Newsletter No: 1187 | www.yarmschool.org | 28th September 2018

“I enjoy all the extra curricular activities especially the sport (netball, hockey etc) because they give you loads of new opportunities.”

Estelle O

“The things I have enjoyed most about Yarm are the lunches and all the teachers who have helped us settle in.”

James M

“I have enjoyed EVERYTHING! I didn’t come from Prep School but I have made loads of friends! It may seem scary but it’s really amazing.”

Nicole L

“The staff and pupils are all so welcoming to us; if you drop your books, someone is always there to help you pick them up.”

Thomas H

“The things I have liked so far are all the opportunities for clubs after school, sports and DT.”

Eve G

“I have enjoyed many things about the Senior School. One thing that I have really found fun was squash, starting a new hobby.”

Essa I

“Yarm School has been amazing up to now, the facilities and the lessons are great! My favourite lesson is maths because it’s challenging!”

Sam S

“I have enjoyed the opportunities available at Yarm School , and all the new and exciting responsibilities that come with secondary school life.”

Sophie J

First Year Thoughts...

London Fashion Week

Last weekend (21st-23rd Sept) the Sixth Form textiles students went to London Fashion Week Festival (LFWF). We visited many places such as the V&A and London Design Museum as well as going to Covent Garden, Harrods and Harvey Nichols, for research and shopping purposes. At the LFWF we saw many stalls with countless brands and stunning garments. The trend fashion show really showcased the season must-haves. The trends were Check Mates, Prim & Prom and Prints Charming and the majority had an eighties spin on them; it was fantastic to watch. We learnt a huge amount from this trip which will be useful for our projects in future. By visiting the museums we learnt more about the moral and ethical impact garments have on the world and also how important sustainability is for designs. There was an entire exhibition at the V&A about nature’s effects on garments. Seeing the trends in popular high street shops and high end department stores like Harrods and Harvey Nichols was also extremely interesting and useful. We had an excellent weekend and we would like to thank Mrs Jackson and Mrs Barker for taking us on such an amazing trip.

Jess Coapes

NEWS

Looking back - celebrating 40 years

Yarm School owns eight minibuses which are in constant use, however this was not always the case. Below is an article dating back to 1985 when Mr Tate wrote the following article in the newsletter: MINI-BUS ACQUIRED Thanks to the combined generosity of Jim Ruck Pressure cleaning services and the Y.S.A., the School has acquired a Y registration mini-bus without any School funds being involved. The essential plan for the School to obtain one of the new generation high capacity (20 seats plus) mini-buses remains, but it will take time before the School is in a position to go ahead. The new vehicle will therefore prove an invaluable addition to the Schools existing Ford Transit bus. The School programme each afternoon is such that two mini-buses are almost always required.

The timetables for the Lunchtime and After School Activities and

Departmental Support are available on the parents’ section of School

website: www.yarmschool.org/parent-portal-all

2 / 3 NEWS | Yarm School Newsletter 28th September 2018

The Economics and Business Department was delighted to welcome back another former pupil, to their series of Working Lunches. Laura Marriott left Yarm in 2014 as one of the first Yarm students to favour a finance based apprenticeship over a conventional university route. Selected to complete KPMG's highly competitive direct entry career path, Laura started working and earning at 18, whilst being supported through her accounting examinations and a degree in Accounting by her employer. Now a graduate, by 23 years old she will be a qualified chartered accountant at a ‘Big 4’ accountancy firm, without taking the normal university then graduate scheme route. Laura is currently beginning her fifth year with the company and works within the audit function, a role which involves providing an opinion over whether a company’s financial information is correct. It was clear from hearing Laura speak how much she enjoys her role and how pleased she is with the path she followed. Laura willingly answered a plethora of probing questions, and we are very grateful to her for giving up her valuable time to advise and enthuse the Sixth Form.

Miss C E Rhodes

Where do we go from here? After the buzz of last year’s dance showcase 'Dancing Through the Movies', dance at Yarm has got off to a fantastic start with the dance pupils more motivated and enthusiastic than ever. Rehearsals are under way for our Performing Arts Show in November with routines being perfected to Matilda, Mamma Mia, Hairspray and many more. Sixth Form have been learning a street routine to Bruno Mars whilst senior activities have been making a great start at learning choreography to the iconic Thriller. What a great start to another exciting year for dance at Yarm School.

