C O N T I N U U M

Continuum is a collection of illustrated facts, anecdotes and thoughts about Sevenoaks School. If you’d like more detailed, practical information, please take a look at the booklet enclosed or at our website.

Everything that follows has been contributed by the people who know the school best; students, alumni, staff, parents and governors – and offers insight, I hope, into an extraordinary school with a rich history, a vital present, and a bright future.

Welcome to Sevenoaks.

Did Captain Scott Kelly really open with this? Well yes, he did.

And in January 2011, Sevenoaks became the first school to

achieve a live video and audio satellite link with a space vehicle;

the International Space Station no less.

We could see them. We could hear them. We could ask incisive

questions:

What subjects do would-be astronauts study at university?

Can you see the Great Wall of China from there?

“ S E V E N O A K S S C H O O L , T H I S I S H O U S T O N ”Is it possible to ‘phone home’?

Are there jet packs in case you let go?

How does using the loo work?

The harmful effects of radiation and the glories of the Earth’s

atmosphere when viewed from orbit also came up. And 300

Sevenoaks students were moved and inspired by what they

learned on that extraordinary day.

Music in the air. Every week, 46 music teachers deliver 850 lessons, more or less. Most last 30 minutes. So every week, music

is being made here for at least 425 hours. You can squeeze 28 Wagnerian Ring Cycles into 425 hours. Should you be so inclined.

Carrot is King

“ I went to a very academic, very strict school. I did okay. At seventeen,

I transferred to Sevenoaks where the carrot reigned supreme, and still does.

My IB results knocked my GCSEs into a cocked hat. I put it down to the power

of positive reinforcement. If excellence is expected, it is forthcoming.

No need for sticks.”Eliza Ecclestone, Class of 1991, Governor

Austria

Azerbaijan

Bahrain

Belgium

Bermuda

Brazil

Bulgaria

Canada

Egypt

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Hong Kong

India

Indonesia

Italy

Japan

Kenya

Korea

Luxembourg

Madagascar

Malaysia

Monaco

Netherlands

Nigeria

Norway

Oman

Romania

Russia

Singapore

South Africa

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Thailand

Turkey

United Arab Emirates

United Kingdom

United States of America

We have good reason to

believe that in the 1770s,

this boy from China

attended Sevenoaks School.

His benefactor was John

Frederick Sackville, 3rd Duke

of Dorset, and his name was

Huang Ya Dong. A portrait

painted by Joshua Reynolds

hangs at Knole House and

the British Museum holds

this engraving.

Today, Chinese nationals

are still making their way

here, as are students from all

four corners of the globe.

Recipe and method. Crumble Topping: Caster Sugar 7.0 kg, Butter 7.5 kg, Plain Flour 15 kg, Oats 2 kg. Mix together until a crumble forms. Fruit Filling: Blackcurrants 15 kg,

Cooking Apples 45 kg, Caster Sugar 7.5 kg, Butter 3 kg. Peel, de-core and roughly chop the apples. Place all but the blackcurrants into a large pan. Cook on a medium heat until the

apples are soft. Add the blackcurrants and mix well. Pour into a large tray and top with crumble. Cook in oven at 190º C for 40 minutes. Serve with custard or cream. Feeds 1000.

“ When I see wild berry

crumble on the menu I know

it’s going to be a good day.”Yumika Brewster, Class of 2012

We don‘t serve ‘school dinners’ here, we make food to fill the stomach, stimulate the mind and soothe the spirit.

With an average 205 students a year taking the International Baccalaureate,

Sevenoaks is the largest IB school in the UK. Scoring 45 points is an extraordinary academic achievement.

Each year, only about 100 students in the world manage it.

Typically, between 10 and 15 of them come from Sevenoaks School.

World average: 29.6. Sevenoaks average: 39.9

To achieve the maximum 45 points, students must:

Gain 7 points in literature

Gain 7 points in a foreign language

Gain 7 points in mathematics

Gain 7 points in a science subject

Gain 7 points in a humanities subject

Gain 7 points in an arts or other subject of their choice

Gain 3 points from the study of Theory of Knowledge and a 4,000 word Extended Essay based on in-depth research.

They must also spend a set time participating in creative, sporting and community service activities of their choice.

A round of golf or a cross-country run in neighbouring

Knole Park invariably features a brush with graceful

deer; although you may choose to make a sharp detour

during the annual rut, stags being stags.

Knole is 1,000 acres of beautiful, National Trust parkland to which we have ready access. Some back garden.

“ At my school, no subject really swept me away. Nothing captured my attention the way Phil de May’s Latin grammar lessons lasso the students here. Latin grammar! Makes me wish I could turn the clock back...”

Now a grown-up, David Merewether teaches photography at Sevenoaks School. For ten years or so, he has also been making a photographic record of daily life here. Like Sir David Attenborough, he is practised in the art of blending into backgrounds so he can observe his subjects interacting naturally, in their natural habitat.

The students and the photographer loved the Latin lesson.

Towards the end of the seventeenth century, an elderly member

of the Grocers’ Guild recalled seeing the Arms of William Sevenoke

‘att the upper ende’ of the Grocers’ Hall, before it was destroyed in

the Great Fire of London in 1666.

He made a sketch from memory showing the seven acorns

arranged 2, 3, 2. The escutcheon (or shield) he annotated with the

letters Az, standing for azure (or blue). As this is the oldest extant

record of the Arms, it has become the official version, sketch

though it is.

As the rules of heraldry state that ‘no colour may stand against

another, but against a metal or a fur’, the Arms of William Sevenoke

usually feature silver acorns against a blue shield.

