friends “Achievement by Faith and Work”riendsSpecialist Schools Trust

E X C E L L E N C E A N D D I V E R S I T Yof St Margaret’s Summer 2005

A bi-annual Community Magazine issued by St Margaret’sHigh School, Aigburth, to parents, former students, primaryschools, parishes and the business sector.

St Margaret’s Church of England High SchoolAigburth Road, Liverpool L17 6ABwww.stmargaretshigh.com

The Headmaster and Governors thank Barclays Bank for their financial support of this community magazine.

A media and sod-cutting opportunity to celebratethe start of our new Sports Hall and CricketCentre of Excellence was held in March.

Radio City, Radio Merseyside and the LiverpoolEcho joined Lancashire stars, Andrew andStephen Crook, LCB Director Andrew Hayhurstand other invited guests in celebrating oursuccess at raising the £1.8m needed to securesuch a fantastic facility. The Year Seven cricketteam were out in force to meet the players andenjoyed an impromptu training session.Headmaster, Dr Dennison said, “St Margaret’s hasbuilt up a fine cricketing reputation over the years,but until now we’ve lacked suitable all weathertraining facilities to develop players. The newbuilding will be very flexible and will be used fora range of other sports such as badminton,basketball and football. It will be the ‘OldTrafford of Merseyside’ – not just for us, but otherschools, clubs and community groups.” The Centreis due to be completed by the end of the year.

St Margaret’s – Merseyside’s Own ‘Old Trafford’

Headmaster, Dr David Dennison and Chairman of Governors, Mr Brian Ricketts at the sod-cuttingceremony with the Lancashire Cricket Club representatives

Stephen (with bat) and Andrew Crook with the Year 7 cricketers

Sports HallConceals BuriedTreasure!History Club members, David McMonnies, Tom Holmes, Matthew Pegram,Zack Fallows, Peter Jones, Miss Evans and Joe Wikelook on as Tom le Breton and Reece Jones preparethe ‘treasure’.

What will future generations make of a St Margaret’s detention letter orphotographs of the students and staff in a hundred years time? If the newSports Hall lasts that long they will find those items and many others in atime capsule buried in the concrete foundations! The History Club, underthe careful eye of Miss Evans, has selected a variety of memorabilia fromnewspapers to bus tickets for future discovery.

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Y ear 12 student Sean Chandler,writes about the success of the

Brass Quintet at the LiverpoolPerforming Arts Festival. “The strength of school music washighlighted when our Brass Quintet,consisting of David McGlynn (tuba),Matthew Guinan (trombone), MatthewWells (tenor horn), Richard Pope(second cornet) and Sean Chandler (firstcornet), competed in this year’sLiverpool Performing Arts Festival, in theMaking Music category.We were very nervous as Mr Derringerdrove us in the minibus down to St George’s Hall, where the competitionwas being held. We played Java Jive andPie Jesu and had been rehearsing underthe leadership of Miss Hough for many

hours for the competition.It was nail biting as the result was beingread out by the adjudicators in reverseorder, but we were delighted that wehad been awarded a distinction and hadwon the class. It was marvellous teamwork and we were very proud to beable to take the trophy back to school.Our success was followed up by RogerPhillips of Radio Merseyside, who rang Mr Derringer and asked us to thestudios to be interviewed and to playon his show. When we arrived back inschool, we were greeted by severaltelephone messages from listeners whohad rung to congratulate us on ourperformance! – one kind pensioner senta donation to the Music department!”

To Russia with loveOne of our Year 8 students not onlypacked a shoebox for OperationChristmas Child, but went to Russia todeliver it himself! Josh Clarke went withdad, Wayne, who works for BBC RadioMerseyside on an Operation ChristmasChild distribution to Russia in January.They visited orphanages and remotevillages around Moscow to give outshoeboxes full of gifts, sent by people inBritain for children in Russia who wouldotherwise have no Christmas presents.Josh took with him his shoebox and gaveit to Siroga, a fourteen year old boy wholives in an orphanage in Koterevo nearMoscow. Siroga had never in his lifebefore received a gift. His parents hadboth died and he had been abused by hisstepfather and ended up living on thestreets. Meeting Siroga and many otherslike him in Russia has convinced Josh and

his dad of thevalue of theshoeboxes totouch the livesof needychildren.

Josh giving his shoebox to Siroga

We shall be giving our annualSummer Concert

Wednesday 29th June at 7.30 pm andeveryone is most welcome to attend.There will be performances from the

school choir, music groups andindividuals.

