No: 1136 10th March 2017 www.yarmschool.org

Newsletter

Before half-term, class 2.2 was presented with a project; our task was to create a study guide for The Tempest. There were some basic things that we had to include such as research on Shakespeare‟s background, the language used and the knowledge of the plot and characters but after that we were free to present it however we wished. Everyone was extremely creative but here are just a few: Claudia Hall, Emma Weatherhead, Cavan Harland, Alice Louden and Jemma Wood had very knowledgeable insights into the play; Harry Whitfield brought a fantastic stick to represent Prospero‟s staff; Tallulah Andrew, Mia Mack and Emily Carter had brilliant chests to store their things; Maddy Jackson, Charlotte Rutter, Noah Bickenson and Vignesh Janakiraman made models of the island and Mark Proberts and Will Armstrong made informative and detailed PowerPoints or information sheets. We interviewed a few people that we thought had put their own original twist on The Tempest. Lottie Dean filled an A2 folder with colourful and creative information sheets that caught the eye as soon as you opened the folder - the words were very much her own. We asked Lottie how she felt when she first heard about the project; her reply was “Even though it will take a long time, it will be fun.” Jemma took a different approach and certainly impressed the class. We asked her where she got her ideas for her peg doll models each with an individual costume. “My mum does a lot of craft so I used materials from around the house.” We both thought this was a very original idea. Vignesh made a beautifully detailed model of The Tempest island. He said that watching the RSC production helped him with the portrayal of the characters, especially Ariel. Being talented musicians, Emily and Mia created music to accompany one of Ariel‟s songs. Emily also created an extraordinary prop box with many different items (including Caliban‟s dictionary, Prospero‟s chess set and Stephano‟s bottle) that could be used by Shakespeare‟s actors. Mia showed her creative side magnificently; she included amazing drawings to complement the many pages of writing. Mia‟s writing was particularly interesting as it was written from the point of view of Shakespeare looking back at the first production; the character scrolls were meant to be given to the actors so they could get into character before performing. Mia also made a fantastic cloak that was a prop for Prospero. Her whole project was topped off with an old chest. Charlotte took her ideas a bit further by constructing an amazing

papier-mâché island, with labels and character flags to show where each character was at a certain time in the play. The island was very detailed with caves and hills. This island was stuck to the top of a small box which Charlotte filled with scrolls. On the scrolls, she had written her opinions on the themes and ideas generated by the story, the

‘Be not afeared. The isle is full of noises’

NEWS

10 March 2017|Yarm School Newsletter 2 |

setting and the staging of the play and an exploration of some of the most poignant speeches. In a separate booklet, she wrote and decorated an A4 sheet for each scene in the play. You may be aware that the school broadcast the recent RSC‟s production of The Tempest but, because only two of our class went to see it, Mrs Ruston let us watch it in our class. Many of us found it helpful and interesting especially as the characters (like Ariel) were portrayed differently to what we imagined. This version was stunning because of the digital wizardry, especially in the depiction of Ariel. So, to conclude, we think that the whole class really enjoyed putting together The Tempest because it is such an interesting story and you can dig to so many different levels and ask so many different questions. We think it was amazing to see everyone‟s different interpretations.