Dancing Queens!

Four intrepid Yarm School athletes joined some of the fastest young fell runners in the country on Sunday, for the English Schools Fell Running Championships, held at Giggleswick School. Fell running is not for the faint-hearted, with steep ascents to the top of exposed fells, followed by fast and technical descents, that experienced fell runners can take at a blistering speed. The weather forecast was for torrential rain but on the day the sun shone to give perfect running conditions. Liam Green, Archie Norton and Luke Teare were first to run, in the year 8/9 category. Their race was over 4.2km, with 206m of ascent, which began almost immediately after a fast start out of the school grounds. Luke’s dad heroically ran up to the top to take photos and cheer the boys on, while the rest of the spectators watched from the field, as the runners wound their way up onto the fell and then reappeared later, hurtling down the rocky path to a sprint for the finish. Archie was first home, coming in 78th of 173 finishers, Liam was next in, closely followed by Luke who had to find a final burst of energy to stave off a challenge from the runner behind him. Dominic Green then took on the longer race for year 10/11, running a grueling 5.5km with 247m of ascent. It was a fantastic morning of racing, in a well organised and welcoming event. The boys ran with great courage and performed very well against a field of much more experienced fell runners- and they loved it!

Great Racing at Giggleswick!

We would like to congratulate Adam Wright on his recent gliding experience with the Air Cadets and would like to wish him good luck with his future powered flight training. When asked about his experience, Adam commented: ‘After being trained about how to escape the aircraft, I was finally able to get in the air! Inside the Grob aircraft the noise was deafening, so the flight instructor and I required headsets to understand each other. Although a short flight, it was an enjoyable experience and I would recommend anyone, if given the opportunity, to take it up.’ For further development Adam has been nominated by his squadron Commanding Officer to attend a weekend NCO training course at the end of this month.

NEWS

RAF Flying Experience

Tuesday 25th September- Newcastle City Library On Tuesday this week a group of Upper School historians set off for Waterstone’s book shop in Newcastle to hear prominent military historian Max Hastings speak about the publication of his new book; Vietnam, an epic tragedy.

Max Hastings is an English military historian. He has published many books on World War Two including; All Hell Let Loose; The World at War, Overlord D-Day and The Battle for Normandy, Nemesis; The Battle for Japan and Das Reich. In his latest work, Hastings was keen to take a different angle on the conflict in Vietnam. Rather than portraying the war as an American tragedy, Hastings sees the war in Vietnam as an overwhelming tragedy for the Vietnamese people, of whom 40 died to every American. Hastings also focused his talk on the point that neither side deserved to win the war in Vietnam. Atrocities were carried out by both the Americans and the communists. Furthermore, Hastings explained that many lessons can be learned from this conflict, such as the devastating long term impact of unleashing military might in a country composed mostly of rural farmers.

Attendees gained a great deal from listening to a world renowned expert in the field of modern warfare, discussing the longest conflict of the twentieth century. Some of these pupils will also be visiting Vietnam during half term as part of a school cultural trip.

Mr A Morrison

‘On Tuesday seven historians went up to Newcastle to see a talk by Max Hastings. Hastings is a military historian who was

promoting his new book on the Vietnam war, which he has direct experience of, having served in Vietnam as a journalist .

His vast subject knowledge and personal anecdotes made for a thoroughly entertaining presentation. It was both

interesting and useful for all who went.’

Joshua Boyce

Bronze DofE News

Vietnam

An Epic Tragedy, 1945-1975

An evening with Max Hastings

Pupils continue to work hard on completing their awards and we have had a number of recent successes. Jacob Atkinson has completed his expedition section and James Curtis Haig has finished his skills. The volunteering section has been completed by Abigail Goodchild-Maguire, Jacob Mehegan, John Paul and Joseph Topham and the physical section has been signed off for Arun Thakur and Lexie Speight. Philip Simpson has finished his final section, skill, and his award has been sent to Head Office for their approval. The following pupils have all had their awards approved: Dom Green Abishek Naguleswaren JuJu Mon Flora Wilmot Certificates and badges will be presented in assemblies soon but in the meantime a big well done from me!