The school choir will also be singingEvensong

in Liverpool CathedralTuesday 5th July at 5.30 pm

in Manchester CathedralWednesday 13th July at 5.30 pm

All are welcome to attend on these occasions

Mr Brian Ricketts, Chairman of Governors writes our editorialin this edition of friends.

Being Chairman of Governors at St Margaret’s is a very interestingand stimulating role. We are very lucky at St Margaret’s to have aBoard of Governors who are highly committed and offer a broadrange of skills. The Governors are there to act as a support and“critical friend” to the Headmaster, Senior Management Team and the school as awhole. Our overall objective is to maintain the Christian ethos of the school and toensure that decisions made, both in the short term and for the long term, aresupported by that ethos.

St Margaret’s continues to be a very lively and forward thinking school and in thisrespect we have been able to see a number of developments in recent years. Inparticular, there have been improvements in the fabric and teaching space withinthe school, notably the Sixth Form Centre and the new Humanities Suite. The SportsHall and Cricket Centre of Excellence is currently under development and will serveto increase the facilities available at the school and to the local communitythroughout the year and will clearly increase the profile and status of the school.

The development of the Faiths Partnership in the Sixth Form has now been wellestablished and such partnerships create additional opportunities and choices forstudents in the school.

St Margaret’s continues to be over subscribed at both Year 7 and Year 12 and thisis a further indicator of a popular and successful school.

As an old boy of the school, I am very proud to be Chairman of Governors. Eventhough there are many challenges which the governing body needs to face, I haveevery confidence in the Governors rising to those challenges and continuing to workvery successfully with the Headmaster and colleagues in school. I would like to thankall staff, students and parents for their continued commitment and support to theschool and, indeed, this is what gives the school its unique character.

Editors – John Ledger and John Foulkes

friends editorial

The successful ‘Brass Quintet’ with broadcaster MrRoger Phillips at Radio Merseyside

LIPA Success for Brass Quintet

FUTURE MUSIC EVENTS

PETER HONOURS BISHOP'S MEMORY

Year elevenstudent andSefton ParkCricket Clubplayer, PeterKelly, had theprivilege of

carrying the late Bishop DavidSheppard's cricket bat to the altarduring the May Memorial Service heldin Liverpool Cathedral. Attended byover 2000 people and involving manySt. Margaret's connections in a varietyof roles, the service was a fitting tribute to an outstanding Anglicanleader. Peter is pictured with the lateBishop’s wife, Grace Sheppard.

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As the construction of the new cricketcentre is well under way, links with thelocal cricketing communities are beingforged in practical ways.

Our aspiring cricketers are encouraged tojoin and play an active role with their localcricket clubs; this benefits both the schooland the future of cricket in the Liverpoolarea.Such a connection has been formed withWavertree CC through the DesignTechnology aspect of our CommunityLinks Programme. Using our CADsoftware and CAM machinery, it has beenpossible to design and make large andbrightly coloured key fobs for teamcaptains, clubhouse and groundsmen, tohelp keep track of their keys. Thestudents of the school (pictured above)who attend Wavertree CC have beenhelping out in their manufacture providingan added involvement with their club.

The second project is more complex andinnovative and involves senior members ofthe club. Due to the physical aspect ofthe cricket ground it has not beenpossible to use a second sightscreen. The plan (shown above) is the first in themaking of a removable lightweight screenthat can be hooked over the boundarywall and stowed away.Such a project offers a practical solutionthrough our skills and resources as aTechnology College.

Maths Support for Sudley

Gifted and Talented

As part of our Technology Collegemission, many of our departments getinvolved with local primary schools byproviding specialist teachers andresources.

Mathematics is one such department thathas recently been working with the Giftedand Talented mathematicians at SudleyJunior School. Regular support is given in lessons andeach Thursday, Miss McCann challengesthe Sudley pupils to work out hermathematical puzzles.

community benefits from St Margaret’s Technology status

Thanks to an innovative new schemeoperated by St Margaret’s, twenty localyoungsters, members of the 4th AllertonSea Scouts attached to Garston URCchapel have qualified for both theirCraft and Electronics proficiencybadges.

Under the Government sponsored schemeoperated by the school, Design Technology.Community Links Co-ordinator andteacher, Mr John Pegram went to theassistance of his local scout group onFriday evenings.The scheme gifted the scouts £500 worthof tools, cabinet and materials and theyworked in small groups to producerobotic toys and moulded boat hulls

which were then equipped with a smallbattery driven motor. The boys learnedabout basic electronic circuitry and wereintroduced to such skills as soldering ofterminals.The group were extremely grateful to MrPegram for giving of his time and thecommunity link with St Margaret’s will beextended to map and compass and basicnavigation work involving a member ofthe school’s Mathematics department.

