Kestrel spring 2016 issue 30

Ski trip to Italy

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We are the champions

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A Shot in the Dark

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The newsletter of King Edward’s Witley

issue 30 sPrinG 2016

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

This issue is brought to you with contributions from our pupil photographers and journalists

King Edward’s receives ‘excellent’ ISI report In October 2015, King Edward’s was visited by a team of inspectors from the Independent Schools Inspectorate. Their report rated the School as “excellent” in all nine inspection areas.

The report states: “King Edward’s Witley is highly successful in educating pupils in line with its overall aim to provide an educational experience which supersedes the purely academic and becomes a foundation for life … Supported by excellent teaching … pupils take pleasure in their learning and present their work with pride. Pupils of all ages and abilities... demonstrate excellent subject knowledge and understanding …The quality of pupils’ personal development is excellent, supported by the high quality pastoral care they receive … Boarders appreciate the warm, welcoming environment created for them by the boarding staff and feel safe in their houses. The school implements excellent measures to ensure their welfare, health and safety … Governance of the School is excellent.”

The comprehensive inspection demanded an extensive review of the School’s operations covering nine core criteria: quality of the pupils’ achievements and learning; contribution of curricular and co-curricular provision; the contribution of teaching; spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils; contribution of arrangements for pastoral care; contribution of arrangements for welfare, health and safety; quality of boarding; quality of governance and the quality of leadership and management,

Bring on the final!

King Edward’s have reached their second national football final in three years after beating East Point Academy 3-1 in the English Schools Under 16 Cup Semi-final. (P.5 for full story)

including links with parents, carers and guardians. The School was judged excellent in each category, with the inspectors also referring to the pre-inspection questionnaire which provided further evidence of the high levels of satisfaction expressed by parents whose children attend, an overwhelming majority of whom would recommend the School to another parent.

Commenting on the report, Mr John Attwater, Headmaster, said, “I am delighted that the inspectors have described the outstanding young people and School community I know and see every day.

This report is a great endorsement of our determined vision to provide education as it really should be, not the narrowly-focused and stripped-down version it has sometimes become today. At King Edward’s, all our staff are absolutely committed to enabling every individual to fulfil their potential and achieve excellence both in and outside the classroom, in their values and outlook as well as their academic results. It is brilliant that the pride of every

member of our community in what is being achieved here, has been officially recognised so definitively.” The full report can be found on our website.

TOP TWEETS @KESWNews

• Very excited to welcome HRH The Princess Royal this afternoon for the @rncftweets special event @BritishMonarchy • Early start @KESW_History as we follow in the footsteps of many @OldWitleians to #Ypres & #Dunkirk More on each of these stories in our next issue or visit www.kesw.org/Latest-News 01

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Academic Pupils enjoy an ice cream in Red Square

Illuminating experience in Russia Author visits for World Book Day

After waking up at 4am, several pupils embarked on a truly unforgettable journey to Russia. Remi Trovo, 5th Form pupil, reports.

Budding writers and bookworms in our 1st Form eagerly took part in a day of workshops with children’s book author, Kirsty Riddiford, in celebration of World Book Day.

Following a luxurious overnight train journey from Moscow to St Petersburg, we were delighted to see the Peter and Paul Fortress and the hugely popular Hermitage palace that was the centre of the Communist takeover of Russia in November 1917.

On the first part of the trip, we were privileged enough to visit numerous historical sites within the Russian Capital of Moscow. Most notably a former nuclear bunker and of course: the Moscow Kremlin.

We also visited the Mausoleum of Red Square, where the perfectly preserved body of the former Communist Leader Lenin is kept.

Pupils take time out from their Basketball session to read on World Book Day

1st Form pupils engaged in interactive workshops throughout the morning with Kirsty who spoke about her passion for writing. After reading a section from the first book of her trilogy, Kirsty provided insights into developing a theme, descriptive language and creating a plot to finish the passage from the book. Many of the 1st Form took this challenge hands on and developed fantasy filled plots including portals, monsters and spirits!

researching a children’s thriller set in London. Kirsty said, “World Book Day is a great excuse for schools to open their doors to visiting authors. Working with the 1st Form was something I thoroughly enjoyed – talking about structuring stories, brainstorming ideas and discussing the importance of daydreaming will hopefully inspire them when writing.”

Specialising in the Science Fiction and Fantasy genre, Kirsty is best known for her ‘Prophecies of Ballitor’ trilogy; a fantasy adventure set in a world of talking eagles and mythical creatures, aimed at 8-13 year olds. She is currently

Mrs Janny Harris, the School’s Librarian, says, “World Book Day is an important day for the School, and to have had, Kirsty visit really brought the whole initiative to life. Being a female author also tied in nicely to International Women’s Day on 8 March.”

Science Symposium explores ‘Modifying Organisms’ On 3 February, our Science School hosted a Science Symposium in conjunction with the Oxford International Biomedical Centre. The topic was ‘Modifying Organisms’ and we were privileged to have three professors to speak. Mrs Ann Hill, Head of Science, reports.

Professor Paul Fairchild from the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology (University of Oxford) spoke to us about stem cell technology and regenerative medicine, explaining the route that stem cell research has taken, giving us some idea of where it may lead in future. One of our Sixth Form attendees commented “Professor Fairchild talked about some very important points, in terms of ethics but also facts about stem cell research. I liked how open-minded he was when answering questions.”

Professor Jane Langdale from the Department of Plant Science, University of Oxford, spoke about GM technology in both animals and plants. She gave an overview of the ways in which organisms have been genetically modified and outlined some of the techniques. One 4th Form pupil mentioned she was “the only female Professor present at the meeting, which is inspiring enough, and she included personal opinion in the general debate at the end, which I personally loved.”