Mr M C Rye

Last week’s answer:

The rope was tied to nothing else so that the horse could go wherever it wanted!

Last week’s winners:

Joshita Mishra (First Year)

Samantha Botterill, Jennifer Chan (Second Year)

Danny Scott, Yumna Ellidir, Tegan Addison, Kaavya Venkatesh and Megan Broadhead (Third Year)

Oliver Mehegan (Fifth Year)

Oliver Marriott, Abigail Humphrys (Lower Sixth)

Congratulations to you all!

This week's riddle: How?!?

Rating: Wordy

Which word that begins with the letter I, and by adding the letter A, becomes another word that is pronounced the same?

Please send any answers in to 16SinhaP@yarmschool.org, remember to add your tutor group (or initials for teachers) and those with the quickest correct answers (in before this coming Monday) will be announced in the next issue. Good luck!

Parul Sinha & Aishani Paul

4 / 5 NEWS | Yarm School Newsletter 28th September 2018

Riddles

The Economics and Business Department was delighted to welcome back former pupil Naman Garg for another of our Working Lunches. Naman, who is reading Economics and Management at Oxford, spoke enthusiastically to an audience of both Lower and Upper Sixth Economists, focusing on how he targeted and achieved his A* at A Level. Naman willingly answered a plethora of questions and was most generous with his advice and guidance.

Thank you to Naman for his continued, and much appreciated, support of Yarm Economics and we wish him well as he embarks on the second year of his Oxford studies.

Miss C E Rhodes

Stars in their eyes...

CCF Adventurous Training

Last Monday saw the first of this year’s adventurous training sessions for the cadets. After the safety brief, the group were instructed that there were 5 ‘packages’ stashed along the banks of the Tees – all of which needed to be recovered by river. Maps issued and buoyancy aids put on, the cadets launched their canoes and the mission began.

After the packages were recovered, the kit stashed away, debriefs completed and socks rung-out, the general consensus was that the session was excellent: the exercise was a success. There was a very different feel to the parade that evening and map work that was completed will stand the cadets in good stead for the orienteering that they will be undertaking next week.

Many thanks to Mr Mathers for organising the session.

Capt Taylor

Inspirational Music-Making Over the weekend, I had two amazing musical experiences. I attended a performance and a master class given by Sarah-Jane Bradley. Sarah-Jane performed the Viola Sonata No 1 in C Minor by Frank Bridge; it was amazing and she gave us some really helpful information to enable us to get our pieces to be the best they could be. I played the Adagio from Schubert's Arpeggione and Sarah-Jane helped make the string crossings smooth and encouraged me to make sure that the sound I made really projected as a soloist. On Sunday 23rd September, I took part in a National Youth Orchestra Inspire Day at Roundhay School, Leeds. We played 3 movements from the Spartacus Suite No 2 by Khachaturian. This day was particularly inspiring because we were able to play alongside current NYO members, conducted by Holly Mathieson. It was amazing to have training at such a high standard held in the North. It really fuelled my ambition to be a part of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain!

Ava Brule-Walker

NEWS

Until perhaps just a few days ago there was little talk or even speculation about another General Election. Most of us were still head scratching and seeking to explain the outcome of the last few democratic experiences both here and overseas. In this sense the idea of inviting to Yarm School a prospective parliamentary candidate for the General Election might initially have felt somewhat premature. But now as the politicians consult their agents, pollsters and oracles, what might have been four years could be rather imminent. Lauren Dingsdale joined us on Friday, her first visit back to us since completing her A Levels at Yarm School. Since then she went on to read PPE at Wadham College, Oxford and established her legal career at Slaughter and May in London. Born and raised in the constituency of Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland Lauren was perhaps as surprised as she was elated and daunted by her success in her recent selection. She has already committed to weekly trips back to the North East to establish herself as the Labour Party candidate, engaging in visits to schools, hospitals and the necessary doorsteps of the constituency. It is considered to be a very ‘winnable’ seat for Lauren; the seat has been held until recently by the Labour Party for many years, the majority is little more than a thousand votes, and the collapse of UKIP at the last election was considered a big assist for the Conservative Party. What will make this election even more exciting for many of us; Lauren will be seeking to oust the current MP, Simon Clarke, also a former pupil of Yarm School! We wish both Lauren and Simon the very best of luck whenever that election comes around.

