Two Old Novaportans (ONs) are making headlines in the performing arts.
Adams' has a reputation for high academic results. This is equalled by a huge variety of enrichment activities. There are over fifty extra-curricular clubs running during lunchtimes and after school.
Music and Drama are at the heart of school life. It is part of the curriculum in Years 7-9 and offered at GCSE and at AS level. There are fourteen music ensembles that students can join and our large end-of-year school musical production enables pupils to take part both onstage and offstage. ‘Grease’ is this year’s show! House Music and House Drama are two days of the year when students come off timetable for the entire day to compete in a variety of categories for coveted house points and honours!
ON Harshini Muthukrishnan (class of 2019)
Harshini, known as Shini, is the latest Blue Peter Presenter. Her first show aired on Friday 19th January.
Shini, from Stafford, joined Haberdashers’ Adams for Sixth Form where she threw herself fully into life at Adams. She was a Deputy School Captain on the Front Team and was awarded the Banks Cup for Female Sixth Form Role Model of the Year. She went on to study Philosophy, Politics & Economics at King’s College London. Shini has made a name for herself as a TikTok sensation celebrating her British, Indian and Malyasian heritage.
Miss Bowater, Head of Darwin House, commented: “Shini was ‘a breath of fresh air’. She had a smile for everyone and this positivity was infectious. Shini was a stalwart of Darwin House, throwing herself into every house event possible, and it was always clear she would have a very bright future.”
As the 43rd Blue Peter presenter, Shini follows in the footsteps of fellow ON Radzi Chinyanganya, Class of 2005, who presented Blue Peter from 2013 to 2019 and has gone on to present Olympic sports coverage, snooker, Crufts and Songs of Praise. There must be something in the Newport water!
ON Joscelin Dent-Pooley (class of 2014)
Joscelin, from Market Drayton, is known professionally as Jerskin Fendix. He was nominated for Best Original Score for ‘Poor Things’ at Golden Globes 2024. Subsequently, he has also been nominated for Best Original Score at the BAFTAs and Oscars.
His contributions to the music department, House Music and Dixon Cup are remembered well. Joscelin went on to study classical music at the University of Cambridge and in April 2020, released his first album, Winterreise, on the Bandcamp platform.
“Joscelin was a superb musician and a major reason for the dominance of Darwin House in the early days of House Music. The time limits on solo performances came into play after his violin solo (that started with him taking the top off a piano and playing the strings inside with his hands) went on for seven minutes, without any sheet music to follow!” Mr Biggins, Deputy Head i/c Pastoral (previously Head of Darwin House)
Headmaster, Mr Hickey, commented: “Joscelin was an outstanding student in many ways. Bursting with creativity and talent, and always caring deeply for integrity and honesty in the arts, especially in music. It is no surprise to any of us here at Adams that he has done so magnificently well.” Mr Hickey, Headmaster.
