BURSAR’S BULLETIN Issue 14
Summer Term 2021
Hello and welcome to the latest edition of the Bursar’s Bulletin. It is wonderful to welcome everyone back for the summer term, and to see the College in such good shape as the boys return to campus (some after a very long absence). It will be great if they, and we, can all have a much fuller experience as relaxation of lockdown rules allows us to do more; of course, the summer weather should also allow better use of the outdoors. It will certainly be nice to see cricket played again over a Radley summer, especially as we have some new cricket nets for our boys to use to hone their skills. It seems appropriate in this edition to put a spotlight on the IT Team as we have relied so much on our colleagues in IT to help us navigate through the last twelve months. I hope also you will enjoy reading of the ‘Covid keepers and pandemic positives’ highlighted in this edition which provides a selection of things that have changed for the better—I am sure there are many more examples so do consider what new best practices you can share with colleagues. As ever, this edition focuses on many areas of College life, staff news and various other updates, including interesting articles on the Chapel and on the growth of partnerships. We also have details of the College’s Car Benefit Scheme which allows you to have a brand-new electric car in a cost-effective way and to do your bit for sustainable travel. I wish everyone a successful, safe and healthy summer term and hope we all get the opportunity to catch up with each other in real life as we start to look ahead to next year and our 175th anniversary.
WILL MATTHEWS 1966—2021 “Will was at the very centre of the heart and soul of Radley over many years . . . there was always an infectious energy, enthusiasm and zest about him. He will be sorely missed.” JSM
Spotlight on:
The IT Team The last year has seen the IT team at the heart of a number of key projects—not least navigating Virtual Radley, but also upgrading WiFi throughout the College, installing Apple TV in all classrooms, refreshing the Home Broadband system and rolling out the Shells iPad project. Back in the spring 2020, when 110 iPads were delivered to Radley, the IT team had planned on a three-month roll-out period, with the devices being configured and training taking place for dons and boys. However, Covid had other ideas, and the herculean efforts of the IT team enabled a successful iPad roll-out in just three days. In addition to this was the management of remote learning and virtual teaching. Many had been working with Microsoft 365 for a while but some programmes, such as Teams, SharePoint and OneNote had not been used widely or to their full effectiveness. Covid has forced lots of us to become more technically savvy and the whole College community has taken great leaps in terms of competency with video calls, virtual meetings, sharing documents and collaborative online working. For example, Housekeeping have embraced the use of Teams as a way to stay in touch and have begun using electronic sign-in, HR and Estates use SharePoint to share and jointly work on documents, Bursary are trialling using SharePoint for stationery orders and Medical Centre staff use SharePoint lists to manage absences. With Firefly being phased out by January 2022 and the migration of content to SharePoint, the IT team will be busy creating an online hub of information which can be accessed by staff and will link to the Office 365 suite of applications. Some exciting robotics and artificial intelligence/ augmented reality projects are ready to go, championed by Head of Computer Science, Alastair Vaan. A ‘Hacker Space’ has been created in the Design Engineering department with robotics competitions and virtual reality design projects planned.
You will also be aware of the project to update every member of staff’s profile photograph, headed up by Ian Biggs. This will mean that all photographs used across Office 365 will be up to date, high resolution and within the same style. If you haven’t yet taken the plunge it is very painless! The ‘Sign-In’ App is being trialled for lone workers during holiday periods to improve their safety and the team are also hoping to automate the visitor process to enhance the experience for prospective parents and other site visitors to include ANPR and email invites with QR codes. Radley’s use of iPads in classrooms puts us at the forefront of digital learning, and the support from the IT team has been instrumental to the success of this project. The iPads are used primarily as companion devices for note-taking but the Shells are becoming proficient in some fantastic applications for drawing and 3D design. The team’s role and responsibilities are myriad but they do share several common interests away from work: it’s fair to say there is a mutual love of motor sports; Ray and Jon share a love of bikes, Jon being an ex-biker having ridden for 35 years. Andrew is an ex go-cart racer and Jon, Ray, Scott and Andrew are fans of track days where they can indulge their passion for cars and bikes. Away from the track, Jon and Sandy are big live music fans and Ian and Scott share a passion for photography. Geoff and Richard are keen golfers, and pub-quiz enthusiast Geoff might know the answer to this fun fact: which member of the IT team’s great grandfather was Head Steward at Radley in the 1920s and 30s?
