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Sixth Form Prefects’ Room
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Issue 35 Autumn 2018
W I T L E Y
Cooking in the Health and Lifestyle Centre
What a difference a Summer can make - the continued transformation and renewal of King Edward’s Witley King Edward’s and our partner school, Barrow Hills, were a hive of activity over the Summer as the Estates, Facilities and Grounds teams completed over 80 projects to improve facilities at both Schools, including Phase 2 of the North Side classroom redevelopment to install state-of-the-art smartboards, new décor enhanced and LED lighting to the Religious Studies, Philosophy and History departments.
Much of the work has aimed to preserve the history and character of the 150-year old estate, which is important to Mr Colin Gould, who has been looking after the grounds for 40 years, and Mr Richard Hooker, Head of Estates since 2016, whose own involvement in the School dates back 22 years and who has a keen interest in its history. This has included the renewal of
Basketball in the refurbished Sports Hall
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sash windows, replacing of lighting in the Quad with lanterns in keeping with its Victorian architecture and a new museum display area for Mrs Marilyn Wilkes, the School Archivist. The School’s iconic marching steps and covered walkway to the Chapel are also getting the historic treatment as beautiful reclaimed clay tiles replace the roof sheeting in the first phase of its refurbishment. A new Sixth Form Prefects’ Room opens off the Quad replacing their previous room by the Science block which now becomes the office of the new Head of Middle School, Mr Jim Langan. In the Senior Houses, there are new designated study areas for day pupils with better lockers and improved storage for our growing day population. New, extended pedestrian routes from the main car park to the Houses and Dining Hall have enhanced safety and visibility. On the other side of the Tarmac, the Food and Textiles building has been refurbished to become a ‘Health and Lifestyle Centre’ to reflect the combining of Food and Nutrition, Sports Science and PSHE under one roof, promoting all round healthy lifestyle habits amongst the pupils. The upstairs classrooms have been refurbished and redecorated whilst new worktops, doors, sinks and lighting have been installed in the two teaching kitchens downstairs.
GCSE Results
Gold DofE
Against a national backdrop of anxiety over tougher exams, pupils celebrated excellent results.
Seven pupils awarded their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award by Gaby Roslin at a special ceremony held at Buckingham Palace. PAGE 3
The refurbished Fitness Suite
The healthy lifestyle theme continues with the refurbishment of the Sports Hall, now repainted and with high-tech shock-absorbent blue cladding. Upstairs, the Fitness Suite has been transformed into a dynamic open space, fully kitted out with the latest equipment, including a new and extensive weights section. Improvements to the School take meticulous planning over many months; this Summer the skills of upwards of 70 specialist craftspeople have enhanced the education and environment for current and future pupils and helped to preserve the heritage of our School for generations to come.
International Space Day
INSIDE
Charter Hall’s teak floor has been refurbished and a new winch system for the stage lighting installed allowing pupils to develop their technical lighting skills. Across from Charter Hall, the first phase of the Library’s refurbishment has seen a new colour scheme, the opening up of the skylight feature ushering in more daylight and the installation of new electrical and network points in the floor for pupils’ laptops.
Fourteen teams made up of 9 different schools enjoy a modern languages day with the RAF at King Edward’s. PAGE 7
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