By Charlotte Rutter and Mia Mack

Divorce lawyer advises Law Society students

Each Thursday members of the school Law Society meet in order to develop their understanding of law, discuss topical legal issues, and consider their possible preferred routes into this profession. Last Thursday we were joined by Nia Jameson, a solicitor working for Silk Family Law firm. Nia's area of specialisation is in the field of Family Law, and specifically matrimonial cases. Whilst providing the students with a clear insight into this lesser known area of law, our guest also talked us through the entire process of developing a law career. In line with increasing numbers within the profession Nia did not study a Law degree, choosing instead to read English Literature at Durham University, achieving a 2:1 in her final degree. Interestingly she referenced the fact that her A Levels and even her GCSEs had been points of discussion in later interviews, so it was clear that the building of a career starts early! On one occasion, following a challenge as to why she achieved only a B grade in her Maths GCSE, she was praised for her response that she 'had worked very hard to achieve that grade'. In terms of the non-Law degree approach Nia claims that over half of her colleagues pursued a similar route, with many having read Politics, History or English, but with law firms now developing an eye for Maths and Science graduates too. After a rigorous year spent doing her law conversion course at the College of Law, Nia faced a grueling process of finding employment, applying to over one hundred firms, working for some time as a para-legal, before eventually securing a post following a fortuitous phone call direct to her current firm. Nia discussed the advantages and disadvantages of various branches of law, the practical differences between a solicitor and a barrister, as well as describing a typical day in the life of a divorce lawyer. What emerged most strongly from the session was the need for significant resolve, stamina and determination, combined with old fashioned graft, in order to launch a career in this field. Certainly not for those looking for an easy ride, one must be prepared for rejections and setbacks, as well as long hours and of study and training. There was no doubt that by the end of the lunchtime session the students were significantly better informed and more mindful of the challenges involved in building a career in law.

Mr S Edwards

NEWS

10th March 2017|Yarm School Newsletter 3 |

A German Exchange

During the half-term holidays, I spent two weeks on a German exchange with an extremely welcoming and friendly family. I felt apprehensive at

the beginning, but soon after meeting, my exchange (Beatrice) and I were firing back and forth about the differences between our schools and the TV shows we liked! I had the opportunity to visit Bielefeld and its „Burg‟ (castle), as well as Münster and Cologne. On the first night, I was thrown into „kaltes Wasser‟ (German for the „deep end‟, literally translated as „cold water‟), seeing a play written by Ferdinand Von Schirach with the school. It had an intricate plot, made more complicated by the language barrier, but was still entertaining and thought provoking. There were a couple mistranslations during the early stage of the exchange; the most memorable was the mix up of a French and German word, meaning that instead of wishing to wake up early, I told my exchange that I would like to wake up dead! But with that embarrassment aside, by the end of the experience my fluency and understanding of the language had improved greatly. Another peculiar moment happened during my first taste of German PE, where after listening to a seemingly incomprehensible explanation of the approaching task, I was thrown into a group of shouting German teenagers who had all taken off their left shoe and were using it to hit a ball towards each other. Not quite handball but still as exciting (albeit more violent)! The visit also opened my eyes to the variety of German food that exists, particularly a dish called „Falscher Hase‟ (False Hare) which consisted of mincemeat and egg, as well as Spaghetti Eis, a plate of vanilla ice cream spaghetti with strawberry sauce instead of bolognaise. Overall, I would recommend an exchange to any student wishing to take a language further. Languages are becoming more and more vital as Brexit approaches and connections to other countries have to be strengthened. An exchange is the perfect opportunity to discover a passion for them.

Sophie Elliott

The novel ‘Noughts and Crosses’ by Malorie Blackman addresses serious issues such as racism, discrimination and violence. Callum McGregor is a „colourless‟ Nought who wants to make a difference; Persephone Hadley is a Cross, and thereby a member of the black elite ruling class. Her life is the complete contrast to Callum‟s, yet they remain best friends and later become lovers. The novel follows their struggle in a society where people are judged solely by the colour of their skin. As you would expect, racism is a strong theme throughout the novel, along with friendship, courage and betrayal. In this alternate society, Noughts and Crosses call each other „blankers‟ and „daggers‟. Though hatred between races is evident, Sephy and Callum have an exceptionally strong bond. It is one of courage, one that cannot be damaged by the rules of society. The theme of betrayal is primarily portrayed near the end of the novel, emphasising that even the deepest forms of friendship can be tested. Blackman‟s writing style is extremely effective. She adopts the present tense but uses occasional flashbacks. Written in the first person, each chapter causes the reader to reflect on the hardships faced by the two main characters- Sephy and Callum- with the dual narrative giving a clear insight into what each character is feeling. I would recommend this piece of speculative fiction to any teenagers interested in politics, conflict, relationships and current affairs. Five stars!

