Newsletter of King Edward VI School
Founded 1553
From The Head What an amazing term we have experienced! I know that it is tempting fate, and we all know that COVID cannot yet be said to have left us for good: but it has been such a joy to see the unfurling of all that has been stowed away or thwarted during the two long years of the pandemic. Wonderful concerts entertaining delighted (full!) audiences; fascinating educational trips and visits; colourful charity fundraising schemes and heart-wrenching awareness raising days; thrilling sports fixtures, and (best of all) unrestricted teaching and learning. For how many years did we take such simple school offerings for granted? Never again! If ever the value of the breadth of opportunity at KES has been seen and appreciated, it is surely now that we are regaining so much that was lost. In this issue of KonnEctionS, I hope that you too can pick up our feelings of gratitude and pleasure in experiencing the things which make us unique as a school – the things that live long in the memory, even after book-learning has perhaps somewhat faded. Those extra special moments which make our School
great, and allow our community to thrive: it is lovely to see them once again! I am always immensely proud of this School. I am in no doubt that my colleagues, the pupils and parents have been put under enormous strain during the pandemic. Our School has been tested: but has not been found wanting. Indeed, I will be forever grateful to my colleagues for their tireless dedication to maintaining a fabulous education under such trying circumstances, and also to our pupils and the wider KES community for their enthusiasm and commitment to their School. All have contributed to the successes of the past few years, and I hope that all share in my pride at our collective achievements. Nonetheless, to have our efforts so whole-heartedly endorsed as was the case in the ISI Inspection earlier this term, is still absolutely fantastic. The inspection team arrived in January, and spent a working week examining all aspects of provision at KES. Upon completion of the inspection, they announced not only that we were fulfilling all legal and
regulatory obligations, but that KES was also achieving at the very highest ‘excellent’ quality rating in every single aspect of our provision. Our pupils achieve at an ‘excellent’ level, and the personal development of the young people in our care is also ‘excellent’. I am so pleased that the inspectors were able to see this, as I absolutely agree with their judgement – working with these outstanding young people is a daily privilege, and they do so much of immense worth and value. An excellent rating from ISI is certainly a wonderful benchmark, but we have no intention of resting upon our laurels. The future is looking exciting!
Neal Parker Head
King Edward VI School Wilton Road . Southampton . Hampshire SO15 5UQ Telephone: 023 8070 4561
www.kes.hants.sch.uk
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Academic ISI inspection results We are delighted to share that in our recent ISI Inspection report, the School was found to be ‘excellent’ for every single element inspected by the Independent School Inspectorate! The inspection focused on two broad areas within the School; and the report detailed that KES met every legal and statutory standard and achieved the highest possible ‘excellent’ rating for pupil achievement. Personal development was also raised as an area of excellence; with the ISI praising how our overarching ethos of nurture and support has led to our pupils ‘demonstrating excellent relationships’, a level of respect and celebration of diversity within the school community, and a show of excellent self-confidence from all pupils. This was a superb inspection outcome, thanks in no small measure to the tremendous efforts of our pupils, staff, parents and community.
Mr Singleton celebrates 40 years Mr Singleton joined King Edward’s in September 1982, and as of this term, he has been a First Year tutor for a monumental 100 terms and been teaching at KES for 40 years! A superb mathematics teacher, and now our timetable writer as well, we are delighted to share this milestone with him and thank him for all he has done for the many pupils he has taught and nurtured at King Edward’s over the years.
KES University Fair There was a welcome return for our annual University Fair in February as we welcomed representatives from 30 UK universities (including 14 Russell Group members), art colleges, apprenticeship providers, the Armed Forces and Gap Year organisations. The evening was a fantastic opportunity for students to explore the exciting possibilities available to them when they leave KES and help shape their plans and future career and study pathways.
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Open Forum Open Forum continues to challenge Sixth Formers to think more widely than their academic studies and introduce them to a range of different speakers with a variety of life experiences. Last month, we were privileged to host Mr Chris Lubbe who talked about the horrors of growing up as a person of colour in apartheid South Africa, his decision to make a stand and become an activist, his friendship and work alongside Nelson Mandela as his personal bodyguard for nine years, and the need for us all to continue to take a stand against racism and all forms of prejudice.
Horoskop! Third Year and Upper School students were treated to a wonderful German speaking play delivered by theatre company Onatti Productions this term. The foreign language play provided an immersive experience, aimed specifically at helping students to develop their foreign language listening skills in a fun and easy to understand way. This play was about a romantic comedy, featuring a hilarious mix-up that occurs when one of the characters takes her horoscope a little too seriously. French and Spanish students will also experience a live show in their MFL option choice later in the academic year.
