From The Head It seems only yesterday that I, and a group of brand new pupils, arrived at King Edward’s, fresh-faced and basking in the glow of the summer holidays. The autumn term is always unique in this way – it takes us essentially through half a year, from summer to winter, at a stroke. It is also the term in which so much activity and study takes place. There is an old saying in teaching about the autumn term; “it is a third of the year, but half of the work”. For those in examination year groups, this rings especially true. Content must be tackled and mastered in the autumn, to be consolidated in the spring. Besides new pupils, new staff members and a new year, we also welcomed new facilities in September. The library, especially, has proven to be an enormous hit. It is wonderful to see how it has so rapidly become an essential resource and destination for pupils from First Year to Sixth Form. Its popularity is also reflected in the comments book to be found by the entrance. The bright modern style of the rooms is much commented upon, as is the design, which allows space both for informal reading and focused study. As a school, we are so happy that our students have enjoyed their new library facilities!
The autumn term is also a busy time outside of the classroom, with co-curricular sports, clubs and activities abound. As you can read in this edition of KonnEctionS, the programme this year has allowed our students to participate in an extraordinary range of such activities and trips. Whilst the sheer richness of the opportunities offered makes it difficult for me to summarise everything in this brief introduction, I would like to highlight two events which have brightened the end of the term and provided real moments of inspiration. Firstly, the school’s production, in late November, of ‘West Side Story’. It was my absolute pleasure to attend the Saturday night gala performance. ‘West Side Story’ is such an ambitious undertaking. Famous for its complexity, the students (and their teachers) created a truly professional performance. It was wonderful! In a similar vein, I would like to highlight the Carol Service at Romsey Abbey at the end of term. It was a joy to attend this event last year, long before my headship at KES began. It made me burst with pride to attend again this year, but now as your Head. The quality of
music and readings, along with the palpable sense of community and togetherness at the service, was inspiring. I also took the opportunity to sing in the choir, a personal highlight of the term for me. Elsewhere, I have enjoyed getting to know our KES PTA and attended their wonderful wine-tasting event in November. I am now looking forward to our new ambitious project to fundraise (through the PTA) for a garden for our students at the Hill Lane end of the site. This will be a superb addition to our outdoor space and I would urge all parents to support the PTA’s fundraising efforts towards this goal over the coming months. The pupils have been outstanding ambassadors for the school all term. They have worked hard, but retained their sense of fun and of respect and care for one another. They have earned a rest over the break. So, my warmest wishes go out to everybody in our community. Have a great holiday, and a ‘Happy Christmas’ to you all! 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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Appointment of New Head at Stroud School The governors are delighted to announce that Rebecca LyonsSmith has been appointed as the new Head of Stroud School, commencing in September 2020. Alan Morgan, Chair, commented, “We are really happy that Rebecca will be re-joining us, as this gives us the opportunity to build seamlessly on the excellent foundations which Joel Worrall and his team have laid down over the last 4 years. She will benefit from our considerable investment in the facilities at the school, including a new six
classroom Key Stage 2 building that will be completed in time for her arrival. We are sure that Rebecca is the right person to lead the next exciting phase of our development”. Rebecca has over twenty years’ experience in education; she has worked in independent prep schools for the last twelve years but has also taught internationally and in the state sector. She is an ISI inspector and a governor at a local primary school and brings a wealth of educational expertise.
Rebecca is currently the Head at St Swithun’s Prep school, Winchester, but knows the King Edward’s family well, having previously held the positions of Head of English and Deputy Head at Stroud.
Academic New Library facilities After three months of dust, demolition and building work, the stunning newly refurbished and extended library opened in time for the start of term. The spectacular new space allows for additional study and reading areas for students and staff alike, in a bright and contemporary setting with increased capacity.