Meet the IT Crowd GEOFF SWINDEN & IAN BIGGS: IT HELPDESK IT Helpdesk is a click or call away for all Radley staff and boys. As well as answering day-to-day Helpdesk queries, Geoff and Ian administer the ACT database which includes setting up security badges and door access for everyone on site, setting up new starters, ordering and loaning equipment, helping with AV installations and providing staff training.
RICHARD GRICE: DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL STRATEGY Richard has been Director of Digital Strategy since January 2020, alongside teaching physics and computer science. Prior to becoming a teacher, he read materials engineering at Loughborough University, and went on to work at the Atomic Weapons Establishment as a nuclear materials scientist. Richard coaches rugby, helps with robotics and coding clubs and is a sub-tutor in D Social.
JON BUZZARD: IT SYSTEMS MANAGER Jon manages the IT team as well as overseeing networking, infrastructure and IT security, and managing the day-to-day needs of users. Jon managed the installation of Office 365 and continues to champion usage and best practice of the 365 suite.
ALASTAIR VAAN: HEAD OF COMPUTER SCIENCE Alastair has spent the last decade in education and joined Radley in September 2020. Having read geology at University he conducted postgraduate palaeoceanographic research at Southampton University. He has also run his own restaurant, after a few years working as a chef.
L-R: Geoff Swinden, Richard Grice, Jon Buzzard, Alastair Vaan, Ray Smith, Scott Woodcock, Andrew Thomas, Sandy Sidhu and Ian Biggs RAY SMITH: NETWORK MANAGER
Ray manages the College’s networking infrastructure, including the WiFi infrastructure and is involved in advising and planning IT-related projects with other departments. He also oversees support for CCTV, Avaya, Epos and AV installation and planning.
SCOTT WOODCOCK: SQL ADMINISTRATOR / DATA ANALYST
Scott is responsible for the development and management of Radley databases as well as for Office 365 development, configuration, maintenance and integration. Scott’s role involves maintenance of backup and restore procedures and systems, antivirus systems and server configuration and maintenance.
ANDREW THOMAS: SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR / IT SECURITY
Andrew focuses on monitoring and improving all aspects of IT and Cyber Security, including managing hardware and software from a security point of view. He is responsible for implementing the release of all software, and the maintenance of antivirus and other protection systems.
SANDY SIDHU: SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT ENGINEER
Sandy is responsible for the deployment and distribution of Mac and PC operating systems, hardware and software. In practise this can mean building computers and providing software support and hardware repairs. Sandy looks after College printer deployment, installation of home broadband and mobile phone support.
college-wide
ADMISSIONS
Many of the VR2 activities were open to all staff, including the VR2 photography competition (IPB was named in the top three twice), Getting to Gehandu Strava Challenge, Read Around the World Challenge and online lectures.
Admissions became paperless overnight. More than 500 families attended Virtual Meetings with the Warden. All assessments were invigilated online.
&
The Sign-In app is being rolled-out for lone workers, especially during holiday periods.
Fun and innovative break-out sessions took place for scholarships, including treasure hunts and quizzes.
sports centre
medical centre
A booking system for gym and swim sessions was introduced to limit numbers and ensure social distancing.
Better hand hygiene has led to a dramatic drop in the normal bugs and winter flu. Long may it continue!
The booking system is something that will remain even when numbers can increase. It allows members to easily guage busy or quiet times and makes it easier to control access.
COVID KEEPERS
PANDEMIC
POSITIVES Amidst the losses, the uncertainty and the difficulties of the last year, there have been positives to take forward. Some of the operational departments look at the changes to procedures and behaviour, and what they will keep.
FINANCE
IT
The College has become cash-free.
The pandemic made users more agile and better able to cope with change.
Invoices are now signed via email meaning less paper moving around the College.
A faster move to cloud storage took place. The use of Teams has improved communications. Flexible working from anywhere has made the team more productive.
staff communications An all-staff weekly short break Zoom call was introduced. This will continue for the summer term. All staff are encouraged to join each Friday at 11:00. Look out for details from Roger Shaw.
The Radleian society Virtual events engaged different audiences and will continue alongside our in-person event programme. The Beyond Radley virtual career talks gave the boys a great insight into the world of work from the Radley community. Through recorded calls with different year cohorts, we are building an oral history archive.
housekeeping
foundation
Messaging without meeting using Teams.