The final speaker was Professor Roger Barker from the Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Cambridge. He spoke to us about the quest for a cure for 02

Parkinson’s disease. Professor Barker took us on a tour of the approaches to treatment of Parkinson’s including explaining the pros and cons of clinical trials, double blind trials, tissue transplant and the mixed results of the research. One pupil said “he spoke very enthusiastically about his career and the progress made in the treatment of Parkinson’s. He was inspiring and makes me want to find out more about brain repair.”

Overall, the pupils learned a huge amount about the modern biological approaches to some of the serious medical and agricultural challenges of the 21st century. I hope that many of them will consider studying Biology further so that they can take part in finding solutions that will make a positive impact in the future.

Additionally, the pupils visited the ‘Yury Nikulyin Circus’, the famous ballet of ‘La Sylphide’ and the folklore spectacle: ‘Feel Yourself Russian’. All of these shows proved that Russian entertainment is still able to wow audiences worldwide.

Wherever the pupils returned home to, I hope that they will always remember the museums and memories of this trip. I would also recommend that pupils attend such trips in the future whether they take History or not.

IB Geographers head to Devon On 5 February the Lower 6th Geography pupils travelled down to Slapton Key in Devon to do the Geography Internal Assessment part of the IB course.

Will Kriehn, Lower 6th pupil, reports.

The first day consisted of travelling down to the location, and getting settled in. A small class was held to give us a brief outline of what was to happen over the coming days. On day two we set off to the source of the River Harborne to start our Geography course work.

However due to torrential rain the river started flooding, and no measurements were possible. We moved down the river throughout the day to see if the whole river was flooded, and it was, so we headed back to Slapton Key. On day three we started to write up our Internal Assessment with the help of our teachers. Using secondary data we got through most of our IA very quickly and effectively. Later on that day we went to do some conservation, to help look after more dominant woodland trees to allow other plants and vegetation to grow. On the final day we got up and started on our Internal Assessments again, getting it to the stage at which we did not have much left to do. Sadly at midday we had to leave Slapton Key, and we headed back to School.

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Head start for Christmas Father Christmas, his faithful reindeer and elf handlers took a break from their busy schedule on Wednesday 16 December to give a rousing send off to the hundreds of Santas who took part in our 2015 Santa Run. Pupils and staff put on their santa outfits and took part in a 2km festive jog in aid of charity. We were joined this year by staff and pupils from Barrow Hills School who also ran for the School’s nominated charities charities Surrey Young Carers and Ri Diamo.

The day was packed with fun and excitement finished by food and drinks provided by KESPA (Parents’ Association). Our choir began the race with an acapella piece before hundreds of Santas set off, chasing Head Chef, Chris Bicknell, who was dressed as a Christmas pudding! However, the highlight of the day was certainly the appearance of reindeers Rudolph and Dash who really brought the Christmas spirit to top off a successful Santa Run.

Co-curricular

Duke of Edinburgh Award training While half the school were in London for Bridewell Day our 3rd Form bandaged and dressed during their first aid training in preparation for their upcoming expedition. Mr Jim Culbert, Duke of Edinburgh Coordinator, discusses the day.

They learned how to recognise and deal with a range of maladies from insect bites, to burns and fractures. The day concluded with a series of scenarios which groups of pupils assessed and responded to, using the days teaching. Star billing went to the casualties, who had fallen from height, suffered terrible cooking accidents or just fallen whilst tackling a steep slope. All of the pupils contributed to the treatment and

rescue to the casualties and everyone was rescued in time for tea. The training will contribute to the pupils’ Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award next year if they choose to progress beyond the training and practice expedition this year, and will be continued next term with navigation, camp craft and outdoor skills sessions.

Author visits for World Book Day

The Easter holiday was a busy time for the 5th Form pupils undertaking their Silver Assessment expedition in the South Downs National Park; this followed two terms of preparation and the remaining Silver participants will undertake their assessment expedition in the New Forest in June. At Gold level, preparations are under way for a return to Chamonix in the French Alps for this year’s practice expedition.

Old Witleians Fraser and Catherine with their Duke of Edinburgh Gold Awards with Jim Culbert outside St James’ Palace

Recent successes include two former pupils Fraser Pitkethley and Catherine Ngan receiving their Gold Awards from HRH the Duke of Edinburgh at St James’ Palace in March and the School’s contribution to the Scheme being formally recognised via an award accepted by Mr Stephen Pugh.

Lloyd Scott inspires our pupils Celebrated charity fundraiser Lloyd Scott MBE – renowned for his courage and countless list of fundraising achievements, which include completing the London Marathon in five days dressed in a 130lb deep sea diving suit – visited us on 2 December to give an inspirational talk to our pupils from 1st-4th Form.

A former fireman, Mr Scott has battled significant health issues following the rescue of two small boys from a house fire, causing him to inhale toxic smoke leading to a diagnosis of chronic myeloid leukemia. In 1989 he ran the London Marathon just three weeks before undergoing lifesaving bone marrow transplant treatment and again in 1990 less than a year after the transplant, to demonstrate that there is life after leukemia. During his speech, Mr Scott relayed details of his outstanding list of charity challenges, which have enabled him to raise more than £5 million, and spoke of the significant benefits and personal sense of fulfilment to be derived from helping others. Pupils were mesmerised by Mr Scott’s storytelling and his motivational speech was met with rapturous applause.

The event was in keeping with the School’s ongoing commitment to educating pupils beyond the constraints of the classroom, introducing them to the wider issues and challenges that exist outside the academic world.

Ski trip to Italy

After an early start, the arrival at the hotel came with a beautiful view of the northern Italian Alps and the ski resort that was just outside. The first day included experienced skiers getting back on the skis and beginners taking to the slopes for the first time.

There were three groups on the trip; beginner, intermediate and advanced. The beginners made amazing progress moving on to parallel turns by the end of the week. The intermediate group varied in ability and even dared some off-pieste skiing and they dealt with the challenge very well. The advanced group went all over the place, whether it be through the middle of a forest or down the steepest off piste routes.

