FROM THE ARCHIVES
Xavier Pick ( 82-90 ) returned to the School as Artist in Residence .
Mrs L Dean ( neé Mulholland ) and Mrs M Wilson ( neé Cocurullo ) were congratulated on their marriages .
Four pupils were successful in gaining Oxbridge places : Patrick McKnight ( 90-97 ) was awarded a place at St Anne ’ s College , Oxford to read Experimental Psychology , Miriam Moules ( 90-97 ) read Theology at Peterhouse College , Cambridge , Rebecca Watson ( 90-97 ) read Law at Magdalene College , Cambridge and James Peacock ( 89- 97 ) went to Girton College , Cambridge to read Mathematics .
The A level results were reported to be ‘ very good ’, and the GCSE results were ‘ a pleasing achievement ,’ with girls outscoring boys for the first time at Pocklington .
Mary Christie ( 89-98 ) won the inaugural Phosyn Scholarship for further education studies and Adam Pears ( 92-99 ) was awarded an Arkwright Scholarship for Design Technology .
The main dramatic production was a ‘ scintillating performance ’ of the musical ‘ Little House of Horrors .’ Other events included the annual House Drama and Music Festivals , various other music concerts , including the inaugural and successful Soloists ’ Concert .
Pupils enjoyed notable success in several out-ofschool competitions . The rock band ‘ Electric Cheeze ’
WILLIAM WILBERFORCE 250
In November 2021 , pupils and staff at Pocklington School were honoured to take part in a special event to mark the 250th anniversary of the arrival of former pupil , William Wilberforce ( 1771- 1776 ), to the town of Pocklington . The event was organised jointly by the Friends of All Saints ’ Church entered the York ‘ Battle of the Bands ’ and came a very respectable second place . A Second Year group were runners-up in the Northern Region of the BT Young Naturalists Environmental competition . A group of four filmmakers from the Third Year won the Walt Disney Young Filmmaker Video Competition with the same film earning them a win in the National Student Video Competition against entries from universities and colleges .
There was plenty to celebrate in the sporting arena during the school year . The rugby teams ’ successes included the 1st XV winning the Leeds RUFC U17 Tournament and the U13 XV was victorious in all its ten matches including the Woodhouse Grove Sevens . OP Jonathan Stuart ( 87-94 ) played for the Scotland U21 XV .
The 1st XI cricket team had mixed fortunes , but there were several individual achievements . Paul Mouncey ( 88-98 ) played for the HMC Northern Schools and Yorkshire U17s . Sandy Mitchell ( 89- 00 ) and Chris Gladstone ( 83-90 ) played for East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire at U15 level and Henry Mitchell ( 91-02 ) and Richard Booth ( 92- 02 ) at U13 level . The U12 XI won the North Bank area in the Calypso Cup . OP Scott Boswell ( 86- 93 ) played regularly for Northamptonshire County Cricket Club .
It was an outstanding year for tennis . The 1st VI won all but one match and reached the North-East Final of the Glanville Cup . The girls ’ and boys ’ U15 teams reached the last sixteen in their respective National Midland Bank Competitions . The girls ’ U15 , U14 and U13 teams and the boys ’ U14s were undefeated .
Pocklington , Pocklington School and the Pocklington Local History Group .
William Wilberforce came to Pocklington as a 12-year-old boy in November 1771 . He spent the next five years living with the Pocklington School headmaster , the Rev Kingsman Baskett and his family , in the schoolhouse on West Green . It is clear from his childhood writings that he was already developing an abhorrence of slavery by his early teens . From Pocklington , William Wilberforce went on to head not just the anti-slavery movement , but also to play a leading role in over 40 other good causes . He was a founder of the RSPCA , and campaigned for schools and hospitals to be free . He supported the building of canals , pressed for better conditions for child chimney sweeps and better pay for church curates .
The event , held in All Saints ’ Church Pocklington , which Wilberforce attended regularly during his years in the town , focused on his life in Pocklington in the 1770s . The programme included a talk about Wilberforce and his time at Pocklington School by history group chairman and former pupil , Phil Gilbank ( 67- 74 ), and a reading by current Pocklington School Lower Sixth pupil , Henry Hudson . Henry dressed in character to read an essay Wilberforce wrote aged 14 in 1774 , in which he says : “ How he is shocked by viewing one part of the world , seemingly made only to furnish slaves for the other .”
Oliver Moore ( 88-99 ) and Richard Booth ( 92-02 ) won the Northern Public Schools ’ U16 Championship . Richard Booth and Tom Burn ( 96- 98 ) were the Yorkshire U14 and U13 Champions , respectively . Richard and Hannah Booth ( 92-02 ) enjoyed mixed doubles success , winning the North Yorkshire Schools ’ Mixed Doubles Championship and reached the final of the U21 Guardian Direct Championship .
Pocklington School teams also performed well in several other sports , including show jumping , where the team won the inter-schools ’ championship , Lyndhurst girls ’ hockey team won the HMC tournament and the Athletics team won the Northern HMC Track and Field Championships .
There were camps , treks , tours and exchanges and retreats in Wales , ( Fourth Year Trip ), Germany , ( Swing Band Tour ), Paris , ( First and Second Year Trip ), Loire Valley ( A level French ), Alpe d ’ Huez , ( Skiing ), Tours , Keswick , ( Adventurous Training ), Wathgill , Alnwick ( CCF Camp ), and Norfolk . ( House Camp ).
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To celebrate Wilberforce ’ s love of poetry and singing , guests heard readings from the Vicar of Pocklington , Rev Jake Belder , Pocklington School Deputy Head ( Pastoral ), Martin Davies , the School ’ s Director of External Relations , Sheena McNamee , and Pocklington Town Crier , Geoff Sheasby . The programme included a recital of poetry from ‘ The Pocklington Poet ’, William Hickington , who overlapped with Wilberforce in Pocklington , and wrote about life in the town in the 1760s and 1770s . The Pocklington Celebration Singers provided choral entertainment and there was a small exhibition about Wilberforce and his local links .
Toby Seth , Pocklington School Headmaster commented : “ We are proud of our long-standing association with William Wilberforce and to this day continue to support this strong stance against inequality , racism and discrimination in all its forms . Our Foundation Values of Courage , Truth and Trust are emblematic of this approach and we are delighted to have been able to be involved in celebrating his incredible contribution to history .”
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