The Old Pocklingtonian Old Pocklingtonian 2017-18 | Page 2

EDITOR’S NOTE From the HEADMASTER’S DESK Dear Old Pocklingtonians, It’s been a busy year at Pocklington School, with the launch of our new £3m Art and Design Technology Centre and the Foundation’s Careers & Business Network, both of which owe much to the support of Old Pocklingtonians. We are grateful to those who contributed to the fundraising efforts for the new Art and Design Technology Centre, and also everyone who gave their time and energy to supporting the new building, which was five years in the planning and development. If you missed our summer reunion and are thinking of visiting the school, you should take a look as it’s really quite impressive. Rachel Dare (OP Liaison Officer) The year has flown by and I can’t believe I am writing the ‘Editor’s Note’ for this year’s OP magazine already! Also, this is my tenth edition of the magazine – not quite a quincentenary, but it’s a start! As always, the magazine has a feast of regular content, from sports reports, reunions and social events to OP features and updates. It also provides an opportunity for us to update you on school news and developments and to keep you in touch with all that is ‘Pock’. One significant piece of school news that many of you may have heard already, is that Pocklington is to have a new Headmaster! In January 2019, Toby Seth will take over from our current Headmaster, Mark Ronan, who moves to a school in Dublin. You can read more about this on page 11. The OP Association will bid farewell to Mark formally at the forthcoming London dinner. For now, I would like to take this opportunity to express my personal thanks to Mark for his consistent and unstinting support of both OPs and the Old Pocklingtonian Association during his tenure and wish him all the very best at his new school. Congratulations also to Toby on his new appointment – I am sure OPs will join me in welcoming him to our school community next year and we look forward to working with him in the months and years ahead. I hope you enjoy reading the magazine and please do keep sending me your news and stories – the more input we have from OPs, the better the magazine becomes! In the meantime, keep in touch and, if you can, do come along to meet us in person at one of the many OP or school events listed on the back cover of the magazine. Thank you and happy reading :-) The immediate success of our new Careers & Business Network is due in no small part to the number of Old Pocklingtonians who quickly came on board. Both recent and long-standing OPs were generous with their time and knowledge, creating a formidable community willing to help other members and current pupils to make new contacts and consider their career options going forward. I very much enjoy meeting OPs at our networking events and am continually delighted that, however far their career paths have diverged, and regardless of age, the ‘spirit of Pock’, draws us together in friendship and trust. There has never been a more important time for OPs to maintain and foster their connections with each other, particularly for young people who will need every help to meet the significant challenges their generation faces. At the end of this Michaelmas term, I depart to become Headmaster of The King’s Hospital School, Dublin. After eleven fulfilling years at Pocklington School, the time is right to embrace new challenges, but I intend to take with me the positivity and camaraderie, which makes the school and all connected with it such a special place. A particular highlight of my time at Pocklington School has been the Quincentenary celebrations, including the Founder’s Day Service at York Minster in 2014, which brought together generations of Pocklingtonians in celebration of our school. Then there was the Evensong Service at St Paul’s Cathedral, dinner at the Haberdashers’ and the Requiem Mass at St Vedast’s Church, London… all in suitably grand settings but made memorable by the friendship and support of those in attendance. I would like to thank OP Liaison Officer Rachel Dare for her dedication to engaging with OPs and connecting them so effectively, as well as her hard work arranging the OP reunion events, which we all enjoy so much. Her energy and enthusiasm make a huge difference. Also, thanks to OP Committee members past and present for the time they have given to ensure the Association runs smoothly. Trevor Loten (70-80), the OPA President, has devoted many hours to both the OPA and the Careers and Business Network, with his infectious warmth and joie de vivre particularly valued at our social events. I have been delighted to see the OPA go from strength to strength in recent years, and the school has undoubtedly benefited from your support. Thank you – and I wish you all continued success in the future. Rachel Dare OP Liaison Officer Contact Us: OP Office Pocklington School, West Green, Pocklington, YO42 2NJ Tel: [phone] E-mail: [email protected] 2 Mark Ronan Headmaster