Admission tutors from the University of Liverpool School of Health Sciences visited Merchant Taylors’ last week.
Boys and girls in Year 11 and 12 from Merchant Taylors’ and neighbouring high schools came together in the Williams Hall to hear details of the broad range of medical careers available.
It was a fascinating opportunity to learn about the various different options and pathways that are on offer within this field.
On the 17th and 18th January, Merchant Taylors’ Boys’ School was delighted to welcome Bill Jennings to address boys and their parents/mentors. Bill is the founder of Time and Space, a company working in schools around the world, to encourage open, honest, trusting conversations between boys and their parents. Bill worked with Year 7 boys and their Mums/Female Mentors on Monday and with Year 8 pupils and their Dads/Male Mentors on Tuesday.
Through a series of guided conversations, both generations were encouraged to explore their current relationship and to think about ways in which this might develop. The activities were guided by Bill but led by some outstanding members of the Sixth Form. We are also grateful to some parents, who had experienced the Time and Space evenings before and volunteered to lead groups and be members of a discussion panel this year.
These evenings leave a very positive impact and boys are reminded to have similar conversations with their parents on a regular basis – Time and Space will send a reminder email!
As part of the event, boys and their parents brought secret “treasures” – physical items which represent the strength of the relationship between them. Treasures were revealed to each other on the evening and then displayed for all to see at the climax of the event.
Merchant Taylors’ Boys’ School has worked with Time and Space for three years. We recognise the importance of the relationships between parents and their sons as well as between home and school and these evenings serve to reinforce those relationships. Thank you to all the boys and parents who participated.
Following an appeal by St Helens and Whiston Hospitals for Christmas pictures and cards our Stanfield pupils rose to the challenge in the weeks leading up to the big day. With the help of their teachers, pupils designed beautiful cards and pictures which will be distributed to patients at the hospitals to spread some Christmas cheer.
On Thursday 2 December, Year 4 took a step back in time to visit the Roman city of Chester. They marched through the streets led by a Roman soldier until they reached the famous amphitheatre. They followed the strict orders of the soldier to create some impressive formations ready for battle!
In the museum the children walked through a reconstructed Roman town and learnt all about Roman life. The children were commended for their knowledge and engagement in the all the activities.
Year 3 and Year 4 pupils enjoyed a fun-filled Christmas session for their final after school Multi-Sports Club of the term. The pupils experienced dodgeball, basketball and festive-fun games while wearing Christmas accessories and spreading their Christmas cheer!
Congratulations to Mary, who has been chosen to join the prestigious Rushworth Young Composers and Songwriters programme for this season.
Mary’s submission of her own song with original lyrics and music, has impressed the panel, and she is looking forward to developing her composition skills further. The Rushworth Young Composers scheme offers young composers and Youth Company members the chance to develop their composing skills by writing music for performance by their peers.
The composers, aged 14 to 18, work with mentors to develop their creative and musical voice, write music for players and singers from Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and Choir and have the chance to see their music performed in the Liverpool Philharmonic Music Room.
Well done, Mary! We look forward to hearing your music later this year.
On Friday 12th November, a group of sixth form students at the Boys’ School gathered to debate the most significant issue of our time: climate change.
This was part of a week of activities arranged by Ms Robinson, our Biology Technician, and Mrs Croxton with the help and support of the Eco Committee, to tie in with the COP26 conference in Glasgow.
As the world powers sat down to decide their final commitments on Friday, our group of representatives did the same. Each form had been allocated a different country on Monday and asked to research their climate change issues and commitments. Delegates arrived representing countries such as Ecuador, Brazil, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Russia and the USA, to name but a few.
What followed was an impressive, well-informed debate as the boys demonstrated their superb understanding of the key issues surrounding climate change, whilst accurately representing the concerns of the countries that they had been allocated.
There were some tense exchanges between Russia and the USA, but in the end the Model UN were able to agree that they would cut carbon emissions, end deforestation, and contribute financial aid to countries affected by climate change. Well done to all the boys who took part, it was a fantastic debate.
As part of their History topic on World War Two, the Year 6 girls spent the day experiencing life as an evacuee.
To start the day, the girls made their way to the ‘train station’ where they waited with anticipation to make their nerve-wracking journey to their new homes. As the journey began, the girls introduced themselves to each other with their World War 2 names and discussed how they were feeling about being evacuated.
After arriving at their destination, Billeting Officers Miss Copping and Mrs Curwen assigned the girls to their new host families. Following this, girls visited their ‘new classrooms’. The girls very much enjoyed experiencing what it would be like to have a brand-new teacher and classroom.
