commitments to tackle the Climate Emergency.

At the “Climate Challenge” on Wednesday 9th October, each school made pledges for their schools to address climate change to a panel of environmental specialists. These pledges were developed by the pupils themselves, were made with approval from Headteachers and Governing Bodies, and will begin to address some of the key challenges we face.

 This is the first collaboration of the Bristol Educational Partnership in which nine Schools from across the City will work with City Council as well as Bristol University and the University of the West of England to address key issues affecting our young people.

Clifton College students have been working with the sustainability charity Sustrans to focus on reducing the environmental impact of existing transport arrangements as well as developing ever- more sustainable menus in BSK, and developing wild spaces and animal habitats.

Head Master, Dr Tim Greene, said “ It is excellent to see our pupils leading the way in such an immensely important area as climate change. The College looks forward to developing the plans put forward by this group today”.

Guest speakers at the event included Doug Allan from BBC Blue Planet, OVO Energy and Bristol Youth Mayors. Councillor Anna Keen, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills said: “At a city level, the council is working independently and with partners to reduce carbon emissions, generate cleaner energy and improve air quality. This project demonstrates that whilst there is significant action being taken, tackling climate change is not all about the headline actions.

“Bristol has declared a climate emergency and is responding with action – we all have a part to play in helping our city become carbon neutral by 2030.”

The Soil Association, Sustrans, Avon Wildlife Trust, the Centre for Sustainable Energy, Action for Conservation, Resource Futures and Geneco supported students with their projects in a preliminary workshop held at the M Shed on Monday 30th September.  

The event also saw the launch of the Bristol Educational Partnership in which maintained schools, independent schools and the city’s Universities have committed to collaborate on projects with Bristol City Council.  The aims of the Partnership are to overcome disadvantage, raise aspiration, broaden education, and support teachers in continuing professional development.

Find out more about the Partnership at: https://www.bristollearningcity.com/education/bristol-education-partnership/

Follow the Partnership on Twitter @Bristollearning

The event proved a huge success, with the team finishing 2nd in the U16 category, 6th in the open age group category and winners of the trophy for most improved team. This is the second podium finish at a national championships in as many years for Clifton’s sailors.

The regatta was not all plain sailing however, with the team struggling to find their form in light winds at the start. This led to losses in the first two races, but as the wind increased Clifton’s pace picked up and they went on to win the next three races. Another narrow loss followed by a win in the afternoon left Clifton in 12th place overnight. However, with only one win separating 3rd from 15th it was all to play for.

Heavy winds the next day suited the Clifton team, who improved their sailing once again. Three straight wins on Sunday morning sent Clifton flying up order and were at one stage in 3rd position overall and leaders of the U16 category. Unfortunately, a loss against a very strong team county team representing Derbyshire dented our chances of the U16 title and qualification into the semi-finals.

A nervous wait followed, whilst other results came in. Unfortunately, these results didn’t go Clifton’s way and we narrowly missed out on both a top four semi final qualification and the U16 title. However, Clifton were comfortable winners of the Lancashire Silver Jubilee Plate for the most improved team and should be very proud of their efforts.

plan to embark on the world’s toughest sailing race – the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge.

The four men will take on this gruelling 3,000-mile race completely unaided, relying only on their extensive training, pure passion and drive. Efficient teamwork will be critical as they battle through some of the harshest elements on the planet in order to complete this epic once-in-a-lifetime challenge.

The team have known each other for most of their lives, with Ollie, Max and Tom going to school together here at Clifton College. It’s these strong friendship bonds that they believe will pull them through even the most testing of moments that they will face during the crossing.

It’s all for a good cause too. They are looking to raise £250,000 and gain awareness for their chosen charity, West London Zone, who work to make a real difference to the lives of children in poverty in central London. So while taking part in an intensive training regime, they are currently looking for those kind enough to donate or to sponsor the challenge.

Their boat is a Rannoch R45. Measuring 26ft long and weighing in at a hefty 1.4 tonnes, this boat is the fastest ocean rowing boat in the world. There are two cabins (one at each end), each measuring approximately 6ft in length – leaving very little space for the 6ft 5inch rowers in the team to catch some well-deserved rest! The boat will be sold after the race, with the proceeds going directly to the West London Zone charity.

This highly-driven, four-man team will depart from La Gomera (an island in Spain) in December 2019, and their aim is to be the first team in the race to reach the finish line in Antigua, having successfully navigated all of the challenges that the Atlantic Ocean can throw at them.

To find out more about Ollie, Hugh, Max and Tom’s incredible challenge or to kindly donate to their worthy cause, head over to their website. You can also follow their progress via their Instagram page.

in our Chapel.