THE Arms OF WILLIAm sEVENOKE

The Seal was issued in 1560, along with Letters Patent

incorporating the town and school, which was known for the

next 300 years as Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School.

Around the border are the words Sigillum Commune

Scole Grammaticalis de Sevenok in Com Kance. Or if

you prefer, The Common Seal of the Grammar School of

Sevenoaks in the County of Kent.

In the centre a master sits teaching, surrounded by

pupils reading. In his left hand he holds an open book and

in his right a birch, those being the days of stick rather than

carrot. The letters R and B on either side of his head stand for

Ralph Bosville, a local man and a courtier.

The motto reads, ‘Servire deo regnari est’, meaning ‘To serve

God is to be ruled’. ‘Servire deo regnare est’ was more commonly used,

meaning ‘To serve God is to rule’. What a difference a vowel makes.

Was a mistake made or a deliberate decision? May we simply blame the

vagaries of sixteenth century spelling? The jury is still out.

THE sEAL OF sEVENOAKs sCHOOL

Making a positive markHelen Mitchell (Class of 1990) is Global Head of Marketing

and Digital Distribution at Barclays. She is also Director of

Communications for the investment bank’s gender diversity

network and Recruitment Committee Chair charged with

attracting and developing talented women and growing the

female client base.

Christina started sailing on the Solent at seven. She chose Sevenoaks because she knew we’d understand her love of the water and of racing. Love (and hard work) blew her all the way from West Sussex (via Kent) to Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008. Talk about ruling the waves. Christina Bassadone, Class of 2000, Olympian.

,

At the party afterwards, Ellie Goulding’s band featured Max Cooke

(Class of 2004) on keys. His instrument of choice that night was

a Moog Voyager.

Two Old Sennockians played a part, quite literally, in the

marriage of Prince William to Catherine Middleton in April 2011.

As Westminster Abbey filled with guests, James McVinnie (Class

of 2001) played Veni Creator Spiritus by Sir Peter Maxwell

Davies and Elgar’s Sonata in G for Organ.

Maybe in Shakespeare

Jack Cade (grammar-hating rebel leader) to Lord Saye

(loyal courtier):

“Thou hast most traitorously corrupted the youth of the

realm in erecting a grammar school...It will be proved to

thy face that thou hast men about thee that usually talk

of a noun and a verb, and such abominable words as no

Christian ear can endure to hear.”Henry VI Part II, Act IV, Scene VII

There are those who say that the ruinous ‘grammar school’

in question is Sevenoaks. And as Shakespeare clearly

based this particular plotline on actual events surrounding

The Battle of Solefields (fought in 1450 on ground we now

use as playing fields) we like to believe they’re right.

D e f i n i t e l y i n H i g s o n“ When you’re writing about something that has a strong fantasy element,

it is particularly effective to set events firmly in the real world.”

In this instance, actor, comedian and writer Charlie Higson invented an

imaginary school called Rowhurst, but based it on memories of being at

Sevenoaks in the 1970s.

So if you’d like to see the school through Charlie’s eyes as it was then,

read The Dead. It’s the second in his series for young adults, The Enemy.

“ The geography (of Rowhurst) is roughly the same as the real school and

I’m sure current students will find bits familiar. I really enjoyed being at

Sevenoaks, especially times spent in Bob White’s Art department.”

Charlie Higson, Class of 1976

Greening our world

We are about to invest in a dewatering machine. By removing the

water from our food waste we can reduce what we send to landfill

by 75 per cent, slash disposal costs and minimise our impact on

the environment.

Eventually, we hope to convert the machine into a biodigester,

which will compost what remains. Our gardens will appreciate it.

Mr Patel (Mr P to his friends) has been trading with

peckish Sevenoaks students since 1992.

His sweet-shop ceiling has been playing host to our

Sixth Form graffiti artists since 1914, believe it or not.

It has been redecorated in the meantime of course

(several times he thinks) but the valedictory tradition

lives on. As fine traditions do.

Happy to muck in

“�During�the�Battle�of�Britain,�when�the�Kent�airfields�were�a�real�target,�students�dug�trenches�for�air�raid�shelters.�Lest�the�precious�fruit�rot�on�the�trees,�the�government�paid�us�thruppence�ha’penny�an�hour�to�pick�it.�We�filled�bottles�with�petrol�and�oil;�Molotov�Cocktails�to�hurl�at�enemy�tanks�should�the�worst�happen.�And�to�formalise�our�efforts,�we�formed�a�‘youth�group’�dubbed�The�Oaks,�which�raised�teams�of�bicycle�messengers,�manned�local�council�offices�at�night,�and�sounded�the�air�raid�sirens.”

David Kear. Class of 1941

Sevenoaks�School�is�embedded�in�the�local�community.�Always�has�been.�Never�more�so�perhaps,�than�during�the�Second�World�War.

t R a D E R t u R n E D t E a c H E R

When�Nick�Wergan�(Class�of�1986)�left�university,�he�took

a� job� in� the�City�of�London.

After�9 /11,�he�followed�his�instincts,�retrained�and�took�up�

teaching�English.�In�2007�he�was�named�Outstanding�New�

Teacher� of� the�Year�by�the�UK�Training�and�Development�

Agency.��A�good�decision,� then.

He� is� now� Deputy� Headteacher� at� Blatchington� Mill�

School� in� Brighton.�“I� think� I’ve� found�my� role,”� he� says.�

“I�grin� frequently�on�my�way�home.”

