an incredibly powerful experience it was being
really well taught at Winchester.’
He was also pleasantly surprised at how modern
the place felt. ‘When I went there, the school initially
felt almost Victorian to me,’ he says. ‘I’d never
boarded before properly, and it came as a bit of
a shock. After a couple of terms I got used to it,
but it still felt slightly archaic.’ However, he was
pleased to find lunch in Trant’s virtually unchanged
in the warmth of its atmosphere, with the standard
of food markedly improved.
He went away and wrote some feedback and
themes. This loose strategy document was pored
over by Marmalade on Toast, many dons, a number
of Co Praes, the Headmaster and Governing Body
and helped to inform analysis of the special nature of
Winchester College. The motto of ‘Manners Makyth
Man’ was the starting point. All parties then agreed
that Winchester inspires five key values, the majority
of which can be traced to Wykeham himself. The
values were defined as: Character, Conversation,
Curiosity, Foresight and Leadership. Each has been
expanded into a nuanced explanation of how the
school fosters these attributes, so for example strength
of character involves ‘having confidence in one’s own
individuality’ and the idea that boys are given the
freedom to forge their own paths. The theme of
‘conversation’ opens out to encompass the idea that
Wykehamists aim to leave the school ‘able to talk
to just about anyone, in just about any situation,
about just about anything’: a gift that goes beyond
the school gates and into life.
They were looking at
YouTube clips to see
different ways in which
Shakespearean speeches
were delivered.
The Wykeham Journal 2018 17