Sotoniensis 2020

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Sotoniensis 2020

CONTENTS

04

Editorial

23

Creative Arts

From the Head Chaplaincy Chat Staff Farewells The Allen Grant Competition The COVID-19 Year

Art at KES Dance at KES Drama at KES Music at KES

38

Trips & Visits

47

Clubs & Societies

77

Sport

Berlin Charlotte Exchange French trip to Paris Geography trip to Osmington Bay History trip to The Somme Hockey trip to Holland Netball tour to Belfast Spanish trip to Salamanca Tile Barn

Astronomy Society Beekeeping Club Byron Society Ceramics Club Character Design Club Charities Commission Chess Club Christian Union Classical Society Cookery Club Debating & Public Speaking Society Digital Leaders Diversity Society Duke of Edinburgh’s Award E-Safety Group

Girls’ Hockey Girls’ Netball Boys’ Rugby Boys’ Hockey Boys’ Football Elite Sports Performer Programme

Economics Society Eureka Club Geography Society German Club Greek Club Green Team Greenpower Historical Society Interface Journalism Club Literary Society Lunar Society MedSoc Mountain Biking Club Partnerships

PDSA Partnership Photography Club Playwriting Group Politics Society Psychology Society Rifle Shooting Club Robotics Club Sailing Club Sanskrit Society School Council Spanish Bilingual Club Summer Camp The Lone Pine Adventure Table Tennis Club Wargaming Club

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From the Head Welcome to the annual Sotoniensis magazine, in what has been an extraordinary year for everybody associated with King Edward’s. I am keenly aware that in the decades to come historians, both of our school and the wider world, will define this past year by the Covid pandemic. Future readers of this edition of Sotoniensis will search for references to the crisis – and naturally they will find them in abundance. Undoubtedly the crushing impact of this terrible virus has been felt at KES, not only by those whose families have suffered illness or loss as a result, but also by our whole community, as we have battled to maintain our educational ambitions and to retain our cherished values. It cannot be denied that much that would normally be reported upon in this publication has needed to be delayed, cancelled or reimagined. But nevertheless, so much has been achieved, either before the blight of the virus, or in defiance of it.

I whole-heartedly believe that to allow Covid utterly to dominate a review of the year would be to do a great disservice to the hundreds of pupils, staff members and parents who have participated in, or supported, a stunning breadth and wealth of activity and endeavour at King Edward’s this year. We will not allow it to marginalise all the good that is the life-blood of our wonderful school. This year, we have been tested as we have never been tested before in modern times… but we have endured, and we have flourished, regardless.

Of course, the students most impacted by the pandemic were those due to sit public examinations in the summer. Having studiously prepared for the exam season, this cohort of pupils had their opportunity to showcase their academic prowess taken from them by the lockdown. In place of examinations came ‘centre assessed grades’. As the government sought to find equitable ways to assess GCSE and A Level submissions, these grades were initially moderated by a computer algorithm; then (briefly) subject to moderation based on the internal mock results; and then finally, and only at the very last moment, allowed to stand as initially awarded. For our Fifth Year and Upper Sixth students, the disruption and uncertainty was appalling. However, what is beyond doubt is that our students’ results are every bit as valid and deserved as for any other previous

cohort. Their final grades reflected an honest appraisal not only of their ability to thrive in an exam situation, but in their efforts across the entire two-year course. In many ways, therefore this was a more demanding exam process, and we are hugely proud of their achievements. At GCSE, almost exactly 80% of grades awarded were at A* or A (or the numerical equivalent). At A Level, 63% achieved this same very highest level. As a result, 87% of the year group earned places at one of the UK’s ‘Top 25’ universities (including Russell Group and medical schools).

In an unprecedented year, these academic results were an extraordinary achievement, and testament to some very talented and dedicated young people.

As you will read in this publication, our cocurricular programme continued when and where possible. Reynolds won the coveted Allen Grant House trophy, for the first time in quite some years. The arts had a spectacular year, with key highlights being the stunning spring term concerts; the dance showcase; the sheer breadth of fantastic artwork on display in the Atrium throughout the year; and the magnificent production of ‘West Side Story’.

Each showed the depth of talent and creativity our students possess. They were an honour to witness and to support. We also maintained a marvellous breadth of weekly clubs and societies, seeking to ensure that every child at KES can find a niche in which to thrive and find a natural home. At the same time, our Charity Commission co-ordinated a range of fund-raising events and community outreach programmes. In trips, before lockdown

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intervened, pupils travelled to Germany, France, the Netherlands, Ireland, Spain and the USA alongside more local destinations in cultural, sporting and academic trips and tours.

In sport, whilst we were hugely disappointed to lose the entirety of the summer term programme, nevertheless the vast majority of the pupils at KES had the opportunity in the first two terms to represent their school.

Highlights are too numerous to list, but I thoroughly recommend a read through of the team reports, so that you can see for yourself the dedication and success, of the pupils in a range of different sports and at all ages.

As is always the case, we bid fond farewells to a number of colleagues this academic year. My thanks go to every member of the teaching and non-teaching staff who moved on at this time, but particular thanks ought to be recorded for Mr Coundley, who departed in May after over 30 years teaching at the school. Also retiring after a long and distinguished career at KES was Mrs Wood, former PA to the Head and most recently to the Registrar, who left in August after 13 years at our school. Equally Mrs Hurst, our Data Manager, who similarly came to KES in 2007, and who moved on in November.

Mr Jepson left his role as Head of Faculty for

languages to return to full time education, and Dr Green moved back to her previous career with Public Health England after ten years at the school. We were also sad to see a number of other teaching and non-teaching colleagues move on to retirement or new positions: Mrs Sheridan, Miss McGregor, Dr Filtness, Mr deZilva, Mrs Rayworth, Dr Karamitrou, Mrs Miah, Mrs Planner, Mrs Russell, Miss Rieuf and Mrs Chen. I want to wish them all every happiness and success as they take on new challenges and opportunities in their lives.

We were also sad to see the departure of our Upper Sixth - a wonderful group of young people, who had given much to the school over many years. Whilst we were able to offer a quickly arranged farewell party before lockdown, I am sad that we were not able to offer them a more formal farewell. I want to take this opportunity to thank them all for their contributions, but in particular to thank Sam Thompson, our Head of School, and his key deputies Eleanor Dunlop, Gus Berry, Steph Judd and Arev Melikyan for their support of the school, and their inspirational leadership as role models to their peers. They, as much as anybody, helped me to settle in to KES life in my first year as Head.

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Then came Covid. Just weeks before the Easter break, and with little advance warning, the government announced that schools would close, and that all teaching would need to be reorganised so as to allow ‘remote’ access to learning. At the time we could not know that the doors were closing for the final time in the academic year. We were not to know that the entirety of the summer term would be conducted through the remote means afforded by technology. All we knew was that we wanted to continue to provide KES students with the best possible educational experience, to make it work immediately.

Within days the staff at the school entirely changed routines and methods which had been learned and honed over many years. Lesson plans and schemes of work were re-written, and teaching styles refined for a new and untested online reality. Non-teaching staff adapted their long-held working practices so that they could continue to run the operations and business of the school from their homes.

Pupils too needed to be flexible and resilient.

Instead of the happy social life of a normal school day, they faced months in relative isolation, and hours daily in front of a screen.

We were determined to provide a complete education, regardless of any restrictions. Our teachers provided face to face online teaching

and learning for every child, and in every academic subject; our pastoral staff kept in contact with the pupils in their care, mindful of their wellbeing and diligent in their duty to offer support; our co-curricular clubs and competitions were rapidly reimagined so as to enable friendly participation for the pupils even when they could not meet in person. But we were also determined to help our wider community. From the very start of the lockdown, King Edward’s offered shopping and delivery services to vulnerable neighbours. We set up a mini production line manufacturing PPE (personal protective equipment) for health workers, ultimately producing literally hundreds of visors, masks and surgical ‘scrubs’. We continued, both during term time and the school holidays, to look after the children of our ‘key workers’, so that their parents could continue the vital work of protecting our society and those most vulnerable to the virus. That we were able to achieve so much in that extraordinary, unprecedented summer term speaks volumes about the resilience of our school – the optimism of the children and the professionalism of my colleagues. I truly believe that we can be tremendously proud of all that was achieved in such a trying time. I can only thank every single member of our wider school community – teachers and non-teaching staff, pupils and parents – all of whom provided such support and exhibited such determination throughout those terrible months.

From a personal point of view, I would also wish to record my thanks to the governing body for their tireless support of our school during this crisis. Mr Morgan, our Chair, and the wider governance group had as little advanced warning of the impact of the pandemic as the rest of us, and magnificently stepped up to the plate to provide expertise and guidance. Their role ought not to be forgotten in this testing time, and I am hugely grateful to them all.

But the academic year was not entirely focused on the past, or even the present. We also took the opportunity to reassess our core values and ethos for the future. As a result, we ended the year with a new set of aims and objectives, based on the unifying idea of ‘flourishing’: flourishing academically; flourishing emotionally; flourishing with engagement and in relationships; flourishing in wider meaning – in our place within the world.

These objectives stand together in support of our new ethos statement:

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‘We nurture and support our pupils, so that they flourish and exceed their expectations in their learning, interests, relationships and emotional development. Our goal is that they become intellectually curious, resilient, confident and ready for their next steps’.

This statement embodies what we passionately believe, and what we try to do every single day.

This edition of Sotoniensis, I believe, provides ample proof of this. I am delighted to report that over this past year, KES has truly flourished – and we are determined that our wonderful, unique school will continue to do so for the coming year and for the years to come thereafter.

Neal Parker Head

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Chaplaincy Chat who looks to the Bible for knowledge of God, and the demonstration of prayer and acts of faith to experience him, I see the significance and importance of spiritual matters in both individual and corporate life.

I am sure there are many of us who look forward to a time when we can again meet in larger groups and participate in great celebrations, commemorations and remembrances together and I very much look forward to working with the wider school community in enjoying these events. Equally, each individual whether student, staff, parent or in the wider community matters greatly and I will very much look forward to developing ways of supporting and engaging with all at this level as well.

It is a great privilege to be given the responsibility of supporting the school community in the role of Chaplain and one that I find holds much excitement and anticipation. Following on from the excellent tenure of Reverend Julian Poppleton in this position, I am very aware that a great example precedes and guides me, and am grateful for that.

Taking up the position in April did not work out as I had expected, and as many of us have experienced since this time, things are different and adaptation is required. However, while many things around change and become in some cases very different, we also draw on those unchanging constants in our lives. I myself look to God who is constant in love, grace and power and find that I am drawn to pray and spend time in his presence.

Perhaps recent events have also highlighted something of both the frailty and resilience of all people and that we have a common humanity. This humanity has a spiritual element that we see evident in many different forms across the world and within individuals. As a Christian,

Ultimately, in this role of Chaplain, a love for Jesus Christ and a love and concern for the wellbeing of people and all of creation will motivate me. The grace of God, demonstrated much through the lives of many others in our community, will sustain me.

Mr Robinson

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Staff Farewells Kevin Coundley Kevin was, undoubtedly, an institution within an institution, working at KES for 31 years following his arrival from Brighton College in 1989, inspiring admiration, affection and reverence (in equal measure) from generations of historians, and warm feelings and friendship from innumerable colleagues.

Kevin is a man possessed of an endless fascination for the past, engaging with relish with both the broad sweep of great events and grand strategy, and the nuances and absurdities of everyday life in days gone past. It is this encyclopaedic knowledge of the past, this love of idiosyncrasy matched with a calm and deeply felt sense of responsibility for the pupils, that have made him such a remarkable history teacher.

Hundreds of KES historians have good reason to be eternally grateful to Kevin for his stewardship of their learning, and every Head

of History has known the comfort of having Kevin to rely on for sound and carefully thought through advice in times of difficulty and stress.

Kevin has, of course, left his mark well beyond the classroom; he has been a meticulously well-organised academic and pastoral tutor, a hugely effective examinations administrator and organiser of Speech Day, a reliable and charming presence on innumerable school trips and an imaginative and highly successful steward of the Senior Historical Society.

The Senior Historical Society, well-known for the academic quality of its talks from both internal and external speakers, is a vital part of the intellectual landscape at KES and it is thus appropriate that, from September 2020, it will be renamed “The Coundley Historical Society� as a mark of gratitude from the department that Kevin

served so well. Kevin will be hugely missed by all those that he came across for his intelligence, his engaging humour, his love of his subject, his passionate belief in academic pursuits for their own sake, his calmness and focus and, above all, for his humanity.

Kevin leaves with the best wishes of the whole History Department and Common Room for a long and happy retirement in sunny Downton, and in the hope that we may see him at a future meeting of what is now his Society.

Mr Diver

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Kevin Jepson Kevin joined King Edward’s in 2017 as Head of German, previously working for ten years at Dulwich College.

After one year, he became Head of the Languages Faculty, overseeing a growth in A Level numbers, the expansion of the school’s Linguistics Olympiad club, and leading the Faculty’s celebration of the European Day of Languages.

be great company whilst working on trips and visits.

A talented and respected teacher, Kevin will be much missed by his students. Not only a superb linguist and master of obscure grammar points, he also takes with him an encyclopaedic knowledge of 1990s pop music, and leaves behind one of the most impeccably tidy desks in the school.

Averaging two residential trips a year and numerous DofE expeditions, he is known by his colleagues to

Kevin’s departure is a loss to us, and the wider profession, as he leaves to undertake an MA in

Interpreting and Translating at the University of Bath.

Dr Waymark

Sarah Hurst Sarah joined the school in 2007 as a Data Administrator. By 2008 she had already become Data Manager, and had expanded the Data Team from one to two, and subsequently three. She was responsible for the school’s migration to iSAMS as its Management Information System (MIS), and as we were one of their first schools, was fairly instrumental in helping them to develop the platform.

Sarah also helped develop King Edward’s bus data management system (KETABUS), and built the backend database which we still use to manage our bus service. She spent many hours helping Stroud School with their data systems after their acquisition in 2012, and took over the responsibility for their

systems in 2017.

Sarah was well-loved by all her colleagues. She had a fierce wit and a great dedication to the school.

She would regularly work well outside her contractual hours to make sure other staff had access to the systems they needed and also helped my predecessor organise the KES ICT conference held each year.

Because of Sarah’s involvement with iSAMS, she helped organise and host several extremely successful iSAMS User days at KES, and User groups for the South East and South West. It is no surprise that eventually iSAMS managed to convince her to join their team, and she left us in November 2019 to take up a post with them as an Implementation Project Success Manager, working

to help new schools migrate to the system.

Sarah leaves with our huge gratitude for all that she has done to ensure our data systems are as robust and secure as they are, and with our very best wishes for the next stage in her career. Her contributions to the nonteaching staff Secret Santa will be especially missed.

Mr Rokison

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Viv Green Viv joined King Edward’s in September 2010 having previously worked for Public Health England at Porton Down, Salisbury.

She immediately impressed many with her conscientious approach to all aspects of her teaching, showing a great understanding of her subject and a desire to engage and enthuse her students.

In addition to becoming a highly-valued and respected teacher of Chemistry and Junior Science she became involved in many co-curricular activities. She very quickly qualified as a Silver trainer for Duke of Edinburgh expeditions and then offered her services every year, always accepting the more brutal challenge of a trip to Dartmoor, over

a sunny summer’s day in a New Forest car park.

Viv’s phenomenal organisational skills were legend by the time she had organised and directed her first South Coast Kings Rugby Tournament and it wasn’t long before many members of staff came knocking on her door, including yours truly. The pinnacle of her administrative feats was undoubtedly the challenge of Physics musicals and Science and Technology festivals. Mr Herklots was quoted as saying, “they simply wouldn’t have been possible without her”.

In February 2020, Viv left KES and went back to work for Public Health England; little did she, or the world, appreciate the maelstrom

that was about to hit us and how vital her new role was about to become.

Viv is already much missed in the Chemistry Department for her dedication, loyalty and, above all, love and support she offered to colleagues and students. We wish her, her husband Mike and her family our very best wishes for the future.

Mr Cross

Trish Wood Trish joined King Edward’s in August 2007 as a receptionist and very soon made her mark. She is incredibly organised and efficient and her friendly and welcoming manner make her the perfect first contact for anyone visiting the school.

In 2010 she became SMT Secretary and then in 2014 PA to the then Head, Mr Julian Thould. She fulfilled this role for five years successfully juggling a multitude of tasks, organising Julian’s diary and was the first person to go to if any member of the school wanted to know anything, however unrelated to her own area and job! Trish is a whirlwind of activity and action.

She is bright, thoughtful, assertive and proactive and in September 2019 she took on the role of Registrar’s PA. She is a joy to work with, is good company at all times and retains her happy disposition even when the phone doesn’t stop ringing!

Trish has always fully immersed herself in school life. She has been an active member of the Cactus Club, joining Mr Giles on many trips and forays to different destinations including Kew Gardens and the Eden Project. She has also enjoyed being a committed member of the Byron Society accompanying Mr Smart and pupils in dramatic adventures! In 2012 she took part in the South Africa trip to

Goedgedacht.

I have loved working with Trish this year and shall miss her enormously. We wish her every happiness in her retirement and hope that at least sometimes she will sit and put her feet up and admire her cactus collection!

Mrs Sheppard

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Helen Sheridan Helen has obviously got qualities that King Edward’s admires; having been employed by the school not once, not twice, but three times. She first arrived at KES to cover a long-term sabbatical for a member of staff in the Design and Technology Department.

Unfortunately, the end of the sabbatical saw the end of Helen’s contract and it wasn’t until a couple of years later, when a longterm cover was required, that Helen was again asked to step in. When the end of that contract coincided with a vacancy within the department, Helen was the obvious choice.

During her time at King Edward’s Helen’s vast knowledge and understanding of the subject has meant that she

has become a ‘go to’ source, not only for staff and students in the department, but for the much wider school community.

Invariably cheerful, her cando attitude has seen her work miracles on a myriad of staff manufacturing problems. Whether it’s bits for boats or gowns for balls, Helen Sheridan has been the person to see.

Helen’s forthright Yorkshire approach and (for Southampton!) broad Yorkshire accent has become a fixture in the department that will be hard to replace. In addition to her departmental skills Helen has been a stalwart of the school sailing club, has introduced ceramics, both as a club and at Sixth Form level and had involvement with training

and supervision for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

She is a much loved colleague and will be sorely missed by us all. We can only hope that her invites to go sailing in the Balearics will allow a number of us to keep in close contact.

Mr Barker

Gemma McGregor Gemma joined KES in the summer of 2017 with a degree in Marine Biology from Newcastle University.

Her passion for marine ecology has continued, with time each summer spent assisting in turtle conservation in Greece, this summer’s trip only curtailed by a global pandemic.

She has become known for her well-planned lessons and the effort she makes with students who may be struggling with biology or Junior Science. Some of her resources are now used by other department members and will remain in

use at KES for some time.

Outside of the classroom, she has been involved in coaching netball and in many trips, including leading First Year Camp in the summer of 2019. She has also made a significant contribution with charities, especially Summer Camp, which she has helped with every year she has been at KES. Her contribution will be hard to replicate.

She laughs easily and, in contrast to her excellent academic credentials, is gullible to a fault. Both of these qualities will be much missed in the Biology office.

In her three years, she has continually developed her classroom practice and moves on to a new job, in a school closer to home, with our thanks and best wishes.

Mr Aellen

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David Filtness David arrived at KES in September 2012 fresh from postgraduate research at Cambridge, and brought with him all of the very positive attitudes to academic work and the value of his subject, that one might expect from someone with such an impressive academic background. Whilst moving from Cambridge to teaching Lower School historians on a wet Friday afternoon may have come as something of a shock initially, David threw himself into the job with admirable energy and a real determination to do all that was needed to become an excellent teacher, a task in which he has succeeded with aplomb.

David has a very real belief in the importance of historical knowledge and academic effort in allowing individuals to live intelligently in a rapidly changing and

often confusing world, meticulous personal planning and organisation, a willingness to go the extra mile so as to allow his pupils to flourish, and a fabulously imaginative and inventive approach to the business of putting across historical material in an interesting and innovative manner. This has been the hallmark of his approach to teaching.

His talents have also been appreciated by those from outside the History Department. He has been a caring, organised and hugely effective tutor, a cricket coach, a wellinformed and massively hard working Co-ordinator of the American university admissions programme and an immensely positive presence in his role as the KES Gifted and Talented Coordinator where his work with the Lower School scholars will, undoubtedly, bring forth rich fruit in the

future. That said, David is first and foremost a historian of the highest order; his love of the subject has permeated all that he has done, and all who have been taught by him have good cause to be grateful for his academic talent and his dedication to their academic welfare. David moves to St Swithun’s School as Head of History in September 2020; it is very much their gain and our loss.

Mr Diver

St. John de-Zilva St. John de-Zilva has been the backbone of music technology expertise over the last two years within the KES Music Department.

His passion for music tech, and its value in the creative industry, has engaged pupils and inspired passion across his A Level classes.

Not only has he been invaluable in imparting his expertise, guiding students through the music studio running and recording possibilities, he has also run the Music Tech Club each Friday for our keen KES community. He has guided those pupils with a

flair for composition and studio sounds with great care, patience and support.

Often to be found in the KES recording studio, he consistently demonstrated and communicated what an exciting world of work could be explored through music tech and his enthusiasm will be greatly missed by all.

Miss Forsey “Mr de-Zilva brought so many interesting pieces of Music Technology equipment to our lessons.

It was great to be able to

have hands on experience with the analogue gear we had studied. He organised an excellent field trip to the Metropolis Studios which inspired us for our coursework.�

Daniel Matthews, Ethan Celinski and Joe Linehan.

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Carolyn Rayworth Carolyn joined King Edward’s in April 2016 and immediately integrated herself as part of the Main Office reception team. The school office is such a busy environment but Carolyn took to this really well remaining unfazed and calm - particularly in the midst of the early morning madness of reception!

Part of Carolyn’s role, in addition to meeting and greeting, was the important task of ensuring that registration was correct and

complete every day, twice a day, and through this, she established many lovely connections with some of the pupils who we regularly see in the office.

Carolyn has now decided that the calling of early retirement is too hard to resist so leaves KES with our best wishes. Whilst her plans to travel in 2020 have been put on hold for now, I have no doubt that her life post KES will remain busy and fulfilled. The staff and pupils at KES will miss her

and thank her for her four years of commitment to the school and the team.

Mrs Canty

Alex Karamitrou Alex joined the Science Department as a Chemistry Technician in January 2018 at a time when the demands from teachers are at their highest and the weather is at its most miserable. Fortunately for us, the school had found, in Alex, an absolute gem.

She hit the ground running and provided outstanding support right from her first day. She was blessed with superb organisational skills, a highly conscientious attitude and, above all, a wonderful sense of humour; I don’t think she ever stopped smiling throughout her whole time at KES, despite having to interact

with me on a daily basis.

In the summer term of 2018 Alex made it her mission to get the Prep Room fit for purpose and dedicated many, many hours to achieve her goal; Mary Poppins would have been proud of her. She continued to offer excellent support during the 2018/19 academic year and, from a personal point of view, I would like to express my sincere thanks for all the help she gave me in the summer term with the editing and publication of the Sixth Form core practicals.

Sadly, Alex decided to

Rojena Miah Rojena joined King Edward’s two years ago and quickly established herself as an incredibly hardworking individual. She worked tirelessly to organise the Junior Science laboratories as well as the prep room.

Although she was not at KES for very long, all her efforts will most certainly be

remembered. Her friendly persona and general positivity will certainly be missed by the Science teaching staff as well as her colleagues in the nonteaching staff. All our best wishes go with her as she starts her new career, training as a Pharmacy Assistant.

Miss Downing

leave KES at the end of the autumn term 2019 to take up a Fellowship post at Southampton University, studying old wrecks on the ocean floors. We are enormously grateful for the time she spent with us and wish her and her family all the very best in the future.

Mr Cross

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Lucie Planner Lucie joined the nursing team at the end of April 2019. Bringing a wealth of experience from her orthopaedic nurse specialist role in the NHS, she was well adept at dealing with KES sports injuries, but found the rugby fixtures in the autumn term to be quite a challenge! She was well-liked by members of staff and

pupils alike and, although she was only with us a short time, will be sorely missed.

Lucie moves into NHS bank work to allow more flexibility with her young family and will hopefully return to KES as a member of the bank staff when needed.

Mrs Cox

Elaine Russell Elaine joined King Edward’s as the Head’s PA in September 2019 having moved to the south coast with her family from her home up north.

Despite being new to the area and the school, Elaine coped extraordinarily well with the challenges of what

is a notoriously busy term whilst learning a brand new role. Due to personal reasons, Elaine left at the end of the autumn term and goes with our best wishes and thanks for her hard work.

Mrs Canty

Kayla Chen Kayla joined King Edward’s in September 2019 as a trainee teacher of IT. She left at the end of the academic year to continue her training at Southampton University.

We wish her all the best and thank her for her hard work and assistance with classes this year.

Mr Mapstone

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The Allen Grant Competition In the year of the virus-who-shall-not-be-named, it was all change after some serious domination by Lake for the majority of the decade. Friday afternoons saw some superbly fought Junior House and a stream of events brought winners from throughout the six houses.

By February, Reynolds, Lawrence and Watts were out in front, with only a few points separating them. Then lockdown came. With no sports day, swimming gala, Green Power challenge, or First Year cricket, it was a very different summer term, and although we had fun activities going on, nothing contributed to the Allen Grant trophy other than merits. After furious collation of those Lower School merits, Reynolds reigned victorious for the first time in several years.

Congratulations to all who took part and to the ever wonderful pupil and staff Heads of House. Now go and wash your hands.

Miss Smith

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A year like no other: 2020 – The COVID-19 Year With the school site closed from mid-March, students swapped ties and blazers for headphones and webcams as the school community moved with the rest of the country to a form of remote learning. Staff and students alike had to creatively adjust to the changes, finding methods of effectively turning home spaces into virtual classrooms. However, KES pupils remained undaunted, adapting to the new norm and continuing with classes, co-curricular clubs, House and sporting challenges but all in a different format.

This certainly was a summer term like no other.

The KES DT Department’s laser cutter was put to good use throughout the lockdown, manufacturing hundreds of visors and pieces of PPE for NHS workers at several locations including: Southampton Children’s Hospital, Royal South Hants Hospital, and University Hospital Southampton. A team of eleven volunteers also took to their sewing machines, at school and home, to produce surgical gowns and scrubs for use by our doctors and nurses within the local care sector. Mr Baker, our Operations Director, did an outstanding job managing these projects, allowing KES to contribute to the community effort.

The school flew its own rainbow flag during the period of lockdown in order to show our solidarity for the NHS and many of our current pupils’ parents and former students worked tirelessly within this and other key worker sectors throughout the pandemic.

In June, we welcomed back some members of the Fourth Year and Lower Sixth as we all adopted a new normality of one-way systems and social distancing in school. Who knows what will be our new norm in the 2020/2021 academic year!

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Creative Arts

Art at KES The Art Department is a wonderful vibrant, fun, kind and creative environment in which our students can thrive and flourish. The studio’s open plan design encourages a wide range of flexibility in what we are able to teach. This year saw tables covered in wonderful clay sculpted pumpkins that referenced artist Yayoi Kusama. The First Years learned to master the basics of understanding and using tone and perspective before experimenting with sculpture. Classes worked in wire and plaster using artists’ mannequins as well as creating Cubist music artworks in mixed media. The Second and Third years looked at a huge plethora of artists and techniques from around the world. The GCSE classes have been wonderfully busy creating work around topics such as natural forms and working on impressive scales and in a wide range of materials.

The A Level photographers have been extremely impressive this year with assignments ranging from ‘outskirts’ and ‘Brexit - the political landscape’ to portraits depicting mental health. The artists used drypoint and large charcoal drawings for their coursework before the lockdown curtailed their final examination preparatory work. However, we were able to create a book celebrating the work they had done.

After school the department is typically as busy as it is during lesson time with as many as sixty students from across the year groups catching up with work or enjoying the opportunity to be creative outside of formal lessons. Mrs Moxon’s primary school partnership sessions have provided a wonderful opportunity for these younger children to expand their art provision with bespoke projects linking to their curriculum subjects. Miss McGinn’s Character Design Club is always popular with the Lower School and the work they do is always inventive and exciting. Their monoprints, produced in reaction to the wildfire destruction in Australia, were particularly noteworthy.

We have really enjoyed having Mrs Sheridan in the department on Tuesdays and Wednesday afternoons taking ceramic classes. Her Foundation Studies lessons have been both fun and extremely creative with the Upper Sixth students loving the process of throwing on the wheel and making bowls, pots and simply beautiful vessels. All the students have benefited from Mrs Sheridan’s expertise and passion.

In February, we hosted the third Peter Folkes Prep School competition with entries from nine local

prep schools as well as showing a selection of our own students’ work. The Third Year students had a wonderful day out at the Harry Potter Studios.

The journey from page to screen involves so many layers of creativity. There are around 211,000 people involved in the UK creative industry, making a record contribution to the economy in 2017, smashing through the £100 billion mark. It was fantastic to see the original artwork and sets that made the films such a global success.

The coronavirus pandemic came just as our GCSE and A Level students were finishing their exam preparation and we will look forward to a point in the future when we can gather all their work together to celebrate everything they have produced.

Mr Piggott Head of Art

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Dance at KES Despite a rather abrupt and early curtain to our dance year, it still brings me great pleasure to celebrate an impressive set of achievements for our department. We welcomed more talented pupils to our cohort of dancers, and they have excelled in the various clubs, performances and productions on offer. Our Dance Studio continues to be at the heart of our department and pupils have enjoyed rehearsing for productions and taking part in a selection of clubs; including Ballet and General Dance Club. The Dobson Theatre has continued to play host to our talented performers allowing them to flourish in our Dance Gala and, notably, our whole school production of ‘West Side Story’.

including traditional North Indian, ballet, hip hop, contemporary and tap. The evening featured a special reunion of the cast of ‘West Side Story’ who delighted audiences in reprising their performances of ‘Cool’ and ‘America’. The whole evening was a colourful celebration of talent and expression and a powerful reminder of the department’s ethos; anybody with an interest for dance and performance should be encouraged to celebrate their passion, regardless of ability. The dancers worked exceptionally hard behind the scenes to choreograph and rehearse their performances and it was a pleasure to see the students take to the stage with such poise, confidence and professionalism.

In November, a 40-strong cast of talented performers from across the school tackled one of history’s most iconic musicals, ‘West Side Story’. Known for its choreographic demands on the dancer, this production proved itself to be an exciting challenge for our cast, but one they took in their stride and performed with personality and passion, to rave reviews. Every single performer threw themselves into this musical with determination and rumbling gusto. It was an absolute pleasure to choreograph and rehearse this enthusiastic group of young performers, and I am still staggered by the transformation of some of these, male in particular, dancers. Each performer should be extremely proud of what they accomplished; they are true professionals.

We are looking forward to starting afresh in September to see dance continue to feature in various aspects of school life. We hope that we will be able to continue our work with partnership schools, offering opportunity to them through our Endeavour programme and various workshops. We hope that performances in assemblies and Services will continue and that even more opportunity for our performers will be available.

As we twirled through February, it was time for the glitter ball to take residence in the Dobson Theatre once again to shine light on a 50-strong cast of the school’s most diverse dancers in our hotly anticipated Dance Gala. Our largest cast to date wowed audiences with an eclectic mix of styles

Bitten by the musical theatre bug, many of our Lower School students successfully auditioned for the Lower School musical production of ‘Annie’ which commenced rehearsals in the spring term. An enthusiastic cast have been working hard to perfect cartwheels and turns for big numbers such as “Hard Knock Life” and “You’re Never Fully Dressed” and, despite the production being currently postponed, we are all very excited to perform this family favourite when the curtain can once again be lifted.

We are eagerly awaiting the next academic year and the many exciting dance opportunities this will bring us. Perhaps most importantly is the introduction of dance at GCSE from September, marking a huge turning point for this discipline at KES. Our GCSE dance students will learn to choreograph, perform and appreciate dance as an art form through the study of choreographic pieces and set pieces from notable companies and choreographers. This holistic engagement with dance informs students’ development as creative and artistic, and broadens their aesthetic, social and cultural experience.

Opportunities to perform at the annual Dance Gala and take part in workshops and clubs will continue to foster the imagination and creativity of our students.

Dance has really gathered momentum over the years and we are looking forward to seeing it continue to blossom in the next academic year.

