixth formers, Sam Alderson, Sam Gosling, Ollie Hilsdon , Hannah Raisbeck, and Isla Trewin. Deputy Head James Hartley said: 'Speech Day is one of the biggest days in the school calendar. It is an opportunity to celebrate the considerable successes of girls and boys over the last 12 months, both in the classroom and in a wide range of activities, which have taken place both in and out of school.'
27/06/2011	Under 15s reach Lord Taverners final. Category: Sport The Under 15 cricket team, already Midland champions, have just beaten King’s School, Chester to reach the final of the Lord Taverners’ national Under 15 schools cricket competition. The team are Ian Raisbeck, the captain, Harry Alderson, Will Burrows, Joe Cliffe, Austen Crump, Alex Hannan, Harvey Hosein, Harvey Lowe, Patrick Maguire, Matt Myers, Josh Sherwani, and Bertie Winstone. A full match report is now on the website under the headline "Under 15 cricketers march to final". The team will travel to Oakham School, next Thursday 7 July to play in the final. Congratulations and good luck in the final.
26/06/2011	Denstone triumph over the MCC Category: Sport The College 1^st XI cricket team entertained the mighty MCC in what has become a most entertaining and exciting annual fixture. The MCC opened strongly but Denstone bowlers Greg Cork and Aneesh Kapil kept it tight and two great catches from James Kirkham and Austen Crump dismissed their openers. At lunch the MCC were 106-5 and then spinners Alex Thomson, James Kirkham, and Austen Crump tied down the middle order although some excellent batting allowed the MCC to push up the total and declare on 230- 7. Heavy rain prevented Denstone from having a full innings so Duckworth/Lewis was brought into play and at 5.45pm Denstone required 130 off 20 overs. Aneesh Kapil and Alex Thomson looked a class act and pushed the total to 124. Rhys Morgan then came in to hit the winning runs in this rain affected fixture. An excellent result for Denstone.
23/06/2011	4th form drama production Category: Drama Eleven girls and boys, all in the 4th form, studying GCSE drama put on a show, performing parts of two plays, ‘Kindertransport’ by Diane Samuels, and ‘The 39 Steps’, adapted by Patrick Barlow from the John Buchan novel. In an all girl cast, Lottie Ziff, Lydia Grocott, Izzy Stevenson- Olds, Mia Broomhall, Liv Baines and Emily Johnston put on ‘Kinderstransport, in which a young German girl, Eva, is sent to England in 1938 to escape oppression in her native country. Finally, now an old woman with a grown up daughter, Eva, tormented and tearful, realizes that she has never escaped from her past. The girls’ performance in the final scene was particularly powerful and moving. In contrast, the boys’ play, ‘The 39 steps’, was very much a spoof of the action adventure in which the innocent Richard Hannay ( played by Tom Howarth) tries to unravel the mystery of the 39 steps. Owen Charlton, Jamie Oakes , Matt Hall, and Tom Thrower played a variety of characters , including police and girls, in a hilarious piece of comic drama. Deputy James Hartley said “The boys play was an hilarious romp around the stage with the cast quick changing in and out of dresses, uniforms, and suits, which had the audience in fits of laughter. The girls play was a serious piece in which they perfectly captured the moment when a family is caught in an unbearable tragedy. In short these were well acted pieces which display the power and versatility of these young actors.”
19/06/2011	Rhys signs for the Warriors Category: Sport 1^st XV rugby player Rhys Morgan, who is in the Upper 6^th, has just signed a professional Rugby academy contract with the Worcester Warriors, who have just regained promotion to the Aviva Premiership. Rhys will begin training in July with the club and he will combine his Rugby with the Warriors alongside his University studies. He is currently taking A levels in Psychology, PE, and Business Studies, and he is hoping to go to the University of Birmingham in October to study Business Management. He is pictured on the right alongside fellow 1st XV players Jack Sampson ( left) and Jamie Curry. Nick Hill, Director of Rugby at Denstone said: “We are all delighted by this news. Rhys is a talented player, and he is the third Denstonian to be offered a professional contract in the last 6 years.”
18/06/2011	Junior cricketers reach county cup finals Category: Sport The Under 13 cricket team beat Yarlet School, Stone, to progress to the final of the Staffordshire county cup. Denstone batted first and posted a score of 141-4. Harry Smith ( 46) and Ben White ( 55*) were the pick of the batsmen, putting on a 96 run partnership. In response Yarlet put on a good display of batting, but tight bowling, particularly from Nick Brice and George Wagstaff, and an outstanding effort in the field prevented the Stone side from getting close. All three Junior agr group cricket teams are still in the Staffordshire Cup. The Under 12s and Under 13s are in their respective finals and the Under14s play their quarter final match on Monday 20 June. Good luck to them, and congratulations to all the sides on some magnificent cricket.