Donors have been able to connect more directly with the Warden in a way they couldn’t have before.
Cleaning in Bubbles to standardise routines and methods of work. Ozonated water, routine fogging and the application of microbial coating have helped prevent cross contamination. Contactless sign-in for 100+ staff with the Sign-In App.
Fundraising digitally has modernised our content, improving the way we communicate with different age groups. We have had more online donations than ever before.
Be part of the Radley story
UNTOLD STORIES: A RADLEY CELEBRATION BOOK FOR ALL 2022 marks the 175th Anniversary of the founding of Radley College and to commemorate this occasion the College is producing a beautiful hardback book titled ‘Untold Stories’. Available to all staff, boys, parents and Old Radleians, it will celebrate Radley’s history through a series of chapters based on the school’s four founding principles: Christianity, aesthetics, pastoral care, and collegiality. Written by College Archivist, Clare Sargent, the book considers the changing impact of these founding principles on the College's development and on the subsequent lives of Old Radleians. It features untold stories of individuals and artefacts to help reveal a rich heritage from across the College’s first 175 years. Find out about the work of the Radley Mission in Wapping, terrapins lost in College Pond, how the College community
responded to past pandemics and how life in Socials has changed (or not!) and much more. We also glimpse Radley as it is today, through the lens of those founding principles, and explore their relevance as Radley moves forward into the next 175 years. To mark the importance of the Radley Community, all current pupils and staff will be given the opportunity to have their name included in the 2021 College roll featured in the book—this is your chance to be a part of Radley’s historical record! Look out for further details on this in the Summer Term. The book is available to pre-order at a special discounted rate of £30, a saving of £10, and not only that, but staff can get free postage by using the discount code: STAFFNOSHIP
STAFF NEWS
WELCOME A warm welcome to all the new staff who have joined since January: Nico Bentley, DJ and Production VMT Miriam Ciccone, Reception Porter (Weekend) Enya Lyons, Reception Porter (Weekend) Rose Martin, Music Partnerships Assistant Leader Hollie Parry, Sports Centre Cleaner (All year) Belinda Rand, Domestic Cleaner (All year)
Welcome to some of Radley’s newest arrivals! L-R: Mabel Elizabeth McKegney, Patrick Euan William Glendon-Doyle and Filip Banasiak with proud big sister Gabriela.
FAREWELL WISHES We wish Christine Wood, Domestic Cleaner and Nina Becket, Assistant Librarian all the very best as they begin their retirement. We also said goodbye to Head of Academic Support, Lucy Smart, at the end of last term. Lucy leaves to take up a new post in Exeter. Lucy has been at the heart of Common Room, RCBC, J Social and the Languages Department as well as Academic Support and she will be missed by colleagues very much: kind, compassionate and dedicated to the boys. We wish her and her family well with the move.
Bursary Receptionist / Administrator Sallie Swain
Security Porters L-R: Brian Davies, Vince Ellis, Chris Paley, Chris Simmonds, Nigel Swinford, Danny Tullett
The Lodge is now manned 24/7, with our teams of weekday Reception Porters, weekend Reception Porters, and overnight Security Porters, supported by Sallie Swain, Bursary Receptionist/Administrator, in Bursary Reception. Cover was provided at the Lodge between March and August 2020 by a wonderful band of volunteers. Since September 2020, the Lodge has become the permanent welcoming entrance to the College, as well as a reassuringly secure presence during the night and at quieter times during the year. You can find out more about the Lodge/Bursary Reception team, including brief biographies, on the Staff Noticeboard.
the lodge &
Reception Porters (Weekends) L-R: Miriam Ciccone, Enya Lyons
Bursary reception
Reception Porters (Weekdays) L-R: Lorne Hanks, Dimitris Karvounis, Ryan Morrow
CHAPEL UPDATE SECRET OF THE STONE When the Chapel foundation stone was removed in December 2019 (left) as part of the extension works, nobody realised it was concealing a secret. A year later, when the stone masons began work re-sizing the stone to allow it to be re-set within the original Chapel building, they uncovered a glass bottle in a hole marked by a plaque set on the top of the stone, carved with the date ‘Nov 30 1893.’ Inside was a time capsule containing the school roll, lists of boys and a copy of the school rules.