Miss Barnett Head of Dance

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Drama at KES This year the Drama Department was very proud to be able to bring to the Dobson stage the award winning, challenging, heart-felt musical

by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim ‘West-Side Story’. The production was a true example of a symbiotic relationship with the close collaboration of the Music, Dance and Drama departments, all working together to bring out the best of performances from KES’s highly talented students. My thanks to Charlotte Forsey (Musical Director), Stacey Barnett (Choreographer), James Consterdine (Stage/Technical Producer), Hayleigh Hawker and Alex McGinn as Stage Managers.

It was a joy to direct this production. The play has many difficult and challenging elements, blending the complex music and choreography with the heart wrenching narrative. The multi-faceted themes of love and violence, on the backdrop of immigration and racism issues, underscore the production and make this play very relevant for a contemporary audience. I wanted these issues and themes to be brought out in a palpable and realistic manner, which has led to the cast needing to work on very physically challenging theatrical techniques, which I am pleased to say they accomplished with tenacity and hard work and by really pushing themselves. My aim was to not only entertain the audience, but to move them as they become invested in the lives of the characters on stage, for them to feel the joy of their hopes and

dreams but also the acute pain of their fear and loss. Cast members went through a process of characterisation development in order to create and produce realistic performances. Working with such a talented cast and production team has made all this possible and I am grateful for all the hard work that they have put in to bring this production to life.

Credit must be given to Henry Gwilliam and Ellie Dunlop who both performed the lead romantic roles of Tony and Maria with breath-taking elegance and authenticity sweeping the audience into their magical, forbidden romance. Sam Thompson and Arev Melikyan took on the challenging roles of the hot-blooded leaders of the rival gangs (the Jets and Sharks) and they produced volatile tension that sizzled throughout the audience. Daisy Sutton created an elevated and passionate performance as the Puerto Rican siren, Anita, whilst excellent performances from Edmund Bissett and the gang of Jets vacillated between violence and hijinks humour that took the audience on a journey of laughter and tears. The vibrant, energetic performances produced from the whole cast must be congratulated but everyone on and off stage worked tirelessly, and with combined commitment, to enable this production to be unanimously appreciated by the packed out audience. The nightly standing ovations were well-deserved for all involved.

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Comments from Musical Director, Miss Forsey: “When selecting a musical theatre production in a professional setting, one looks to match the vocal requirements of any title with the cast one has. Who can reach those top notes in the soprano or project the powerful solos in the tenor? ‘West Side Story’, however defies all these rules because all parts demand a huge vocal range, all soloists have to communicate multiple impassioned and celebrated numbers that the audience will already know and love. In essence we had to throw caution to the wind and invite ambition to the table. We all knew from the outset that the work we put in would reward us in performance and, frankly, who can dispute that the musical score by Bernstein is anything less than utter genius, making each song bring goose bumps to the arms and tears of emotion to the eyes.

Anyone who saw the production will be in no doubt of its colossal success and professionalism put, in my opinion, firmly at the door of the outstanding cast who worked tirelessly and without complaint as I pushed them harder and harder with the vocal challenge.

What they achieved through a combination of diligent study, mentoring from professional West End star Rebecca Lafferty and their own musicality was complete command of the score.

They could manipulate, play with and control the phrasing to sing out to the audience as though it was as natural as breathing.”

It is with regret that two further productions have had to be postponed this year due to the outbreak of Covid-19. I wish to express my congratulations and recognition of the effort and hard work that had gone into the productions of ‘The Crucible’ and ‘Annie’, which we hope to see brought to stage in the not too distant future.

The Drama Department has been pleased to support the curriculum with live theatre opportunities. A Level students have attended Kneehigh’s zany thought-provoking ‘Ubu’ in Shoreditch and the GCSE students attended ‘The Woman in Black’ at the Nuffield. The Fourth and Fifth Years also saw the spectacular production of ‘Warhorse’ in Wembley and the whole of the Third Year was treated to the award winning musical ‘Come from away’ at the Phoenix Theatre on the West End. During the time of remote learning, GCSE and pre A Level students have had the exciting experience to work with the world renowned expert in Commedia dell’Arte, Dr Corinna di Niro, who delivered bespoke workshops for KES students live from Australia.

This was a fantastic enriching opportunity.

The Drama Department launched the inaugural annual drama competition ‘The Eddies’ in May. The event was run remotely with filmed entries being sent in for judging. The high standard of performances once again showcased the fantastic performing talent found at KES.

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Winners included: Best performer of a Shakespeare play: Toby Ellis Best performer in a Musical: Lucy Walker Best performer in a Drama: Marianne Brabazon Best performer in a comedy: Jay Brighton with commendation going to Peggy Tomson Rising star award: Harry Channell Best Family performance: Nell Sarton and family with commendation going to the Sheppard family.

Best Duet: Sophie and Joshua Kileff Best Staff performance: Mr Rokison and Ms da Costa with commendation going to Miss Smith and a special mention to Dr Waymark Best overall performer: Jack Costigan

Mrs Gilmour Head of Drama

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Music at KES I have loved reflecting on this year’s Creative Arts programme and specifically music. Not least because memories of events we have shared this year have been joyous but, perhaps too, what I remember so fondly is the overriding comradery.

time to students for a Q&A session about her performance career and rise to the West End stage.

It was fantastic to hear first-hand how our pupils can help themselves and strive for a future in the performing arts.

We always like to launch our year with a jam-packed programme. Thinking it might be a challenge to top last year’s Children in Need broadcast or the Arts Festival was laughably naive! As soon as ‘West Side Story’ rehearsals began and pupils were spending our Open Evening swapping between rehearsals for London Mozart Players and Bernstein’s masterpiece I knew we were in for a year to remember.

Seeing the Arts live, and in the greatest professional settings, is always a must for the talented KES young musicians. At the start of the autumn term, GCSE and A Level classes enjoyed trips to the Royal Opera House, first for Kasper Holten’s visually striking production of ‘Don Giovanni’ with stunning revolving stage, and then Kenneth MacMillan’s powerful telling of ‘Manon’.

The theme of careers continued with a visit from concert pianist Dr Carrasco, discussing her career and sharing her experiences with our music scholars, captains and GCSE students in a new programme introduced this year. Nurturing the many talented performers and providing them with a space to discuss, think and reflect on their musicianship is extremely close to my heart. Discovering what passions drive you as a musician, and what it is really like to be a successful professional, were discussion points in her talk. It enabled our community of creative scholars and captains to start their year with a fresh new forum. We still had time before half-term to enjoy the first ‘Music While You Lunch’ concert of the year. Diverse and engaging repertoire was enjoyed by teachers and friends alike.

In the lead up to showcasing one of the most musically demanding theatrical productions there is, we welcomed the West End cast member of ‘Les Misérables’, Rebecca Lafferty, for a workshop with our leading West Side Story cast members. She focused on communication through song, running a workshop on the intricacies of punctuation in the lyrics, how to use body language, breathing and eye contact to emote meanings. It was a truly inspiring and highly motivational experience! She also gave

Ever wondered what a woodwind and brass orchestra of 130 instrumentalists sounds like? Look no further than the concert that featured musicians from KES and our guest schools playing side by side with the London Mozart Players! A fantastic day of workshops and rehearsals, as well as a Q&A session with our guest professional musicians, all ending with an inspiring concert given by the brilliant combined orchestra. It was a truly memorable day for performers and audience alike and wonderful

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“Performing is a vital part to developing as a musician.”

Daniel Simojoki to share the Dobson Theatre stage with visitors from Farleigh, Forres Sandle Manor, Hollybrook, Stroud, Twyford, West Hill Park and Wordsworth Primary who made our day a delight. KES woodwind and brass players performed a stylish Ivor Berlin number with real swing band authenticity - a treat for the audience. Watching our pupils working side by side with professionals made a real impact, and we reflected with pride that this event was truly inspiring for our young performers. Hot on the heels of this wonderful concert was our whole school production but not before we had time to fit in the second ‘Music While You Lunch’ concert!

It is rare that you work so passionately on a show but don’t ever get to see it! As Musical Director of the KES production of ‘West Side Story’ that was my fate, along with the other pit musicians who breathed every note with the cast from behind the set. The musical score, which takes its inspiration from Latin jazz, dance and classical traditions is fiendishly difficult by reputation. I cannot praise highly enough, the quality of musicianship in our performers - they gave masterful performances.

Before the term was out, we enjoyed the annual Carol Service at Romsey Abbey. It captured the very essence of good cheer and community celebration.

With a combined choir of over 150, the Abbey was filled with joyful singing. The mood was buoyant and, with the rousing congregational carols and a superb Chamber Orchestra, we set the standard for the festive season! After such a busy term filled with all manner of musical delights, the KES Sixth Form rounded it off with a trip to London to see Tchaikovsky’s ‘Nutcracker’ at The Coliseum.

The annual music competition took place early in the spring term with a host of highly polished performances from across the school community.

It was a sheer delight to hear courageous, engaging and captivating performances across a wide range of instruments. The adjudicator mentioned in particular from the Grade V-VII category: Lucy, Adam and Willem who, despite not winning in this category, were utterly captivating and communicative in their delivery. Runner-up was Sophie with her interpretation of Gershwin’s ‘I Got Rhythm’ which demonstrated some invigorating stride piano techniques. The cup was awarded to Nathan for his performance of ‘Oblivion’ by Piazzolla during which he masterfully demonstrated sustaining lyricism and rich quality of tone. The Grade VIII+ category was won by Edward for his performance of Chopin’s Etude No.5 in Gb major.

His energy and all-consuming fire during the performance impressed the adjudicator and he narrowly beat Daniel, the runner-up, who gave an equally vivacious performance of the Elgar cello concerto second movement. The adjudicator also commended Eleanor for her moving interpretation of ‘Silent Noon’ by Vaughan Williams and William for his use of interpretive rubato in ‘Doctor Gradus Ad Paranassum’ by Debussy. It seemed a great shame to declare a winner as the evening flew by showcasing exciting talent and dedicated musicians - all worthy of praise and commendation. It was yet again testament to the brilliance and admirable character of the musicians at KES. The audience could not have asked for a more engaging and impressive evening of creative magic.

Musical passions turned to a different genre with the annual Battle of the Bands. Fun, fresh and full of energy the standard was extremely high. It was such a treat to see bands compete alongside solo acts.

Worthy winners in 404 Not Found showed us how

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it’s done, with their polished showstopper. However, there was no disputing it was a hard fought battle with talent level through the roof. Our musicians sparkled again for the Junior Spring Concert, providing the opportunity for the school’s younger musicians to showcase their musical expertise from solo instrumental numbers to Swing Band, Sinfonia and First Year Choir performances. The evening was dynamic in its mix of repertoire. From Rachmaninoff and Mendelssohn to Schwartz and Brahms, the students performed with poise and professionalism and were a joy to watch. It was exciting to see the rising stars of tomorrow. Scholars and captains enjoyed further opportunity in the term to ask some big questions about the value of music and we continued to cherish informal performances through the ‘Music While You Lunch’ platform.

Before the term finished there was only one thing left to do - the Senior Spring Concert! It provided

another highlight to the KES music calendar as over 90 of the school’s most talented musicians took to the stage. The evening was a platform for our elite soloists, chamber ensembles and of course fantastic Symphony and Chamber Orchestras. Moving across the ages, musical performances took us from early Telemann with the Recorder Consort and Albinoni’s Oboe Concerto, performed with the Chamber Orchestra by Sixth Form Music Scholar, Linus, through to repertoire from modern musical theatre and contemporary jazz with the Big Band and Soul Band. It was, as ever, a bitter sweet event celebrating farewell performances from our leavers and giving us cause to cherish what a stunning community of musicians we have.

Miss Forsey Director of Creative Arts and Head of Music

“Sharing music is vital to being a musician as not only can it spread joy to others, it exposes you to other genres of music.” Sophie Wu

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Symphony Orchestra With a seriously big concert playing alongside the London Mozart Players to prepare for, woodwind and brass musicians from Symphony Orchestra began their year with intensive rehearsals! Learning through a shared experience of performance and rehearsal gave our KES performers valuable insight into the life of a professional musician. String players got their teeth into serious repertoire too in working towards the Senior Spring Concert. It was a night at the movies for our audience being treated to ‘Jurassic Park’ by John Williams and the fiendishly fun ‘Hoe Down’ by Copland. Not before we performed in Romsey Abbey for the Carol Service, however, and ensured the opportunity to showcase our fabulously triumphant sound.

Miss Forsey

“A good performance can only happen if there is good preparation.” Rosa Shepherd

Chamber Orchestra The refined polish of Chamber Orchestra was evident in their stunning performances as part of the Senior Spring Concert. Benjamin Britten’s Simple Symphony may have given a false impression through its title, as this extremely challenging finale movement was masterfully showcased by the ensemble. Touchingly programmed alongside it, was the theme from Schindler’s List, in which we saw soloists Yuqing, Sophie and Daniel soar above the ensemble timbre with precision and lyricism.

The orchestra continued its tradition of working alongside soloists, and performed a movement from Albinoni’s Oboe Concerto with Sixth Form music scholar, Linus.

Miss Forsey

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First Year Choir It is always a delight to welcome our newest students into their first secondary school choir.

This year’s First Year Choir fast became friends, and formed a strong ensemble that tackled a wide range of music. For some members, this was their first opportunity to learn how to sing in harmony, and Tuesday lunchtimes soon filled up with their beautiful singing. The congregation at the KES Carol Service always anticipate the first performance of the First Year Choir with joy, and the choir members felt quite special to have the opportunity to sing in the beautiful Romsey Abbey. They excelled further at the Junior Spring Concert with an exciting, energetic rendition of ‘Macavity the Mystery Cat’ by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and a moving, soulful performance of ‘Remember Me’ from Disney’s Coco.

Ms Hayden

“The process of perfecting a piece, from the first sight-read to the final performance, has taught me about determination and resilience.”

Yuqing Chen

Senior Choir

Chamber Choir

A cappella found a new home in the Senior Choir this year. Members had their chance to shine in the Carol Service at Romsey Abbey but also managed to find time for a quick Thought for the Day assembly performance before the autumn term ended. Working on repertoire that reflects pupils’ passions and tastes has given the group a new lease of life with a vibrant sound! Many members of the choir were part of our ‘West Side Story’ cast and it inspired vocalists auditioning for ‘Annie’. The Senior Choir is the most fun you can have on a Friday!

Chamber Choir offers our students an invaluable opportunity to expand their repertoire and develop their vocal technique. Our SATB choir performed a beautiful rendition of ‘May the Road Rise to Meet You’, a traditional Gaelic Blessing that resonated with the school community during our annual Remembrance Day service. In December, members enjoyed filling Romsey Abbey with our favourite and familiar congregational carols, alongside their performances of ‘O Holy Night’, ‘Gaudete’, and ‘The Angel’s Carol’. They also had the opportunity to perform a cappella at the Senior Spring Concert, with Arcadelt’s ‘Ave Maria’, followed by a beautiful arrangement of Billy Joel’s ‘Lullaby’.

Miss Forsey

Ms Hayden

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Music While You Lunch Performing in front of an audience can be an exciting experience whether it is your very first time, or the first time you showcase a well-rehearsed piece. The ‘Music While You Lunch’ concert series provided all of our students with the opportunity to take centre stage in the Recital Room amongst an audience of friends, fellow students and staff. In addition to enjoying the talent of their peers, students were also able to draw inspiration from fellow performers, appreciating the result of their dedication and practice outside of the classroom setting.

Sinfonia Sinfonia rehearsals have never been so energetic and jam-packed as they were this year. Every Thursday lunchtime, students on their journey towards the higher grades grabbed their instruments and enthusiastically attended rehearsals in the Recital Room. A significant number of new students were taken under the wing of our reliable, seasoned Sinfonia members to form friendships and rise to the brilliant challenge of opening the Junior Spring Concert. The Sinfonia members performed the iconic theme from ‘Chariots of Fire’, Brahm’s ‘Hungarian Dance No.5’, and a thoroughly electrifying medley of Pixar Movie favourites. Our young performers truly were incredible!

Ms Hayden

“Each performance will hold a special place in my heart.” James Booth

Swing Band Swing Band have continued to go from strength to strength this year. In September we welcomed many wonderful new players to sit alongside the experienced ‘old timers’ and got to work on rehearsing more challenging and exciting Jazz repertoire. The enthusiasm and musical energy of these amazing young musicians is always matched by their attention to detail in rehearsals, and these qualities certainly came across in an exuberant and charismatic performance at the Junior Spring Concert. The need to postpone several exciting events planned for the summer term – in particular the high-profile Jazz Evening – will only add to the sense of celebration when they are eventually able to go ahead.

Mr Belassie

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Music Scholarship This year saw the first specially-arranged talks for our music scholars and captains, which were launched by the amazing Dr Samantha Carrasco, professional pianist, lecturer and ABRSM examiner.

The lunchtime events, which take place each halfterm, are designed to give our advanced musicians from all year groups the opportunity to get together, listen to performances, explore important works and composers, and discuss issues relating to creativity and the nature of artistic expression. We are also focusing on practical musicianship skills, with several scholars conducting masterclasses planned for after lockdown!

Mr Belassie

“There is a real sense of teamwork playing in the orchestra.”

Adam Titcombe

Rock Academy & Battle of the Bands “The best one yet” and “highlight of the year” are just two of the glowing reports of this year’s Battle of the Bands where the school’s musical talents and Rock Academy bands not only shined this time but positively exploded! Performances, musical execution, cool attire and the overcoming of intense nerves didn’t just happen overnight but with regular practice, band banter, tapping into their inner Rock Star for the photo shoot and the honing of stage craft every Tuesday.

Rock Academy continues to be the arena where talents are unlocked and the volume goes to 11!

Mr Kotch

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Trips and Visits

Berlin

The annual History Department IGCSE trip to Berlin has, over the past ten years, become a highlight for those studying the subject in the Upper School.

2020 saw an exciting development when, for the first time, the History and Economics Departments teamed up to offer a joint trip. The two groups, totalling fifty pupils in all, shared key parts of the itinerary - visits to the German Historical Museum, the 1936 Olympic Stadium, the Holocaust Memorial and Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. The Economics students were also able to branch off on their own on occasion, enjoying guided visits to the BMW motorcycle factory and the Silicon Allee start-up campus. Any visit to Berlin serves to fire interest in the dark events of the twentieth century but the presence of IGCSE economists clearly added another layer of perspective and outlook that all pupils undoubtedly benefited from. Huge thanks are due to Miss Yerbury, Miss Barron, Dr Filtness and Mr Nichols for offering their services and thus making the trip possible.

Mr Diver and Mr Sheppard

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The Charlotte Exchange The Charlotte Exchange was a wonderful experience for all the participants. The students immersed themselves in the quite extraordinarily different culture of Charlotte.

During the school day they worked on their research projects which ranged from the history of Nascar to a play about an exchange visit. The group also experienced some lessons with their US counterparts; the most interesting aspect of the US system being that all work counts towards your final grade – not just your exam. The students also had special sessions provided for them including water testing in the creek which runs through the school, salsa dancing and circus skills.

They were also able to enjoy many excursions to local attractions such as the Museum of the South (looking at slavery and civil rights); the Blumenthal Theatre; the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art and the Nascar Hall of Fame where they drove simulator stock cars at high speeds! There was time to explore the surrounding mountain region with a visit to Chimney Rock and the Wildlife Centre – stopping on the way back for some retail therapy at an outlet mall.

Downtime was enjoyed with their American host families and the welcome to the whole party was warm, generous and all-encompassing. KES participants travelled to New York to see a Broadway Show, to the coast to swim in a balmy ocean and some enjoyed the spectacle of a football game at the Carolina Panthers or a high octane grudge match between North Carolina State and Duke Universities.

Needless to say there were endless opportunities to indulge in pizza, burger, fried chicken from Chiq Fil-A, ice cream, donuts, pancakes and more Halloween Candy than one can imagine.

The American counterparts visited the UK at the end of January. As well as spending time at school they enjoyed visits to Stonehenge, London and Salisbury as well as a performance of Swan Lake at The Mayflower Theatre. They spent the weekends and evenings with their host families so that they too were able to experience daily life within a different culture.

Mrs Lane

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French trip to Paris It was with some trepidation that fifty KES students, six teachers and a coach driver passed through the border controls at Folkestone on 28th October on our way to France, not yet knowing quite what the UK’s status in Europe would be by the end of the week. As it happened, our long journey from Southampton to Paris was blissfully uncomplicated and, as politics played out over the course of the week, it would turn out that the return leg was to be just as smooth!

After a couple of stops, we arrived at our hotel in Paris, or more specifically Suresnes, late that evening.

Parking the coach was a little hairy and, I suspect, more fun for us than for the poor driver, but we eventually unloaded our things, settled into our rooms and sat down for dinner.

On Tuesday, the students’ day began with their first morning in lessons at the ‘France Langue’ school in the swish 16th arrondissement. Teaching focused on the grammar and themes needed for their current stage of the IGCSE course, and was delivered entirely in French by native speakers. After lunch, the group walked together to the Trocadéro, taking time to pose for pictures in front of the Eiffel Tower, before crossing the Seine a couple of times and sauntering up to the Champs-Élysées. Pupils used this time to explore the most famous shops in France or the Arc de Triomphe, depending on their interests, before we reassembled for a boat trip up and down the Seine, taking in a huge number of Paris’s most famous, most beautiful sights. Most sobering of all was the building site that is the cathedral of Notre Dame,

at the beginning of its restoration following the devastating fire in April, but this was more than made up for by the spectacular illumination of the Eiffel Tower, just as we sailed past. A fantastic dinner at the top of the Champs-Élysées rounded off a long day.

The next morning, lessons continued at ‘France Langue’ and were followed by free time for lunch.

When we gathered again outside the school, we jumped back on the coach and made our way to the Stade de France, just north of Paris in Saint-Denis. We split into two groups for a tour of the stadium, taking in everything from the vast arena to the prison cells, via the players’ changing rooms and the Hall of Fame, featuring all the musical artists who have performed at the venue. The tour proved to be the highlight of our stay, even for those students and teachers who were unconvinced beforehand! We jumped back on board our coach for a slow drive through the north of Paris to the stunning Montmartre district, where we took in the Sacré-Coeur basilica and the artists’ quarter, not to mention the breath-taking views across the city (all well worth the literally breathtaking climb up the hill). We had dinner after our descent, before making our way back to base.

Thursday’s journey home was easy, made especially so by a stop at what we all agreed was the best service station we had ever visited. All in all, we had a brilliant time. I would like to thank my colleagues (Mr Ayers, Mr Hyder, Miss McGregor, Ms Rieuf and Mrs Walls) and the KES students for their support, company and excellent humour throughout.

Mr Jepson

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Geography trip to Osmington Bay Osmington Bay 2019 was an eventful weekend. We visited multiple different areas along the coast on the way to our site, and learned about the formation of sand dunes and coastal erosion as well as running around on the beaches and clambering down cliffs in heavy wind and rain.

The following day, we split into two groups, one of which went to Weymouth to study the settlements and urban areas, and the other to the River Wey. At Weymouth we studied a few different areas and filled in land use diagrams, environmental surveys and perception studies, and we also turned to the public and completed questionnaires during our free time at lunch. Whilst the weather was less than ideal, it did make our river studies the following day more straightforward as the water levels were higher.

At the River Wey, we carried out a few methods of sampling at different points of the river, collecting data for river width, river velocity and sediment size and roundness. We used this evidence to analyse how accurate the hypotheses we came up with beforehand were. We ended up knee deep in water at our penultimate point, however the last site was too deep to go in, so we used ranging poles to measure the depth as opposed to a ruler.

Having collected all of our data, and with slightly wet feet, we headed home. All in all, it was a thoroughly enjoyable and informative trip, even with the low pressure weather!

Rosalind Dye and Alice Kimmance

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History trip to the Somme

In October, a group of forty-one Third Year historians largely escaped the rain in the UK in order to visit the Somme battlefields as part of their ongoing study of World War One. 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, enhancing their understanding of this period of history studied in the curriculum.

Mr Diver

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Hockey trip to Holland After a very early start, we finally arrived in Calais. The onward journey, which google maps estimated at 2 ½ hours very quickly turned into 4, before we finally arrived at the youth hostel. Our first training session consisted of an exciting tournament, which was won

by Mr Hyder’s team, followed by a penalty shuffle competition won by Mr Penn’s team. As the day came to an end, we ate the first of many meals of pasta and were awarded with our tour shirts before going to bed.

After breakfast the following morning, we went to the local hockey pitches to have our first proper training session. In this session we went through some short corner routines, a counter attacking scenario and an attacking 4 on 4 game in the ‘D’ before returning for lunch and then driving on to our first match, against Breda. In the ensuing matches, the U16 A team came up against a physically imposing U18 team that, despite some excellent hockey, finished in a 4-1 defeat.

The B team faced a team mixed with some U14 players and won convincingly 16-0. The C team secured a 1-0 win over a young opposition team with Huw Dunlop scoring the only goal.

On day 3, we began by packing up our rooms before breakfast and another training session. As we trained we were lucky enough to meet hockey player Floris Kuipers from the Almere team in the Hoofdklasse. We all enjoyed his light hearted yet focused approach to hockey as he took us through a number of shooting and deflection drills. Afterwards, we began our onward trip to Bergen op Zoom stopping at the Hockey Republic shop in Breda en route.

After a brief turnaround at our new hostel in Bergen op Zoom we travelled to our second game of the tour.

Tempo could not match the ball pace or technical ability of the A team resulting in an 8-0 KES victory whilst the B team also achieved a 6-3 win over a side that towered above them in height. The C team played

a mixed U14 and U12 Tempo team and although they a achieved a comfortable 7-0 win, their opponents played well and were quick on their feet. We ended the evening with a well-earned match tea as we reflected on our busy day.

Following an early breakfast the next morning, we headed off to Efteling theme park – an hour’s drive from our accommodation. We spent around 5 hours enjoying the rides and attractions. We also entertained ourselves by pulling each other around the theme park in small carts! After a fantastic time, we headed to our final fixture at HC Maarsen. Despite a questionable decision from the referee, the A team secured a 2-2 draw in what they knew would be a tough game. The Bs took away a 3-2 victory, coming back from being 2-1 down and ensuring an unbeaten tour, and the C team also registered a clean sweep with their final 5-0 win. In the evening, we were treated to takeaway pizzas and hot chocolate in the café before turning in for our last night away.

Mr Bassett

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Netball tour to Belfast

In October, a group of girls accompanied by the KES sports staff, went to Belfast in Northern Ireland for a netball tour - it was one of the best trips that I have ever been on.

On the day we arrived, we had an exciting training session with an international Northern Ireland netball player. This got us focussed on the upcoming match against Regent House School. She gave us many tips as well as helpful feedback on our netball playing and this definitely helped us improve before the match.

In the morning of the second day we had a delicious breakfast and headed to the Titanic Museum. Here we had a self-guided tour and learned many interesting things about this incredible sunken ship. After that, we had the opportunity to walk into town, grab some lunch, and even do a bit of shopping before we played Wallace the following day. We went back to the hotel and enjoyed some downtime before a buzzing night of bowling along with a delicious buffet, dinner and drinks.

The next day, we spent a bit more time in town before we headed off to our final match against Our Lady and St Patrick’s College, Knock. This was an exciting game, as we were all playing at our absolute best after the experience from the previous matches.

Afterwards, we used up the rest of our energy by going to Lagan Valley leisure complex where we had an hour of water slide fun! Back at the hotel everyone got ready in their outfits and face paint for the Halloween party in the evening. The evening was filled with games, competitions and, of course, tasty finger food.

The following morning we packed our bags ready to get on our flight in the evening. Beforehand though we visited The Giant’s Causeway where we marvelled at the incredible views and learned more about the spectacular land formations, as well as the myth

behind it. After lunch, at a restaurant overlooking the sea, we were all a bit upset that this brilliant trip couldn’t last longer! Everyone had some free time on the beach before we transferred back to Belfast City airport, to go home.

We all learned so much on this tour and we all improved in a very short space of time. The KES A Team won two of their three matches, and the B Team won one. It was such a brilliant opportunity, and was simply great fun! Many thanks to Mrs Penn, Mrs Ferrand and Miss Cole for organising the trip and making it so memorable for everyone.

Rio Gawne-Cain

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Spanish trip to Salamanca Sin habitación de hotel y sin itinerario de bote en bote, Salamanca no pareció la salida escolar usual. Sin embargo, a diferencia de en la salida escolar usual, no se puede ocultar una gramática española floja, algo de lo que me di cuenta el día en que conocimos a nuestra familia anfitriona. Entendí algunas palabras, pero no fue lo suficiente como para vivir, ¿cómo podía sobrevivir los siguientes días? Después de perderme y necesitar pedir direcciones por lo menos tres veces por día, y de conocer a otros estudiantes en las comidas de nuestra familia anfitriona cuya gramática española era tan floja como la mía, no tomó mucho tiempo antes de que me considerase capaz de hablar prácticamente con fluidez. Salamanca es un lugar genial para mejorar tu español. La gente allí o se ha aclimatado a escuchar un español malo o simplemente son muy amables. Durante el viaje, se cocina un plato español en una cocina de verdad con chefs de verdad y, aunque hace más frío que calor, Salamanca se ve hermosa en cualquier clima que haya y en todo momento. Transitar por la Plaza Mayor te revitaliza por la mañana después de que te hayas levantado temprano para asistir a cuatro horas de clase. Te revitaliza por la noche de camino a casa después de haber estado todo el día de pie gracias a la arquitectura, las luces y la energía perpetua de la España verdadera. Salamanca es un laberinto de calles empedradas llenas de restaurantes, tiendas y discotecas infinitas con sus remixes extraños de Señorita. Es la sensación incomparable de adivinar el ángulo correcto donde girar nuestra llave en la puerta de nuestro piso y oír el clic que redime,

significó que no tuvimos que despertar a nuestros padres anfitriones cuando cantó el gallo el cuarto día consecutivo, para enseñarnos cómo funciona una llave en España. Es el consuelo de McDonald’s en Madrid; El sufrimiento y el horror aleccionadores dondequiera que mires en Guernica; el jugar a las cartas mientras esperas las comidas, tanto sabrosas como desagradables; el minuto de silencio entre recibir Patatas al Minutejo y terminar las Patatas al Minutejo; el hacer nuevos amigos y luego despedirse.

Salamanca y Madrid fueron sitios perfectos para estar con amigos.

Rishika Shankarnarayana The Salamanca trip was an incredible experience and also an eye opener, as we dove straight into the raw Spanish culture and lifestyle. I loved talking to our host family and learning about their lives. We also enjoyed homemade paella and even made our own Sangria and tortilla española! Salamanca is such a beautiful city and I would love to go back again next year!

Anoushka Umranikar This year we visited the city of Salamanca where we were able to put both our linguistic and culinary skills to the test! We learnt how to cook some traditional Spanish dishes and were particularly challenged by the flipping of our tortillas, but it was worth it in the end as they were delicious.

Leo Poller

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Tile Barn

problem solving. First, we worked as a team to roll a ball through a series of different guttering - it was hard at first but a good challenge. Next, we used a rope swing to try to get our team onto another platform. Then, finally, we worked together to create a number sequence where we were jumping onto certain squares.

After lunch, we all moved onto the climbing wall, where we had to work together to keep each other safe. We learnt how to control the ropes and, after a little practice, it was easy. Then we had a go at abseiling. Some of us were scared of heights but we managed to overcome our fears and reached the bottom. Overall, it was an amazing day and we all loved it. On our way back to school, we were all very tired.

As we got on the coach, everyone was buzzing with excitement. We could not wait for the day to begin.

We started with the low ropes where we helped each other with the challenges such as carrying water whilst trying to balance. Then we moved on to

Megan Barriball and Liam Goodman

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Clubs and Societies

Astronomy Society This year four students continued to prepare for their GCSE in Astronomy in the summer, with regular discussions about the course, and topical events in Astronomy, every week.

The highlight of the year was certainly the transit of the planet Mercury across the face of the Sun which took place in November. We were fortunate enough, for once, to experience beautiful weather and

Beekeeping Club For the Romans beekeeping was an important activity.

Although bees were kept in large numbers on the estates throughout Roman Italy, such was the demand that honey and wax were imported from other parts of the Empire such as Spain and Corsica. Early agricultural writings including Varro’s De re rustica, and Virgil’s Fourth Georgic provide an insight into beekeeping during this period.

Virgil noted: “For bees put no trust in the sky when storms come up with an east wind, and seldom venture far away from their hives when downpours impend: instead, they draw the water off and stick close to their “city walls” where any flights they take are brief; as the wind blows and the rain falls they steady themselves through turbulence by taking with them little stones (as frail boats, faced with violence of gales and tides, take ballast on), and hold their given course along the clouds, balanced, and balancing.”