Our first ski trip in 10 years departed for Sestriere Ski Resort near Turin on 13 February. A total of 22 pupils travelled to Italy. James Wood, Upper 6th pupil, reports.

Evening times were spent eating pizza, treasure hunting and singing karaoke, where our very own Isobel Craig brought the house down and even had people in the bar bowing down to her.

Overall, everyone enjoyed the trip. Most beginners, having caught the skiing bug, said they would definitely be going again next year, whilst those with more experience had been able to challenge themselves and further their skills. Places are already going fast for next year’s trip.

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siXtH form A comedian dressed in nun costume, performed at the Sixth Form Comedy Night

A burst of colour for Holi On 10 October, pupils from the 5th and Sixth Form gathered in Upper Gurdons at dusk to celebrate a replication of the Holi Festival of Hindu culture, which was organised by Frederico Albasini Goncalves, Joao Marques-Pinto, Federico Puppo & Michele Spinelli-Giordano as their CAS Project. Joao MarquesPinto and Frederico Albasini Goncalves, Sixth Form pupils, reported the event.

The party was extremely well organised within an impressive time frame of only two weeks and had a diversity of things to offer, such as a barbecue, social games and a lot of fun and entertainment.

The concept of the party was to throw environmentally friendly coloured powder at each other and provide a great social gathering for both 5th and Sixth Form pupils.

As the evening came to an end, the night had turned out to be a memorable event and was quoted by some party-goers as “the best event ever hosted at King Edward’s”. It was without doubt, one for the books.

Laughter all round Comedy Night, an eagerly anticipated annual event for the Sixth Form, promised to be a night of fun and laughs for all present and it duly delivered. Krystyan Carran, Lower 6th pupil, reported the night.

Our Sixth Form attended in great numbers, joined by some staff eager to laugh away some of the stresses of the term so far. With snacks in hand and friends alongside, the pupils witnessed a variety of different stand-up comedy which appealed equally to people of different cultures.

The comedians also got some of our pupils involved and showed no mercy when given the opportunity to joke wittingly about the Scots, Welsh, French and other places around the world, to which our pupils responded sportingly. Although all the acts were received well by those present, Act One, in particular seemed to peak our interests no end. The Canadian had us in raptures of laughter from the beginning all the way to the end and sent everyone back home with a fixed smile on their face. Overall, it was an extremely successful night, a truly memorable event for those present, and it’s safe to say that we’re looking forward to next year already.

Spring Ball On Friday 4 March, the whole Sixth Form gathered for the annual Spring Ball. Tom Martis-Jones, Lower 6th pupil, reports.

The event, organised by the newly formed Sixth Form Committee, was extremely successful. Over 120 pupils took to the Selborne Room for an excellent three course dinner laid on by the catering staff. The whole room was beautifully decorated in a spring theme, including mirrored centrepieces showcasing fresh flowers and the lighting dimmed a shade of blue. Both boys and girls alike looked spectacular in their evening wear as everyone had made a real effort.

Opportunities for photos were frequent with Levi Nordmann, 5th Form photographer, present. A short video composed of funny and memorable photos of the year group was played, adding laughter to the room. After the dinner, the pupils then moved into the Sixth Form Centre for the celebration. The whole night was thoroughly enjoyable and everyone commented on how well organised it was.

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sPort

Mixing it up Mixed sports offer the perfect opportunity for boys and girls to unite, regardless of gender, through a common sporting interest. Not all sports provide this golden opportunity; hockey does. An All-Star King Edward’s 1st XI came together to face Frensham Heights in their first mixed fixture of the season. Josef Moore, Head Boy, reports.

Whilst this team had been formed earlier on in the year to face the Old Witleians, this was their first competitive fixture. As the floodlights cast the slight shadows of the flighty 22 players, the girls had an opportunity to display their experienced organisation, and the boys their rugged yet energetic approach to the game.

In a game much akin to ping-pong, the possession was even, and the chances frequent. Although the two-halves resulted in a 1-1 draw, a penalty shootout favoured the home side, and our mixed 1st XI had victory in their first match. Could this be the start of a rising trend in sporting integration? Both genders have had their independent successes, including national ISFA level players, an ISFA final for the boys and ISFA 7-a-side victory for the girls.

Other mixed sporting opportunities include the badminton squad, the inter-house mixed netball, and futsal; Marie Stute played an integral part in the U18 B’s in the King Edward’s futsal tournament.

Girls’ sport Girls’ sport at King Edward’s continues to go from strength to strength, with the number of participants, as well as the number of sporting options offered, increasing. Miss Bella Dale, Graduate Assistant, discusses our progress this year.

Where stresses from school work and exams and daily life hit, sport at the School is designed to be offered as an opportunity to relax as well as in a competitive capacity.

Mr Andrew Wycieshowski continues to pioneer for girls’ football with regular training in senior and junior year groups with games throughout the Autumn and Spring Terms. Hockey started the year off well with a successful season leading into a very lively netball term. The Lower School have supplied a particularly strong team this year showing great promise for the future. The inters and senior girls look forward to their netball tour to Malta next year with fundraising events in the pipeline including a prep schools rounders tournament and alumni competition days. Mrs Hannah Pullen, Sports Coach, continues to lead them in an exciting direction with the senior girls winning the annual Wood Cup by securing victory over Charterhouse School.

Girls are also offered numerous opportunities to participate in non-mainstream sports such as volleyball, badminton and squash in Games lessons as well as the use of the School Fitness Suite throughout the week, which we believe important for those who may not have an interest in team sports or competitive games, but are simply interested in their own wellbeing and enjoying exercise!

Bring on the final!

King Edward’s have reached their second national football final in three years after beating East Point Academy 3-1 in the English Schools Under 16 Cup Semi-final. Mr Dan Abraham, Director of Football, reports.

