Page 58 - OO_2018

FEATURE
Creation of a new era
Katie Atkinson, the School’s Interim Director of Communcations, introduces Scott House, the new day House for Years 7 and 8
As is the constantly evolving way with Oundle School, the building located at the end of Duck Lane, off North Street – previously used for Psychology and, before that, CCF and REME – has been transformed into Scott House, the new day House for Years 7 and 8.
It stands adjacent to The Berrystead, the junior boarding House, and this area has effectively become the home of the Lower Years, enabling them to fully integrate both academically and socially.
The new Housemistress of Scott House, Fiona Quiddington, who has taught Economics at Oundle for 10 years and been Head of both the Middle Years and Sixth Form in Laxton House, feels this move to bring together the Lower Years will reap innumerable benefits.
“I am really excited to be welcoming the first generation of pupils into Scott House and to cultivating the pastoral and academic provision for our youngest pupils in the School,” she said.
The new landscape
Fiona and her team hope to make the rather frenetic pressures of the day at Oundle more manageable for the pupils by helping them to develop skills in task and time management, self-discipline, leadership, people, patience, perseverance, being diligent and optimistic, and setting inspirational yet achievable goals for the future. She is passionate about ensuring KS3 is a valuable, informative and exciting time in pupils’ lives, not ‘wasted years’, as documented in a recent Ofsted Report.
Fiona has been piloting, over the last two years, a peer-to-peer mentoring programme in Laxton with the First Form and the Lower Sixth pupils. She believes that peer-to-peer mentorship can greatly help in the transition from primary school to secondary school life and can also provide pupils with a trusting environment for personal growth. This will be a key part of Fiona’s strategy for caring and developing the Scott House pupils.
The Scott connection
Scott House is named after Sir Peter Markham Scott, the Old Oundelian who was the son of the Antarctic explorer, Robert Falcon Scott. As co- founder of the World Wildlife Fund, who also led a wonderfully diverse life as a conservationist, painter, naval officer and Olympic sportsman, he leaves a remarkable global legacy.
Fiona is passionate about ensuring this legacy is felt and understood by all the children passing through the House and beyond. “It is truly noteworthy he started his voyage at Oundle School and I hope that this spirit of adventure and seizing of opportunity will resonate with our young pupils,” she said.
House emblem
Fiona has built a wonderful working relationship with Dafila, Sir Peter Scott’s daughter, who is a notable artist in her own right, and, as a result, Dafila has created the Scott House emblem.
“She has re-illustrated a picture of a shoveler duck that her father drew when he was a schoolboy here in the 20s,” Fiona revealed.
“We are so proud she agreed to do this and the fact that the emblem is in OO gold completes the picture.”
House colours
Scott House colours are maroon, blue and gold, symbolising Oundle School, Laxton Junior School (a key feeder school) and Oundle Society.
House history
The building itself is Grade I listed and the archway, which had previously been bricked up, has been removed and replaced with a glass atrium on entry.
In addition, the front of the building has been landscaped, the games hut that sits out at the front has been
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THE OLD OUNDELIAN 2017 –2018