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| David Crawford reaches the final stage of his 10-year headship |
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| David Crawford in his last weeks as Headmaster of Colston’s School – as pictured in the Bristol Evening Post |
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After the non-stop activity of Summer Term and a relentless round of farewells, David Crawford has reached the final stage of his 10-year headship at Colston’s School.
His last official act will be to oversee the publication of A Level results on August 18, after which his successor Peter Fraser will take charge for GCSE results on August 25 and the start of the new school year on September 5.
Peter comes to Colston’s from Lincolnshire where he has been Head of the Boys Division of Stamford Endowed Schools and one of three Vice Principals.
“Disengaging from Colston’s is one of the hardest jobs I have ever faced,” David said. “Just think of it – 850 Upper and Lower School pupils, teaching and non-teaching staff, parents, governors, former pupils and so many other people.
“Like any school it’s the people that make it – and that’s what you realise at the end of July when it all goes quiet and you rattle around a virtually empty building.
“You look forward to the buzz of activity around examination results and then at the start of the Autumn Term. I’ll miss it all massively, and will need to be busy on other projects to help fill a big gap.”
David Crawford’s decade in charge at Colston’s has seen the most decisive change in the school’s 295-year history.
Having been founded in 1710 to provide an “education for 100 poor boys of the city”, it had welcomed girls for the first time in 1991. It was the opening move in deconstructing the traditional boys prep system.
In 1994, under the headship of Stephen Howarth, Colston’s was split into a Lower School to Year 6 and an Upper School from Year 7 to reflect the state pattern.
It then fell to David Crawford to build on the new structure, and Colston’s has since enjoyed a period of sustained growth. |
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Prince of Wales names Colston’s Director of PR as his Regional Ambassador |
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Colston’s Director of PR Don Whiting has been named by HRH The Prince of Wales as his Regional Ambassador for the coming year.
This voluntary role is designed to encourage businesses in the south-west to strengthen their commitment to corporate social responsibility and build closer links with charities and community groups.
Don is Chairman of Bristol ProHelp through which record levels of free help and advice are being delivered by business professionals to voluntary and community groups in and around Bristol. |
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| Middle School Production 2005 |
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Rainbow’s Ending by Noel Greig
Presented by years 7-9
30th June – 1st July 7.30pm Tickets: £6/£4 Harry Crook Theatre
Two giants decide to have an eating competition. Between them they eat all the plants and animals in the world and then fall asleep for hundred years. All the humans retreat for safety to high-walled cities and live in squalor, surviving only on the boiled bones of animals left by the giants. After hundred years the giants wake and are hungry again, but there is no more food to eat. They go to the cities in search of food, and begin to munch their way through the humans.
Life has got so bad that the humans in cities decide to commit mass suicide. One girl, called Rainbow, thinks this is a bad idea and gathers together a small, like-minded group of friends. Together they hatch a plan…. |
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| Year 8 Poetry |
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| Year 8 pupils produced their own rhyming story books as part of their poetry unit. They then read the books to an eager audience of Nursery pupils from the Lower School. Gemma Beech commented: "It was a wonderful experience; they really enjoyed the stories and it made such a difference having a real audience for our writing". Dr. Tovey intends to repeat the experience next year! |
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| YEAR 10 OUT ON WORK EXPERIENCE |
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Last week all of Year 10 was out of school on work experience. Some were testing out career ideas; all experienced the world of adult work. They have worked hard writing letters of application and following these up with telephone calls to find placements that appealed to them and were looking forward to what were informative and interesting weeks.
Placements chosen ranged from engineering companies to sports centres; from a forensic science lab to a design studio; from banks and solicitor’s offices to hotels and children’s nurseries.
The great majority had a thoroughly useful, as well as an enjoyable experience of the world of work which will aid them in choosing future educational and career options.
Read what some of the boys and girls thought about their work experience. |
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| Opening of the CCF Headquarters |
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| Brigadier Hugh Pye, former Chairman of Governors, opened the new CCF headquarters on Monday 20th June. As well as the opening of the new building there were visits from various sections of the armed forces. PRESS RELEASE |
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Former Chairman of Governors, Brigadier Hugh Pye, officially opening the new CCF building. |
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| The Headmaster, David Crawford, talking to cadets at the opening of the new CCF building. |
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The visit of a Lynx helicopter at the opening of the new CCF building |
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| Four pupils at Colston’s Lower School are celebrating success on court, at the wicket and on stage. |
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Four stars in the making at Colston’s Lower School. Harry Coulthard shows off the cup he received at Roehampton yesterday (June 16) when he won the Fred Perry National Tennis Challenge. Cricketers Jon Roper (left) and Callum Braley have broken into the Gloucestershire Under 11 squad. And Emma Fredericks (dressed as ‘Alice’) is preparing for her roles in ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ at Bristol Hippodrome and the school’s own production of ‘Alice in Wonderland’. |
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Ten-year-old Harry Coulthard yesterday (June 16) became a national tennis champion when he won the final of the Fred Perry Challenge for his year group at Roehampton, the site of the new National Tennis Centre.
He had played three matches to reach regional finals, and won his way through to Roehampton where he beat Scotland’s Lindsay Murdock 7-6 6-4.
Callum Braley (11) and Jon Roper (10) have both established themselves in the Gloucestershire County Cricket Under Eleven side for the 2005 season. Callum is a right-handed batsman and wicket keeper and Jon is a left-handed all-rounder. They were entered for selection by their club sides – Callum is with Coalpit Heath and Jon plays at Hanham.