Prizegiving
September’s annual Prizegiving event provided a chance for staff, parents and guests to recognise and celebrate the hard work and achievements of a large number of pupils, including the new First Year scholars. We were delighted to welcome Sergeant Simon Harmer RAMC as our chief guest and speaker. Sergeant Harmer served as a Combat Medical Technician for the British Army in Bosnia, Iraq and the Congo and lost both of his legs in an IED blast in Afghanistan in 2009. The manner in which he has approached these life-changing injuries is truly exemplary and he gave an inspirational address to the audience. The evening also saw the launch of this year’s Creative and Critical Review that showcases some of the very best work that our students have produced throughout the academic year.
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Battlefields trip Forty-one Third Year historians visited the Somme battlefields as part of their ongoing study of World War 1. The trip allowed them to see the combat zones and trenches themselves, the ever-impressive and moving memorials and cemeteries and, on a more personal level, to pay their respects to a number of the Old Edwardians buried and commemorated in that region. Any trip to the “shattered acres” of the First World War is a poignant and thought-provoking experience and the pupils undoubtedly had their eyes opened to the reality of the Great War.
English Language Conference
Fishbourne Roman Villa
A Level English Language students enjoyed a trip to London to attend the EMC English Language Conference on 16th October. The conference featured thought-provoking presentations from some of the UK’s top linguists and language writers, discussing fascinating topics such as Youth Language and the influence of American English. The students gained fresh insight into a wide range of linguistic issues and broadened their understanding of key examination topics.
Second Years travelled to Fishbourne Roman Villa this term where they explored the layout of the house with its wonderful mosaics and visited the museum. They also participated in a ‘hands on’ archaeology workshop, with several students dressing up in typical Roman costumes and trying out some of the chores in the Roman kitchen.
Languages Day at Stroud
In early November, twelve KES students, along with Mr Lawson and Mr Jepson, delivered Japanese and German sessions for Stroud pupils in Years 3 to 8 as part of their Languages Day. KES students proved to be fantastic teachers and highly capable ambassadors for their subjects, using storytelling, rhyme and songs to get the younger pupils involved.
Bletchley Park visit Fifth Year Computer Science pupils were treated to a guided tour through The National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park earlier this term, and learnt about the significant contributions of machines and the people who operated them during WWII.
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Design students visit leading brand GCSE and A Level Textiles students were recently offered the fantastic opportunity to visit the Belstaff design offices in Chelsea and their flagship store on Regents Street. Since 1924, Belstaff has built a reputation as an iconic fashion brand, linked not only to the motorbike industry but to many famous faces. During the day, students heard industry insights from the Visual Marketing Manager, Design Manager, Head of Men’s Fashion, Creative Director and even the CEO. After gaining a better understanding of how each collection is taken from first concept to being sold in the store, the students were shown the spring 2020 collection and also given some individual guidance for their coursework portfolios.
Essay prize winner Each year the Historical Association partners with The Spirit of Normandy Trust to award young historians who have shown excellent knowledge and demonstrated historical argument around a subject associated with a series of themes. This year’s senior essay prize winner was KES pupil, Lizzy Lotery. Lizzie was presented with her award by the Mayor of Portsmouth at the Veterans’ reunion this year.
Creative Arts West Side Story In November, a talented and hardworking cast and crew of fiftythree students, ranging from Third Year to Upper Sixth, put on a spectacular production of ‘West Side Story’. In preparation, cast members studied characterisation development, in order to create realistic character portrayals which they blended superbly with the complex music and choreography and heart-wrenching narrative. Audiences at the three sold-out evening performances were hugely impressed by the professionalism of the production, in what was a magnificent display of young talent.
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Christmas Carol Service This year’s Carol Service from Romsey Abbey captured the very essence of good cheer and community celebration. With a combined choir of over 150, the Abbey was filled with joyful singing. Soloist Ben Langer began the Service with exquisite poise for the opening of ‘Once in Royal David’s City’. The mood was buoyant and with the rousing congregational carols and superb Chamber Orchestra we set the standard for the festive season!
Amazing Academic Essays This year has seen the launch of a series of Academic Music Essay competitions, promoting listening, appraising and literacy skills in the subject. With creativity a buzzword in the world of work, academic strength in the subject is more important that ever. Lower School students are encouraged to write on a given topic, linked to their learning in lessons. Teaching staff have been impressed by the high standard of the essay submissions, uncovering huge amounts of talent and research across the Lower School. The winners (Isabelle Sheppard, Caspar Underwood and Evelyn Nagy) received prizes, and their work was submitted for the Creative and Critical Review.
