Month: January 2024
The latest of our termly Scholars’ Recitals took place on Sunday 28th January – the first formal concert of 2024. As ever, a selection of soloists made up the majority of the programme, and we enjoyed varied selection of repertoire from pupils across all year groups.
Rose (L) opened the concert with a piano solo, followed by Joe (H)’s performance of a German Lied. Following that, we were treated to a run of soloists from some of our talented Year 9 scholars, including a virtuoso performance of ‘Ain’t Misbehavin’ by Julia (L). As the recital progressed, our more senior musicians again came to the fore. Amongst these, Bruno (Y12, P) played a soulful piece by Degg on the alto saxophone, before Daniella (Y13, L) performed a stunning rendition of Alicia Keys’ ‘Empire State of Mind’. Congratulations to all soloists who graced the stage.
It was not just a solo recital, though. Our String Group played the beautiful ‘Ashokan Farewell’ with tremendous sensitivity and musicianship. As well as this, there was especially brilliant communication both within the ensemble and with the audience.
Finally, our ‘Competition Choir’ took to the stage. They are so-called because they have reached the final seven of the prestigious National Choral Competition – an absolutely outstanding achievement in itself. The choir will compete for the title in Birmingham’s Symphony Hall in March, and as the continue to prepare for the event, they have been working intensively on all elements of their performance. The two pieces that they sang in the recital will be used in the competition. The first is a real favourite of the choir’s, a setting of Psalm 121 by their own conductor, Mr Seymour, and first written for the Chapel Choir’s tour to the USA in 2019. In contrast, the second piece was an arrangement of the upbeat ‘It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing!’. The choir are making excellent progress in their quest for musical excellence but also the need to convey the pieces to their audience.
There are many more concerts to look forward to in March – be sure to book on our events page.
Towards the end of January, over 40 young climbers from four local schools came together at Ingleton Climbing Wall for the first Casterton, Sedbergh Prep School invitational climbing competition. Pupils from Sedbergh, Giggleswick, QES Kirkby Lonsdale and Windermere tested their skills on three roped routes and six boulder problems of varying difficulties, scoring points for each climb.
The event was organised by Sedbergh Prep School teacher Nick Verney, with the help and support of Craig Perkins and Debby Kuhlmann from Ingleton Climbing Wall. Speaking about the event Nick Verney said “Climbing is such a great sport. Our aims were to bring young climbers together and to generate a buzz around climbing in school, and we definitely achieved that. The atmosphere in the wall during the competition was incredible – there was so much enthusiasm and excitement, and it was great to see pupils from so many different schools giving it their all and supporting each other on the climbs.
Ingleton wall owners Craig and Debby said “It was fantastic to have so many enthusiastic and talented climbers at Ingleton Wall, working together to solve problems and being really supportive of one another. It was a great first event, and we look forward to hosting more in the future.”
The competition was very close, with climbers from all the schools represented in the top 10. The individual competition was won by up-and-coming talent Cecily Kinloch – a pupil at Sedbergh Prep. In fact, it was Cecily – a keen climber – who came up with the idea in the first place, asking her teachers if they could organise a climbing competition!
The event was such a success that Sedbergh Prep School hope to organise an event for primary school children in the summer term. If your school would be interested in being involved, please contact Nick Verney at prepoffice@sedberghprep.org
Sedbergh is incredibly proud of the contribution that our international pupils make; enriching the culture and experience of the whole School. So, we were delighted with the success of our recent, 2024 International Dinner. The evening was a culinary celebration of global diversity, with pupils from various nationalities coming together to prepare and enjoy an array of delicious dishes from around the world.
The Sedbergh community witnessed the vibrant collaboration between our international pupils and talented chefs as they worked side by side in the kitchen to create a spectacular feast. The atmosphere was filled with excitement, laughter, and the aroma of diverse cuisines, reflecting the rich cultural tapestry of Sedbergh School.
“At Sedbergh School, we take pride in fostering an inclusive and diverse community. The International Dinner was a testament to the unity that arises from embracing our differences and celebrating the unique backgrounds of our pupils,” said Head of EAL, Catherine Bettney, expressing the school’s commitment to promoting cultural understanding.
Events like the International Dinner play a crucial role in promoting cultural exchange, breaking down barriers, and fostering a sense of unity within the school community. Sedbergh School remains dedicated to providing a nurturing environment where pupils can learn from one another and build lasting connections that extend beyond the classroom.
As Sedbergh School continues to celebrate diversity through initiatives like the International Dinner, it reaffirms its commitment to shaping global citizens who appreciate and respect the richness of different cultures.
In response to a surge in enquiries and registrations from Scotland, Sedbergh School is excited to announce the launch of a dedicated Edinburgh bus route in January 2024. This new addition further strengthens the School’s already exceptional transport provision, providing enhanced convenience for pupils and families.
The Edinburgh bus route, operational during its exeat weekends (optional) and half terms, has been introduced to cater specifically to the needs of families in Scotland. By facilitating the transportation of pupils to and from Scotland, Sedbergh School aims to alleviate any logistical pressures for families, ensuring a seamless and convenient journey for pupils. In addition to this route, Sedbergh has three routes in England operating to and from Wetherby, Keele and Hexham.
As an alternative option, Sedbergh School also provides transfers from Oxenholme Train Station which offers excellent direct transport links to Edinburgh and Glasgow.
“Having delivered several successful information events in Scotland and obtained feedback from prospective and current families, we are thrilled to introduce the Edinburgh bus route as part of our ongoing efforts to enhance the overall experience for our pupils and their families. This addition reinforces our commitment to providing comprehensive transport solutions that cater to the diverse needs of our community,” said Mr Dan Harrison, Headmaster at Sedbergh School.
