C O N T I N U U M

Continuum is a collection of

illustrated facts, anecdotes and

thoughts about Sevenoaks School.

Everything that follows has been

contributed by the people who know

the school best; students, alumni,

staff and parents; and offers insight,

I hope, into an extraordinary school

with a rich history and a vital present.

Welcome to Sevenoaks.

Theresa Homewood, Acting Head

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

them, and ask incisive questions:

What subjects do would-be astronauts study at university?

Can you see the Great Wall of China from there?

Is it possible to phone home?

How does a gravity-free 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 an unforgettable day at school.

“ 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 ”

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

*The Future of Jobs report, World Economic Forum. Potential jobs listed include: Space Pilot, Recycling Enforcer, Nano-medic, Memory Augmentation Surgeon,

Hydroponic Farmer, Graphene Engineer, Experimental Food Developer, Ethical Hacker, Climate Change Reversal Specialist, Avatar Manager/Virtual Teacher.

None of us knows today what the world is

going to require of us tomorrow. But some of us

are keeping an extremely close eye on things.

Many of the skills that will be called for

in the future are embedded in the Sevenoaks

curriculum now.

Critical thinking, for instance, is exercised

here daily from the start. So are creative thinking,

complex problem solving, negotiation, team

working and service provision.

With one eye firmly trained on the world

beyond our gates, we equip all our students with

the skills they will need to reshape it.

So if sixty per cent of roles have yet to be

invented*, Sevenoaks alumni will be ready to take

them on when they are.

How do we prepare childrenfor jobs that don’t exist yet?

If at first you don’t succeed, fail, fail and fail again.We think this may be the most important lesson a child ever learns. Young people who are free to fail learn to try again. And again. And again.Resilience results. Often followed by unqualified success.Ferdinand Steinbeis (Class of 1994) agrees. Now running a thriving business in Germany, he reminded us at Founder’s Day that “in a volatile, unpredictable and often scary world, we should experiment rather than play safe – even if that means failing our way to success”.

With an average of 207 students a year taking the

International Baccalaureate, Sevenoaks is one of the largest

IB schools in the world.

We were also one of the first to commit wholeheartedly

to the IB; a decision that has been fully justified by

our results, and by the way academics and employers

respond to IB graduates:

“ Students who come to us with an IB education are

among the world’s best; immediately ready for the

rigour and depth of our most demanding courses.”

Director of Admissions, King’s College London

“ There is no qualification more appropriate to the

modern age than the International Baccalaureate.”

The Telegraph

Every year, just 200 pupils in the world achieve the top IB score. One in 20 of them is educated at Sevenoaks.

‘ My son has, by his own admission, changed from a boy who daydreams in science lessons, into a boy who loves science. It’s a triumph!’ Susannah McCarthy, primary school parent

Short answer? You sign them up for a Gifted and Talented summer school at Sevenoaks.

Every year, more than 80 local children have their minds entirely changed about science and maths. Let’s face it, at primary school age, both can be hard to love! Unless the inspirational teaching on offer involves chocolate, murder mysteries, blackberries and kidney dissection.

We have been running ‘gifted and talented’ summer schools as part of our outreach and innovation programme for years; transformative summer schools that always focus on the subjects that matter most to students, school leavers and recruiting employers.

“Our teachers are honestly some of the

most phenomenal, inspiring people you

will ever meet.”Naqib Rahman, Upper Sixth

We want all our pupils to be inspired by their teachers and to become

independent, lifelong learners. So a lively, committed teaching staff includes

170 strong classroom practitioners – every one a bright, well-qualified

graduate with a true love of their subject and a real talent for sharing it.

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

In the seventeenth century, the original Arms of William

Sevenoke hung in the Grocers’ Hall before it was destroyed in

1666 by the Great Fire of London.

A sketch made in the 1650s shows the seven acorns arranged

2, 3, 2. The escutcheon (or shield) is 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

A quiet stroll 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 1000 acres of beautiful parkland to which we have ready access. Some back garden.