The great Sherlock Holmes was also fascinated with bees. When he retired from his London work he went to Sussex. “My house is lonely. I, my old housekeeper, and my bees have the estate all to ourselves” (The Adventure of the Lion’s Mane). Holmes also wrote the legendary “Practical Handbook of Bee Culture”, a book not only packed with wonderful bee-keeping lore but

were able to take some good pictures of the event, especially since the next transit of Mercury won’t take place until 2032!

Thanks to Joe, Ethan, Adam and William for an enjoyable few years of Astronomy, and best of luck for the future, although I’m sure Ethan you already know what’s in store for you….

Mr Simm

also one which featured as a decoy for government secrets in the famous story ‘His Last Bow’. For Holmes there was a close connection between his work as a consulting detective and beekeeping: 1. Patience Searching for details, evidence and checking facts are necessary during an investigation, and one needs a lot of patience to do them. You also have to be patient to observe bees and care for them.

2. Taking responsibility An investigation may save lives, and a beekeeper is also responsible for the well-being of his/her bees.

3. Preparedness A good detective tries to collect as much data as he/ she can in order to make his/her work easier. You cannot start keeping bees without knowing at least the basics.

4. Perseverance No activity can be effective without it. If it is given, the detective surely solves the case, and the beekeeper can collect the precious honey.

The KES Beekeeping Club is proud to follow in such company. Since 2012, Mr Robinson and visiting apiarist, Mr Norris, have guided the club through many successful honey harvests. In August 2019 we received our first rescue colony and during March 2020, we recorded in our log book our one hundredth member (once a member of Bee Club, always a member of Bee Club).

In the early spring of 2021 the hives will be sited in the refurbished Eco Garden.

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KES bees are honeybees.

There is just one species of honeybee in the UK, identified by its slim, sandy thorax and black abdomen with goldenamber bands.

Honeybees have been domesticated for centuries and it is rare to find a truly wild colony. Our honeybees now mostly live in hives of up to 30,000 individuals, and are commonly found feeding on open flowers that they can easily reach with their short tongues.

Southampton Common and the KES Eco Garden provide great foraging. Keep your eyes peeled around willows, orchard trees, oil-seed rape, raspberry flowers and other trees, herbs and shrubs.

We do have some wild bees too, often known as dumbledores. Tree bumblebees, easily identified by their ginger thorax, black abdomen and white tail, are one of our most common species. They are

also the species most likely to colonise nest boxes, and are found in habitats ranging from woodland to gardens. Some of their favourite flowers include rhododendrons, brambles and comfrey. There are also the red tails and the white tails. Red-tailed bumblebees are jet black with a bright red or red-orange tail, while males have a yellow-haired head and collar, and a weak yellow midriff-band. These bees do well in a variety of habits including woodland, urban sites, gardens and wildflower-rich grassland, in fact anywhere they can find thistles, bird’s-foot trefoil, buddleia and the rest of their favourite flowers. White-tailed bumblebees have a bright yellow collar, a yellow abdomen band and a bright white tail. They can be found almost anywhere, feeding on flowers ranging from thistles and buddleia to brambles and scabious.

September is a good time to come along to Bee Club if you are firing up your interest. This is the time of year that we harvest the honey. We borrow the whirling cylinder from the local association and set it up in the kitchens at school. Pots of honey are available to all members. The very first pot always goes to the Head. Honey harvesting takes place on the first Friday of the autumn term at four o’clock. Sign the Bee Club book in CL2 to reserve your chance to spin the frames and allow centrifugal force to draw out the honey.

Freddie Bestford, Rebecca Chamberlain and Charles Salino

I write with humbled gratitude to thank you for hosting your ball in January. I, personally, found it to be the highlight of the social calendar. Filled with scandal, rumours and merriment, the event left me craving the salacious wonder that our beloved society provides.

Though quite separate, the masqued element of the ball recalled in me memories of the ‘Dangerous Liaisons’ meeting to introduce our new friends to the society at the start of the season. Tell me, were you, perchance, inspired by the candid confessions of our peers on that occasion as to their true feelings about one another when arranging the table settings for your ball?

As to the latter, I particularly enjoyed the story-writing group enterprise in which we emulated the great competition between Mary Godwin, Polidori, Shelley and Byron himself. Perhaps the works we produced will rival Frankenstein and The Vampyre! Though my team was inarguably robbed, I must extol both the ambition and result of the affair.

It is with most profound concern that I ask for news regarding the recoveries of dearest Percy Shelley and Trelawney. The savage sword fight between the two has permanently distressed me and I fear I will not sleep peacefully until their quarrel is resolved.

I longingly await your response, Yours most sincere,

Mrs Pierto Segati

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Aston Hall,Yorkshire, 13th June 1819 My dear Mrs Segati, Thank you most kindly for your recent missive regarding my spring Masquerade; I too revelled in the success and joy of the occasion and thank you most graciously for your assistance in procuring the most lavish of decorations and inviting the most esteemed friends.

It warms my heart to receive word from dear associates such as yourself in these troubled times, and it was most pleasurable to see you in the recent Byronic University Challenge last month. Although, of course, I am proud that my own team (representing Keble college, Oxford) prevailed, the participation of both your own and Mr Shelley’s teams (representing Newnham college, Cambridge and University college, Oxford respectively) was most admirable. I was quite awed by the modern advancements which allowed us to hold this merry meeting. I see that members of all teams must have been paying rapt attention to our patron’s fascinating talk for the Byronic Book Club on ‘In Byron’s Wake’

by Miranda Seymour. I have yet to recover from the scandal of the scathing remarks made by the man himself about the poor Lady Byron!

As we move on into new realms of life, I shall cherish the fond memories I possess of our time with Lord Byron’s society, and I look forward to welcoming a new generation of presidents and devotees to carry it forth. I am perhaps even more excited by the prospect of the Celebratory Regency Ball set to honour the occasion of the society entering its 21st year of existence! All members of the society from past and present have been invited, and I look eagerly forward to dancing, dining and partaking in other revelries with notable personages from all folds of life and society. I hope to see you at this most joyous of occasions!

With kindest regards,

Lady Wedderburn-Webster Eleanor Yonge and Eleanor Dunlop Byron Society Presidents 2019-2020

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Ceramics Club Ceramics Club has remained popular and was being very well attended on Wednesday evenings, until the lockdown unfortunately curtailed our activities. Students from the Upper School and Sixth Form have really enjoyed trying their hand at using the pottery wheels, and have made impressive progress in mastering this difficult skill. We were regularly firing the students’ claywork in the kiln, using the lovely range of glazes bought with last year’s generous PTA funding. Some students have also used their ventures into claywork to evidence the skills assessment section of their Duke of Edinburgh Awards.

Mrs Sheridan

Character Design Club There has been a very enjoyable and creative atmosphere in Character Design Club this year.

The students began the year by designing their own watercolour ‘Patronus’ creatures, inspired by J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter. For their second project, students learnt the monoprinting technique and

added watercolour to create effective illustrations.

The aim of this project was to create awareness of the animals that were in danger due to the Australian bushfires that began in June 2019 and continued burning until the end of March 2020.

Miss McGinn

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Charities Commisson Charitable activities have remained a key element of school life and this year has been particularly busy for members of the Charities Commission. The First Years, in their colourful and imaginative fancy dress outfits, raised over £1480 for the local Toy Appeal in October 2019 with their sponsored run around the perimeter of the Sports Hall. Lower School Charities Commission took the lead on Children in Need this year and raised over £300.

Other events in the autumn term included the Summer Camp disco, sales of doughnuts, advent calendars and candy canes, a whole school Christmas Jumper Day and the annual Christmas stalls. The termly non-uniform day was in aid of Disability Challengers and raised £1,114. Finally, over £1,285 will be donated to Fairways Foundation - a charity to support young people in need - following a retiring collection at the annual Carol Service at Romsey Abbey. The total raised throughout the term exceeded £5,000.

The spring term kicked off with the Summer Camp team’s ever popular Battle of the Bands competition which raised £1,981.26. In February, the Charities Commission arranged a heart shaped lolly and rose delivery service for the week prior to their bake sale on Valentine’s Day. The amount of cake produced was staggering and over £900 was raised from these two events alone. Funds from the spring term’s nonuniform day was donated to the Australian bushfire relief charities. Leading up to lockdown, the Commission sold Easter eggs and Cadbury’s creme eggs and all the money raised went to the Southampton Coronavirus Response Fund.

During lockdown, members of the Charities Commission remained active. The Lower Sixth put together an awareness video to discuss charities that are close to their heart and encouraged students to be involved in the Great Charity Bake Off over the May half-term.

All money raised went towards Water Aid. An on-line Quarantine Quiz also generated over £160 for the Society of St James whilst the proceeds from Mad Hair Day, held in June, went to Maggie’s Cancer Care Charity The Commission is constantly trying to think of new ways to encourage everyone to remember those in need whilst socially distancing.

Additionally this year the Commission have designed their own school hoodies and eco-friendly coffee cups which will be sold for charity once students return to school.

Miss McGinn

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Chess Club This year, Chess Club has been meeting once a week on Thursdays from 1-1.30 pm. Pupils from all year groups have been along to play short games, try out new moves and just chat to like-minded people.

of similar strength. It also provides tips and hints on how to improve, so no doubt some people will return to the club with new weapons in their armoury.

Dr Dean

Lockdown has seen us branching out into bullet, blitz and long games via a website that enables beginners through to advanced players to play against opponents

Christian Union The Christian Union began the year with individual students leading the Tuesday lunchtime meeting with presentations of particular meaning to them. This provided an excellent backdrop for the group to consider looking at the book of Acts in more detail. Using some video lessons and the Bible Project resources, a lot was gained from looking at the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of individuals and the Church.

As Lent approached, a new series was embarked upon. A study of joy and sorrow, ease and difficulty,

comfort and hardship was made using an excellent Lent resource book based on the writings and life of author C S Lewis. We didn’t quite finish it before the lockdown commenced‌ The CU welcomes everyone to meetings on a Tuesday lunchtime where we look at aspects of the Christian life, discuss issues and relate them to God and how he is revealed in the Bible.

Mr Robinson

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Classical Society It has been an exciting and eventful year at Classical Society with a range of fascinating talks as well as a multitude of quizzes. Unfortunately, due to the lockdown, we have had to run the club via Zoom.

However, this allowed us to extend the society over the holidays, providing a great source of entertainment, while we were all stuck at home, with many classical Zoom kahoots and quizzes.

This year we have had amazing talks from our members ranging from one about different ancient African writing systems (by Hannah Smith) to a guide to Norse Mythology (by Samantha MacNoughton) as well as an intriguing presentation exploring the Pagan origins of Easter. We have also been fortunate enough to have visits from some external speakers, including

an interesting talk about the proto-Indo-European language by OE, Curtis Crowley.

One of the highlights this year, in addition to our annual Big Classics Christmas Quiz, was the Classical Lockdown Quiz held remotely. The society also held several debates this year, discussing the downfall of Ancient Greece and Rome and the impact of the rise of Christianity which brought up many compelling points and original ideas. Over the next couple of months we shall continue running the society virtually and learning about more obscure ancient civilisations and their mythology.

Sophia Skenderis

Cookery Club Cookery Club meets on Mondays after school when pupils have the opportunity to learn new cooking skills or polish the ones that they have. Mr Sheppard has made it his mission to impart to this year’s intake the importance of the tidy workspace. First Years have learned knife skills and the best ways to chop, slice or dice an onion. This came in handy when making spaghetti bolognaise and chicken curry. Fourth

Years were adventurous enough to make Thai green chicken curry as well as learning the basics of the ‘rubbing in’ method in baking for some delicious fruit crumbles. Tasty dishes were created by our pupils throughout the course and we look forward to next year and our emerging chefs.

Mrs Searles

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Debating & Public Speaking Society Senior Debating

Junior Debating

Across this academic year there have been many exciting debates on a wide range of topics including the impact of artificial intelligence on human life and the extent to which music that glorifies violence should be banned. The Senior Debating Team tackled challenging motions such as these with determination and enthusiasm, honing their public speaking skills and delivering well-researched speeches with confidence and flair.

The Junior Debating Team has had a very successful year, student led by Beck Chamberlain, Elsa Buerk and me. Together we created current, engaging and challenging motions for the Junior Debating Team, which the members responded to with enthusiasm and energy.

Earlier this year, the team were afforded the opportunity to compete in the Debating Matters Southampton Championship against seven other schools. Our students contested three different motions, winning all of their debates. This meant that they reached the final, where Alfie and Charlie performed valiantly, and with stamina and skill, in what was a hard-fought and gruelling contest, debating the motion ‘Western museums should repatriate cultural artefacts’. In the end, they came up just short.

Reaching the final was an outstanding achievement and gives all of our debaters something exciting to build on for the future. Across the competition all of our debaters – Alfie, Charlie, Leo, Tom, Luke and Madeleine –were extremely well-prepared for their debates, and they delivered eloquent, succinct, intellectually-robust and convincing arguments, also showcasing an ability to think both laterally and on their feet. The competition was an excellent opportunity to meet debating teams from other schools; we look forward to arranging debates with them next academic year!

Miss Goodsell and Mr Reekes

The lively debates and intriguing, out of the box points made by the junior debaters are always fascinating to hear. It has been very rewarding watching them improve from week to week. The club members are always creative and well-informed making for amazing, fast-paced tennis debates and it has been an absolute pleasure to work with them. Unfortunately, in the circumstances, our club was unable to meet in person during the summer term, but the members rose to the occasion admirably and we have had some very successful online debates including our version of Model UN via Zoom. The competition explored the worldwide challenge to transition to affordable and clean energy from the perspective of different countries. Congratulations to Max and Amelia who were awarded the £1 billion prize for their clean energy proposal.

Next year we hope to continue having more thought provoking and exciting debates and I very much look forward to when our club will meet again.

Sophia Skenderis

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Digital Leaders We have had a great year at Digital Leaders despite it being truncated by Covid-19.

We kicked off the new academic year assisting with a Digital Leaders conference in October at Stroud School. Designed to appeal to younger students, from state and independent primary schools across Hampshire and Wiltshire, the conference allowed students to experience a range of new technology with a number of technology companies represented on the day. A series of well-received workshops included green screen filming and ride programming (with the support of Paultons Park) were the highlight. King Edward’s pupils helped to facilitate cross-school groups in undertaking digitally-focused challenges and problem solving activities.

Our next big event was the Safer Internet Day aimed at Third Years and co-hosted with the E-Safety group.

In the run-up to the event, we met with teachers from other schools who were designing their own digital safety events and who were keen to discuss our plans.

The event, held in February, was both a success and great fun. There were lots of stands hosting different internet safety activities and presentations with helpers handing out safety tips together with lots of sweets! Some of us also had to wear some rather fetching e-safety related costumes!

by different year groups. Sava also led a team in trying to make a bus app to give information about the school’s bus transportation system.

In addition, throughout the year, we have been meeting every Friday to discuss and work on projects such as raspberry pi computers, creating apps and coding robots. Business as usual included regularly assisting teachers and students with technological difficulties including fortnightly meetings with First Year students.

Despite the lockdown, we continued with Digital Leaders meetings via Zoom. It was, of course, a great shame that we didn’t get to undertake any more events or activities in school but this does mean that we have even more ideas for next year’s programme!

Max Bouras

Will and Daniel from the Upper Sixth, supported by Ben and Sava, gave a few assemblies on Staying Safe online, robotics and viruses, which were well received

Diversity Society Diversity Society started the year by celebrating World Mental Health Day. The school was awash with yellow, with special assemblies taking place and money raised for mental health charities via a bake sale and ribbon donations. Next up we marked Black History Month in October and were joined by cardboard cutouts of Barack and Michelle Obama, along with free Afro-Caribbean cuisine and music in the Atrium. For International Men’s Day the focus was on positive male role models, with a very powerful assembly led by the Heads of School and others posing with moustaches for photo ops. Finally, International Women’s Day was marked by members of Diversity Society and members of staff joining forces for an assembly in the morning, before raising money for women’s charities with a purple sweets sale. Sadly, further planned events had to be cancelled due to the lockdown, but we are hoping for a full calendar of events next year.

Mr Collinson

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Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Participation in the Duke of Edinburgh’s award at all levels continues to thrive. Prior to the lockdown in March, expeditions were progressing as normal with two October half-term expeditions (one to Dartmoor and one to the Lake District) in which all the members of the teams performed well.

Due to the pandemic, we now have a revised programme of expeditions and it is hoped that we will be permitted to run them from the October halfterm in 2020. If that is not possible, we will revise once again, but our

intent is to provide all participants with the ability to complete their awards when safely achievable.

In the meantime, participants are encouraged to continue with their Volunteering, Physical and Skills sections in a safe manner, but keeping good evidence of how they are managing this.

Advice on continuing with your Award is available at dofe.org/dofewithadifference.

Mr Barnes

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E-Safety Group

At KES we have an E-safety team that is made up of Mr Blow, Mrs Penn and two members from each year group. We meet every half-term and discuss any issues that we have heard about regarding online safety, and try to create solutions that we can share with the rest of the school to help create a fun and safe online environment for everyone.

For Safer Internet Day we used the School Hall all day to deliver a range of activities to raise awareness and teach students about internet safety and online activity. The whole Third Year and members of Stroud School had a lesson with us and all the other year groups could come in during break and lunch. We set up four small talks in the style of a “Ted� talk to explain an area of internet safety that we felt was most useful - from anonymous apps to digital detoxing. Spaced around the talks we had lots of different activities and information areas. These included a KES average screen time board, Mario Kart, sphero racing and a video pledge where pupils

could say what they wanted to do to help make the internet a safer place. The digital leaders also set up an information desk to answer any questions that students had regarding iPads.

As an extension of the Safer Internet Day our group also ran a First Year extended studies session. We did the four talks to inform some of the younger students about how to set privacy settings and specific apps that they will find useful during their time at KES. Each session lasted 20 minutes and included fun activities that were delivered by members of our group.

Members of the E-safety group: Alex Georgiou, Harry Bristowe, Kate Dunn, Claudia Hargreaves, Benjy Groves, Darcy Randle, Ellie Orton, Devansh Bhachech, Harry Stembridge and Emilia Walker.

Harry Bristowe

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Economics Society Like so much else, Economics Society came to a rather abrupt end this year with the school being closed and the country going into lockdown. Talks that fell victim to the virus included the much-anticipated return of Caroline Noakes MP, who had kindly agreed to address a joint meeting of the Economics and Politics societies.

Nevertheless, the pandemic and the government’s actions to address it have given many new avenues of economic enquiry to be explored in coming years, and the school closure has led to Economics Society going online for the first time.

In the report below, Charles Thomas describes some of this year’s highlights. The Society was very ably led once again, with Charles, Kira Morton, and Oliver Showell ensuring its continued success with a range of relevant talks and quality refreshments.

Charles writes, “ Economics Society had another successful year with attendance being one of the highest in the school. We had a variety of talks delivered by both students and experts that were highly engaging, thought-provoking and appreciated by a range of students. The year kicked off with a talk delivered by Oliver Showell and me entitled “Are we due another market crash?” It covered the history of crashes, from the Tulip Mania of 1636 to the financial crisis of 2008, as well as the root sources of market collapses. We then had Kai England and

Matt Duke discussing the future implications of a cashless society, identifying an array of problems, such as access for low-income households, that future societies will have to solve.

We were grateful to have Adam Mills as our first external speaker of the year with a talk on his extensive experience working on national bus privatisation during the late 1980s. Upper Sixth student Will Tall presented his thoughts on the awardwinning book “Doughnut Economics”, an outline of the sustainable visual growth model developed by Kate Raworth before our final talk of the year, presented

by Professor Mishra, Head of Banking and Finance, at Southampton University. His talk was very interesting and introduced the idea that much of economic decision-making is based on memory. The talk had several conclusions but the most profound being: if the economy is a collection of rational individuals, and life experience has a great effect on one’s decisions, then the fundamentals of economics are based on the memory of people.

Many thanks to all our speakers and all those who turned up to listen, debate, and ask questions. We look forward to a packed programme next year.

Mr Culver

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Eureka Club In Eureka Club this year we have covered many topics aiming to think about new and interesting ways to look at things.

Our first meeting of the year covered the presentation of Satan in the Bible and considered other interpretations of what was written. We also looked at Greek gods, and how shocking most of them are to the modern society’s point of view, along with many other topics such as ancient aliens and the secret space programme.

The club built up its numbers until we regularly had twelve dedicated Lower School members who aired views with insight and listened to others with respect.

In time-honoured fashion, the one holding the coconut has the floor. In the immortal words of Cicero, “It is better to say nothing than to have nothing to say”. We certainly had plenty to say. B is the week, Wednesday is the day, 1.30pm the time and CL2 the room.

Jamie McManus

Geography Society Geography Society continued to attract the subject enthusiasts and also those just after a piece of free cake! Henry Gwilliam and Millie Parsons led from the front, delivering the first lecture of the year in full Antarctic gear as they discussed Captain Scott’s ill-fated expedition of 1912. Other highlights included an exceptional talk by Tim Ward assessing life in the Sahel, Miss Downing discussing living abroad, Dr Roe

describing hostage experiences in West Africa and Dr Simon Boxall talking about his work on tsunamis. We were also delighted to welcome back explorer, Charlie Walker, as he recounted tales from his epic 43,000 mile cycle around the world in an evening lecture.

Society events concluded with the inaugural and successful Zoom Geography Quiz for OE geographers.

Mr Brown

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German Club German enthusiasts have met once a week to brush up on key vocabulary through competitions and games. Students from First to Third Year have attended, and all have grown in confidence and ability.

We were able to continue the fun using Zoom during lockdown, when students themselves created cultural quizzes for each other.

Mrs Hall

Greek Club Greek Club has seen good progress being made by its intrepid members. The club is working towards a GCSE in Classical Greek, for those who want to do that kind of thing, or simply towards a better knowledge of the language and culture of the Ancient Greeks. This includes not just the Athenians and Spartans, but any

of the other city states of Ancient Greece from the time of Homer onwards, whether the subject is the mystifying way the Locrians made laws or the fables of Aesop.

Mr Halls

Green Team Green Team was pleased to welcome new members to its rank this year. With some fresh insight and new enthusiasm, some of our Sixth Form students delivered some fantastic section assemblies to the younger students in the school community. The Christmas stalls were a success and we hope that this is something we can offer again in the future. A small

victory was the removal of the weekly “Blue Sheet� which tutors would receive each Friday with notices; this now goes out in a digital format. We continue to hope that the school becomes more sustainable in every aspect and takes steps to achieve this aim.

Mrs Brown

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Greenpower Along with the rest of our sporting seasons the 2019/20 Greenpower racing calendar was understandably cut short with the planned practice days and qualifying heats cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The good news was that before KES moved to remote teaching in March the Greenpower team did get a chance to race in the final event of the 2018/19 season - The International Kit Car Finals at Silverstone. Changeable weather from cold and clear skies to heavy rain storms made for a challenging day’s racing for the KES team. They had enjoyed an excellent 2019 season that culminated in an outstanding result, finishing in 19th place in the kit car category. The team’s performance was flawless throughout the qualifying race and the main

event. Results from the race can be found at: http://www.bbk-online.net/gpt/event205.htm Despite the inability to access the workshop and the cars, the team were not idle during the lockdown months; continuing to hold weekly virtual Zoom meetings. They have productively used the time to brush up on their 3D CAD (computer aided design) skills, using the SolidEdge and Fusion 360 software, as well as working on the graphics and an all-important name for the second race car. Many mathematical models have been calculated and tested to try and optimise the aero dynamics, rolling resistance and electrical efficiency of the cars so the team will be ready as soon as they can get back to the workshop.

Mr Blow

Historical Society Under the stewardship of Finn McCullagh and Edmund Bissett, the Senior Historical Society has had another successful year, with a series of thought-provoking lunchtime talks drawing large and appreciative audiences and engendering vigorous debate. The Society enjoyed a broad range of topics; Nixon’s visit to China in 1972, the Cultural Revolution, Rasputin and the Russian Revolution, Pablo Escobar, the Crimean War, the Suez Crisis, the Jonestown Massacre and the historical and musical origins of Jazz from Mr Parker.

the Society on the part of Mr Kevin Coundley. Kevin joined the KES History department in 1989, and for many of the 31 years until his retirement this year, ran the Senior Historical Society in a well-considered and admirably enthusiastic manner, believing passionately in the importance of serious academic discussion in KES life. The Senior Historical Society is very much part of his hugely positive legacy to the school, and it is thus appropriate that from September 2020 it will be renamed ‘The Coundley Historical Society’.

It is only right that this report finishes with a formal note of appreciation for the many years of service to

Mr Diver

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Interface Interface is a weekly gathering of First, Second and Third Year students who consider significant subjects while playing games and tackling challenges. Unfortunately, this year’s activities were cut short by the coronavirus pandemic but there was still time to consider what lessons we could learn from such events.

Plenty of games involving chance were played, as well as some that tested even the best memories and pushed artistic ability to its limit. We met Simon

Journalism Club Newly formed this academic year, the Journalism Club focused on King Edward’s link with the America’s Cup. Upper Sixth students Edmund Bissett and Linus Etchingham attended the first boat launch in Portsmouth. As reported by Bissett, “Armed with camera and notepad, we arrived on Portsmouth’s windy seafront ready to cover INEOS Team UK’s America’s Cup initial boat launch. Surrounded by professional reporters and eager spies from the opposition, the race was on to get the details.” Bissett’s write-up of Britannia’s launch, where she got “her first taste of water, or rather champagne”, was included in the official programme for Ben Ainslie’s talk at KES, whilst Etchingham’s research into the two charities the talk funded, Prostate Cancer UK and the 1851 Trust, was included in the souvenir booklet.

Meanwhile, Lower Sixth students Elizabeth Field and Madeleine Harris, along with Third Year student Rebecca Vaughan, were able to hone their interview skills through an exclusive conversation with Ben Ainslie himself. These students had prepared questions ahead of time, but they also were able to demonstrate their ability to adjust planned queries as necessary and spontaneously follow up on Ainslie’s responses.

The students were thrilled to be able to participate as professionals and be treated as such. Etchingham remarked that nobody could tell that he wasn’t a “real” reporter. He found himself standing next to a BBC reporter in Portsmouth and realised that, as a student, he was just one of the many members of the press present.

Ms Rawson

Peter fishing and remembered Lot’s wife’s unwise decision. One week we encountered monster spiders and on the 14th February true love was in the air, not only between Isaac and Rebekah but also the ultimate display recorded in John 3:16.

Students with a viewpoint to express, or those who like pondering new ideas, are very welcome to attend.

Mr Singleton

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Literary Society It has been a great honour for me to take on the mantle of this august society from Dr Schofield. The Christmas term kicked off with the Booker Prize Challenge, an inspired initiative which, it seems to me, is virtually unique to KES. Members of the English Department would each choose a novel from the Booker Prize shortlist to read, and then run a discussion session with those students who had managed to read it. Many thanks to Miss Gunton, who ran a session on ‘Quichotte’ by Salman Rushdie; Ms Rawson (‘The Testaments’ by Margaret Atwood); Mrs Hardwick (‘Ducks, Newburyport’ by Lucy Ellmann); and Dr Schofield (’10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World’ by Elif Shafak). I ran a session myself on ‘An Orchestra of Minorities’ by Chigozie Obioma. Even from a cursory glance at the list of titles and names on this list, one can surmise that it is an extremely eclectic and at times even esoteric miscellany. It is safe to say that several of the novels were not to the tastes either of the students or the teachers! Some of them, in fact, were universally panned by the KES critics! However, it is undeniable that the exercise of exposing oneself to such a wide array of genres, writing styles, structures, themes, contexts and so on, is both enriching and edifying.

Huge congratulations to Eleanor Dunlop for reading the entire shortlist: a stunning achievement!

Also in the Christmas term, a debate was held on the question: ‘How successful is Briony Tallis in achieving her “atonement”?’ (The novel ‘Atonement’,

by Ian McEwan, is part of the ‘Crime’ Specification which KES students study as part of the AQA English Literature A Level). The debate was entirely student-led: both sides put forward their cases powerfully and with first-class knowledge of the text; the occasion became increasingly loud and impassioned! Ultimately, however, the nuanced and evaluative ideas that emerged will have proven most valuable for the students’ further critical exploration of the novel, as well as other works in McEwan’s canon and in the Crime genre in general. Absorbing and challenging discussions were also held on ‘The

Wasteland’ by TS Eliot, ‘To His Coy Mistress’ by Andrew Marvell, ‘The Ruined Maid’ by Thomas Hardy, and ‘The Garden of Love’ by William Blake, all of which are poems from the AQA A Level specification which KES students do not study thus stretching their knowledge and enhancing their appreciation of texts beyond their own syllabus, two of the overriding aims of the Literature Society.

The affliction of COVID-19 scuppered any plans for face-to-face lectures; it was especially disappointing that we were not treated to Mr Niall Mason’s epic Dickens talk. Lit Soc relocated to Zoom for the summer term and has gone from strength to strength.

During quarantine, those of us of an artistic bent have been blessed with an embarrassment of riches to cherish on a variety of online platforms: plays, ballets, operas, television dramas based on classic novels, podcasts and more. The KES Lit Soc Google Classroom page has been a veritable hive of activity, with people posting about a marvellous diversity of cultural presentations that have enthused them. We have had illuminating and in-depth critical discussions of the National Theatre production of ‘Twelfth Night’ starring Tamsin Greig and the RSC production of ‘The Tempest’ starring Simon Russell Beale. The final Lit Soc meeting of the summer half-term was devoted to an extremely impressive talk by Eleanor Yonge and Grace McNicholas on Sylvia Plath: the influences of her personal life on both ‘The Bell Jar’ and various seminal poems, and a comparison of their styles and content. The resourcefulness and academic aspiration these two girls demonstrated set the benchmark for future student-led Lit Soc presentations.

Finally, I would like to thank Mr Chandrachud, who has inaugurated a Middle School Lit Soc, thus helping enormously in spreading a promotion of the love of literature; the importance of imagination, sensitivity and discernment; and cultural curiosity throughout the school.

Mr Reekes

Lunar Society Following on from its successful reestablishment last year, Lunar Society has continued to enjoy a huge variety of scientific talks and discussions. Featuring such titles as “How to move faster than light”, “The future of human evolution”, and “Supersonic Shenanigans”, the society served as a fortnightly journey into the science behind our strange and wonderful world. The topics of student talks ranged from aerodynamics to black holes to climate change, allowing all of us to expand our knowledge and challenge our assumptions.

an excellent demonstration of the enthusiasm for scientific subjects cherished amongst our members.

We were also lucky enough to host a geophysicist working for BP, who gave an insight into the geology of the Earth and how companies can apply the science to their operations. Lunar Society more than lived up to its reputation of challenging our keen A Level scientists’ minds this year. As president of the society, I would like to extend a huge congratulations to all the students who gave talks and contributed to discussions.

The heated debate that began at the end of some talks, such as the introduction to Dyson spheres, is

Timothy Ward

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MedSoc The past year has seen a wealth of different medical professionals address the MedSoc members. From research-based careers to hands-on sessions, every talk further illustrated the variety in a medical career, never failing to captivate the new batch of aspiring medics.

The year began with a talk from OEs Megan Dunlop and Claudia Tam who introduced the aspiring Lower Sixth members to the gruelling process of applying to medical school and to what medical school entails.

Lower Sixth members learnt how medicine was taught in different schools, whilst Upper Sixth members were able to gain valuable interview tips for their looming interviews. The rest of the year was equally as inspiring and listening to speakers from diverse medical backgrounds continued to stimulate members.

Whilst we saw some familiar faces from previous years, like paediatric radiology consultant Dr Fairhurst and paediatric and neonatal surgeon Dr Wheeler, both of whom delivered fascinating talks, the past terms have also seen some new speakers give a fresh perspective on medicine. Some of the most notable include Dr Waddington and Dr Ashfield.

Dr Waddington, who is an A&E consultant and also an OE, gave an in-depth talk about the demanding career of working in a hospital’s Emergency Department. Listeners were given an insight into the complexity of trauma care and the vast number of medical specialists involved in the care of a critically ill patient. Dr Waddington introduced members to the concept of a multi-disciplinary team, a concept that repeatedly appears in medical school interviews. Using case examples allowed us to truly understand the importance and necessity of all roles in the medical profession. Many members were also fascinated when Dr Waddington spoke about his time working in Salisbury Emergency Department during the Salisbury Novichok incident. He was able to answer the numerous questions about the event from a medical perspective, explaining just how challenging it had been treating the patients when other staff were unaware of what was causing their ill health.

Another inspiring talk came from Dr Ashfield who currently works as a medical advisor for Pfizer in antimicrobial resistance. This talk was particularly memorable as it drew on many of the key concepts on the A Level biology syllabus. This allowed those present to ask very specific questions about how

their learning is linked to current medical advances.