Featuring talented young musicians from the College accompanied by The Bristol Ensemble, we were treated to a memorable evening.

Clara Sherratt, Year 8, began with a stunning rendition of Shostakovich’s second piano concerto; she has astonishing talent and maturity for her age and this was received with a standing ovation.

The concert then moved through the age range of the Upper School with Becky Pughe, Year 9, playing a beautiful clarinet arrangement of Handel’s Lascia Ch’io Pianga and Hannah Wilkie, Year 12, giving a commanding performance of the opening movement of Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C.

Emma Shaw, Year 12, gave a breathtaking rendition of the final movement of Finzi’s Clarinet Concerto. Tom Barwick, Year 12, was the consummate entertainer in Rutter’s more light-hearted Suite Antique for flute and orchestra and Valentin Kasparov, Year 13, rounded off the evening with a spirited reprise of the Guilmant.

Dr Greene, Head of College, said: “It was a pleasure to be able to host the Summer Serenade concert in support of the Children’s Hospice South West and to welcome their staff, supporters and guests to the College. I know that our own young musicians who, performed alongside the wonderful Bristol Ensemble, were moved to be able to help support CHSW. I very much hope that we will be able to co host more events in the future to promote such a worthy cause.”

18-year-old will cycle around the world solo and completely unsupported. He is hoping to become the youngest person ever to have accomplished such an expedition.

Charlie plans to cycle 18,000 miles in eight months through 20 countries, climbing over the equivalent of 26 Mount Everests.

He initially planned to travel just through Europe, doing 10,000km which then increased to 10,000 miles. He then looked at the line stretched out and thought ‘let’s just go for the world.’

Having just finished his A level exams, he has found it hard to find the time to fit in training, however he is confident in his fitness and mental strength.

“I can’t wait for New Zealand, it is going to be amazing. I’m also looking forward to the West Coast of America. I have done a lot of Europe already so it will be good to get going through some areas that I know.

“The College have been very supportive and I was thrilled to be given the Moriarty Travel Award to help fund my travels. The teachers have gotten very involved supporting and following me, Mr Williams, my geography teacher, has helped me with my route,” said Charlie.

Charlie has a carbon-fibre bike that weighs only 7kg and his entire kit weighs under 15kg – including a multi-tool and many, many patches to repair punctures along the way.

Tom Davies, from London, currently holds the title for youngest person to cycle the world when he completed the challenge in 2015 at 19-years-old.

Charlie is funding his trip from his savings and he has also set up a crowdfunding page for people to support him on this bike ride of a lifetime.

He set off on Friday 6th July, just a day after his final day of school.

We are so proud of Charlie, who joined Clifton College in Year 5 and leaves The South Town in Year 13. We cannot wait to follow his progress.

You can follow his trip through his blog, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

U14 discus thrower from a Prep School in the UK and due to his throw, the officials voted it the Most Outstanding Performance at the Championships by a male athlete and awarded him The Corden Cup.

Joshua is also heading to the National English Schools this summer to compete for Avon in the Discus as an U15.

Meika Byas, athletics coach, said: “I am so proud of the hard work Joshua has put in this term. He is so talented in many other areas of athletics and it wouldn’t surprise me if we had a future decathlete in our midst.

“Well done to all our national athletes that performed so well this year. We are very proud of our team and look forward to next year’s season.”

National Prep Schools Athletics Championships Results:

Josh Schrijver – 1st Discus – 42.02m (New PB and new NR)

Victoire Berjonneau – 2nd High Jump – 1.34m (New PB)

Joshua Schrijver – 4th Shot

Ricardo Thompson – 5th 100m – 13.6 (New PB)

Ingrid Arias -Belzer – 6th 1500m

Clemmie Houlden – 6th 800m

Yr 7 Girls Relay – 6th

to her growing list of achievements as she is also the captain of Girls Rugby for Clifton College and is in the England U18 Development Squad.

Sophie played brilliantly in the game against Harlequins Ladies, helping her team secure their eighth win of the season with a score of 13-12.

She said that she was “happy and shocked” at receiving the award. “I wasn’t expecting to get this on my first game. I feel extremely proud of myself,” she said.

However, it was not an easy win. Sophie said that Harlequins are a physically strong side and it took a lot of work to beat them.

She said: “Bristol Ladies is a big step-up from any other rugby I’ve played and I have learnt a huge amount. The team itself is super talented and friendly, making it easy for me to feel part of the team.

“My friends and family are hugely supportive and proud of my achievements. They all want me to achieve the best I can. At Clifton so many of my close friends and staff give me huge support and always want to know how my rugby is going!”

The 17-year-old also attends training at the England U18 Development Squad every two months where she has the chance to really push herself outside her comfort zone.