King Edward’s started brightly and Max Batchelor finished an excellent passing move to put the hosts 1-0 up after just three minutes. Despite having the majority of possession, we couldn’t extend our lead and East Point Academy equalised with a rare attack shortly before half time. But we were physically fitter, mentally quicker and technically better than our opponents in the second half, which allowed us to retake the lead with Max scoring a second goal before Kamran Hussein tapped in our third goal to complete an outstanding performance and secure a place in the national final.

The competition is open to all state and independent schools in England with less than 65 boys in Year 11. King Edward’s beat Oasis Academy Mayfield (4-0), Christ’s School (4-1 on penalties), Chatsmore Catholic High School (2-1),

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St Bernard’s Catholic Grammar School (3-1), Sarum Academy (3-1) and East Point Academy (3-1) to reach the final.

As part of the Under 16 team’s preparation for their cup matches they have been undertaking some unusual training. As well as the usual technical, tactical, physical and mental fitness sessions overseen by Mr Abraham, the team have been learning to play the African drums!

With the assistance of the School’s Music Department the players have been learning the transferable skills of teamwork, communication skills and trust development, as well as producing some excellent music. The team enjoyed the experience so much, they were entered into the Godalming Music Festival in March. Mrs Jemima Edney, Director of Sport, knows only too well the links

between sport and music, as she not only holds Post Graduate Diplomas in Sport Physiology and Sport Psychology, but also a Bachelor’s Degree in Music and is an accomplished clarinettist and chorister.

“Many people think that sport and music are worlds apart, but in fact there is a huge crossover in the essential skills required for both, such as team work, communication, trust, concentration and focus. Pushing the footballers outside of their comfort zone and into the realms of music, stimulates the release of adrenalin that they will experience during high pressured situations, such as a cup final, training their brains to apply these skills under pressure.”

We eagerly await the outcome of the final which will be played against Blacon High School at Manchester City’s training ground on 4 May.

We are the champions King Edward’s travelled to London on Sunday 13 March for the Independent Schools FA U18 Futsal Finals. They lined up against Royal Russell and Winchester College. This was the first time many of the boys had played full length futsal matches and all 11 players had a huge role in the tournament. We played Royal Russell first and after a slow and cautious start, King Edward’s burst into life before half time, seemingly scoring at will and this continued into the second half with the final score 8-2 to us, with Max Batchelor scoring four. Winchester easily beat Royal Russell as well meaning the last game was the crucial tie. King Edward’s flew out of the blocks and were 3-0 up within 5 minutes and continued to play some excellent futsal and were 6-2 at half time.

The second half saw the boys continue in the same vein but Winchester’s goalkeeper had 15 incredible minutes making save after save. Winchester came back into the game and scored 3 unanswered goals, but thanks to last ditch saves and tackles from Charlie Howard, Jake Miller and Donnell Bowes (who saved what looked a certain equaliser by stretching and contorting his body into a position he shouldn’t have been able to) the boys held out for 6-5 win and claimed the title of ISFA U18 Futsal Champions.

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Art, Music, Drama

A Shot in the Dark Inspector Jacques Clouseau (played splendidly by Daniel Varbanov) is called to the grand country home of Monsieur and Madame Ballon, to investigate the murder of their Spanish driver, Miguel. Review by Sharon Gleave, current parent.

It seems that the driver was having an affair with the maid, Maria Gambrelli. Clouseau falls in love with the delightfully flirty Maria (Monika Abrasheva) and refuses to believe her obvious guilt, despite evidence that the lord and lady of the house, the gardener, maid, head butler, all appear to be having affairs and could be guilty. What ensues is mayhem with Clouseau bungling his way through the investigation “I suspect everyone and I suspect no-one”, and sending boss Commissioner Charles Dreyfus (Levi Nordmann) slowly insane with his misguided logic.

The choice of play was a brave one, as it’s impossible to watch without recalling the late brilliant Peter Sellers, whose version has been loved by all for over 50 years. However, the King Edward’s cast did an incredible job, maintaining perfect pace, with an impressive set and sassy sound (provided by Charlie Rudge) and ‘Rinky Dink Panther’ music throughout.

Wonderfully athletic cameo from Kato (Apollos Gurung) and we all enjoyed Clouseau’s interactions with assistant Hercule LaJoy (Solomon Thomas) and hilarious antics at the billiards table as Benjamin Ballon (Vitalii Andriushchenko) did well to maintain a cool composure (also delighting us with his impressive Russian Cossack dancing). Varbanov delivered a faultless lead role with flair and comic twist, but special mention must go to Levi Nordmann’s Dreyfus, whose comic genius and bemused interaction with his assistant Francois (Harrison Martin) becomes more and more manic throughout the play as he slowly loses his marbles, and in an endeavour to murder Clouseau, manages to kill off most of the cast.

Brilliant guys, delightful performances, well done - when’s the sequel?

King Edward’s Musician of the Year King Edward’s has searched for its own Young Musician of the Year for the second year running and it has been a real joy to see the numbers participating this year reach nearly 90 entries. Mr Stasio Sliwka, Director of Music, reports.

The first rounds held in the Recital Room were very informal and gave the opportunity for all taking lessons in school, and indeed, out of school to perform to fellow pupils in a supportive and relaxed environment. It is good to see pupils becoming more at ease when performing in front of each other and supporting each other in a positive spirit despite the competitive side of these rounds.

Mark Wardell, Director of Music at Barrow Hills School, had the unenviable task of choosing winners for each section.

With pupils having polished their chosen pieces to such a high standard, it really made for difficult decisions. There were many winners in each category, but the King Edward’s Musician of the Year was Fiyisola Martins, Upper Sixth pupil.

Mary Bevan soprano concert Mary Bevan, a soprano hailed by the Telegraph as one of the first-rate young British singers for her performances on opera and concert platforms, visited us on 25 November to hold a vocal masterclass and a concert.

Ridley & Queens’ performing ‘Uptown Funk’ for their House Song.