Dr Ashfield also broached the issue of burnout in medical students and junior doctors. This sensitive subject for medical applicants is vitally important to understand because a career in the medical profession is very demanding. It is also important that applicants feel comfortable discussing how they would prevent burnout during interviews.

In the autumn term, the Medic Portal ran an interview preparation day at KES. This allowed Upper Sixth members to master the technique of answering interview questions and also practise their interview skills. This was an invaluable session, which provided lots of knowledge and advice on dealing with the forthcoming medical interviews.

The Summer Term is normally one of the busiest times for Lower Sixth applicants with mock exams, university open days and UCAT and BMAT preparation. However, this year the term was disrupted by COVID-19. Thanks to Zoom, MedSoc was still able to meet and, in preparation for Section 3 of the challenging BMAT, a number of essay workshops ran for Lower Sixth students. Often students that are inclined to a career in medicine decide on science-based A Levels and by the time of the BMAT, many students feel unprepared for the essay writing section. Despite being a daunting task at first, students became accustomed to the format over time and were able to produce well-reasoned responses. Another intimidating exam for aspiring medics is the UCAT. As with the BMAT, this exam evaluates a skill set outside the A Level curriculum but, through effective preparation, applicants can ensure they achieve high scores which are essential to their application.

Next year, MedSoc will be back with more fascinating talks and UCAS application preparation to aid those students wishing to pursue a career in medicine.

Our thanks and gratitude go to all of the speakers who presented at MedSoc, giving up their time to share their experiences with us. We are also grateful to Mrs Millar for running the society and for her help and enthusiasm throughout the demanding application process.

Zak Martyn and Georgia Tomlin MedSoc Presidents 2019/20

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Mountain Biking Club Sadly, due to the pandemic, the majority of the Mountain Biking Club’s activities had to be curtailed this year. However, prior to the lockdown, members did manage a November trip to Dartmoor and Haldon Forest trail centre. Here they experienced some challenging riding on a boggy Dartmoor, before this was followed by a nice sunny day at the trail centre.

Rides should have resumed in March but obviously circumstances dictated that this was not possible. We hope to resume our trips out as soon as it is safe to do so next year.

Mr Barnes

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Partnerships The Partnerships programme has again been an intrinsic element of the school’s co-curricular offer to our pupils. It has been highly rewarding to see our students develop their leadership and mentoring skills through their work with children in the local community. Furthermore, many local students have benefited from both the facilities and teaching expertise that KES has to offer.

Regular opportunities have continued through the Reading Schemes with Springhill and Highfield Primary Schools led by Mrs Hardwick and Mrs Gunton respectively. The young children are very grateful to our students for their time in developing literacy skills as well as a passion for reading. The Springhill scheme continues to be immensely popular with our Upper School and Sixth Form pupils. It is a testament to the appeal of the activity, that many of our students continue with the scheme year after year. At Highfield, our students work specifically with students in Years 5 and 6 who find reading challenging and their intervention helps to make a difference as these children prepare to make the transition to secondary school.

This year’s Art Club was a joint endeavour, with students from Springhill and Wordsworth Primary schools being taught together by Mrs Moxon and her ever-willing team of volunteers. The primary students were given the chance to create their own Grecian urn, which they decorated with pictorial representations of their favourite leisure activities.

Third year students helped to lead the Highfield Philosophy Shop activity, in which Year 6 students are engaged in developing their critical thinking skills whilst learning about key philosophical questions.

Both sets of students participated enthusiastically and especially when the opportunity to win the class teddy bear arose!

It has been a pleasure to see so many of the young children in our local community enraptured by our Science programme. The KES Science Department has run three after-school clubs for children from Springhill and Wordsworth schools. The focus of these clubs is to provide the younger children with the opportunity to use our laboratory facilities and learn about the wonders of science through a range of practical experiments. These have involved exploding hydrogen balloons, food being burnt, making slides of an onion and identifying organs through a dissection of a rat!

The Creative Arts are always at the forefront of our co-curricular offer and our partner schools were able to benefit from this in a number of ways throughout the school year. In November, students from Hollybrook Primary attended a vivid matinée performance of the school’s acclaimed musical ‘West Side Story’. Furthermore, students from Hollybrook and Wordsworth came to KES for a visit from the London Mozart Players. During the day, the children were coached and mentored by professional musicians as well as having the opportunity to hear them perform and ask questions. The day culminated in a joint performance with 120 musicians on stage who all contributed to an extremely professional and memorable concert.

In summary, it has been another very busy year for Partnership activities at King Edward’s and I am immensely grateful to all of the staff and students for their time and help in planning and delivering such a comprehensive programme of compelling experiences for our partner schools.

Mr Sinclair

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PDSA Partnership This academic year saw the start of a new partnership with Portsmouth Down Syndrome Association. We have grouped together fourteen of our students with the teen group from PDSA. The idea from the outset was to create a friendship group where the students can take part in a number of activities throughout the year, which then culminates in an activity week hosted by our students. Activities were to include dancing, art, sports, a trip to Marwell Zoological Park, swimming and a visit to Paultons Park.

This social initiative is so important as it enables inclusion on a level that is often just not possible. It also gives our students the chance to give back to the local community and develop valuable skills in areas they may not have thought about previously.

To start us off, our students received twilight training from the PDSA training team on ‘how to be a good friend to someone who happens to have Down syndrome’. It covered many aspects including the use of language and the value of inclusion. We had a fantastic turnout for this and many of the KES staff joined us.

For our first meet, the students teamed up with the teen group at HMW Nelson, for an evening of dancing and socialising at the annual PDSA Halloween party – there was certainly many scary costumes on show during the evening! Our students were incredibly polite and engaging, and the evening was a huge success.

Our second evening took place at The Pyramids Centre in Portsmouth – we were lucky enough to have the whole swimming pool to ourselves; including use of all of the slides and wave machine! The group absolutely loved it and filled their tummies with burgers and chips when they finished! The last time we were able to meet up, we scaled new heights at Red Spider Bouldering Centre! It was lovely to see how natural our students all are with the PDSA teens and how much happiness they have brought to others - a

real testament to themselves and the school. Everyone rose to the challenge and scaled the climbs.

It has been wonderful to see friendships flourishing this year and everyone enjoying the events.

Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to do all we have wanted to do due to the coronavirus pandemic, and our summer schedule is looking extremely unlikely to run as planned. Our students had also planned a black tie dinner-dance to raise funds for the project – this took an immense amount of planning but something that we will be able to do in the future. Even though the schedule has been severely disrupted, we are still thankful for what we were able to achieve and look forward to our future relationship.

Mr Miller

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Photography Group The KES Photography Group has been very active since the first week back in September and, indeed, over the summer holiday. There is always a photograph to be taken or made. The members, comprised of those using just their ipads or phones, right through to those with full SLR kit, have enjoyed assignments, competitions and learning new skills.

New for this year was a category in our first show for pictures taken over the summer break and this was a popular move. Over the autumn term we also made good use of our now very extensive stock of

equipment. Light painting tools, smoke machines and mini studios being amongst the popular items to bring out from the cupboard.

While the spring term was cut short, photographers could of course continue to take photos, with the webpage and Google classroom offering the facility to share pictures and showcase new ideas.

The group welcomes all members of the school with an enthusiasm to take pictures.

Mr Robinson

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Playwriting Group This year, eleven of our most talented writers from the Fourth Year and Sixth Form took part in the National Theatre’s New Views play writing scheme. As part of the programme, the students attended a series of workshops designed by the National Theatre, including one workshop run by a professional writer, Christopher Hill. The group then wrote their own 30-minute plays, receiving feedback from Christopher in one-on-one interviews during the drafting process. Sadly, the national competition was then cancelled this year due to coronavirus; however, the students were

encouraged to finish writing their plays regardless and produced some innovative and engaging work.

Particular congratulations go to Emma Appleby, Eleanor Dunlop, India Griffiths, Jiya Julka, Sam Kendall and Katherine Roberts, who all completed their plays and will be automatically eligible to enter these into next year’s competition.

Mrs Arnold

Politics Society Since September, Politics Society has hosted engaging talks on topics ranging from the ethics of drone warfare to the motives of the yellow vests movement in France, culminating in an energetic mock general election.

The year began with an absorbing and widelyattended talk from Professor Christian Enemark on his pioneering work as the principal investigator for Southampton University’s DRONETHICS research team. Professor Enemark’s talk sparked a lively discussion about the morality of ‘drone violence’, a contemporary form of violence with the potential to disrupt established frameworks for war and law enforcement.

Professor Enemark’s visit was followed by an insightful talk from Kate Wiseman on the controversial ‘gilets jaunes’ (yellow vests) protest movement for economic justice in France. Kate explained how rising fuel prices and recent tax reforms had provoked widespread violence and civil disobedience by protestors wearing yellow hi-visibility vests.

The highlight for Politics Society this year, was the

school’s mock general election in December. Following a dynamic debate between student representatives from six parties, drawing in an audience of over 250 in the Dobson Theatre, 831 students headed to the polls. The Liberal Democrats (represented by Charles Thomas) triumphed with 45% of available seats and 36% of the total vote. The Conservative Party was placed a distant second (23% seats, 24% votes) and the Green Party finished in third place (17% of seats, 16% votes). However, owing to the Liberal Democrats’ failure to secure a majority, a Lib Dem–Green coalition was recognised as the most likely outcome.

Unfortunately, an abrupt end to the prorogation of Parliament and the risk posed by coronavirus, thwarted two attempts to host Caroline Nokes MP for a highly-anticipated Q&A session. Nevertheless, Politics Society thrived this year, inspired by a number of high-profile political events

Ed Sheppard

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Psychology Society Throughout this academic year, we have seen various KES students cover a wide range of topics, both using the A Level specification as a basis for further research, as well as going beyond to investigate other intriguing areas of psychology to share. Students are encouraged to share the findings from their own observations and research projects conducted in school. This provides them with the ability to practise their presentation skills, whilst simultaneously using what they have learnt in class. Providing students with opportunities such as these continues to be worthwhile and effective, and help them with skills that can be called upon at any time. Not only does Psychology Society offer the chance to learn about different aspects of psychology, it also incorporates information from other subjects such as economics, history and geography, resulting in a society open to all A Level students.

We have also been fortunate enough to have visits from guest speakers ranging from an educational psychologist to a climate scientist. Having external speakers share their knowledge with us is a privilege which we all thoroughly enjoy and learn a lot from.

Dr Emma Palmer-Cooper (Southampton University)

came to talk to us about schizophrenia and unusual sensory experiences which tied in perfectly with our learning about schizophrenia in class. It was interesting to see how the techniques to help people with this condition were applied in a real life setting. It also helped to further educate us on the lives of those with schizophrenia and how important it is to have a supportive and understanding family. Another visit was from Harriet Nicholson who gave a talk on the psychology of online marketing. Many students were surprised to find the extent of how much psychology was used in marketing, understanding that you have to get inside the minds of the consumers and think about what would make them want to buy the product.

These examples demonstrate the adaptability of the subject..

Psychology Society has been a great experience – one in which we have been able to explore all areas of psychology and how it relates to our lives.

Ella-Jay Mallong and Amy Ritchie

Rifle Shooting Club Once again Clive Jones (Secretary Southampton Rifles Club) and Phil Chapman-Sheath (Team GB Shooter and KES Parent) have been fantastic at giving pupils at KES an opportunity at this sporting discipline. Shooting has been an Olympic sport since the first modern games in 1896. Shooting is a tense sport that requires immense reserves of skill, concentration and nerve. Strength, stamina, hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills are all improved by taking part. We train once a month in the bunker for two hours of an evening - though some pupils have joined the club

and practise more often. There are several members who have made excellent progress and are showing talent. Sadly, we were in the midst of organising a competition against Winchester College when the COVID-19 virus struck and will also not be making it up to Bisley Range again this summer where, last year, pupils were hosted by the North London Rifles Club, who put on a lunch and prizes.

Mr Mapstone

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Robotics Club This year’s Upper Sixth team was not only highly skilled and able, but many members had also known each other since the First Year. As always, we attended the ‘Kickstart’ event at the University of Southampton on a Saturday for the day. Fifty teams are involved across the nation. This year’s core team worked through many a lunchtime and, at times, after school, avoiding the cleaner! We even came in on a couple of Saturdays and the progress was superb. The team was looking like having a robot that could win the competition this year, thanks to clever coding integrated with solid hardware. It was uplifting for me to see them work so well as a team, each contributing based on their strengths, each coming together to share ideas and strategies and the team’s social media channels were proud to broadcast their achievements. With diligence, they versioned their code on Github and communicated together via Discord. Then the virus hit and work all but stopped. The Lower Sixth will carry forward this robot to next year’s competition.

Mr Mapstone

Sailing Club During the first half of the autumn term KES Sailing Club enjoyed getting out on the water at Southampton Water Activity Centre each Sunday. Mrs Sheridan and Mr Barker, with help from Dr Waymark and the SWAC instructors, provided a variety of activities for the students including races and short cruises up or down river.

During the autumn and spring terms our introduction to power boating (a Foundation Studies option) remained very popular with the Upper Sixth, who had the opportunity to learn how to drive a RIB and also cover the theory for Power Boat Level 2.

As the weather was beginning to improve again after the winter, beginner and intermediate sailing courses, as well as a multi-activities water sports week, were planned for the Easter holidays. Unfortunately, these had to be cancelled due to the coronavirus lockdown.

The planned summer sailing programme has also suffered the same fate and our sailors are eagerly awaiting a return to water based activities.

During the February half-term, two of our KES Fifth Years gained their dinghy instructor certificates and are looking forward to being able to begin teaching sailing as soon as restrictions are lifted.

Mrs Sheridan

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Sanskrit Society Sanskrit Society continued this year with a small group of Fifth Year classicists and linguists.

Having mastered the Sanskrit characters and transliteration and learnt the common words, we have continued to work at different rates, with some of us studying and translating the stories, whilst others have continued ploughing through the workbook. In between the stories, we learnt about

grammar and sentence structure, such as noun declensions, and were introduced to new cases such as ‘the locative’ and ‘the instrumental’, as well as beginning to learn the language and its common uses. The stories have also taught us about ancient Indian mythology such as the stories about Rama and Sita.

Sophia Skenderis

School Council School Council elections took place in October with the new council in place just after October half-term. Meetings were held every fortnight until the year was sadly truncated by the coronavirus pandemic. However, during that time the council had discussed a number of issues. Their first meeting of the year, as is the custom, provided a chance to meet some of the school governors over lunch and to understand the importance of the council’s input and also the role of a governor.

In other meetings they have met with the catering managers to discuss all aspects of the provision with particularly useful feedback being given with regards to packed lunches and menu options. They have met with Mr Parker to understand how he saw the role of the school council and this also gave him a chance to find out if there were any key issues that he needed to be aware of; some of which have been discussed further.

The council was introduced to Mr Baker (Head of Operations) who explained, in particular, what developments are planned for the near future and they also managed to ask the inevitable questions about the bus service!

The final meeting before the lockdown gave the council a chance to meet with Miss Smith and discuss the new school uniform, all of which gave valuable feedback as we move into the next stage of uniform planning. Since the whole school moved to a remote provision, the council have also given feedback on the use of Zoom for teaching and cocurricular activities which was useful in helping the teaching staff refine their use of the remote systems to provide high quality learning for the students.

Mr Kent

Spanish Bilingual Club This year’s Wednesday lunchtimes have continued to be devoted to the Spanish Bilingual Club. Five dedicated Fourth Year students have assiduously attended the meetings and participated in a more serious take on previous year’s club meetings with the aim of sitting their Spanish IGCSE early. In the autumn term, there was time for some fun and games, even our own version of an escape room, created by Marta, one of our language assistants, but most of the time we have endeavoured to master spelling, accents, complex grammar rules and exam technique. As semi native speakers, the students have learned the language by ear and use it intuitively so they have had to work hard

to understand the grammar they regularly use without even giving it a second thought. For me, as a language teacher, the experience has been very interesting and with students coming from very different backgrounds and Hispanic communities, it is fair to say that I have also learned a lot from them.

Mrs Ladislao

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Summer Camp This has been another hugely successful year for Summer Camp. We have continued to enjoy fortnightly visits to NoLimits, with the Upper Sixth interacting with familiar faces and the Lower Sixth getting to know the children associated with the programme.

The first fundraising event was the First Year Disco – incredibly well attended and great fun for all involved. There was Christmassy music (thanks to Gus Berry), entertaining games and snacks galore! It was fantastic to see the whole team working so well together to put on a great event for the First Years.

We then had the hugely popular ‘Would I Lie to You?’ (big thanks to Henry Gwilliam for hosting) and Mr Collinson and Mrs Lane for being such good sports.

January was a very busy month; Battle of the Bands, with Edmund Bissett and Gus Berry hosting, and the Young Carers’ Awareness Day, for which we sold cookies in the Atrium with music to help attract students to get involved. We then sold Krispy Kreme doughnuts as has become custom in Summer Camp fundraising. Unfortunately, due to lockdown and school closures, the remainder of our fundraising calendar was halted.

Regardless of whether the Summer Camp goes ahead, the money will be put to good use in the NoLimits programme. My warmest thanks go to the entire Summer Camp team – they are truly an inspirational group of young people!

Miss Downing

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The Lone Pine Adventure (1986-2021) A 2020 Retrospective The original Lone Pine Club was formed in 1943 and ran through until 1978. It was founded beneath a sentinel pine tree beneath the Long Mynd in Shropshire. The most important rule was “to be true to each other whatever happens always”. In 1986 the KES version came into being, first as the Classical Society, and latterly as the Cactus and Scamp clubs. Adventure is the key, and there have been many of those over the years. The longer trips involved using youth hostels and camping, and in recent years the wonderful facility at Lovaton has come into its own. There have also been shorter day trips, taking place during activity afternoons and through the Endeavour programme. Extracts from student diaries accompany each trip, in a convenient rather than geographical order. The illustrations are originals.

The Classical Society 1986 Cotswolds “We went to look at an invisible bridge at Bourtonon-the-Water. No sign of it anywhere.”

1987 Hadrian’s Wall “The route over the Hardknott Pass proved too much for the aging minibus of the day. All gear and all students had to be offloaded and the vehicle pushed up the steep incline. We gained some insight into why the Roman legionaries cursed postings to their most northerly province of Britain.”

1998 Roman Paris: Lutetia “We went to the amphitheatre in the Latin Quarter.

This was an unusual Roman ruin as it is in such a good condition.”

2009 Lovaton: The Pillar of Democracy “We set off as soon as the sixty four slices of bread had been turned into sandwiches. Magic!” plus trips to Arundel, Cambridge, Dover, Exeter, Isle of Wight and Silchester...

Cactus Club 2016 Lovaton: The Eden Project “The Sunday morning raft race with small cacti sellotaped into Kellogg’s Variety boxes will not be forgotten easily. The location was Grimspound, following the stream down to the road. We had to negotiate craft stuck in reeds and runners. It happened to be the day of the Dartmoor 10k. Small children with sticks weaving in and out of fast moving adults on a slippery incline to be savoured in retrospect.”

2018 Lovaton: The Cactus Shop “I have never seen so many cacti under one roof before. Not even does Gary Barlow’s London apartment have so many.”

2021 Lovaton: The Falmouth Adventure

“We walked along a route on which we encountered sheep, cows and other more unpleasant things.”

“Mycroft Holmes: ‘What do we say about coincidences? First snow, then Covid-19. That is twice this trip has been postponed.’ Sherlock Holmes: ‘The universe is rarely so lazy.’”

1989 Devon and Cornwall

plus trips to Kew and Wisley.

“In the evening we went to Tintagel Common where we played football. It was a bit difficult because it was dark, but the score ended up 3-3.”

SCAMP CLUB

1988 Welsh Marches

1990 Provence “In the Camargue we were told to draw one of the famous white animals. The result, however, was not very good because the horse I was drawing would not stay still.”

1991 Jersey “When Gareth Ditchley, in a suave, sophisticated and confident manner, asked the cafe owner for a typically local drink, he was given cold milk.

His reputation as the hard man of adventure was fortunately preserved because his beverage came in a dirty glass.”

2012 Lovaton: Childe’s Tomb “Having the group picture taken at a place where, so the story goes, a man in vain had used his dead horse as a sleeping bag in a storm was strangely piquant.”

2013 Lovaton: Hound of the Baskervilles Part 1 “We read Chapter 14 of ‘The Hound’ out at Nun’s Cross Farm with the wind howling across the moor.

We read spontaneously until we reached the key word which we shouted in unison into the eye of the storm: PHOSPHOROUS. Very therapeutic.”

2014 Lovaton: Silver Blaze “Ben Barr is a hero. We came across a distressed lady whose steed had badly cut its leg on barbed wire. We pooled our first aid kits - we discovered that

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horses need a lot of bandages and bleed profusely - and Ben set to work to staunch the flow to get the horse to safety. Ben was somewhat bloodied, but the horse was saved.”

2015 Lovaton: In Search of Sherlock Holmes “Only a small part of the cathedral was open because the Open University graduation ceremony was taking place. We mingled with the graduates and their families afterwards and had our pictures taken, usually in the background.”

We had access to the school archives and club diaries in putting together this report. Cactus Club meets on Mondays at 1330 in CL2. Scamp Club meets on Tuesdays at the same time and in the same location. Adventures take place regularly.

Max Bouras and Jamie McManus Presidents of The Cactus Club and Scamp Club

2017 Lovaton: Hound of the Baskervilles Part 2 “Soon we were singing the School Hymn, first verse only (we hummed the rest), as we drove into Kellett Road.” plus trips to Bletchley Park

Table Tennis Club What a fantastic season! The King Edward’s team (Raaghav, Charlie, Freddie and Oscar) were on fire! A number of teams withdrew at the last minute so there were only 5 matches to be played in the Southampton Schools’ Under 13 Table Tennis League. First up was Bitterne Park B and a comprehensive 8-0 victory was negotiated. Then came the strongest opponents: Bitterne Park A. At the half way stage the KES team was 3-1 ahead and anticipating another victory but with a very strong fightback and the final set, which would have given the KES team victory, incredibly tight but eventually lost, the KES team had to settle for a 4-4 draw. They did hold an 11-10 lead on sets won which might prove crucial.

Knowing that there was very little between these two teams, the KES team went all out to win their remaining matches against St Mary’s Independent School, the Mountbatten School and St George Catholic College. There was great sportsmanship but little quarter given as the team gained three 8-0 victories to take the title for the first time in about 10 years. What will this achievement lead to in the future?

Time will tell!

There were 4 individual tournaments. Raaghav entered the A competition, Charlie the B, Freddie the C and Oscar the D and all performed to a very high standard with Raaghav, Charlie and Oscar winning their categories while Freddie was placed third. This

was an excellent achievement.

In the annual First Year Inter-Form competition the 1/2 team, (Arthur, Ed and Will) eventually defeated 1/3 (Ethan, Luke and Tanush) in the final. In the Third/ Fourth playoff match 1/6 edged out 1/5 with a little help from 1/2!

Raaghav was the dominant Lower School individual performer and if he can maintain his excellent progress, he should go far in the sport.

Congratulations to everyone who took part and hopefully next year will be just as exciting.

Mr Singleton

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Wargaming Club Wargaming has enjoyed another busy year with a healthy bunch of new recruits in the First Year to replace the veterans that left with last year’s Upper Sixth. In common with recent years, the “war” in wargaming has been honoured more in the breach and most games have had a different, but still strategic, theme. “Raiders of the North Sea” proved a popular addition to the club’s cupboard and the new “Cthulhu: Death may die” continued the tradition of Lovecraft inspired games being impossibly difficult to win but a lot of, tentacle inspired, fun to lose.

Many thanks to all that came along and played with such good humour and sportsmanship but an extra special mention in despatches to Upper Sixth student Will Atherton. Not only has Will been a stalwart of the club for many years but he has run a seemingly endless Pathfinder campaign all year and I know his enthusiasm and inclusive attitude will be much missed by us all.

Dr Gamblin

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girls’ SPORT AT KES 2019-2020

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Girls’ Hockey overview As another remarkably busy and successful season draws to a close, it gives me great pride to reflect on the healthy state of girls’ hockey at KES. It is of great credit that, at a time when many other leading independent schools are reducing their teams and the number of fixtures, KES has not been following the same trend. KES has continued to add more fixtures, more teams and even more girls representing the school on a Saturday. Every year the fixture card has increased, stretching the width of the south coast.

The highlight this year has been the 1st team girls entering the new Tier 1 U18 England competition.

Everyone concerned should feel justifiably proud of their contributions. They reached the top 4 teams in the South of England pool of the new Tier 1 whilst the U14 girls were knocked out of the South quarter-final stage by the eventual winners of the national tournament. This put them in the top 8 in the South. The school also enjoyed the opportunity to host touring St Alban’s school from Argentina for the third time, which is always a yearly highlight for the girls’ teams.

King Edward’s had success in XI-a-side hockey but also did well in the indoor hockey circuit. Indoor hockey continues to be very popular amongst the students and the numbers at lunchtime training far exceeds the space available. The demand for places in the team was very encouraging to see

and saw a wide range of girls pushing for places.

The U16 girls’ indoor team made the South Finals for the fifth time. With an extremely young team the future looks encouraging . The 1st team girls’ indoor hockey side came so close to reaching the South Finals and qualification for nationals. They were unlucky to have missed out on a place at nationals, losing in the semi-final, having played so well throughout the day.

I would like to personally thank all of the coaches and players, because this success is not down to luck but rather to hard work. The coaches have set a high standard throughout the season and the girls have always been able to rise to their coaches’ expectations. It has been a fantastic season and the girls have achieved great results in all age groups.

Thank you to the following coaches for all the work that has gone into putting teams together every week: Mrs Ferrand, Miss Cole, Mr Cross, Mrs Brown, Mr Dodds, Mr Bassett, Mr Khan, Mrs Penn, Mr Rodriguez, Mr Wright, Miss Horn and Mrs Kelly.

Mr Crichton Head of hockey

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1st XI Hockey

The girls’ 1st XI team have again shown their drive to succeed and faced challenges head on. Ottilie Beal captained the team for the second year in a row and drew on her previous experience to help her young team.

The team first travelled to Sherborne Girls to compete in their annual tournament. They did well, winning their pool matches and finishing top of the pool leading to a tough semi-final versus Canford. Zoe Henderson was a principal player in this match and quickly took the team into the lead. Canford fought back but the defence pair of Ottilie and Marianne cleaned up any chances. KES recorded a 3-1 win and moved to the final against the host side. Sherborne started stronger than KES with Izzy Murphy making a few great saves to keep KES in the match. The 1st XI started the second half stronger and went 1-0 up with minutes left. Sherborne found themselves 1 on 1 versus Isi Murphy in the defensive circle but quick thinking Isi was quick off her goal line to close the space and rush the Sherborne striker. The shot went over the crossbar by the smallest margin, much to the disappointment of the home crowd. KES secured a win and became winners of the Sherborne Tournament for the second time.

The first Saturday match was against Epsom College - a well organised team - and they would dominate the first half. Mrs Kelly had a few strong words at half time and the girls responded well winning 2-0 despite Epsom throwing everything at the girls. The KES calm and team defence of the circle was a massive lesson moving forward for the rest of the season. The

Played: 21 Won: 16 Drew: 0 Lost: 5

girls then played St Alban’s College from Argentina in a mid-week fixture. KES worked well to get a win in a very tough match. The game away at St George’s was a great test for the girls as they were due to play St George’s again later in the season in the Tier 1 competition. St George’s secured a 2-1 victory but many of the younger KES players gained much needed game time and experience against some of the best players in the country.

The next match was the Hampshire Cup game held at Southampton Sports Centre. The girls played well throughout, winning all of their games, and facing Peter Symonds College in the final match. This was a game separated by just one goal and the girls managed to find the back of the net with very few chances. They held on to their 1-0 lead until the final whistle to win the Hampshire Cup, putting in a very good performance despite playing without many of their Fifth Year players.

The final two games before half term were a 4-0 win versus Seaford and a 6-1 win versus Bryanston. This was a great result with the team playing without Ottilie. A tough match against Canford followed the half-term break. Canford ran out 2-0 winners scoring in the last ten minutes of the match. The team then played Churcher’s winning 3-1, before another win against Dauntsey’s in a high scoring 6-5 game. The final match of the season was against PGS; a game played in great spirit with the KES girls enjoying a large percentage of the ball. PGS scored a goal late in the match but the KES team held on for a 3-1 win.

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England Hockey U18 Girls’ Tier 1 Competition The KES girls entered the newly structured Tier 1 competition this year. Many schools had entered the lower tier competitions but when asked which tier they wished to play in the 1st XI were determined to enter Tier 1. This positive attitude would prove to be a characteristic upon which they would have to rely in many games against some of the best hockey playing schools in the South.

The first game was against Wellington College who had a handful of NAGS players in their team. KES started well with Lizzie Beardsall finding herself in front of goal but unable to convert. This positive start was a good sign and the girls worked well to compete against a very talented team. Although they lost the match 6-1, they were able to take away many positives with many of the girls realising how hard they were going to have to work and play in the rest of the Tier 1 matches.

Next followed a tough match against Peter Symonds.

The KES girls stuck to the game plan and within a few minutes Rose Schmaltz created an easy chance to put KES ahead. The rest of the first half saw KES take control of the match and create many chances to put even more goals in. The 1st XI continued to dominate the match during the second half and the team was happy with the 4-0 win. Receiving the news that captain Ottilie had broken her hand and would not be able to play until December was a bitter blow.

The next Tier 1 game was against St George’s College and, without Ottilie, the girls stuck to the game plan.

They worked well with many girls producing some of their best hockey to date. Unfortunately, they eventually lost 4-2. Against Surbiton High School, the match did not go to plan and Surbiton scored some great goals within a few minutes of the start to leave KES struggling. The girls showed real grit and kept working, creating several chances to come back into the match. KES threw everything at the opposition

but ultimately lost 10-3. Thereafter followed a 4-3 win versus The Godolphin & Latymer School. Bella scored a trademark rocket in the last few minutes to secure the win. The final match of the Tier 1 competition saw KES take on Kingston Grammar. This match would prove the impact of playing against Tier 1 schools with KES securing an 8-3 win - a fantastic way to end the Tier 1 matches. The school finished 4th in the South pool placing them in the top 16 teams in the country.

The loss of Ottilie early into the competition was a massive blow for the team as well as Ottilie. She turned assistant coach and the senior girls all knew they needed to step up - and indeed they did. Zoe and Nyah become key players, controlling and breaking down oppositions with ease at times, and Steph became the midfield rock. The emergence of Lizzie Beardsall was the find of the season with Sarah being a ‘go to’ player in tough matches. There have been so many moments throughout the season in which these players have played above their potential and put the team’s success first. Every player in the squad played a vital role and made a major impact on the squad’s success. This team has been successful on and off the field; they will be a benchmark for future teams.

Coaches: Mr Crichton and Mrs Kelly Squad: Ottilie Beal (C), Zoe Henderson (VC), Isobel Chapman, Roos Schmalz, Nyah Clark, Marianne Brabazon, Sarah Macleod, Elizabeth Beardsall, Ida Goodridge, Isi Murphy, Stephanie Judd, Rebecca Waggett, Bella Davies-Roche, Abbie Morton, Freya Crowley and Sophie Roe.

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2nd XI Hockey The 2nd XI girls’ hockey team played every match with great enthusiasm and team spirit. The team performed better during the week when all players were able to play and recorded good wins against Seaford College, Bedales and Embley Park. The side had a core group of players who provided the backbone of the team. Alice Dyer, in goal, was outstanding all season and proved her worth every match. She made many great saves for her team and truly was a brick wall in goals. Anna, Lucy, Anoushka, Anais, Elizabeth, Lucy T, Emily, Rebekah, Lizzie and Natasha could always be relied upon and Natasha showed her commitment to the team, continuing to play after breaking her finger during one match making some vital tackles. Well done to Sophie Roe and Freya Crawley who played for both the 2nd and 1st team over the season; they

Played: 10 Won: 3 Drew: 0 Lost: 7

showed their worth to both teams and were always a positive influence to those around them. The team was a great credit to the school and themselves and always played with heart and passion.

Coach: Mr Crichton Squad: Anna Schmalz, Lucy Pumphrey, Alice Dyer, Anoushka Umranikar, Anais Ansari, Elizabeth Field, Freya Crowley, Lucy Tait, Emily Procter, Sophie Roe, Rebekah Davis, Lizzie Armstrong, Natasha Thompson, Issy Todd, Maisy Rossdale, Millie Parsons, Sophia Olive, Harriet Wheeler, Amelia Harris, Elli Gingell and Isi Murphy.