Kaushiki Dasgupta

Noughts and Crosses- Malorie Blackman

The Economics and Business department were delighted to welcome back former pupil, Hugh Wallis (the class of 2013), for a "Working Lunch" with members of the Lower Sixth. Hugh is currently part way through a placement year he has arranged with IBM and regaled our students with tales of studying Business beyond school, applying for competitive placements and what it is like to live and work in London. He offered many of words of wisdom, encouraged students to weigh up the merits of university versus direct entry training schemes and he was willing to answer a lot of questions. His advice was very well received. Thanks again to Hugh for taking leave to come and visit us and we hope to see him return again very soon.

Miss C E Rhodes

Life after Yarm...

NEWS

10th March 2017|Yarm School Newsletter 4 |

Tajikistan journalist raises the curtain on a developing dictatorship

The Politics Society has been enormously grateful for the insights and experiences that have been shared by visiting speakers, many providing insights into countries and regimes we have little knowledge of or exposure to. Hearing reports of challenging

circumstances can be difficult even when far removed from the actual country. Yet last Friday's guest took us to a new level of shock and surprise through the revelations of the political, social and cultural threats facing our guest's fellow citizens. For followers of Central Asian politics Tajikistan had been a model for democracy, transparency and the effective transitioning to a pluralist system of government in the post-Soviet period. It was a regional role model for others to emulate. But in recent years the regime has systematically eliminated all vestiges of democratic engagement, creating a one-party state that might more accurately, if almost comically, be called a 'one-family' state, given the rash of prominent political positions handed out to the family of the President Rahmon. On an almost parodic scale megalomania has taken hold with Rahmon trumpeting the creation of the biggest National Library, biggest National Theatre, the tallest flagstaff, the largest tea house and even the largest family! Such brash showiness might be derided and dismissed were it not for the level of poverty evident outside of the capital Dushanbe; few rural communities have the benefit of running water, secure housing or sealed roads, and any public transport 'system' is almost non-existent. Political restrictions have led to the closure of the opposition party, with the arrest and detention of its leaders, and the criminalisation as 'terrorists' of its members. Free speech does not exist; sentences of over five years have been handed down for a single offence of adding a 'like' to a Facebook article. Reporters Without Borders now places Tajikistan 150th in the ranking of countries based on a freedom of expression index. Mehrangez Tursunzoda is a 25 year old journalist inhabiting this precarious world of gross censorship, secret police and government informers. She no longer

works for one of the excessively regulated press agencies operating in Tajikistan but rather investigates and writes for EURASIA.net, a web-based newspaper delivering news and commentary across the region of Central Asia. All of her articles have to written anonymously and emails are sent in encrypted formats in order to evade government surveillance. She faces considerable daily risk to herself and her family, but her reasons and motivations are clear and well expressed. Tajikistan has already suffered from a colossal 'brain-drain', with much of the country's talent having fled overseas. Mehrangez possesses a future vision that will not allow her to abandon her country. With the suppression of political opposition, many remaining critics have been driven underground, some becoming radicalised into ISIS and similar outfits. She argues that a failure in the next few years to maintain a meaningful and functioning mainstream opposition will undoubtedly result in an extreme polarisation of politics and perspectives, with the potential of turning this beautiful mountainous Central Asian republic into a Syria-like battleground. This is a similar argument cleverly being used by the regime, anaesthetising citizens by a daily diet of images of the collapsed regimes from Iraq to Syria. A choice of 'better the devil you know' is at risk of lulling many Tajiks into political inertia, albeit with the prospect of a final, brutalised showdown. In the face of all of this Mehrangez's bravery in her work and commitment to her land was breath-taking.

Mr S Edwards

Theatre Studies Performances Tuesday 21st March and Wednesday 22nd

March 2017 5pm Studio Theatre

The Theatre Studies performances take place on Tuesday 21st March and Wednesday 22nd March 2017. The Upper Sixth perform their own devised adaptation of Grimm‟s fairy-tale The Stolen Pennies and the Lower Sixth perform an extract from Blue Remembered Hills. Connected by adults playing young children, both pieces are funny and sad, sad and funny. Performance starts at 5pm in the Studio Theatre and finish around 6:15pm. Ticket incentive FREE tickets available from School Office up to 4pm on Thursday 16th March 2017. After that, tickets from School Office are £1 and tickets on the door are £2.