Wavertree Junior members and St Margaret’sstudents producing the keyfobs

Miss McCann challenges the Sudley pupils

Sea Scouts preparefor a bright future

Community CricketLinks providePractical Solutions

The Allerton Sea Scouts work towards theirproficiency badges

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The Critical Thinking Day for Year 12took place in March and was led byexpert and course creator, Dr AlexFischer.

The idea behind critical thinking is toprovoke students to explore and

analyse a situation beyond its face value.Those who attended the day found it veryinteresting, stimulating and useful.Critical thinking has helped changeperspectives on current issues, willassist our A-Level students and shouldeven enable pupils to make morereasoned decisions for the future!

AimHigherUpdate Students involved with AimHigher thisyear have benefited from many andvarious activities, ranging from mentoringand individual action planning throughall kinds of masterclasses to tripsaround the country and even to Irelandand Germany!

In June, as usual, twenty Year 10students will stay for two days at a

university, this year in Manchester, whilefor the first time our Year 9 cohort willalso enjoy a two-day residential, theirsbeing at Edge Hill College, Ormskirk.

Aspiring still higher, six Year 11students have gained places at HigherEducation Summer Schools and will eachspend a week on a university campuseither in North West England or at theRoyal Veterinary College or the RoyalAcademy of Music in London.

Five Year 12 students now have placeson Headstart courses in Science andTechnology and will each spend a weekmeeting university experts andprospective employers. Two of thesestudents will travel to Scotland and onehas won a place at Oxford.Congratulations to all our successfulscholarship winners!

Victoria Haines of Year 12 writes thatthe Aerospace Engineering morningat the University of Liverpool was oneof the most useful trips she had everexperienced.

“Open to students from bothPhysics and DT, it included the

opportunity of “flying” in an aeroplanesimulator and then in a helicopter,which were both a lot of fun(especially the helicopter!). Studentsalso carried out an experiment usingthe university’s wind tunnel, giving aninsight into what Aerospace Engineering was all about at degree level. It was alsouseful to be shown around by students currently studying Aerospace Engineering.”

Motivated and Loving It!During the Easter break, twenty St Margaret’s students were joined bypupils from several other schools for a special revision day.

This course was to help studentsachieve the best they could in their

GCSE exams. The five presentersidentified different techniques to aidthem in their revision. They wereintroduced to using and understandingbrain maps, given help in answeringexam style questions and shown how tokeep themselves psychologically andmentally fit. The students also learned skills for expanding memory and rememberingdetails and planning revision time. Overall, our participants found the course a greathelp and very enjoyable. The best part for many students as they approached theirexams was learning how to manage their time!

Critical Acclaim for Thinking!

SMA Students‘high-flying’!

Year 12 students (back row) Levi Cheung, Richard Dykins,Victoria Haines, Marc Young, Chris Lewer

(in front) Peter Turner, Terence Ayebale

(below left to right) Daniel Wells, Richard Dykins, Anthony Ogden, Stephen Brumfitt,

David Mylett and Mark Dixon. Victoria took the picture!

Mick Southern and Richard Walker looking ‘motivated and loving it!’

University News

Recently a number of our former students werekind enough to provide brief appreciations of their

Sixth Form experience for the new Sixth Formprospectus.

Jill Carson and Naomi Kamanga (2002-2004) areboth in their first year at Liverpool universities; Jill atLiverpool reading Medicine and Naomi at LJMUreading Biomedical Sciences.

Billy Edwards (2001-2003) is in his second year of aLaw degree at the University of Central Lancashirewhile John Burchardt (1995-2003) gained a place atLiverpool University to read History.

All four former essemmayans speak highly of theirtime in the Sixth Form and have made many friends.One useful point of contact we would recommend isthe Essemmay Association website.

www.essemmay.org

Congratulations toformer student

Philip Corbluth (1983-1990) whomarried his fiancée Rie in Osaka on May1st.

The ceremony took place at the “wardoffice”, the equivalent of a registry officebut with only a five minute ceremony.

Phil’s family flew out to Japan toattend and was able to meet Rie’s familyfor the first time. Phil, who is working inthe marketing department of a largeeducational company, hopes to bring Rieto England to settle in the autumn andhave a marriage blessing at St Peter’s, Woolton.