Nick’s� students� have� been� known� to� call� him� God.

Bet� they�didn’t�do� that�on� the�equity� sales�floor.

“ There used to be, or still is, a noble old tree with a bench built around it in front of Johnson’s Hall (now the Library). One summer’s day I sat under it with my English master, and had a conversation which changed my future.

Then 16, I was impatient to get out, earn money and see the world. My parents were not impressed by study and learning, and had no issue with my leaving school early. But I was also a very keen English student, regularly devouring several novels a week.

My teacher had heard I was planning to leave and, under the tree that day, suggested that I might be good university material. I was taken completely by surprise; the idea was beyond my wildest aspirations. I reconsidered, stayed put and took A Levels.

A seed was planted under that tree. Forty-six years later, I have a fascinating career in teaching, writing and editing to look back on.”

Chris Caridia. Class of 1968

The past is a fo

reign country…

“ A t S e v e n o a k s S c h o o l i n t h e 1 9 5 0 s , a t o u g h r e g i m e o f c o l d b a t h s

a n d r e g u l a r b e a t i n g s p r e p a r e d m e f o r a n y t h i n g . N o t e n t i c i n g o r

f a s h i o n a b l e I k n o w , b u t I s u r v i v e d a n d p r o s p e r e d , a n d r e m a r k a b l y

p e r h a p s , s t i l l h a r b o u r s o m e a f f e c t i o n f o r t h e o l d p l a c e ! ”

Malcolm Lyon, Class of 1959

…they do things

differently ther

e.

By learning to distinguish between woodlouse species, Year 8s at Sevenoaks also learn how important it is to

respect ‘alien’ organisms, no matter how humble.

Turns out pillbugs are happy to hang out more or less anywhere: damp places, dry places, not-so-dark places. They’re not fussy.

Striped Shiny

Rough Pillbug

Everybody (that is, every cricket fan of a certain age) remembers Ian Botham smashing out 118 runs in the 1981 Ashes, hammering Australia at Old Trafford. But slowly and steadily, over the course of two innings, Chris Tavaré actually scored more. 29 more in fact. He turned that match, before going on to tuck another 28 test matches under his belt.

Chris Tavaré went to school here (Class of 1973). Now he teaches here: biology, hockey, netball. And cricket, of course.

S L O W I S B E A U T I F U L

“�I�transferred�to�Sevenoaks�from�one�of�India’s�leading�

schools.�When�I�left,�I�studied�at�New�York�University,�the�

University�of�Pennsylvania�and�then�Harvard.�Greatest�

transformational�experience?�The�time�I�spent�at�Sevenoaks.”

Anand�Piramal,�Class�of�2002

During�his�postgraduate�studies,�Anand�returned�to�Rajasthan�to�head�up�the�Piramal�Group’s�e-Swasthya�

project.�Using�mobile�phone�technology�and�based�on�a�business�model�first�piloted�in�Andhra�Pradesh�and�

Tamil�Nadu,�the�project�offered�rural�India�access�to�the�very�best�doctors�and�medicines.

transformational experience

“ I find it hard to express why, as a parent, the school touches such a deep chord within

me but I will try. It is definitely not the social cachet (although I would be lying if I said

that I was not proud that my child attends Sevenoaks), nor the academic achievements

(fantastic though they are). It is the stimulating intellectual environment, the ‘everything

else’ the school offers, and most importantly to me, the novel and exciting ways in which

the teachers communicate their subjects. Instead of gearing their lessons purely to an

exam syllabus, they are showing their students endless possibilities and lines of enquiry.

The link-up with the International Space Station was an inspirational example of this.

I want my children to be stimulated and interested in the world around them, and

Sevenoaks School imparts a real sense of adventure. I also greatly respect the emphasis

placed on community service and charity. Pupils are constantly reminded of their great

privilege and good fortune; not in a way that makes them feel guilty, but in a way that

encourages them to ask what they can do to improve the lives of those less fortunate.

I know that in their future careers, many Sevenoaks alumni will be in a position to do

immense good in the world, and the seeds of philanthropy will have been sown at the school.”

Not so hard after all. And quite unsolicited, in case you were wondering.

Very Old BoysName:

Date of birth:

Place of birth:

Schools:

University:

Employment:

Best work:

Claim to fame:

Manner of death:

Place of death:

Date of death:

Legacy:

John Frith

1503

Westerham, Kent

Sevenoaks, Eton

King’s College, Cambridge

Teacher, Cardinal College, Oxford (now Christ Church)

Helping Tyndale translate the Bible from Latin into English

Protestant martyr

Burnt at stake

Smithfield, London

1533

Generations who could read the Bible and make up their own minds

It may be that England’s first printer, William Caxton (1422 to 1492), was educated at Sevenoaks School too.

We can’t be sure. But it makes a good story.

No limitsThe careers adviser at my first secondary school concluded that I might make a good nurse, or fitter of prosthetic limbs. Mum wondered if it might not be time for a new school.

Sevenoaks, when I moved there in the Sixth Form, had greater aspirations and persuaded me to share them. I think it’s just what they do there.”Katie Moss, FRCPConsultant RheumatologistSt George’s Healthcare NHS Trust Class of 1986

Joint capsule

Synovium

Degenerated cartilage

Synovial fluidOsteophytes

“

“Sevenoaks Schoo

l turns out peop

le with

boundless potent

ial to meet grea

t and diverse

challenges that

are not all abou

t accumulating

wealth and statu

s.”

Nick Booth, Clas

s of 1982

Policy Advisor

Rule of Law and

Access to Justic

e

United Nations D

evelopment Progr

amme, Vietnam

The job title sp

eaks for itself.