NEWS

10th March 2017|Yarm School Newsletter 5 |

Sixth Form student secures prestigious elite apprenticeship

Sam Tilley, a student in the Upper Sixth, was recently offered a highly competitive apprenticeship with professional service firm PwC. We took a few moments of his time to ask him about the process and his future plans.

Mr S Edwards Where did you get the idea to apply for an elite apprenticeship? I initially decided to explore the elite or higher apprenticeship route as a possible safety net in the event I did not achieve the required A level grades needed by my five university offers. I felt it would be an alternative to going into clearing and possibly not being offered a course or university of my choice. I researched the apprenticeship route online and also gathered information at our school Careers Convention. The more I researched the opportunities, the more appealing it became. How many applications have you made and to whom? I applied to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), J.P. Morgan and Deloittes. What did the PwC application process involve? The process was lengthy over a period of about twelve weeks. It varies from company to company, but as a general rule there is an initial online test followed by two or three assessment centre days targeted at assessing your reasoning and processing skills as well as your ability to perform under pressure. Then one or two interviews follow at the firms Head Office to get a measure of what type of person you are and if you are well suited to the role. How did you find the interview process? The interview process was challenging and rigorous but I spent time preparing and researching the company which proved to be extremely important. I felt the mock interviews which were held in school before Christmas helped me considerably. The help and support of my teachers and encouragement of my parents has been invaluable throughout the process. How competitive was this whole process? The process was very competitive with applicants from all over the UK, some had finished their university degrees, some were in the same position as myself, taking A levels, others had gone to university and after completing one or two years decided it was not for them. The process is not for the faint-hearted and it does require real commitment with around 2,500 applicants each year and around 20 places being offered it is a highly competitive apprenticeship.

What is the nature of this apprenticeship? How long does it last? It is a management consulting apprenticeship. That means helping organisations to solve issues, create value, maximise growth and improve business performance. Management consultants use their business skills to provide objective advice and expertise and help an organisation to develop any specialist skills that it may be lacking.The apprenticeship lasts for two years followed by the opportunity to complete the graduate training programme. The placement will involve working and gaining experience in all depts of PWC. In my first weeks I will meet a number of key people: a „buddy‟, someone who'll answer day-to-day queries; a People Manager, who will discuss my forthcoming development objectives with me; and, depending on my role, a Partner Mentor, who will boost my understanding of both the firm and my long-term opportunities. Will you study as well as working during the apprenticeship? Yes. The two main ones are a Certificate in Management Consulting and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) Would you share details about the salary with us? The employment contract offers a salary of over £22,000 with private healthcare, a private pension, as well as many other fringe benefits. You've also applied to university, what are your possible plans there? I have had five university offers which are all dependent on achieving high A Level grades. The apprenticeship is also dependent on accumulating good A Level grades but due to the rigorous application process they are not as high as my university offers. I must therefore continue to work really hard. I will have a difficult decision to make but it is a good position to be in. How will you decide which route to take? I will give it careful consideration, possibly, I will defer my university applications and take the fantastic opportunity given to me to work in such a prestigious global company and gain valuable experience. And what plans do you have for the future long term? I am currently very focussed on the immediate future and successfully concluding my sixth form education. Long term, I will strive to make a success of the fantastic opportunities afforded me, hopefully making great headway at PwC and rising through their ranks, then potentially moving to a career in the realm of politics.

Sports Scoreboard

NEWS

10th March 2017|Yarm School Newsletter 6|

A royal reunion for Gold DofE

The Final Task... Curiouser and Curiouser...