House Music The lead up to House Music is an exciting and eventful time. Watching the dress rehearsals is always uplifting in seeing the diversity of talent here at King Edward’s shine through. Mr Stasio Sliwka, Director of Music, gave us the full story.

Whether it be directing, choreographing, designing, building up a sense of House spirit or friendly rivalry, House Music is so much more than just about the music. The musical bit comes with the final performances on stage. Having seen all Houses rehearse, I did find it too close to call and there was everything to play for on the night. There were six categories; House song, solo, vocal ensemble, instrumental ensemble, best programme design and overall impression.

A winner of the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Young Artist Award and UK Critics’ Circle Award for Exceptional Young Talent - she is also an English National Opera Harewood Artist - Mary trained at the Royal Academy Opera and is in high demand on the concert circuit.

Mary held a masterclass in the Selborne Room involving a number of pupils; Tom Fox, Henry Hampshire, Violette Foley, Henrike Hosterbach. It was wonderful to see her in action and her easy and friendly manner brought out the best in all of participants who sang a range of music from Handel to Bernstein.

As is often the case, it is not only the participants but the audience who learn a great deal in a masterclass and yesterday was no exception. Between the masterclass and the concert later that evening, Mary, her accompanist Tom Primrose and a number pupils enjoyed an informal chat over supper.

The concert that followed was enjoyed by many pupils from the 1st Form to the Upper Sixth. It was clear that the performance had an immediate impact on the pupils and the words of one 1st Form pupil summed up the evening with the words “she was awesome”.

This year saw the introduction of House comperes and it was great to see pupils put their oratory and acting skills to good use.

There were so many highlights to the evening and I am grateful that I didn’t have to choose a winner. That unenviable task was left to our adjudicator Malcolm Gunningham who delivered his verdict amidst a real sense of anticipation. The overall winners were Wakefield and Elizabeth for the second year running, but this really was a very closely fought contest with very few marks separating the Houses.

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Our IB artists are currently showcasing their final pieces in the School’s Bunker Gallery which opened to an invited audience of Old Witleians, parents, teachers and pupils in March. The five candidates, who curated the exhibition with the help of Mrs Caroline Shouksmith, Head of Art, are looking to go on to a range of universities, with Conor receiving

Conor Harmsworth

Mimi Walton

Ellie McRae

Conor Harmsworth

Dan Calvert

Dan Calvert

three unconditional offers to study Art Foundation at Falmouth Central St Martins and Kingston. Mirena has offers to study Architecture from Oxford Brookes, De Montfort University, Northumbria University and University of Brighton.

Art, Music, Drama

IB art exhibition

Mirena Yu

Conor Harmsworth

Mimi Walton

Choir tour to Venice Venice is a unique city and the Venetians have proudly thought of themselves separate from the rest of Italy. Mr Stasio Sliwka, Director of Music, reports.

Leaving a damp and foggy morning behind, we were met with a fresh sunny day as we walked out of the airport and headed for a boat to take us into Venice. For the majority of the choir it was their first time in Venice and as the boat meandered around the north of the island, we turned a corner and were greeted by some of the great sites. We were very fortunate to give a concert in the church of San Rocco on Saturday evening. The music was a mix of sacred and secular pieces from Allegri’s Miserere and Lotti’s Crucifixus to songs by Quilter. It was wonderful to sing into the expanse of the church and all performers did themselves proud.

The next morning was our final performance. This time it was High Mass in the world famous Basilica of San Marco where the choir sang from one of the church’s famous galleries which were home to Renaissance masters such as the Gabriellis and Monteverdi. The sound of the choir filled the Basilica and was much enjoyed by the congregation far below. This really was a once in a lifetime moment for any choir.

A music tour is not simply about the music; it is getting a glimpse into the people, their culture, arts and food. None of these were in short supply in Venice and we visited many different places. In between all this, there was plenty of downtime for the choir to explore Venice. We enjoyed eating all of the different types of food in Venice. Needless to say homemade pizzas and pastas were the top of everyone’s list. I am sure that lifelong memories were made on the tour and that every person will visit Venice again.

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OUTREACH

Spy Academy Aspiring secret agents aged 9 and 10, from local prep and primary schools visited King Edward’s for the official ‘Spy Academy’ which was arranged by Agent Phil Humphreys, Head of Geography, for the second year running.

Around 20 young spies from local schools took part in topsecret workshops which ran over a four week period. The spies in training were shown how to crack codes, write in invisible ink, travel incognito and interrogate. The final session was followed by a passing out parade and prize-giving ceremony for the newly qualified spies. The nation is now in safe hands!

Taste food and craft fair We were delighted to host our second ‘Taste’ event back in December, an exciting food and crafts fair which, this time, was Christmas themed. The event was run, again, by seasoned event organisers Splendid Fairs and Festivals as ‘Taste’ saw the Exhibition Hall and Dance studio transformed into a festive food and crafts market, where local producers showcased their amazing products. From award winning curry to delicious burgers, from beautiful handmade jewellery to jaw dropping art, the list was endless. Taste’ is set to become a regular event in our calendar, with a spring event having just taken place in April and plans beginning to take shape for Christmas 2016.

Sir Isaac Newton Barrow Hills lectures Science lessons will never be the same for our Lower School, as well as visiting year 6 and 7 pupils from Barrow Hills and other local prep and primary schools, after ‘Sir Isaac Newton’ paid a visit to the School to talk about his life and achievements.

The Sir Isaac Newton workshop is a fast moving, hilarious but always informative oneman show written and directed by Johnny Ball and featuring actor and former science teacher David Hall. It represented an exciting new way of learning about science and the pioneering ‘Edutainment’ session certainly proved a complete hit with the audience who remained captivated.