A festive Nutcracker Sixth Form creative arts students enjoyed a performance from the ENB of Tchaikovsky’s ‘Nutcracker’ this December. Nothing starts the festive season in quite the same way and the trip provided the students with an opportunity to enjoy the culture of the city complete with Christmas lights!
Music While You Lunch Each half-term, the Music Department hosts a lunchtime concert in the Recital Room. The first of this academic year was given by some of the Music Scholars and Captains and included performances from many Lower and Upper School pupils who relished the opportunity to give examination repertoire a first outing. The second concert was from Sixth Form students and also featured notable performances from Upper School students. These concerts are always a treat for staff, students and friends of performers, who enjoy the wonderful talents showcased in this informal setting.
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Music with the Mozart Players KES pupils and guests performed side by side with the London Mozart Players in a partnership performance this term. Over eighty visiting Prep and Primary School pupils joined us for a fantastic day of workshops, rehearsals and a Q&A session with the London Mozart Players. To round off the day an inspiring concert, given by the combined orchestra of over 130 woodwind and brass instrumentalists, wowed the Dobson Theatre audience. KES musicians performed a stylish Ivor Berlin number with real swing band authenticity as part of the performance and took home some treasured memories of performing side-by-side with professional musicians.
Royal Opera House here we come! Both GCSE and A Level students took trips to the Royal Opera House this term. Productions of ‘Manon’ and ‘Don Giovani’ were enjoyed from the orchestral stalls by KES students, enriching their understanding of the complexity of orchestral scoring whilst enjoying world class artists at a world class venue.
A winning KES-trel! Congratulations to Linus in the Sixth Form, who has won the junior category in the Daily Mail wildlife photography challenge. The winning images in each of the categories were displayed at The Mall Gallery in London in November and Linus and his family attended a private viewing during which he had the opportunity to meet a much admired wildlife photographer who was one of the competition judges.
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A visit from the Royal Academy Following Aelfred Hillman’s prize entry to the Royal Academy Young Artists Summer Show, the Art Department welcomed Jake and Lucy from the Royal Academy for an oil painting workshop. The current KES Sixth Form artists were joined by last year’s A Level Art students, who are currently both on Art Foundation courses. The workshop looked at mark making and observation, before studying a range of paintings in monochrome for preparation for learning to use, and mix, tonal values in oils. The portraits they created were vibrant and expressive and it was a fantastic day.
What is a career in music really like?
A Masterclass with Rebecca Lafferty
Dr Samantha Carrasco recently visited KES to discuss her career as a professional musician and share her experiences with music scholars and captains. Discovering the passions that drive individuals as a musician, and what it is really like to be a successful professional, were discussion points within her talk. Alongside this, she discussed how future careers may change with the development of artificial intelligence but reflected that creative performance is one career choice unlikely to be dramatically altered.
West End ‘Les Miserables’ cast member Rebecca Lafferty visited KES in September for a workshop with the leading KES West Side Story cast members. She focused on communication through song, the intricacies of punctuation in the lyrics, how to use body language, breathing and eye contact to emote meanings. She also gave time to students for Q&A about her performance career and rise to the West End stage.
Art partnerships The school continues to work closely with local primary schools in a range of partnership activities. Amongst others, this term saw a group of pupils from Springhill and Wordsworth Primary School attend a regular after school Art Club during which they explored different topics using a range of different media.
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Co-curricular Trekking in Vietnam In the summer, a group of adventurous Sixth Formers travelled to Vietnam for an expedition trip principally based in the Sapa valleys and the Pu Long province. The team spent two acclimatisation days in Hanoi, allowing them to adjust to the climate and the culture, before taking an overnight train from Hanoi to Sapa where they joined up with their trekking guide. The landscape throughout their trek ranged from mountain jungle to colourful paddy fields, and despite the immense heat, everyone kept up the pace. After five days they returned to Hanoi for some sightseeing before moving south to the Pu Long province for another four days of trekking as well as visiting the local temples and seeing the limestone caves of Trang An from a Sampan boat tour. A truly unforgettable school trip!