The Apprentices were bemused to find a series of strange clues when they arrived for the setting of Task 5. After being sent on what they feared was a "wild goose chase", they arrived at a curious scene, with no Lord Sugar, instead just a series of instructions saying "eat me", "drink me" and finally "read me". Devised to encourage their imaginations, Task 5 requires the teams to create and execute a Charity Crowd Funding video as part of a hypothetical campaign. Ben Dickinson and Ella-Joy Hunton have volunteered themselves to be Project Managers for the final test, and with the points close there is still everything to play for! With quite a tight deadline the teams cannot afford to be late for such a very important date ie Lord Sugar in the Boardroom with the pitch (on the 16th March). Good Luck Teams!

Miss C E Rhodes

By showing commitment and dedication to a wide range of activities, many members of our Sixth Form completed their Gold Award whilst still in school, in amongst their studies. The following Former Pupils have all been invited to the same Gold Award presentation at St James' Palace in London later this month to receive their certificates from the Earl Of Wessex. Others are awaiting their own ceremonies liaising with their studies or Gap year commitments. Rebecca Fry Kathryn Jackson Neil Limaye William Wallace Chirag Rao Becky Donaldson Mrs Guest has been invited to act as a marshal at the event in honour of the success at Yarm School with the Award, with Mr Rye also invited as a thank you to his commitment to the scheme. Very recent news is that Former Pupil: Uddhav Vaghela has also completed his Gold Award whilst at university. We look forward to hearing more about the event and also anticipate several of our current Upper Sixth pupils completing their awards in the next few months.

Boys’ Hockey U14A Regional Finals See report U12A v Teesside High School Won 4-0 1st XI v Ampleforth College Won 2-1 U15A v Ampleforth College Won 3-0 U14A v Ampleforth College Won 2-0 Netball U13B District Tournament See report U15A v Queen Margaret‟s Won 25-20 U15B v Queen Margaret‟s Lost 6-16 U14A v Queen Margaret's Won 35-15 U14B v Queen Margaret‟s Lost 7-18 U13A v Queen Margaret‟s Won 22-4 U13B v Queen Margaret‟s Won 13-3 U12A v Queen Margaret‟s Won 18-4 U12B v Queen Margaret‟s Lost 12-16 Rugby U15A v Ampleforth College Lost 5-27 U15A v Hill House School Lost 10-12 U15A v Woodhouse Grove Lost 0-39

Tickets from the School Office

SPORT

10th March 2017|Yarm School Newsletter 7 |

Junior Inter-regional Trials

Hockey

U14A Regional Finals - Third place Lost to QEGS Wakefield 0-2 Beat Altrincham Grammar 5-0 Lost to Calday Grange 1-2 The U14s endured an up and down day at the North of England finals last week eventually finishing in third place. Against QEGS, Yarm had the early chances with Michael Chilvers finding himself through on goal a couple of times, however, they were unable to find the opening. Pressure from QEGS mounted with them eventually finding a goal with ten minutes left in the game. This put the boys in the unusual position for them of having to chase a game which saw their performance become more disjointed with less of the flowing, attacking hockey that characterises their game. QEGS added another goal shortly before the final whistle to win 2-0. After a discussion of what went wrong in the first game, the boys played some of their best hockey of the term to beat the North West champions, Altrincham Grammar, 5-0. The boys were back to attacking at pace and defending resolutely. Sam Graham chipped in with 2 with Alex Greenaway, Michael Chilvers, and Jack Norton added their names to the scoresheet. Going into their third game of the day, Yarm knew a victory would secure either a spot in the national finals, or at worse a play-off to get there. We enjoyed lots of possession in the first half of the game, with Calday Grange packing the defence to prevent a Yarm onslaught. The boys were unfortunate to have a penalty corner goal chalked off despite it being in the back of the net after a dangerous deflection. Agonisingly Yarm conceded on the counter-attack after a moment of lapsed concentration from the defence, who to this point had found themselves largely redundant. In a repeat of the QEGS game this saw the boys' heads drop. This saw Calday's lead double and Yarm in the backseat. With 5 minutes to go we pulled our goalkeeper to play with 11 outfield players which paid immediate dividends as a Sam Graham goal pulled the score back to 2-1, but sadly Yarm were unable to find the additional 2 goals needed to edge into the all important second place. Goals: Chilvers, Graham(3), Greenaway, Norton U15A v Ampleforth College Won 3-0 An U15 team shorn of its rowers combined with some strong players from the U14 team took to the field against Ampleforth on Saturday, emerging with a comfortable 3-0 victory to extend their winning run to 4 games. From the goalless first half it was clear to see this was a team that had never played together before as play was disjointed and passing well below par. However, with the players self-diagnosing this as the primary issue at half-time, Yarm emerged to score 3 good team goals. Sol Kench scored 2 to bring his tally for the season to 7 and was unlucky not to bag a hat-trick after a goal line save by Ampleforth. In the middle of this Kench sandwich was a cleanly hit goal by Michael Chilvers who backed up his mid-week performance for the U14s with another goal. This squad now leave for their annual tour of Edinburgh with games against George