This time, his words of thanks toguests will be in English and not in(well-rehearsed) Japanese. Cutting the cake

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Committee News

Welcome to the Class of 2005The Committee is pleased to welcome100 new members to the Associationthis summer. Following a newinitiative, the Class of 2005, a vintageyear by all accounts, have been madeassociate members of the Associationfor three years, which means thatthey will receive magazines and haverepresentatives on the Committee ofthe Association. This measure is beingfunded from donations made to theSixth Form at the start of eachacademic year and will just covercosts. A Christmas reunion is alreadyplanned.

Mr Jim BrophyThe Association sends its sinceresympathy to Mrs Brophy and herfamily on the death of Mr Jim Brophy.The Reverend Stephen Williams(1971-78) officiated at the funeraland service of thanksgiving for Jim’slife. Jim had a long association withEssemmay Old Boys’, playing at theannual Childrens’ Christmas Party andthe Association honoured him with adinner when he retired in 1977. TheCommittee thank Mr Ray King, Hon.Vice President for representing theAssociation at the funeral service.

Peter OliverSecretary

BY AIR MAIL

par avion Royal Mail

where are they now ?

www.essemmay.org

Jill Carson Naomi Kamanga

Billy Edwards John Burchardt

Congratulations to Mr and Mrs Kevan of Huyton who won the familytickets to Camelot in our summer term Prize Draw and to Mr and MrsLongworth of Aigburth, who won the special bonus prize of two tickets to the 'Phil at the Summer Pops' concert.Many thanks to all parents who give so generously for the benefit ofall our students.

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“My first destination was Brazil, Rio de Janeiro to be precise, where Iexperienced the amazing spectacle of the Carnival with its parades, floatsand street parties. As I journeyed through South America I saw somewonderful sights; Corcovado, the great statue of Christ on Sugar LoafMountain above Rio; the amazing Iguacu Falls which border three countries;Asuncion, capital of Paraguay; the Bolivian salt flats; Lake Titicaca; floatingreed islands where life has not changed in three hundred years and a hostof Inca ruins, including the famous ruined city of Machu Picchu. More ruins,sunsets, beer, cocktails, more ruins, the equator, the rainforest with itsdeadly wildlife, in between we bought ponchos and silly hats! Then on to seea witches market, hotels made of salt, mummified bodies and volcanoes. Wesampled local delicacies – sheep’s head and guinea pig that tasted likeduck! After an eventful two and a half months we were ready to move on orshould I say, move continents.Looking back one of my most hair-raising moments was hang gliding over

Copa Cabana beach and just in case anyone doesn’t believe me, I have apicture to prove it, as you can see opposite.”

After university, Andy Stewart (1983-90) decided to see the world or tobe more precise, the Southern Hemisphere, before starting his career inhealthcare. What he couldn’t foresee was the extent of the adventurethat would unfold. Here is Andy’s account of the first leg of his tour.

Almost 20 years ago I bade a fondfarewell to SMA and Liverpool to start ona career in the hotel industry. I havelived and worked across the UK in hotels,large and small.

My career choice introduced me to thelunatics, charlatans, inebriates andhardworking stalwarts that make up thismicrocosm of life in the hospitalityindustry.

I am certain you would all be moreinterested in some story of indiscretionor alcohol induced calamity from one ofmy more famous guests, than how Iclimbed the greasy pole of the hospitalityindustry to be managing a top 5 starhotel. The rich and famous will onlycontinue to use a hotel if they can feelcomfortable that their midnight skinnydipping or drunk singing of nurseryrhymes will not be reported intomorrow’s tabloids. For one infamousrock group I drafted in extra securityboth to deal with the fans and the factthat the members of the band were

known to fight over the smallestdisagreement. I considered bolting theTVs down and did move the fireextinquishers. After an impromptu postconcert jamming session in the bar andcheese and pickle sandwiches, the bandmembers retired to bed only to complainabout the businessmen playing football inthe corridor. Conversely, the threat ofinforming the tabloids about how a verywell known soap star actor hadcompletely trashed a bedroom produced acheque for £14,000 to repair the damage.

These days I have less and less contactwith guests and spend more time running abusiness but I still get great satisfactionfrom a thank you letter from a guest whohas enjoyed their stay and each andevery guest can be assured that theirparticular peccadillos are safe with me.

Our Man At the Scotsman…Not Fawlty Towers

Jonathan Dawson (1979-86) is the General Manager of the Scotsman Hotel in Edinburgh. Here he writes of his

experiences in the hotel industry.

Flying Down to Rio The first leg of Andy Stewart’s Grand Tour

Hang gliding above Copa Cobana beach

You can read about the rest of Andy’s adventuresdown under in our December issue.