The ‘lesson’ included demonstrations of many of Newton’s ground breaking theories and discoveries, as well as alluding to the achievements of his forerunners including Archimedes, Kepler and Galileo. Never before have pupils had so much fun covering topics such as fluxions, telescopes, rainbows, prisms, planetary orbits, gravity, forces and motion and the scientific revolution!

Commenting on the show, Mr John Attwater, Headmaster, said, “The Science Lectures have become a popular fixture within our teaching programme and we are delighted to be able to share this exciting way of learning with pupils from schools in the local community. We know that Science and Technology are going to be key to the success of today’s children and the country as a whole in the future, and hope that making scientific learning fun and entertaining will inspire the next generation of Newtons, Curies and Hawkings to discoveries we haven’t even dreamed of yet.”

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After cementing ties with Barrow Hills School last September, our two schools have taken part in various events as a duo including an Orchestral Day, netball tournaments and an alien life lecture!

Following the merger, Barrow Hills have been regular visitors to events where they have been able to share our resources, learn alongside our current Lower School pupils and become familiar with the environment at King Edward’s.

In February 40 Barrow Hills pupils joined us for a discussion on the possibility of alien life. The presentation, given by Mr Nick Emsley, teacher of Physics, took pupils through UFO sightings and life in our solar system. Barrow Hills pupils took this experience hands on and more than half of the room were convinced by the end of the lecture.

Orchestral Day saw a number of visiting pupils from Barrow Hills to have the first musical collaboration with us. We hope to make this a regular event due to the amount of talent that shone throughout the day. Parents and staff came along to watch the final concert, everyone was on their feet which goes to show what a good team our two schools make.

Another successful event was the Prep Schools Netball Tournament where King Edward’s and Barrow Hills formed three joint Netball teams to compete against other schools. The girls began to gel together throughout the course of the day and the combined teams gave much hope for the future.

We will continue to pair up with Barrow Hills to tighten our relationship further, and the future looks bright for our joint schools.

Young artists gather for annual competition The annual Junior and Prep Schools’ Spring Art Competition saw over 90 entries this year from local children from Years 5 to 8.

14 schools took part in the competition, each submitting up to 10 entries from their most talented artists across 2 categories – category 1 Years 5 & 6, category 2 Years 7 & 8. The brief, to recreate a famous piece of art in a different style, produced an eclectic mix of 2D and 3D original pieces inspired by the likes of Picasso, Damien Hirst and Van Gogh to name but a few.

Isabelle Glasson from St Hilary’s was awarded first prize in Category 1 for her Paul Klee inspired ceramic heads, second place went to Bella Mockridge from St Ives for her Angie Lewin inspired lino prints and third prize was again presented to a St Hilary’s pupil – Frances Sim for her Georgia O’Keeffe batik landscape. Special commendations were also awarded to Joss Harris, also of St Ives and Sam Rivers from Lanesborough Preparatory.

In the older category, first prize was awarded to Finley Hunt from Amesbury for his textile recreation of Hokusai’s Great Wave, second prize to Scarlett Partington from Highfield and third prize to James Fulcher also from Lanesborough. Special Commendations were awarded to Ella Horvat who attends Downsend School and was also a winner last year, and Josh Tyrer from Hall Grove School.

The prizes were announced at a busy private view attended by the entrants, their parents and teachers. Mrs Caroline Shouksmith, Head of Art at King Edward’s said, “Once again, we have been blown away by the talent on display, and every single one of you should be very proud of your achievements. We hope you go on to continue with art in the future, and who knows, we may see some of you here as Arts Scholars in the future”.

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Mr Andrew Baynes, Head of Modern Languages, joined King Edward’s in January.

Mr Baynes was formerly International Co-ordinator and Deputy Director of IB at Oakham School, Rutland. A graduate of Exeter University, where he took a joint honours degree in Spanish and French, Mr Baynes has also recently completed a Masters in Education at Bath University.

In addition to spending time in France and Spain, he has also lived in Japan for a number of years, working as a Language Teaching Assistant on the JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching) Programme.

Profiles

Andrew Baynes

The new position enables Mr Baynes to return to his local roots, having originally grown up in Alton. As Head of Modern Languages at King Edward’s, he hopes “to encourage pupils to appreciate the relevance and true value of modern languages in today’s society, through activities both inside and beyond the Languages Department.”

Matthew Tate Our latest Artist in Residence is Mr Tate, a graduate in illustration from Norwich University. Matt joined the Art Department to progress his skills in experimental print making techniques and has been sharing his love of wood block engraving with our pupils by undertaking some part time teaching and organising specialist workshops.

Mr Tate, who is the recipient of a ‘Pop My Mind’ Invention Award (Pop My Mind is a ground-breaking online platform for the Creative Arts), will be staying on for a second year at King Edward’s while applying for an MA and planning a solo exhibition in central London.

Talking about his position at School he said, “As soon as I entered the School I was instantly drawn to the diverse community here. I love the fact that this is a place where many cultures, languages and religions converge enabling pupils to develop a truly open minded and global perspective, which is not

dissimilar to the way in which an artist can enjoy success regardless of his / her background. That open minded outlook and clear intention to help every pupil reach their full potential is omnipresent and definitely sets King Edward’s apart from other Schools. I’m hoping to encourage pupils to feel part of the Artist-in-residence experience so that they will not only attend my lessons but also drop in to watch me hard at work. I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to hone my skills in such an excellent print studio and to have access to some amazing resources. I’m also really looking forward to receiving feedback on the work that I will be exhibiting here.”

Head Boy and Head Girl The job of being Head Boy and Head Girl is to be a role model within the School, be the main connection between pupils and senior management and be a link between the School and the City especially St Bride’s Church Fleet Street.

Marie Odhiambo from Kenya, departing Head Girl, joined King Edward’s as a full time boarder in the Sixth Form. Marie believes that being Head Girl has allowed her to become confident, be a role model and balance her school work alongside being Head Girl. Marie has thoroughly enjoyed having this role, and some of her highlights include being the connection with the City of London and being a member of St Bride’s Church.

