The fact that 35 out of 37 boys have been satisfactorily placed at University, at College or in Industry or Commerce, was not something quite fortuitous. It means and has meant, months of preparation, counselling, advice and direction; many man hours both in and out of school attending Conferences, poring over the mountains of material daily flooding the office on careers opportunities and invitations; it means a constant reference not only to school and class records, but also consultations with those members of Staff who are best able to judge in individual cases where a candidate's strength or weakness lie. This daily search for the needle of adequate opportunity in the haystack of the innumerable straws of information is a task carried out by the Careers Master. Naturally one would expect, because of the importance of the operation, that such a person would be a full-time professional counsellor, interviewer and advocate, but as those in the teaching profession know only too well, the task is usually one superimposed on a full-time teacher. In this School we have a Careers 'trinity": Mr. Crosby receives, controls and directs the flow of information and advice and attends to the individual record cards; Father Raymond collects and digests from the individual record the information necessary to suggest a course of action to each applicant; the Deputy Headmaster deals with the pupil at U. C.C.A. level, seeing to it that the candidate for University or College is well aware of the choice or courses, the implication of selection and the standard of A Level grading to be aimed at. A general Careers Conference was also held at the end of the public examinations in July and during the week which it lasted, upwards of 40 speakers were available, from a wide range of further education sources, for those boys who wished a more personal contact with Industry, Commerce or the Arts. Not only am I personally grateful for the work which they do and have done, but both parents and boys alike owe them an immense debt of gratitude.
In the course of the year there were certain individual achievements which have brought glory to the boys and to the School and are worthy of record here. Charles Greenstead was placed among the finalists in the Vauxhall Model Car Competition - a National competition which attracted 1,600 entries - showing great manual and artistic talent; Albert Welling was chosen, after interview, for membership of National Youth Theatre and took part in the production of "Zigger-Zagger"; David Dury made a century at Cricket and was awarded the Middlesex Colts Amateur Cap for outstanding ability as a young cricketer; Patrick Devlin, now in a seminary, aroused such interest and enthusiasm in the "Save the Children" Fund, that he was able to send £60 to an Indian Mission Centre; Philip Aubrey followed a BBC TV course in Russian so faithfully that he passed the London GCE Examination on first sitting in January last and was awarded a Grade A pass, later crowning this achievement by gaining three passes at Grade A in his A Level papers; John Rossi, particularly strong in Mathematics, is our first Oxford entrant and is now at New College. On the collective, or should one say collection side, our school charity - The Crusade of Rescue attracted £120 from the pockets of the boys.
Among the newcomers to the scene in school societies is the Film Society which aims to provide not only the best films of their kind but also to enable the pupils to make an assessment of the technical and other qualities of the films presented, thus providing both entertainment and education. The numbers of members have risen to over 100 in the current year and the facilities are enjoyed by the girls of the Sacred Heart Grammar School as well as by our own Sixth Formers. The Theatre Club, launched with the assistance of a block grant from the Friends Association, has to date had the opportunity of visits to 12 Theatres in a wide range of dramatic choice. We also have the Bridge Association, still in its infancy but with high hopes and the formation of the nucleus of a School Orchestra with 60 boys now having tuition in Oboe, Clarinet, Flute, Violin, Trumpet and Piano. The existing Societies and Clubs have continued to thrive, with outstanding success by the Chess and Table Tennis Clubs. Ballroom Dancing is now a regular feature for the Sixth Form on a Friday after school and the Art and Body Building Societies are developing muscular growth. The Dramatic Society, for the Spring of this year at least, and with the cooperation of the Headmistress of the Sacred Heart Grammar School became a Dramatic and Operatic Society, when the boys and girls presented the "Pirates of Penzance" ably assisted by members of Staff. Whether this was received by the boys with the same enthusiasm as the more robust, more amusing and more appealing Christmas production of My Three Angels is a purely academic point. Both productions played to full houses and were very well received. Undoubtedly both productions deserve the highest praise and we are conscious of and grateful for all the time and effort put into them by cast and producers.