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U16 Hockey This hockey season has been thoroughly enjoyable and, despite the rainy days, there had been triumphs and unfortunate losses. The girls played every match with much enthusiasm and character against some very tough opposition. They showed great commitment to the team and a core group of girls played every week.

Unfortunately, for varying reasons, there were a few games cancelled throughout the season. However, the girls continued to work well during games lessons and after school training sessions retaining their humour throughout. Well done to Rosalind Dye who played goalkeeper. She played some amazing matches remaining positive throughout, and making some spectacular saves.

I look forward to working with this group of girls as they move into senior hockey next year.

Played: 6 Won: 2 Drew: 0 Lost: 4

Coach: Mr Crichton Squad: Rosalind Dye, Bella Roe, Emily Smith, Olivia Tudor, Isabella Tam, Anna Aksenova, Martha Sullivan, Olivia Tilley, Ellie Small, Xanthe Thompson, Julia Schmalz, Alice Leather, Katie Smart, Emilia Walker, Lucia Rugge-Price, Hannah Procter and Tamsin Morris.

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U15 Hockey

The girls have developed brilliantly as a squad this season. Their technique, skill, and, frankly, competitive instinct improved throughout the autumn term. With different demands on their time as they faced the challenges of the Upper School for the first time and other commitments, Thursday after-school training sessions were a quiet affair. Nevertheless, we rarely had to cancel a session and were always able to work on a skill whether we had 4 or 12 players. On quieter evenings, we joined forces with the U14 squad and the Fourth Years should be proud of their ability to adapt, show leadership and encouragement towards the younger students. Ruby Slowen was an excellent captain and really led the team throughout the season.

Further development took place during games lessons with the hockey staff creating inventive drills to improve understanding and technique. My personal thanks goes to Mr Bassett and Jameel who supported us in lessons, coming up with fun, challenging drills to engage both brain and body. I have witnessed progress in every player and I hope each girl feels even more confident than she did at the beginning of the season.

Imogen Miller and Annabel Stonadge really supported Hannah Procter and their captain and became an impressive defensive unit.

The season began with a brilliant 4-1 win against Epsom in the glorious September sunshine. Next came matches against St George’s, Weybridge and Lord Wandsworth College. Two Saturdays, two very balanced games in the field but two losses. These were two games that perhaps the side shouldn’t have lost, and very easily could have won, but that ended in 2-3 and 0-2 defeats respectively.

Against Seaford, the girls put in a convincing display, leading the opposition 5-0 at the half-time whistle.

The Seaford defence tightened up in the second half but the U15s managed to slot one more past the goalie, completing an impressive display. The following weekend the team headed to Bryanston. The squad had lost several key players to the U16 side but some

Played: 11 Won: 7 Drew: 1 Lost: 3

brilliant girls stepped up to complete the team sheet and produce an emphatic 4-0 victory. April Richards demonstrated much determination and tenacity and was able to capitalise on some excellent midfield work from Charlotte Roberts and Lottie Ashton.

After the half-term break, the girls faced their toughest match of the season, again unfortunately, losing valuable players, including Morley (GK), to the older sides. Although they fought valiantly, they lost, almost inevitably, 1-4 to Canford. However, I must take the time to thank Sofia Godsland-Ladislao who agreed to play in goal for us and therefore allowing the game to go ahead.

Once again, the girls bounced back and were able to win their last three Saturday fixtures with some excellent performances; a 4-0 win over Churcher’s, 1-0 against Dauntsey’s and an emphatic 6-1 victory beating local rivals PGS. Some brilliant goals were scored in these final weeks, but a special mention needs to go to Emily Ardern-Jones, who scored 7 of those 11 goals, including the crucial goal over Dauntsey’s which won the game. I was delighted that Lola Dibden and Katie Ryan finally scored the goals they’d been pushing for over the months.

Unfortunately, the final match against King’s Winchester ended in a 0-0 draw but did not dampen the overall season. I hope the players enjoyed their U15 season, and wish the girls all the best with their hockey in the future.

Coach: Mrs Brown Squad: Emily Ardern-Jones, Lottie Ashton, Emily Buckland, Ella Danby, Lola Dibden, Rhea Fernandes, Sofia Godsland-Ladislao (GK), Izzy Hall, Imogen Miller, Anna Morley (GK), Grace Orton, Orla Paterson, Hannah Procter, April Richards, Charlotte Roberts, Katie Ryan, Catherine Shore, Ruby Slowen (C), Annabel Stonadge and Alice Turner-Hall.

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U14A Hockey The girls started the season off well playing in the annual Sherborne Tournament. Their performance was even more impressive considering the side were playing in an U15 tournament and there were three U13 players included in the team. The girls topped the group stage, winning all three games 5-0, 3-0 and 2-1 against Warminster, Exeter and King’s College They faced Taunton School in the semifinals - a game that went to penalties but that the team unfortunately lost at the shoot-out.

The squad played Epsom College in their first block fixture. Epsom were an extremely well-polished side and this, combined with KES not getting out of the blocks, led to a substantial loss for the girls. They faced an equally tough test against St George’s College in the next Saturday fixture but faired far better in a close contest which they lost 4-2. The side then went on a good run of form, having learnt their lessons from the previous games, beating Seaford (5-1), Bryanston (4-0) and progressing through the Hampshire Cup to secure 2nd place in the competition.

The U14 As played a remarkable game against Churcher’s College which the girls dominated. Unfortunately for KES, the Churcher’s goalkeeper was in fine form. Controversially, the girls managed to find the goal they required, only for the final whistle to have been blown, one second

Played: 13 Won: 7 Drew: 1 Lost: 5

prior to the ball crossing the line! Unfortunately, in hockey, the time ends regardless of the phase in play.

The girls travelled to Woking in a confident mood for the regional tournament. They put in some fine performances and managed to get through the group stage in second place following a 1-0 win, 0-0 draw and 2-0 loss. Unfortunately, they then met a very strong Kingston Grammar School in the quarter-final and were knocked out of the competition. They should all, however, be very proud of their achievement in making it into the last eight schools in the south region.

Coach: Mr Bassett Squad: Katie Ardern-Jones, Millie Boyes, Kiran Kaur, Sophie Kent, Sabine Potter, Charlotte Akerman, Charlotte Beardsall, Sophie Blaydes, Celia Brabazon, Annabel Coltart, Melanie Georgiou, Claudia Hargreaves, Daisy Kendall, Matilde Mathies, Ava Neilson, Isabelle Nutbourne, Eleanor Oakley, Lucy Robinson, Nell Sarton, Elinor Sharp, Charlotte Stembridge, Tessa Tomson, Georgina Wheeler and Erin Woo.

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U14B Hockey The U14B girls have worked tirelessly throughout the season demonstrating eagerness to improve, alongside an impressive commitment to both matches and training. The team really enjoyed representing the school and should be commended for their efforts and enthusiasm.

The season started with a tough game and resulted in a 5-0 defeat against Epsom College. The second fixture was away to Kingston Grammar and this saw the girls lose 3-0 to a superb side. Against St George’s, the girls fought hard for a draw and it was a pleasure to see how cohesive the team had become. Unfortunately, this did not last, as they then suffered a 4-0 defeat against Seaford.

The team was attack heavy for this game and this meant players who were not generally defenders had to play within these positions. The U14Bs then faced Bryanston School; this was the best the girls played; they communicated well and made some commendable saves.

After the half-term break, the team faced a string of away fixtures. They drew 0-0 to a confident Canford side with some excellent passages of play, in which they worked the ball well and pressed the opposition at every given opportunity. Unfortunately, due to illness, the team turned up to Dauntsey’s with only nine players, enlisting the help of two of the First Year players to complete the squad. Regrettably, we lost this fixture 5-0 but the scoreline was not a

Played: 10 Won: 3 Drew: 2 Lost: 5

true reflection of how well the team adapted to new players. In our final away fixture, we faced our local rivals Portsmouth Grammar School. The girls lost 2-1 in a nail-biting game but came away feeling proud of their performance. Happily, the U14B girls finished their season with a 3-1 victory over The Kings’ School Winchester.

I have been so happy to see how far the girls have progressed during this term, and look forward to what the next hockey season has to bring for them in 2020.

Coach: Miss Horn Squad: Adele Congreve, Annabel Coltart, Ava Neilson, Bea Blake, Becca Vaughan, Charlotte Akerman, Charlotte Wallis, Destiny Annan, Elspeth McFarlane, Eva Waktare, Isabelle Nutbourne, Isla Osman, Kira Woodd, Lucy Walker, Skye Kiessling, Sophie Blaydes, Sophie Carter, Sophie Hews, Sophie Kileff, Taya Prokopchuk and Zofia Osgood.

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U13A Hockey This has been a mixed season for the U13A hockey team. They have had moments of brilliance but have found it hard to be consistent due to injury and many of the team having other commitments. As a squad, they do show a great deal of potential with fantastic analytical skills and desire to improve. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching them progress, face challenges together, and work hard as team.

They are a pleasure to coach and I hope they will continue to enjoy their hockey.

The first game of the season saw the girls demonstrate their skill set by beating Lord Wandsworth College 10-1. This was an excellent display of speed, teamwork and resulted in many goals. Unfortunately, the following weekend things did not go their way. In the last of the summer heat at Epsom, the girls made some great passes into space but lacked the speed from the first game.

Both goalkeepers played very well and KES were unfortunate to concede from an accidental lift shot to lose 2-1.

The next game was against Farleigh, a game in which the girls played fantastically, moving the ball with speed and putting constant pressure on the opposition. They learnt a great deal about marking the opposition but unfortunately finished with a draw, in a game they should have won. The most intense, exciting and rewarding game of the season was against St George’s College, Weybridge.

The girls were determined, put constant pressure on the ball and their passing was strong. The decision-making and angles in the D were excellent, resulting in KES being the only team this season to win against one the of best hockey schools in the country, 5-2.

Played: 15 Won: 8 Drew: 1 Lost: 6

The final game before half-term was against Gordon’s School. Having never played them before, everyone was unsure what to expect. However the U13 As dominated, showing high levels of athleticism. The short corners were excellent leading to a 6-0 win. After half-term, the side played St John’s Leatherhead in what was a game of two halves. The squad created space well and moved with speed in the first half but St John’s were quick and strong in the second half resulting in a loss.

The Hampshire In2Hockey Tournament provided some mixed performances. The girls won four out of five of their pool matches to finish in 2nd place in their group. Unfortunately, they drew the semifinal match and missed out on going to the final on penalty flicks, finishing in 3rd place in the county.

The match against Churcher’s took place with a slightly depleted team due to injury. The girls linked up well but lacked width resulting in a 3-2 loss, followed by a 3-0 loss to a strong Dauntsey’s side.

The final game of the season saw the girls motivated to play well as a team and finish on a high. Their confidence really shone through and they moved the ball quickly, passing and driving into space resulting in an 8-0 win.

Overall the girls should be proud of what they have achieved this season, the progress they have made and the resilience they have shown. However, I do believe there is more to come from this group.

Coach: Mrs Penn Squad: Sophie Kent (C) Katie Ardern-Jones (VC) Sabine Potter, Kiran Kaur, Rhyseren Taylor, Millie Boyes, Jemima Sullivan, Isobel Roberts and Ellie Orton.

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U13B Hockey

The season got off to a fine start with a comfortable win over Lord Wandsworth College but then the girls suffered three back-to-back defeats, albeit by small margins and against strong opposition.

Undeterred, the girls trained hard and were receptive to advice from their coaches. This allowed them to reach half-term with two excellent wins, and particular mention must be made to the 5-1 win at Gordon’s School where the weather conditions were atrocious. The long half-term break meant that the girls were slightly below par when St John’s Leatherhead visited Wellington. However, they only lost by the odd goal in five in what proved to be a highly entertaining game. Defeat against Churcher’s College the following Saturday was very undeserved but there were no excuses for our 7-1 thumping by Dauntsey’s a week later. On a bitterly cold morning the Dauntsey’s girls bullied us throughout the game and thoroughly deserved their chocolate cake at the end of the match. The final game of the season was against PGS and the girls really hit top form winning 6-1 guaranteeing local bragging rights for at least a year.

It has been an absolute pleasure for me to coach this group this term. They have always given 100% effort, both during matches and practice sessions, and have been encouraging and supportive towards each other.

Played: 10 Won: 4 Drew: 0 Lost: 6

Coach: Mr Cross Squad: Emily Egerton-Hou, Darcy Randle, Jessica Dodd, Emily Knowles, Cara Lea, Ellie Orton, Allie Bassett, Scarlett Moody, Katie Braakenburg and Gracie O’Brien.

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U13C Hockey This has been another great year for the U13C team.

Their commitment to training and fixtures, whilst juggling many different responsibilities, has been fantastic. They have impressed me greatly with the development of their competitive spirit, working tirelessly as a team to improve week on week. They have found it hard, at times, due to not always having a goalkeeper, but have certainly learnt the importance of this position. Many thanks to Katie Braakenburg and Emese Frajka-Williams who have found a great deal of talent in goal.

The girls have had some challenging fixtures this

Played: 8 Won: 2 Drew: 3 Lost: 3

term against strong hockey schools but have impressed me with their resilience. They worked tirelessly to ensure a 2-2 draw with St George’s Weybridge, which they should be extremely proud of. Their first win of the season was against Gordon’s School, with the girls managing to score 3 goals and not concede any at all.

I hope the girls have enjoyed the season, developing their skills and representing the school. I wish them luck next year and will miss working with them.

Coach: Mrs Penn Squad: Katie Sloane, Avantika Umranikar, Olivia Higenbottam, Gracie O’Brien, Millie Hills, Tamara Haq, Isobel Holliday, Lucia Poletti, Josie Salter, Roisin Allen, Katie Braakenburg, Nithusha Baheerathan and Emese FrajkaWilliams.

U13D Hockey The season started with a 4-4 thriller away at Epsom College where there were already signs that this year group clearly had a lot of strength in depth. This was confirmed the following Saturday when the girls lost by the only goal against strong opposition from Farleigh School. Unfortunately, their next opponents, St George’s Weybridge, were far more experienced and deservedly put us to the sword. After half-term, the girls battled hard in appalling conditions at Gordon’s School and, despite having about 15 shots on target, somehow ended up with a 0-0 draw. St John’s Leatherhead were their next opponents and gave the KES girls a lesson on finishing in the D. The final away match was against Churcher’s College in which the girls were unlucky to lose by the odd goal

Played: 7 Won: 1 Drew: 2 Lost: 4

in three. The final game of the season was a very encouraging 1-0 win over PGS. I have been delighted with the girls’ attitude this term: come rain or shine, victory or defeat, they have played with smiles on their faces and have been a pleasure to coach.

Coach: Mr Cross Squad: Tessa Aresca, Defne Nebol, Roisin Allen, Sasha Sherrin, Bronty Thomas, Khadeejah Butt, Lucia Poletti, Tamara Haq and Ishani Raichura.

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U12A Hockey The U12 A team have really impressed this season.

From the very first match it was clear they had talent and a positive approach to their training and development. They started the season off with a great win against Lord Wandsworth College; the team came together effortlessly and they gave the impression that they had been playing together for years, not days. As the season progressed, the girls’ game play matured and they got fitter and stronger which put them in a good position to take on opposition from Farleigh and Gordon’s, coming away with convincing victories. The attacking combination of Immi Akerman, Elisabeth Mathies and Amelie Rugge-Price proved very effective, with all three players demonstrating impressive skills and tactical awareness beyond their years.

Played: 8 Won: 3 Drew: 1 Lost: 4

The U12s were not so successful in the results against St George’s, Epsom College, St John’s Leatherhead or Churcher’s but it was clear that the girls were improving and learning every week. The team finished off their season well with an end-toend final match against Dauntsey’s that ended in a 2-2 draw - a fair result.

I am certain that the team will go on to have great success as they continue on their hockey journey through the school and I look forward seeing them play in future years.

Coach: Mrs Ferrand Squad: Holly Chambers (GK), Harriet Field, Immi Akerman, Elisabeth Mathies, Megan Barriball, Flora Rugge-Price, Amelie Rugge-Price, Isabelle Sheppard, Emily Strike, Isabelle Henderson and Emily Carrall-Wilcocks.

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U12B Hockey The girls began their hockey season by setting themselves a target; to score a goal in their first game against Lord Wandsworth. With some great teamwork, and lots of determination to make this happen, they went above and beyond this, beating their opponents 10-1. The game gave them lots to work on but the positivity and drive from the players and their desire to improve was outstanding.

The following three fixtures saw the girls unfortunately face some defeats, but they still managed to score some goals and made huge improvements throughout, in terms of their tactics and hockey knowledge. The girls started to use their spacing on the pitch to their advantage, with some great passes into the D. This resulted in some spectacular goals against Hampshire Collegiate School, in some very cold conditions, and a 3-1 win.

The end of the season saw the girls suffer a further couple of defeats in games which either side could have won. Nevertheless, goals were scored at both ends and both the attack and defence worked hard, putting into practice drills and skills from games lessons and training. Another successful team effort saw the girls defeat Gordon’s School 6-2, in a game in

Played: 9 Won: 3 Drew: 1 Lost: 5

which all players performed well.

The girls have made huge progress in every match they have played and making decisions about substitutions has been challenging. However, this has also meant that all the players have had a very similar amount of pitch time. They have rotated their playing positions, including goalkeeping, allowing them to experience a variety of positions.

I am looking forward to seeing the girls develop over the coming years and would like to congratulate them all on such a great first year.

Coach: Miss Cole Squad: Isabelle Coshott, Edie Johnson, Hattie Knapman, Ava Wright, Ruby Wiltshire, Emily Carrall-Wilcocks, Lily Fisher, Emily Strike, Heidi Waite, Anu Bamodu, Olivia Spooner, Lana Holroyd, Isabelle Henderson, Rosa Shepherd, Jemima Hughes, Holly Chambers and Megan Barriball.

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U12C/D Hockey The attitude from the U12 girls this season has really impressed, both at training and on match days. For a number of the players, hockey came as a new sport but the girls quickly picked it up and made excellent progress throughout the season. The commitment, resilience and drive demonstrated by the players undoubtedly contributed to their development, and they should all be proud of the progress that they made throughout the season. I very much hope that they all continue to enjoy their hockey as they progress through the years at King Edward’s.

C Team Played 7: Won: 0 Drew: 0 Lost: 7 D Team Played 6: Won: 3 Drew: 0 Lost: 3

Coach: Mrs Ferrand Squad: Sophie Tarafdar, Simran Lally, Rosie Lyndon, Alice Higenbottam, Evie Waud, Olivia Spooner, Catherine Tarmey, Lana Holroyd, Becky Saunders, Ayushna Mishra, Heidi Waite, Peggy Tomson, Hennie Burlton, Tessa Kimmance, Sophie Holebrook, Anu Bamodu, Jess Windram, Lily Walker, Olivia Larkin, Sophie Goriainova, Sofia Dewsbury, Jemima Hughes, Poppy LloydJones and Jasmine Mehta.

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Netball overview Once again, we find ourselves reaching the end of the netball season for 2019/2020. The sport continues to grow and see more and more girls across the different age groups attending training sessions and taking in any extra sessions put on by their coaches.

This term KES competed in 129 fixtures across all 21 teams with most age groups able to fill an A, B, C and D team on Saturdays for both home and away games consistently. This allowed a substantial number of girls within their age groups to attend training sessions, practise in their games lessons and experience the competitive areas of sport both during mid-week games and weekend fixtures/tournaments.

The U13s and U15s both competed in the Independent National Schools’ Cup. The U13s had a tough first draw against St Catherine’s, which was challenging so early on in the year. There was lots for the girls to take from this fixture and, after much hard work in their training sessions, they drew against Millfield in the first round of the plate. The progress made by the team was excellent from their first fixture to their second. They showed resilience, commitment and gave 100% to try and implement what they had been set to do on the court.

The U15s got off to an excellent start in the competition. The first fixture saw them travel to just outside Richmond Park and the team rose to the challenge and played a stunning game of netball.

There was great team morale with a mixture of U15 and U14 players making up the squad. There were some excellent turnovers in defence and some great work in attack to secure the success rate from the turnovers. The girls won this game 67-27. The second round saw the side allocated a bye and they passed straight into the third round to face Talbot Heath School. The team was missing a couple of the girls from the first round due to injury and illness and, after a highly competitive game, they lost by 7 goals to exit the competition.

The U14s, U16s and U18s all competed in the county rounds of the National Schools’ Competition. This round of the competition is always challenging across all age groups. The U18s fought off some tough competition in their tournament mid-week and narrowly missed out on the semi-finals in the tournament. The U14s and U16s both had teams containing some fabulous netball players and were set for a tough day in their Saturday event. Both teams played excellent netball and were able to come away with a lot of wins from the tournament. Both age groups were reliant on the last fixtures of the tournament to determine their final standings and qualification to the regional round of the national event. The U14s played Farnborough Hill in their final game and, although they didn’t come away with the

win this time, the willpower and strength of character, individually and as a team, was clear for all to see and I was extremely proud of their performances throughout the day. The U16s had a great tournament going into their last game v St Swithun’s to determine who would qualify in first and second place as unbeaten. They remained calm and collective as a whole and came away as tournament winners with an undefeated record in the county round. At the regional tournament, held a few months later, the U16 team was once again met with some tough competitors. Throughout this whole experience the girls were very professional and mature and worked together as a strong unit. This team was made up of a real range of ages and talented netball players and they narrowly missed out on qualifying for the National Schools’ finals by 1 point. I am still in awe of how all the girls performed in pre-season training, friendlies and during the tournaments themselves.

This netball season was unfortunately cut short meaning we missed out on fixtures against Bradfield College, PGS and the older years were unable to run their training session with Stroud pupils after their fixture. I am hopeful that we can rearrange our Old Edwardians’ evening and the highly anticipated Staff v Leavers match!

We visited Belfast once again this year with some of our U13 players, during which time they were coached by the one of the Northern Ireland players who featured in both the Commonwealth and World Cup squad in the past few years. The development of the girls’ netball was phenomenal in such a short space of time. This is an excellent experience for the U13s which will continue to run alongside some long-haul tours for the senior girls in the upcoming years.

Finally, I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who has been part of yet another great year of netball at KES. This includes parents, who have driven the players to and from various venues for fixtures and their continued support from the sideline in all weather conditions, the staff who give up their time to run training sessions in the school week, attend fixtures at weekends and those who have helped with the running of the tours which allow a range of girls to experience netball at a level suitable to them.

The forthcoming fixture programme is already looking very busy and strong with some new opponents to play, some more mid-week fixtures and entry to national events making it very competitive, I am very excited and look forward to seeing everyone back out on the netball courts.

Miss Cole

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1st VII Netball

This has been an outstanding season for the 1st team and one that will certainly be remembered. In the 10 years that I have been at the school and working with the senior squads, this is by far the most talented group of girls that I have had the pleasure to coach.

The commitment that the girls have shown to training, personal fitness and to each other, was second to none and certainly contributed to their phenomenal season.

The season started with a comfortable win against Churcher’s College which served as an excellent preparation match for the Seaford College Netball Tournament that followed the weekend after. This is the first year that we have entered this tournament and it did not disappoint. The team took on strong opponents from Lancing College, Brighton College, Hurstpierpoint, Churcher’s, Seaford and Epsom.

The girls played some excellent netball and finished second in the group losing only to Brighton College which meant they took on Canford in the semifinal. Despite their best efforts the team lost by one goal, meaning they finished the tournament in a respectable 3rd place.

The season continued with wins against Lord Wadsworth and Gordon’s School leading into the much anticipated triangular against Dauntsey’s and a rematch with Canford. The girls were very determined to come away with a good result after the close defeat in the Seaford Tournament. With Charlotte Dunkley shooting with pinpoint accuracy and Zoe Henderson’s strong leadership and outstanding court play the team came away victorious from both fixtures. The

Played: 14 Won: 12 Drew: 1 Lost: 1

girls were elated and it gave them great confidence going into the Lord Wandsworth Tournament the following weekend. Having won the tournament last year, and with some key players missing, there was added pressure on the girls to perform. The seamless transition of Zoe Henderson from the defensive circle into the shooting circle demonstrated the depth of talent in the squad. The team stepped up to the challenge and won all their games meaning they went on to play Seaford College in the final. This is, without a doubt, one of the most exciting games of school netball I have ever experienced. At full time, the result was 10-10 so it went into extra time, followed by golden goal. After an end-to-end battle, Nyah Clark put up her final shot of the day and it went in to secure the win for the tournament title for the second year in a row.

The girls and I were disappointed that the season came to an abrupt end and I am certain that they would have continued on their winning streak, but at least it ended on a high. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the team for a very enjoyable season and one that I will remember for many years to come. I very much look forward to hearing about their individual successes in the future.

Coach: Mrs Ferrand Squad: Zoe Henderson (C), Ellie Dunlop (VC), Millie Parsons (VC), Freya Crowley, Claudia Leeming, Sophie Khan, Charlotte Dunkley, Nyah Clark, Ottilie Beal, Diba Mansourian and Abbie Morton.

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2nd VII Netball The 2nd VII had a fantastic season and showed some great netball skills and commendable team ethics throughout the season. This was particularly evident during the challenging matches. At times, the girls had to adapt from game to game. They frequently lost players to the 1st team but this did not seem to phase them and every single player stepped up to the challenge, concentrating on what had been set for them to achieve within each quarter.

The girls had a tough start to the season with two narrow losses against Churcher’s and Bryanston.

Against Bryanston, the girls played with great determination throughout the match and adapted their court play as and when they needed to. They remained calm and controlled but with just 20 seconds left on the clock, they lost the ball and then the opposition had the centre pass. They lost the match by just 2 goals. They were able to take a lot away from this game and went on to win against

Played: 9 Won: 4 Drew: 0 Lost: 5

Lord Wandsworth by 4 goals and beat Gordons 22-2.

The girls continued to perform well and give their all to training, games lessons and team cohesion on Saturdays. They finished off the season at the Lord Wandsworth Tournament where they won their group to play in the final. They narrowly missed out on victory in this match finishing as runners-up in the plate tournament.

Coach: Miss Cole Squad: Stephanie Judd (Captain), Carol Naoum Ateya, Tamsin Morris, Abbie Morton, Issy Todd, Olivia Tilley, Rebecca Waggett, Sophie Roe, Amy Boyle, Sophie Bassi, Milly Phipps, Jasriah Mandair, Grace Loveridge, Amy Tunney, Catherine Thompson, Elizabeth Beardsall, Lucy Pumphrey, Lena Mills and Xanthe Thompson.

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3rd VII Netball

In a season cut short by the coronavirus pandemic, the scores gained before lockdown do not reflect the valiance and endeavour of this group of netballers.

They began the season as players who had not worked together before, and the first match against Churcher’s ended in a 12-18 defeat. The Bryanston result of 21-34 was not flattering either, but the girls did win one of those quarters and had some real flashes of brilliance, before they would then lose concentration. The Canford and Dauntsey’s matches were part of a triangular fixture at home. Despite the Dauntsey’s results being closer than those against Canford, the side still suffered two defeats. Therefore, it was lovely to secure a 22-9 win over St George’s, Weybridge, who were a strong side.

It can be difficult being the 3rd VII, as there is inevitably a lot of movement in the squad, as players move around the three senior teams. This lack of consistency can be tough on your stats! However, I have hugely enjoyed working with this dynamic and exciting group of young women, who played hard in both success and defeat, and I thank them for their dedication to the sport, and am sad that we were unable to give the Upper Sixth leavers the send off that they deserved.

Played: 5 Won: 1 Drew: 0 Lost: 4

Thank you to those who gave seven or five years of netball to KES and good luck. A huge thanks to Sophie Roe: often player of the match, and a superb captain to boot.

Coach: Ms Smith Squad: Sophia Bassi, Grace Loveridge, Xanthe Thompson, Emilia Walker, Lizzie Beardsall, Erika Lace, Lucy Pumphrey, Lucy Tait, Catherine Thompson, Anoushka Umranikar, Amy Boyle, Milly Phipps, Sophie Roe and Amy Tunney.

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U15A Netball The 2020 season was a wholly enjoyable experience.

It would be remiss of me not to allude to the extraordinary circumstances with which we were faced during the latter part of our netball term. When it got really tough, the tough remained resolute; the guidance, care and support offered to all the players, parents and coaches from Miss Cole, Mrs Ferrand and Mrs Penn, during the most challenging moments of this COVID-19 crisis, was phenomenal.

Played: 11 Won: 8 Drew: 1 Lost: 2

Even though numbers at training were, at times, questionable, those that committed to the programme really developed their netball and social skills as the term progressed.

Coach: Mr Powell Squad: Ella Danby, Orla Paterson, Kate Dunn, Charlotte Ashton, Evie Bulstrode, Diba Mansourian, Lola Dibden, Grace Orton and Myah Ganjavian-Connor.

Outstanding and consistent playing performances from the likes of Evie Bulstrode, Charlotte Ashton and Orla Paterson gave every competitive game a real touch of class. A highlight of the term was our outstanding (yet bruising) encounter with Bryanston School.

As a coach, you really rely on those experienced and reliable players to cement on the court the skills practised during the wet and cold after school training sessions. Leadership from our senior players such as Kate Dunn, Lola Dibden and Grace Orton made for a very productive environment.

U15B Netball The U15B team had a fantastic season, demonstrating great netball skills and team ethic throughout. All the girls pulled together to work hard in the more challenging games that they faced.

They started the season with a narrow loss to Churcher’s College, losing by 3 goals, but came bouncing back the following week with a tough game against Bryanston. The whole team dug in deep, played with versatility and succeeded in coming out triumphant, winning by 2 goals.

The girls adjusted weekly to their coach and playing styles, as well as team changes amongst themselves, but nothing seemed to phase them. Their commitment to training, and the ability to take these newly learnt skills and put them into game situations, was amazing to see.

The final fixture of the season saw them once again have to work hard until the very last whistle against Lord Wandsworth College. The game was goal for goal until a great turn over in defence saw the U15Bs go 2 up just as the final whistle went.

Played: 8 Won: 5 Drew: 0 Lost: 3 A fantastic end to a season; one in which everyone worked hard and made it very enjoyable.

Coach: Miss Cole Squad: Katie Ryan, Izzy Hall, Rhea Fernandes, Annabelle Oddoye, Ese Okitikpi, Ruby Slowen, Annabel Stonadge, Pheobe Rogers, Myah Ganjavian-Connor, Yzzy Murray, Amy Oldfield, Ella Danby, Susie Bence, Sanya Khurana.

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U14A Netball

Played: 16 Won: 13 Drew: 0 Lost: 3

Squad: Sophie Kileff (C), Melanie Georgiou (VC), Elinor Sharp, Erin Woo, Isabelle Nutbourne, Georgie Wheeler, Daisy Kendall, Ava Neilson, Lucy Walker and Claudia Hargreaves.

The season started with a friendly against Priestlands.

The girls worked hard and the game provided an excellent warm-up for the County Tournament and start to the season.

The County Tournament was postponed in October and was finally played at the end of November in wet and cold conditions. The girls impressed with how they rose to the speed of each game and dealt with a great deal of pressure and the awful weather.

They beat PGS, Portsmouth High School, Churcher’s, Priestlands, Kings’ and Brookfield, but, unfortunately, lost an extremely close game to Farnborough Hill and then the match against St Swithun’s. The girls were disappointed not to progress to the regionals and clearly do have the potential to go further. However, this was an excellent learning curve for them.

After Christmas, the Saturday fixtures commenced and the girls played Churcher’s in more wet and windy conditions. Ava and Daisy played WA for the first time and demonstrated a great deal of potential.

Mel and Elinor defended extremely well, resulting in a considerable win 24-9. The following weekend the team played Bryanston. The girls were apprehensive, having never played this side before, but used this to their advantage to ensure they played an excellent game. Izzy ended up playing in centre for the first time, with Georgie at GK, and they did themselves proud by responding positively to every piece of advice offered. The team’s speed of passing and timing of interceptions was admirable, resulting in another excellent win 30-14. The subsequent match was against Gordon’s, another school that the U14A team had not played before. Unfortunately, the side was missing three key players. The girls had to step up, show their versatility and adapt. They learnt a

great deal from the match and continued to fight throughout, doing their school proud.

The final weekend before half-term saw an excellent triangular against Canford, Dauntsey’s and KES take place. Sophie, Daisy and Ava shot extremely well, moving around the circle and making the most of every opportunity. Lucy showed great fight, marking tightly, and Elinor made interception after interception. Erin was powerful and strong and maintained control of both games. The day finished with a 1 goal win over Canford and 33-15 win over Dauntsey’s.

The final game of the season (although we didn’t know it at the time) was against Lord Wandsworth.

During this game, the girls displayed a great deal of independence and teamwork. All were determined to maintain a considerable lead. Sophie captained extremely well and it was fantastic to see them analyse as a team and set themselves targets, illustrating the progress made throughout the season and resulting in a 29-12 win.