The�sound�of�space

An�auditorium�that�seats�410,�a�recital�room�

that�seats�100,�a�drama�studio�that�seats�100,�a�

theatre�that�seats�230,�and�acoustics�that�are�fit�

for�anything.

We�call�our�versatile�performing�arts�centre�

The�Space,�and�we�used�SoundLab®�to�hear�how�

different�spaces�perform�acoustically�and�how�

architectural�form�shapes�sound�quality.

SoundLab®�is�an�auralisation�tool�created�by�Arup�

Acoustics,�whose�expertise�went�into�the�design�

of�the�main�auditorium.�With�their�assistance,�we�

were�able�to�tune�the�Pamoja�Hall�to�different�

reverberation�frequencies,�and�so�optimise,�as�

appropriate,�both�speech�and�music.

A�feat�of�acoustic�engineering�that�surely�helped�

us�turn�The�Space�into�a�multi�award-winner.

2011�RIBA�Award�(Royal�Institute�of�British�Architects)

2010�Wood�Awards,�Public�Access�

2010�Brick�Award,�Best�Education�Building

63� 125� 250� 500� 1000� 2000� 4000� 8000

Frequency�[Hz]

3.5

3

2.5

2

1.5

1

0.5

Rev

erb

�tim

e�[

seco

nd

s]

Predicted�Occupied

Organ,�Chant

Romantic�Orchestra,�Choir

Opera,�Singing,�Recital

Chamber�Music

Speech�and�Theatre

Symphony

Opera

Chamber

Voice�Lift

Physical�Room

An honest Manby no means in Holy OrdersIt is 1432. William Sevenoke, foundling ‘son’ of William Romshed, is drafting his final Will and Testament. As self-made man of business and Lord Mayor of London, Sevenoke asks his trustees to:

“...find and maintain for ever, one Master, an honest Man, sufficiently instructed in the Science of Grammar, Bachelor of Arts, but by no means in Holy Orders, which may keep a Grammar School in some convenient House within the said Town of Sennocke ...that he may teach and instruct poor Children whatsoever coming thither...” A free-thinking lay foundation then, not an appendage to church or abbey, and one of the first of its kind, “committed not to the rudimentary skills of the church schools but to the idea of learning as an end in itself, and as a preparation for professional and vocational activities.” Plus ça change.

Sevenoaks School, A History, by Brian Scragg

Ben Summerskill OBE left Sevenoaks in 1980. He went on to

become an operations director, a Labour Party councillor, then

a national press journalist. Now he’s a skilful parliamentary

lobbyist and Chief Executive of Stonewall, the respected UK

charity working for universal equality.

Equality. Equality. Equality.

‘ Science gives you the power to do what you otherwise couldn’t and to understand what you otherwise wouldn’t.’

Dr Lars Blackmore, Class of 1998

At Sevenoaks, Lars applied his enthusiasm for science to the invention of a rather nifty Housemaster Detector. Triggered by a pressure pad concealed in the carpet, it discerned footsteps after dark and switched off all electrical appliances in order to avert approaching disaster.

Later at NASA, Lars exchanged the school dormitory for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where he set about working out how to make a precision-landing on Mars.

Genius.

“ I had such a nice time at Sevenoaks. At every talk I gave and every lecture I sat in on, the atmosphere was one of interest and engagement. Every moment of my stay was enjoyable. I might mention also that the talk given by Ilya to the Maths Society was one of the highlights. He talked about his work with a maturity that would be rare in a final-year undergraduate: I mean that, even as an Upper Sixth student, he was able to give ‘the big picture’, avoiding the temptation to go into detail and so lose his audience.”

Professor Imre LeaderUniversity of Cambridge

Ilya’s equation: Model for the evolution of a Ponzi Scheme based on advertised return, rate of new investors joining and perceived rate of failure.

Every year Head Gardener, Ian Harrington, plants a new tree in our beautiful grounds. His first (Cedrus Deodara) took root in 1988. In the interests of biodiversity, he always selects a different species. Everyone and everything benefits.

In the hierarchy of biological classifications, there are seven major taxonomic ranks: kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species.

Cedrus Deodara 1988 Quercus Robur 1989 Sorbus Joseph Rock 1991 Betula Jaquemontii 1992 Catalpa Bignonioides 1993 Gleditsia Triacanthos 1995

Liquidambar Styraciflua 1996 Liriodendron 1997 Gingko Biloba 1998 Carpinus Betulus 1999

Prunus Pink Perfection 2007

Acer Flamingo 2000 Cornus Kousa 2000

Fagus Sylvatica Atropurpurea 2001 Acer Crimson King 2002 Stuartia Pseudocamellia 2002 Malus Golden Hornet 2003 Amelanchia Lamarckii 2011

“Sevenoaks School has always been willing to innovate, to pioneer; an attitude based, not on looking over a shoulder at what everyone else is doing, but on strong educational conviction.”

Derick Walker, Parent and Governor

innoVAtion

innoVAtion T Y POG R A P H I C A L �T R E A S U R EThere�is�a�small�plaque�tucked�away�in�an�obscure�corner�of�our�library�that�

has�been�attributed�to�Eric�Gill,�celebrated�artist,�designer�and�typographer.

Commissioned�by�Charles�Plumptre�Johnson,�

it�marks�the�completion�in�1934�of�what�was�

then�the�assembly�hall.