Josef Moore has, in contrast, been at King Edward’s since 3rd Form and he feels that growing and developing throughout the years helped him become Head Boy. Josef lives locally in Guildford and is a day pupil at King Edward’s. Being Head Boy has allowed Josef to develop his communications skills with a variety of people, his leadership skills and his confidence.

Both Marie and Josef took advice from previous pupils in the role in order to be prepared and know what to expect. Marie and Josef’s advice for those replacing them is, “enjoy the role and its perks while you have it and try to stay relaxed. It is a lot of pressure, but if you learn to prioritise your duties it won’t take over. Take the role, and do it your way – don’t change to fit the role”.

The future looks bright, with Marie planning to take a gap year and then eventually study Medical Science in Birmingham or Australia, and finally becoming a neurosurgeon. Josef is hoping to start University this September to study English, do a Masters and then carry out a Law conversion course.

The School would like to thank both Josef and Marie for their commitment in carrying out their duties and wish them all the very best for the future.

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develoPment

Ed’s epic Bridewell bike ride On Saturday 19 March Ed Kernick, an Upper Sixth pupil, succeeded in the challenge he had set himself to ride 165 km from King Edward’s Witley to St Bride’s Church in the City of London and back to raise funds for the Bridewell Foundation.

Ed’s goal to raise funds for the charity that has helped support him through his five years at King Edward’s Witley has been tremendously successful with members of the Witleian and Old Witleian community contributing to a total raised of almost £7,000. Thank you Ed and thank you to all Ed’s sponsors! Our thanks also go to Surrey based bike company, Bike Swanky, who came on board, facilitated by Barclays, lending Ed a ‘De Rosa’ road bike and donating kit, and to Tamed Earth of Hindhead donating kit and provisions.

Ed says, “The Bridewell Foundation truly is a foundation for life. I feel honoured to have had the privilege of being a pupil at King Edward’s Witley and I’m determined to do all that I can to enable other young people like myself to benefit from an education at King Edward’s and enjoy the same advantages that I’ve had.”

Donations can be accepted until 19 September. Please visit:

https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/edwardkernick1 “Ed impressed me greatly with his enthusiasm for this project, his willingness to do all that was required and the fact the route was completed to the best of his abilities. It has been a real pleasure and an immense privilege to have been part of this event and to have been able to support a young man in giving back to the community which has nurtured him for so long.”

Rev Dr David Standen, Ed’s mentor.

Have you got an idea for a challenge to raise funds for the Bridewell Foundation for children in need of a boarding style of education? You can register your challenge with the Bridewell Foundation as your chosen charity on BT mydonate and any funds raised go directly to us with no commission or fees.

More info from King Edward’s Witley Development Office at development@kesw.org

With fond thoughts of Witley from across the pond We have successfully received our first donations via the British Schools and Universities Foundation (BSUF) giving US-based donors a tax-efficient means of giving to the Bridewell Foundation and King Edward’s Witley. Our thanks to the Old Witleians living in the USA who have supported us in this way.

For more information visit: www.kesw.org/Make-a-gift

Stuart Lindsay (Edward 1963-1967) “I did not have the happiest of times at King Edward’s and left under a cloud. But King Edward’s gave me two wonderful gifts. One was an extemporaneous lecture on quantum mechanics by Tom Leimdorfer, a wonderful Physics teacher. That one lecture transformed my dread of Physics into an immediate passion, one that has stayed with me to this day. The second gift, one that I only became aware of much later, was a much better education in Mathematics than most other 11+ failures would have had. I took my A levels at a local comprehensive school and went on to get both BSc and PhD degrees in Physics from the University of Manchester. I was serious enough about politics to fight a marginal seat in the North-West, but found another instant passion after an accidental visit to the American South-West, where I took a job as an Assistant Professor at Arizona State University. I have been here for 37 years, with my wife, three daughters and now six grandchildren. I hold endowed chairs in both the Physics and Chemistry departments and run a research center in the Biodesign Institute, an interdisciplinary research organisation on campus. I have worked in nanoscience for the past 25 years, publishing the first comprehensive text on the subject and founding a pioneering company in atomic force microscopy (Molecular Imaging). My lab now partners with Roche, the pharmaceutical company, to develop a new quantum mechanics-based method for sequencing DNA – a direct offshoot of Tom Leimdorfer’s wonderful lecture.”

Dr Christopher Harrison (Grafton 1952-1958) Christopher has had a long and successful career in education having worked in five different countries (England, Canada, Kenya, Sri Lanka and Oman). Emigrating to Canada in 1968 he, in addition to teaching, attended the University of Alberta where he gained three degrees culminating in a PhD in Educational Administration. He has been retired since 2000 yet remains active in weekly volunteer work with the Elizabeth Fry Society and at the University of Alberta, Biological Sciences Department (Dinosaur Laboratory).

Christopher speaks warmly of his years at King Edward’s as they had a profound impact on his personal development and transition through life. He further explained to me that “my years there made me what I am today”.

He remains forever grateful to the School and firmly believes his successful and productive life has been one built on the solid foundation King Edward’s provided at such an important stage of his life. Indeed, a “goodly heritage”.

- Proud Old Witleian (though young at heart).

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1553 Guild On 18 March we welcomed 16 members to the third annual 1553 Guild event held for those pledging a legacy to King Edward’s Witley and the Bridewell Foundation.

Guests enjoyed a lunch and the matinée performance of the School play, “A Shot in the Dark”.

Top row l to r: Barry Holt, Bertie Mawer, Angelika Antalova, Nick Hardy, Tony Wells, a guest, Lavinia Wilson, Philip Langton.

Bottom row l to r: Avril Mitchell, Rosemary Mawer, Mike Lorraine, Ron Etherington, Noreen Wells, Pamela Lorraine.

