A team of students at Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools battled it out against staff in a fund-raising general knowledge quiz.

Sixth Form students Joe Wellington, Charlotte Prosser-Wrench, Joe Smith and Anna Vines put up a brave fight on Thursday 5th December.

However, Miss Sarah Fowler, Mrs Zoe Harvey, Mr Gerry Stentiford and Reverend Clifford Swartz combined to record a 315-105 victory for the staff.

Mr Gareth Dunn proved a witty quiz master for the first event of its type – based on the University Challenge format – in the main hall at Monmouth School for Girls.

The student-led initiative was organised by the Sixth Form senior prefects and raised money for the Newport-based Raven House Trust charity, which provides food and furniture for people in need throughout Gwent and beyond.

Two students at Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools have won gold medals at the Welsh Athletics Indoor Junior Open in Cardiff.

Monmouth School for Boys’ pupil, Aharon Graham-Mulvaney, and Monmouth School for Girls’, Antonia Dawes, both struck gold for East Wales..

Aharon also clinched silver and bronze medals for East Wales on the first day of the event at the National Indoor Athletics Centre.

The second day of the Junior Open takes place on Sunday 5th January 2020.

It was a memorable occasion for 15-year-old Antonia at the competition, which included the Regional Championships for East Wales, South Wales, West Wales and South West England.

Injury had wiped out Antonia’s entire 2019 outdoor season and, representing Newport Harriers, she took the lead in the Under-17 Women 300m race and held it until the end.

She won gold for East Wales and posted the second quickest time of the Welsh runners, just 0.16 seconds adrift of the fastest Welsh girl.

Aharon also excelled, becoming the East Wales Under-15s Boys' 200m champion in 26.08; winning silver for East Wales in the High Jump with a personal best of 1m 40, and a bronze in the Shot Put.

Aharon is having a superb indoor season.

A few weeks ago, the 13-year-old competed in the Welsh Schools combined events (pentathlon) for the first time, achieving personal best performances in all five events.

He is now ranked fifth for his age group in Wales.

Aharon is planning to compete in the combined events’ pentathlon at the English Championships in March.

Musicians at Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools lit up The Blake Theatre in a beautiful charity concert.

Monmouth School for Boys hosted the eclectic evening in support of the Royal Forest of Dean Herbert Howells Society Bursary Fund and Rowing Together for Healthy Minds.

Lovely performances were given by Symphonic Winds, Junior Winds, Monmouth School for Boys’ Jazz Orchestra (MOJO), Senior Strings and Tobias Napleton.

MOJO, under the direction of Mr Alun Hathaway, opened the concert with The Chicken (James arr. Berg), Dirty Dozen (Clark), Coconut Champagne (DiBlasio) and The Jazz Police (Goodwin).

The senior strings, conducted by Mrs Ruth Friend, followed with Air (Purcell), Adagio; Allegro (Pleyel) and Plink Plank Plunk (Anderson).

Tobias Napleton, a talented pianist and former Royal Forest of Dean Herbert Howells Society Bursary Fund recipient, shone with Gadabout (Howells).

After the interval, the junior winds, under the baton of Miss Sarah Fowler, played La Caracola (Henson and Pottle), Russian Dance (Watkin), The Avengers Theme (Silvestri) and The Banana Boat Song (Kernan).

The Symphonic Winds, with Miss Fowler at the helm, continued the musical feast with Cartoon Express (Arr. Taylor), The Avengers: Endgame (Silvestri), The Lion King (John Arr. Bocock), Jitterbug (Buckley), and Pirates of the Caribbean (Bedelt).

And, the assembled company, directed by Miss Fowler, rounded off a memorable evening of music-making with James Bond (Norman Arr. Bulla).

The importance of using hydrogen for heating and transport systems in the UK was a fascinating subject for pupils at the three secondary schools in Monmouth.

Professor Averil Macdonald OBE, who has moved to Monmouth, and Professor Alun Vaughan, from the University of Southampton, were invited to The Blake Theatre by Headmaster at Monmouth School for Boys, Dr Andrew Daniel.

Biology, Chemistry and Geography students at Monmouth School for Boys, Monmouth School for Girls and Monmouth Comprehensive School were in the audience as the professors spoke about their hopes for decarbonisation using hydrogen.

A skilled quiz team at Monmouth School for Boys has triumphed in the Schools’ Challenge Wales and Borders Regional Competition.

Joe Whiteman, Oliver McAninly, Teddy Swartz, Alfie Baillie and William Wilton shone in the annual general knowledge quiz hosted by Hereford Cathedral School.

The boys will now represent the school in the inter-regional stage of the prestigious national Schools’ Challenge.

The Monmouth team won both group matches in Hereford, beating Howell’s School, Llandaff, 420-260 and Monmouth School for Girls, 360-70.

The boys met a Hereford Cathedral School team in the semi-final, winning, 260-210.

And then, in the final, they overwhelmed Hereford Cathedral School A, 600-380.

Mr Patrick Daley, who coaches the boys, said: "This was a deserved success for a group that possessed great knowledge but also played with a very warm team spirit, which will stand them in good stead as they progress to the inter-regional phase of the national competition."

The cricket provision at Monmouth School for Boys is among the best in the country.