‘Every asylum seeker deserves fair treatment, protection and support.

Refugee Action works to end the injustice and poverty faced by so many here in the UK.’

Stephen Hale, Chief Executive Officer

Stephen had acquired a strong service ethic by the time he left Sevenoaks in 1990 to work for the Green Alliance and Oxfam International. As special adviser to the British Government he focused on climate change, and the OBE awarded in 2011 was for services to the environment. Now he is CEO at Refugee Action, a UK charity that supports people fleeing war.

For all our students, service is still an integral part of life at Sevenoaks.

Questions, questions.Who are we? Where do we come from?

What do we remember, and how do we remember?

Big questions these. All posed by a play called Mnemonic that we staged with a cast of 25 at the Pamoja Hall in The Space, our versatile performing arts centre.

Mnemonic is a piece of physical theatre in which ‘stories of journeys fragment, reflect, repeat and revolve like the act of memory itself’. Linked closely to contemporary dance, physical theatre tells stories through movement. And in this case, asks many searching questions.

Our students delivered unique performances integrated with atmospheric sound, lighting and audio-visual design. Only their audiences can say if all those questions were answered.

1000 FIXTURES EVERY YEAR

50 COUNTY PLAYERS

125 TEAMS

48 REGIONAL PLAYERS

18 REPRESENTATIVE SPORTS

ALL OUR STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN SPORT

Theo Duke, Year 9

What I love aboutSevenoaks is takingpart in the huge arrayof sports and alwaysfeeling welcome.”

“

Top-down teamworkOur students seem to absorb the tenets of

teamwork by osmosis. Not surprising really, as it’s embedded in our curriculum with other essential skills. Leading from the front is our Head of Sailing, Andy Cornah.

A good team worker makes a good crew member aboard any vessel – as Andy must

have noticed during the World Sailing Team Racing Championships and when captaining the British American Cup team.

As a training partner for the 2012 GB Olympic team and head coach for the British Universities Development Squad, Andy’s belief in teamwork was surely reaffirmed.

Today at Sevenoaks, he’s passing it on. And our teams benefit.

Over the past 20 years, Sevenoaks School has launched two America’s Cup sailors, two Olympic medallists and four Team GB racers into some pretty lively waters.

Often now, Andy goes too.

They know that. But in other parts of the world, luck is in short supply. They know that too.

So they launched an initiative with one thing in mind. Redressing the balance a bit.

To begin with, the focus was on struggling schools in Romania and Moldova. In subsequent years money has been raised for, and practical support given to, young people in India, South Africa and Cambodia.

Our students raise funds here in the UK and volunteer wherever they are needed.

They say it’s a small world. And Sevenoaks students prove it.

Sevenoaks students are lucky.

IB Theory of Knowledge is just one of four stimulating courses to encourage interrogative critical thinking in every Sevenoaks student.

In IB Theory of Knowledge classes, Department Head Navaneethan Kunaratnam showed his students this controversial image by Banksy and invited them to consider:

1. Is this racist propaganda?

2. Is it a satire on racist sentiment, openly critiquing it?

3. Is it a satire which implicitly pokes fun at narrow-minded prejudice towards immigrants?

What do any of us knoW?

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.

B y r O y a l a p p O I N T m E N TWhen Sixth Former Billy Hill was invited to play his violin at Buckingham Palace, he suspected at first that someone was having a laugh.

But the invitation was genuine, and Billy’s moment in the Palace spotlight did indeed come to pass.

Accompanied by renowned blues guitarist Ramon Goose, he treated his audience to a selection of contemporary folk songs – which in the middle of a classical programme visibly relaxed the mood in the room.

All roAds leAd to AfricA

At least they did for laura lopez Pascua, who left

sevenoaks in 2000.

A Bsc in Biology took her to Bath University, and an

Msc in Molecular Medicine was completed in london

at imperial. A dPhil at oxford covered ecology and

the evolution of infectious diseases.