1867 Society Members of the 1867 Society, donors to the Bridewell Foundation giving or pledging over £1,000 in one year, enjoy the Society’s first dedicated event, an informal Friday evening supper with the Headmaster. (l to r) Claire Garrett, parent, Fred Deane, (Wakefield 1962-7) and Peter Clayton, (Ridley 1969-76).

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old WitleiAns And develoPment

Head Boy, Josef Moore, gave an inspiring speech to guests at Guildhall.

Bridewell Day

Three Bridewell medals were awarded on Bridewell Day to (l to r) the Royal Medical Foundation, represented by Chris Titman and Helena Blake, to Julia Stock, parent, and to the Royal Merchant Navy Educational Foundation, represented by Lesley Robinson and Charles Heron-Watson. Pictured with the Treasurer, Alderman Peter Estlin, the Vice-President & Lord Mayor Locum Tenens, Alderman Sir David Wootton, and the Headmaster, John Attwater.

“The “foundation for life” that this establishment provides would not be possible without the unerring support of the City of London.

We have been able to conserve and nurture our familial bond over the succession of the years. Our gratitude will never be sufficient to express the debt we owe to the City; through investments, bursaries and your infallible generosity, our formidable bond runs deeper than ancient traditions. That is why, on behalf of those that I stand before you representing, I would like to thank the benefactors of the School.

You have all taken a leap of faith. A leap of faith which has yielded ostensible success. A leap of faith which was certainly not in vain as its contribution to our community is beyond measure.”

An excerpt from the Head Boy’s speech

Remembrance Day November 2015 We were privileged to welcome back Lt Commander R.N. (rtd) Bernard Corrie and Mr David Parker, former Paratrooper, King Edward’s Witley and Hambledon boys 1947-51 and 1947-52, who laid a special wreath “To all King Edward’s School old Boys and Women who fought in the wars of Korea, Malaya, Suez, Aden, Cyprus, Africa, South Atlantic. All the forgotten wars. We will remember them”.

The OWA Committee was very grateful to Marilyn Wilkes, School Archivist, for laying the wreath this year on behalf of the Old Witleians Association in her capacity as an Old Witleian staff member and Ambassador for Heritage.

Pupils’ Memorial in Witley Churchyard This moving memorial, sited at All Saints Parish Church, Witley, was erected by the (then) Old Boys’ Association in May 1910.

It records and honours 19 boys who died between 1868 and 1935 whilst attending King Edward’s and who are interred in the churchyard. Over the years volunteer Old Witleians, staff and school pupils have sought to maintain the memorial and its surroundings. Despite this, the elements and time have taken their toll. The Committee has identified the essential improvement work to restore the Pupils’ Memorial. Due to urgent need a first phase to reset and replace the edging has been underwritten by the Committee and completed

by J Gorringe & Son of Godalming. A second phase to re-inscribe the lettering is planned for Autumn 2016.

Sadly, the inscriptions have deteriorated, particularly on one side, making the names of eight young boys, aged between 11 and 15, almost unreadable. The restoration will cost in total £5,700 and we are therefore appealing for contributions to this fund. Donations can be made at: https://mydonate.bt.com/events/pupilsmemorialwitley/296555 For further information contact owa.comms@kesw.org Further photographs are available at http://www.kesw.org/in-memoriam

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Old Witleians and Development

D iary D ates Wednesday 25 May 2016 King Edward’s choir sings at choral evensong, Southwark Cathedral Tuesday 28 & Wednesday 29 June 2016 King Edward’s Lower School play, Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, Witley

Annual Summer Reunion 2016 The Annual Reunion will take place on Saturday 2 July. This year the focus is on encouraging all Old Witleians who left between 1990 and 2005 to return to Witley to reconnect with old friends and favourite members of staff, although ALL Old Witleians are warmly welcome to come along with their families.

The programme will follow a similar pattern to previous reunions, beginning around midday with a specially chosen Chapel Service, a buffet lunch and afternoon sports (cricket and tennis). Popular last year, there will be another presentation and dip into the archives courtesy of the School Archivist, Marilyn Wilkes, this time on the theme of Queen Mary House (QMH). There’ll be the chance to ‘Ask the Archivist’ those questions about the School you’ve always pondered on, and pupil-led tours will include QMH which was impressively refurbished and redeveloped into a co-educational Lower School House last year.

The Reunion Day will conclude by joining the school event ‘Proms in the Heart’ with live music and a barbeque on the grass area outside the boarding houses.

Booking information is included with this edition of Kestrel.

Further information from oldwitleians@kesw.org or by visiting the Old Witleians Association section of the website or our Facebook page.

Autumn Sports Day November 2015 The Autumn sport clash between Old Witleians and current pupils was another fiercely competitive day- with great spirit and sportsmanship throughout. The traditional ‘fuelling up’ on bacon sandwiches before the start was clearly an excellent strategy - with wins across the board for the Old Witleian teams in netball, football, and mixed hockey!

Like to be involved this year? Contact Stella on oldwitleians@kesw.org

Friday 1 July 2016 Old Witleians’/ King Edward’s Golf Day, Milford Golf Club Saturday 2 July 2016 Old Witleians’ Summer Reunion, 1990-2005 but ALL welcome, Witley Saturday 24 September 2016 Great Northern Reunion, Newcastle-upon-Tyne Friday 11 November 2016 Remembrance Service, Witley Sunday 20 November 2016 Autumn Sports Day, Witley Friday 16 December 2016 Bridewell Fellows’ lunch and Carol Service, by invitation

Keep in touch!

King Edward’s Development Office development@kesw.org King Edward’s Alumni Relations oldwitleians@kesw.org Old Witleians Association Committee owa.comms@kesw.org Old Witleians web pages www.kesw.org/Old-Witleians Old Witleians Facebook group www.facebook.com/groups/oldwits/ Old Witleians LinkedIn group www.linkedin.com/groups/3551272 Old Witleians Twitter @OldWitleians 12

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