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Tracking KES Kraken Back in September, Second Year and Sixth Form students were involved in a project with the National Oceanography Centre to build a 1.5-metre miniature sailboat which would be deployed by scientists in the Atlantic Ocean. The mini-boat named ‘KES Kraken’ has since been launched, and its voyage can be tracked online https://educationalpassages.org/boats/keskraken/. Currently the vessel, equipped by students with a sail and satellite tracker with the aim of collecting data on ocean currents, weather and technology, is sailing off the west of Africa somewhere in the midst of the North Equatorial Current.
Karl Nova visit The UK’s leading hip hop poet, Karl Nova, visited Fourth and Fifth Years at KES one Friday afternoon. His talk to both year groups was hugely inspiring and popular with students. Speaking about his childhood experiences in both London and Nigeria, and how his love of literature and music led him into his career, he also described how his first-hand experiences of knife crime and post code wars in London inspired him to write his award-winning book which was nominated for the Carnegie Medal this year. He also joined Lower School students in the Library for an open talk and recital of his work.
How to design like a wizard! Third Year Design students headed to Warner Bros Studios to participate in a workshop focused on set design and creativity within the film industry. Pupils were shown storyboards, maquettes, props, concept illustration, costume and set decorating mood boards. They were fascinated to see how the film sets were constructed and the immense detail that goes into creating a magical scene.
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The history of computers The GCSE Computer Science cohort visited the National Museum of Computing, located in the once top-secret home of the World War Two code breaker, Alan Turing. They explored the museum’s collection of working historical computers from 1940 to the present day, uncovered the magic properties of prime numbers, and how to generate the almost impossible-to-crack cyphers.
How to think like a snow leopard! Lower Sixth Psychology students recently headed to Marwell Zoo for an animal behaviour conference. During the day, students planned an observation of two related species, looking at the differences in activity levels between related species based on their size. The trip helped students consolidate their knowledge of conditioning principles and how to plan and execute effective observations.
The Science Roadshow is back!
Mr Herklots’s ever-popular Science Roadshow ‘Sounds Amazing’ has been visiting local prep schools this term. Joined by Sixth Form scientists, the show aims to explain many aspects of Physics in a simplistic and interactive way, and features an abundance of demonstrations that are always enjoyed by the younger pupils.
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Co-curricular Digital Wellbeing Week In February we held a Digital Wellbeing Week. Students had the opportunity to take part in a range of activities during the school day, as well as choosing to participate in a ‘no tech evening’. The week ran in parallel with the National Youth Mental Health Week, with KES focusing specifically on online mental health. The aim of the week was to highlight to students how to stay safe, happy and healthy with the internet, social media and phones. As part of the timetable of events, Digital Leaders attended a training day with the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire. They were educated on the importance of digital footprints, cyber scams, digital wellbeing, and were equipped with the skills and knowledge to help and support their peers. These students are now officially part of the Cyber Ambassadors’ network, and are looking forward to putting their new knowledge to work. We also welcomed a representative from No Limits, Southampton who delivered a talk to all Second, Third and Fourth Year students on social media and mental health. To round off the week, First Year students attended a session on the theory of ‘flow’ state by Mr Blow. Pupils learnt how performing an activity that is fully immersive can bring enjoyment and relaxation, before putting the theory to the test through a creative drawing and writing task.
World Book Week The week leading up to World Book Day was a hive of literary activity and fun. Library Leaders kicked off the week with an assembly launching the KES readathon and introducing the plans to raise money for Southampton Children’s Hospital School. A games stall, second hand book stall and bake sale all contributed to the fundraising, with the aim of helping to purchase of a ‘Hare of Southampton’ that pupils of the hospital school can design and decorate as part of their art therapy. Throughout the week, another highlight for students was seeing staff sat reading in the ‘sitting room’ set up in the Crush Hall. Their presence prompted students to ask them about the book they were reading, broadening their awareness of a wide range of literary genres. We were also treated to a visit from author, Costa Book Award winner and Women’s Prize for Fiction nominee, Claire Fuller. Claire met with Sixth Form students and took them on her journey from working in marketing to becoming the award-winning author of ‘Unsettled Ground’.
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Helping Ukraine As events unfolded in Ukraine in March, the School volunteered to collect donations for refugees on the Polish/ Ukrainian border, on behalf of the Polish Social Club in Portswood. As ever, our amazingly generous community of students, parents, staff and friends were extraordinarily generous and filled over 300 crates with blankets, duvets, warm clothes, medical supplies, canned food and much more. The donations were sorted by members of the Sixth Form Charity Commission ready to be shipped.