And then came the ebola crisis.

in West Africa, dr lopez Pascua’s volunteer work

earned her the Queen’s medal for service.

A vital creative hubStorming Silicon Valley1. Identify a real human need and address it

ie build something people want.

2. Learn your market inside out ie get relevant hands-on experience.

3. Develop specialist skills eg coding for a tech-enabled business.

4. Launch, get traction (by proving your business is wanted) and raise funding.

5. Recognise and respond to the evolving needs of your customers.

Robyn Exton left Sevenoaks in 2004. A job in corporate brand consulting taught her all about social networking sites. Now Robyn runs a tech-based business of her own in Silicon Valley; a social networking business she built from scratch serving a global market worth billions.

These days, both coding and entrepreneurship are embedded in the Sevenoaks curriculum.

Charley Openshaw, Head of Art

A great deal of enthusiasm

clearly went into the lovely head

Jess Wentzel made in Year 11.

America

Australia

Austria

Azerbaijan

Belgium

Bulgaria

Burma

Canada

China

Croatia

Cyprus

Denmark

Egypt

Estonia

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Guernsey

Holland

Hungary

India

Ireland

Italy

Japan

Jersey

Kazakhstan

Latvia

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Malaysia

Malta

Mongolia

Nepal

New Zealand

Nigeria

Norway

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Russia

Saudi Arabia

Scotland

Serbia

Singapore

Slovakia

South Africa

South Korea

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Uganda

Ukraine

Wales

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 with roots in

all these countries:

All about the curves

Curves created by the Octopus Ride at Chessington World of Adventures fuelled the imagination of Sixth Form maths student Nina del Ser.

Travelling in her mind into space, she plotted glorious curves inspired by the motion of moons circling planets circling the sun – then featured them in an IB Extended Essay that significantly boosted her grades.

In What Curves are Generated by the Octopus Ride? Nina explains how to plot paths travelled over time by an Octopus Ride seat, then compares them with paths carved out in space by orbiting moons and planets.

To help her prepare for university (or a career in astronomy) the Sevenoaks IB programme freed Nina to come up with an original concept and explore it at will.

Who says mathematics isn’t creative?

Nina’s principal aim: to better understand curves generated by

the Octopus Ride seats, eg by predicting their rotational symmetry

based on information about rotors and rotor speeds. Throughout the

investigation, illustrations of curves generated were used to gain a

better intuitive understanding and test any hypotheses reached.

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.And you may; at any one of 100 performances a year that are given at The Space.

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

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.

When Chantal Wong (Class of 2015) came from

Hong Kong to Sevenoaks in Year 9, Latin was

not on her wish list.

She was obliged to join our Year 9 beginners’

course though. And at its end, low and behold,

her selected GCSEs included Latin.

No one was more surprised than Chantal.

With a Latin GCSE in the bag, you’d think

she might have had enough. But she pursued it

throughout the Lower and Upper Sixth.

And what do you think she did next?

A Classics degree at Cambridge, of course.

LAT IN? REALLY?

It took 20 pairs of hands (attached to 20 Year 8 students) to bring Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s Rime of the Ancient Mariner to life.

Adapted by our staff, the script called for an expressive soundscape, strong physical performances and narrative voices, haunting puppetry and bold instrumentation. (So bold that one pair of hands learnt to play the accordion from scratch!)

A l l h A n d S o n d e C k

Although the poem was presented as a radio drama, evocative audio was reinforced by striking visuals. In our drama Studio, what the audience heard was strengthened by what it saw. So what it experienced was immersive and emotionally charged. Just as it was for the online audience to whom the performance was streamed live.

The art of teaching ChineseSevenoaks was amongst the first schools in England to offer Mandarin, in response to just a handful of children who wanted to learn it.

Now it’s in real demand. Over 125 students, and counting.

Learning the characters is key of course; how to read them and write them. So naturally our dive into the culture also involves attempts to teach Chinese calligraphy.