Watson‟s, Stewart‟s-Melville and Inverleith. Goals: Kench(2), Chilvers

U14A v Ampleforth College Won 2-0 With the core of the U14 side playing for the U15s this game presented an excellent opportunity for some of the U13s to test their mettle against older opposition. From the opening whistle it was clear that this was a scratch team with many of the players not used to the extra space available on a full size, 11 a side pitch. However, this did not stop them having the better of the chances in the first half. James Beck and Olly Mehegan went close a few times, but it fell to Matty Heathcote to get Yarm's opener with a slapped shot from the P spot. The second half was much improved with play switching to the more open wide areas of the pitch. This allowed Yarm to test the Ampleforth keeper far more regularly but the second only came ten minutes from the end when James Beck committed the keeper before selflessly giving the ball to Tom Crack to slot home into an empty net. Yarm's sheet was kept clean late on by a goal line save from Elliot Grainger to see the game end 2-0 to the away side. Goals: Crack, Heathcote

On Saturday, Yarm hosted the annual trials for the Junior Inter-regional Regatta, a race held in April and contested by teams from the different regions of the UK. The race at Yarm was to determine the selection for the Yorkshire team. In the first division it was singles that trialled, with both Yarm scullers who raced qualifying their boats. We congratulate both Hazel Wake and Isaac Murray for excellent performances in their respective J16 singles categories against strong opposition. Two J14 girls‟ quads raced in this division, the quad of Anissa Sulthana, Hibba Osman, Sanjana Manvikar and Juju Mon coxed by Grace McPherson had a great row and showed great progression from previous events. The other quad of Philippa Lowe, Niamh Masterson, Amelia Large and Isobel Francis-Jones, coxed by Katie De La Motte also sculled well over the 1500m course. A J14 boys‟ quad of Oliver Tompkins, Max Newbold, James Wiltshire and Tom Kenyon, coxed by William Peacock also showed they are continuing to

SPORT

10th March 2017|Yarm School Newsletter 8 |

Netball

U13B District Tournament The district tournament offered a chance for the U13B team to test themselves against other B teams from many local schools, including Red House, All Saints and Egglescliffe. The girls played some lovely netball and were excellent defensively throughout the tournament - proven by the fact that they only conceded 1 goal across the 5 matches they played. They won 4 of their matches, only losing 1-0 to a tough Teesside High team. There are still areas to work on, but the girls grew throughout this tournament, and deservedly ran out overall winners by quite some margin. U15A v Queen Margaret’s Won 25-20 After a scrappy first quarter the girls stepped up from that point and played some solid netball. Both teams were pretty evenly matched with quality players on both sides. Our shooting statistics improved but by the end of the third quarter we had a 3 goal lead. I am really pleased that this team are now beginning to settle into the season with some consistency of players and discipline on the court. Rachel McMurray and Naomi Parker worked well in defence and were busy under the post. Stella Dooris, Phoebe Matthews, Jess Leith-Ross and Anna Harrison rotated the centre court positions and were busy throughout, providing turnover balls for our shooters to take advantage of. Scarlet Hudson put in a captains performance and Ayah Mostafa improved her statistics as the game went on. POM-Scarlet Hudson. U12A v Queen Margaret’s Won 18-4 The girls started strongly and quickly established a good lead and with Queen Margaret‟s struggling to respond Yarm were 8-0 up at the end of the first quarter. Defensively we were too strong for them with Poppy Gratton, Imogen Slack and Isabel Robson intercepting virtually every ball that Queen Margaret‟s tried to get into the circle. From this Ruth Fletcher, Emily Dunn, Belle Woodhead, Summer Benzie and Olivia Fletcher brought the ball down the court so quickly the opposition did not have time to respond. Both Olivia and Emily's shooting was on top form and by the end of the 3rd quarter we had a comfortable lead of 14-1. This allowed us to play and try out new positions on court in the final quarter. The girls deserved this win. Well done! MVP(s)-Bella Woodhead