A pathway onto prosperity! After a superbly successful year of fundraising, in which they raised £30,000, this August saw another group of Sixth Form students head off to South Africa for a combined sightseeing and charity work trip. For the first few days the students enjoyed the best of Cape Town and surrounding places of interest, visiting Table Mountain, Robben Island, Cape Point and the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, to name just a few, before moving on to spend time at the Goedgedacht Farm, just outside the city. Here, for the 10th successive year, KES pupils assisted with the charity and its ‘Pathway onto Prosperity’ programme working with local children, taking them on trips, helping out at homework clubs, visiting townships and participating in lots of singing, dancing, face-painting and hair braiding! To round off a remarkable stay, the group enjoyed a two-day safari, managing to see a whole host of wild animals in their natural environment including elephants, cheetahs, antelope, giraffes and rhino.
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A summer of fun!
Toy Appeal Fun Run The annual Toy Appeal Fun Run did not disappoint with First Year pupils excelling themselves with their costumes, based on the theme of toys past and present. Their sponsored fancy dress run around the perimeter of the school field raised money for the Southampton Toy Appeal, which provides Christmas presents for local children from underprivileged families.
Shoebox appeal This year’s summer camp for Southampton’s young carers took place in glorious weather allowing everyone to fully enjoy their time away. A week of activities, including high ropes, a trip to a petting zoo and days out at the beach, gave the children the attention they deserved and the respite they needed. The Sixth Form team showed great patience, maturity, compassion and humour throughout. Summer Camp is the culmination of a year’s worth of fundraising activities that allow the group to provide this very worthwhile experience to some of Southampton’s young carers.
The Charities Commission are busy all year round but Christmas is a particularly busy period for fundraising and charitable activity. In the run up to the festive period, eighty shoeboxes were filled for the Link to Hope charity, and break and lunchtime stalls, selling advent calendars and Christmas gifts, raised further funds.
Digital Leaders Conference Over 120 children from nine different schools attended this year’s Digital Leaders Conference hosted at Stroud. They worked in cross-school teams to try activities such as VR, green screening, cryptography, e-safety design, and specialist slow motion filming.
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The Greenpower International Finals Changeable weather, that included some heavy rainstorms, made for a challenging day of racing for the KES Racing Team at the Greenpower International Finals at Silverstone this year. The team have had an excellent season, which culminated in an outstanding result when they finished in 19th place in the kit car category. The team’s performance was flawless throughout the qualifying race as well as the main event. Eighty schools competed, from as far afield as Spain and China, and the Greenpower team can be proud of their outstanding achievement this season.
Tile Barn The new academic year brought the much-anticipated first trip for the First Years and their Sixth Form prefects: team building at Tile Barn Outdoor Centre in Brockenhurst. The tradition provided an excellent opportunity for pupils to bond with the rest of their tutor group whilst taking part in a wide range of teambuilding activities.
Watersports The ever-popular watersports trip took place at the end of August, with forty students making the epic coach journey down to La Rive in the South of France for a fantastic holiday week, filled with water-based activities. The group had glorious weather in which to enjoy sailing, windsurfing, SUPing and kayaking alongside a spot of mountain biking and a visit to Aqualand. They also experienced the beauty of the glorious sunset and the fun of the dune run at the Dune du Pilat – the tallest sand dune in Europe.
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Paris en automne Fifty Upper School pupils, along with six members of staff, spent a fantastic couple of days in Paris during the half-term holiday. After arriving in the afternoon on Monday, pupils started the day on Tuesday with lessons at the France Langue Language School, before exploring the area around the Eiffel Tower and shopping on the Champs-Elysées. A trip on a bateau-mouche was followed by dinner near the Arc de Triomphe. After a further language lesson the following morning, time was spent exploring the 16th arrondisement before travelling up to Saint-Denis for a tour of the breath-taking Stade de France and then returning for the long climb up to the Sacré Coeur basilica.