Lettering or art form? You decide.

I f Y O u ’ r E N O t f L u E N t , t h I S p h r a S E M E a N S ‘ S E v E N O a k t r E E S ’ .

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 of course cricket.

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

“ 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 children have attended 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 show their students endless possibilities and lines of enquiry.

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. My mother wondered if it might be time for a new school.

Sevenoaks, when I became a boarder 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

“

Making musicIn every sense.

Music composed by a student was performed by an ex-student and broadcast on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune.

While Mika Curson was in Year 9 writing harp music, harpist Olivia Jageurs (Class of 2007) was out in the world playing Mika’s music to the BBC.

This fruitful collaboration also led to a Royal Philharmonic Society Music Award shortlisting for Olivia.

Awarding bursaries to pupils has always been

part of the Sevenoaks offer; it’s one of our founding principles.

Today, over 60 of our students benefit from

this kind of financial assistance,

and over 30 of those get full bursarial support.

“ What I like about Sevenoaks is the environment; both the physical (lovely trees, grassy spaces, historic buildings) and the intellectual.”

Johanna Wassong, Lower Sixth

The broader the student mix here, the better.So we’ve been opening our doors to local talent since 1432 !

R e a c h i n g O u t

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 Sevenoke...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

Every year, our gardening team plants new trees in our beautiful grounds. In the interests of biodiversity, various species are selected. A liquidambar and an olive tree were added to the mix recently,

followed by oaks, beeches and cherries. The effect is stunning and every living thing benefits.

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

Cedrus Deodara Quercus Robur Sorbus Joseph Rock Betula Jaquemontii Catalpa Bignonioides Gleditsia Triacanthos

Liquidambar Styraciflua

Liriodendron Gingko Biloba

Carpinus Betulus Olea Europaea

Acer Flamingo Cornus KousaFagus Sylvatica Atropurpurea

Acer Crimson King Stuartia Pseudocamellia Malus Golden Hornet

Amelanchia Lamarckii

There are 22,000 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 some margin notes may be the handiwork of Robert Furley (1809-1887), historian of the Weald and previous owner.

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 would never have

made number three in the world.’Robby Swift, Class of 2002

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

listen up.

Today

11.46

Monday

15.20

Yesterday

09.37

Friday

18.25

Yesterday

16.42

Today

12.21

Oscar Jinks, Lower Sixth

Rosina White Belchere, Year 8

Sevenoaks has boosted my confidence in somany ways, from just speaking to my class of 20to singing in the Pamoja Hall at a huge concert!

For me, it's the teachers who make the schoolwhat it is. They allow us to flourish and askquestions we would never have thought of before.

Boarding can feel like being trapped in a bubble.But here, we talk about current events andwhat is happening in the world all the time.And as I’m also studying Economics, I really feelas if I’m turning into a citizen of the world.

Emilia Zmudzin, Lower Sixth

At the end of a Sevenoaks day, you don't walkhome worrying about grades and results.Instead you think about the fabulous opportunitiesprovided and the brilliant atmosphere here.

Aidan Durant, Year 7

Everyone is accepted at Sevenoaks, no matterhow different. And we all get the opportunityto do what we want without feeling judged.

Chiara Calcagnini, Year 10

The best thing about Sevenoaks is howeverything is geared towards you. So manychances to try new things. Whatever yourpassion, there’s a dedicated group, club orsociety in this land of opportunity!

Parth Devalia, Year 11

Student voices

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.

“ 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; thereby

averting disaster.

Later, Lars exchanged the school dormitory for MIT (to study

robotics to PhD level) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at

NASA. Primary objective: how best to land a craft on Mars.

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.

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.

“ 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 now teaches here.