Mr S Edwards

Standing for Election

What’s On!

THIS IS THE GREATEST SHOW

Join our cast of West End Singers and LIVE band as

we take you on a journey through music from “The

Greatest Showman” “Moulin Rouge” “Barnum” and

many others.

Saturday 27th October —7:30pm

Tickets—£22 (adults) £20 (children)

https://www.thepaaonline.org/whats-on/this-is-

the-greatest-show/

The Winter’s Tale

Shakespeare’s great play of the irrational and

inexplicable, illustrating how uncontrollable emotions

can range across gender, country, class and age.

Thursday 4th October —7:15pm

Tickets—£15 (adults) £8 (Yarm pupil) £10 (children)

https://www.thepaaonline.org/whats-on/this-is-the-

greatest-show/

NEWS

Former Pupil advises Law

Society students

On Sunday 23rd September, twelve First Year pupils went on an introductory mountain biking adventure to Sutton Bank. The trip was very well planned out and was suitable for either full-time amazing cyclists or people who had only been riding without stabilisers for a year. During our time cycling we were thrown into several tough challenges; riding on bumpy roads through woodland areas, riding down almost sheer drops, cycling up steep hills and, of course, biking in the hail (the sun also shone throughout the day). At the start of the day we went round a skills track to build up our confidence and learn some tricks for later in the day. We then headed off in small teams to tackle the blue route. All -in-all everyone had a great time. The end however, was my favourite bit, not because we were leaving, but because I received a nice hot chocolate and a piece of cake!

William Lewis

Bringing Spain to the PAA!

Following on from the Choir's incredible tour to Seville and Lisbon in the summer, we felt it important to share our musical offering with friends and family on home turf. Little did the tour members realise that the concert would begin with footage of their magnificent flamenco moves followed by an hour of wonderful choral music and tour anecdotes. It also gave us a chance to say thank you and farewell to our wonderful leavers. Pat and the Sodexo team provided us with Sangria and tapas in our vain attempt to cling on to the glorious Iberian weather and ambiance. Thank you tour choir for the inspirational music and lots of fantastic memories.

The school Law Society comprises senior students considering or interested in pursuing a course of study or a possible career in law. Typically meeting over lunchtime it is an opportunity to explore the breadth and depth of careers in this field, as well as seek out the advice of those studying or working in law. This week we welcomed back Charlie Danjoux who is about to embark on his final year as a Law undergraduate at Durham University. Charlie provided a heap of advice, not only on the application process, the difference between different law degrees around the country, and tips on the Law National Aptitude Test (LNAT) required by a number of law schools, but also gave an insight into the rhythm of life as a law undergraduate. He also urged all those pursuing a career to ensure that they embarked upon work experience opportunities as early in their university career as possible – by third year many students have already begun to establish relationships with firms. The tailoring of applications to the specific interests of a particular law firm was also deemed vital. Charlie has been fortunate in having being offered a training contract with a law firm for when he finishes his programme. We are very appreciative of Charlie’s time and wish him well for his final year.

Mr S Edwards

Sutton Bank

SPORT

Congratulations to

Toby Simpson, who

took part in the junior

squash county closed

competition last

weekend. He played

very well and didn’t

concede any games in

any of his matches

winning the U15

category. Well done

Toby!

Sport Scoreboard

Girls’ Hockey

U15A v RGS Newcastle Won 5-0

U14A v RGS Newcastle Won 1-0

U12A v Barnard Castle Won 5-1

U15A v Newcastle High Won 4-2

U16 County Tournament Won 4-0

1st XI v Newcastle High Won 5-0

Netball

U13 Netball National Cup Won 41-6

U15 Netball National Cup Won 43-6

Rugby

1stXV v Harrogate Grammar Won 27-10

2ndXV v Harrogate Grammar Lost 31-28

U15A v Red House School Won 44-5

U13A v Red House School Won 25-15

U13B v Red House School Won 6-3

U12A v Cundall Manor Won 10-7

U14A v Egglescliffe Lost 31-36

Squash Champion!