17/06/2011	Confirmation Service at College Category: General Eight girls and boys were confirmed in Chapel last Friday as part of the College’s regular Friday afternoon chapel service. Hannah Burnhope, Olivia Greatbatch, Philip Matty, Verity Hodson –Walker, Harry Clempson, Guy Orton, Tom Ratcliffe, and Boudicea Dowd were confirmed by the newly appointed Bishop of Stafford, Bishop Geoff, who was conducting his first service at Denstone. The night beofre the confirmation the girls and boys hiked across the fields to the ruins of Croxden Abbey with Father Ru and 6th former sacristans Jack Gregory and Declan Creighton for a pre confirmation retreat. After the confirmation service the families of the eight students went to the Upper Library for refreshments. Vistors commented on the high standard of singing from the Chapel choir and the excellent contribution made by the school in the hymns during the service.
15/06/2011	Under 15s are Midlands champions Category: Sport The Under 15 cricket team are Midlands Zone champions in the Lord Taverners Under 15 competition after beating the Norwich School in a closely contested and exciting match. Norwich, the Norfolk champions, opened the batting with confidence. Denstone had to work hard and fielded with characteristic determination. Excellent discipline from the Denstone seam bowlers and good variety from the others stopped the Norwich run rate from getting too high. The last 8 wickets fell for just 17 runs, as Denstone really pulled out all the stops. Two outstanding ‘caught and bowled’s by Will Burrows and a hat trick from captain Ian Raisbeck were the highlights of the innings as Norwich were limited to 143 runs in their 30 overs. In their innings, Denstone kept up the run rate despite losing wickets at regular intervals. Will Burrows’ 27 from 15 balls set the tone as the top order batsmen got going. Norwich were equally determined and a fine contest developed between bowlers and batsmen. Denstone still needed 29 runs as the 7^th wicket fell, and Harvey Lowe and Joe Cliffe saw Denstone home hitting the winning runs with 10 balls to spare. As Midlands Zone champions, Denstone now progress to the National Semi finals were they will play one of the other Zone Champions. James Hartley, deputy head, is delighted: “The boys have already beaten some excellent opposition, including Shrewsbury school and RGS Worcester, and these victories underline our quality , talent and hard work. Congratulations to the whole team and coach Matt Porter.”
15/06/2011	1st XI cricketers in Midlands T20 final Category: Sport The College’s 1^st XI progressed to the Midlands Zone final of the Twenty 20 national tournament, playing against Shrewsbury School. Shrewsbury batted first and posted a score of 173-9 in their allotted overs. For Denstone, bowlers Alex Thomson, Will Burrows, and Rhys Morgan each bagged two wickets. In reply, Denstone faced set backs early on , as the top order batsmen were dismissed relatively quickly. Middle order batsmen, particularly Jack Bamford, Greg Cork, and Will Burrows, played well but Denstone’s total of 102-8 fell short by 70 runs. Director of Cricket, Jane Morris, said: “ The team were understandably disappointed but they can be proud of reaching the last ten in a competition of 140 schools. Against Shrewsbury, our boys put on a really creditable performance.”
10/06/2011	1st Rugby team make history Category: Sport The 1^st XV rugby team has had two excellent seasons, having been unbeaten in 2009-10, and having won 90% of their matches in 2010-11. Together the two seasons’ record (played 24, won 22, drawn 1, and lost 1) is the best ever back to back record in Denstone’s history, dating back to 1899, when honours boards were first put up in the College. The following boys played in both seasons: Jack Sampson, who was captain for 2010 ( Andrew Tattersall captained the team for the undefeated 2009-10 season), Sam Alderson, Jamie Curry, Cameron Gradwell, George Hill, Oliver Hilsdon, Keifer Laxton, Rhys Morgan, Rob Moulding, Saeed Agboke, Louis Dewsbury, and Chris Owen. Nick Hill, Director of Rugby at Denstone said: “This is a fantastic achievement and something for both coaches and players to be proud of.”