China

IndiaGreeceMadagascar

South Africa

Malta

Morocco

Icel

and

Scot

land

Russ

ia

Croati

a

Czech Republic

Cambodia

West Indies

Italy

Sicily

France

Spai

nPo

rtug

alC

anar

y Is

land

s

United States

Germany

Ireland

Wales

BelgiumN

etherlands

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:

Belgium: French, History, Hockey. Cambodia: Service. Canary Islands: Cross Country. China: Mandarin. Croatia: DofE. Czech Republic: Economics. France: French, Art, History, Football, Netball, Skiing. Germany: German, Drama, History. Greece: Biology, Lower School. Iceland: Geography. India: Service. Ireland: English. Italy: Italian, Classics, Music. Madagascar: Biology. Malta: Music. Morocco: Geography. Netherlands: Model United Nations. Portugal: Tennis. Russia: Russian, History. Sicily: History. South Africa: Service. Scotland: DofE. Spain: Music, Spanish, Sailing. Wales: DofE. West Indies: Cricket. USA: Art, History, Music, Science, Higher Education.

Email from: Maira (Lower Sixth)To: Dr M Edwards (Head of Sixth Form)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 next Monday after school?Maira

Email from: Dr M Edwards (Head of Sixth Form)To: Maira (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.

At seven, the answer comes easily. You love cars, so you

want to be a racing driver. You love animals, so you want to be

a vet. Or you love words, so you want to be a writer.

At seventeen, things are getting serious and an answer

is harder to find. Unless you’re at a school that takes careers

advice as seriously (and imaginatively) as we do at Sevenoaks.

A recent Arts careers forum featured question and answer

sessions with Sevenoaks graduates who went on to make

a mark in various creative fields. Anna Wilson for example,

writes books for children, teens and adults:

“I loved words and languages and studied French and

German. Hardly a career move, unless I was going to stay in

academia. But the point was, I LOVED IT. Pursuing the arts

was all about following my passion, not about ticking a box.”

What do you want to be when you grow up?

When helping students apply for university or choose a career, our Higher Education department

is also in the habit of advising them to follow their hearts.

Originally, chamber music was composed for a few classical musicians; an ensemble small enough to fit in a palace chamber.

So there is an intimacy to the music that you just don’t get from an orchestra. And it really helps if all the musicians are bona fide friends!

The best chamber musicians strive for and achieve perfect blend and balance. Interpretation is discussed and agreed at the outset; shared leadership passes fluidly from one player to another; and the sound they make together is seamless call and response – a true musical dialogue.

Blend. Balance. Shared interpretation and leadership. Togetherness and dialogue. Sound like a school you know?

We usually reach the finals in the Pro Corda chamber music competition and many of our one-to-a-part groups (classical, folk, jazz, pop and rock) give intimate concerts in the Recital Room; our smallest, friendliest performance space/chamber.

music of friends

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

days, swimming pool hygiene depended on lots

of chlorine. Not any more at Sevenoaks.

The UV filtration system built into our pool

means that, when it comes to keeping the

water clean, the major factor 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

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 1989

fig.1

wall

floor

chair

folding bed

boy

Reading rocks!The rise of the e-reader has not and never will replace the printed book, if Sevenoaks students are anything to go by.Staff actively encourage them to bury their noses in books. And rocketing library lending figures show they are taking the hint. Even the boys!

The Sevenoaks School Certificate in English Literature is engaging Year 10 readers just when they’re inclined to lose interest. And our intellectually curious Sixth Formers read way beyond the curriculum.

Subsequent credits include:

2002 Bloody Sunday

2004 The Bourne Supremacy

2004 Omagh

2006 United 93

2007 The Bourne Ultimatum

2010 Green Zone

2013 Captain Phillips

2016 Jason Bourne

‘ 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, embraced

the social realist tradition at Granada Television in the UK,

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

At seventeen, he’d joined the Sevenoaks School Film Club,

where he first saw the movie that inspired his subsequent

work. Even watched twenty times over, Paul says The Battle of

Algiers never loses its power; the real world in action graphically

rendered through the artifice of film.

Now famous for his signature use of the hand-held camera,

Paul used the Super 8 in our Art Room to hone his skills; making

animated horror films with old dolls, artists’ dummies and

random classroom clutter.