The photos below show the Bishop of Oxford presiding over the laying of the foundation stone in 1893, watched by the architect and builder of the Chapel and Warden Thompson. ORGAN PROGRESS In February, we said a fond farewell to the Hill, Norman & Beard organ which has been in daily use since 1980. Tim Morris recorded a Farewell Recital featuring some of the music he felt best showcased the features of this organ. The video of the full concert is available to watch on the Staff Noticeboard. Some of the pipes (above) were reused in 1980 from the 1938 organ and will be kept by Nicholson & Co to use on future organ projects elsewhere.
Two stops from the old organ are also being retained, one of which is believed to date back to Radley’s original organ of 1848. Meanwhile, our new organ is taking shape in the Nicholson & Co workshop in Worcestershire. The photo (above) shows the organ being fully constructed in the double height workshop to ensure everything is working and sounding as it should. The organ will then be dismantled ready for the final assembly at Radley.
Despite the days spent away from Radley, boys and staff have continued to reach out to their communities, further developing our partnerships. Under the guidance of Mark Jewell, Vth form boys have worked as part of Community Action Programme (CAP) Award Programme volunteering over 150 hours during the lockdown period. The musicians have supported Suzie-Louise Naylor in producing music for local care homes (below), and others have been part of Sam Gladstone’s primary school music assemblies.
Harry Crump and Anneliese Davies welcomed the second cohort of primary school STEPS children to Radley; they have already had their first lesson in Mandarin. Maxine Hart is working with A level art students to put together a whole town art project involving local schools in Abingdon (watch this space for further information … ). The Inspire lecture programme involving Shell students from both Radley and Desborough College has proven so popular that it will continue online this term under the guidance of Ralph Woodling. It has also been possible for James Sheldrake to work online with students from both schools on the production of the fourth creative writing anthology. We are in the final stages of joining with our local schools—Larkmead, John Mason, Fitzharrys, Abingdon School and St Helen & St Katharine—in the creation of a formalised learning partnership.
Our Young Sport Leaders have begun to produce similar sporting adventure videos for local school children under the lead of James Gaunt and the editing skill of Max Horsey, while Pete Bennett continues to grow our partnership links with Oxfordshire Active and the Oxford Hub as part of the Ready, Set, Go programme (below).
Further afield both students and staff have been meeting with their counterparts at Broadway Academy in Perry Bar, Birmingham, as we begin to look to plan our partnership work. Add to the mix Oliver Choroba and Chris Mason’s work with a group of boys analysing speed camera data from roads around Radley (presented recently to the Parish Council), litter picking in Lower Radley and at Gooseacre (above), and David Anderson’s work in developing a sustainability programme, it is clear that partnership links both people and our environment—People, Place, Partnership & Purpose. Working with other groups and organisations has developed friendships, widened understanding while being a great deal of fun. Recently four 6.1 students alongside girls from Larkmead school, launched an online Key Stage 4 French support programme—La faim du loup —underlining the most important aspect of partnership; that we achieve so much more from working with others. We should all be enormously proud of what we are achieving!
@RadleyLinks
John Sparks, Director of Partnerships
The Sewell Centre Gallery is delighted to be reopening on May 10. The first exhibition ‘Works by Johannes von Stumm and Lucy Stopford—Beyond the Curtain of Reality’ will be part of Oxfordshire Artweeks 2021. Running from May 10-28, the exhibition will be open for viewing by the College community—please ensure you wear a face covering and adhere to social distancing rules. The gallery will be open to the public by appointment only. From June 07 to July 03, the gallery will be exhibiting ‘Subversive Pots’, an exciting collaboration between well known ceramicist Claudia Clare (right) and our 6.1 Art students. IN BUSINE CK Above, left to right: Twenty Four SS BA ! by Johannes von Stumm; Screen by Lucy Stopford; Emptiness by Johannes von Stumm.
SEWELL CENTRE GALLERY AND SPORTS CENTRE
The next stage of re-opening, all being well, will be Monday 17 May, when indoor sport for adults The Sports can re-start. Centre team were This will mean delighted to the welcome re-open their return of socially doors on Monday distanced fitness 12 April. Members classes! Keep an can now book eye on the Sports gym, weights and Centre’s Facebook swimming sessions page and new in advance via the Instagram booking system. account for up-todate information. @RadleyGallery
In the meantime, Dave Ralston, Sports Centre Duty Manager has made a start on his latest challenge. Cycle for Dementia is a campaign run by the Alzheimer’s Society, challenging people to cycle a set distance within 30 days. Dave aims to cycle 500 miles—an impressive 17 miles a day—made up of cycling between Radley and Didcot every day plus a few extra sessions on the spin bike! Alzheimers, dementia and motor neurone disease (MND) have all affected Dave’s family.
