THE LUDGROVIAN SUMMER 2022
‘Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might’ Ecclesiastes IX v.10
Contents • • • • • • • •
Summer term highlights All the world’s a stage Sending the Leavers off in style First full Sports Day for three years Platinum Jubilee Jamboree Celebrating 130 Years of Ludgrove Life Good bye and good luck OLs Keep in Touch
Welcome from the Headmaster When I first glance at the latest edition of the Ludgrovian, I am always bowled over by the diversity of achievement during the term. A sense of purpose and fun leaps off the pages, but this only captures a fraction of what goes on. These are some of the highlights however there are plenty of others in addition to boys just ‘doing their stuff’ which don’t get a mention.
Mr and Mrs Barber enjoy the Top Year’s Arabian Nights.
Summer 2022
Each and every boy deserves praise for we are a busy school where the boys work and play hard. The ‘unsung’ hero who quietly gets on with life looking after his friends and staff is as important as ever and in a community like ours, kindness and doing one’s best are the bedrocks of life.
The following pages give a snapshot of the Summer Term 2022 and I hope will give you a flavour of our achievements in all aspects of life. On the academic front the Top Year did themselves proud in their Scholarship and Common Entrance exams and we were all delighted to celebrate an Eton King’s Scholarship, which meant that over the course of this year boys have been awarded scholarships in Academia, Sport, Drama and Design and Technology, as well as an Exhibition in Music. School life at prep school is about giving things a go and making use
of the extensive opportunities on offer and it is tremendous to see all areas of the School thriving. We relished the fact that for the first time in two years, we were able to operate a ‘normal’ term, welcoming everyone to events like the wonderful Summer Concert, the Fours’ plays, the Art Exhibition and of course the sporting fixtures. It was 1,099 days since families and friends were last able to gather for a proper Sports Day and, as ever, it was a humdinger occasion with the boys cheering each other on as they ran, threw and jumped their socks off. We have some seriously talented athletes, two of whom later in the term won gold medals at the Nationals. I hope you enjoy this edition of The Ludgrovian and a heartfelt thank you to everyone involved in Ludgrove life.
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Summer 2022
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Sharing our Summer term highlights Ludgrove celebrated its first full Summer term since 2019 with a packed agenda of educational, sporting and creative events including trips, workshops, matches, plays and concerts. Here is just a taster of the boys’ activities.
Raft building for the IVs
Desert Springs Tour
The IIs performed the Three Musketeers
Ludgrove’s athletes had a very successful season
Junk Orchestra fun
The Solo Singing Cup
Ludgrove’s School photo
Visit by Caroline Lawrence
Our tallest/smallest boys
Prize giving
VIs at the Horniman Museum
Second in the West London Schools’ Clay Pigeon Shoot
Summer 2022
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The U11 football squad is the ISFA Berks, Bucks and Oxon Regional Champions Summer Concert
Parents and Sons’ Golf
Wellington wins Sets Cup
Summer Art, CDT and Pottery Exhibition
Geography field trip
The IIs French and History trip to Normandy
U12s reached the final of the St Peter’s York Cricket Festival Swimming gala successes
Mothers & Sons’ Tennis
Staff v Fathers’ Cricket Match
Radley Golf Tournament
Summer 2022
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lays P 3 ’ s V I
ook
Jungle B e Treasur
Island
Alice in Wonderland
Everywhere’s a stage at Ludgrove... Audiences were treated to two very different theatrical performances at Ludgrove this term. While the Top Year created an exotic theatre in the round for the DS, Arabian Nights, the IVs
lay P r a e Y DS: Toabpian Nights Ar
used the School’s beautiful grounds to set up an outdoor stage to perform a triple bill of children’s classics The Jungle Book, Alice in Wonderland and Treasure Island.
Summer 2022
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Sending our Leavers off in style The Top Year has had a very busy term with scholarship papers for some and Common Entrance exams for others.
With academic trials behind them, the boys could then enjoy their last few weeks at Ludgrove with a packed Leavers’ programme of sporting events, speakers and activities. Day trips such as paint balling and Liquid Leisure aqua park, and guest speakers including Hip Hop Poet Karl Nova and former professional cricketer Patrick Foster, and even the Mothers and Sons’ Tennis Tournament were second billing to the main event... the Leavers’ Trip to Wales! Bathed in glorious sunshine, Year 8 spent five days making memories together abseiling, canoeing and coasteering on the Pembrokeshire coast.
Ludgrove Leavers’ Day Leavers’ Day was enjoyed by the boys and their families, bringing their time at Ludgrove to a very happy end. Having first enjoyed a Clay Pigeon Shoot and a delicious lunch, the highlight of the day was definitely the much anticipated Fathers v Sons cricket matches. In the end, the young bucks saw off the opposition to clinch a very good humoured win.