From Sevenoaks, he went on to Cambridge University and

then Granada. Ten years roving global hot spots led eventually to

an award-winning directorial debut, the 1989 film Resurrected.

No walk in the ParkEvery year, teams from up to 60 UK secondary schools converge on Knole Park to take on the celebrated Knole Run. For boys it’s a 5.9 mile blaze across country, and girls cover 3.1 miles. About 450 runners usually cross the finish line. Between them, they notch up an impressive total that exceeds 2200 miles. Respect.

Phoebe Barker (pictured) represented Great Britain at the IAAF World Cross Country

Championships in Kampala, Uganda.

As they learn to recognise different woodlouse species, Year 8s at Sevenoaks also learn that every organism matters – even the strangest, smallest and humblest.

Alongside quiet, meaningful observation, all our science departments (Biology,

Chemistry, Physics, Technology) crackle with energy, jaw-dropping demos and exhilarating investigations.

From watching woodlice to appreciating the wonders of astrophysics, every student here engages with science.

Striped Shiny

Rough Pillbug

ONGOING INNOVaTION

Our first Sevenoaks School Certificate (SSC) reshaped the English

Literature syllabus. Liberating as it was for students and staff alike,

it was swiftly followed by UCAS-recognised SSCs in Art, Drama,

Music and Technology. Internally designed and externally moderated,

they encourage critical thinking and independent working.

Now we have a taste for the bespoke, our groundbreaking Institute

of Teaching and Learning has designed a Middle School Diploma as

well; an exciting programme that fuses the academic, intellectual,

personal and emotional, in pursuit of yet another generation of

well-rounded individuals.

Hundreds of Sevenoaks School Certificates have been awarded which bodes well we think, for our new Middle School Diploma.

THINK FOr yOurSElF

It’s an important lesson. But as far as we could see, not one that any

English Literature course tried to teach. So we devised our own.

Recognised by UCAS, the Sevenoaks School Certificate in English

Literature exchanges a Eurocentric reading list for the wide-ranging

study of world literature. And instead of allowing students to

regurgitate stock answers, it invites them to interrogate set texts,

then develop and construct cogent arguments.

a B E S p O K E C u r r I C u l u m

Jane Henshaw, Head of English

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS‘ There is no single imposing main

school house but a collection of

33 buildings from the last few

centuries – the old and new all

generously conceived, stylish and

attractive in their own ways and

somehow blending to make a

welcoming gesamtwerk.’

Good Schools Guide on the Sevenoaks campus

Our shiny new Science Centre features glorious, state-of-the-art spaces for the

interdisciplinary teaching and learning of the four STEM disciplines.

(Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).

Our Maths department (also known as Old School) was completed in 1732 and features fine

Kentish Ragstone with flint infilling. Built on the site of William Sevenoke’s original school, over

the centuries it has been home to head teachers, boarders and mathematicians.

Problems sharedEvery day, tutors at Sevenoaks make time to listen to the unedited chatter of small groups of boys and girls. You wouldn’t believe some of the stuff they come out with! Bright hopes, big dreams, daft ideas and everyday fears. We all have them, don’t we? And when shared, problems are usually halved.

There are 77 tutors here, holding 462 get-togethers every week. With close attention, they observe the children in their care. And with wise words and broad shoulders, deal with any problems arising.

P R O B L E M S S O LV E D

‘ I owe a great deal to the Learning Support team at Sevenoaks. Kind, patient staff helped me solve organisational problems caused by my dyspraxia. They helped with homework, essays and exam stress too. And over seven years, practical lessons vastly improved my hand-eye coordination; so from being someone who couldn’t catch a ball, I became an effective football team goalkeeper!’

Eliot Raman Jones, Class of 2016

‘ Your support gives our daughter faith in her own abilities.’ Parent of student with dyslexia

‘ I cannot thank you enough for all the help and support your team has provided.’