This season has been challenging for the girls due to them having many other commitments but they have risen to every challenge. A special mention to Claudia Hargreaves who is a key member of this team. She has been severely injured throughout the whole of the netball term and I know the girls and myself cannot wait for her return. These unfortunate absences have allowed the girls to grow and develop their netball skills by becoming more versatile players which will aid them a great deal as they move up the school. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with this bunch of girls and wish them all the best of luck next season.

Coach: Mrs Penn

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U14B Netball

The B team started the season with a close match against Churcher’s College with Charlotte taking the lead as captain. As this was the first fixture of the year both teams were understandably hesitant, and it took some time to find their rhythm in the game. By the last quarter, the King Edward’s girls were more at ease and they started to make good use of the space. The following were nominated as players of the match; Sienna for her great shooting and Lucy Robinson for her dominance mid court.

Unfortunately, the girls lost by just four goals, but they showed great promise for the remainder of the season. The following weekend saw the girls face a tough Bryanston side. This was a difficult fixture, as the team were faced with a number of injuries, but the girls kept their heads up and continued fighting until the end. Taya and Nell were able to maintain their momentum throughout and were awarded players of the match. Particular mention should also be made to Emily who showcased her versatility by moving into the GA position. She had great movement and consistently made herself available by coming forward for the ball. The girls lost this fixture but there were many positives to take away from the match. The third match of the season saw the girls face Gordon’s School at Hill Lane. A special thank you should be made to Destiny who stepped up in defence from the C team and she was a great asset. Emily and Sienna worked well together in the attacking circle, dodging effectively to lose the defence and they both shot consistently, scoring twenty-three goals. Matilde was assertive in defence and there was some excellent close marking and intercepting from Charlotte. Unfortunately, Eleanor was injured mid game but she made an impression in defence in the first half. The girls kept their cool in order to secure their first win of the season; it was a great game to watch. The triangular fixture against Dauntsey’s and Canford is always a good test.

Played: 7 Won: 3 Drew: 0 Lost: 4

Charlotte was accurate in her shooting and Phoebe was strong in defence. Kira worked hard in mid court to ensure we kept possession. The girls played very well in both matches and successfully secured a win against Dauntsey’s. The final match of the season saw the girls face Lord Wandsworth. The match was nail biting to watch with the girls winning by just one goal on the final whistle. Lucy Robinson showed her determination by playing with an injury and Lucy Walker was excellent as WD and she made lots of interceptions; turning over the ball. The conditions were less than ideal but the girls remained positive throughout and fully deserved the win. A lovely way to end the season.

Coach: Mrs Walls Squad: Nell Sarton, Eleanor Oakley, Lucy Robinson, Kira Woodd, Charlotte Stembridge, Taya Prokopchuk, Sienna Mandair, Emily Pizzey, Matilde Mathies, Phoebe Mufushwa, Destiny Annan and Lucy Walker.

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U14C Netball

Throughout the season, the team played well and fought hard showing excellent resilience and good sportswomanship. They defended well with Phoebe Gregory making it tricky for the opposition to access the circle in every game. The centre court play was fast-paced and the team made excellent interceptions, with Sophie Carter always finding space, Charlotte Akerman making sound passes and Zofia Osgood getting free in the circle. The girls developed their communication and talked to each other to make for great play up the court.

The triangular fixture with Dauntsey’s and Canford was exciting and the girls showed strength and versatility, encouraging each other throughout. The team finished the season, unknowingly, on a high.

Played: 5 Won: 1 Drew: 0 Lost: 4

They gained a strong 16-9 win over Lord Wandsworth College. Phoebe Gregory, Isla Osmond, Annabelle Coltart and Charlotte Stembridge were awarded players of the match.

Coach: Mrs Penfold Squad: Destiny Annan, Adele Congreve, Annabel Coltart, Sophie Carter, Phoebe Gregory, Zofia Osgood, Isabel Smith, Charlotte Akerman, Isla Osman, Eva Wakatare, Kira Woodd and Celia Brabazon.

U14D Netball Unfortunately, there were two games cancelled for the U14 D team this season but this group of girls should be extremely pleased with their unbeaten season. The two games they played (against Churcher’s and St George’s College, Weybridge) resulted in excellent wins. All the players have been committed to training and their fantastic work ethic has allowed them to go from strength to strength.

They work well as a team; all have developed their shooting skills and movement around the court, making them a force to be reckoned with. Their

Played: 2 Won: 2 Drew: 0 Lost: 0

positive spirit has made them a joy to coach and I have enjoyed seeing them progress. I hope they will continue to enjoy playing netball and look forward to seeing them develop further.

Mrs Penn Squad: Elspeth McFarlane, Sophie Hews, Ottilie Saunders, Charlotte Wallis, Sophie Cowan, Samantha MacNaughton, Tessa Tomson, Adele Congreve and Mahira Sumra.

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U13A Netball

The U13 age group have been exceptionally strong this season, with remarkably high numbers at training sessions on Tuesdays, and over forty girls getting the opportunity to represent the school on a Saturday.

They have not only shown determination, but also increased fortitude due to the miserable winter we have had. It is because of this determination, coupled with their natural ability and talent, that I have thoroughly enjoyed coaching the U13s this season.

Our first match of the season was against local rivals, Churcher’s. This was mentally a tough fixture for the girls and the game was ‘goal for goal’ throughout. The players showed their competitive spirit and the game ended in a 10-10 draw. The following weekend they played Cheam School, who were a strong, athletic and powerful side. Despite KES missing two of their key players, they fought throughout the match and adapted their play to get around a strong opposition.

In the final quarter, vital defender, Ellie Orton, unfortunately had to come off due to a re-occurring injury. With no subs, we had to pull a member of the U13B up but the girls lost this match 13-10. However, I was so impressed with how well the girls played that a defeat really did not matter.

In our first home fixture, KES played Ryde School. The girls were dubious about their ability as last season’s fixture had been cancelled due to bad weather.

However, it was soon evident that the U13A side had no reason to be dubious as they won the game convincingly 30-7. Their winning streak continued as they played another fixture at home against Gordons School, winning persuasively 22-8. The final game before half term saw KES play an away fixture against Dauntsey’s School. The U13As had to adapt the way they played due to the extremely strong winds which

Played: 8 Won: 5 Drew: 1 Lost: 2

meant only chest passes would suffice. This was a nail biting match (as coach and umpire) and it was only in the last 4 minutes that KES managed to pull away, eventually winning the game 12-10.

After half-term, in their penultimate game, they travelled to St George’s College, Weybridge. With thunderstorms starting just before the game, the girls had to play inside on a smaller sized court, playing 10-minute halves. They moved the ball around the court well, but St George’s made it hard for them to score under pressure; KES were also missing a shooter for this game. Another injury for dynamic defender Ellie Orton, meant the overall result was an 11-9 loss. However, this was the best I had ever seen the girls play and it was remarkable to see how far they had come since the start of the season.

The final game of the season was against Lord Wandsworth College during which the girls secured a win 26-4, with amazing performances from both players in defence. The team have had an outstanding season and have progressed immensely from last year. To only lose two games during the season (and these by two or three goals) is phenomenal. Overall, the girls’ goal difference was 65; a great statistic which is a credit to their excellent shooting and solid defence. It has been a pleasure to watch them grow this year and I look forward to watching their success continue into next season.

Coach: Miss Horn Squad: Sophie Kent (C) Ellie Orton, Kiran Kaur, Katie Arden-Jones, Katie Sloane, Jemima Sullivan, Cara Lea, Rhyseren Taylor, Lily Fisher and Millie Boyes.

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U13B Netball It is unfortunate that there was disruption to the end of the netball season, as all the players had shown significant progress as individuals but they were also coming together well as a team.

The term started with a narrow win against Churcher’s. I was impressed with the level of resilience all the players showed in some very cold and wet conditions. Sofia was an absolute trooper playing in defence for the majority of the match, providing excellent support for Millie who was also outstanding. Darcy was also flexible and gave a fabulous performance as GD. The next match was considerably more challenging, against Cheam. A competitive and talented opposition, the girls struggled against their impressive defence.

Regardless, the whole team kept up their hard work throughout, with some notable goals scored. Sabine was a welcome addition to the team for this match.

Her communication, along with that of Emily and Isobel in the D, was most impressive. The shooters in particular have improved their teamwork throughout the season. The next fixture, against Ryde, allowed the players to gain some much needed confidence.

The girls recorded a very comfortable win, and it was great to see them all communicating with each other. Tamara had a particularly good game in WD. Sofia had a chance to shine as C and has really come into her own in this position. It was lovely to have Gracie and Izzy join the team for this fixture. Probably one of the most evenly matched games of the season was against Gordon’s. The girls played beautifully together showing how much

Played: 7 Won: 4 Drew: 0 Lost: 3

they had grown as a team. The communication was there and they pushed themselves throughout, resulting in a well-deserved win. Again, there was lots of movement in defence positions, and I am so thankful that the girls have all been so flexible with their positions when needed. Dauntsey’s was a challenging match and not helped by incredibly strong winds! There was some fabulous defence from Izzy and Millie and some truly excellent mid-court play from Darcy, Avantikar and Tamara.

Unfortunately, the strength of the opposition meant the girls never managed to get into their stride. After the half-term break, the players were ready to get stuck in to some more netball. The match against St George’s was tough and not helped by playing on a surface that meant the game was incredibly fast. It was great to see Rio join us as centre.

The goals KES scored were fantastic; some truly excellent shots made by Isobel. Lord Wandsworth ended up being the last fixture of the season and what a game it was! Although there was frustration at times, all of the players kept their focus and performed admirably. Darcy was a wonderful captain – supportive and encouraging throughout.

It ended with a comfortable and suitably deserved win. Well done to all the captains Emily, Darcy and Millie, who have all been mature and dedicated in their approach throughout. I would personally like to thank all the girls for a very enjoyable term of netball.

Coach: Miss Downing Squad: Emily Egerton-Hou (C), Millie Boyes (C), Darcy Randle (C), Tamara Haq, Isobel Roberts, Sofia Thompson, Sabine Potter, Isobel Holliday, Avantikar Umranikar, Rio Gawne-Cain, Gracie O’Brien and Jemima Sullivan.

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U13C Netball This was a tough season for the girls. Numerous changes to teams, illness and girls regularly playing up meant the C team suffered some disruption.

However, they played well in every match and can be proud of how they coped with the challenges.

They responded well to training and were able to implement techniques and strategies learnt on the court. The girls supported each other, both in

Played: 6 Won:3 Drew: 0 Lost: 3

their play and with their communication and always remained positive regardless of the outcome.

It was a pleasure to work with such enthusiastic and eager netballers, I wish the girls all the best for the 2021 season.

Coach: Mrs Hall Squad: Scarlett Moody, Josie Salter, Nithusha Baheerathan, Gracie O’Brien, Isobel Holliday, Jessica Dodd, Avantika Umranikar, Tessa Weinstein, Lucia Poletti, Katie Braakenburg, Lauren Barnett, Millie Hills, Amelie Rugge-Price, Flora RuggePrice, Hennie Burlton, Ava Wright, Vipusha Kamalarajah and Sasha Sherrin.

U13D Netball The U13D team worked incredibly hard this season with some very tough opposition in a number of their games. The team won two of the five matches they played, 8-2 to Cheam School and 10-5 to Gordon’s School. Vipusha Kamalarajah, Kate Quigley and Lauren Barnett all did an excellent job at captaining the team throughout the season and, despite some challenging weather, progress was made in all areas of the sport. It was most pleasing

Played: 5 Won:2 Drew: 0 Lost: 3

that for all the matches we fielded a full enthusiastic team and also, on occasion, had substitutes to stand in when we needed them. Despite the final match of the year being cancelled, the whole team should look forward to moving up an age group next year; they play well together.

Coach: Mrs Blow Squad: Defne Nebol, Vipusha Kamalarajah (C), Kate Quigley (C), Lauren Barnett (C), Roisin Allen, Khadeejah Butt, Simran Khaira, Tessa Aresca and Nithusha Baheerathan.

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U12A Netball The U12 netballers started training in September and every week there was a good turn out across the ability range ensuring that by the start of the season in January a number of the girls were already in a routine and developing their skills in preparation for the first match. All players were upbeat throughout the season, training numbers were continuously high and the atmosphere at matches was both positive and fun.

The first match of the season for the U12 A team was against St George’s. As a very similar school to KES, and with a number of known players, the girls fully expected this to be a tough match. The pre-season training came through with superb shooting from Lana, Ava and Hennie and strong defence from Anu and Lily meaning St George’s struggled to make it onto the score sheet.

The girls faced Cheam School at home the following week but due to the conditions the game had to be limited in time. This was a shame as the teams were closely matched and the game ended in a draw. The last match in January was against Ryde School with Upper Chine. With a couple of key players missing, it was a rearranged squad who took on the visitors but, having settled into their new positions, the team went on to produce a good win. There then followed two good wins against Gordon’s School and Dauntsey’s.

Speed of play through the centre court led by Megan, Flora and Amelie, kept the opposition moving and often left them on the back foot.

Played: 7 Won: 4 Drew: 1 Lost: 2

After half-term, the team took its first knockback against St George’s in London. The girls worked hard throughout the game, taking each quarter one at a time and finding ways to tackle the very strong opposition. The loss on paper was not a reflection of the game itself which maintained its end to end flow and was hard fought with many turnovers.

The tournament at Churcher’s was excellent fun with pleasant weather and a number of fantastic matches against teams that the school would not normally have the opportunity to play. The girls lost one match in their pool against Alton and played the eventual winners, Tormead, in the semi-final leaving them 3rd/4th out of the 11 teams. The final match of the season was against Twyford School on a very wet Monday afternoon. The girls were in good spirits, despite the weather, and the match was close with Twyford only taking the win in the last quarter.

The U12 A squad have been a pleasure to work with regardless of the combination of players and position they were placed in. It was a shame the season finished early and I wish them the all the best next year.

Coach: Mrs Henderson Squad: Anu Bamodu, Megan Barriball, Hennie Burlton, Holly Chambers, Harriet Field, Lily Fisher, Lana Holyroyd, Edie Johnson, Amelie Rugge-Price, Flora Rugge-Price and Ava Wright.

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U12B Netball It has been an absolute pleasure coaching the B team this season. They have had a fantastic season and the girls have shown continuous progression throughout. All the players have worked consistently hard and displayed huge progress in their skills each week. The girls’ upbeat demeanour and enthusiasm every Saturday was amazing. They started the season with an encouraging victory against Churcher’s 4-1 and managed some other very impressive wins against Ryde School, Gordon’s and Lord Wandsworth College.

Whilst there were well-earned victories, there were also some weeks that the side was faced with tough opposition resulting in a couple of close losses. No matter what the overall score, it was clear that the girls grew stronger as a team every week and always supported each other’s progress. All of the players showed vast improvements in their footwork,

Played: 8 Won: 4 Drew: 0 Lost: 4

defending and attacking during training sessions and were able to implement this in their games.

Within the first couple of weeks you could see visible progress in the girls’ passing and communication, enabling movement of the ball across court to flow significantly better. They developed a strong skill set in their positions and this allowed them to have a strong defending and attacking team. It has been an excellent start to playing senior school netball.

Coach: Miss McGregor Squad: Edie Johnson, Harriet Field, Heidi Waite, Immi Akerman, Megan Barriball, Becky Saunders, Rosie Lyndon, Elisabeth Mathies, Catherine Tarmey, Ava Wright, Sophie Holebrook, Isabelle Henderson, Isabelle Coshott, Emily Carrall-Wilcocks and Lana Holroyd.

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U12C Netball The girls began with a great match against Churcher’s.

The teams were well matched in ability and Evie and Sophie performed well as shooters. In the match against Cheam, the girls’ lack of opportunity to play together was evident against a team that had been formed for much longer. The match against Gordon’s School was extremely close with Becky developing her shooting skills considerably. Many players showed real

Played: 7 Won: 2 Drew: 0 Lost: 5

improvement over the course of the season and it was a pity there was not the opportunity to play the last scheduled match. Ruby, in particular, demonstrated her willingness and flexibility to play in any position.

Some players of the match nominated were Isabelle S, Isabelle C, Evie and Isabelle H. I look forward to seeing how they all improve next year.

Coach: Miss Yerbury Squad: Sophie Holebrook, Isabelle Coshott, Emily Carrall-Wilcocks, Isabelle Sheppard, Sophie Goriainova, Evie Waud, Livvy Mitchell, Emily Strike, Ruby Wiltshire, Rosa Shepherd, Becky Saunders, Heidi Waite, Isabelle Henderson, Olivia Spooner, Jess Windram, Jemima Hughes, Catherine Tarmey and Amelia Kozlowska.

U12D Netball These young ladies should take great pride in their continued positive attitude whilst playing the five netball fixtures at the start of this year.

Unfortunately, they lost in all of their matches but during each game they showed great determination, teamwork and smiles throughout. I was very proud of all of them.

During the home match at the beginning of January, the girls started off well, scoring all of their ten goals early on. It was, therefore, a shame to see Churcher’s College take the victory right at the end with their last few winning shots. A similar situation happened the following weekend. KES scored the first goal of the game but the opposition then placed nine in a row to finish.

Played: 5 Won:0 Drew: 0 Lost: 5

Against Gordon’s School, the girls were fully focused and had new tactics within their positions.

With some changes of team members, they were adamant they would to try to win the game. Despite losing 4-12, Sophie Tarafdar worked tirelessly in her role as captain and was voted match player of the match. With a change of positions, and extra hard work during training sessions, the girls retained their positive attitude throughout the afternoon away game at Dauntsey’s School but suffered a 20-1 defeat. Away to St George’s College, not once did I hear the girls say they wanted to give up. I watched them try so hard with even more enthusiasm once again, but when we lost with 3 goals to 36, I must admit I had tears of frustration in my eyes.

With all this said and done, I thoroughly enjoyed guiding them through these wintry weekends and feel they should be holding their heads up high and shouting; ‘King Edward’s never give up!’, and we will be back again trying even harder next year.

Coach: Mrs Peterson Squad: Phoebe Ashton, Sofia Dewsbury, Zhiqing Gao, Sophie Goriainova, Alice Higenbottam, Jemima Hughes, Hattie Knapman, Simran Lally, Olivia Larkin, Jasmine Mehta, Livvy Mitchell, Rosa Shepherd, Emily Strike, Olivia Spooner, Sophie Tarafdar, Peggy Tomson, Lily Walker, Ella Wateridge, Evie Waud, Mia Williams, Ruby Wiltshire and Jess Windram.

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Boys’ SPORT AT KES 2019-2020

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Rugby overview The game of rugby continues to develop at KES with more boys playing the sport. With A, B and C teams in many of the year groups, all players are having the opportunity to play the game by representing the school. This continued upward trend in the rugby programme seems to be a consistent theme and one that all staff believe in and are committed to.

The season started for the 1st XV with the traditional pre-season training in August which culminated with the 17th South Coast Kings Tournament. Other year groups engaged in a series of pre-season training camps in preparation for their first competitive games of the campaign.

the “free and fast” ethos of the competition and displayed some great attacking skills. It was a fantastic event which was made so much better by the support of the Hampshire Society referees who took charge of every U18 game, the KES grounds team who produced incredible pitches and the catering staff who kept everyone fed and watered all day. Special mention must go to Mr Kent who managed all the tournament scheduling during the event, Mrs Paul who co-ordinated all the administration leading up to the competition and, lastly, the KES teachers who supported and encouraged our players throughout the day.

The Kings Tournament was well attended with many schools making this a traditional part of their season preparation. The weather was perfect and energised all participating players. Everyone engaged with

Rugby at King Edward’s is as much about experience and teamwork as it is about results. There was a real improvement in the “squad mentality” this year and our B team coaches are to thank for this continued

108 | SOTONIENSIS 2020

growth in playing numbers. Their enthusiasm and organisation in fielding full teams every week was fantastic; Mr Duncan, Mr Aellen, Mr Sinclair, Mr Rosenberg and Mr Nicholls have put a huge amount of effort into continuing to build strong B/C team cultures at KES. The autumn term was blessed with perfect rugby playing weather which saw all our teams participate in the early rounds of their prospective national and county cup competitions. Individual players from several teams were also beginning to create a name for themselves among a variety of representative teams; we had Hampshire caps for Daniel Wickes, Will Chambers and Archie Callaghan.

The senior squads boasted pleasing numbers during this season; 18+ at training. Their hard work throughout the season, typified by players such as Sam Thompson and Oliver Showell, brought its rewards; back-to-back wins against both Barton Peveril College and Bournemouth School were notable highlights.

The First Years were mostly small but, nevertheless, skilful, quick, and as determined as you could hope for. Mr Kent, Mr Aellen and Mr Nicholls crafted three squads full of energy and skill and they pulled off some mighty victories. The U12A team recorded an impressive equal share of points for and against with five wins from their nine games.

The U13 squads made excellent progress throughout the season, growing in skill and speed and performing well against some tough opposition. It was good to have Mr Duncan back at KES after a break; his energy, patience and enthusiasm were vital in launching our players into the next phase of their rugby education.

Our U14 teams were stoic in all aspects of the game; a phenomenal win against MCS was a notable event. Mr Laverty has directed some passionate, industrious and energetic players with real guile throughout the term. They were a pleasure to coach and they were gentlemen off the field after each fixture.

Mr Penn, who was ably assisted by Mr Aellen, managed the very talented U15 teams. The vast majority of their ten Saturday games were fiercely contested with Mr Penn’s charges winning eight and their cup run was only cut short due to a strong Churcher’s team.

Mr Collinson worked hard with the U16 squad.

This set of U16 players knuckled down and worked industriously throughout the season. Several players from this squad represented the 1st XV which speaks volumes of the toughness of many of these young men.

I would like to personally thank the staff and players for their hard work. Coaches demand high standards which our players respond to accordingly. The students understand the need to put their heart and soul into representing the school and this is rewarded with the positive experiences that they receive and, in a less direct way, from the results that they are achieving. I look forward to seeing more players representing the school, and as many parents as possible coming to support.

Mr Powell Head of Rugby

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1st XV Rugby Despite appearances, the 1st XV rugby season was an incredible mix of energy, courage and skill.

Our pre-season training in August set us up well for the South Coast Kings Tournament in which we were unfortunate not to record a win but played with bravery and established, what would become, a team ethic that would put other school teams to shame. The tournament was a great opportunity for new players; Dan Gollings was particularly impressive in his new KES 1st XV shirt.

As the season got underway, the first round draw for the NatWest Cup pitched us up against our old adversaries Peter Symonds College; we played extremely well and narrowly missed out on leading as we went in for half time. The second half saw the numbers and physicality of the PSC squad begin to wear us down but, as is the story of the entire season, we never took a backward step.

Great wins over Bournemouth School, Ryde and Barton Peveril College exemplified the perseverance of so many of our players; numbers at training were always strong and I almost never had to beg players to play!

The coaching support from Mr Duncan was exceptional and he is hugely responsible for our attacking shape and the fitness our players maintained throughout our fourteen tough games. I cannot thank him enough.

Lastly, it is always emotional to bid farewell to our senior players in the Upper Sixth; many of these young men have committed themselves to the rugby programme at King Edward’s for seven years and have represented the school with honour and pride. I am so unbelievably proud to be associated with all our rugby players at KES and I will be tracking the progress of our leavers with interest as they go forth onto the next phase of their rugby education.

Coach: Mr Powell 1st XV Player of the 2019-2020 Season: Ed Kellett Most Improved Senior Player of the 2019-2020 Season: Wojciech Magier

Played: 14 Won: 5 Drew: 0 Lost: 9

Squad: Will Barker, Edward Kellett, Oliver Showell, Luke Ward, Sam Burton, Alex Georgiou, Henry Gwilliam, Ewan Horn, Tom Henley, Nick Damley-Jones, Patrick Keith, Sam Thompson, Oliver Wilson, Adam Woo, Dan Gollings, Henry Tudor, William Waring, Michael Shenouda, Will Booth, Will Brench-Jones, Oscar Self and Wojciech Magier.

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U16 Rugby After an excellent U15 season, this group was looking forward to new challenges and building on the foundations laid down in 2018. However, despite some good performances the results were ultimately disappointing.

The first game of the season, against the Oratory School, started very brightly with KES taking a 10-0 lead. However, a couple of mix-ups between new combinations gifted the opposition some soft tries and KES eventually lost 29-20. The next fixture, against a touring side from Argentina, was another exciting and well-played match but with KES losing by the same score. There was better news against Ryde, where KES proved much too strong and ran away with the game 56-0. However, this game saw the start of a string of injuries to key players that cost the team any kind of momentum. The fixture against Dauntsey’s saw KES field a side without any subs, and finish the game with fourteen players after an injury to Aaron Henderson. The next fixture, against Lord Wandsworth College, saw Dan Newman break his ankle, and between these injuries and a number of concussions, KES struggled to field a competitive side for several weeks. A heavy loss to Churcher’s was followed by a single point defeat to PGS and the season ended with another defeat to Oratory. All in all, there were five games there for the taking that were let slip away, so it was a chastening experience after the glory of the U15 season.

Coach: Mr Collinson

Played: 8 Won: 1 Drew: 0 Lost: 7

Squad: Kerem Nebol, Jim Pearce, Jack Light, Andrew McFarlane, Oscar Groves, Ree Okitikpi, Eric Bentham, Archie Callaghan (C), Billy Smith, Aaron Henderson, Alistair Howard, Jack Warrener, Huw Dunlop, Will Daniels, Caleb Hillier, Harry Stembridge, Jack Lyne, Charlie Massey, Archie Kilpatrick, Dan Wickes, Will Chambers, Max Mehta, Ben Butson, Cameron Yates, Jack Wells and Dan Newman.

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U15A Rugby The U15A team have been magnificent this season.

Numbers at training have been high each week, and this group has a huge amount of potential. The players have impressed me with their endeavour and work ethic.

The side attended the South Coast Tournament for the first time this season and were met with a tough group. The eventual top three finishers for the U15 age group were all in the pool. However, the boys met each and every challenge with determination and kept playing until the end of each game.

The fixture against The Oratory School was the catalyst for a change in fortunes and mind-set from the boys. They developed a steely edge to how they approached each tackle, ruck, lineout, scrum and carry, which would set them up very well over the coming matches. One of the key factors in this was the partnership of Harry Day and Joe Thompson in the centre as well as Ben Morgan, Jack Williams and Joshua Kerr in the engine room. They were simply outstanding all season long.

The next game, against Ryde, was one of the highlights of the season. The U15s were down at half-time and the boys identified that they were giving their opponent’s fly half too much time and space to play, and he was making them pay with kicks and threatening runs. In the second half, the back-row of Sam Golledge, Bruno Jesney and Dom Fernando targeted him and the boys managed to wrestle the momentum back from Ryde. With three minutes to go, KES were down by 6 points with an attacking lineout on their 22 metre line. The boys set up an excellent driving maul, which made ground and then, out of nowhere, Dom Fernando burst free to score under the posts and take the win on the final whistle. The determination of the team was outstanding in this fixture teaching the boys that they can come back from any situation if they keep playing with intensity and for each other.

Dauntsey’s, Lord Wandsworth College and Embley Park (formerly HCS) were next on the fixture list. The boys kept their standards high winning the Dauntsey’s fixture 27-5. Hugo Dunkley, Alex Kipps, Sam McIlroy, Mathieu Loran and Harry Bristowe, in particular, were excellent in this game. In the match against Embley, all the training and high standards the boys set for themselves as a group, came together and they were ruthless. The boys played with freedom, and at speed, tackled ferociously and did not give Embley any time or space to play or get a foothold into the game. KES eventually cantered to a 76-5 win with Ata Yilmaz impressing with his running on the wing.

Played: 10 Won: 8 Drew: 0 Lost: 2

A cup game against an incredibly strong Churcher’s College side was to be the only blip of the season.

At 20 minutes in, the scores were all square at 0-0. However, with half-time fast approaching, the U15s conceded three quick and very soft tries.

Unfortunately, despite their best efforts, the tries kept coming and the boys went on to lose the game to an unflattering score line which did not reflect the overall performance.

The season ended with an almighty flourish; a convincing win against Magdalen College 31-5 and a brutal game against The Oratory (away from home) which KES won 29-19.

The performance of the term was against PGS! The squad were utterly dominant, and in control of the match, after the first half. Ethan Woods, Ollie Williams, Bruno Jesney, Sam Golledge, Charlie Shannon and George Coltart all put in their performance of the season with brutal carries and tackles throughout.

Unfortunately, after half-time the boys missed several key tackles and slowly PGS clawed their way back into the game. The U15s kept running hard. Monty Randle kicked superbly out of hand and Harry Day was also excellent off the tee. He ran the show at fly half with maturity, skill and exceptional decision making.

The boys went on to score with 5 minutes remaining to play and weathered the final storm from their opponents to claim the team’s first ever win against PGS! I would like to thank all the players for such an enjoyable season. Your energy, work ethic and willingness to learn has been inspiring and I will be following your rugby journeys with great interest over the coming years. Thank you, also, to all the parents for travelling to watch your sons play. I really appreciate your support and I know the boys always get a lift from you being on the touchline. Finally, I would like to thank the team captain, Dom Fernando. He has led from the front, both with ball in hand, as well as in defence. His maturity, leadership and team talks have been truly outstanding and have been a major part of the team’s success.

Coach: Mr Penn Squad: William Armstrong, Harry Bristowe, George Coltart, James Cummings-Candal, Harry Day (VC), Hugo Dunkley, Dominic Fernando (C), Samuel Golledge, Bruno Jesney, Joshua Kerr, Alex Kipps, Mathieu Loran, Sam McIlroy, Ben Morgan, Monty Randle, Charlie Shannon, James Tall, Joe Thompson, Jack Williams, Oliver Williams, Ethan Woods and Ata Yilmaz.

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U15B Rugby The U15B rugby team continued their excellent progress from last season and played a brand of fluid attacking rugby throughout the season. Despite a number of cancelled games, there was always an excellent level of attendance and commitment at training, which bodes well for the future. A number of players in this squad have already begun to play at A team level and there are many other players who will have much to contribute to KES rugby in the coming seasons.

The first two games of the season were beset with drama as last-minute tries from Owen Wiseman and Ata Yilmaz secured victory against Halliford and Dauntsey’s. The season then entered a more challenging phase as the group were tasked with taking on Bournemouth School’s A team. After a promising start to the game, cracks started to form in defence and Bournemouth ended the game as comfortable winners. The boys then travelled to Churcher’s College, who have a formidable depth of talent in rugby at this age group. Nevertheless, KES gave a spirited performance and gained their opponent’s respect. Indeed, there were calls for television replays following Murray Boyle’s disallowed try. The match against Magdalen College began in a disappointing manner when lacklustre tackling led to their team running in five tries in a very one-sided first half. However, the team again showed both its talent and never-say-die tenacity by scoring three tries in the second half. The highlight

U15A Rugby Team Photo

Played: 6 Won: 3 Drew: 0 Lost: 3

of the game was, undoubtedly, Harry Cotterell’s excellent individual try where he showed a great side-step and pace to scamper in under the posts.

The season concluded with an outstanding 61-0 victory over Portsmouth Grammar School. Will Taylor created panic in their defence every time he touched the ball and scored a number of excellent tries, Olly Herbert was also outstanding with his distribution and kicking a constant threat throughout. My thanks to Will Armstrong who captained the team with distinction throughout the season. Significant credit should also go to Matt Dodd who made a return to KES rugby this year with some outstanding individual performances in the back row. I have hugely enjoyed coaching the boys over the last two years; they have been an absolute credit to the school and I look forward to watching them develop in future seasons.

Coach: Mr Sinclair Squad: Kym Anderson, Will Armstrong, Murray Boyle, Charlie Hand, Oliver Herbert, Josh Kent, Tom Lugton, Nolan Erard, Owen Wiseman, Ata Yilma, Will Taylor, Tom Norman, Harry Cotterell, Kamran Dhariwal, Daniel Burrows, Daani Nayyar, Charlie Shannon, James Tall, Nirujan Baheerathan, Barnaby Saer and Matt Dodd.

U15B Rugby Team Photo

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U14A Rugby

Played: 10 Won: 4 Drew: 0 Lost: 6

Squad: John Alphin, Savinu Ariyawansa, Sam Attfield, Archie Bell, Max Bouras, Sam Buckland, Ethan Chapman-Sheath, Ollie Cornwell, Sam De Hartog, Rory Duncan, Freddie Elliot, Hugo Evans, Luca Gualano, Tim Harris, Euan Holm, Oscar Hudson, Andre Hughes, Archie Lavin, Harry McIlroy, Ryan Moreau, Fraser Reynolds, Nic Simons, Max Smith, Kobe Stavonhagen, James Thompson, Joseph Warrener and Jamie Wickes.