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OBITUARIES

MR JAMES BROPHY

MRS BARBARA FINN

Chris Whelan (1997-2004) received his award at a galadinner in February, having overcome strong competition…

Chris, who regards himself as an ambassador for cricket in afootball dominated city, first began playing at Gilmour Juniorschool and made his debut at Sefton Park Cricket Club at the ageof 14; he still holds the record for an individual battingperformance at SMA, scoring 177 not out, in an under 15 finalagainst King’s School, Chester. He progressed through theLancashire junior sides and made his first class county debut forMiddlesex last summer. This year has been eventful as Chris has been to India withMiddlesex, where he was under the watchful eye of JohnEmbury. Currently at Loughborough University, Chris is alsoenrolled at the Finchley Cricket Academy. In April, he played infriendlies against Surrey and Cambridge Universities. Chris’s fortelies in bowling; his current bowling speed is 93mph! We canexpect great things of him in the future. Good luck Chris.

Family, friends, colleagues and former students gathered inSt Anne’s Church on Tuesday 18th January to say farewell

to Mrs Barbara Finn, who, for nearly 20 years managed theSixth Form Snack Bar. The new Snack Bar which opened on22nd November 1976 became, in a short time, the focal pointof the Sixth Form. Its success was due in no small part to MrsFinn. She worked closely with Mr Brian Johnson, the Directorof Sixth Form and with the first of her many student helpers,Stanley Thompson.

Barbara became a central part of the daily life of successivesixth formers, selling a wide range of snacks from soup andhome made sandwiches to her famous cheese toasties, whichare still remembered by Old Boys to this day. She provided awarm welcome to visiting former students and she came andhelped at their reunions. To members of staff who flocked to theCommon Room for lunch she was a friend and she providedloyal and trusted support to successive Directors of Sixth Form.

Barbara’s role at St Margaret’s was, of course, only part ofher life; she was a loving, loyal wife and mother and it is to herhusband John and her children and grandchildren that we sendour sincere sympathies.

John Foulkes

Barbara with assistantsAndrew White and Marcus

Banks in 1983

Cricketer Chris is the Echo YoungSports Personality of the Year 2005

Chris with his Award

James, ‘Jim’ Brophy died peacefully athome on 27th April 2005 after a long

life, surrounded by his wife Mildredand his children and grandchildren.This extraordinarily talented man cameto St Margaret’s in 1946 after someexperience in the business world and warservice in the Royal Artillery. For over30 years St Margaret’s was fortunateto enjoy his considerable talents, firstof all in the Music department andlater as Head of History.

He possessed a masterly grasp of the English language andedited the school magazine, Essemmay, for over 30 years,totally responsibility for every aspect of its production. In eachmagazine were to be found highly professional cartoons drawnby Jim himself.

It is worthy of note that his cartoon work extended beyondSt Margaret’s; his cartoons found ready acceptance in thenational press and the Times Educational Supplement. Jim wasalso a fine musician who accompanied the school choir andrecorder groups and played the St Anne’s organ for schoolservices and he owned a fine coin collection which he used toillustrate his lessons.

It is Jim Brophy’s history of the school that will be withoutdoubt his lasting legacy. This highly readable book sets the StMargaret’s story against both the local and national, politicaland educational scenes. On a day to day basis, however, it isthe school crest set into the wall of the new Humanties andAdministration Suite, which will stand as a memorial to him,for this very crest is the product of his draughtsman’s skill.Indeed the accompanying school motto; Fide et Labore – byFaith and Work, is in itself a fitting tribute to the man, JamesBrophy.

Carl Wormald (1978-87)gained a first class honoursdegree from Liverpool JohnMoores University beforeembarking on a career inbanking. In March, he wasappointed as InvestmentDirector of the Merseysideoffice of Lloyds TSBDevelopment Capital. Carlsays that his task is toencourage the growing

development culture in Liverpool by supportingmanagement teams through the private venturefinance provided by the bank. Lloyd's provided financefor Knowsley’s Ethel Austin and Phil Redmond’sMersey TV and Carl is confident that his team canoffer funding solutions to mid- market businesses.

John Fleming (1963-1968) left St Margaret’s at 16and started as an apprentice at Ford’s, Halewoodplant. Today he is based in Cologne and Head of FordEurope. John, who was born in the Dingle, was trainedin production engineering on the then new FordEscort. Eventually he moved away from Liverpool intomanagement, but returned as a manufacturingsuperintendent. He took charge of the Halewood plantin 1993 and then moved on to Detroit to manageseven US plants. Now at the top of the tree, John ispleased to see the more prosperous environment inLiverpool. He regrets that he does not have the timeto enjoy much of the city or to see a game of football.During his years at Ford, John has seen many changes.He is fascinated by the vast advances in technology,particularly virtual technology, which has taken carproduction into a new age compared with the days ofthe early robots when he was a humble apprentice atHalewood.