Greenpower
Ski Club
The KES Greenpower team is excited to be back and preparing for the 2022 racing season. After an enforced break from all events due to the pandemic, the Greenpower Education Trust has now confirmed that there will be a qualifying heat at Goodwood Race Circuit in May. With a second car to build, the KES team are now very busy getting both cars up and running in time for the heats.
This term has seen the launch of a brand new club: Ski Club! Students have been heading over to the Southampton Alpine Snowsports Centre, to improve their skiing and to learn how to slalom race. They have been racing down the course on Tuesdays after school with the course getting progressively harder each time.
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Feminist Society This term the Feminist Society offered purple ribbons to members of the school community for them to demonstrate their collective support for gender equality. During an assembly on the after effects of the murder of Sarah Everard in March 2021, members of the society highlighted what positive steps we could all take to support gender equality together, taking each other’s life experiences, points of view and feelings into consideration, and building a better, more respectful world. On International Women’s Day in March, members of the society delivered another whole school assembly based around a Breaking Barriers theme. They championed figures they found inspiring and reminded pupils and staff of the importance of challenging stereotypes and supporting gender equality.
PDSA partnership At the beginning of March, KES students joined their buddies from Portsmouth Down Syndrome Association, for a Friday evening of swimming and fun in the water at Romsey Rapids! The event was part of the school’s on-going partnership (ably led by Mr Miller) with the organisation, helping young people to develop meaningful relationships and enjoy social opportunities with peers of their own age.
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Rock your socks On World Down Syndrome Day, which is marked each year on March 21st (the 21st day of the 3rd month signifies the triplication of the 21st chromosome which causes Down Syndrome), members of the school community were invited to ‘rock their socks’ by wearing the craziest most mismatched pair of socks they could find. The ‘Rock your Socks’ awareness campaign aims to help raise public awareness and create a single global voice for advocating for the rights, inclusion and well-being of people with Down syndrome.
KESPTA Quiz Members of the KESPTA social committee organised a highly successful Quiz Night, for parents and the wider KES community, in March. Fourteen teams all battled it out for the winner’s crown with a final 3 way tie for 1st place. The eventual winners were ‘The League of Extraordinary Guessers’. Thank you to members of the KESPTA social committee who organised and ran the event, raising £1300 in the process.
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Creative Arts Art Trip to London
Sixth Form Fine Art students and A Level photographers travelled to London this term to view works of art first-hand. In the morning they visited Sebastião Salgado’s Amazônia exhibition before travelling to the National Gallery in the afternoon to seek further inspiration for their coursework projects.
Music Competition Entrants for this year’s annual Music Competition gave thirty mesmerising performances. Adjudicator, Julian Clarkson, an English baritone, best known for his work with the Monteverdi Choir, was filled with praise for each of the students and gave everyone who participated one-to-one feedback after their individual performances. It was a difficult task to choose from such talent but the eventual winners were Freya (Grade V-VII category) and Tom (Grade VIII+ category). The four runner-up positions went to Ozan and Ben (Grade V-VII category) alongside Sophie and Rosa (Grade VIII+ category).
Acting workshop Actor, Edward Bennett, visited drama students at KES this term. Edward has vast experience as an actor on stage and screen, having worked with a range of companies and directors, from ‘The Royal Shakespeare Company’ to playing Freddie in Peter Hall’s ‘Pygmalion’. Edward spoke with students from Fourth Year through to Sixth Form, helping to develop devised scenes through the use of rhetoric and debate. He also delivered a special masterclass on character development, vocal exploration and physicalisation with GCSE and A Level students.
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Dance Gala The annual Dance Gala, with the theme of ‘A Night at the Movies’ brought colour, music and an enormous amount of energy and talent to the Dobson Theatre in February. During the evening, members of the audience were whirled through the silver screen, as they witnessed the talents of students from across the School who performed various popular dance classics from the movies in a variety of different styles.
Battle of the Bands This year’s Battle of the Bands was an outstanding success. The atmosphere and performances were electric and delighted the audience. Many of the performers are also songwriters and treated the packed Dobson Theatre to some original songs, alongside some great classics. The judges were all impressed with the confidence, energy and commitment on show. As ever, the event is an important fundraiser for the Summer Camp Team, who organise a summer trip away for some of Southampton’s young carers.