Leavers’ Day also presented the perfect opportunity for the Year 8 parents to unveil the 2022 Leavers’ present - a beautiful ‘Aspire’ sculpture installed at the heart of the School between the Theatre and the Exploration Centre. What a wonderful way to remember this outstanding group of young men and inspire future Ludgrovians.
Summer 2022
results l results l results l results l results 100m A - Peel B - Fergusson C - Warman 200m A - Peel B - Fergusson C - Pari 400m A - Iwabuchi B - Marnham C - Pari
U12 Discus Gilbertson
1c - Wainford 1b - Frohnsdorff 1a - Vigors 1 - Laughton Derby - Dokyu Cricketers Geoghegan Cricketers U12 Sundavadra
Discus B Neame Shot A Laughton U12 Shot Gilbertson
Sprints B Malin (Oaks) Gosiewski
Shot B Olushola
800m A - Iwabuchi B - Sanfelice di Monteforte C - Elworthy
4s Cricket Ball Morbey
Hurdles A - Muir B - Lawson C - Trehearne
Long Jump A - Peel B- Gergusson C - Pari
U12 Hurdles Rocksavage
High Jump A - Peel B - Steel C - Pari
U12 100m Bullough Tait U12 400m Crighton-Stuart Discus A Hawtin
6s Cricket Ball Pari
Sprints C Mitchell (Guineas) Magnusson 4 x 100m A Wellington 4 x 100m B Jellicoe 4 x 100m Nelson Tug of War Kitchener
Sprints A Sets Relay 2 - Shilling Wellington Rem - Hudault Shell - Marchand/ Burton
ington
ell g Set - W n i n n i W
results l results l results l results l results
Siblings make a dash for it The boys’ siblings were chomping at the bit to get involved with all the Sports Day fun and couldn’t wait to get on the track for the Siblings’ Races!
Whether from an opponent, Master or friend, saying “well done” is reward in itself
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Sports Day races across the finish line After a 1,099 day hiatus, the Ludgrove community was finally able to celebrate a whole School Sports Day, with both Junior and Senior athletes competing at the same time. Families gathered to watch a full programme of track and field events with the High Jump,
Tug of War, Siblings Races and Sets Relay laying on some thrilling highlights. Well done to the boys for outstanding sportsmanship and congratulations to the Victor Ludorum cup winners: Willoughby (A), Charlie (B) and Rutger (C).
From left: Charlie (Bs), Willoughby (As) and Rutger (Cs)
Luckily, the day didn’t finish with the final race. Once prize giving was completed, a happy but weary crowd of boys and supporters made their way to the Top Lawn where they enjoyed a sumptuous afternoon tea and entertainment by the Brass Band. A perfect end to a perfect day.
Record wins at the Nationals Sports Day was just the warm up event for the eight athletes that qualified for the National Prep Schools Championship finals! Our boys took three podium positions - Ludgrove’s best ever result. Willoughby was 1st in the Long Jump with a new School record of 5.50m, Xan was 1st in the High Jump and Oscar was 3rd in the Discus. Well done to all eight boys - Willoughby, Gabriel, Jun, Edward, Tilewa, Oscar, Xan and Oscar.
Summer 2022
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Jubilee Jamboree high jinks!
Ludgrove’s Platinum Jubilee lunch was just the start of a day of festivities to celebrate HM The Queen’s seven decades as our monarch. The boys enjoyed an afternoon packed full of fun, village fête activities courtesy of organiser Mr Buckner and the teaching staff and
Gappers. From the Human Fruit Machine, Welly Toss and Screaming Sprints to Wet Sponge Throw (well done to good sports Mr Musson and My Plescia), Pin The Tail on The Corgi and Mr Barber’s Dizzy Umbrellas, the boys had a splendid day they’ll never forget.
Summer 2022
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Three cheers for HM The Queen!
Ludgrove celebrates Queen Elizabeth II’s 70-year rein with a party fit for royalty Three cheers for HM The Queen - hip hip hooray! Mr Barber led the Ludgrove community in a rousing three cheers when the School gathered on the Top Lawn to mark the historic event. Looking splendid in their Union Jack bowler hats, the boys and staff enjoyed a delicious hog roast
lunch with all the trimmings followed by ice creams - just what was needed before the afternoon’s activities. Thank you to the Catering team for a fantastic lunch and to Mr Bellingham and Mr Western-Kaye for going the extra mile with their patriotic garb.
Summer 2022
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Celebrating 130 years of Ludgrove Life with friends Ludgrove has marked more than one important milestone this term - in addition to HM The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the School also marked its 130th Anniversary. After a ‘quiet’ few years, it was tremendous to be able to hold
a gathering for all our parents to celebrate the happy occasion. A fantastic number of people joined Mr and Mrs Barber at the Bluebird Restaurant in London to toast the School’s history, continued traditions and bright future.