Dr. Carl Gavin (1979-1986) founded Lateral Visions in 2003. Thecompany is based in Wavertree Technology Park, Liverpool and hasdeveloped advanced software technology applicable to both business andlearning, which allows the rapid development of three-dimensionalmodels of real or imagined spaces, similar to, but more advanced thanthose seen in computer games. Users can manipulate and interact withthese virtual worlds in real-time, using ordinary computing hardware. The company has developed softwareapplications for NESTA Future Lab andNorth Wales Police. In 2004 thecompany won the DTI Smart Award forResearch and Technology; the MerseysideInnovation Awards Grand Final and theMerseyside Partnership InwardInvestment Award. Clearly this is acompany to watch in the future.

8 essemmay

Former Students Lead the Way in Business EnterpriseIn this issue of friends we focus on four former students who have made their mark in industry and business

Jack Stopforth (1962-69)became the new Chairman ofLiverpool Chamber ofCommerce at the beginning ofMarch. Jack is now responsible for its1,500 members and willoversee the Chamber’s rolewhich includes more that 90networking events a year. The Chamber is backing the Young Business Person of the Year Award inthe Liverpool Echo’s forthcoming Enterprise Champions Honours. Jack isproud of the Chamber’s role in promoting enterprise. He says, “As thelargest private sector independent forum in the city, we play a key role indeveloping enterprise culture”.

Dr Carl Gavin (pictured left) receiving the Mersey Partnership Inward Investment Award 2004

John Fleming and theoriginal Escort

production line atHalewood

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jottings✒✎☞

David Merits Maths Award

Year 8 student, David Gillin, togetherwith the rest of his maths classentered the Mathematical EducationMerseyside (MEM) Competition inMay. The judges were so impressedwith David’s entry he was invited to aprizegiving ceremony at LiverpoolUniversity, where he received hiscommendation from Mr BarryGrantham, (pictured), Chairman ofthe M.E.M. Well done David.

E leven Year 7 Gifted & Talented students were recently givena great opportunity to go away on a special activity

weekend. Boys who were on this list for various subjectsranging from being good at sport to top of the class in ICT,headed off with Mr Bradfield-Smith and representatives from

other schools to theScottish Borders. Thestudents took part in different activities suchas rock climbing and laser quest, but the mainhighlight for some was the Flash-Dance, whenthey were taught flash animation. The morecourageous members of the group seemed tofully enjoy the outdoor assault course and,revelling in lots of mud!

Join the DebateTeam Captain, Liam Fitzpatrick talks about the lunchtime Debating Club

“Debating Club meets every Tuesday lunchtime when students from allyears, especially Years’ 10 and 11 take part in our weekly discussions –

which can become quite heated at times!St Margaret’s also takes part in debating competitions against other schools,

including Childwall and Bellerive, and have a really good record of success. Inthe Easter term, we work closely with the Year 12 Debating Team and havefurther developed links with other schools.”

The ayes have it, the ayes have it!

Outdoor Pursuits Enthuse G & T Students

Students Support Roy CastleFoundation

Year 10 students, Stephen Wells, Allan Peel, Joshua Keileyand Christopher Widdowson (pictured below) are to help

the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation by launching asupport group and developing a website to advise youngpeople not to smoke. With the help of other schools aroundLiverpool, they hope to launch the website in June. The aimof the website is to tell teenagers about the effects ofsmoking and to help smokers to stop.

Rehearsals for our July production ofOliver have been going well. Year 12student, Peter Turner is an impressiveFagin, whilst Simon Davies gets intocharacter as the Artful Dodger. MatthewTopping is Oliver in the show, and hasbeen working hard at looking pitiful!Fagin’s gang are working enthusiasticallyon their dance routines, but rhythmhasn’t come naturally to some!

Oliver – don’t miss it!

Oliver rehearsals in full swing!