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Junior Spring Concert February saw the return of our Junior Spring Concert. It was a glorious evening of musicianship and a celebration of live music and included performances from Sinfonia, First Year Choir and Swing Band; all of whom showcased the community and team spirit of the young musicians. Soloists also sparkled with captivating performances from a wide range of composers all beautifully introduced and professionally performed by the Lower School.
Senior Spring Concert Always a highlight of the school year, the Senior Spring Concert showcases the very best of musical talent amongst pupils at KES. One of this year’s highlights was a spellbinding piano concerto performance by Sixth Form Music Scholar, Adam, accompanied by the Symphony Orchestra. Soloists treated us to their usual broad range of composers with repertoire from Mozart arias to Broadway classics, and there were also further treats from Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, Chamber Choir and Big Band delighting us with repertoire to get our feet tapping!
Romsey Abbey Showcase Concert As part of our showcase season, musicians gave a recital at Romsey Abbey in March delighting in the opportunity to perform publicly in such a stunning venue with such fabulous acoustics. KES musicians produced their own programme notes and introduced their works to the audience, gaining valuable experience in the public arena and on the concert stage.
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Peter Folkes Art Exhibition The annual Peter Folkes Art Exhibition event aims to promote and encourage art and creativity in local preparatory schools and, this year, took place once again in the Atrium Gallery and Art Studios. Pupils from eleven schools submitted their work for exhibition and the range of work and sheer creativity on display was a delight for all to see. Over 200 parents, staff and pupils from our feeder prep schools attended the event which was a fantastic celebration of students’ work and a lovely opportunity to make connections and encourage art across the board.
No Time like the Present Following the tradition of a bit of physics, romance, farce and song & dance, this year’s science musical No Time Like the Present was a hedonistic night of fun for all. Written by our very own Mr Herklots, the evening saw exciting performances from pupils and staff alike and was a light-hearted evening of musical theatre and physics!.
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Sport
Netball In February, the U12 and U13 netball teams took part in a netball festival at Wellington Sports Ground. KES teams played each other, as well as two Stroud School teams, making for a highly enjoyable and fast-paced event. Both the U16 and U19 teams qualified for the regional rounds of the National Schools’ Competitions earlier in the season. They faced some tough opposition teams in this next stage of the competition but both teams fought well and played some great netball. The U12, U13 and U15 sides also entered the competition in their respective age groups. The U13s progressed through to the second round but were then unfortunately knocked out at this stage.
Indoor Hockey This term both the U16 girls’ and boys’ indoor hockey teams reached the Indoor Hockey National Finals that took place in Repton and Croydon respectively. This is the first time that the girls’ team have progressed to this stage of the competition. After a superb demonstration of hockey from both teams, the U16 girls finished in 7th place, whilst the U16 boys reached the semi-final and were placed 3rd overall.
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Boys’ Hockey As well as playing regular weekend fixtures, the KES boys’ hockey teams have been competing in the Hampshire Cup this term with some great results. In the U18 cup competition, the 1st XI side finished in 2nd place whilst both the U14 and U13 sides won their age groups to become Hampshire Cup winners. This is a brilliant achievement for our younger players and bodes well for the future. In the regional rounds, the U14 boys narrowly missed out on making it to the national finals when they lost on flicks, in the final, whilst the U13 boys lost in the semi-finals to the eventual winners. The 1st XI boys’ team played in the 43rd St George’s Sixes Festival in March finishing second in their pool matches by just one point. They then progressed to the Plate Competition, where they won their quarter and semi final matches but sadly lost in the final on flicks to Reeds School.
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Elite Performance Sports
Rugby Earlier this month, the U16s finished in 2nd place in the Hampshire U16 7s competition. The tournament, organised by Hampshire Rugby, was hosted at Wellington Sports Ground and the boys played outstandingly well to secure their place as runners-up.
Our senior sportsmen and women continue to contribute to our Elite Sports Performer programme with a range of talks for the younger pupils. This term, Harry, Lower Sixth Sports Scholar, spoke about strength and conditioning and more specifically about the importance of training outside of your sport to maintain athletic levels and to develop skills that directly and indirectly affect competitive performance.
Girls’ Cricket This term, the U13 girls’ cricket team won all their games in the Lady Taverners Indoor Cricket Cup competition to qualify for the County Finals which were played at The Ageas Bowl. The girls eventually finished 3rd in the county, despite having had a great start by beating the eventual winners in the first game of the day. The U15s also progressed to the County Finals where they finished in 2nd place, losing to a good Churcher’s side in the final match. The girls have been superb throughout the competition and should be very proud of their achievements.
King Edward VI School Wilton Road . Southampton . Hampshire SO15 5UQ Telephone: 023 8070 4561