06/06/2011	College 1st XI reach Midlands final Category: Sport The College’s 1^st XI progressed to the Midlands Zone final of the Twenty 20 national tournament, after a well deserved victory over RGS Worcester. Denstone’s opening bowling combination of Greg Cork and Jack Warren worked well and RGS had difficulty in getting the run rate over 6 per over. James Kirkham fielded particularly well and Will Burrows, Alex Thomson, and Rhys Morgan all had good bowling spells. RGS finished on 118-1 from their 20 overs. In reply, Aneesh Kapil and Will Burrows, batting at no. 3, put on a 78 run partnership. They played some wonderful cricket together before Will was stumped for 27. James Kirkham played a sensible innings, rotating the strike for Aneesh to wrap up the innings. He scored 75* and Denstone passed the RGS total in the 16^th over. Denstone now face either Shrewsbury or Bromsgrove in the Midlands Zone final, and the winner of this match will join the other three regional winners at the Nursery Ground at Lords in early July.
06/06/2011	Success for a sporting trio Category: Sport Three students at Denstone College have achieved sporting success in their chosen sport. They are George Prince ( Rugby), Dan Darby ( Hockey) and Elspeth Varley ( Rounders) George Prince, aged 15, who is in the 4^th form, has been chosen to represent the Leicester Tigers Rugby Team at Under 16 level in a forthcoming national tournament. Dan Darby, also 15 and in the 4^th form, played in goal for the England Under 16 hockey team in their 6-1 victory over Scotland on 29 May. Elspeth Varley, aged 14 and in the 3^rd form, has been selected to play for the England rounders team. She is also a county hockey player with Derbyshire.
26/05/2011	Under 15s reach the Midlands final Category: Sport The College’s Under 15 cricket team knocked out Bedford School in the Lord Taverners Under 15 national competition and so have reached the Midlands Zone final. Bedford opened the batting and were immediately pegged back by some excellent Denstone bowling. Austen Crump, Patrick Maguire, Harvey Lowe, and Matt Myers all had good spells. Great concentration and some rapier like ground fielding, which included three run outs, kept the pressure on Bedford who were all out for 141. In reply, Denstone’s opening partnership of 89 between Austen Crump and Will Burrows broke the back of the total. When Crump was caught for 41, Harvey Hosein joined the fray finishing on 23 not out. Will Burrows dominated with 12 boundaries in his 68 not out as Denstone cruised into the final with a nine wicket win. Coach Matt Porter was delighted by his team's performance: 'We showed great team spirit and this is an excellent result against a well drilled side.'
25/05/2011	Open Morning success Category: General On Saturday 21 May more than ninety visiting families came to the College for our annual Summer Open Morning. Visitors were greeted by girls and boys in the 1^st and 2^nd form, listened to some music ensembles perform in the Chapel and then were taken on tours of the College, visiting a variety of places including the Science labs, Art and Design centres, classrooms, new Music School, and Sports Hall. The guides were a mixture of 3^rd and 4^th form girls and boys. Deputy Head James Hartley said “ I would like to thank all Denstonians who were involved in Open Morning. I am particularly grateful to the guides, who were excellent ambassadors for the College. A lot of visitors remarked on how personable and polite our girls and boys were.”
23/05/2011	Aneesh plays for Worcestershire Category: Sport 1^st XI cricket star Aneesh Kapil played for Worcestershire at the weekend in the Clydesdale Bank Pro40 competition against Yorkshire. Worcestershire opened the batting and were short of runs until James Cameron and Kapil, who is still only 17, put together a lively 88 run partnership. Cameron went on to hit his third successive CB 40 half century, while Aneesh scored 44 in an eye catching innings, which included 4 of the dozen fours that Worcestershire registered in the match. He later bowled five overs at a lively pace, in a match which was ultimately won by Yorkshire.
20/05/2011	Under 15s win in Lord Taverners' Cricket competition Category: Sport Having already defeated Shrewsbury School, the Shropshire champions, Denstone College’s Under 15s travelled to RGS Worcester for the next round of the Lord Taverners’ U15 cricket competition. An excellent opening partnership of 71 between Austen Crump and Will Burrows in the opening ten overs got Denstone off to a flying start. The last wicket partnership of 21 between Matt Myers and Harry Alderson were invaluable as Denstone wracked up 151 all out. Denstone, well led by captain Ian Raisbeck, then put on an absolutely outstanding bowling and fielding display. Austen Crump ( 1 for 15 off 7 overs ) turned the screw on a strong RGS batting side, and Harvey Lowe’s 3 for 24 tore apart their lower order. Denstone’s determined fielding kept RGS just behind the run rate and the Worcester side needed 10 runs off the final over. Will Burrows bowled with precision and accuracy, took two wickets, and Denstone won by 6 runs to progress to the semi final of the Midlands Zone.