Parent of student who is visually impaired

‘ We so appreciate your ongoing work with our son. He really values it and so do we. I think it’s the first time he has ever been so proud of himself.’

Parent of student with Asperger’s

The Learning Support team underpins everything we do here at Sevenoaks; academic, physical, emotional and pastoral.

TODAY, our VSU 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.

‘I get such a bright, rewarding feeling when

the art table is surrounded by people creating

together. There is something so powerful

about that unity. If just one person enjoys

chatting to us and engaging in the activity,

we know we have changed a life.’

VSU Student

Art Service at Hospice in the Weald

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

‘A unit like this 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.’

Kim Taylor, VSU Founder, Head 1954 to 1968

It aims to broaden minds and help our students gain a healthy perspective on life beyond school.’

Ian Fletcher, Director of Service

Eli’s flying – totally stimulated. He’s hoovering up all the things we knew he’d love and discovering surprising new passions as well, like Latin. He can’t wait to start Russian next year. Rather than just creating and designing in art and technology, he’s now interested in the people and processes behind the movements, so he’s looking beyond himself. He’s SO enthusiastic about his teachers and ( for the first time ever) he’s becoming a team player and experiencing the joys of group pride. Year 7 parent

If surprIsIng passIons HIDE In your cHIlD’s HEarT, wE promIsE To DIscoVEr THEm.

Like the Royal Festival Hall in London, we have our very own gamelan!

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 lot of practice.

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

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

Soul music

The Sevenoaks gamelan is played every week by children from the region’s primary schools. Often linked with lessons they’re having at school, our music-making and dance workshops give real insight into Indonesian culture, and always make everyone smile.

In a school that values entrepreneurship, Year 11 student Ivan Avanesov

found himself very much at home. Having spotted a gap in the market,

he built the product to fill it and identified the people to sell it to.

The photography market was the one with a hole. The product it lacked

was a reasonably priced ‘slider’ – a motorised motion control camera

attachment. The teenager to create one was the aforementioned Ivan,

and the people who want one are all over the place, it turns out.

With our support, Ivan found enthusiastic early adopters of his affordable

VersaSlider in Belgium, France, Germany, India, Italy, Spain, the United

Kingdom and the United States.

Clearly he is moved by the entrepreneurial spirit.

History books tell us that in the 1750s, Isaac Darkin, infamous ‘gentleman’ of the road, plied his trade in the West of England – having eluded the noose and conscription, but not an education (of sorts) at a boarding school in Sevenoaks.

Our claim to have educated Isaac may be as dubious as the claims he had on the possessions of his victims. But an alleged Old Boy who made a living as a highwayman? How enterprising was he!

No matter what skills enterprising students here demonstrate, our Institute of Service and Social Entrepreneurship helps develop and refine them.Although nowadays, we do draw the line at highway robbery.

S T A N D A N D D E L I V E R

‘ I hope to inspire people to celebrate and conserve the natural wonders of our planet.’

Will Burrard-Lucas, wildlife photographer,

Sony World Photography award-winner, Class of 2002

O N L Y C O N N E C TAppalled into action when Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines, Rachelle and Russell Lam formed a fundraising charity named Recovery Project Organisation to help people rebuild their lives in the wake of natural disasters.

At 15 years old, the twins thought hard and invested their energy. Annual Music for a Cause concerts involved students of all ages and raised useful sums of money. In all, close to £15,000 went to Unicef (Philippines), Médecins Sans Frontières (West African Ebola crisis) and the National Syrian Project for Prosthetic Limbs.

Even in their last year, as IB finals loomed large, Rachelle and Russell organised a concert for Syria Relief. By sheer force of will, it sometimes seemed, they made quite a difference.

Home comforts‘ The people in the boarding house in my year group are like a second family. As cringey as that sounds, it is great.’

Farrah Ziv-Guest, Year 9Seven boarding houses. 350 boarders. One extended family.