Osmington Bay
Black History month
Whilst Japan was being battered by Typhoon Hagibis, the Fifth Year geographers were also experiencing wet and windy conditions on their field trip to Osmington Bay. The students honed their data collection skills on sand dunes, urban environments, and rivers.
Students from the KES Diversity Society celebrated Black History Month in October. After a fascinating ‘Thought for the Day’ in assembly on the Monday, Friday saw more lively activities take place in the Atrium at lunchtime. These included an Obama photo booth, sampling of Afro-Caribbean food, some lovely jazz music and a beautiful handdrawn poster denoting black leaders from every walk of life.
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Art and culture American style
A mercurial passage! This year’s autumn Charlotte Exchange provided another wonderful experience for all the students involved who fully immersed themselves in US culture. During the day whilst at our partnership school, Charlotte County Day School, they worked on their research projects and experienced regular lessons with their US counterparts, as well as experiencing special sessions that included salsa dancing and circus skills. There were a great many organised excursions to attractions such as the Museum of the South, the Blumenthal Theatre, the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art and the Nascar Hall of Fame and the group also got the chance to explore the local mountain region with a visit to Chimney Rock and the Wildlife Centre. Further trips to New York to see a Broadway Show, and to the coast to swim in the ocean, provided opportunities to explore further afield.
Remembering the fallen On November 11th, the entire school community gathered for a special Remembrance Day Service to pay tribute to those service men and women who have lost their lives in conflicts around the world. As part of the act of remembrance, students and staff laid wreaths and placed poppies in the Memorial Garden in honour of the fallen, in particular former pupils of the school.
KES recently had the opportunity to observe the rare celestial event of a transit of the planet Mercury. This is when Mercury passes directly across the face of the Sun and can be seen as a very small silhouette on the Sun’s disc. Many students were able to observe the event through the school’s telescopes and members of the Astronomy Society took some of their own images.
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Question Time The school was delighted to host BBC Question Time in October and the Thursday night programme was filmed live in the Dobson Theatre. The presence of the BBC crew on site provided an excellent educational opportunity for a group of Sixth Form students to witness first-hand the complex technical workings of a live BBC production. Prior to filming they were given a chance to attend the Director’s rehearsal, speak with the Floor Manager and crew, and take a visit to the outside broadcast van.
New charity partnership November saw the start of a new partnership between King Edward’s and Portsmouth Down Syndrome Association (PDSA). After a Monday evening training session on ‘how to be a good friend to someone who happens to have Down syndrome’ the group then joined PDSA at their annual Halloween party at HMS Victory on the Friday evening. KES students fully embraced the occasion - dressing up, dancing the night away and generally being good friends with their peers in the teen group. We look forward to future planned events.
Duke of Edinburgh The school is delighted to announce it has been re-awarded Duke of Edinburgh Direct Licence Centre (DLC) accreditation. Mr Parker recently received the new three year licence from Nick Glover (DofE SE Region Operations Officer). The half-term break saw a host of expeditions take place. Thirty Silver participants carried out their trek on Dartmoor where they practised campcraft, navigation, river crossings, and wild camping; all skills necessary to complete their qualifying expedition in Easter 2020. At the same time, a seven strong team successfully completed their Gold qualifying expedition in the Lake District. Their independent assessor stated, “With no exaggeration they are among the best team that I have been involved with over my 15 years of supervising and 30 years of assessing D of E ventures.”
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Mountain biking excursion
An evening with Sir Ben Ainslie
Nine riders from the KES Mountain Biking Club took part in the autumn residential based at Lovaton on Dartmoor. On Saturday, they completed a 32km cross-country route across the moor in challenging conditions before enjoying the trails and skills track at Haldon Forest trail centre on the Sunday.
In October, members of the KES Journalism team were fortunate enough to attend the official christening ceremony of the INEOS Team UK’s America’s Cup boat: Britannia. The budding journalists were able to report back on their visit to INEOS which, in turn, led up to the highly anticipated charity evening with Sir Ben Ainslie and Jeff Stelling held in The Dobson Theatre in November. In conjunction with INEOS Team UK, the students, and members of local sailing clubs, had the opportunity to chat with Sir Ben before the Q&A session with the audience. The proceeds of the event will be split between Prostate Cancer UK and 1851 Trust.