SPORT

Girls’ Hockey

1stXV v Newcastle High Won 5-0

In their inaugural match of the season, the first team fared well against a strong Newcastle High side. The first half was competitive with chances at both ends with each team getting their fair share of possession. The only goal of the half came from Jasmine Donaldson, who executed a fine goal for her debut. Going into the break leading narrowly by one goal meant we were ready for an exciting second half, which could have gone either way. However, the team ensured that this was not the case. The girls came out strongly in the second half, tripling their lead within the first 5 minutes, with goals from Jasmine and Evie Thompson. At 3-0 up, Yarm found their rhythm and settled into some fabulous team play. They enjoyed almost total possession and domination- an impressive feat against a well-drilled Newcastle team. Yarm capitalised on this success scoring two further goals: an excellent finish from Kaia made it 4-0, followed by another great goal from Jasmine, who finished her first game for Yarm with an impressive hat trick! With 5-0 the score and great team play, this young side shows great promise for the rest of the season. Determination and fine execution were also evident throughout, ensuring the girls got the season off to the best possible start!

Goals: Thompson, Donaldson(3), Harte MVP(s) Jasmine Donaldson Caitlin Keenan

U14a v RGS Won 1-0 On Saturday the U14A girls played against RGS, Newcastle. We knew from last year that they were a strong team and they were going to be a real challenge to beat. We arrived early on Saturday determined to do our best. Every player had a key role and had to step up to the mark if we were to compete and win.

In the first half RGS started attacking right from the whistle but Ava Brule-Walker, solid in defence, stopped their chances. The midfield also played their part, working together really well to press the ball and prevent RGS from attacking our goal.

When we had possession we tried to take our chances with the forwards, left and right inners working well to create the opening needed. We also successfully pressurised RGS higher up the pitch and blocked the wide passes our opponents made from hit outs.

Although we did have a couple of good chances, RGS had strong possession. Near the end of the second half we were given an attacking penalty corner; this provided us with the perfect opportunity to score! A strong injection from Belle Woodhead set up the perfect ball for me to strike. The ball hit the right corner of the backboard and secured us the goal which we deserved. We just had to hold on and continue to work hard as a team!

The whole team worked together throughout to block the opposition’s chances with many short corners along the way. A brave block from Ava on the line prevented a goal, Ella Brent remained defensive as our goalkeeper and Phoebe Richardson and Emily Dunn ran out fearlessly to shut down the straight shots at penalty corners. The last 5 minutes seemed like a lifetime but we ended with a pleasing 1-0 win!

Everybody had an amazing work ethic throughout the match and we started to play well as a team. Mr Glen was ‘super happy’ and so were we. Thank you Mr Glen.

Poppy Gratton

‘Super happy’ could be an understatement! The girls should be so proud of the way they battled today. It was always going to be difficult to separate two well matched teams. The desire the girls showed to front up to the ball and put their stick, and body, on the line for the team highlighted the determination these young ladies possess. This win should give the team great confidence going into the future games, starting with the County Tournament on Wednesday 3rd October. Finally, Poppy Gratton, the leader at the back was thoroughly deserving of the opposition award of player of the match - a rock solid performance!

I hope you all had a well-deserved restful Sunday! Once again, well played girls!

Mr Glenn

SPORT

U15A v RGS Lost 5-0

Yarm started confidently against a strong and efficient looking outfit from RGS but after 10 minutes started to struggle under increasing pressure and gave the ball away a little too easily. The end result from this was a break away by the opposition’s star player who stunned the side-lines and crowd with a superb lifted reverse goal strike from an impossible angle - this finish would have raised gasps at international level!! This finish, and an increasingly determined opposition took the wind out of Yarm’s sails for quite a while and this match became an uphill battle with the our forwards failing to gain positive outcomes when they did break away.