Taking a little piece of Ludgrove with them To draw a close to the exciting events of the Summer term, the boys set off for home with a specially commissioned Susan Rose China mug to celebrate HM The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and the School’s 130th Anniversary. The boys loved their gift, particularly the Top Year who can now take a little piece of Ludgrove with them to Senior school.
Summer 2022
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Goodbye and good luck At the end of the term, we are sad to say goodbye to three members of the Ludgrove teaching team. Mr Mawson, Senior Master Pastoral and DSL, has been at Ludgrove 12 years in which time he has inspired the boys both in and outside the classroom, with a love of History and Outdoor Skills
Leavers’ destinations: Eton 14 Harrow 5 Marlborough 3 Radley 5 Sherborne 5 Stowe 4 Oundle 1 Wellington 3
Mrs McCraw (above right), Acting Director of Music and former Head of VIs, has packed up her young family to move to an exciting new teaching post with Wellington Thailand.
Two faces from the pastoral team up stairs are bidding farewell to the School. Thank you to Ms Cleaver, IVs’ Matron, and Mrs Makin, Nurse, for taking such good care of our boys, in sickness and in health!
Mrs Shea (right), Learning Support, is hanging up her teaching tools to retire after nine years at Ludgrove. We wish you all the best of luck and hope you will come back to see everyone in the future.
Scholarship news Following the Easter term’s exciting scholarship news for Jun, Willoughby and Orlando, two more boys have been recognised for their outstanding academic and creative talent. Archie has been awarded a Design and Technology Scholarship to Marlborough College. His creativity with wood and other materials has produced stunning pieces of work in the Exploration Centre.
Jaey has been awarded a King’s Scholarship by Eton College. Jaey worked incredibly hard for the three gruelling days of exams and his determination paid off as he now joins a group of only 14 boys to achieve the prestigious award.
Congratulations to Mr Smyth on his engagement to his partner, Miss Sharp, during the Summer term. The boys approved whole-heartedly and gave the happy couple a raptuous round of applause. Maybe there should be nominations for ushers?
Ludgrove makes the ISOTY2022 awards shortlist
Ludgrove is delighted to be shortlisted in the Independent School of The Year 2022 awards in the following categories: - Small Independent School of the Year - Independent Boarding School of the Year - Independent Prep School of the Year It is an enormous priviledge to be considered in these cataegories alongside other excellent schools.
Summer 2022
OL Diary Dates
The OL Sets Football
will take place on Saturday 8th October 2022 at Burton Court, Royal Hospital Road, London. Kick off time to be confirmed and there will be a get together afterwards. Please contact OLs Max Fraser (makfraser@googlemail. com) or Ed Correy Reid (edcorreyreid@hotmail.com) for further details.
The OL Annual Drinks
will take place on Thursday 20th October 2022 at The Turf Club, 5 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AQ, 6-8.30pm. Information will be sent out in September.
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OL Spring Golf Day
Twenty-eight enthusiastic OL golfers assembled at The Berkshire Golf Course in April to compete in the Ludgrovian Spring Meeting.
With a wide range of ages and abilities, the players were divided into seven teams of four to play a Stableford competition with the best two scores at each hole counting. Four Mulligans were given to each team to help proceedings!
The Blue course was designated for our fun and a needle battle ensued. The course was in superb condition and the greens fast and true. In the Spring sunshine great enjoyment was had by all.
The three Milne brothers and Alex Montgomerie claiming the top spot with 94 points. Turcan father and son, with Sam Elworthy and Simon Barber, came a close second with 92. (Gerald Barber)
It’s a draw in the Staff v Dads’ match
Please keep an eye on the Events page of the Old Ludgrovians section of the website for details of events. Mr and Mrs Barber were thrilled to catch up with no less than 11 Old Ludgrovians, who are current Harrovians, at the Prep School Heads event at Harrow. The young men were equally delighted to tell the Barbers all about their news and achievements since leaving their prep school.
Ludgrove ‘Masters’ The 2022 Ludgrove Masters was won by the Fathers’ team in a thrilling 4-2 match. At the post match ‘awards’, Kevin Walker (left), Captain, accepted the newly refurbished Claret Jug from Simon Loup.
Contact us: For enquiries regarding registrations for OL events, to update your contact details, or to send us news, please visit the OL section on the website or use the email below Telephone: 0118 978 9881 Email: development@ludgroveschool.co.uk Website: www.ludgrove.net Address: Ludgrove, Wokingham, Berks, RG40 3AB Join us on Instagram - Ludgrove_School Join us on Twitter - @Ludgrove