Sport Cross Country Forty-one students represented the school across six different races at the recent Hampshire Inter schools’ Cross Country Championships. All the athletes worked extremely hard in very tough conditions that included large doses of wind, rain and mud. The top individual performances were from Jack Moores (U13) and Celia Brabazon (U14) who finished in 4th place in their respective races.
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Cricket tour to India The senior cricket squad players took part in a two-week tour to India over the summer. Travelling from Delhi and Agra to Jaipur, the team played matches against local clubs and schools, often in very humid and sometimes wet conditions, combining their sporting fixtures with traditional tourist excursions. They also found time to visit Deepalaya – a charitable organisation that supports the homeless and disadvantaged. The trip provided a unique opportunity to experience the culture and architecture of just a small part of this amazing country as well as helping the players to improve their skills on the pitch.
Belfast netball tour The U13 netballers travelled to Belfast over the half-term break. During the tour, both the A and B teams played three matches, and improvements were made both as a team and individually. The girls were also lucky enough to take part in a training session with Northern Ireland international player, Noleen Armstrong. Sightseeing visits were made to The Titanic Museum, Port Rush Beach and The Giants Causeway and everyone enjoyed dressing up for the Halloween party.
U16 county champions In the recent county netball competitions, the KES U14 side competed well to finish in 3rd place. The U16s put in an outstanding performance, winning all their games, including the match against a previously unbeaten St Swithun’s side to become county champions. They will now progress to the regional rounds of the competition.
Individual achievements Congratulations to the following pupils who have all achieved outstanding results within their sporting discipline over the term. Sailing: Emmy Walker, Mathias Potter, Lizzie Beardsall, Sabine Potter and Sam Webb Hockey: Rory Penrose, Alex Georgiou, Bella Davies-Roche, Ollie Lander and Mel Georgiou Diving: Reuben Havenga Netball: Charlotte Dunkley and Diba Mansourian Swimming: Iona Morley Basketball: Rory Urquhart-Hawkins Equestrian: Emily Carrall-Wilcocks Rugby: Archie Callaghan Trampolining: Eloise Muller Windsurfing: Sophie Blaydes
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Boys’ hockey tour to Holland The Fourth and Fifth Year boys’ hockey teams learnt much during their half-term hockey tour to Holland. The A team won, drew and lost one of each of their three matches whilst both the B and C teams won all three of their fixtures. A training session with Dutch professional hockey player Floris Kuipers and a day trip to Efteling theme park were also highlights of the trip!
Table tennis players top league Congratulations to Raaghav Sharma, Charlie Aspinall, Freddie Collins and Oscar Sadler-Abert who, as a team, topped the U13 Southampton Schools’ Table Tennis League this term. They played five matches towards the end of November, beating Bitterne Park B, St Mary’s, Mountbatten and St George’s School 8-0 and drawing with the Bitterne Park A team.
Indoor hockey
Girls’ hockey
In November, the senior girls’ hockey squad competed in the first of the regional indoor hockey rounds, winning their group and qualifying for the South of England Hockey Finals. This is the first time that a KES team has qualified for this stage of the girls’ U18 competition whilst the U16 squad also qualified for the finals for the fifth consecutive year.
The U18 girls’ 1st XI hockey squad played exceptionally well to win this year’s Hampshire Cup. They beat Lord Wandsworth College (1-0), Churcher’s (3-0) and Peter Symonds (1-0) to take the title.
King Edward VI School Wilton Road . Southampton . Hampshire SO15 5UQ Telephone: 023 8070 4561 . www.kes.hants.sch.uk
In October, the U14 girls’ hockey squad competed in the Hampshire U14 cup finishing 2nd and progressing to the South rounds of the National Tier 1 Schools’ Championship. They then finished 2nd in their pool, but lost their quarter final match placing them in the Top 8 schools in the South of England.