The end of the second half saw a cluster of three goals for RGS that came out of slick interchanges and great movement; whilst 0-5 was not a fair reflection of the game, the better team won on the day but the attitude of the girls within the game and their determination to work to raise their future levels after the game was impressive - we will be back!

U15A v Newcastle High Won 4-2

After a delayed start to the previous fixture our U15 girls were raring to go and started the match in a positive mood dominating the early exchanges with the ball remaining largely in the opposition half, but a lack of precision in the final third meant that most attacks came to nothing or resulted in shots straight at their strong goalkeeper and frustration for us. However, our breakthrough eventually arrived when a loose ball was seized upon by Lottie Dean who capped a strong first half with a goal before leaving at half-time for a train to London! Unfortunately Newcastle quickly responded and were the first to react and play advantage from a Yarm foot catching our defence unawares to go into half-time at 1-1.

A change of tactics and pace saw our girls go through the gears and some much slicker passing and a more direct, driving approach meant that strong finishes from Evie Clinkard and Alex Webb rapidly put us 3-1 up. Although a short corner being driven past "keeper" Scarlet Evans (ill-fitting kicker apparently!) temporarily brought Newcastle back in range, another smart drive and finish from Alex Webb saw us comfortably home. Some lively movement from Amelia Allen and strong running and defending from Abby Clements and Claudia Hall were also strong features in a good all-round team performance.

Goals: Webb(2), Dean, Clinkard MVP(s) Evie Clinkard

U12A v Barnard Castle

The U12 As made a fantastic debut against Barnard Castle last weekend. Strength was shown in defence by Cara McMurray and Tilly Gilraine whilst midfield worked hard to retain possession and create opportunities for goals. Elise Munro, who was named PoM, scored a hat trick with Scarlett Smith and Lexie Townsley each scoring one bringing the total for Yarm to 5. Barnard Castle managed to score one goal making the final score 5-1 to Yarm. Overall, the highlight of the match was the team game the Yarm girls played - very well done!

U16A County Tournament Won 4-0

The U16s are County Champions and progress through to the North East Finals after beating Egglescliffe 4-0 in the final. This was a dominant performance by the girls who controlled the game from start to finish having the majority of possession and territory. Goals came from excellent finishes from Sophia Hall on the back post, Emily Burnett from a deflection off the keeper and Lucy Hattersley from her short stint at right half!

Goals: Hattersley, Hall(2), Burnett

IFSA England Squad Evie Thompson has recently been selected for the Independent School Football Association England squad. She attended a trial in Hatfield last Sunday and received confirmation of her involvement in the U16 squad which are due to play several international matches from October to March next year. This is clearly an amazing achievement, well done Evie!

U13A National Cup Won 41-6

This match against Queen Margaret’s was the first round of the Sisters n Sport Netball National cup. It is a knockout competition played throughout the country in regions then nationally.

Both teams had a nervous start with the first 5 minutes being rushed and frantic at times however we soon settled into the game, improved our passing and movement and started to create a healthy lead. At the end of the first quarter Yarm led by 8-1 and by half-time the score was 19-4. With this lead the girls confidence grew and they really settled into playing some impressive netball, moving the ball quickly and accurately and leaving Queen Margaret’s chasing the ball at every turn. Our best quarter came in the third period where we scored 14 goals which is more than one a minute! The squad worked well together as a new side and it was good to see the girls improve throughout the game. We now need to wait to hear who we face in the next round. Congratulations to all who played and to our POM Izzie Speight.

Netball

SPORT

U15A Queen Margaret’s SNS National Cup

Won 43-6

The first round of the “Sisters n Sport” Netball National Cup was hosted by Queen Margaret's School. From the first whistle it was clear we were the stronger side, as Queen Margaret's failed to score in the first quarter and we managed 12 goals. We dominated all 4 quarters with every player staying focused throughout the game. This game gave us a clear idea of areas we need to work on before our next match. Congratulations to the whole squad, as this was a real team effort.