According�to�an�inventory�compiled�by�his�

brother�Evan,�Gill�made�a�preliminary�sketch�on�27�May�1934�and�drew�

out�the� inscription�on�11�August.� � It� was� carved� that� September� by� his�

assistant�Lawrence�Cribb.

The art of delegation at its finest. This�page�is�set�in�Gill�Sans�Regular�and�Italic.�

Manifesto for life

All IB learners strive to be:

Inquirers: full of natural curiosity

Knowledgeable: about local and global issues

Thinkers: critical, creative, rational, ethical

Communicators: expressive, effective, multi-lingual

Principled: honest, fair, respectful, responsible

Open-minded: to the values, opinions and cultures of others

Caring: committed to compassionate service and support

Risk-takers: full of courage and independence of mind and spirit

Balanced: intellectually, emotionally and physically

Reflective: about all they learn and experience

Over and over again, these are the qualities

we see in our students.

A quarter of a million extraordinary bricks were specially commissioned for The Space.

So our performing arts centre sits softly in its place, blending with the hard and soft landscapes around it.

The bricks provide perfect soundproofing and resonate beautifully too. You should hear them.

There are 25,000 books in our library. The oldest, as far as we can tell, is A Perambulation of Kent by William Lambarde.

It was published in 1576, imprinted in London for Ralph Newbery and rebound in 1806. In 2007, Bonhams in Bath sold a

copy at auction for £696. Ours is much treasured and not available on loan. But students are free to look. And look.

We think the margin notes may be the handiwork of Robert Furley (1809 to 1887), historian of the Weald and previous owner.

Moon Man

Midtown – the hotel windows

are narrow eyes, taking in

the high skies and the bare brown brick,

early, before the day time haze,

the almost ice, precise glint of the glass;

November, already

the wind and the cars and the honking

near misses are chasing each other

down the avenues. The moon’s a wink.

At every traffic light, the same man,

pale neon, white blue:

held together, so many dots joined up, elusive

and dependable, waited for; half his life’s

a blank: a dark transformer board

above square digit fingers, a red hand raised,

a ‘no’ no one ignores, falling away to

dayglo pearls, an angel without wings,

gelatin silver, an almost friend...

Olivia Cole, Class of 1999

Award-winning poet, journalist

Goldmine

To�raise�money�for�charity,�photographer�Matt�Humphrey,�

Class�of�1997,�asks�actors,�directors�and�musicians�to�sit�for�him.

Willing�subjects�have�included�Jeff�Goldblum,�Goldie�(pictured),�

Sam�Mendes,�Razorlight�and�Kevin�Spacey.

Being�a�stage�hand�at�the�Old�Vic�has�helped.�So�has�being�handy�

with�a�camera.�The�shots�are�beautiful.

Regalia for feetEmma Hope left Sevenoaks in 1980. Her shoes, beautifully

designed then hand-crafted in Italy, are reputed to make a girl feel

like a princess when it really matters – when meeting a real live prince

for example, as Emma did recently.

Prince Charles handed over her MBE, and according to Emma,

‘It’s all thanks to Bob White, the Art Room and the Sevenoaks

creeds of never give up and what’s the point of copying when you

can make an original?’

We suspect her talent contributed.

Olympic Go ldAmy Williams flew head first down mountains in Vancouver at speeds exceeding 88mph on a skeleton bob sled called Arthur;

your guess is as good as ours. The medal-winning sled was co-designed by James Roche, who left Sevenoaks in 2003 for

Southampton University and a stellar career in sports engineering.

Nerd? Well her exact words were ‘nerdy and disciplined’. It is to these qualities that Jenni Tarma (Class of 2000) attributes her ability to master

the double bass and the bass guitar; a journey she began in Finland at the age of twelve. At Sevenoaks, she joined the jazz band, and

Head of Music, Andrew Forbes, encouraged her to recognise, value and optimise a rare, visceral response to some of the music she

was hearing. These days, she shares the stage and tours the world with the likes of Kylie Minogue and Christina Perri.

Email from: Maira Chowdhury (Lower Sixth)To: Dr M Edwards (Divisional Head)Subject: Capitalist vs. Anarcho-syndicalist Debate

Hi Dr E,Would you be able to take part in a Capitalist vs. Anarcho-syndicalist debate/discussion taking place between the PPE Society and the boys from Paradigm Shift on Monday 12 March after school?Maira

Email from: Dr M Edwards (Divisional Head)To: Maira Chowdhury (Lower Sixth)Subject: RE: Capitalist vs. Anarcho-syndicalist Debate

I may have to look up the definition of ‘capitalist’.Dr E

PPE: Politics, Philosophy and Economics. Paradigm Shift: Our Anarcho-syndicalist think tank.

T H E W O R L D I S O U R C L A S S R O O MOver the past few years, students from Sevenoaks have had their eyes, hearts and minds opened on school trips to:

Australia

Azerbaijan

Belgium

China

FranceGermany

Greece

Honduras

Iceland

India

Indonesia

Italy

Madagascar

MoroccoNepal

Republic of Ireland

Russia

South Africa

Spain

St Lucia

Japan

Kenya

United States

Australia: Sports. Azerbaijan: Russian. Belgium: French and Music. China: Mandarin and Geography. France: French, Skiing and Rugby. Germany: German and Drama. Greece: Classics. Honduras: Biology.

Iceland: Geography. India: Service. Indonesia: Biology. Italy: Italian and Classics. Japan: Design Technology and Japanese. Kenya: Service. Madagascar: Biology. Morocco: Geography. Nepal: Service and

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. Republic of Ireland: Literature. Russia: Russian and History. South Africa: Hockey. Spain: Spanish. St Lucia: Netball and Cricket. United States: Science and Higher Education.