They were among 200 young Gloucestershire cricketers selected earlier in the year, and after weeks of training and trials both made the 16-man county squad.
They have already represented Gloucestershire against Herefordshire (won), Devon (lost) and Wales (won), and have another eight county matches as well as a two-day mini-festival at Kings School, Taunton against Somerset, Wiltshire and Worcestershire.
Emma Fredericks (11) performs on a different stage. This year she has already been a member of the cast of ‘Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat’ at Bristol Hippodrome, and returns to the same theatre on June 27 to join the cast of ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’.
She will be part of a team of 12 youngsters performing during the second week of a two-week season at the Hippodrome.
Originally there were 30 candidates for that week in the show, and Emma was selected after a series of auditions. And just to keep her on her toes, she has also been selected to play the lead role in Colston’s Lower School production of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ on July 4th and 5th.
“These four have done tremendously well, and we are really proud of them,” said Colston’s Lower School Head Caroline Aspden.
“We strongly encourage all pupils to develop their skills and talents outside the curriculum, and as the competition builds up we find they are all really supportive of each other.
“I think we have some real stars in the making – in sport and the arts – and the partnerships established with pupils’ families and outside organisations are really paying dividends.” |
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| German Study Visits |
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| During the Easter holidays Mrs Henderson and Mr Aspden took a group of pupils from Years 10 to U6 to Munich in southern Germany. Activities included visits to Bavarian castles, Munich's Olympia park and the BMW factory. Read a report on the trip. |
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At the end of the summer term a group of pupils from Years 7 to 9 will be heading for Boppard with Mrs Henderson and Mr Yaxley, to take part in the Rhine Gorge area of Germany.
Activities will include a town trail, a cruise on the Rhine, and a visit to the theme park "Phantasialand" |
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| Girls' Rugby Success |
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Following their success in reaching the semi-finals of the National Sevens tournament at Rosslyn Park, Colston’s girls’ sevens team have gone one better, winning the inaugural John Cleveland sevens tournament.
The girls suffered an early blow in losing playmaker Laura Keates (England U16 group) to a severely twisted ankle in training. Despite this, several players stepped up to the mark, particularly centre and captain, Mallory Cottell, wing Stacey Webster and flyhalf, Gemma Rowland.
During the league format of the competition, the girls rattled up 185 points and conceded only 22. The final was contested against Wellbeck Army College (a repeat of the earlier league meeting – Colston’s won 14 – 12), which was an extremely tense and hard fought affair. Wellbeck twice held the lead, before their resistance was finally broken with a superb individual try from Helena Scott Hardy. The final score was Colston’s 26, Wellbeck Army College 17.
Group matches: Match 1.Colston’s 50 – John Cleveland ‘A’ 5, Match 2.Colston’s 14 – Wellbeck Army College 12, Match 3.Colston’s 38 – Watford Grammar 5,
Match 4.Colston’s 22, Cheadle Hume 0, Match 5.Colston’s 61 – John Cleveland ‘B’ 0
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| RUGBY INTERNATIONALS |
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| Photos of the current boys who gained International Caps at U19, U18 and U16 level are now published on the rugby pages |
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| School Inspection |
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A twelve strong Independent Schools Inspection team have spent the last week carrying out a formal inspection of the school. Under current legislation independent schools are inspected every six years and the inspection teams are monitored by OFSTED to ensure that they adhere rigorously to the inspection criteria.
There is a framework for inspection which focuses on the quality of teaching and learning as well as various ‘aspects’ of the school’s management. At the end of the inspection week the team give oral feedback to governors and senior staff and a short time later a draft report is sent to the school so that any factual inaccuracies can be identified. Once the draft report is agreed, the final report is published in the ISI web site and summary copies are sent to parents. David Crawford
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| Charity Concert |
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On Thursday 17th March most of Colston's musical talent came together to raise money for the charity Scope by performing a concert in the Harry Crook Theatre. Scope is a charity that specialises in helping those with cerebral palsy and their families. The night raised in excess of £280 for the cause.
Although the music played was mainly rock other genres were also played by the bands that included Redfall, The Mutated Twinkle Berries, Sideshow and others.
The Harry Crook Theatre was brimming with students and staff throughout the evening. Special thanks go to Mr Berry, Mr Temple and Mr Arrand who all helped Front of House. The production designer was Sam Orme, who created the designs for the set and lighting, and the first sound engineer was Mr Ed Bicknell. The production photograher was Ben Krawiec. A big thanks to all involved and everyone who attended. |
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| Old Colstonians RFC clinch promotion |
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| The Old Colstonians RFC clinched promotion to Gloucester Premier by defeating Old Bristolians in their last league match of the season. The OCs, who are now based at the school, have very strong links with the school: they are coached by 1st XV coach Darryl Paterson and the majority of the side are Old Boys. 1st XV captain, Ryan Owen, scored in the 36-17 defeat of Old Bristolians. |
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1st XV captain, Ryan Owen, playing for the Old Colstonians RFC |
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| More England Caps |
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Congratulations to Luke Eves who will make his international debut for England U16s on Easter Saturday (26th March) when England play Italy Under 17s at Old Albanians RFC in Hertfordshire.
Gareth Griffiths and Iain Grieve have also made their debuts for England at U18 level. England have been playing in the Association Européen de Rugby Festival and reached the final of this competition by beating Italy at RFC Arras on 23rd March. |
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