Rugby

Rugby at Yarm What can you and your son expect from playing rugby here at Yarm? Well, we run a full fixture list with a wide range of opposition and cup competitions throughout the Autumn Term and many 7s tournaments in the Spring Term. Added to this are weekly training sessions at lunchtimes and after school, all run by qualified, dedicated and passionate staff. We fully embrace the RFU core values #TREDS and we promote them with all our teams and pupils: TEAMWORK - A sense of belonging and a common goal and shared achievements. Standing shoulder to shoulder with friends and team mates, supporting one another, looking after one another and working with and for each other. Team before self. RESPECT - To value and uphold the core ethos of the game and act in a manner which shows due respect to your fellow team mates, the opposition, coaches, officials and supporters. Also to respect your ability and strengths and appreciate all you have to offer. ENJOYMENT - To have fun in the game and to play alongside their friends and with a smile on their face. To involve yourself with a positive attitude and come away with a sense of pride, fulfilment and an excitement for more to come. DISCIPLINE - To behave in a way which upholds the highest standards within the laws of the game, and that supports the school's ethos. To also show full commitment to the team and your team mates by attending all training and matches. SPORTSMANSHIP - Win and lose with dignity and good grace, showing humility at all times.

Images above feature

former pupils: (top)

Zach Kibirige scoring for

Newcastle Falcons,

(second) Edward

Anderson—England

Counties U18 and North

U18’s Captain (third)

Ben Stevenson scoring

for the Newcastle

Falcons and (last) Antun

Wilson awarded Elite

Athlete Scholarship at

Newcastle University.

U15A v Red House School Won 44-5

Saturday 22nd September saw Yarm School U15 take on local rivals Red House. The day arrived and all the lads were up for the challenge and eager for a game of rugby. The conditions were perfect with a brisk cold morning.

The game started and went well for Yarm. We secured the ball and set the tempo of the game early. Yarm played a very aggressive forward game keeping the ball secured in the pack until the backs were ready for their attack. The boy’s started to move the ball down the line well and utilise the players on the wing with some pace. The Red House defensive line couldn’t stop the strong ball carries of Charles Copeland, Mark Probets, Alex Wild and Sam Dunkin and this led to a few tries being put on the scoreboard early. The Red House boys showed excellent determination and worked hard to challenge the boys in the physical side of the game.

After a few errors on the Yarm side we conceded penalties which led to the Red House boys pushing Yarm back to their own 5 metre line. This put our boys under some pressure and they reacted well. Yarm had a strong attacking line and used this well to get the ball out wide and relieve the pressure from our own 5 metre.

The second half saw more chances and George Kitson came on with Will Armstrong to chance the dynamic of the group. and the team showed growing confidence as they worked together as a team.

This team demonstrated they are capable of producing some excellent rugby and I look forward to see how they can develop this.

Well done boys!

Dan Spence

U13A v Red House School Won 25-15

The U13s continued their winning habit this weekend against local competition, Red House School.

In the week-long build up to the fixture, the boys were set a challenge - to start the game with a team missing some of the leading play makers and try scorers from the season so far. The logic was simple, to encourage all players on the pitch to make leadership decisions in dictating the pace and style of play exhibited by Yarm in both attack and defence. The challenge was certainly great, players were thrust in to a game where they were required to play in a different style to that which they had grown accustomed, compounded by being without the safety net of certain players.

Red House proved to be a well drilled, motivated squad. They were strong tacklers, and could run capably with the ball. Despite the best efforts of the Yarm team, Red House maintained pressure through the first third of the match and ultimately were able to ease the score line to 0 - 10. For the first time this season, the U13s were in a losing position and, for those players on the field, the realisation that they would need to roll up their sleeves and dig themselves out of the situation became clear.

Players across the team rose to meet the challenge, and at the half-time whistle the score read 5 - 10. Buoyed by their improving performance, a second try came early after the restart to level the score. Notable performances include Ammar Sonni, playing at Fullback, Thomas Van Niekerk at Scrum Half, and Fergal Deane at Fly Half.

With the mountain to level the scores conquered, and with 23 minutes of hard graft left to come, a few changes to the Yarm side saw the line-up look more like the usual starting XIII. Roman Andrews, Max Jones, Nathan Muzawazi, Junior Newton, and Charlie Thompson returned to the team and made an immediate impact. Play making became more natural for the team, with the work rates of all players reaching great levels. Red House defended well, but were gradually worn down to the tune of a further three tries from Yarm.

