b'THE ELLESMERIAN least for the foreseeable futureit seems that those are the likelysomething that can be replicated by AI. On that front the choir passport to future success. However, a passport can only take youcontinues to go from strength to strength and this year had so far, and it is essential that we prepare all our pupils well beyondthe great pleasure and privilege of singing in Gaudis unfinished7the passport level. The pleasant, modest, human confidence andmasterpiece, The Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona at capability that Ellesmerians leave the school with is not somethingEasterto great acclaim, I should say.that is likely to be supplanted by AI anytime soon.The many sporting endeavours that the College commits to We achieve those personal qualities through the culture of theproduce self-confidence and resilience thatagainAI is not going school but also through straightforwardly practical things such asto touch any time soon. As I have already remarked, this is definitely our Spoken English education and supplements to that activity suchnot a speech intended to record the successes of the College, but as debating and the Model United Nations. This year we launchedit would be remiss not to mention some highlights on the sporting the Viva Voce Spoken English programme, which welcomedfront, and they include our first ever world ranked tennis player and students from local maintained schools for workshops on deliveringboth the boys and girls tennis teams appearing in the finals of their presentations, reciting poetry, and reading dramatically. Three weeksrespective premier national competitions. To add a brief selection after that training day the pupils returned to compete in the Vivato those achievements, we have an England rugby player; a Welsh Voce Festival, alongside Year 10 students from the College, withhockey player; two girls shooting for Great Britain; the winning the event substantially organised by members of our Sixth Form.team in the National Final of the Schools Pistol Championship; 20 We intend to develop this further next year and will be looking toswimmers selected for the National Summer Championships, and launch a junior version aimed at Year 5 pupils within the next twelveone swimmer already selected to take part in the Commonwealth months. Games.All of those endeavoursand the many other sports that I have not mentionedcontribute, and not just at the elite level, to the development of human self-confidence and resilience. I should say, at this point, that a full record of all the sporting, artistic, and cocurricular achievements will be, as ever, part of the Ellesmerian Magazine that will come out in the Michaelmas Term. It seems to get thicker every year, so it is probably as well that it is available in an online version these days.One part of this speech that does require me to focus in on individuals is to address and say farewell to those colleagues who will be leaving us this year. I am pleased to say that the numbers are not large. Mr Matthew Spencer joined the Physics Department in September 2018, and I mean it as a compliment to him that it feels as though it has been longer than that. Throughout his time here he has been a terrific and supportive colleague, contributing not just to Viva Voce Spoken English Award the success of the Physics Department but also as a Mathematics teacher. The skill of human communication is not likely to be devalued byBeyond the classroom he has been a significant contributor to the any developments in AI that I can imagine. cocurricular programme in a variety of ways but most specifically as an Officer in the RAF and as Master in Charge of football. I will Of course, it is not just public speaking. The College remainscertainly miss our chats about football: we both had reason to the largest school provider in the countya county with manybemoan the performances of our respective teams this year.private schoolsof the Duke of Edinburgh Award. As part of that programme, all of our Year 9 and Year 12 Duke of Edinburgh groups have completed and passed a fully certified first aid coursea really valuable life skilland eighteen current and former students attended the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award event at Buckingham Palace this year.The human confidence that AI cannot displace is developed in many forms in extracurricular activities. AI can produce musicand is already doing so quite impressivelybut the skills and confidence from music making that are given to human beings are notSwimming Team'