Star

Housemaster: Rob Shearman

Rob Shearman (below, left)was appointed Housemaster of Star in September 2008. He is a member of the Geography Department. A keen climber, he runs sessions on the school's climbing wall and is very active in the school's Duke of Edinburgh's Award programme. He claims that he is also the youngest Housemaster with a full head of hair ...

Star is a boys' Boarding House and occupies the upper floors of the prestigious building that was once the Headmaster’s house.  Now linked to the main College buildings, Star is close to the centre of the College and within easy reach of many of the school’s key facilities.

On entering the house in the Shell, (Year 9) the boys share four to a room and these change once a term to create a well-integrated year group.  In Remove the boys share two-man studies while the V form and LVI students enjoy single studies.

Star continues to enjoy its longstanding reputation for being the ‘sporty’ house, in truth, the boys showing their worth in many other disciplines.

The Star House Report 2009 - 10

With a few more boys on board and a new addition to my own family, Star continues to grow in both size and character. The boys in Star really are a wonderful group of young men. With over sixty boarders, there is a true sense of community. They all show huge respect for one another and I am always keen to get around the House and chat to them as Star is a great place to be;  I see the boys as an extension of my own family as we all live and work together. Whether it be showing a prospective parent around, playing with my children, making Matron a cup of tea or simply helping one another with their prep, the friendship and camaraderie in Star always makes the House feel welcoming and safe.
Academically Star boys have performed very well throughout the year and have received many awards. I would like to mention the following boys who have consistently worked hard during the year and have been a wonderful example to the rest of the House. In the Lower Sixth: Tom Anderson, Josh Fowler, Matt Hunter; in the Fifth form: Thomas Pavey and  Greg Smart; in Remove: Cameron Tubb, William Scrase, William Upton, Eddie Blake; and  in the Shell: Matt Goodwin, Martin Otway, Harry Phillips and Ollie Thornton.
Star has long had a reputation for being sporty and this reputation has been maintained this year through the many House competitions and Saturday fixtures. I am constantly impressed by the boys’ commitment to school teams and the way they throw themselves into competition when wearing a Hurst or Star top.

House competitions are of course not restricted to sport and the House Music Competition and House Drama Competitions saw mixed fortunes for Star.  On the evening of the House Music, volume was not a problem but unfortunately tone and timing were. We sang “I Want You Back” by Take That, and feel that the judges were very generous not to place us last!

Houses can only run smoothly if the Housemasters have a good team behind them. A key role is played by the House Prefects:  Rif Haque (Captain), Jack Leaver (Vice), Tom Campbell (Sports Captain.), Nick Chadwell, Tom Anderson, Max White, Josh Fowler, Matt Hunter, Jon Line, Richard Ma, Jack Phillips, Alex Sage, Louis Saunders and Jack Train. All of them have done a fantastic job this year.

A highlight of the Star social calendar was the highly enjoyable summer BBQ. The families of the boys get together to enjoy a great meal cooked by the Prefects. Entertainment was provided by way of some huge inflatables and all the Mums (and boys) took the opportunity to cuddle my newly born daughter. This evening was also a time to say goodbye to the Lower Sixth, who now move onto to St John's. They will all be greatly missed and I look forward to seeing them when they pop back into Star for a chat and a cup of tea. I wish them well in their final year in St  John's.

I would also like to thank those who work alongside me in the House: Mr Battison has been an absolute rock as the resident staff member and the duty staff, Mr Wilson and Mr Baldwin have always gone the extra mile for Star. Allan, our cleaner is an absolute gentleman and does a great job in keeping Star up to scratch. Finally I must thank Helen, our Matron, who looks out for all of us and is like a Mum to us all.

Now over to the boys:
Sporting Star by Tom Campbell, Sports Captain (Lower Sixth)
Sport in Star this year has been very successful, with an impressive greater ratio of wins to losses. Starting with Rugby, good performances were put in by both the Senior and Junior teams.  Both Senior and Junior teams won the House Hockey (not least thanks to the motivational presence of the one and only Mr Wilson).

The less said about  Water Polo the better - the House really under-performed although we were hampered to injuries to our main swimmers. Although it was very stressful to organise, the Swimming competition was a revelation not least Philip Turk’s very impressive breaststroke, and the determination and the commitment of Jack Train who heroically put his all into the butterfly.

Finally, the House Cricket where there was a really good turn out and Star coming in a healthy 2nd in both the senior and junior competitions. Overall this has been a good year for Star sport, in fact it ranks as my favourite year in the House.  It has been great to see all the boys giving of  their very best, individually and in teams, and to see their efforts rewarded with some fantastic results.

The following are some reflections from a few of the boys in Star……..
Charlie Piper (Shell)
I have thoroughly enjoyed this year as a Shell student. As a former Hurst Prep pupil I didn’t think that it would be that much of a change for me, but in those first two weeks I felt that I was at a completely different school. I was made very welcome by Mr Shearman, however, and now it is my second home. Boarding has been a great experience and made me a more independent person; I would recommend it to all! My friends are my family at school and I can rely on them 100% in all aspects of school life. We all look out for each other and support each other and rely on each other; it’s amazing to have these types of friendships.
On reflection I have had been through a huge learning curve, I have matured in so many ways. I am now an ambitious and inquisitive young man instead of that shy and awkward young boy who first started the Senior School. I am really looking forward to the challenges that Remove year will bring me.

