Winchester Weekly

Guest Editor

Our game

Winkies, known as ‘our game’ is traditional in the true sense, something passed down by VI Book to every Junior Part, and the loss of effectively a whole season over the last year has meant little opportunity to instruct the junior boys in the ways of the game.

Nowhere is this traditional aspect of the game more apparent than in College. Our Jun men (the youngest boys) generally spend the first few weeks of coaching rather baffled by the onslaught of arcane rules and the Classics don screaming at them to run more. Then come the games where seeing the senior boys mix with Commoners and OTH, and feeling what the game means to them, is transformative. The next JP session normally finds them out on the canvas early, playing among themselves, trying to emulate their new sporting heroes.

For the rest of the school the main event is XVs ('Fifteens'), which will now take place at the end of this term. Whatever Covid restrictions are in place, I hope we will do all we can to replicate the customary pomp, and show Junior Part how central Winkies remains to school life. At least refereeing will be easier without a crowd of 600!

Mr Rupert Mercer, Classics don and Assistant Housemaster in Toye's

A message from the Second Master

Next week's return

Dear Parents

We are greatly looking forward to welcoming your sons back to Winchester next week. Dr Cullerne has written separately with details of the COVID-19 screening which proved so successful in November.

Pupils should not return to school if they or any close contacts have had, over the previous 10 days, a positive test result for COVID-19, or any of the following symptoms; a high temperature; a new, continuous cough; a loss or change to their sense of smell or taste.

The principles we will be operating this term will be similar to those which we established from September last term, with one or two changes from this term and last.

Lessons

V Book and VI Book 1 pupils will be up to books from the morning of Wednesday 10th March. Teaching arrangements will be as outlined in last week’s newsletter, so there will not be lessons or toytime for JP, MP and VI Book 2 in the days prior to their return to school. However, there will be lessons and toytime on Friday 12th and Saturday 13th March (please see below). Afternoon lessons will revert to their normal time of 1600 in order to keep afternoons free for sport and other extra-curricular activities.

Exeat and Sundays

In order to maintain the maximum benefit from our testing programme, there will be no overnight stays at home on Friday 12th and Saturday 13th March. Pupils will be in lessons on the afternoon of Friday 12th March and the morning of Saturday 13th March. There will be a full programme of extra-curricular activities for pupils to choose from on Sunday 14th March and Sunday 21st March.

We would like to minimise the numbers of pupils leaving and re-entering the school campus on Sundays. However, instead of allocating Sundays out to particular year groups and in order to give the greatest flexibility to parents wishing to see their sons the remaining Sundays (14th and 21st March), we would simply ask parents to use the Sunday sign out, and to follow government guidelines over social distancing so that we minimise the chances of the infection entering the school. With this in mind, parents are asked to observe the eight-hour window or speak with their son’s Housemaster in advance if this is problematic for any reason. We ask that pupils return in time for Preces on Sunday. Pupils must not use public transport.

We will have an extensive programme of sport. With one or two exceptions, this is unlikely to include matches against other schools, but it will include Winchester College Football, and the opportunities for pupils in JP to learn the essentials. COVID-19 protocols will mean some adaptations to the game, and while we plan to run XVs on the afternoon of Friday 26th March, attendance will need to be limited to members of VI Book 1 in house groupings. We hope to film and possibly stream XVs this year.

End of term

Pupils will attend lessons on Friday 26th March, and we will then operate a staggered departure at the following times:

1340 - JP

1420 - MP

1500 - V Book

1540 - VI Book 2

1600 - VI Book 1, with the option to leave after XVs

Pupil protocols

Found here are the details of pupil protocols, which I would be grateful if you could go through with your son before he returns. There is one important change, which is that, in line with government directives, pupils will be required to wear face coverings in lessons. If your son is exempt from wearing a face covering, please let his matron know so that we can get the necessary exemption recorded at the Medical Centre.

I greatly look forward to welcoming your son back to Winchester next week.

Yours sincerely

Mr Nicholas Wilks, Second Master

A Message from the Undermaster

Lateral Flow Testing

For more information on Lateral Flow Testing for pupils.

Click here

A Message from the Undermaster

Quarantine

For those pupils returning in April 2021.

Click here

A message from the Director of Studies

Academic Announcements

Materials from V Book Parents’ Evening (PE3) - The recording of the Headmaster’s introductory talk can be found here. The slides from the presentation can be found here and includes the referenced links to OFQUAL and CAIE’s guidance.

VI Book 1 Parents’ Evening (PE5) - PE5 will be taking place remotely this coming Sunday, 7th March, and parents should have received a letter from the Director of Studies outlining the arrangements, which can be found here. Any questions or queries should be referred here.

Middle Part Exams - Middle Part exams are scheduled to take place after Leave-out in Cloister Time (Wednesday 9th – Wednesday 16th June).

VI Book 2 Exams - VI Book 2 exams are scheduled to take place after Leave-out in Cloister Time (Thursday 10th – Thursday 17th June).

Dr Tom Thomas, Director of Studies

Sport at Winchester

The return of Winkies

Social distancing, face coverings and sanitisation are not things known to be compatible with the playing of Winkies. Lockdown has, of course, been detrimental to much of Winchester life, but to Winkies in particular, for it can exist only within its own context. The return of that context will begin on Monday, not before time, and thus so will Winkies.

A cause for celebration is that Winkies XVs will take place on the final day of Common Time, Friday 26th March.

House from Home

Freddie's

This week Freddie's offers a humorous and heartfelt insight into the sport, music and mischief of the house in a video created by Oscar Dunfield-Prayero (MP).

Societies

Sustainable Fashion Society

The inaugural meeting of the Sustainable Fashion Society took place today. A collaboration with St Swithun's, the Sustainable Fashion Society was set up in order to encourage people interested in fashion to be more adventurous with their clothing choices, as well as educating pupils of Winchester College and St. Swithun's on how to be sustainable with their fashion choices. The fashion industry produces around 10% of global carbon dioxide emissions every year, and so we believe that a key part of pursuing fashion in the modern age means considering our environmental impact. We intend to do this by giving examples of sustainable fashion brands and what to look for in your items, whilst simultaneously analysing recent collections.

Thomas Sharrock (College, VI Book 2) - co-founder

(Image of the Pre-U Art Exhibition, 2018)

QE II Theatre refurbishment

While the country has endured a long winter in lockdown, the QEII Theatre foyer has undergone a major refurbishment to make ready for a time when the doors will be thrown open once more. Work has also been completed to upgrade other areas of the theatre, including repainting the dressing rooms in softer tones (to encourage a bit of calm backstage!) and replacing their furniture, fixtures and fittings. The important addition of a strategically-placed new sink will facilitate more efficient handling of make-up ‘emergencies’.

The Drama department very much look forward to welcoming pupils, parents and staff into the theatre through the new foyer this summer.

A message from the Bursar

Culture and Practices

Last summer the Warden asked me to conduct a review into the school’s culture and practices. Over the course of last term, we undertook the first part of the review as it relates to race and diversity. Our objectives were to ensure that we harnessed the full potential of the BAME community across Winchester College and remained open to attracting the best and brightest from within that community.

Read the full update

And finally