The philosophy for the U14 squad this season was directed towards improvement; primarily to improve as rugby players, both in terms of skill level and decision making on the field. To this end, we employed an inclusive policy whereby all players named in the squad for a match played at least one half of match time, and everyone was encouraged to solve on-field problems for themselves.

The general level of commitment from all the U14 players was very good with 30 – 40 players regularly turning up to training sessions, a fact that remained consistent throughout the season. From the early matches, the commitment of the players was never lacking as they threw themselves into every tackle and every attacking opportunity. They were rewarded for this commitment with some good performances, some excellent wins and an improved playing record.

From the very start of the season James McIlroy impressed with his blistering pace, and desire to get involved with the physical aspects of the game. In the first fixture, away at Halliford, he scored two long range tries in a match that was close until the final quarter when Halliford’s better fitness levels ensured they came away as winners. The following game was more problematic for the boys as they met an extremely impressive Oratory side who had themselves enjoyed significant success in national sevens competitions.

Although the side lost heavily on a hot afternoon, players such as Max Smith never gave up and the U14s were rewarded with a consolation try at the end.

The team then enjoyed a winning run for three matches against Ryde, Dauntsey’s and Bournemouth School. It was during these matches that they started to play some excellent, expansive rugby. All players understood the way the team was trying to play (utilising the speed of the backs). This was demonstrated admirably, away at Dauntsey’s, with

James scoring what was, for me, the try of the season.

Player of the season, Andre Hughes, was also showing everyone why he was such an important player for the team.

It was disappointing that this winning streak did not continue. However, the boys learnt a lot in the close games against Churcher’s and the rematch against the Oratory School, which, although ending in defeat, were good quality, tough games of rugby. Thereafter followed two further defeats against Lord Wandsworth and Portsmouth Grammar.

The team’s best performance of the season came against Magdalen College School when the U14s came away as 28-26 winners after a close game. The most pleasing aspect of this game was the notable focus that the KES players throughout. Luca Gualano’s leadership, and calmness under pressure, were key here, as was Jamie Wickes’s energy and willingness to move the ball. Throughout the encounter, KES remained the more disciplined side and this proved crucial in a match which was always likely to be won by a handful of points. The boys sealed victory with a try, five minutes from the end of the match. However, Madgdalen looked as if they were going to steal back the lead when they ran from their own 22 metre line in the closing minute. Although their right winger hit the half way line with a clear run to score, Andre came from nowhere and tackled him into touch.

The U14 team is clearly one with significant potential for improvement. If the players are committed and willing to work hard to improve their game, they can be a very successful team in the future.

Coach: Mr Laverty

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U14B Rugby It is very encouraging that over the course of the season, thirty-four different boys have represented the school in a fixture, even though in some ways it has been a tough season. Of these players, ten went on to represent the A team. It is also very pleasing that the U14Bs scored in most matches and thirteen different players scored tries. Several boys have grown to enjoy rugby for the first time, having moved to KES this year. If there was a strength in the U14B, it was their willingness to keep going and the quality of some of their tries scored was excellent. Some players were always available and willing to play in any position; Dylan Burrows was probably the best example of this; moving effortlessly from flanker to centre to fullback. In some fixtures, the side struggled with little possession but tackling improved, as did the ability to compete at the breakdown.

The final match against the Oratory School was probably the best of the season and it was great to finish with a win. The three tries scored in the match came after several phases of possession showing the team’s ability to recycle the ball and involve many players. Thomas Waggett scored his first try for KES, reaping the reward for great support play, and Fraser Reynolds capped an impressive season with an individual score from number 8. The defence was also excellent in this game; keeping Oratory scoreless at the end of the first half. The boys’ pleasure in stopping them on the line, following up a great tackle by Benjy Groves, was probably my highlight.

Played: 9 Won: 2 Drew: 0 Lost: 7

Thanks to those parents who supported home and away matches through the season.

Coach: Mr Aellen Squad: Freddie Fox, Michael Wong, Euan Holm (C), Fraser Reynolds, James Booth, Tim Harris, Oliver Daniels, Oliver Wilkinson, Thomas Waggett, Dylan Burrows, Matthew Evans, Ryan Moreau, Marcus Wray, Peter Burnand, Blair Galloway, Elias Simojoki, George Roche, Sam Tyson, Benjy Groves, Kobe Stavonhagen, Ollie Ginns, Sam Buckland, Callum Jacob, Nick Dodd, Sam Gavin, Oscar Hudson, Max Bouras, Freddie Elliot, Gabriel Suttie, Hugo Evans, Jamie McManus, Luca Gualano, Nic Simons and Savinu Ariyawansa.

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U13A Rugby

The season started with an encouraging trip to the Milfield Preparatory Tournament where the boys battled well, resulting in a good victory against Clifton School in their final game. The first Saturday fixture, against Oratory Prep School, was a wellfought affair with KES having the majority of the possession but being undone by a flying winger.

The following weeks followed a similar pattern. The boys lacked the ability to stop their opponents’ most explosive players and, although KES were a much smaller side than many of the teams they faced, it was disappointing to miss so many one-on-one tackles. This is an area that has to be addressed next year. Magdalen College saw an excellent first half-team performance with outstanding play from Rory Kilpatrick, Ben Kipps and Nathan Foot. It was therefore very heartening to see the team play so well against Churcher’s College and then beat The Oratory School in the last games of the season, especially coming off the back of so many defeats.

This showed that there is undoubtedly potential for next season and I look forward to seeing how they progress over the coming years.

Coach: Mr Mixer

Played: 11 Won: 1 Drew: 0 Lost: 10

Squad: Harry Appleton, Oliver Chambers, Cassian Fernando, Ben Kipps, Jamie Mundy, Oli Williams, Max Pemberton, Efe Nebol, Charlie Spanner, Rory Kilpatrick, Matthew Watson, Freddie Collins, Caspar Underwood, Joe Lambert, Nathan Foot, Max Addison and Thomas Dyer.

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U13B Rugby

This was a challenging season but the boys are to be commended on their commitment and hard work throughout.

The first game was against Halliford School and finished in a 10-20 defeat. The team suffered further defeats over the course of the season to PGS, Lord Wandsworth College, Churcher’s College, Dauntsey’s School and Magdalen College School. However, not all the season was spent on the back foot and the players showed what they could achieve when matched against players of a similar physical size and stature.

Against the Oratory Prep School, early in the season, the boys showed good creativity and skill level to score 10 tries winning 50-10. Later in the year, they gained an even more emphatic victory 60-10 against Ryde School.

Often, if a side that does not have physical attributes upon which they can rely, then players will develop their skill level to such an extent that they become better rugby players in the long run. I strongly believe that this will be the case with this group of individuals as they move through the school and that a number will go on to represent the 1st XV when they reach the Sixth Form.

I have enjoyed working with the boys and wish them well for the future.

Coach: Mr Duncan

Played: 9 Won: 2 Drew: 0 Lost: 7

Squad: The following boys played in at least 3 fixtures: Max Addison, Robin Ali, William Atkinson, Harry Channell, Tom Dyer, Oscar Eales, Nick Footit, Harry Gaster, Kit Goodridge, Ben Hughes, Kamran Jamil, Jamie King, Joe Lambert, Ben Malloch, Will Norman, Casper Underwood, Noah VigorRobertson and Matthew Watson.

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U12A Rugby This was a most enjoyable season for all involved.

The latest intake of First Year boys soon showed themselves to be enthusiastic and even on the coldest darkest days of the season in mid-November there were still over 40 boys training after school; this speaks volumes for their commitment and enthusiasm.

The season started with the annual trip to Millfield and, as ever, the festival was incredibly beneficial in clarifying key aspects of play upon which the boys needed to focus. From early on it was clear that this group of boys was receptive to feedback and to trying to implement the guidance they were given. It took a while for the players to settle into senior school sport and its need to have intensity from the start of every match. Left to their own devices to warm up, it took a while to get going and this partly contributed to the early defeats to the Oratory Prep School and Dauntsey’s. These two teams played with more speed and a greater intensity and the boys needed to learn from this quickly. The early part of the season did see a comfortable win over PGS, demonstrating the potential that existed in this side. A further 35-10 win over Ryde school showed further glimpses of the team’s potential. The final game against Bournemouth School was played in poor weather conditions, and turned into a bit of a scrappy affair.

Although KES were dominant for much of the game, a failure to take chances almost cost the side the match. However, the boys did create a chance with five minutes remaining to hold on for a narrow victory.

The first game after half-term ended in a 10-10 draw with Lord Wandsworth College. The boys demonstrated more control than the opposition and, given a few more favourable referee decisions, the result might have been more positive. That said, they did start to show the ability to control possession

Played: 11 Won: 7 Drew: 1 Lost: 3

and a desire to compete physically. The side put in a physical display against Churcher’s, defending well on a narrow pitch and taking two chances that came their way, to win 10-5; in truth they could have scored more with better composure on the try line.

The following week the U12s took on an undefeated Magdalen College side and were on the front foot from the off. An excellent defensive display put the opposition under pressure and they could not get the ball to their speed merchants. KES scored in the first two minutes, by pushing them backwards, and doubled the lead in the first half. The spectators were treated to an excellent display of rugby as both teams showed commitment beyond their years. KES scored a third try early on and resisted a resurgence from MCS (who scored twice) to ensure a 15-10 KES win.A triangular with Churcher’s and PGS followed in which, once again, the boys beat PGS, before Churcher’s got their own back from their defeat two weeks previously. The season finished with a convincing display of attacking rugby against a gutsy Oratory School side and the boys were pleased to finish with a 40-0 victory.

I have enjoyed working with this group. They have demonstrated enthusiasm, commitment, a good skill level, a growing physicality, improved defensive awareness and a maturity to their work. I am sure they will go on to have a number of successful seasons and turn into very good rugby players as they reach the top of the school.

My thanks to all the players for their hard work, to the parents for a lot of fantastic support and to Mr Rosenburg and Mr Nicholls for their considerable efforts with the B and C teams which gives this year group real depth.

Coach: Mr Kent Squad: The following played at least 3 matches for the U12A team: Harry Osman (C), Ben Mayes (VC), Max Bellman, Eddie Bulstrode, Ethan Burt, Monty Callaghan, Edward Ducker, Lucas Fairweather, William Gosling, Xander McGinn, Ioan McNaughton, Monty Osgood, James Roe, Lucca Stead, Jasper Thomas and Sam Wells.

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U12B Rugby The season started with the annual pre-season training sessions before school started back at the beginning of September. The vast majority of the year group turned up and were keen to show off their skills. What was most encouraging was their enthusiasm and desire to improve.

The U12B team played a full set of fixtures, against a variety of opposition, this season and have made a very promising start to rugby at KES. What has pleased me most is the continued improvement of the team’s performance, the willingness of the players to take on board advice, and the way in which they have conducted themselves both on and off the rugby pitch.

The first game of the season, after only a couple of training sessions, saw the boys take on a very well organised Oratory Prep School. In what turned out to be a thrilling match, in which a number of KES players helped the Oratory School due to injuries, KES eventually lost 6-4. The end-to-end nature of the match, and the closeness of the game, was to become a common theme throughout fixtures.

The next three games saw the team earn two comfortable victories against local rivals PGS, 7-3 (which included a hat trick of tries for Monty Callaghan) and Ryde School, 6-1. The third of these matches saw the team earn a hard fought victory in a closely contested and pulsating game against Dauntsey’s School, resulting in a 5-4 win with Tom Ford scoring a hat trick.

Played: 9 Won: 3 Drew: 0 Lost: 6

The second half of the season proved to be more challenging in terms of the quality of the opposition, but the players’ attitudes and willingness to give everything until the final whistle shone through.

The team suffered defeats in a very close match against Lord Wandsworth College, 6-5, in appalling weather conditions and a well-organised Churcher’s College side, 2-1. Injuries and availability also started to have an effect as we also lost to a strong Magadalen College team, 4-1, and both our fixtures in a triangular tournament against PGS, 4-2, and Churcher’s College, 4-0.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the boys who have represented the U12B team this year, as well as their parents for the positive support that they have given the players and myself. It has been great working with you all and I hope that you continue to enjoy playing rugby, representing the school and develop your skills in the years to come.

Coach: Mr Rosenburg Squad: Rufus Adeney, William Allen, Darren Biney, John Boyle, Harry Bristow, Monty Callaghan, Samuel Cole, Edward Ducker, Thomas Ford, Ben Ginns, William Gosling (C), William Graydon, Felix Hamilton, Max Henderson, Edward Isaac, Joshua Kileff (C), Tanush Kumar, Ioan McNaughton, James Mobley, Arthur Molden, Ayinen Ramanan, Adrien Salino, Lucca Stead and Luke Sullivan.

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U12C Rugby The team’s first fixture was a 14 try spectacle, with KES running out 8-6 winners. They played with infectious enthusiasm and a desire to put into practice the many things they had learnt during training. From a crunching tackle in the first minute, the whole team got stuck into their running, passing and tackling.

The boys’ second fixture ended in a narrow defeat to PGS, 7 tries to 6. With a few new faces on the team, they set about the game with plenty of enthusiasm and a determination to use the space offered by full sized pitch. The highlight was how they were able to recycle the ball after being tackled. The moment of the game was a try-saving tackle when it looked like the PGS player had made the corner.

After an interval of 8 weeks without a school fixture, filled with 3 energetic training sessions at Wellington, the team put in their performance of the season at Churcher’s College. This was a dominant performance by the squad, scoring 5 tries in the first half and then racing out to 7 in the second half, before the opposition scored two consolation tries towards the end.

A narrow defeat followed, 4 tries to 3, against Magdalen College School in very wet and muddy conditions. MCS ran the ball much better than KES, proving able to string a few phases together and scoring in the corners. KES had plenty of possession and yet were too crowded in midfield, resulting in the U12C quicker players receiving the ball standing

Played: 6 Won: 4 Drew: 0 Lost: 2

still. KES did score a magnificent try in the corner following a flowing 7-phase move from their own half.

A fine team performance saw KES run out winners by 7 tries to 4 against PGS on the final day. In attack, the boys were looking to move forward quickly and this resulted in some fine individual breaks and good recycling from the tackle, rucks and mauls. In defence, the tackling was robust and the defensive line was quickly up on its opponents.

It was a tall order to go straight into a second game against Churcher’s, who were looking to avenge their defeat a fortnight before. The boys were definitely tired and were short of substitutes with illness and promotions to the B team affecting the squad.

The team put in a lot of effort but couldn’t prevent Churcher’s running in 2 tries without reply.

Well done to all the boys on an excellent season and I look forward to watching their continued progress on the rugby pitch next year.

Coach: Mr Nichols Squad: Shravan Arunkumar, Charles Baker, Max Bean, Darren Biney, Alfie Bishop, William Buckland, Ed Cole, Samuel Cole, Kishan Dulai, Henry Ellis, Euan Galloway, Sam Garrett, Theodore Huynh, Tanush Kumar, James Mobley, Arthur Molden, Arun Panaech, Luke Sullivan, Fred Turner and George Underhill.

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Hockey overview Once again, hockey at King Edward’s took many steps forward during the 2020 season. There was notable success at all levels, as the game continues to develop and we become a regular in the newly structured tier system. KES entered Tier 1 for a number of teams, with great success. The school continues to add more teams and play more fixtures across the board. The numbers at training every week were remarkable with the U12, U13 and U14 sides having over 45 boys at every session regardless of the weather. A special mention must go to Mrs Kelly for getting 98% of the boys a match with the E,F or G teams. The percentage of wins and draws was increased showing a good balance in teams, on a strong fixture card. This is a credit to the coaching staff and boys.

The depth of boys’ hockey was demonstrated in the ability to be competitive across a number of different age groups in national qualifying tournaments. The 1st XI had a great run in the U18 Tier 1 West pool, finishing 3rd in the pool and missing out on a national quarter-final place due to goal difference. The U16 side had a good run in the U16 competition having had some great wins early in the competition. They were knocked out after some questionable umpiring. The U14 boys did well in their Tier 1 South heat but, again, the goal difference saw the boys exit the competition.

The boys continued to be challenged during games sessions and after school training. The high level of attendance at after school training was a great advert for the popularity of the game at KES and

the range of levels of hockey on offer; from the high performance players to the team players in the lower teams.

King Edward’s is a high performance centre for England Hockey and we are very pleased to have had a number of boys attend the Monday night sessions and many players making the Futures team and NAGS squads, with Rory Penrose making the U18 NAGS team.

Indoor hockey was again very popular. Both teams were seeded for the South which proved to be the downfall. The boys struggled with the limited game time and having a slow start in the heats, and thus missed out on the qualification for the South finals.

I would like to thank the coaching staff for helping put teams out each week, as the term is short and intense requiring many teams per week. The large number of boys playing is a credit to the staff who have always been positive and have created a culture of hockey amongst the boys. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the season ended early. Thank you to Mr Gilbert, Mr Jackson, Mr Wight, Mr Rodriguez, Mrs Kelly, Mr Dodds, Mr Kent, Mr Penn, Mr Sheppard, Mr Bassett, Mr Hyder and Mr Barley.

Mr Crichton Head of Hockey

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1st XI Hockey

Played: 11 Won: 6 Drew: 1 Lost: 4

Squad: Oliver Lander, Torin Atchley, Noah Cooper, Euan Etheridge, Will Evans, Pierre Forster, Alexander Georgiou, Soren Golding, Charlie Harden, Tom Henley, Rory Holm, William Jackson, Rory Penrose, Rufus Taylor, Ned Goodridge, Hugh Wilkinson and James Williams.

The boys took part in the England Hockey Tier 1 Championships this season, which involves the top hockey schools in the country. KES were placed in the west conference, which involved away trips to Dean Close and Peter Symonds College with home fixtures against Millfield, Marlborough College and Canford. The season started before Christmas with the visit of Millfield. With preparation time not ideal, despite a number of training sessions, KES struggled to get going in what was the first match of the season. In addition, with the 2018/19 season’s 1st team made up predominantly from the previous Upper Sixth, it was a completely new-look 1st team.

In a game where KES produced numerous chances, the lack of structure led to a number of breakaway goals for Millfield, culminating in a 4-2 loss. When looking purely at match statistics, the scoreline was difficult to understand. However, it was clear that a new system and structure was required for the team to make the most out of the season.

Following a team meeting and further training sessions, a new system was introduced for the squad, which would be employed in the second Tier 1 game of the season away at Dean Close. On paper this would be the toughest game of the season for KES, playing against a school side containing several junior internationals on a dark and gloomy late afternoon in Cheltenham. KES started off the game well in their new more disciplined structure with Soren Golding and Euan Etheridge protecting the defence well in midfield. This would allow the mercurial Rory Penrose, Ollie Lander and Ned Goodridge more freedom when counter attacking forwards. KES knew that they would need to protect the circle well and counter attack at pace in order to get anything out of the game. Despite superb structure and discipline, and numerous top drawer saves by Alex Georgiou in goal, KES conceded two first half goals. However, KES did create chances of their own with a couple of short corner saves being made by the Dean Close goalkeeper. Just before half-time, Rory Penrose carried the ball forwards with intent, finding Ollie Lander who executed a

reverse stick shot with perfect technique into the bottom corner of the goal to bring KES back into the game at half-time. KES were buoyed by their first half performance which was a huge step up in standard from the Millfield game. The same team principles were confirmed at half-time, with the importance of solid defensive structure and reactions to turnovers conveyed at the break. The second half followed a similar pattern to the first, with Rory Penrose being the main creator for the KES side winning a number of short corners with his quick hands in the opposition circle. Unfortunately, the boys were unable to convert the short corners that were created. As time went by, KES began to tire due to the work rate that was required in order to hassle and pressurise Dean Close. This led to more space being available for Dean Close on turnover and two further goals being scored to make the final score 4-1. Despite the scoreline, this was a superb performance by a young KES 1st team against one of the top hockey schools in the country.

The KES side were straight back into the Tier 1 competition after Christmas with the visit of Canford. In a more comfortable first half, KES led 2-1, despite conceding first. Will Jackson equalised with a slight deflection, before Rory Penrose took KES into the lead. It was clear KES had learnt a great deal in the first two games of the season and were building nicely. KES continued this improvement at the start of the second half when Charlie Harden scored his first career goal from a short corner rebound to make the scoreline 3-1. At this stage, KES were comfortable with the back four of Tom Henley, Charlie Harden, Will Evans and Noah Cooper passing the ball confidently around the back. However, with the situation not looking as positive for Canford, they decided to apply far more pressure on the KES defence. This led to a number of uncharacteristic mistakes by the KES players and numerous unforced turnovers. Despite this, Canford were kept at bay by some superb saves by Alex Georgiou in the KES goal.

Noah Cooper was also proving his qualities, making fine interceptions and tackles in the KES circle.

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With five minutes remaining, Canford made the breakthrough that they required, leading to a very nervous conclusion to the game. With Kes defending with all eleven players in the defensive twenty-five, you could feel a Canford equaliser coming. However, the 1st XI managed to force a turnover and counter at pace to force a short corner in the opposition circle. Rory Penrose stepped up and converted, in what was a huge moment in the season. As the game re-started the final whistle went and KES achieved their first win of the season.

The beauty of a league competition means that you can really develop as a team and keep improving.

Every game highlights areas to work on. The second half of the Canford game showed the importance of defending the circle well and composure when under pressure. Fortunately, KES would have a number of Saturday and mid-week fixtures in order to prepare for their next Tier 1 game against Marlborough College. These games could be used to work on principles and tactical structure without the pressure of being in competition. KES lost mid-week to Kingston Grammar School 3-1 in a scrappy game, before putting in a better performance against St John’s, Leatherhead to win 3-2. The composure of the defence whilst in possession was much improved during the St John’s game. However, this was not the case the following week against Magdalen College. A huge number of lessons were learnt in the Magdalen game, with a few key players missing for KES. The game showed the importance of every player in the side and how individuals always need to do their job and have the confidence in their own ability to do so for the team. It was clear that with players missing, the structure perhaps needed tweaking to better suit the players available, combined with more responsibility and leadership being shown by the whole team. You will often learn far more through the disappointment of losing than through easy wins, and the Magdalen game was one of the best learning moments of the season.

With the season now evenly poised, KES would see back-to-back Tier 1 games at the end of January.

KES put in a mixed bag performance against Marlborough College to win 6-5. KES were clinical in front of goal but very sloppy defensively and conceded far too many short corners. Rory Penrose scored 4 goals, with Ollie Lander and Pierre Forster scoring one each in what was a decent performance by the forwards. KES would need to outlet the ball from defence and build up the play far better as a team in their next match vs Peter Symonds who were in 2nd place in the league.

KES took on local rivals Peter Symonds in a hotly contested affair. KES took the lead through an unbelievable goal by Ned Goodridge who fired the ball off the inside of the post on his reverse stick from the collar of the circle, whilst moving at pace.

Peter Symonds equalised soon after make the score

1-1. With KES midfield talisman Euan Etheridge on the sidelines due to an unfortunate ankle injury, Ned Goodridge dropped back into his more accustomed position in central midfield where he demonstrated a true captain’s performance, challenging for every ball. Rory Penrose was continuously dangerous, linking up well with the rapid Rory Holm who was a threat on the break. KES again took the lead through a well converted short corner scored by Rory Penrose. However, Peter Symonds again equalised before half time and continued to apply pressure on the much-improved KES defence. The second half became more cagey than the first half, with mistakes creeping in for both sides. Peter Symonds scored the important third goal to take the lead. Rory Holm had a couple of half chances on the counter attack, but KES were struggling to create decent opportunities in what was a less open second half. The good news was that in this high-pressure environment, the KES defence were continuing to improve their ball retention and outletting. KES were getting particular success down the left-hand side through Noah Cooper and Will Jackson. With time running out, and the KES side still one goal down, the flow of the game changed with KES attacking continuously. Peter Symonds were now the side that were struggling to cope with the pressure applied on them. With five minutes remaining KES forced a short corner, and up stepped Rory Penrose who flicked the ball high past the Peter Symonds goalkeeper, delivering another key goal at an important moment. KES threw everything forwards for the remaining five minutes to claim the winning goal and the 3 points they were looking for.

Unfortunately, due to some last ditch defending by Peter Symonds, KES were unable to grab the winner.

The draw against Peter Symonds meant a 3rd place finish in the West League, and an anxious wait to find out if KES would make it through to the quarter finals as a lucky 3rd place finisher. Unfortunately for the second season running, the 1st XI KES would miss out of the top 8 by goal difference. However, the season can only be looked back on as a success due to the huge improvements the side has made during a short period. KES would see out the season with the team performance of the season against Churcher’s College (4-2) and another decent win against Seaford College (4-3). The boys used these games to play a slightly different system (3-2-3-2) in order to get more players in higher areas of the pitch and to create more support when attacking.

The KES side adapted brilliantly to another system which will lay the groundwork for what will hopefully be a successful year next season. Ned Goodridge has contributed a huge amount to the 1st team as captain this season, leading by example with his attitude and work rate in midfield, whilst adding a touch of quality to the play.

Coach: Mr Bassett

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2nd XI Hockey The 2nd XI have been a great group of boys to work with this season. Their commitment to training (in games), passion and desire in matches have been outstanding throughout the term.

The season began with a tough away trip to Canford.

The boys showed brilliant spirit, continuously working hard throughout, but Canford were too strong in the end. The following game was against a good St John’s, Leatherhead side and KES dominated the game from start to finish. The boys were quick to pounce on anything loose and their passing game was magnificent. They ended the match as 6-1 winners.

Magdalen College were next and again the boys put in an excellent performance. They created lots of chances but struggled to convert. Magdalen only entered the KES ‘D’ on three occasions and scored each time. The boys ended up losing the game 3-0 which was not a fair reflection of their efforts.

Churcher’s College was much the same story after the half-term break. The game was evenly poised at 1-1 at half-time and the feeling was that whoever scored first would go on to win. Unfortunately, that was not KES. Churcher’s dominated the 10 minutes after half-time scoring 4 goals in 3 minutes and ending the KES 2nd XI resistance.

March brought a change of fortune. First came a game against the Winchester College 1st XI side and the boys were superb in a very evenly matched contest. They were sharp in attack and solid at the back and restricted Winchester’s scoring opportunities. They ended the game as deserved 2-1 winners; an excellent performance against a good opposition.

Played: 6 Won: 2 Drew: 1 Lost: 3

The final game of the season came against a strong Seaford College side. Both defences struggled to contain the free-flowing attacking hockey on display.

KES scored first through Fourth Year pupil, Mathieu Loran, but conceded minutes later. The team thought they had scored the decisive goal through another Fourth Year player, Thomas Norman, mid-way through the second half, but this was short lived. Seaford College equalised with 5 minutes to go. Both sides continued to throw everything at each other and the game ended in a deserved draw.

I would like to thank the Upper Sixth for all their efforts this season and to thank them for their commitment to KES 2nd XI hockey. I hope they continue to play in the next chapter of their lives.

However, a special mention needs to go to Finn McCullagh and Tom Lockyer for their commitment and organisation as co-captains. They have been pivotal in getting players to play and ensuring that all instructions were communicated throughout the season and I cannot thank them enough for all their help and enthusiasm.

Coach: Mr Penn Squad: Nick Damley-Jones, Samuel Smith (GK), Sam Kendall, Will Booth, Tom Hand, Torin Atchley, Sam Burton, Tom Lockyer (C), Pierre Forster, Finn McCullagh (C), Henry Gwilliam, Theo Roberts, Patrick Keith, Rufus Taylor, Noah Inada-Kim, Henry Tudor, Anthony Rogers, Oliver Wilson, Matthew Duke, Hugh Wilkinson, Josh Williams, Archie Stokes, Daksh Bhatnagar, Marcus Beresford, William Jackson, Adam Woo, Noah Cooper, Sam Young, Finnian Coleman, Mathieu Loran and Thomas Norman.

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U16A Hockey Rarely has a team approached a season with such enthusiasm. Buoyed by a successful and enjoyable hockey tour to Holland in the October half-term, and also by some competitive indoor matches, the boys were well prepared. All understood the roles of players in a 4, 3, 3 formation and, despite the protestations of our skillful centre-forward, it was clear who was going to play in each position.

Harry Stembridge’s rise as captain reminded us all of the fine work done by Australian cricket captain Tim Paine. A player’s player, and leading by example, Harry’s competitive edge and fine interpersonal skills made him a fine choice. This was never more so than when he read the situation perfectly to pop up on the far post at possibly the most important moment of the season.

The boys certainly did not lack confidence against Canford, starting strongly, controlling the game and winning handsomely. They missed a few chances against Kingston Grammar but never looked like conceding in a good defensive display. In the National Cup competition, having had a bye in the first round, Cranleigh (away) was a tough fixture. In the game of the season, the boys played very well passing quickly and accurately in a blood and guts cup tie to dream of. Feisty and determined, everyone defended aggressively giving our opponents little chance of settling. The bench erupted after a fine KES strike to the far post only to be shocked by the fast break Cranleigh equalizer. But then the fullback came, against all the odds, to arrive at the far post and somehow deflect the ball in. I trust the lads will remember this moment and will be talking about it at Edwardian reunions in years to come.

Played: 6 Won: 3 Drew: 1 Lost: 2

This fine start to the season could not be maintained. MCS were good and athletic but KES underperformed and were deservedly beaten. An uninspired but workmanlike performance against Bedes School took the team to the last 16 of the National Cup and an away tie at Churcher’s College.

This was another high quality match with the lads giving everything. At 1-1 the game was evenly poised and then Churcher’s scored with a magnificent deflection.

The fact that so many of the planned fixtures were cancelled, meant that the tour matches were even more important as this allowed the side to have enough games to make good progress. Despite some limitations, the U16 A team of 2019/20 was able to compete with some of the top school sides in the country. The boys trained well and were well focused on match days too. At their best, they retained the ball well, switching channels when necessary and getting the ball forward with style and control. They bought into the press too and looked shocked to see their opponents turn over possession time and again. Most important of all the boys simply loved playing hockey!

Some have already tasted the fine coaching, teamwork and camaraderie of senior KES hockey. I urge all the players to keep improving and be part of a great senior squad next year.

Coach: Mr Bassett

Squad: Theo Beech, Sam Young, Harry Stembridge (C), Aaron Henderson, Freddie Coulson, Finn Coleman, Matthew Dyer, Isaac Chapman-Sheath, Archie Kilpatrick, Sam Mediratta, Flynn Denman, Dan Wickes and Alex Brain.

Also played - Owen Ramamoorthy, Giles Bailey, Harry Bristowe, Dominic Fernando and Josh Kent.

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U16B Hockey The season saw six regular matches at the weekend and five shortened encounters at the County Tournament. The Saturday fixtures saw the U16B team produce some entertaining hockey and resulted in three wins and a draw. They started the campaign with an open and exciting match against Canford with both teams showing plenty of skill and determination. A match played in a fabulous spirit saw Canford defend strongly and with depth, picking the ball up convincingly in midfield and creating the better chances. KES offered some expansive play at times, with good individual skill on display but the boys needed to be a little more cohesive in linking through the midfield, something that would develop over coming weeks.

Grateful for a good run out the previous week, KES welcomed Kingston Grammar to Wellington. With spirits high, the first half saw a lesson in how to retain possession and switch the channel delivered by the visitors, who perhaps should have scored more than a single goal as reward. The second half saw KES step up in midfield, close down the possession game and replicate Kingston’s success in turning the ball over with the second or third man working together. The U16 Bs had much more of the ball in the second half and deservedly scored an equaliser. Ten more minutes and this expansive game could have gone either way.

An away day to Magdalen College School resulted in a more even match than the scoreline suggests with plenty of action in midfield. KES played with pace down both wings which created the majority of the

Played: 11 Won: 4 Drew: 1 Lost: 6

chances and, coupled with some clinical finishing, the final score flattered the away side somewhat.

Dan Wickes scored a hat trick amidst the goal flurry in the first half. The midweek outing to the County Tournament gave the U16B an unusual opportunity to pitch themselves against local 1st teams, which explains the tricky nature of the day out when facing some sides who would then go on to progress in the National Tier 1 competition. With some decent play throughout the day, the side produced some hockey to trouble the opposition and a single win during the afternoon was enough to progress to the next phase. As it turned out, academic commitments prevented the side fulfilling this challenge, but they moved towards the end of the season with two more matches before curtailment of the fixture list due to the impending lockdown.