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Departing Merseyside, we left behind the chill of a latewinter cold spell with little anticipation of the days of warmspring sunshine that awaited us during the course of our fieldweek in Dorset.Once again, our present batch of Sixth Form Geologystudents were to experience the excitement and satisfactionof a 200 million year journey through geological time. Thisbegan on the shores of the Bristol Channel where wereconnected with the rocks of South Wales which we’d visitedlast year. Monday morning began the trail, tracing theevolution of the British Isles, on the shores of the Fleet, thefirst of a sequence of locations we would visit along thisWorld Heritage Jurassic coast of Dorset. Each day weprogressed eastwards, travelling upwards through theMesozoic era and into the Tertiary period.The Dorset coast is an area which never fails to excite andfascinate the “first-timer” as well as the returning, more maturegeologist. Each falling tide reveals a new exposure and theprospect of a superb fossil or mineral gem; and always, the

unexpected surprise awaiting around the next corner whichproves memorable.Unfortunately, a week feasting on such geological delights goesall too quickly, and the latest group of St Margaret’s geologistsreturned rather tired, but hopefully inspired and enthused bytheir experience.

Welcome To Our New Staff

The first addition to the Senior Management Team for a number of years was made inApril when Miss Andrea Lucas was appointed Assistant Head, with responsibilityfor Student Support. This new role encompasses the former Pastoral Manager’sposition and supports student learning within a disciplined environment both insideand outside the classroom. Miss Lucas takes up her post in September.

Mr Mark Bradfield-Smith has been appointed to the Artdepartment, after teaching at St Margaret’s for twelve monthsin a temporary capacity. Mr Bradfield-Smith, a graduate ofLiverpool John Moores University, spent the previous twoyears teaching English in Barcelona. A keen sailor, he recentlycircumnavigated Ireland.

Ms Linda Low is Dr Dennison’s newPersonal Assistant. Selected from astrong field, Ms Low, who previouslyworked for the Charity Commission,began her role in the new year and hasquickly settled into her position. Ms Low is a keen shopper,which includes not only clothes and shoes but also interiordesign. She attends St Michael’s in the City church and issecretary to the District Church Council. She is also a parentof a son at the school.

Two further internal promotions are the appointments of MissBrighdeen McCann and Mrs Christine Roberts to theposts of Community Links Co-ordinators for Mathematics andICT respectively.

Three temporary teachers have been employed to cover for the maternity leave of MrsHarrison, Mrs Torpey and Mrs McGarry. They are Mr Andrew Croft (ICT), MrsVeerla Naessiens (MFL) and Mr Lars Gäbel (Art).

Sorry You’reLeaving Teaching Assistant, Mr Mike Harris leavesus in July to train as a Physical Educationteacher at Liverpool John MooresUniversity. A former St Margaret’s studentand professional footballer withNewcastle and Blackburn, he has beenwith us for a year, making a significantcontribution to the life of the school. Hisinvolvement in school sport will be sorelymissed as will his pastoral support to theSixth Form. Ms Kelly Dures of the FinanceOffice is moving to pastures new with herappointment to a Solicitor’s practice. Wewish both of them well in their newcareer directions.

A Walk Through Time Ð Dorset Õ05

Mr Mark Bradfield-Smith

Ms Linda Low

Mr Michael Harris and Ms Kelly Dures

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Football _________________

The past season presented us with someconsiderable change with thedisappearance of Sixth Form midweekfootball and the temporary loss of a pitchdue to the construction of the new SportsCentre. However, enthusiasm for thegame is as great as ever and five teamsplayed regularly, the most successful teambeing our Year 10 side.

Basketball _______________

Five teams have played regularly withboth Liverpool Cups and English Schools’competitions entered. The outcome ofthe former has still to be decided at thetime of going to press.

Athletics/Cross Country _____

Once again, our teams continued todominate the Merseyside Midweek Leaguewith wins for our Year 7 and Year 8 teamsand a creditable 3rd for our seniors. Thisyear’s English Schools’ Cup carried with ita request for us to organize the countyround at Sefton Park. Despite this addedpressure, our junior and intermediateteams still qualified for the regional finalsin Manchester.Congratulations to David Catt on hisselection for the Mersyside Schools’ under19 team in this year’s English Schools’championship at Norwich. Well done to Year 9 student AdamReynolds who is currently ranked No. 1 inthe country in the Hammer at Under 15level and Ross Hayhurst from Year 11 who

is rated 6th in the Under 17 Mens’category in the Shot. Both studentsachieved gold medals in the 2005 Northof England AA Junior Championships.Adam also gained silver medals in theDiscuss and Shot events.

Badminton _______________

Congratulations to Mr Wadsworth whohas led the Victoria David Lloyd 2nd teamto Badminton success. With fivebadminton courts in our new sports hall,Mr Wadsworth is keen to see the sportdevelop in the future.