No walk in the ParkLast year, teams from 36 UK secondary schools converged on Knole Park to take on the celebrated Knole Run. For boys it’s a 5.9 mile blaze cross-country, and girls cover 2.2 miles. 323 boys crossed the finish line and 115 girls. Between them, they notched up an impressive total of 2,158.7 miles. Respect.

L I L L I P U T L I v e s

The author gives some account of himself and family: his first inducements to travel. He is shipwrecked, and swims for his life: gets safe on shore in the country of Lilliput: is made a prisoner, and carried up the country.

so begins the first chapter of the first part of Gulliver’s Travels. The author’s captors are citizens of Lilliput; beautifully realised by the cast, costume and technical teams behind this magnificent school production of Jonathan swift’s biting eighteenth century satire, working to a brand new adaptation created by staff here at the school.

“ There is a lovely simplicity to the work of Oliver Barratt. His

pure, uncluttered shapes loop, swell and billow with a sensual

ease. It all looks so effortless that it almost feels familiar, as if

his forms have somehow been lifted straight out of life.”

Rachel Campbell-Johnston, Chief Art Critic, The Times.

Oliver Barratt is an inspirational sculptor. He studied at Sevenoaks

(Class of 1979) and for 19 years or so, has been teaching here.

Cyber-charm�Offensive

Meet�Titan.�In�Greek�mythology,�the�Titans�were�a�race�of�powerful�

gods,� so� at� ten� feet� tall� and� four� feet� wide� he� is� well-named.�

Towering�over�the�students�who�greeted�him�on�campus,�he�was�

more�interested�in�chatting�and�singing�than�he�was�in�throwing�

his�weight�around.�Fortunately.

Like�the�original�Daleks,�Titan�is�on�wheels�so�doesn’t�do�stairs.

Visit�courtesy�of�Cyberstein�Robotics�Ltd

Soul musicThe word gamelan comes from gamels, Javanese for strike or hammer. In mythology, this extraordinary musical

ensemble was created in AD 230(ish) by god and king, Sang Hyang Guru. He wanted to summon fellow deities to

his palace on Mount Lawu, so he made three gongs and the gamelan was born.

Ours features eight gongs. Eighteen instruments in all require as many players and a deal of practice. The Javanese

Cultural Attaché came to name it, thereby investing it, we understand, with a bona fide soul.

Its name, by the way, is Kyai Nogo Alit, meaning ‘venerable small dragon’.

Here be dragons‘ We use teamwork, ingenuity and imagination to capture

intimate images of wildlife. Our shots hang in the Natural

History Museum, London and the Smithsonian in

Washington DC. Our aim is to inspire people to

celebrate and conserve the natural wonders of our planet.’

Matt Burrard-Lucas, Class of 2008

Will Burrard-Lucas, Class of 2002

Matt and Will are award-winning wildlife photographers. The Komodo Dragon (Varanus Komodoensis) lives in Indonesia, grows to three metres in length and eats deer, not photographers, for breakfast.

Richard Boyle, Earl of Burlington; John James; Roger Morris; Henry Herbert, Earl of Pembroke and James Stedman.

Five, then. After much ado, building work began in 1724 and ended in 1732 – eight long years later.

To be fair, our 32 almshouses are still standing and functioning as originally intended.

How many architects does it take to design an almshouse?

Swift’s up.‘There are hundreds, if not thousands, who want to be the

world’s best windsurfer. What differentiates the top sailors

is consistency, and the only way to achieve consistency is

to practise hard. I owe my discipline and work ethic to the

education and physical training I got at school. I owe my

ability to master new tricks and sail successful heats to

the studying skills I learnt there. Without school, I wouldn’t

be the all-round competitor I am. And I wouldn’t be number

three in the world.’

Robby Swift, Class of 2002

All those wishing to live on Hawaii windsurfing for a living,

listen up.

The Folding Bed Prank

Step 1. Wait for sleep to overtake occupant.

Step 2. Flip up bed with occupant inside.

Step 3. Wedge bed closed (place chair beneath frame).

Step 4. Leave occupant to stew.

Step 5. Release after five minutes (max).

(cf. current health and safety regulations)

Gavin Palmer

Class of 1989fig.1

wall

floor

chair

folding bed

boy

Always wondered! Daniele Parenti (Class of 2006) knows.

He rode there from London on a pizza delivery scooter, a Honda C90 to be

precise. 10,000 miles to raise £3,000 for the Christina Noble Children’s

Foundation which shelters, educates and cares for abandoned and

orphaned children in Mongolia and Vietnam.

How do you spell Ulaanbaatar?

Odyssey by name. Odyssey by nature.

If you’re going to stage a play about an epic journey, keep your cast

moving and carry your audience with you, in every possible sense.

When The Space had been open a year, over 60 students worked

together to fill it with a multi-layered, multi-disciplinary theatrical event.

“We made use of every creative space in the building and kept the

audience at the centre of the action. Enthralled.”

Gavin Henry, Director of Drama

Beaches of Troy: travellers bound

for home

The Lotus Eaters The Cyclops’ cave

Audience arrested

Audience (illegal immigrants) enter with fake ID

Interrogation Centre (First floor)

Ithaca: Trial, Fall of Troy

(as puppet show)

1

2

3

4 5

6

Rise and shine

‘We won’t miss the cold, dark, early-morning wake-up calls. But walking

barefoot across the Mandrare River at dawn and dusk is something

we’re unlikely to forget.’Fleur Nash, Class of 2012

Twenty-seven brave souls with a passion for Biology travelled via

Antananarivo to Fort Dauphin on Madagascar’s south coast. Seven hours

in a truck later they reached Ifotaka. Camp conditions were basic: tents,

bucket showers, hole in the ground and rice. Lots of rice.