The pick of these matches saw a minibus journey, full of interesting tunes and chat, to the very hospitable Warminster School. This was a chance to put much of the good work throughout the season into action. We certainly enjoyed the better of possession and hat tricks followed for Sam Mediratta and Charlie Massey, who ended the season as top scorer. My thanks in particular to skipper Owen Ramamoorthy, who made match day administration very straightforward, the vicecaptains for their commitment to midweek training and to the whole squad for some enthusiastic play and calmness in the face of on-pitch adversity throughout the season!

Coach: Mr Sheppard Squad: Charlie Massey, Owen Ramamoorthy, Huw Dunlop, Billy Smith, Duncan Little, Oscar Groves, Charlie Duffin, Toby Jeffes, Beau Darrer, Giles Bailey, Sam Boyland, Tom Mason, Sam Mediratta, Oliver Alford-Evans, Alexander Brain, Jack Hampshire, Alex England, Daniel Wickes, Charlie Hand, Fin Kilpatrick, Theo Beech, Simon Ladd and George McGinn.

126 | SOTONIENSIS 2020

U15A Hockey

Played: 9 Won: 5 Drew: 1 Lost: 3

The boys’ U15A side had a successful season with many players developing their individual game and their tactical awareness. The boys played a few new combinations, with Harry Bristowe moving to the free player and Josh Kent into midfield. The team would play the majority of the season without Oli Lander – recently promoted to the 1st team. Playing without the previous season’s key player was a chance for some new players to make a name for themselves.

Harry Bristowe stood out from the start and he was able to control the match and marshal the team with great maturity. The next player to take his chance was Josh Kent who moved to midfield giving the team a creative workhorse in this area. Dom Fernando proved to be a real threat going forward and scored some epic goals. The squad numbers were small but new players were added as the season progressed.

The find of the season was Bruno Jesney. Short of a player at training for an exercise, we asked Bruno to help out. He took his chance and started every subsequent match. He has a great attitude and proved to be an influential player.

started well with a goal by Dom in the first minute.

KES dominated the match but struggled to convert their chances. The match turned around when a goal against the run of play brought the scores level.

Churcher’s then took control of the match but KES managed to weather the storm until the final whistle.

The boys went on to win the penalty flick competition and move into the 3rd round after a very tense match.

The team finished off the first half of the term with a 5-2 win against Warminster. Once again, Dom showed this ability with some wonderful goals against a very good goalkeeper.

The team started well with a hard-fought draw away against Canford. This was to set a great foundation for the style of play and the ability of the team when working to a game plan. Kam scored near the end of the match to secure the draw. The first cup game in the Independent Schools’ U15 Competition was away to Seaford. The boys started well and played some great hockey in the first half to go into the break in the lead. Seaford fought back in the second half but KES hung on to win 4-1 and move into the 2nd round. The following match was against MCS from Oxford. MCS proved to be too strong and the boys learnt a few tough lessons, ultimately losing 5-2. The 2nd round of the ISC was against Churcher’s. The side had a home ground advantage and the boys

The team then had the opportunity to play in the U16 Tier 3 England Hockey Competition. The boys started well and were able to compete against their much bigger opponents. It was a great test for them and they proved their worth many times in the games. Oli Herbert took a few big knocks and kept getting up to work for the team. The boys eventually finished in 5th place with a few games being decided by 1 goal. The season was cut short due to lockdown but I would like to say a big thank you to the boys for a great season.

Each player played a major part in the team’s success and created many great memories.

The first game after half-term was the 3rd round of the ISC against St George’s College. The team did not start well and found themselves 4-0 down at half-time. A tough half-time team talk saw the boys start the second half with much more purpose. They started to play with freedom, put two goals in the net and created chances. Unfortunately, the time ran out and KES lost 4-2 and were knocked out of the cup.

Coach: Mr Crichton Squad: Harry Bristowe (C), Josh Kent, Harry Loveridge, Kamran Dhariwal, Charlie Hand, Fin Kilpatrick, Oliver Herbert, William Armstrong, Joe Thompson, Dominic Fernando, Bruno Jesney, Kym Anderson, Oliver Lander, Matthew Carrall-Wilcocks and Mickey Johnson.

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U15B Hockey The results do not lie, nor do they tell the complete story. In what was undoubtedly a tough season, perhaps most pleasing was the boys’ willingness and enthusiasm to turn up to training and enjoy playing some hockey. Over thirty boys played a competitive fixture, which is particularly impressive given that the season was cut short, and it was great to see a number of boys develop into core U15B players.

The highlight of the season came at the start of February with a deserved 5-1 victory over Embley A team. Playing with energy and ambition, the side gave their opponents little time on the ball, constantly pressing them into mistakes. Thomas Norman had a fantastic game, making numerous driving runs down the right-hand side and scoring two excellent first-half goals. Although they rode their luck at times in the second half, the game was effectively sealed through a potent counter-attack that Tom Andrews precisely finished at the goalkeeper’s near post.

Further victories proved elusive but there were many other memorable moments during the season. A partially frozen pitch meant the U15Bs played a delayed, half-pitch match against St John’s School, Leatherhead. What resulted was a thriller full of unstructured end-to-end action. Twice KES fell behind in the first half and twice the team hit back, first through Bruno Jesney and the second through Daniel Burrows. St John’s took their opportunities in the second half to open up a two-goal lead but the side’s persistence and enthusiasm did not wane with Tom

Played: 8 Won: 1 Drew: 1 Lost: 6

Andrews scoring late on to give hope. Unfortunately, time was against the boys as they fell narrowly short.

Against Churcher’s College, they showed great solidity. Sam Golledge and Jack Williams led the way in defence and Mathieu Loran slotted home from close range in a 1-1 draw.

The final game of the season was against Seaford College and proved to be another entertaining endto-end match in which the players showed great attacking endeavour but neglected their defensive responsibilities. They fell to a 4-2 defeat, with Will Taylor on debut providing an unforgettable assist late in the game. An aerial pass left their defence flatfooted and after some expert ball control, Thomas Norman left their goalkeeper with no chance. In order to become more successful next year, this squad will need to better balance attack with defence and I expect that they will enjoy rising to the challenge.

Coach: Mr Barley The following boys represented the School at U15B team level in at least 3 fixtures: Squad: Kym Anderson, Tom Andrews, Findlay Bell, Ivor Berry, Daniel Burrows, Will Donnison, Hugo Dunkley, Samuel Golledge, Bruno Jesney, Mickey Johnson, Mathieu Loran, Tom Lugton, Robert McKenzie, Ben Morgan, Thomas Norman, Mathias Potter, Wilf Sutton, Samuel Venable and Jack Williams.

128 | SOTONIENSIS 2020

U15C Hockey This has been a fantastic group of boys to work with at after school training and during games lessons. There was great improvement throughout the season with many players getting the opportunity to move up to the U15B team. The side had an unfortunate start to the season with a loss to Canford after dominating the first half. They did not take their chances and Canford capitalised on theirs to win 3-1. The team then lost to MCS, with a few key players missing. However, the boys did well to beat Warminster U15B 4-2 in their subsequent fixture; a match that they enjoyed as it was a very tight game with KES scoring a few goals in the last minutes to win the match.

Well done to all boys for their commitment this season; this has shown in their improvement.

Coach: Mr Crichton Squad: Mathieu Loran, Tom Jackson, Tom Collins, Sam McIlroy, Isaac Haq, Ivor Berry, Robert Ingram, Nirujan Baheerathan, Will Taylor, Tom Lugton (C), Robert McKenzie, Wilf Sutton, Samuel Venable, Daniel Burrows, Jack Williams, Nolan Erard and Thomas Norman.

Played: 3 Won: 1 Drew: 0 Lost: 2

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U14A Hockey

Played: 6 Won: 0 Drew: 3 Lost: 3

In what was a disjointed and disrupted season, the U14 A team showed great character on the pitch and saved the best of their hockey for the county and regional tournaments. The first weekend saw KES come up against a very talented and well drilled Canford side, who unfortunately proved too strong, running out 4-0 winners on the day. As the next game at Kingston Grammar School was cancelled due to a frozen pitch, the side went into the Hampshire Cup with only one game under their belt. Despite the lack of match time, the boys had trained hard on a new formation and tactics for the mid-week tournament.

In the first game, KES started exceptionally well and put their opponents, Portsmouth Grammar School, under immense pressure from the first whistle. Two early goals confirmed the three points and gave the boys a much needed confidence boost for the rest of the day. A more scrappy game followed against Kings’ School, Winchester, but the team showed a great level of fight and determination to come out victorious. In the third game of the day, KES faced Lord Wandsworth College, and, despite another strong start, KES were not able to capitalise on some early possession and chances; a late short corner goal gave LWC a 1-0 win.

In the final game of the afternoon, KES needed a point to qualify for the regional competition, and it is safe to say that the boys kept their best performance until last. A special mention to Ben Mayes and Rory Duncan for their part in the 3-0 win against Churcher’s College.

This final result placed the boys 2nd in Hampshire and so they progressed to the South Tier 1 regional rounds.

minutes to play. KES had defended excellently all game, however a late break away led to an equalising goal for Warminster. Next came Churcher’s College and, despite the comfortable win in the Hampshire Cup, the boys could not repeat the result, coming out on the wrong side of a 2-3 thriller with Rory Duncan and Thomas Waggett scoring for KES. A disappointing 1-1 draw against Seaford College the following weekend showed the importance of ensuring that consistency in all parts of the game is key to success at this level.

After their success at the Hampshire Cup, the U14 A team struggled against an impressive Magdalen College School, losing 0-3. Another cancelled game against Sherborne School denied the boys a chance to bounce back from this defeat, and they had to wait a further week to face Warminster School. In what was a close game, Karam Lally nicely deflected an accurate cross from Hugo Evans to put KES 1-0 up with ten

The final two games of the season were cancelled against St George’s College, Weybridge, and Portsmouth Grammar School. Both the county and regional tournaments showed the potential that this U14 Team has, and, with more match experience and consistency in their performances, they will be able to build upon their results this year. I wish them all the success in the future.

The boys travelled to Eton College for the South Tier 1 regional round. KES scored first against Ardingly College but a stronger second half performance from the opposition led to both teams sharing the points.

A dominant team effort versus Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School gave KES a 3-0 win. Individual mentions must go to Sam Buckland, Sam Webb and Rory Kilpatrick who played exceptionally well, in addition to Ben Mayes for a brace of stunning strikes.

In the last group game, the boys came up against the eventual tournament winners – Whitgift. In open play the boys matched Whitgift play for play and really showed their class; Ethan Chapman-Sheath was outstanding in goal. In the end, two well placed drag flicks from short corners were the difference in a well fought 2-0 loss. Despite a successful afternoon, the boys missed out on the next round on goal difference, coming 3rd in the group. I could not have been prouder of the way the boys came together and showed they could hold their own and compete with some of the best teams in the country.

Coach: Mr Hyder Squad: Sam Buckland, Rory Duncan, Hugo Evans, Luca Gualano, Tim Harris, Andre Hughes, James Quigley, Luka Thomas, Sam Tyson, Sam Webb, Michael Wong, Callum Jacob, Marcus Wray, Nick Dodd, Ethan ChapmanSheath, Ben Mayes, Rory Kilpatrick, Oliver Daniels, Karam Lally, Sam Attfield, Matthew Evans, Zakariya Ahmed and Thomas Waggett.

130 | SOTONIENSIS 2020

U14B Hockey The U14 B had an excellent season with only two narrow losses which, on a different day, they could easily have won. The team had a regular set of sixteen boys at every match. The KES side were too strong for Winchester College, MCS and Seaford and recorded two draws against Churcher’s and St John’s Southsea.

Competition for places in the U14 age groups was a sign of the strength in the year group and the U14 B team had many boys pushing for a place in the A team. The work rate and determination at training and matches was evident and showed how passionate the boys were for the game. It was great to see some boys new to the sport and some players move from group 5 to group 2. The progress this team has made over the season is a credit to the attitude and competitive nature of these individuals.

I look forward to seeing them develop as they go through the school. Special mention must go to Nick Dodd who played in goal for the U14B and A team and outfield for the U14A team. He proved his worth and played outfield for the U14A team in the South heat. The season was unfortunately cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic but I hope the hunger for success that the boys have demonstrated through the season will continue next season.

Coach: Mr Crichton

Played: 7 Won: 3 Drew: 2 Lost: 2

Squad: Savinu Ariyawansa, Jamie Wickes, Freddie Elliot, Robby Wood, Freddie Fox, Sam De Hartog, George Roche, Euan Holm, Callum Jacob, Dylan Burrows, Nick Dodd, Kobe Stavonhagen, Joseph Warrener, Fraser Reynolds, Harry McIlroy, Marcus Wray, Luka Thomas, Matthew Evans, Thomas, Waggett and Oliver Daniels.

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U14C Hockey

This has been a special group of boys to work with this season. Their love for hockey was evident in their attendance at after school training with over eighteen boys available to play on Saturdays. If the side had faced a match with the U14B team it would certainly have been a good game as there was little difference in the sides. There was a good mix of players; some were new to the game and whilst others were more experienced. The team had a few fixtures cancelled but were able to play four matches. The team enjoyed good wins against St John’s, Leatherhead, Churcher’s College and Seaford College and drew against MCS. Well done to the boys for such a good season and for their commitment to hockey over the term. I fully expect a few of the boys in the U14C team to play 1st team hockey in the future as there are so many talented players to watch out for.

Coach: Mr Crichton

Played: 4 Won: 3 Drew: 1 Lost: 0

Squad: Oliver Wilkinson, Joseph Culver, William Read, Theo Shaw, Gabriel Suttie, Blair Galloway, James Booth, Ini Brain, Max Smith, John Conor Alphin, Amaan Soomro, Elias Simojoki, Peter Burnand, Zakariya Ahmed, Venura Ranmandala and Kobe Stavonhagen.

132 | SOTONIENSIS 2020

U13A Hockey

It was a joy this year to teach such a dedicated and enthusiastic group of boys who, regardless of scorelines or opposition, rarely let their heads drop. The first game of the season highlighted the lack of team experience against a well drilled West Hill Park school. However, the game proved to be a very fast learning experience as both the team and I got used to the systems and tactics that would persist throughout the year. Having then watched West Hill Park get beaten by a rampant Churcher’s we were expecting to be on the receiving end of a large defeat. However, for the first time, the boys really showed the grit and determination that, for me, largely defined them this season. Kilpatrick truly showed his potential as a superb player, tackling hard, distributing the ball well and scoring some marvellous goals. His title of captain was well deserved, and in every game he led by example – something the boys benefited from greatly.

Against Magdalen College the side played very well, in spite of the strong opposition. Kipps and Fernando were solid in defence and distributed well, making solid tackles. Kilpatrick again dominated the middle with industrious workrate and a hat trick that reflected his performance. Dyer showed his value time and again, making good early passes, and both Hunter and newly promoted Collins came on up front to hassle the defence and track back well.

Singh Dasmahapatra is a talented young player and throughout the season contributed extremely well. In this game he was skilful around the D and penetrated key areas of the pitch well.

Played: 17 Won: 10 Drew: 1 Lost: 6

Our strong start put us in a great position for the county round of the In2Hockey national competition and it was here that we played, by far, the most flowing, skilful and complete hockey of the whole season. The format of ten minutes one-way hockey is always a challenge and yet we worked hard and stuck to the established systems to leave us on top of the group. Once again Kilpatrick was completely solid throughout. His distribution was excellent and he frequently worked back and won the ball very effectively. He was an inspiration as captain, proving himself extremely effective as both full back and centre half. First Year pupil, Ben Mayes, was drafted in to play due to the tournament allowing younger players and he had a great day. He was extremely effective at centre half where he tackled and distributed beautifully. He also turned on the skill, regularly cutting through the middle and spinning onto his favoured reverse for an accurate and well struck reverse. Dyer showed positional knowledge beyond his years, tackling back doggedly and being a real handful in the left midfield role that he dominated all season. He threaded numerous passes through to the forwards and also cut in to the D very well, frequently demonstrating a cool, calm and collected finish - a first time flick into the roof being a notable example to be proud of.

The semi-final was a tough fought battle that ended in a draw – fortunate as we had missed a few opportunities and they had threatened our goal.

However, it was here that, once again, ChapmanSheath proved what a quality keeper he is by saving 3

SOTONIENSIS 2020 | 133

strokes to put us in the final. He was solid throughout the season and frequently made a string of goal-line saves, one after the other. It is a skill to make the initial save, but a different level to save the next two, or sometimes three shots, after that. The final was played in great spirits and the flowing, determined hockey on show was a fair reflection of the potential the squad had – a 4-3 victory saw them progress to the regional round of the national competition.

Shortly after the tournament, Kipps was injured leaving several new boys to try and fill the gap in defence – all who tried made very good accounts of themselves and deserve praise for stepping up a level. However, in subsequent games we never quite managed to find the same quality or flow, which resulted in a mixture of results. That said, I was thrilled that the boys really showed some grit in the last game of the season played against a strong Lord Wandsworth College where Kilpatrick was injured

U13B Hockey The Under 13 B team had a good mix of results this term and really improved in the matches that they played in; it is a shame that they were not able to play more matches towards the end of the term, however there was a definite improvement in the boys’ skills and positional awareness throughout the season.

The first match was against Churcher’s College. It was a really good opening match with the boys winning 4-0 There were some great goals from Nathaniel Foot and a Freddie Collins hat trick. The boys played with real energy and the passing and positional play improved during the game. The next game was against West Hill Park and the boys tried to work on using the space of the pitch and moving the ball quicker to stretch the opposition. This worked well and they moved the ball quickly around the pitch; the final score being 5-1 to KES with goals from Nathaniel Foot, Aman Patel (two goals), Freddie Collins and Kit Goodridge. A slight dip in form saw the side lose to Magdalen College 5-2 and then Embley 4-0 but that didn’t discourage them from playing some really attractive hockey and scoring a couple of great team goals against Magdalen. As the

early on and was unable to come back on. In spite of losing a key player, the boys dug deep and in the dying seconds earned a deserved 1-0 victory.

Overall, this has been a season to be proud of, one in which the potential of the squad was elegantly demonstrated in winning the County Tournament. It is frustrating that the regionals have been postponed, but I for one am keeping my fingers crossed that it can be rescheduled as I genuinely believe that this side could progress to the national stage.

Coach: Mr Jackson Squad: Rory Kilpatrick (C), Thomas Dyer, Aashish Singh Dasmahapatra, Archie Chapman-Sheath, Cassian Fernando, Hamish Hunter, Ben Kipps, Freddie Collins, Nathan Foot, Harry Gaster, Nathaniel Saer, Olly Knight, Paddy Boyd, Tom Marsh and Ben Mayes.

Played: 7 Won: 4 Drew: 0 Lost: 3

season developed, the boys’ hockey really started to improve massively and the passing and switching the ball from side to side was really good to watch.

They also played some quick direct hockey via some nice passing between opposition players. Tom Marsh was consistently on form in goal and pulled off some spectacular saves. Against St John’s College, Southsea the improvements and lessons learnt from the previous defeats saw the boys really come out and play a fast paced and ruthless match winning 13-4. They registered a loss against Churcher’s College in what was a close game before their final match against Lord Wandsworth College. This game saw the boys dig deep and fight back to win a close fought encounter 2-1, with crucial and well taken goals from Nathaniel Foot and Aman Patel. The boys demonstrated some of their best hockey this season, moving the ball quickly and with purpose to end the season on a high even though the season had been prematurely cut short by the coronavirus pandemic.

I would like to thank all the boys who have been involved in the squad for their hard work in the games lessons and afterschool training sessions.

Their dedication really has helped them all improve individually and as a team and I wish them all the best for their hockey next year.

Coach: Mr Dodds Squad: Freddie Collins, Nathan Foot, Aman Patel, Kit Goodridge, Olly Knight, Paddy Boyd, Henry Day, Tom Marsh, Nathaniel Saer, Ben Hughes, Harry Gaster, Max Pemberton, Joe Lambert and Archie Chapman-Sheath.

134 | SOTONIENSIS 2020

U13C Hockey The boys had a great season this year and were all disappointed not to have had more fixtures. As is evident from the squad list, there was a lot of movement between the teams as pupils found their levels and made progress throughout the season. It is a credit to those who played regularly that the team spirit and cohesion in each game was good, in spite of the changing faces. The side had a fantastic number of quality goalkeepers this year, and Joe Lambert was definitely one of them. He has a great eye for the ball and made numerous good saves, often during crucial parts of the game, that enabled the team to keep their heads up and a victory to be assured.

The back line was always solid, with both Chambers

Played: 5 Won: 3 Drew: 1 Lost: 1

and Mundy providing a season long partnership that proved hard for any opposition to break. Channel was industrious in the middle and his positive and enthusiastic approach frequently kept the cohesion and determination of the team on track. George Goodridge showed he is a very capable centre forward and scored many goals with Spanner making a move from goalkeeper to pitch player and being very handy at both.

Overall this was a promising season that bodes well for the change to 11-a-side hockey next year.

Coach: Mr Jackson Squad: George Goodridge, Harry Channell, Kit Goodridge, Oliver Chambers, Jamie Mundy, Max Pemberton, Joe Lambert, Caspar Underwood, William Fletcher, Harry Gaster, William Atkinson, Matthew Watson, Tom Marsh, Charlie Spanner, Aman Patel, Junhao Liu, Ben Hughes and Nathaniel Saer.

U13D Hockey The amount of enthusiasm on show in the team this year was surpassed by none. Every chance the boys got to be out on the pitch, practising or playing, was taken and the general ethos of playing not only to win, but also to enjoy it, was fully adhered to. As can be seen from the number of boys who had the chance to represent a 7-a-side team I tried hard to include all those who wanted to play. Lambert was promoted early on the role of keeper, but his place was incredibly well filled by the all-rounder Sharma and very natural Addison. Omer, Malloch and Vigor-Robertson were all regulars whose commitment to the squad, and ability to fill in on a late call up, was very much appreciated – well done boys! Hughes orchestrated the middle when playing and deserved his call up to the C and B teams.

Chacko’s work ethic and determination meant he contributed extremely well. The highlight of the season was undoubtedly an extremely closely fought battle with Magdalen College that saw KES come out 5-4 on top – Bravo!

Coach: Mr Jackson

Played: 4 Won: 2 Drew: 0 Lost: 2

Squad: Zayd Omer, Ben Malloch, Noah Vigor-Robertson, William Atkinson, Sam Chacko, Raaghav Sharma, Ben Hughes, Joe Lambert, Matthew Watson, Max Addison, Oli Williams, Aman Patel, Caspar Underwood, William Fletcher, Daniel Hill, William Norman, Jamie Mundy and Junhao Liu.

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U12A Hockey

Played: 6 Won: 3 Drew: 2 Lost: 1

What an outstanding season for the U12A boys’ hockey team. The boys were enthusiastic, hardworking, dedicated to their commitments on a Saturday and demonstrated some real flair on the hockey pitch.

They had a very competitive fixture list, which really tested the boys and it has been incredible to see their progress throughout the season.

performance resulted in some well-executed set plays and possession, securing a convincing 12-4 victory for the side. The game against Magdalen College School was a tight game where play was shared, and the performance was end to end. Goalkeeper Sam Wells had to make some spectacular saves to keep the U12 As in the game. The final score was 4-3 to KES.

The season started away at Churcher’s College and this was always going to be a tough start for their first outing as a team. However, the boys really demonstrated what type of team they wanted to be.

After going 5-2 down, the KES team worked hard and regained possession to finish the game 5-5. I was certainly impressed by their attitude. I think it is important to mention the excellent leadership qualities of their captain, Ben Mayes, who demonstrated early on that he was prepared to lead his team to achieve some excellent performances and consequently some fabulous results.

There were also fixtures against Lord Wandsworth College and the return leg against Churcher’s College.

The boys were victorious against an older Lord Wandsworth College team winning 9-1 but lost to an extremely tough Churcher’s College team 9-4.

Kingston Grammar School were the next challenge.

KES were leading at half-time but Kingston Grammar came back hard in the second half and this forced the boys to really find out how resilient they were under pressure. They worked hard to finish the game 5-5 against outstanding opposition. Ioan McNaughton had a tremendous first game for the A team and found his way onto the score sheet twice.

Another two performances to note were against Warminster School (away) and Magdalen College School (away). After a long journey and early start against Warminster School, the KES team bounced off the bus and were ready to get going. An excellent

The U12 A team have been great role models for the rest of the year group. The school hosted a hockey festival at Wellington with teams from Trojan’s Hockey Club and many of the A team players captained the teams. Their encouragement, advice and support of all of the players was first rate and they should be very proud of themselves.

It was a shame that the season was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic because the boys would have really liked an opportunity to take on Portsmouth Grammar School and St George’s College. We will look forward to playing them next year.

Well done boys on an excellent season!

Coach: Mrs Kelly

Squad: Ben Mayes, Sam Wells, Edward Ducker, Ayinen Ramanan, Edward Bulstrode, James Roe, Lucca Stead, Monty Osgood, Ioan McNaughton, George Underhill and Arthur Hancox.

136 | SOTONIENSIS 2020

U12B Hockey

Played: 6 Won: 3 Drew: 1 Lost: 2

The U12B side had a very solid season and, although they faced some very tough opposition at times, produced some outstanding performances and made excellent progress. It was unfortunate that the season was a little disrupted due to the coronavirus pandemic and issues with the motorway but, nonetheless, the team have so much to be proud of. The development of these players has been remarkable and I am sure many of these boys will be playing A team hockey at some stage of their KES hockey career. The captaincy of the B team was shared throughout the season and it demonstrated to the coaches that within this group of players there are some very fine leaders.

against a Lord Wandsworth side and the boys were triumphant winning 4-1. Captain on the day, Harry Osman, was very impressive; calm and steady on the ball leading to a number of the KES goals.

The boys started the season with a 1-1 draw against a very good Churcher’s College team. This was a hard-fought game and the boys were pleased with the result. Their first win (3-1) of the season came against a strong team from Kingston Grammar School.

The boys had to sustain much pressure from their opposition but managed to secure victory after some fine saves by goalkeeper, Nemanja Theriault, late on in the game. The second win of the season came against Magdalen College School 3-0. Captain on the day, Josh Kileff, demonstrated excellent leadership qualities and encouraged his team throughout. Monty Osgood also put on a fine display of defending when the side were under considerable pressure from the Magdalen side.

Squad: Nemanja Theriault, Max Bellman, Arthur Hancox, George Underhill, Edward Isaac, Darren Biney, Theo Congreve, Josh Kileff, Harry Osman, Monty Osgood, Luke Sullivan, Xander McGinn and Samuel Cole.

The boys were defeated by St John’s College U12A team and also by Churcher’s College on the return leg.

Both games were very close and the players learnt much from these encounters regarding possession and defending. The last game of the season was

It was a shame the boys did not get to finish the season because they would really have liked an opportunity to take on Portsmouth Grammar School and St George’s College. We will look forward to playing them next season.

Well done boys – a fantastic season!

Coach: Mrs Kelly

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U12C Hockey

The U12 C team worked incredibly hard this season despite having a tough start to their campaign. They were keen to improve and they always arrived at training with an eagerness to improve. Many of the players progressed to the B team at some stage in the season and this really reflects the trajectory of their development. The boys had a close game against Churcher’s College to start the season and, after much possession and many opportunities, lost the game 1-0. However, I was impressed by how quickly they progressed. Some notable performances throughout the season were against Magdalen College and Warminster School where the boys drew both of these games 2-2 and 0-0 respectively. Defensively the boys were strong and they were unlucky not to convert any of their chances in front of goal; they should feel proud of their achievements.

We were sad that the season was abruptly ended due to the coronavirus pandemic but the boys, I am sure, will relish in the opportunity to play St George’s College, Portsmouth Grammar School and King’s School next season. The players also enjoyed the hockey festival that was held at School and this was an excellent opportunity for them to develop their match play.

Coach: Mrs Kelly

Played: 6 Won: 0 Drew: 3 Lost: 3

Squad: Rufus Adeney, Max Bellman, Darren Biney, John Boyle, William Buckland, Ethan Burt, Monty Callaghan, Sam Cole, Theo Congreve, Lucas Fairweather, Ben Ginns, William Graydon, Dash Halfpenny, Felix Hamilton, Theodore Huynh, Edward Isaac, Xander McGinn and Sam Redhead.

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U12D Hockey The U12 D team had an absolutely outstanding record this season and, considering the amount of player rotations that occurred, they should feel very proud of themselves. Some of the boys playing within this squad had not played hockey before and I am immensely proud of the progress they have made. All boys had an opportunity to represent the school if they so wished, and many of these boys also enjoyed the hockey festival that was held at KES with Trojan’s Hockey Club. The enthusiasm within this squad of players was incredible and the numbers available meant that we could field an U12 E and F team. This was fantastic and the boys enjoyed their own specific training at Hockey Club, which allowed them to really make progress.

The U12D team had some fantastic performances and convincing wins against Churcher’s College, Kingston Grammar School, Warminster School and Lord Wandsworth College. It was a shame the season was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic but I am sure the boys will look forward to next season with just as much determination and motivation as demonstrated this year.

Coach: Mrs Kelly

Played: 6 Won: 5 Drew: 1 Lost: 0

Squad: Rufus Adeney, William Allen, Shravan Arunkumar, Charles Baker, Aleks Birdsall, Alfie Bishop, John Boyle, Harry Bristow, William Buckland, Ethan Burt, Monty Callaghan, Ed Cole, Kishan Dulai, Henry Ellis, Tom Ford, Euan Galloway, Sam Garrett, William Gosling, William Graydon, Felix Hamilton, Max Henderson, Theodore Huynh, Edward Isaac, Tanush Kumar, Arthur Molden, James Mobley, Arun Panaech, Viraj Raichura, Alex Roots, Lopez De Silanes, Adrien Salino, Tom Sharp, Sajjan Singh, Jasper Thomas, Aviral Yadav and Zhenghan Yuan.

As the coach responsible for the U12 hockey teams this season, I can wholeheartedly say how proud I am of every one of the players. They have all progressed so much and, for many of the boys, this was a new game for them. The dedication and commitment to improve as a year group has simply been outstanding.

It has been heart-warming to note that 60 out of the 69 boys in the Year Group have participated in hockey this season playing for the school. This has to be a record high for participation and I am very excited to see how this talented year group develop as they progress through their school career. An excellent season, some fabulous progress and all were motivated to succeed. Well done boys!

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1st XI Football

The 2019/20 season marked a turning point for KES. Playing in the Hampshire Colleges League 1, the team showed that they could compete with the bigger colleges in the county. All the players involved should be pleased with their mid-table finish. When pitches allowed, the team were able to demonstrate their passing and movement and always aimed to play football in the right way. The team was predominantly composed of Lower Sixth students and should be aiming for promotion in the 2020/21 season.

2019/20 also saw two fixtures for the KES 2nd XI against Richard Taunton’s 2nd XI. Two highly entertaining games were played, with the opposition just edging it over the two legs. It was wonderful to be able to field a 2nd XI side and the aim will be to have more matches next season.

A huge thank you must go to all the players involved and the selection of weekly match reports reflect their ability and enthusiasm for the game.

Coach: Mr Brown

Played: 15 Won: 7 Drew: 2 Lost: 6

Squad: Marcus Beresford, Will Daniels, Joel Fox, Josh Gordon, Kai Hammond, Rory Holm, Noah InadaKim, Will Jackson, Ralf Lloyd, Zak Martyn, Theo Roberts, Anthony Rodgers, Will Tall (C), Zach Tidby, Ollie Van Aalst and Ethan Webster.

Player of the season: Josh Gordon Top scorer: Marcus Beresford (9)

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Elite Sports Performer Programme

There are over 50 students at King Edward’s who are competing at regional level or higher. The Elite Sports Performer Programme was established to provide these students with an additional support system to assist them in achieving their potential within their chosen sporting field, whilst also fulfilling their academic potential.

Students on the programme have enjoyed expert strength and conditioning in the form of a series of workshops to aid them with injury prevention, as well as ensure continuous development. Along with these sessions, they have also had a number of talks to assist them in performance at elite level, giving them the extra edge. Unfortunately, due to the closure of school in March, several talks from our Senior Sports Scholars to the Lower School had to be postponed. We know that when these occur they will be invaluable to the younger pupils in gaining a deeper understanding of the skills required to maintain high levels of academic success alongside elite sporting achievements, as well as how to cope with trials, setbacks and success.

Talks this year have included: • Sports psychology • OE and professional cricketer, Joe Weatherley • Sports injury prevention • Olympic medallist Sir Ben Ainslie • Sixth Former and ladies Chelsea and England footballer, Arabella Suttie • OE and GB power lifter, Ellie Steel.

Mrs Penn Elite Sports Performer Programme Co-ordinator

Cover designed by Mr G Piggott.

King Edward VI School Wilton Road . Southampton . Hampshire SO15 5UQ Telephone: 023 8070 4561 www.kes.hants.sch.uk