@Radley.SportsCentre
@RadleyCSportsCen
Use the QR code below to access Dave’s Just Giving page and sponsor him!
The support of the Alzheimer’s society is critical for families coming to terms with these illnesses, as well as for the person suffering from the condition, and is key in funding research into future treatments. @RadleySportsCen
The Tusker Car Benefit Scheme
Like a personal car lease ... but better! • A brand new car at a fixed monthly amount • A new car typically every 3-4 years • Servicing, maintenance and breakdown cover included • Fully comprehensive insurance • No deposit needed Radley College has recently teamed up with Tusker to bring you a Car Benefit Scheme. A fully-inclusive motoring package through your employee benefits which lets you drive away a brand new, fully-maintained and insured car, for up to four years. So what does salary sacrifice mean? Salary sacrifice is different from a standard company car or personal lease scheme. With the scheme, you agree to give up part of your gross salary in exchange for a non-cash benefit—in this case a fully insured and maintained brand new car. The benefit here is that you sacrifice the salary before your income tax and NI are deducted for a fully inclusive package with fleet and manufacturer discounts, making it much cheaper than a normal private lease agreement. However, as it is through your employer you will be liable for a Benefit in Kind tax, but this is all broken down in the net cost quote*.
• Excellent fleet and manufacturer discount • Protection against life’s unexpected events • Tax and National insurance savings on Ultra-Low Emission cars • No credit checks undertaken. What’s included? The car scheme includes all routine servicing and wear-and-tear maintenance, fully comprehensive motor insurance, annual Road Fund Licence, European breakdown cover, replacement tyres and even lifestyle protections. This means you’re safeguarded against leaving the scheme early as a result of resignation, redundancy, ill health or other life events with no termination fee to pay. Please visit the ‘about scheme’ section on the Car Benefit Scheme site for further information. Access the scheme Visit www.tuskercars.com and create an account using your company code RAD1 and your work email address.
www.tuskercars.com *When requesting a quote, be careful to include any elements of your pay that affect tax, for example: defined benefit pension contributions, AVCs, salary sacrifice pension contributions or childcare vouchers. If you have any questions about this please contact payroll@radley.org.uk
OAR-SOME! It has a been a busy few months for RCBC. Despite Covid restrictions meaning that domestic racing within the UK has largely ground to a halt, online training and charity fundraising have continued and our former RCBC oarsmen have been doing us proud. During Virtual Radley 2 the Boat Club challenged each member to complete a difficult physical activity ranging from half marathons to 100km bike rides. This was all done to raise funds for Young Minds UK, and generous support and outstanding effort from the members saw the club raise a total of £18,594. Well done to all involved and to Harry Lyons for initiating the event. More recently our former Captain of Boats from the 2017 season, Josh Bowesman-Jones, competed for the Oxford University Blue Boat in the Boat Race, narrowly losing to Cambridge on the rescheduled course in Ely. A terrific achievement from Josh to make the crew, stepping up from representing the reserve crew ‘Isis’ last time out. Other ex RCBC oarsmen are making names for themselves in
@RadleyBC
the international world of rowing, with Tom George, Ollie Wynne Griffith and Charlie Elwes selected in the Great Britain Men’s Eight that raced at the European Championship on 11 March. The crew won an outstanding gold medal ahead of Romania and the Netherlands. The performance will give them lots of confidence moving into the coming months where they stand a very good chance of being selected in this boat for the Tokyo Olympic Games. A truly amazing feat to potentially have three ex-RCBC oarsmen on their way to Tokyo in the lead men’s sweep rowing boat. Well done Tom, Ollie and Charlie! Another RCBC member is making a splash on the international rowing scene, with long time 1st VIII coach John Gearing (former coach to Tom, Ollie and Charlie), taking the year away from Radley to coach the Great Britain Men’s Pair, which is in search of a qualifying spot for the Tokyo Olympics. Their seventh place finish at the European Championships recently would suggest they have a strong chance of achieving this. They will race for this at the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland on 15—17 May. We wish John and the athletes the very best of luck in the coming months and will follow with great interest and excitement.