Working with scientists and PhD students, the group gathered data about

birds, lemurs, herbs and vegetation. Data that may persuade UNESCO to

declare the wondrous Mandray Valley a ‘protected biosphere’.

Trouble with termitesA student and staff quiz night at Sevenoaks raised £500; money that rebuilt and resupplied this Madagascan classroom, once destroyed by termites.

Fifty students, aged five to eleven, have a roof over their heads again, and another shot at education. £500 well spent.

Subsequent credits include:

2002 Bloody Sunday

2004 The Bourne Supremacy

2006 United 93

2007 The Bourne Ultimatum

2010 Green Zone

‘Films get made by the joining of a creative argument, struggle, fight

if you like. Film-making is a contact sport requiring collective creative

muscle; a team effort to mould and meld story, action, editing and music.’

Paul Greengrass, Class of 1973

Bearing witnessPaul Greengrass, film director and screenwriter, first embraced

the social realist tradition at Granada Television in the UK,

working on hard-hitting documentary series, World in Action.

He first saw the movie that most influenced the films he went

on to make at the Sevenoaks School Film Club, aged seventeen.

The Battle of Algiers is a shattering commentary on urban

guerrilla warfare. Directed by Gillo Pontecorvo, it took the award

for Best Film at the 1966 Venice Film Festival.

Even watched twenty times over, Paul claims it never loses its

power; the real world in action graphically rendered through the

artifice of film.

Now known for his signature use of hand-held cameras,

Paul started out with a Super 8 he found in the Art Room here,

creating animated horror films featuring old dolls, artists’

dummies and random classroom clutter.

From Sevenoaks he went to Cambridge University and then

Granada. Ten years roving global hot spots led eventually, in

1989, to an award-winning directorial debut, Resurrection.

s E V E N O A K s s C H O O L

C E r T I F I C A T E s

s E V E N O A K s s C H O O L

C E r T I F I C A T E s

HOW TO THINK FOr yOursELF

It’s an important lesson. Perhaps the most important a child ever learns.

But as far as our Head of English could see, not one that any English

Literature GCSE syllabus tried to teach.

So we concocted our own. Now recognised by universities everywhere,

the Sevenoaks English Literature syllabus for Years 10 and 11 is designed

to prepare students fully for Sixth Form and tertiary study. By which we

mean, it teaches them not to memorise and regurgitate but to question,

then develop and construct a cogent argument.

Jane Henshaw, Head of English

COmINg NExT

Our new English Literature syllabus has proved liberating for students

and teachers alike. It is the first of what we hope will become a selection

of UCAs-recognised sevenoaks school Certificates. Drama, Music,

visual Arts and Technology are next on the list.

All will involve independent external moderation and encourage critical

thinking and independent working. Horizons will be expanded and wider

choices offered, as we strive to make the Middle School curriculum more

ambitious, exciting, challenging and fun.

s E V E N O A K s s C H O O L

C E r T I F I C A T E s

s E V E N O A K s s C H O O L

C E r T I F I C A T E s

Easy does itThe stinging eyes, the clinging smell. In the

old days, swimming pool hygiene depended

on chlorine. Not any more at Sevenoaks.

The UV filtration system built into our new

pool means the only thing required to keep

the water clean is sunlight.

Easier on the environment, and on humans.

1. What is the chemical symbol for chlorine?

2. What is its atomic number?

3. What sort of element is it?

4. What is its principal chemical use?

5. What is it most often made into?

6. Who first synthesised elemental chlorine?

7. Who gave chlorine its name?

8. What does the word ‘chlorine’ mean?

1. Cl 2. 17 3. A halogen 4. Oxidisation 5. Bleach, disinfectant 6. Carl Wilhelm Scheele in 1774 7. Sir Humphry Davy in 1810 8. Pale green

“I used to be a wreck but I’m alright now.”

Three ex-battery hens now live, lay, run free and grow fat in

the grounds of one of our boarding houses. What a transformation!

Nice eggs too.

In 1961, Sevenoaks School established a pioneering Voluntary Service Unit (VSU) with two goals: to make life easier for people in the local community and to open student minds.

‘A Voluntary Service Unit creates students who ask questions about purpose based on the actual experience of being useful. Sadly, in the present time, it is more fashionable to

be cynical than to do anything which might be labelled unselfish or positive. But these are dangerously large words about something which is essentially ordinary. It is simply that

there is a surprising amount to be done and as they say, it’s better to light a candle than shout at the dark.’Kim Taylor, VSU Founder, Head 1954 to 1968

VOLUNTARY SERVICE

Today, our voluntary service programme is one of the largest and most ambitious of its kind. Its objectives remain unchanged. ‘Service at Sevenoaks is far more than fulfilling IB criteria

or contributing to the co-curricular programme. It aims to broaden minds and help our students gain a healthy perspective on life beyond school.’ Rebecca Brown, Director of Service

VOLUNTARYSERVICE‘Visiting Valence School is fulfilling, instructive and

fun. We have made solid friendships with many of

the students (who have physical disabilities and

complex medical needs) and come to admire the

teachers, who overcome any difficulties they face.

Our weekly visits have exceeded all expectations

and given us great insight into the lives of the

people who study and work there.’