Martin Otway (Shell)
I joined Hurst College, in Shell, in September 2009  from Windlesham Prep, which is much smaller than Hurst. Although I was really looking forward to coming, I was very apprehensive because I felt that the older boys in the House were going to be really scary. However, it didn’t turn out like that at all. Everyone was really friendly and helped all of the new boys to settle in. The prefects were particularly helpful and I knew I could go to them if I had a problem.
The tutors always understand what you are meant to be doing and will give a helping hand with prep. If you have any kind of problem, they will always be there to ‘point you in the right direction’.
Star has a really good atmosphere and I think it is a fun house to be in. Mr Shearman loves his food so it plays a big part in the Star social life with pizza nights particularly popular. I am a flexi-boarder, which means I board 3 nights a week. I love boarding because, although we have prep time, there is always something to do after; from meeting up with friends to playing a game of pool. There are lots of Inter-House competitions and Star usually does well in these. Although that hasn’t really always been the case this year, but we have still enjoyed taking part!

Tom Anderson (New Lower Sixth)
I remember my first day as if it were only yesterday and not a whole year ago. A new location, new facilities, new opportunities to grasp and most importantly new people to meet.
First impressions of the House were positive, which was a good sign for both me and my parents! Upon entering Star, the sense of the community atmosphere and spirit was obvious, as the house was bright, airy and spacious with a friendly and relaxed nature despite being so incredibly productive. The location of the House on the eastern side of the campus is clearly an asset; it is close enough to the action and heart of the College, although far enough away to fully appreciate the surroundings and sometimes take a step back to admire your achievements. Although the approach to academic work is deemed most important within College life, it is equally important to integrate into the social life of Hurst. This was both enjoyable and easy to do with the house games room and Lower Sixth's very own common room, which regularly held pizza nights and which is, following some refurbishment midway through the year, now brimming with the comforts of home. The structure of the house is unique and works incredibly well; equality is important, giving opportunities to all and sharing responsibility out evenly. For a newbie like me, becoming a prefect proved to be a fantastic and worthwhile experience from which  I have developed and learnt many new skills. These were often put to the test when greeting perspective parents who would view my room during their tour of the house, because, somewhat unusually for a teenage boy, I have a particular tidy trait which quickly and appropriately led to being known as, 'Tidy Anderson'. The House Cup events over this past year could quite easily eat up most of this page but, to name just a few, the House Drama, House Shout, House Cross-Country and Top House competitions were all brilliant activities, either to participate in or to be involved with, and I would most definitely recommend anyone to have a go at any of them at least once!
Time has literally flown by and I cannot believe that this year has already gone. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the staff, particularly Mr Shearman, Mr Battison, Mr Wilson, Mr Baldwin, Matron, the Tutors and the cleaning staff for their efforts and work this year. I would like to wish every existing and future member of Star the very best for the future and hope that they, too, share the success and happiness that I have experienced in Star this year.

Rif Haque – House Captain (Lower Sixth)
Star house is a friendly, caring and a competitive environment in which we have learnt valuable skills for future use in life. Mr Shearman has created a friendly and determined environment, which has enabled the House to be competitive in the House Cup events. Star has always been known as a sporty house but the talents of the Star boys  range across sporting, creative and academic abilities.
Being House Captain has been one of my biggest achievements at Hurst. This has allowed me to help run the biggest house at Hurstpierpoint College and I have become more organised, caring, innovative and  active in my efforts, with the help of Mr Shearman, to build upon the success of Star. I was thrilled to have been in charge of organising activities, whether house or College events, which help to create a friendly environment between boys in each year group right through the House.
The Star  prefects were a great help to me; they were always around the House coming up with ideas, making ideas happen, helping out with problems and keeping the House atmosphere positive. They and I have learnt valuable life skills, which we will take with us and which every Star student in Star house will learn too.  Hurst spirit is truly at the heart of Star, which is a large boarding house with students from a wide range of cultures and backgrounds. The House community has enabled all of us to learn more about others and their beliefs, another valuable skill for the future.
One of the social highlights of the year for Star was to create history at Hurst as the first boys' House to hold a formal Dance on the campus, which was an amazing event. This clearly demonstrates how Star seeks to be an innovative House, always offering something new for the boys to participate in. The Star Ball was a great success and was well supported by Star students and their ‘dates’. Star offers the students many other opportunities for social bonding;  for example the ever popular pizza nights where each year group chooses a film to watch while they eat their pizzas. This creates an atmosphere in which friendship groups can form easily, helping new students to settle in quickly.
Star has been a fantastic house for me, offering a wide range of activities so that students can have fun as well as getting on with their academic work. Mr Shearman and our wonderful House tutors Mr Battison, Mr Wilson and Mr Baldwin, have all done the best they can to help us to achieve our full potential.  I cannot thank them enough for all their hard work. I know that all the students moving onto St John's will do so. well prepared for the changes ahead.  We will miss being in Star but we will always be a part of Star.