Monmouth has been named in The Cricketer Schools Guide 2020, which features the top 100 senior schools in the UK.

A record number of schools submitted entries and Monmouth is the only Welsh school listed in the prestigious 124-page cricket supplement.‬

All entries were judged against an extensive set of criteria, with the chosen schools having outstanding facilities, fixture programmes and coaching.

“We are absolutely delighted to be named in the top 100 schools for cricket in the country,” said Director of Sport at Monmouth School for Boys, Mr Andrew Jones.

“We have been building a strong relationship with Glamorgan and have close links with all the local cricket clubs in the area.

“We are very excited about our partnership with Glamorgan, who played two second eleven matches at the school in the summer for the first time for 23 years.

“We have experienced coaches, including former Glamorgan and England opening batsman, Steve James, and are working to develop girls cricket at our sister school, Monmouth School for Girls.

“As a school, we will continue to work closely with Cricket Wales in playing their junior teams as well as hosting matches for them.”

Sixth Form students Harry Friend and Sam Swingwood have been catching the eye with promising performances for the Glamorgan Academy and Gloucestershire, respectively.

Harry, an opening batsman, scored 2,018 runs, including five centuries, in 2018 and played for Wales Minor Counties last season.

Sam, who bowls leg spin, is part of Gloucestershire’s Emerging Players’ Programme.

Sam was able to help some of the countries, including England, prepare for their 2019 World Cup matches in Bristol and spent valuable time being coached by Afghanistan leg-spinner, Rashid Khan.

At Monmouth School for Girls, Sophia Smale will be training under the England Women’s Academy coaches this winter.

Sophia is a left arm spinner and has been selected for the England Spin Bowling Group based at Loughborough.

Sophia also plays girls’ cricket for Wales Under-15s and under-17s.

The Cricketer magazine editor Simon Hughes said: “Our Schools Guide is, as ever, a fantastic publication that celebrates schools cricket and gives deserved praise to all those teachers and coaches who put in the hard work to develop our future club, county and international cricketers.

“Schools cricket has certainly benefited from this incredible year for the sport.

“Congratulations to all of the schools included and I look forward to hearing about all of your future successes.”

Mr Jones added: “Following on from a very successful 2018 Sri Lanka tour, we are planning a tour to the Caribbean in 2021.

“At present Barbados is the destination. The tour will include two separate squads and consist of five games per squad as well as touring the island.”

Cross-country runners at Monmouth School for Boys are celebrating after winning a title at a major Welsh competition in Brecon.

Henry Evans, Oliver Lloyd, Rhys Phillips and Adam Fowler combined to win an outstanding team gold for the school at the 21st Welsh Athletics Inter Regional and 43rd Welsh Schools' Inter Schools Cross Country Championships.

It was a memorable double for Henry, Oliver and Rhys, who were part of the East Wales team which bagged a bronze medal in the Inter Regional Championships.

Running in the Year 9 and 10 class, Henry led the way for the triumphant Monmouth with a 15th-place finish in 13:44.

Henry was closely followed by Oliver, who was 20th in 13:55, while Rhys was 23rd in 14:04 and Adam, 50th in 15:14

The combined points’ tally of the four runners propelled Monmouth to first place in the schools’ standings, beating rivals, Bro Myrddin into second spot.

Fellow Monmouth runners Arthur Newington-Bridges, who was 69th in 16:05, Connor Branham, who was 70th in 16:06, and Charlie Potocarero, who was 75th in 16:30, also ran with distinction on a wonderful day for the school's cross-country section.

Meanwhile, Harry Dawes also had an excellent run, finishing third overall in the Under-13 Boys’ race and second in the Inter Regional event.

And Freya Taylor, a Year 8 pupil at Monmouth School for Girls, was 14th in her race and collected a bronze medal as part of the East Wales team.

Boys' team manager, Dr Huw Evans, who was absolutely delighted with the’ achievements, also shone, finishing fifth overall in the Senior Men's Inter Regional competition.

“Henry, Oliver and Rhys ran outstandingly well,” said Dr Evans.

“The final scorer is the most important member of the scoring team who invariably makes the crucial difference, so I would like to give Adam a special mention.

"It was great to see Adam back to form this year and enjoying his running so much.”

Dr Evans also paid tribute to Arthur, who took part on his 14th birthday after his rugby fixture was washed out; Connor and Charlie, who provided a great back-up to the other boys.

Musicians at Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools will be playing in a concert to raise funds for two charities.

Pupils at Monmouth School for Boys and Monmouth School for Girls are supporting the Royal Forest of Dean Herbert Howells Society (RFDHH) Bursary Fund and Rowing Together for Healthy Minds (RTHM).

Monmouth School for Boys will host the evening, at The Blake Theatre, on Thursday 28th November, starting at 7pm.

Performances will be given by Symphonic Winds, Senior Strings, Junior Winds and Monmouth Boys Jazz Orchestra (MOJO).

Monmouth School for Boys’ Rowing Club is supporting RTHM this year and the musicians are keen to lend their support.

A former Monmouth pupil, Sam Pierce, benefited from the RFDHH Bursary Fund and went on to be a scholar at the Royal Academy of Music.

Entry to the concert is free but a collection will be taken in aid of the two charities.