SEDBERGH / EDINBURGH ROUTE
| Outbound time | Inbound time | |
| Sedbergh Loftus Cottage | 2.30pm | 6.30pm |
| Kingstown Retail Park M6 Junction 44 | 3.35pm | 5.25pm |
| Abington Service Area M74 / A702 Junction 13 | 4.35pm | 4.25pm |
| Straiton Retail Park A701 – Edinburgh | 5.35pm | 3.25pm |
For more information about Sedbergh School’s transport options, including the new Edinburgh bus route, please visit https://www.sedberghschool.org/senior/information/sedbergh-travel-information.
Sedbergh School is currently running a series of ‘Roadshow Events’ around the UK and should you wish to learn more about the school and meet representatives, please check out our forthcoming events – https://www.sedberghschool.org/discover-sedbergh
Saturday 6th July – Saturday 10th August
Children aged 8 to 16 years
Bookings for our International Summer School opened before Christmas, and we’re thrilled to see a significant level of interest from families worldwide. Our diverse programme offerings, such as English + Multi Activities, English + Outdoor Adventure, English + Football, Leadership and International Relations, and a new addition for 2024, English + Creative Arts, have captured the attention of many.
This year, we’re organising the first two weeks at the Senior School campus, accommodating approximately 250 children per week. Following that, we’ll be at the Prep School campus for the next three weeks, hosting around 80 children per week.
For more details, you can watch our latest video below and please feel free to share with any interested clients.
Website – www.internationalsummercourses.org
Booking – https://sedbergh.heiapply.com/application/login
Now in Year 11, Chiyo started at Sedbergh in Year 7 at Sedbergh Prep School (Casterton). Although it meant a lot more work, she remembers enjoying the transition to Senior School and the extra freedoms that come with being a little bit older! Chiyo embodies all of our School values, but she identifies most strongly with ambition.
I think I identify with ambition in the school values the most because I’ve set myself a goal at the start of every academic year, and I’ve been trying to work towards those goals since I joined. But even if I fail or even if I get stuck, it is always those goals that remind me what I should be doing to try and get up on track and achieve those goals.
Beyond the core subjects, I’m studying Music, Photography, Geography, and Latin for my GCSEs. I think my favorite GCSEs are Latin and Maths because it’s like solving a puzzles, trying to find out a solution and there’s always the right answer and I quite like that.
My goal for the rest of the year is to stay on top of everything that I’ve learned so far in year 10 and year 11. I’d like to try and get all 8 and 9s in my GCSEs. So yeah, just going over everything that I’ve learned, trying to do the best I can on all my subjects. My strategy for achieving that is doing loads of past papers and I try to remind myself by reading my notes in the past and go over the things that I’ve gotten wrong in the past in my tests, I think.
I think my teachers have been really helpful in trying to correct things that I haven’t been doing and trying to remind me of all the things that I have to do in order to get the results that I want and they feel really helpful in correcting all the things and trying to support me by giving me ideas.
I have attended Phoenix Society to encourage my debating skills. I think the Phoenix Society has given me quite a lot of critical thinking skills; thinking of ‘fors’ and ‘against’ for arguments, and it’s got me thinking deeper. Not one side, but both sides of arguments. I think that’s really helped me in writing geography essays, because it’s very important to think about different perspectives of an argument and a case study.
For my A levels I want to do Chemistry, Biology, Maths and Latin. At university I think I would like to do something related to science; either biology or chemistry. I’m thinking more biology like biochemistry and marine biology and biology – that sort of thing. I’ve always been very interested in animals, but recently the environment and things we learn in chemistry and biology, fascinate me – like microorganisms and cells. To learn more about my pathway I sometimes go on YouTube and I watch documentaries. I’m trying to read more books as I get into A levels to do more further reading. That’s one of my goals.
My advice for myself next year in A levels is when I am feeling stressed and when I somehow convinced myself that I haven’t been doing enough, it’s okay because everything will work out in the end. I know I’ll try and stay on top of everything to get to my goal, so I shouldn’t really stress. Trying to remind myself to be more confident in myself and the things I do I think are important to myself.
My favorite thing about boarding at this school is that the timings are really structured and there’s always something to get to. It keeps you quite busy and I like that. There’s always something for me to do.
I think the most valuable lesson I’ve learned from Sedbergh is to believe in myself because my teachers have always been encouraging me to believe in myself when I’m in my lowest place, and it’s really been quite useful in my life.
Our Director of Rugby, Simon Mulholand, has just returned from Bermuda where he ran training sessions with Bermudian national coaches and talented local youngsters to improve their rugby skills. Joining him on the trip was fellow Sedbergh coach, James Coulton, who played for Bermuda before the Covid-19 pandemic cut short his stay.
Sedbergh’s standing as one of the UK’s top rugby schools ensured that the trip created interest. Whilst there, Simon was interviewed by the Bermuda Royal Gazette and also the Bermuda Broadcasting Company.
“It’s been brilliant coming to Bermuda and coaching the young rugby players, both boys and girls.’’
“I’ve been coming here for the last five or six years.”
“We’ve had a great time and it’s just so nice to see the smiles on faces and the enjoyment that they’re having. It’s a real pleasure and honour to be here.”
“They are great children and really talented. They love running with the ball in space, using footwork.”
Simon highlighted that we currently have several pupils from Bermuda at Sedbergh School, “They’re just fantastic and we love what they add to the school. They come from great backgrounds and we really enjoy having them at Sedbergh.”
Whilst there [in Bermuda], “There’s some talent identification from us and we have lots of meetings with prospective parents to see if they want to send their children to Sedbergh.”