‘ I love that my two best friends come from countries I used to have negative preconceptions about and prejudices against.’

Katharina Vrolijk, Upper Sixth

Global outlooks

Katharina is off now to the University of Toronto on an international student scholarship.

She hopes a degree in architecture will help her find sustainable

solutions to some of the world’s urban development problems.

The Clangers have been given a facelift. Even their theme tune has been reworked for a new generation – with the help of our latest BBC Young Musician of the Year contestant, Sophie Westbrooke.

Sixth Former Sophie plays a cheerful recorder melody that is sure to stick in the minds of her young audience – so that, awash with nostalgia, they will still be whistling it to themselves when they are fifty!

As well as creating a Clanger-inspired ear-worm, Sophie won a Royal Academy of Music

scholarship. In 2014, she won the woodwind category in the BBC’s Young Musician of the

Year competition too; thus following in the footsteps of Sevenoaks alumna Emma Johnson,

whose clarinet playing earned her the overall title in 1984.

Theme tune re-boot destined to go on, and on, and on…

Preparation: Cut 35 kg of pork shoulder or belly into chunks and rub with 150g salt. Marinate overnight. Rinse well and pat dry. Place in pans and sprinkle with water. Add onions {25) and bay leaves (15). Bring to the boil and partially cover. Simmer over a low heat until the water has evaporated and the pork is falling apart. Remove lid and fry meat in vegetable oil until golden brown and tender. Serve with sweet potato fries, Salsa Criolla and Amarillo Chilli Sauce. Feeds 300.

“ A pulled pork bun with sweet

potato fries makes my day.”Henry Jones, Lower Sixth

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

WantedIn case you’re in any doubt, children we care for and educate

are in great demand when they leave.

As a general rule, over 90 per cent go to their first choice university, over 80 per cent go to Russell Group institutions like Oxford, Cambridge, Durham, UCL or Imperial, and over 15 per cent go to international seats of learning like Harvard, Yale and Stanford.

This is looking like a record year. As Continuum goes to print, we’ve had news of 12 international scholarships and 46 offers to would-be medics and veterinary scientists. So far, UK universities have extended 891 offers, and universities overseas have issued 84.

Enough said.

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www.sevenoaksschool.org/admissions

www.sevenoaksschool.org/openmornings

SevenoaksSchoolUK

@SevenoaksSchool

Warm thanks go to all those who have contributed content and imagery to this edition of Continuum.

International Space Station: © NASA

Stag: Andy Solanky

Olives: Volkova Natalia/Shutterstock

Andy Cornah: Ollie Khedun

Banksy Pigeons: Geoffrey Welsh/Alamy Stock Photo

Billy Hill: Alex Harvey-Brown

Queen’s Medal: Laura Lopez Pascua

Huang Ya Dong: © The Trustees of the British Museum

The Space: © Christian Richters

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

Chinese Calligraphy: Gloria Gao, Lower Sixth

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

Harp: Rugged Studio/Shutterstock

Students and Trees: Jonathan Cole

Leaves: © Candy Amsden

Robby Swift: © J Houyvet / windsurfgallery.com

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

aCKNOWlEDGEmENTS aND CrEDITS

Manifesto for life: Jonathan Cole

Battle of Algiers poster: By permission of Neil Kellerhouse

Jason Bourne poster: Photo 12/Alamy Stock Photo

Woodlice: © Candy Amsden

Kentish Ragstone: Jonathan Cole

Problems shared: Vadym Drobot/Alamy Stock Photo

Highwayman: Chronicle/Alamy Stock Photo

Lions: © Burrard-Lucas.com

Philipines: Ekaterina Pokrovsky/Dreamstime

Home comforts: Jonathan Cole

Beijing: ESB Professional/Shutterstock

Clangers: Hugh Threlfall/Alamy Stock Photo

Editorial team: Charlotte Hails, Sally Robbins, Alison Roberts, Arabella Stuart

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 Alpha Colour Printers Ltd www.alphacolour.com

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

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

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