Samina Gagné and Laura Grunberg, Class of 2012

Dan Caprice left Sevenoaks in 2008. The time

he spent on the wing in our first team was clearly

time well spent. Having played for Saracens and the

England Sevens squad, today he is bulldozing his way

down the wing at Biarritz Olympique.

Funded by a former parent, the Findlay Sixth Form

Sport Scholarship is reserved for a talented pupil from

a state school. A local boy or girl who excels at sports,

has real teamworking and leadership skills and a

genuine desire at sixteen to take on the challenge of

the IB Diploma. Dan Caprice was one such boy.

This cartoon by Jonathan Pugh appeared in The Times on 18 March 1999, alongside the news that ‘one of Britain’s leading independent schools has told parents that it intends to abandon A Levels, just two days before the government announces a controversial reform of the sixth-form curriculum.’

The article went on to state that ‘Sevenoaks School in Kent, the top co-educational school in last year’s Times examination tables, is to offer only the International Baccalaureate (IB) to new entrants from next year.’

The decision was not made lightly and we have never regretted it. You need only look at our IB results and alumni to see why.

Problems solved

“ Being dyspraxic, I have problems with taking notes, organising my work and making myself understood in essays. When I was younger, concentration was a problem too.

At Sevenoaks, I used a laptop in class and exams and had extra help with organisation whenever I needed it. The Learning Support team was always prepared to step in and fight my corner and subject teachers provided all the extra notes and assistance I required. Lower down the school I was also helped to improve my concentration and develop problem-solving skills.

I am going on to study Medicine at Cambridge.”

Ed Kim, Class of 2012

Sharpshooters

For years now, Sevenoaks students have shot at county and

national level in team and individual events, testing their

small-bore and full-bore rifle skills against junior and senior

clubs. As it happens, we just broke two records in the National

Small-bore Rifle Association Roll of Marksman Shield. Both had

been standing since 1989.

‘Shooters do not just magically appear in a national squad. There

is a long process of work and achievement before that happens.’

Mal West, Instructor, Crack Shot

Numbers of Sevenoaks students selected for the British Schools Small-bore Rifle AssociationEngland Squad:

2011 nine 2010 ten 2009 nine 2008 eight2007 six2006 ten2005 eleven 2004 five 2003 three

We don’t rely on magic.

Team Cake. Cake baking (from dawn to dusk) is only the start of it. And when we say cakes, we mean enough cake to feed over 1,000 people.

Students bake, make mess, serve, undertake crowd control, clean up and raise over £4,000 every year.

‘Some of the international causes to benefit have been ActionAid, East Meets West and Education For All.’

Liz Bassett, Boarding Housemistress, Park Grange

Like Sevenoaks School, Continuum is intended to surprise and inspire; here and now, and for years to come. So should you have any facts, anecdotes or thoughts of your own to contribute to future issues do get in touch with the editorial team.Thank you.

Like Sevenoaks School, Continuum is intended to surprise and inspire; here and now, and for years to come. So should you have any facts, anecdotes or thoughts of your own to contribute to future issues do get in touch with the editorial team.Thank you.

Warm thanks go to all those who have contributed content

and imagery to this first edition of Continuum. Many are

acknowledged on the relevant pages. Others are listed below.

Cover painting: Daisy Charles, Class of 2010 ( IB submission)

Katy Ricks: Zak Waters

International Space Station: © NASA

Huang Ya Dong: © The Trustees of the British Museum

Stag: Andy Solanky

Canary Wharf: Aubrey Stoll / Flickr /Getty Images

Christina Bassadone: Clive Mason /Getty Images Sport /Getty Images

Jack Cade: From Hutchinson’s Story of the British Nation The Stapleton Collection / The Bridgeman Art Library

Woodlice: Candy Amsden

Smithfield: The burning of John Frith and Andrew Hewet. John Foxe, Actes and Monuments, 1610

Leaves: Candy Amsden

The Space: © Christian Richters

New York City: David H. Wells /Aurora / Getty Images

Goldie: © matthumphreyimages.com

Emma Hope shoe: Ben Wright

Bob sled: Supplied by James Roche. Used by permission.

Jenni Tarma: Supplied by Jenni Tarma

ACKNOWLEDgEmENTs AND CrEDITs

Cross-country runner: © Lindsay Barker

Komodo dragon: © Burrard-Lucas.com

Almshouses: William Kent, The Designs of Inigo Jones, 1727

Robby Swift: © J Houyvet / windsurfgallery.com

Ulaanbaatar: Kraig Lieb / Lonely Planet Images /Getty Images

Madagascar (landscape): Richard Gower

Madagascar (schoolroom): Kerry Pitcher

Battle of Algiers poster: By permission of Neil Kellerhouse

United 93 poster: Courtesy of Universal Studios Licensing LLC

Dan Caprice: © www.kickphoto.co.uk

The Times cartoon: © Jonathan Pugh / The Times / NI Syndication. British Cartoon Archive.

Cakes: Supplied by Park Grange

Editorial team: Arabella Stuart, Charlotte Hails, Sally Robbins, Clare Brazier

Copywriting and editing: Caroline Bligh

Design and art direction: Nick Darke

Photography (unless otherwise stated): David Merewether, Nick Darke

Illustrations (unless otherwise stated): Nick Darke

Printed by Caxton and Holmsdale Press Ltd

Paper from a sustainable source, approved by FSC

Sevenoaks School, High Street, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1HU

Telephone: +44 (0)1732 455133 Email: admin@sevenoaksschool.org

www.sevenoaksschool.org

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