Rugby ___________________

Three rugby teams have played regularlythis season. Our most successful teamhas been Year 8, who really distinguishedthemselves in the RFU Emerging SchoolsCompetition. Their initial success in theMerseyside section meant qualification forthe North West finals at Preston. In thegroup stages, three solid performancesled to an outstanding semi-final victoryand a place in the final. Unfortunately,defeat in that match thwarted ourprogress, which would have led to anappearance in the national finals atTwickenham. Elsewhere, in the LancashireCup, initial victories for our teams pittedus against powerful sides from LancasterGS and Arnold School. Defeats againstthese schools have not deterred thedetermination to proceed and provide anindication of the standards we desire toachieve. The season ended, as usual, withour own 7-a-side tournament withvictories for St Cuthbert’s and SacredHeart schools. Good progress is beingmade at all levels and next season we willhave fixtures against Bury G.S., St Mary’sCrosby, St Bede’s, Manchester and KingWilliam School, Isle of Man. Our thanksgo to Liverpool Collegiate and Sefton RFCfor their continued support.

a Mr Wadsworth with club captain ShirleyWright

b c The last cross country race of the season

In February, eight students from Year Eleven attended theDuke of Edinburgh Award ceremony at St George’s Hall to

receive their Bronze and Silver awards. Their success was theculmination of eighteen months hard work and dedication. Thisyear also saw eighteen, Year Ten students enrol on the silveraward. These students are now in the process of attending a sixweek rock climbing course at Awesome Walls Climbing Centre.As well as silver and bronze expeditions, the Year Thirteen goldgroup have also been training hard with three multi-dayexpeditions to Snowdonia (wild camping) and Eskdale in theLake District (torrential rain, thunder and lightning!) All thestudents survived, though some were very sore!

More expeditions are planned for the Year Ten, silver group anda five day assessed expedition for the gold group. All of thesewill take place during the summer term.

The Duke of Edinburgh Gold students on their Lake District expedition

sports Head of Physical Education, Mr Gareth Williamspresents last winter’s sports report

sportsAwards Success for Duke of Edinburgh Students

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sports Congratulations to everyone involved with our successfulre-designation of the Sportsmark award. This is the 3rdconsecutive occasion we have won this prestigious award.

sports

School Sports Reports can be found at www.learnfree.co.uk/sportscoreSchool Sports Reports can be found at www.learnfree.co.uk/sportscore

The Year 10 football team has had a truly fantastic season.Unbeaten in twenty three games, they capped the season with asuperb cup double. They beat the highly rated Cardinal Heenanside 3-0 in the Merseyside Junior Shield and followed this withvictory in the Liverpool U15 Knock-Out 3-2 against SFX College.In the Liverpool final, St Margaret’s led 2-0 with just five minutesto go, however two goals in three minutes from SFX set up afrantic finish in which Paul McManus scored the St Margaret’swinner in the last minute of the game. Congratulations to all theboys who have been a credit both on and off the field of play.

The Year 11 Cricket squad has made history by becoming thefirst ever team from St Margaret’s to win the Lancashire Cup.This remarkable victory was achieved in an incredibly tense finalin which St Margaret’s triumphed by a single run in a low-scoringencounter against Bacup & Rawtenstall (79 runs being thewinning total). Man-of-the-match, David Hort (also captain andplayer of the season last year) batted virtually all the way throughthe innings, but it was the outstanding performances of all the

bowlers and fielders that proved decisive. This was illustrated byKen Highdale’s (who represents Lancashire) amazing run out nearto the nail-biting conclusion, which literally had all of theinvaluable travelling St Margaret’s supporters off their feet. ThisUnder-15 final, played at the picturesque New Hall CricketGround in Rawtenstall, was carried over from last season.

Unique Double Completes a Memorable Football Season _______________________________

History Made – Lancashire Cup Winners! ____________________________________________

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a The Year 11 Cricket Team with Mr Harrison (back left to right) MarkNewton, Peter Kelly, John Kirby, Stewart Guy, Andrew Price, David Radcliffe, Chris Wardle, Ken Highdale (Lancashire) (front left to right) Craig Kent, Matthew Phythian, David Hort (captain),John Davies, Phil Lawrence

b Peter Kelly (playing shot) and David Hort batting

Triple Trophy SuccessTriple Trophy Success

c The Year 10 football team with the Merseyside Junior Shield and theLiverpool Cup (pictured left to right) Nathan Elliott, Joshua Smith,Matthew Hughes, Jonathan Monks, Paul McManus, Matthew Leigh,Jonathan Croasdale, Kieran Driscoll, Michael Jones, David Wright,Charles Jones, Simon Murphy, Phillip McCaughran, Matthew Hudson, (kneeling at front) Andrew McGrail, Ben McHugh, Andrew Owens,Antony Williams (Captain)

d The team winning at SFX college