Following this was the most exciting part of the day: snack time! The girls sat together and enjoyed their WW2 snacks of jam sandwiches, fruit and digestive biscuits whilst listening to some wartime music.
Following this, the girls wrote some formal letters home to their parents on tea-stained paper. They told their parents all about their new host families and how they were feeling about their experiences so far.
In the afternoon, the girls enjoyed making their very own gas masks out of card, cellophane and bubble wrap. Miss Copping and Mrs Curwen were very impressed with the final products!
The day ended with an opportunity to start watching the film ‘Carrie’s War’ which is about a World War 2 evacuee, based on the novel by Nina Bawden. The girls enjoyed the day and really immersed themselves into the life of an evacuee.
Miss Copping and Mrs Curwen would like to thank parents for their support in supplying costumes and snacks – the girls looked fabulous!
A very special international football match is taking place at Merchant Taylors’ School this weekend.
All of the players in the unofficial tie between England and Wales suffer from Parkinson’s Disease and will compete in a walking football match at the Boys’ School.
It has been organised by Old Crosbeian Laurie Sephton, who is a member of the Crosby-based Northern Lights team, which won the annual Sport Parkinson’s Try-Athlon in July, defeating the Wales Parkinson’s team on penalties in the final.
The Northern Lights team makes up the majority of the England group for this weekend’s fixture against Cadwyr Cymru.
Laurie left school in 1993 and was diagnosed with Parkinson’s eight years ago. He hopes the match will help to raise awareness of the disease and highlight the opportunities that are open to people with Parkinson’s to take part in the activities they enjoyed before their diagnosis.
Laurie said: “I have played football throughout my life – at university, Sunday league and regular five-a-side matches through work – I even took part in the annual monitors versus teachers match at Merchants’.
“The tournament this summer was the first time I’d kicked a ball for eight years and I loved every minute of it. I’m really disappointed that I won’t be able to play this weekend as I’m recovering from surgery, but I hope to be there to support and enjoy the great spirit between both teams.
“We want to attract more people with Parkinson’s to join our group, not only to play football but to find other ways to take part in the activities they love. Parkinson’s is widely seen as an old person’s disease, but that’s not true, and the more we can inform people about the reality of the condition, the better.”
The England v Wales walking football match takes place at the Ian Robinson Sports Centre at 11am on Saturday 13 November. It follows a separate open football match at 5pm on Friday 12 November.
For further information about the match or the Northern Lights PD team, please email [email protected].
Congratulations to Ruby in Year 9 who has won 1st prize in the WellChild Photo Competition!
Ruby’s photo entitled ‘Hope in an Oak’ was chosen as the winner from thousands of entries throughout the country and her image will now be displayed online and go on sale at the WellChild Art Auction 2021 and at the prestigious WellChild Awards 2022.
Entrants to the competition had to submit a picture they had taken that represented ‘Hopes and Dreams: My Life through a Lens’, Ruby’s image was a picture of her young cousin in front of a large oak tree. Ruby wrote alongside her entry:
‘It represents life because in the photo there is a big lucombe oak tree and a younger girl (my baby cousin) I see it as the tree is full of wisdom because we can guess that tree is hundreds of years old compared to the young soul entering the world for the first time. I feel like the tree is full of wisdom so it is teaching the younger soul about life as it’s entering the world. I took this picture in our park, it was my first time taking my cousin to the park so when she saw that tree she looked astonished and was mesmerised by the tree so I had to take the opportunity to take a picture of it.
This was a very special moment for me because of the pandemic we had not enjoyed any time together so when I took her to the park I love it felt like new beginnings for me and my cousin and showed how strong our bond is and will be forever.’
Prince Harry in his role as patron of WellChild, was Chair of Judges. In addition to The Duke of Sussex, judges of the photographic competition included world renowned photographer David Yarrow, whose photograph ‘Aces and Eights’ is featured in the WellChild auction, TV presenters Gaby Roslin and Ed Chamberlin, WellChild Art Auction Curator Chris Westbrook, Imogen Clark, owner of Venture Photography Nick Fisher, and Creative Director of Venture Photography, Alicia Hall.
The Duke of Sussex said: “The children and families I’ve had the honour of meeting over my years working with WellChild have shown incredible optimism, courage, and resilience. I wasn’t only proud to participate as a judge in this exhibition—I was deeply moved by each and every photograph, as they capture a moment and say so much about their personal story. Every person who is part of the WellChild family is a true inspiration. Congratulations to all the entries and a special cheer to the winners!”
Well done, Ruby!