She said: “Rugby has made me a team player, and has made me more determined to reach for my desired goals. Some of the people I play rugby with have become my closest mates.

“Rugby at Clifton provided me one to one support with the rugby coaches at school, who taught me a lot and helped develop my understanding of the game. The Girls Rugby team has also allowed me to learn a lot about 7’s Rugby which is extremely useful.

“Last year the girls 7’s team went to Rossyln Park and we got to the quarter finals. This was amazing as it was the first time that many of the team had ever played rugby, and to see loads of them participating was super!”

Sophie has a bright future ahead of her and she hopes to be selected for the U20s England Squad and eventually play for the England Women’s Senior Team. We wish her the best of luck with her rugby career.

Read the match report here: https://www.bristolrugby.co.uk/news/report-bristol-ladies-13-12-harlequins-ladies/

Clifton scored 260pts in four matches without conceding a try. In the knock out stages they beat Whitchurch from Cardiff by 34-14 which took the squad into the second day of the competition. RGS High Wycombe were swept aside 43-0 and in the quarter final they made easy work of Thomas Hardye School 38-7.  This provided the semi-final the squad desperately wanted, against Wellington College. All seemed lost as Wellington raced to a 10-0 lead. Crucially, Clifton scored a converted try before half time. The clock was in red and Clifton were behind 15-14 as they attacked for a final time. A wonderful break from Jack Lloyd, to score under the posts led to a sensational Clifton victory. Sedbergh School were waiting in the final. They proved too strong defensively preventing Clifton from playing the flowing rugby they had in all their other matches.

It was an amazing effort from the 12 man squad to reach the final two teams from the 160 schools who started the competition.

hard work all of our students put in to what is a very tough and competitive process.

The University of Oxford:

Matthew Coleclough (The South Town), Mathematics and Philosophy at Worcester College.

Jack Chesser (East Town), Biological Sciences at Jesus College.

Constance Everett-Pite (Hallward’s House), Classics and English at Corpus Christi College.

Hope Browne (Holland’s House), Modern Languages at St Hugh’s College.

The University of Cambridge:

Alex Fitzgerald (The South Town), Natural Sciences at Clare College.

Dana Skotarenko (Worcestor House), Geography at Fitzwilliam College.

Henry Metcalfe (School House), Music, and an Organ Scholarship, at Jesus College.

Jo Greenbury, Head of Sixth Form, said: “Seven Cliftonians have received offers from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge this year, and they can be justly proud of their achievement in the face of extreme competition for places.

“The array of subjects in which they have been successful is pleasingly wide, and they have all been rewarded for their talent, their intellectual curiosity and their diligence.”

HRH The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) Charity.

During his visit he met head teachers and DofE Managers from schools across Bristol, as well as students from the College who are currently doing their Gold DofE programme.

He then played Real Tennis at our 90 acre sports complex against Sixth Former Bastien Van Der Zwalmen. It was a great game and Bastien was excited to play against HRH The Earl of Wessex.

“It was nerve-wracking at the start but then we got into it. He was really nice and really approachable. The game went pretty well, it was quite close, I didn’t expect it to be that close,” said Bastien.

Bastien played in a team with a student from the University of the West of England and His Royal Highness played with Jamie Sinclair from the University of Bristol.

HRH The Earl of Wessex is playing in Real Tennis in every court in the world to raise money for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Charity and help a new generation of young people transform their lives through DofE. He opened the Real Tennis court 20 years ago and played against pupils, so it was lovely that he could come back to Clifton College.

His Royal Highness played Real Tennis as part of his Gold DofE physical activity over 30 years ago and wants to show young people that the DofE journey does not end after receiving the award as many people continue to volunteer, hone their skills and improve their fitness.

Clifton College has been running the DofE for decades and places a high value on the opportunities it gives pupils in terms of independence, personal and social development.

Pupils at school have lots of opportunities for completing their Skill, Volunteering and Physical sections. The Volunteering section plays a big part at school and in the local community, DofE participants contributed a total of 871 hours of their time to help other people in the 2016-17 academic year. The extensive expedition programme includes walking expeditions in Morocco, Snowdonia, Brecon Beacons, Dartmoor, Elan Valley, New Forest and the Mendip Hills.

The school also offers expeditions in canoeing where locations have included the River Wye and the River Severn and more recently the school has run wilderness canoe expeditions to Sweden where pupils spend four days, canoeing through a vast lake system, cook on an open fire and sleep in hammocks throughout – a real ‘wilderness’ trip.