This was a different type of victory for Yarm. A win where we had to earn each try, and every player had to make their effort count in order to secure the win. As a coach, I was pleased to see the team rise to meet the new challenges in front of them, and to achieve this without letting their heads drop.

It is fixtures like this that will turn the U13s from a collection of great players in to a great team.

Matt Dunn

SPORT

U13B v Red House School Won 6-3

The U13B’s had a great second match of the season with an impressive victory over Red House of 40-20. The game started with an unexpected try in the first few minutes by Red House, but it wasn't long before Yarm were fighting back with two tries in very quick succession. In the first half, we were able to show some good rucking skills and a good defensive line as well as strong attacking positions. It was the second half where really showed our skills with some great tackles by Guille Garcia as well as some im-pressive tries by Nathan May. We had good periods of attack and strong defence with the ball almost permanent-ly being in Red House’s half. Unfortunately, we did let the odd runner through due to too many missed tackles, which resulted in Red House gaining another three tries but we pressed on with determination to keep the U13 winning streak up. For me, the star player was Vincent Zhang who performed some great rucks, tackles and mauls as well as scoring two fantastic tries. He also had a really good playing attitude.

James Waine

2ndXV v Harrogate Grammar Lost 28-31

Last Wednesday Yarm 2nd XV travelled to Harrogate to play what turned out to be an enthralling match. Despite the heavy winds and having only one replacement, the boys, captained by Conall Lacy, put up a fantastic battle. Although they went three tries down in the early stage of the game, a fantastic interception from Russel Mhlanga put us back in the game. In the second half, although we were tiring, we continued to put everything into the game with Joe Hay, Sam Graham and Cameron Turner each scoring tries, ably converted by Louis Munro. The team continued to play with intensity up until the last whistle, but unfortunately were not able to come out victorious. Kieran Pott was the man of the match due to his reliability at the breakdown and his ruthless tackling. Despite the final score of 31-28 it was a spirited performance from the whole team.

SPORT

U12A v Cundall Manor Won 10-7 Congratulations to the first year team for winning their first match after major progress on the training field during the past few weeks. The team looked far more organised than in past games with a structured defensive line and a good understanding of where to stand in attacking positions. Cundall got off to a strong start with a huge forward who ploughed his way through the Yarm defence despite the teams best efforts to bring him down. Mr Ivey got the boys round to reinforce the need to go low against this player- this was to work a treat as the boys got it together. Man of the Match, Max Mowbray soon equalised with some excellent evasive running and covered the full length of the pitch to score under the posts. Jack Van Nierkerk, Oscar Thomas and Zach Parker were brilliant at setting up play and taking the ball through contact whilst James McGee and Henry Parker made some outstanding runs. As the first half went on, Yarm took control of the game and were comfortably up by the break. Mr Ivey made several changes to help develop more numbers in the group and although Cundall did come back into the game, the home team managed to hold on for the win. It was good to see Marcus Walters and Will Ferguson making some great tackles in the backs and Ben Dempsey also put himself about. Overall, a great morale boost for the boys, well done!

Will Ferguson

1st XV v Harrogate Grammar Won 27-10 Attacking and positive play is a big focus for all our rugby sides and the example is set by the school's senior team, with emphasis on enjoying time with the ball in hand and having a real purpose to our play. Allied with this is a steely resolve in defence and a resolute attitude towards protecting our try line; for the second game in a row this was in evidence. The first 15 minutes saw some breath-taking ball in hand play, with everyone involved, great off loading and ball movement, superb intent and real fluidity. The result; ball off the floor, line breaks, supporting players and tries! Matches at this level are rarely one sided and so there were periods of play when resilience was needed and players had to keep their shape and work rate in defence to keep out a determined home team. What was great to see was how hard all players worked and how much they supported each other. There is a really strong spirit and mutual respect developing. Players are having fun with their friends and team mates. The game ended with Yarm scoring 5 tries which underlined how we are trying to play but also the game allowed players to identify areas of their personal game they want work hard on.

NEWS