Rowing report continued progress with their sculling. Some of the J15 girls raced in a coxed quad, the crew consisted of Lauren Gallagher, Flora Wilmot, Rachael Murray and Elise Moussalli, coxed by Emily Clements. These girls had a good row and are enjoying the chance to race in different crews and boat types. Unfortunately none of these crews qualified, but they continue to improve in their sculling ability and racing performance. In the second division, Tom Ward and Jack Norton raced as a J14 boys‟ double scull. They sculled brilliantly to qualify to be a part of the Yorkshire team. In the sweep event Yarm dominated gaining selection in all the fours events. The J16 boys raced as a coxed four: Louis Phillips, Tom Maloy, Hamish Dixon, and Ewan Wadd, coxed by Max Eldabe. The J16 girls raced as a coxless four: Sarah Portsmouth, Elise Ward, Clara Maddison and Katie Wood . The J15 boys, Jacob Mehegan, Joseph Topham, Conall Lacy and Cameron Gray, coxed by Alex Dunn and the J15 girls in a coxed four, Catherin Arrol, Lucy Jones, Sarah Frith and Emily Clements, coxed by Oliver Cairns. A few of the J14 girls raced in doubles in this division. The crew of Jahnavi Mishra and Grace McPherson sculled well to be within a minute of a very fast crew from York who were the winners of the event. The crew of Annie Pickard and Lily Brown also sculled well and executed their race plan effectively, proven by the fact that they finished within 30 seconds of the winning double from York City Rowing Club. In the third division the J16 raced in eights, in both the boys and girls categories. The boys‟ crew consisted of Charlie Jones, Isaac Murray, Louis Phillips, Thomas Maloy, Ewan Wadd, Hamish Dixon, Jacob Mehegan and Joseph Topham, coxed by Max Eldabe rowed brilliantly in what was a scratch crew. The J16 girls‟ crew was Sarah Portsmouth, Katie Wood, Clara Maddison, Elise Ward, Hazel Wake, Sarah Frith, Catherine Arrol and Lucy Jones, coxed by Emily Clements, they rowed well again in a scratch crew. Well done to both crews who qualified these boats for the regatta. The J15 boys raced as a coxed quad, the crew was Sam Graham, AJ Thorne-Wallis, George Todd and Daniel Orlopp, coxed by Alex Dunn. The J15 girls: Lauren Gallagher, Rachael Murray, Flora Wilmot and Elise Moussalli, coxed by Willow Bracher also raced in a coxed quad. Both of these crews raced against very strong competition from York City, who have many talented junior scullers, meaning the Yarm crews didn‟t qualify. The J14 boys‟ quad of Jack Norton, Tom Ward, Elijah Stannard and Jonathan Oakley, coxed by Arran Brinham sculled excellently to qualify their boat for the regatta. The J14 girls raced in two coxed quads. The crew of Isabelle Dohring, Jahnavi Mishra, Amelia Richardson and Juju Mon, coxed by Katie De La Motte raced well and followed their race plan, which is a great progression. The other quad of Lily Brown, Annie Pickard, Anastasia Legge and Anna Crawford, coxed by Afshaun Azad, also raced brilliantly to finish within 30 seconds of the winning York crew who were very talented scullers. This means Yarm have qualified for 10 of the 23 boats in the Yorkshire region at the Junior Inter-regional Regatta on April, 29 pupils gaining selection. A reward for a great deal of hard work over the winter. Congratulations to all the crews that raced.