Dr Tim Greene, Head of College said: “The DofE is hugely important to Clifton College so it was a pleasure to welcome HRH The Earl of Wessex, and fellow schools engaged in the programme, to the College to highlight and celebrate the great benefits participation in the programme bring young people. We hope that HRH’s visit to Bristol will inspire more young people across the city to become involved with the DofE.”

Heather Thompson, DofE Director for the South West said: “As a DofE Charity Trustee and Gold Award holder, HRH The Earl of Wessex is passionate about supporting young people to reach their potential, whatever their background or circumstance. We are grateful for his dedication to the Charity and taking on this fundraising initiative. HRH’s support, and the generosity of so many local partners, will help us extend our reach in the South West and work towards our ambition of all young people having the opportunity to do their DofE. The Earl’s enthusiasm for Real Tennis shows that the impact of a DofE Award really does last a lifetime.”

been in the Clifton College Cadet Force since he was old enough to join and is currently the Head of the RAF section and Head of the Shooting Team.

His new role as the Lord-Lieutenant’s cadet is to assist the Lord-Lieutenant with public duties – often on parade for Royal visits – and also to act as an ambassador for the cadet force and young people across Bristol.

Harry has also been awarded a Sixth Form Scholarship by the Royal Navy to train with them as a pilot following completion of his A levels in Maths, Physics and Biology. Having passed the Admiralty Interview Selection Board and pilot aptitude tests, he will start  officer training at Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, in September next year.

There are three royal visits planned in the next few months which Harry will be invited to attend with the Lord Lieutenant so we wish him the best of luck!

seasons for the College and impressive performances during their time at the club. All three players have been part of Clifton College’s High Performance Programme.

Matt and Tom have played and developed their rugby since joining the College in the Prep School. Nick joined in the Sixth Form, having previously played centre, and the fact that he has developed into a hooker that has now signed a professional contract only two years later, is testimony to the hard work that he has put in.

Academy Manager Mike Hall said “All these players have come through the Player Development Group (PDG) set-up and understand the Academy’s values.”

Matt Salter, Director of Rugby at Clifton College, added “Matt Welsh is a solid team defender, while Tom Hargan is a fast counter-attacker who showcased his skills throughout the U18s Aviva Academy League campaign. Nick Freeman, who was recently selected to play for Wales U18, is a powerful hooker and also had an impressive performance during the Academy U18s’ 2016/17 campaign.”

Capping off a fine week for all three boys, they played in the Premiership A-League last night against Saracens. In a tough encounter, Matt Welsh started at centre and played very well in a Bristol Man of the Match performance.

Sports coach Paul Askew said: “We are very pleased for Matt, Nick and Tom and they should be proud of this achievement. Their selection is proof of the dedication and hard work they put into their training throughout their time at Clifton College and the programme we are developing here. We have no doubt they will go on to achieve great success and wish them the best of luck in their upcoming fixtures.”

group that has achieved one of the best ever sets of results for the College.

In total, 25% of pupils achieved all A* or A grades, and there were plenty of smiling faces amongst the crowd as pupils finally found out the results of their hard work.

Overall, 89% of grades were A* to B and 69% were A* or A grades. Departmentally, this year saw the best results ever for Economics, Physical Education and English Literature with 92, 91 and 74% A* or A respectively. In Biology, 100% of pupils achieved A* to B, with 89% A* to A for the fourth year running.

Remarking on the GCSE results achieved by the pupils, Head of College Dr Tim Greene said: ‘The achievements and wide ranging ambitions of our pupils at GSCE level is testament to the hard work and dedication they’ve shown through what is at times a stressful period.

‘We wish everyone the very best for their next step, and look forward to welcoming many pupils back after the summer break to study for their A Levels here at Clifton College.’

exams.

In total, 79% of grades were A* to B and 49% were A* to A.  A quarter of all candidates scored only A* and A grades.

Matthew Chivers, who joined Clifton College in the Nursery, scored 600 out of 600 in his Physics A Level, achieving a total of four A* grades as well as an A in AS Level Additional Further Mathematics.

Katherine Han scored the full 600/600 marks in Mathematics while Gazelle Mba and Bryony Salter – who also celebrated her 18^th birthday on the same day – gained full marks in their English Literature exams.

Languages had a highly successful year as 96% of grades were A* to B in classical and modern foreign languages.

In the STEM subjects a quarter of all results were A* grades, with 33 in Mathematics and Further Mathematics, 10 in Biology and 8 in Chemistry.

Head of College Dr Tim Greene said: “We are really proud of our students and what they have achieved through all their hard work over the past few years.

“It is fantastic to see our students prepare for the next chapter after their time with us, some of whom started at Clifton College in the Pre-Prep or Preparatory schools.

“We wish them all the very best for the future and hope we will be hearing lots more about their further successes in years to come.”