In the field of Athletics and Sports the results show a very successful season and reflect the enthusiasm and ingenuity of the Staff and the interested cooperation of the boys. Cricket, Football and Basketball at a very high standard were played and local and regional success obtained; Cross-Country saw outstanding achievements in the Junior sections especially; in Athletics we had resounding successes in Harrow and Middlesex events. Rugby, a comparative newcomer to the field, has its enthusiastic supporters and never flinch from the effort though to date they have seldom been cheered by Victory. Under the aegis of the P.E. Department we again had a very successful Sports Day, with the weather and competition bringing new school records, although the omens were against us as it was held on the 13th! In June a most successful Swimming Gala was held at Highgrove Baths the annual Skiing Holiday at Christmas was again a great success, and at Whitsun a party or bays enjoyed a successful cricket-cum-football tour in the North of England, visiting Coventry and the new Liverpool Catholic Cathedral en route. On this trip they were conveyed in comfort in the now almost indispensable "minibus".
The minibus, used by the Table Tennis teams, Chess teams, Athletics teams, Rugby teams for Theatre Groups, Field Day Geographers (and as occasional ambulance!) is an invaluable acquisition and brings forth our deep gratitude to the Friends Association. In the course of the past year F. S.C. have also provided a Tape Recorder, a Rugby ball, 30 Sixth Form study chairs, Silk Screen printing equipment, and equipment for the Geographical Society in the total sum a £376. In order to replenish their financial larder for the needs of the School in the coming year they will be holding a Christmas Bazaar tomorrow, commencing at 2.0 p.m. and I hope that all tonight's audience and many more will come along to support them.
At the end of the Summer term we had several resignations among whom was Mr. O'Connell who had been on the Staff for 12 years and was Head of the Physics Department and is now a Lecturer in Educational Technology at the University of Surrey; Mr. Martin who for 6 years was on the P.E. Staff, and was responsible for the introducing of Swimming to the School, for the tests conducted by the A.S.A., and the annual skiing holiday at Christmas; he is now Head of the Craft department at Windsor Grammar School; Father Aelred, School Secretary for the past seven years, first-aid specialist, film projectionist, photographer, expert on the Banda and the Gestetner and a multitude of other things besides, but above all an invaluable and priceless colleague. He has now taken on more active parochial work in the parish and still gives his services to the Film Society. Miss Hearn, our devoted and much-cherished Sixth Form Maths mistress; Miss Staton who has gone to Switzerland and Mr. Browne who has gone with his wife to teach in the Central African Republic.
We welcome to the Staff Mr. Allen as Head of the Physics Department; Mrs. Davis and Miss Crowley to Modern Languages; Mr. Pickles to Science; Mr. Brian to P.E. and Craft and Messrs Kennedy and Kotkin as part-time assistants.
On a note of gratitude I must begin with the Governors of the School whose interest is best measured by their outstanding attendance at the quarterly Governors Meetings over the years and whose wider vision outside the walls of the School helps the Headmaster to keep the status of the School in its proper perspective. We are grateful to the Director of Education and his staff at Hanover House from whom I always receive the utmost courtesy and assistance, and whose charm when something has to be refused, is a model of etiquette! To the Medical Officer, the Welfare Officer, the Youth Careers Officer, the Technical Assistant from the Borough Engineers' Department - our sincere thanks. To Mrs. Brooker and her Staff in the dining room whose service is most appreciated and charmingly given. To the indefatigable Brother Alphonsus and his assistants, to the school cleaners, our grateful thanks, and to our new secretary Miss Bloemandal and her assistant Mrs. Williams. Undoubtedly all these play a not unimportant part in the government, administration and care of the boys and the School. Without the services of an excellent and untiring Deputy Headmaster and a Staff of ever-ready colleagues, little of what has been said in this report would have been possible, nor indeed would there be any material with which to launch a Speech Day and Prizegiving. To each of them I offer my most sincere thanks for their unremitting, often unseen, and certainly unheralded toil on behalf of the boys and the School.
Father Dominic