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Summer Term 2016
“The Summer is my favourite term” is frequently said optimistically, as the Easter holidays end.We
all look forward to the prospect of good weather, forget the impending examination season and hope
that we are going to have some fun along the way. There is, of course, a reassuring familiarity about
the much anticipated summer term, but often there are a few surprises and new experiences too,
waiting just over that (hopefully) sunny horizon.
In any school, activities rise and fall in
popularity and new events enter the calendar
to replace those which have drifted away.
This term saw a number of innovations and
introductions, most of which will probably
become regular fixtures in the SF summer
calendar.The summer fete, the brain child
of SCR, was a great success despite a
downpour of monsoon proportions. Boys
enjoyed setting up their own stalls with their
Form Masters, and parents and visitors had
great fun. Proceeds were donated to three
different charities: Special Effects,The Art
Room and Cutteslowe Community Centre.
The school returned to compete in the IAPS
sailing regatta, this year at theWeymouth
Olympic venue, for the first time in many
years. Summer Fields hosted its first polo
invitation tournament.The chess activity
grew sufficiently in popularity for a team to
enter the National Chess Tournament and bee
keeping found its place on the activity list for
the first time.The development of the video
production unit, under the guidance of MWIJ,
saw the live streaming of first team cricket
(and accompanying commentary) for the
first time.A welcome innovation for boys was
the introduction of ‘home shoes’ with home
clothes, so ensuring that brown shoes were
limited to use with number three uniform only.
As ever, Summerfieldians managed to
get out and about during the term, more
than at any other time of the year. In this
year, the centenary of the battle of the
Somme, it was fitting that there were two
trips to the battlefields. A group of parents
and boys travelled there at the end of the
Easter holidays, and they were followed, after
scholarships, by the members of Vth Form and
5E. Another regular pilgrimage, to the Lords
test match, was severely affected by weather
but boys were able to see some play after tea
in the match between England and Sri Lanka
and even got the chance to meet Stuart
Broad, the England bowler.. The choir travelled
toWeston on the Green to give an evening
concert in the village church. Proceeds from
this event were divided between Ucare and
the church roof fund. The Art portfolio group
had a really worthwhile outing to the new
art gallery inWalsall. The First Years visited
Blenheim and the Cotswold Farm Park during
their camping session. The Second Years had
a Classics day at the Ashmolean Museum, as
well as a camping session and the Third Years
camped in the plantation too. In addition
to a plethora of sports fixtures there was
also a weekend golf tour to the south coast.
Expeditions Day saw a further range of trips
and the Leavers had a whole host of days out
in a busy programme.
As well as the centenary of the battle of
the Somme, movingly remembered by the
school in chapel, the 400th anniversary of the
death ofWilliam Shakespeare was marked by
a lecture by Dr Dean. His presentation to the
whole school held everyone’s attention as
he examined the nature of creativity, as seen
by Shakespeare. The now firmly established
Removes French day was a riot of colour,
costume, fun and frivolity, as ever. The boys
are happy to show their skills in school, or
out, and in cerebral pursuits as well as a
sporting sphere. The TownsendWarner History
competition is a regular test for the boys, one
which many relish the chance to be involved
in. This year, there was a record number of
successes – ten Summerfieldians in the top
100 – and the boys can be proud of their
efforts. A new competition, theWinton Trophy
for Humanities, was hosted by Stowe School
S u m m e r F i e l d s
2 0 1 5 – 2 0 1 6